Sometimes you have to stop and listen before you start again. With thousands of leaf in different colors falling from the trees, protesting against the coming winter Lucy could easy form her way through the long path, leading her towards the giant mountains outside the city.

"So what do you think?" Leo asked, as he was helping her finding her way in the dark.

"Maybe, but are you sure. I mean shouldn´t we have seen a sign or something by now…" Lucy said, starting to get nervous. "I have to be there in a few hours."

"Calm down, I promised you that I would take you there. And I´ve been in this mountains hundreds of times before." Leo just laughed, kicking some rocks out of the way as the path started to get higher. "I´m surprised though, that you would compete this year I mean."

"I´m ready." Lucy answered low. "I wasn´t before but now I know I can do it." It was half the truth, she had been accepting out of anger not belief. But she couldn´t tell him that.

It had been strange in the guild the day before. She had to be there because Makarov had been given out the information. They would meet up in the mountains, everyone travels by themselves or with friends. But if you weren´t there in time you would be disqualified.

Lucy liked that, not having to tell anybody about her decision, just go and show them instead. But when the information was over she had bumped into the blue cat. Happy, cute and blue like always, you couldn´t just stop love him. It was his fire eating friend behind that she had trouble with. But lucky for her he managed to keep going without even a blink, leaving Happy to speak alone with her.

"Okey, I´ve done my job. Just keep going this path and you will be there in like two or three minutes." Loke suddenly said, before he went back to his world with a light smile. "Just call when you need me!"

Lucy nodded, though he was already gone and couldn´t see her. She started to climb the last meters, making her heart race but mostly of excitement.

"Okey, I guess we´re all here. Let´s begin this year S- class trial!" Master Makarov said as he was standing on the stone block watching his kids with a serious face.

"Wait, I´m here." Lucy said as she reached the top, making the group silent. "I´m not to late?"

"No actually you´re just in time." Makarov grinned.

Across the mountain a pink haired dragon slayer was sitting on a rock, bored and restless as he waited for the trial to start, giving him an opportunity to punch somebody. Not that he was the overly angry kid anymore, he had grown and learn to control all his emotion. So why couldn´t he controls it with Lucy, why had it turned out like this hell shit? Maybe it was true, they wasn´t right for each other. Just old friend with odd edges that didn´t fit anymore.

With an irritated growl, he smashed away a big part of the mountain, she would never come here now and if she did, he knew that he would do everything in his power to destroy her chance of becoming an S- class wizard. Maybe then she would realize that she needed him again, but most of all, he didn´t want her to win, because that would just leave him feeling like he lost even more. And he hated to lose…

"Juvia, please listen." Gray said as he tried to make the water women stop.

"I´m busy Gray- sama. And you should be on your post, not on mine." She answered irritated.

"It´s not like they´ll be here anytime soon." Gray laughed, but went silent by her glare. "Just listen and then I´ll leave…"

Juvia sighed but nodded as she sat down next to the waterfall, making her body feel light as the water which rushed down in a massive speed from the big cliffs.

"I was wrong, not about my decision but all the rest. I shouldn´t have left you four years ago, and most of all I shouldn´t have treated you like I did. I guess I always thought you would be there, not knowing what I had before it was gone…" Gray said nervous, trying to put his word together, making it sound cheesier than he wanted. "I´m just… sorry."

"It´s okey, I did kind of force myself on you. So no hard feelings, I forgive you or something." Juvia said with a simple smile, not making the ice mage feeling better.

"I heard you and Lyon been seeing each other, are you still…?"

"No, no." Juvia said quickly, making her blush. "Or I mean, we did… date. But it didn´t work out…" she coughed and avoids catching his eyes. He wanted to know more, ask why and hear her speak but didn´t dare to ask, and he also saw a dark figure move in the distance.

"I will see you later, I better go before them figure out the first hiding spot." He said and smiled big before he rushed away, not letting the dark figure get away from sight.

He was close, really close just one step more and he would find it.

"Ice make: floor." Grey shouted, making his visitor fall on his or her back.

"Not fair." He heard it complained. "But I think I know this game."

Gray smiled as he now stood ready, seeing his competition for this night and feel the muscles work inside his body.

"Let´s dance Romeo."

On the other side Juvia was busy as Levy had showed up, throwing herself into the fight and not thinking about anything else. Lisanna stood face to face with Laxus, making her shiver of this unfortunate game. Wendy met up with Max, not leaving a single way for him to get past her. Chico took the wrong turn, disqualified herself from the trial and have to go back home. That left Lucy, knowing after Masters little clues where she should go. Not backing down and not showing fear.

"Aw man, I wished they could be faster." Natsu complained as he walked back and forth, not doing that well at sitting still and wait.

"Don´t make me wait then and let´s start." Lucy huffed, as she had climbed high and fast to reach the top in very little time.

Natsu turned fast, like fire in the turning wind. She knew his moves since before and could see how he started to fire up.

"You just made my day a lot more interesting." Natsu said, making a fireball rest in his palm to lighten their surroundings. "I will be a gentleman and let you start."

"I don´t need any gentlemen, just don´t get in my way." She said coldly, with a golden key resting in her hand. "Open Gate of the Paired Fish! Pisces!"

"No freaking way." Natsu mumbled, before dodging from their twin attack coming through the darkness. "Then I will get serious too."