[Re-edited 04.05.23]

Happy Sunday!

I'm back with an extra-long chapter detailing the first trial, wooo! Have action, plus some fluff for good measure.

180k words and 30 chapters, and still so many ideas to come, so hopefully you all are still enjoying the read as much as I enjoy writing it!

Onward!

30

-The First Trial-

A loud whistle pierced the silence as the train pulled into the station. Lucy glanced out the window at the port town as she slipped her book back into her travel bag and nudged Haru's shoulder with the toe edge of her shoe. Her trial partner was stretched out on his back on the adjacent seat, arms wrapped around his torso and out cold. She tried again, taking his shoulder a little more firmly this time, "Haru we're here, come on, up you get."

Blue eyes cracked open to meet hers, grumbling as he pressed himself up and gave his head a shake. Reaching for his pack, he staggered off the train with a series of groans and Lucy gave a subtle smile as she followed the swaying dragon slayer. Haru tipped his head back with a loud sigh when they exited, squinting his eyes at the bright morning sun overhead before glancing back at her, "I can't believe we still have a boat ride…" he bit out. Lucy patted his shoulder as he hung his head in defeat and began shakily making his way toward the harbour, "think I can convince Wendy to Troia me?" he asked hopefully.

Lucy gave him an apologetic smile, "I think she would, but I can't imagine Cana would be okay with her helping the enemy." She chuckled softly at the thought and added, "especially, an enemy who was part of the team to knock her out of the running last year."

With another sigh, Haru agreed, "Yeah, I thought you might say that."

"Face it Haru, we've got a huge target on our back with yours and Natsu's performances last year!"

He nodded, knowing she was right. They'd have to be prepared for potential alliances forming with the aim of taking them out as early as possible this year. They were all friends, but this was the S Class trial and if you were smart, you took out the big threats as soon as the chances presented themselves. Haru laughed, "Wait till they realize that you're my secret weapon," he told her with a wink, "let them focus on me. You take 'em all out!"

Lucy laughed along with him. It was true she and Haru had come up with some powerful combinations, but they'd also made some impressive strides in their individual magics over the month that promised to even take Natsu and Mira off guard. The pair took note of their fellow participants starting to gather on the docks ahead as they waited for Makarov to usher them aboard Fairy Tail's ship.

"Lu!" Lucy smiled at the sound of the nickname and waved enthusiastically as Levy ran over to wrap her up in a hug. "How was your trip? How was training? OH!—" she cut off her ramblings, dragging Lucy down to her level to whisper in her ear, "how was your time with Natsuuuu?" she asked in a suggestive tone.

Lucy laughed at her friend's eagerness, "About that—"

"Oi Poseidon!" Gajeel interrupted will little regard to politeness, as usual. He stomped over, dropped his arm carelessly on top of the shorter girl's head and adopted a lazy posture. He moved right into taunting Haru, completely unaware of the rage slowly colouring Levy's expression at being used to lean on. "Better kiss S Class goodbye, 'cause we're taking you all down, and I'm gonna catch up with Salamander."

"That's not even possible... You aren't a candidate," Haru pointed in a bored tone, disregarding the other slayer's taunts.

"Solid Script: Gauntlet," Levy growled. Iron letters of 'gauntlet' wrapped around her small fist and she pivoted, clobbering the Iron Slayer square in the gut. Smiling smugly, she brushed her hands off as her trial partner buckled forward, gripping his stomach with a loud groan.

He snapped back up in seconds, "What the hell Squirt?!"

"My name isn't Squirt! One month wasn't enough time to get some manners through your thick metal skull?!"

Lucy noticed their guildmates had begun making their way down the boardwalk to Fairy Tail's ship even as she giggled at her fellow trial partners' bickering. Nudging Haru with her elbow, she said, "We'll see you on board Lev, try not to kill him."

"Though, if you wanna rough him up a little more, we wouldn't blame you…" Haru added. He laughed at the indignant expression on Gajeel's face, as he passed by him to follow Lucy.

. . .

Two hours at sea had gone by, and though there was no wind or waves at all to jostle the ship, both male dragon slayers were predictably incapacitated. Lucy was seated on the deck using the flat of her hand to fan her face and chest as the sun beat down relentlessly. Across the ship, Gajeel had his entire torso slung over the railing of the ship and with all his earlier cockiness and rudeness gone, Levy had taken pity on him. She was rubbing circles into his back in attempts to soothe him. Freed and Bixlow were seated on a lounge chair talking seriously, presumably continuing to strategize even in the last moments before the trial, based on the way they each kept checking their shoulders suspiciously for eavesdroppers. Lucy wondered if they'd forgotten about dragon-hearing, or if they just assumed the guys were too consumed with motion sickness, and Wendy was too sweet to use any information she overheard against them. The teen was preoccupied in pleading with Cana to let her help the boys anyway, and just as Lucy predicted, the brunette was having none of it.

Lucy looked down at the Water Slayer currently in a daze on his side with his head resting on her thigh. He was awake, but his eyes were unfocused even as they trailed over their guildmates. The stellar mage hoped he could pull himself together quickly because she had a feeling the trial was going to start the second the ship dropped anchor. She amused herself with the thought of just tossing him overboard into the water to snap him back to his senses when it came time.

Next to her, Gray bumped his shoulder into hers and she turned to look at him with a raised brow. "Trial is going to be a cake walk this year starting on a ship… We'll take you and your boyfriend out before he's done hurling!"

Without moving, Haru half-heartedly raised his hand and gave the ice mage the middle finger in response. Lucy chuckled dryly and turned a sly eye on Gray. "Let Natsu hear your lousy jokes, and you'll be too busy soothing your burns to pose any threat to us," she taunted back cryptically.

Gray looked adequately confused by the statement, before shrugging it off when Juvia hugged his arm, effectively pulling it between her breasts. "Gray darling! You can use Juvia's lap as a pillow too!" she chirped happily.

"Not happening!" he barked back with comically wide eyes, immediately trying to retract his arm from her grip. Unfazed, she just snuggled her head into his shoulder, and he gave up with an audible exhale.

"I think you should worry about your girlfriend before you worry about me and Haru," Lucy said smugly.

"Not my girlfriend!"

"Coulda fooled me!"

"Oh, Gray dear, no need to be so shy!"

"Look! It's Tenrou island!" Wendy's excited voice carried over from the other end of the deck, drawing Lucy's attention. The Sky Slayer was leaning her body out over the railing to get a better look at the strange looking island on the horizon. The other mages on board filtered over to the sides of the boat to peek out for a better view as well.

"What's that?" various voices mused.

Lucy and Haru were the only ones who hadn't yet moved to get a better look and now even Haru was pushing himself up in curiosity, albeit swaying with waves of nausea. The blonde placed a supportive hand on his back as they both listened to the building murmurs of discussion from their guildmates. Collective confusion seemingly distracted everyone from their impending competition.

Pulling Haru to his feet, Lucy helped him across the deck so they could check out the sight that had captured everyone's interest. Haru slumped into the railing, hanging his arms over the edge and dropped his chin onto the smooth wood. Even at a distance, the tree that dominated the island's center was clearly massive. Lucy had never seen a tree even close its size before. The sight that seemed to have everyone murmuring though, was the odd shimmery light that surrounded the island. What she was looking at didn't make much more sense as they drew closer. Strange translucent angles of wall-like structures obscured the entire perimeter of the island. Lucy hinged down to the water mage's level to ask what he made of it in a whisper, but he merely shrugged a shoulder and continued to stare at it with a mild fascination.

"Listen up my children, the first stage of the S Class trial will begin shortly," the Master announced.

The group's chatter died down to turn their collective attention to the elderly man now perched on the railing of the upper deck. "As you have now noticed, the island is surrounded by a temporary labyrinth constructed with magic. Your first trial will be to navigate it as quickly as possible, the first four teams to make it to the island will move on to the next round." That snapped everyone's focus back to the reality of the looming exam and Lucy noticed the teams seem to subconsciously separate a little. "The outer layers of the maze are over the ocean, and will provide no solid ground. In addition, the labyrinth is constantly changing and any number of creatures local to the island may turn up. Should you happen upon any of your fellow participants, it is your choice as to whether you will engage in battle or flee. All magic is allowed for this challenge."

The Master paused and watched as the gathered group below sized each other up with the occasional taunt before reining their attention back in. "I will be dropping each team at one of six entrances around the island and everyone will enter upon the signal of this flare—" Makarov shot a lacrima flare into the air that exploded to mark the sky with a crimson Fairy Tail emblem.

Lucy was already strategizing in her head when she noticed Haru and Gray staring at each other in what seemed to be a silent conversation, suspicion rolling off of them. "What…?" she asked uneasily.

Pursing his lips in consideration, Haru thought over the proposed trial. It was challenging to be sure, guaranteeing the elimination of at least two teams right off the bat, but it didn't measure up to the past years' events.

"What's the catch?" both Haru and Gray asked in unison. They received a manic grin from the elderly man that somehow wasn't lessened by his casual beach attire.

"When I shoot off the next flare, the S Class will also enter the labyrinth from the island, it is to their discretion if they wish create obstacles, give chase or engage in combat with whichever teams they come across. Rest assured, I have taken measures to ensure that any confrontations with an S Class will be entirely random." The participants exchanged curious looks, prompting Makarov to elaborate, "Laxus and Natsu were each fitted with a highly fragrant collar that effectively dulls their sense of smell, they will be unable to seek out specific teams."

Gray howled with laughter at the thought of the two proud dragon slayers being collared and Haru just sweat-dropped. He could just imagine the indignant look on the Fire Slayer's face, (and likely Happy's incessant teasing), when the Master informed them of that.

"Should you find yourself face to face with an S Class, it is your choice whether you meet them in battle or attempt to escape. Remember, it is just as critical to know when to retreat as it is to be confident in your power. –Okay my children, we have made it to the first drop point, show me you know what it means to uphold Fairy Tail's vision, show me you have what it takes to stand among our guild's elite! –Good luck to you all!"

Starting Line

Haru and Lucy stood on a temporary platform examining the magic-born labyrinth before them. Having drawn the stick labeled '2,' they were the second team to be dropped off. Makarov had assured that there was no advantage to any given entrance as all teams would enter at the same time, aside from a little extra time to strategize away from prying ears.

Tilting his head in consideration, Haru assumed being inside the maze would be a whole different challenge. The translucent, mirror-like quality of the walls and resulting refraction of the sun's rays would likely obscure their surroundings and play tricks on the eyes. Lucy stood beside him, standing with her arms crossed and gaze raking over the structure as well.

She turned to him, "What do you think? We could probably make quick work of the labyrinth if I fly and you swim, no one is faster than you in the water, aside from Juvia, potentially."

The water mage considered the suggestion for a moment before dismissing it with a shake of his head. "We don't know who or what we'll run into, I'd rather rely on our physical stamina as long as possible and keep our magic reserves high." Upon seeing Lucy's understanding nod of agreement, he added, "besides, you can replenish my magic, but I can't do the same for you, so we swim it. You're damn fast in the water now too…"

Haru had predicted the possibility of water bound events with the given location this year, so they'd trained in the water a lot. They were both also clad in practical swimwear that wouldn't cause drag, Haru in tight black swim shorts and Lucy in a racerback one piece for once, her keys strapped to a holster on her upper thigh for quick access.

Shifting her weight, Lucy brought a finger to her chin, "Okay, agreed. Now, do we fight or escape if we run into another team or the S Class?"

"Depends on who we run into," he said slowly before reaching out to establish a telepathic connection. "From here on out, we communicate by telepathy. We can react on the fly as we encounter threats. With one exception—" Lucy raised a questioning brow, "—we see Gildarts, we get out. He likely has enough power to take down you and me, plus Natsu and Mira together, even after that month of training."

Lucy paled slightly, eyes widening as she considered the monstrous magic potential. "Riiight. Run. Got it."

Without taking his eyes off the blonde, Haru's smile widened and he pointed to the sky as a bright light shot up over the island and burst into their glittering, crimson guild emblem. "Let's do this!" he called determinedly. The teammates slapped their hands together in a high five before diving gracefully into the ocean and sped toward their assigned entrance with precise movements carving through the water.

. . .

Unlike the S Class, any physical sensory enhancements the candidates had access to as a result of their individual magic abilities were not restricted. So, after multiple failed attempts of using the visual of the towering tree to guide them to the island, only for the labyrinth walls to shift and wind them away from their destination, Haru abandoned the plan in favour of following his nose. It was a riskier plan seeking out the S Class by their scents, but if they were entering the maze from the island, than it stood to reason that tracking one of the senior mages would bring them closer to land.

Haru glanced back to check on Lucy. It didn't expend much of his magic to manipulate the current between the walls of the maze and it allowed his partner to match his inhuman speed in the water, effortlessly. She flashed him a smile as he relayed the plan of hunting down an S Class, whilst avoiding Gildarts.

It was a solid plan, but as they rounded another bend in the labyrinth, the walls shifted again forcing them in another direction once more. Haru froze and came to a dead stop as he snagged Lucy's arm as well, they treaded water as Lucy eyed him nervously. "Fuck. You must be kidding me." Haru growled out loud.

"Don't tell me…"

The entire wall they'd pressed themselves against for cover abruptly blew apart into countless cubes. The resulting explosion propelled them both forward with a shared cry of surprise and forcefully plunged them deep under the water. The obliterated wall reappeared almost instantly as Haru shot back up to break the water's surface. Flipping his hair back out of his face, he laid eyes on the crash mage standing imposingly on top of wall a good ten meters in front of them. "Real rotten luck you got there, Haru," Gildarts declared, sounding only slightly apologetic.

'Shit, shit, shit! What are the chances the labyrinth would shift to bring him RIGHT to us!' the water mage shouted internally, not bothering to answer their opponent's taunt.

"Lucy, new plan! We're going all out!"

"Got it!"

If they stood any chance of getting passed him, they were going to have to take the crash mage by surprise. Haru called to blonde next to him as he released his magic and Lucy answered with impeccable coordination. "Star Dress: Aquarius!" A shimmering gold covered her body before revealing her in a printed bikini top, the wave-like symbol of the spirit tattooed over her collar bones. "And, open, gate of the water bearer: Aquarius!" Appearing between them, the mermaid tossed long light blue locks over her shoulder and clicked her tongue in irritation at being summoned, but quickly realized their predicament when she noticed the daunting magic pressure being exerted on them.

"You two are lucky this isn't another training call!" she barked at them, before adjusting the large urn on her hip. Gildarts watched curiously when the surrounding waters became more and more turbulent as the magic power of the trio spiked enormously.

Aquarius whirled and shouted in her typical enraged tone, gathering the ferocity of the ocean, and Lucy and Haru each prepared their own spells in tandem.

"Water Dragon's raging whirlpool!"

"Aqua Metria!"

The power of the water spells collided violently, and Aquarius wove them together with the ocean's. The three unleashed a tsunami of unbridled levels to tear through the labyrinth, its path directed squarely at their guild's ace.

Without watching to see if the attack landed, Haru and Lucy simultaneously dove beneath the waters the second they finished casting the powerful combination, each with a bubble of air around their heads. Haru propelled them both along with his magic, and Aquarius pulled Lucy along so they could make a rapid retreat. Above them, the middle chunk of the destructive water spell shattered into familiar cubes when met with Gildarts' crash magic. The resulting chaos and the incredibly choppy waters hid them from their opponent's eyes, aiding their narrow escape.

Unbeknownst to the fleeing duo, Gildarts remained in place allowing his outstretched arm to drop to his side. Chuckling lowly, he watched the remnants of the spell continue to tear through the walls of the maze. He hummed with wonder, impressed with the scale of the attack and their use of a spell of such magnitude as cover for a tactical retreat. Very quick thinking in the midst of battle, especially when faced with a threat they knew they couldn't overcome with brute strength. When they'd unleashed the tsunami, Gildarts was sure they'd chosen to fight, and as such, he wasn't prepared for them to sneak by undiscovered. It wasn't until neither broke the surface for air, and the minutes stretched on that he'd realized they were gone. Yes, very smart. He internally wished them luck, knowing they were headed smack into another formidable obstacle.

Lucy released her Star Dress as soon as they waded out of the water and Aquarius took her leave to preserve the stellar mage's magic. There were still multiple layers left to the labyrinth, but they'd made it to the shore and away from Gildarts. Lucy panted for breath, as Haru came up beside her and asked how she was doing. He knew summoning Aquarius, her Star Dress, and the powerful unison raid had been bound to take a major toll.

With a weak smile and a thumbs up, Lucy righted herself. "Exhilarated," she said with a laugh to which Haru added his own briefly. He could not have possibly picked a better partner.

"Do you think you're good for another battle..." Haru asked, trailing off and Lucy thrust out her bottom lip before tossing her arms up.

"Sure, why the hell not?"

"We could possibly avoid him, but I'd bet it's pretty much a straight shot to the island if we take the challenge head on."

"Nah. I'm good, we got this. Who are we fighting?"

"One guess," Haru chuckled with a wink before jogging off with the blonde on his heels.

. . .

"Nice collar!" Haru taunted with a smirk as soon as he and Lucy rounded another corner to find their last challenge standing with his arms crossed in the dead center of the wide passage. The exit loomed teasingly, just 50 or so meters behind him .

Natsu growled and bared his teeth irritably at the mockery. He subconsciously raised his hand to pull at the choker secured snugly around his neck, his scarf hung loose enough to reveal the shiny black metal. Mira and Happy had already had a field day at his and Laxus' expenses while they were all lounging at the temporary base camp waiting for the participants' arrivals.

"Don't rile him up!" Lucy scoffed aloud, a riled up Natsu was a much less predictable Natsu.

"We can take him together, no problem."

"You forget I'm running seriously low on magic? If this match drags on, you'll be in it one on one."

"You could strip… We'd knock him out before he came to his senses," Haru joked.

"Not on your life!"

"Let's end it quickly then."

Shifting his weight onto one leg and recrossing his arms with a brow raised in amusement, Natsu asked, "You two done with the telepathy?"

Natsu grinned as they both fixed him with narrowed eyes and assumed their respective offensive stances. He followed suit, extending one arm forward with his crimson scales already flaking across his skin. "Good, 'cause I was hoping for this fight."

A long moment passed where all three stood frozen, sizing each other up. Then with an unspoken 'go,' they all vanished into high-speed attacks, meeting in the middle with enough force to send a storm of sand outward. Now standing in a shallow crater of impact, they met one another with blindingly fast strikes, Haru and Lucy building on each other's attacks in quick succession. It was all Natsu could do to dodge and block the two's onslaught, and he begrudgingly realized Haru hadn't yet entered his own Drive state. Though Lucy, at least, had donned her Star Reform wings giving her speed a noticeable boost.

Natsu felt a little uncomfortable about going all out against Lucy. He didn't like aiming to hurt her even in a friendly match but she'd warned him against holding back if they did meet in the trial. Besides, he knew she was strong enough to take whatever he could dish out. He didn't expect to be able to take both of them anyway, he was confident their power combined was definitely enough to beat him, but that didn't mean he'd make it easy for them. With his flames flickering up around him, he vaulted over them, planted his feet into the wall of the maze and shot back at them with an Iron Fist aimed at Haru.

As the water mage braced to block the attack, Natsu pulled his punch and latched onto his elbow. Quickly planting his foot, Natsu spun and launched his fellow slayer straight at Lucy just as she leapt forward to try to take him unaware. His temporary foes crashed into the wall and Natsu cringed when Lucy took the brunt of the impact, sandwiched between the wall and Haru. Pushing his reaction to Lucy's pain aside, Natsu inhaled and unleashed a fiery roar.

Shaking off the disorienting impact, Haru answered the stream of fire with his own breath attack to cancel it out. Behind him, Lucy pushed him away so she could climb back to her feet. She spread her wings and flew up above them, light magic wrapped around her fists as she dove at the fire mage with a sharp fist. Natsu flipped back out of the way just as Haru appeared behind him to nail a knee into his unguarded ribs, sending him off kilter and right into Lucy's brutal upper cut. As Natsu hurtled along the shore he caught site of Haru's own scales glittering in the sun as the Water Slayer released his magic and charged forward.

Clenching his teeth in a wild grin, Natsu rolled his body back even as the momentum continued to carry him further. He dug his feet and hands into the sand and stopped on all fours as he took another deep inhale, "Lightning-Flame Dragon's ROAR!"

"SHIT!" Haru attempted to break his charge, leaping up to put distance between himself and the torrent of mixed elements that spanned the entire passage. Lucy swooped, catching him under the arms and lifted him out of the way, just in time. Haru looked up to shout his gratitude while simultaneously assessing her exhausted appearance. He knew their earlier combination attack must still be wearing on her, it took a lot more of her magic than it did his, but she only gave him a cocky grin without acknowledging her state.

Haru turned his attention back to Natsu, who was already up and dusting off his scarf. He was watching them with an unrestrained level of excitement painting his face. It was obvious he was having a blast, but that came as no surprise. "How's your magic levels doing Lucy?" Haru asked.

"Low. I don't think I'll be good for many more big spells, so we need to make the next moments count."

"Hey! When this is all over, I wanna go flying too!" Natsu called with child-like glee.

Lucy's eyes bulged and she snapped her attention down to the idiot she called her boyfriend, "You fly with Happy all the time!"

"I wanna fly with you!"

"We're in the middle of the trial Dummy! What are you thinking?!"

Natsu chuckled, "I'm just feeling so left out down here… Guess I'll just have to join you!"

Fire exploded from his feet and suddenly he was coursing toward them with a fist cocked for strike. Lucy swerved to the side just fast enough to dodge and released Haru to drop to the ground soundlessly.

"Lucy, think you can muster one more Aqua Metria?"

"Maybe. But it better be fast, because I won't be able to maintain my Star Dress for long."

"It's a risk, but let's do it!"

Natsu continued releasing his flames only to shoot back up with another stream of fire, dancing around the blonde in the sky, throwing various hits her way. When the flames at his feet extinguished to smoke again and he dropped, Lucy watched his movements carefully to predict his next path back up. When he shot toward her again, she swooped down to meet him with a magic enhanced fist that caught him in the middle of his chest, driving him into the ground beneath her. Natsu coughed up a lungful of air on impact when Lucy sprung off him and wrapped herself in gold light. "Star Dress, Aquarius!"

"Oh Gods…" Natsu choked out at the sexy teal and yellow bikini top and skirt combo, "come on, that clothing shouldn't be legal in a match!" Apparently, she'd picked up more new tricks than he'd been aware of... He slapped a palm over his face with an audible grumble as he reeled in a stir of arousal. He could not let himself get distracted, it had been hard enough to stay focused fighting her in that damn swim wear.

Flashes of movement had Natsu's head snapping away from the sight of his girlfriend and back to his partner. "Oi, Natsu, you letting Lucy distract you again?" his fellow slayer goaded as he sent multiple jets of water and ice his way. Natsu dodged with a series of flips, nimbly avoiding the attacks that carved lines across the adjacent wall of the labyrinth.

In the next instant Haru was on him, both dragon slayers exchanging blows impossible for the average eye to follow with the enhanced speed and power of their Drive forms. Natsu leapt forward with fire spinning around him, but when Lucy's magic spiked in power considerably, his attention whipped upward, trying to determine what they were up to. Taking advantage of the shred of distraction, Haru snagged Natsu's wrist, planted a foot into the Fire Slayer's gut and back-rolled, kicking him straight toward the blonde.

"Aqua Metria!" she cried. Haru grinned widely at the stellar mage's ability to react with perfect timing. Flipping back to his feet, Haru got in position, crouching low under the airborne mages.

With no time to react, Lucy's powerful cascade overtook Natsu completely and the force sent him careening back toward the exit of the labyrinth. Haru darted after him even as flickers of flame started building around Natsu's hands preparing for his counter. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Arts: ocean's vengeance, storm blades!" Haru cut through the air, slashing out with a multitude of water blades to rain down over his fellow slayer, drawing a pained cry from Natsu. Haru crashed into him and their trajectory took them both sailing out of the maze to crash into the lush forest of Tenrou Island.

"Oh geez!" Lucy shouted, seeing a couple trees snap and fall against their impact. "Haru! Natsu!" she added worriedly as she emerged from the labyrinth at a shaky run. She found Haru on his hands and knees panting for breath, and Natsu down for the count. Even if he hadn't been, she and Haru had escaped the labyrinth, so as long as they were one of the first four teams, they'd have passed the first trial regardless of whether they'd triumphed in their match.

Lucy knelt down next to the downed fire mage as he came to with a groan, reaching for the back of his head. Onyx eyes cracked open and he abruptly sat up, throwing his arms wide, "That was fucking awesome! –ow! Oh, shit… OW!" Natsu whined through a fit of laughter. "Okay, everything hurts," he declared, though the wild look of exhilaration on his face never faltered.

The stellar mage pulled him toward her, taking his face in her hands and kissed him aggressively without warning. When she pulled away, he was breathless and blushing uncharacteristically, much to hers and Haru's amusement. "Thank you, for not pulling your punches..."

"Luce, I think you might be a masochist," Natsu chuckled dryly a moment after he recovered from his stupor. She scoffed and smacked him on the shoulder playfully before moving aside for Haru to pull the fire mage to his feet. Haru looped his arm over his shoulder so the trio could make their way to Fairy Tail's basecamp. Natsu gushed the whole way about how impressed he was with Lucy's new Star Dress spell, their teamwork and performance, and anything else that popped into his head. He became even more enthused when he learned that the pair had run into Gildarts just before him. Though, to his great disappointment, they refused to tell him how they made it passed the ace until the conclusion of the trial.

"Gildarts will tell me!" Natsu declared with a toothy grin.

"Gildarts will tell you what, exactly?" the crash mage questioned from his spot lounging on a hammock strung between a couple trees. The older man sat up when he noticed Haru and Lucy with him, "hey you two! Brilliant play back there, you totally got me!"

Natsu's head whipped back and forth between them, begging for the full story, but no one indulged him. In the center of camp, their Master was seated cross-legged on a box with a set of recording lacrima in front of him. He turned and raised a closed finger wave at the trio, "Haru, Lucy! Well done, you are the first team to clear round one," he informed them, "and you made it by our ace too! Just wonderful!"

"Oh, come ON!" Natsu cried in exacerbation at being the only one out of the loop. Slipping his arm off Haru's shoulders, he staggered across the empty basecamp to sift through the supplies. He cheered when he found the red lacrima he was looking for and cracked it open to eagerly slurp up the resulting flames.

"Yeeeah! Now I gotta fire in my belly, bring on the next trial!"

Lucy laughed at his enthusiasm, smiling fondly at him, "You do remember you're not a participant, right?" She giggled when he just stuck his tongue out at her while she located her pack. "Real mature Natsu," she shot back, retreating to the tents to change for the next event as Haru did the same.

When she emerged from the tent in denim shorts and a simple yellow tank top, Natsu was already sprawled comfortably over the second hammock. He had one leg hanging over the side, swinging lazily, leaving space between his legs. So Lucy took that as an open invitation, wandering over to sling herself into the hammock with him. She leaned into his chest, letting his natural heat soothe her tense muscles as she began reattaching her keys to their usual ring. With a content sigh, Natsu wrapped his arms around her without a word. The simple action drew Gildarts' attention, and he raised a brow in interest but said nothing as Erza stalked into the camp.

The redhead was soaked through and wore a particularly irritated look, grumbling under her breath. "Problem, Erza?" the Master asked amusedly, of course he'd already seen the fight that resulted in her current mood, but everyone else turned curiosity her way.

With an eyebrow twitch betraying just how annoyed she was, she growled out, "I can't believe I let Gray and Juvia beat me!"

Natsu burst out laughing, "Wait, don't tell me... You knocked Gray around a little too much and Juvia went full psycho on you?"

Erza fixed him with narrowed eyes and gave a curt nod as their Master held his sides and laughed uproariously. Noticing for the first time, Lucy's presence cuddled in Natsu's arms, the Knight blinked slowly and scanned the rest of her company before her focus landed on Haru seated on one of the boxes framing the lacrima. Displeasure drained away in congratulations to her teammates, "Guess I'm not the only one who lost, huh?" she stated with a smile at Natsu.

He shrugged, "They kicked my butt."

Haru grumbled, "Not so sure... If that match dragged on much longer, it woulda turned one on one, Lucy was super low on magic."

Natsu blinked incredulously and Lucy nodded in confirmation against his chest, he hadn't realized their fight had been closer than he'd thought. Regardless of the revelation, he was still confident they'd take the whole trial by storm as he and Haru had the year before. Erza joined the Master in front of the lacrima, but her eyes stayed fixed on the couple in the hammock, trying to make heads or tails of her teammates' more intimate proximity. True, there was only two hammocks, and it was common guild knowledge that the two shared a bed on a regular basis anyway, she still felt like something was different.

Leaning toward Haru, she got his attention and tipped her head in their friends' direction. The water mage's own eyes trailed over to the pair before laughing when he concluded the redhead's unspoken question. "Your romantic entanglement detection skills are improving, Erza," he joked, watched as her eyes blew wide and she launched to her feet, darting toward the hammock.

She stopped in front of Natsu and Lucy, hands planted on her hips as she looked them over. Mirrored bewildered expressions looked back at her, caught off guard by her seemingly unprovoked action. "Uhh… yes, Erza? Something we can do for you?" Lucy asked slowly.

Erza's jaw worked wordlessly, eyes continuing to dart between the two. "C-congratulations. I'm h-happy for you both!" she said in a rush of words, a blush tinted her cheeks. Natsu chuckled and told her not to hurt herself but gave her a genuine thanks as well. Erza took a breath, grounding herself in her self-appointed position as protector of her friends. "But Natsu—you hurt her… and I will throttle you," she vowed, "Lucy, that goes for you too."

"Oi, if I ever hurt Luce, I'd let you… but never gonna happen," Natsu retorted with a bright grin. Lucy smiled, echoing the sentiment and turned to give him a quick peck on the lips. Erza went an even brighter red before spinning and retreating back to her spot. Chuckling, Haru patted her back as she distracted herself with the visuals of the continuing trial when Makarov announced that Freed and Bixlow had just cleared the labyrinth.

The group chatted and occasionally watched the various lacrimas as their guildmates continued to navigate the labyrinth and engage in various fights. It wasn't long before the first few successful teams started to filter in, Freed and Bixlow had wandered in first, having passed Laxus' obstacles. The lightning mage was right on their heels and upon spotting Haru, fell right into competitive bickering with Natsu about their ongoing trial bet. He seemed completely unfazed by Lucy's presence in his fellow dragon slayer's lap. Gray and Juvia followed shortly after that, both looking more than a little worse for wear. They may have triumphed over the redhead, but she'd clearly gotten in some solid hits. Almost immediately after making it to the camp, Gray dropped to his knees and sprawled himself out on his stomach with a relieved groan after notably counting the teams present.

Time stretched out waiting for the outstanding mages, widdling away at the little time left before the remaining teams would be disqualified. By now the smells of lunch had settled over camp, Haru and Freed collaborating on a hearty soup for everyone with Mira still not back. Both boys were pretty talented in the kitchen, so everyone present was already eagerly anticipating the meal before that afternoon's trial. As the sun was reaching its peak in the sky Mira finally sauntered in, cradling Wendy in her arms. Carla soared above her holding onto an unconscious Cana and angrily reprimanding the She Devil.

"You couldn't have held back a bit?! –She's just a little girl!" Carla continued ranting in an ongoing stream of berating words that didn't seem to concern Mira in the slightest.

With a perfectly sweet smile, Mira glanced at the furious white cat. "Wendy is a dragon slayer, and a member of Fairy Tail, she is perfectly capable of taking a hit. Besides, she kept healing Cana… and that battle dragged on enough." Mira shifted her attention down at the sound of Wendy groaning softly as she awoke, "look! What did I tell you, she's just fine. Wendy is tougher than you give her credit for." Carla blew out a dismissive breath at the takeover mage, though she did look pacified by Wendy waking.

"Carla! You're back!" Happy cried excitedly as he flew into the camp holding one of the recording lacrima. She pursed her lips, and flew into one of the tents, presumably to deposit Cana on a bed.

Mira giggled, putting Wendy back on her feet, and crossed the camp to join Haru who was just beginning to scoop portions of soup into bowls. "Mmm. Smells good!" she chirped, "shouldn't you boys be resting for the next trial and letting us S Class take care of that?"

"And trust Natsu and Laxus not to poison us?" Haru drawled.

Natsu would have outright balked at his partner's insult, but his talents really didn't go passed barbecuing meat... He shrugged a shoulder instead. "Not my fault you guys don't appreciate good barbecue."

"Barbecue would be fine... If it was more than just slabs of meat, Natsu."

"Aww, not you too Luce!" Natsu whined, "everyone's a critic..."

She kissed his cheek, a gesture that went largely unnoticed by their friends, before removing herself from the hammock and accepting a bowl of soup from Mira. Natsu zipped passed her with a happy sound, dropping onto the ground cross-legged next to Gildarts and immediately began chowing down.

Haru continued to pass Mira bowls of soup to hand out to those gathered when Levy and Gajeel strolled in just under the wire, solidifying their participation in the next event. The Iron Dragon Slayer barked his displeasure at all the S Class mages about being too cowardly to take him on, as soon as he laid eyes on them.

"That eager to get knocked out, Trash Can?" Gray snickered, taking the chance to rile him up further. Levy gave an exaggerated eye roll as Gajeel and Gray began hurling insults back and forth. Gajeel seethed over the constantly shifting walls that kept redirecting him and Levy every time they neared the exit, or an opponent as guided by his nose.

"Lunch and a show!" Happy cheered, amused by the ice and iron mages' argument dissolving into a typical Fairy Tail style brawl.

"Gray darling, you should be saving your strength!"

"Really Gajeel?! Just because we didn't have to fight, doesn't mean you have to do so now!"

"Alright, everyone's here then—" Makarov announced, slapping a titan palm over the two, pinning them both to the ground so he could speak uninterrupted.

"Wait where's Elfman and Evergreen?" Mira interjected.

Gildarts chuckled darkly, and gestured toward the tent being used as a temporary infirmary, and Mira fixed him with a dark look prompting him to throw his hands up in surrender. "I went easy, I swear!"

"Come on Gildarts, don't you know how to hold back?! No one could make it passed you!"

The crash mage blinked and jabbed a thumb in Haru's direction, "Haru and Lucy did…"

"Whaaaaaaa?!" the group chorused.

. . .

After the shock wore off of the reunited group of mages, everyone took up boxes or stretched out on the ground around the camp to enjoy their lunch and the rest of their break before the next trial. They had fallen into banter and taunts and regular conversation, until Gildarts' escalating excitement in his conversation with Natsu began to draw random attention. The older mage was slapping the younger on the back and voicing congratulations, drilling him with random comments and questions that had Lucy's face adopting a scarlet red tone. Natsu merely laughed with the crash mage, slowly becoming more aware of all the eyes on them.

He blinked back at his guildmates, gaze shifting over them in a sweeping look, his signature grin stretched across his face. "Oi, Luce an' me are dating," he announced unceremoniously, earning Lucy's squeak of surprise at the sudden announcement.

"Whaaaaaaaa?!" everyone screeched, aside from the few that had already known. Gray looked like he was going to pass out at the news, Juvia was eyeing him with a mix of longing and anticipation and Levy clapped her hands together and bounced energetically. Natsu just peeled off in laugher at some of the more dramatic reactions as he slung his arm around Lucy who, despite her vivid blush, wore an easy smile.

"He loooooooooves her!"

"No way Happy, this is a joke," Gray decided, counting up the losses in his head with all the bets he'd placed over the year against them ever getting together. "Very funny Flame-Brain, but I'm not fallin' for it! You're too empty headed to notice anything but food and fights."

Natsu fixed him with a smug smile before threading his fingers through the stellar mage's hair at the back of her head. He pulled her into a passionate kiss that even had Lucy forgetting their very public setting, despite Gildarts' whistling. She moaned slightly as he pressed his body over hers to the complete shock of their guildmates. Her hands came up to clutch his vest as he snuck his tongue into her mouth and grazed his hand down her side, fingers teasing the sliver of skin at her waist.

Then, without getting up from his spot next to them, Haru leaned over and dropped a closed fist down on Natsu's head. "You're in public, Idiot, or did you forget?" he drawled before returning to the last spoonfuls of his soup.

Mira laughed next to him, entirely pleased with the events, "Aww aren't they just the cutest?!"

"I don't know that 'cute,' is the right word for that kiss..." Haru retorted.

Completely shameless, Natsu sat back up and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, "Oh like that time on the beach where we found you and-"

"Natsu!" Haru snapped more in surprise than upset.

At the same time, Lucy let out a squeak of surprise, abruptly releasing the white-knuckled grip she still held on Natsu's vest. She smacked him, "I can't believe you did that!" she barked when she took in the stunned looks of their comrades.

"You liked it."

Gray was slack jawed, eyes comically wide, and he wasn't the only one.

"Wait, you seriously tellin' me, none of ya knew about Salamander and Blondie?" Gajeel deadpanned and everyone robotically turned toward him. He shrugged, "what? This was going on well before I met 'em, I jus' assumed it was common knowledge."

Once again multiple jaws dropped in shock, and another "Whaaaaaa?!" raised from the group, mixed with the amused laughter of the few who'd already known the truth.

A/N. Sorry to the Cana fans, I have nothing against her, but it left a bad taste in my mouth when she knocked Lucy out and left her alone with a dark guild running around so she could complete the trial for selfish reasons. She made up for it eventually, of course, but not letting her make it passed round one is my personal revenge.

Alright, so the first trial is a wrap, plus some good old banter and NaLu is finally public knowledge thanks to Gildarts' and Natsu's lack of subtly.

Big thanks to FireShifter, Valerioux, Roll24k and EternalFIame for taking a moment to review the previous chapter, your words are always so encouraging!

See you all next weekend!