Chapter 2: What's Determination?
When Natsu and Gray started first grade, they felt older and more mature. First grade meant they had to start to read, which Natsu hated, and they had no nap time, which Gray despised.
No one found out about the fight between Mira and Gray back in kindergarten, and no one cared. Gray found out many things that day. When he went home to ask his mom what happened to Natsu, he learned what a concussion was. Natsu really didn't remember what happened before his accident. Most importantly, he found out what happened to Lisanna. Mira revealed that Elfman and her had been severely abused when they first went to elementary school. They wanted to run away, but since that day, their guardians put tracking devices on them. The two siblings pretended Lisanna died in Natsu's accident so that she could have a chance to run away. Mira broke down and said that she didn't know where she was right now. Gray had felt tears brimming while the girl recalling the horrifying story. Never again would Gray get into a fight with the poor girl about her sibling.
Gray shook his head. Today was different. This was a new year.
He was in "den" with Erza, Cana, Mavis, and the young Wendy. Each child was in a different grade. Every kid in the whole school was assigned a "den." Gray's den's name was Motivation.
"Cana," Erza muttered, writing down her name on a sticky note. "Wendy, Gray, and me." She raised her head and scanned her group. "Yes, we are all here." Being the second oldest, Erza took attendance for the Motivational group every week. Mavis didn't really want to do it anyway, and Erza seemed to love the responsibility. The red-head opened a notebook and took out some paper.
"Hello group." Gray said tentatively. He turned to Erza. "Uh, what are we supposed to do today?"
"We are to come up with nice things to do
Wendy raised her tiny hand. "I-I think we should give papers to people." Cana tilted her head, taking a sip of the pop* she wasn't supposed to have. Mavis glared at the brunette.
"What do you mean? Explain." Cana burped loudly. Wendy shivered as the fumes spread toward her face.
"We could, uh, we could try to write nice things about people on paper and give it to them?" Erza nodded and smiled.
"Great idea Wendy! Yes." Erza scribbled down some notes onto a piece of scratch paper.
"We could write stuff like "you're sweet" or "you're really smart" or "you're handsome" on them," Mavis listed. "We have a small enough school to do this. I like it."
"I'm in," Gray said while nodding. "Any one else?"
"Yep."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Yay!"
"Let's do it then!"
Erza took out some more sticky notes.
"Hey Cana, can you go to the office and get the class list for each grade?" Mavis asked. Cana stood up and ran out of the room under the stairs.
"So, Wendy. You are in kindergarten, right?" Erza asked. She obviously knew the answer, but Gray thought that she was just trying to be nice and make conversation.
Wendy nodded shyly. "Y-Yeah and I think I know everybody in my class. There's me, Sherria, Asuka, and Romeo."
"Can you tell me anything nice about them?" Mavis asked.
"Well, Asuka is really funny. She makes good jokes. Sherria is good at talking to people. She can make them smile even when they are sad." Wendy paused, letting Erza jot down what she said. "Then there's Romeo. He's always motivated."
Gray leaned to Mavis and whispered, "Determined, that's the word. Right?" Mavis nodded. Erza ripped off the four sticky notes and handed them to Wendy. She put them in her pink and purple backpack. Cana came back into the room with the class lists and gave them to Mavis.
"Ah, Gray. Tell me something nice about, hmm, Natsu." Gray smiled. Natsu was his best friend.
"That's easy. Natsu is always fun. He's amazing at making others feel good about themselves. He loves everyone that same and won't let others be left out. He's very protective of those he loves and he is kindhearted to everyone." Gray thrusted out his chest.
"Woah." The whole group turned to the entrance of the room and saw a tiny, blond girl. Her brown eyes were wide in amazement. "I-I've never heard of anybody that fantastic before. Is Natsu really as good as you said?" Gray nodded, smiling.
"Yeah, and he's my best friend," Gray boasted. The girl tilted her head.
"Can he be my friend too?" The blond asked.
"Yeah! He likes everyone. I'm sure he'll like you." The girl smiled brightly. A huge hand came out of nowhere and patted the girl on the shoulder. She turned around calmly and dawned a serious look. A large man with perfectly cut blond hair stared around at the group of kids menacingly. Hoping that he didn't get the wrong idea, Gray and Erza went up to the man they assumed to be the girl's father. They each held out their hands.
"I'm Gray. Gray Fullbuster." Gray dipped his head respectively. "It's nice to meet you." The man glared at the kid's hand and didn't take it.
"I'm Erza Scarlet." Erza said, pulling her hand away. "It's an honor to meet you Mr. Heartfilia sir." The man seemed a little shocked, but proud that this young girl knew his name and face.
"Yes, I am Jude Heartfilia, and this is my daughter Lucy." Lucy waved shyly from behind her father's leg. She quickly shifted back into a blank stare when her father looked at her.
"She is on a tour through the Fairy Tail district." A tiny, almost bald man appears from behind Lucy. "We are hoping to add a beautiful and smart young girl like her to our community." Jude narrowed his eyes.
"Correct, but we are only passing through. Come, Lucy. Let us find the next school." Lucy glanced at her passing father before turning back to Gray.
"I like this Natsu person. I hope I can meet him someday." She held out her hand. "Please, I want to come here. It looks like an amazing place. I want to be friends with all of you."
"Lucy!" Her father called. Lucy quickly ran off to find her father.
The Motivation Den members looked at one another. Wendy was the first to speak.
"She's pretty." Gray and Cana eagerly nodded. Erza peeked out the door, still trying to catch a glimpse of the blond.
"I think she's in your grade Gray." Mavis said. "She's much younger than me and Erza." Gray smiled.
"Yeah, and I think Natsu will like her very much. And so will I."
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*I apologize to everyone who doesn't know what pop is. It can also be called soda, carbonated water with syrup, soda pop, and coke. I'm from a US state that calls it pop.
Ha, that made me laugh writing that definition. Anyway, hope you guys liked that chapter. If anybody wants to see something happen, please tell me! I might need a little help. Thank you for all of your support!
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