Patch Notes:
- Improved and extended scenes for the Survey Corps reactions
The ship ride from Ishgar all the way to Tenrou Island took a while, but it was worth it for the soldiers. Due to the Scouts being confined in the walls for little over a century, the sight of being in the ocean was quite the sight to behold. Armin especially was captivated by this. All those times reading about the sea full of never-ending salt, and now he was finally seeing it for himself in person. Unfortunately, the long hours on the ride could not be said for Natsu, who has a bad case of motion sickness due to his Dragon Slaying powers.
During the ride, the members of Fairy Tail that were participating in this year's S-Class Trials were getting themselves mentally prepared for the event. Some, like Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu (despite being sick) were pumped for this, while others, mainly the more timid and anxious ones like Lucy, Levy and Wendy, were just as pumped, but were also feeling nervous thanks to how big the event is and what is waiting for them in it. The soldiers, although they couldn't be in it because of their recent exposure to magic and not being official members of Fairy Tail, were also excited to see the Trials fold out in front of them. The leaders talked about it, and thanks to the video-showing Screen Lacrimas, they were able to view the games like they were watching it live, which fascinated the Scouts (and Annie).
However, other than the long hours, the trip was starting to become unbearable because of the increasing heat around. Many onboard had to take their shirts off or wear swimsuits just to try not to absorb that much heat (or in Gray's case, take his whole outfit off). The soldiers were also like this, many shedding their coats, cloaks, boots, socks, and any other excess clothing they didn't need. Others however, decided to suck it up and deal with it.
"I'd love to turn into a popsicle and have Happy just eat me." Lucy murmured. She imagined herself as a blue popsicle as she said that.
"I think I'll pass." Happy replied.
"I'll eat you Lucy." Sasha added, the heat taking its toll on her.
It wasn't long until their destination was in sight: Tenrou Island. It looked rather odd, as it seemed Mother Nature didn't know what to do with the island and just placed stuff on it. The thing that surprised everyone most was the giant organic structure planted in the middle: The Tenrou Tree. It was longer than any normal tree thanks to the amount of magic absorbed into it.
"Well I guess we're going to a giant tree after all, huh?" Connie said to Sasha, reminding him of their original mission to go to the forest of Giant Trees back home before being teleported. Sasha nodded her head slowly, her eyes still glued on to the majestic plant.
"As tall as it is, it's pretty ugly." Ymir mentioned.
"I think it looks beautiful." Krista rebutted.
"Never thought I would see a tree carrying all that rock." Eld mentioned, noticing the giant slab of rock near the top that looked like a miniature island.
Levi tsked at the state of the island. It was way below his cleaning standards, and it would take a near a whole month to make it even remotely decent looking.
It was at that point that Makarov appeared at the top of the ship's deck, oddly wearing an a Hawaiian shirt.
He started to explain the quick history of it. The rumor of the island being filled with fairies and being home of the First Guild Master, now considered sacred grounds to the guild. After which, the short elderly quickly began explaining the rules of the first match: There are eight paths, each can only be taken by one team, so each team must choose wisely and fast. Of the eight paths, three of them require the team to fight against one of the guild's S-Class Trials to proceed, the other paths require they must fight against the other teams, or some other task they are tested on if they happen to take the scenic route. Makarov also made it a point to make it clear that the trials require a lot of teamwork… and luck, greatly worrying and confusing the contestants.
Makarov then suddenly declared the beginning of the trials, making Loke confused since they still haven't docked yet. Natsu and Happy tried to leave first by flying, but they were blocked in the air. Freed and Bickslow already left the ship, Freed making sure to cover it in Runes so no one other than who he chooses can leave the ship. Everyone else must stay for five minutes. Levy was able to rewrite it, but only for her and Gajeel as they took off too. Finally Evergreen and Elfman were also able to get out since she is so familiar with Freed's Magic. The others had to wait the full five minutes before they took off.
"And there they go." Jean mentioned, watching as his new comrades raced towards the entry point.
"I really wish we were able to compete." Sasha said.
"Me too. But we aren't official members of Fairy Tail. Plus, we'd only been here for a month and just started using magic." Reiner explained.
"Oh well, I guess there's next time." Armin said. He recalled something soon.
"Hey, Master Makarov." He asked, the old man turned to him and nodded. "We're supposed to be able to watch the trials from here because of a.. Screen Lacrima?"
"Yes, my boy. They should be up in just about-" Makarov was silenced as a circular form of six, large screens appeared, taking in the view of different parts of the island. From there, the soldiers could see the contestants landing or drawing near the island.
"Now." Makarov exclaimed. Everyone took their places where they felt the most comfortable, eager to watch the trials play out before their eyes.
Lucy and Cana were halling to the island, swimming like crazy. After the barrier fell, their comrades instantly were able to take off in an attempt to catch up with three that got a head start on them. Natsu and Happy simply flew like intended, Gray created a path for him and Loke thanks to his Ice-Make Magic, and Juvia and Lisanna took off in the waters due to the former's Water magic, and Lisanna using her Animal-Takeover to transform into a fish. It wasn't long until the girls made it to the island and found themselves at the entry point where the eight paths were.
Unfortunately, all the pathways have been blocked, leaving only Route C for them to follow.
"Looks like we're dead last, I can't believe even Wendy and Mest got here before we did." Cana spoke sadly, her head lowering down in disappointment.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Like they say, the best is always save. for last." Lucy came over to her partner, trying to cheer her up.
"That's us! We got good looks and good luck on our side." She added, winking.
Cana looked at her in shock before smiling as her partner got to her side. Lucy pumped her fist.
"What do you say we get you to that S-Class Rank?"
"Nice to know one of us can stay chipper." Cana replied.
As they went into the cave, the scouts saw their reaction.
"Tough luck." Jean said, a little sorry that the girls ended up the last ones.
"Maybe it won't be so bad. There was a quiet route, maybe that's it." Sasha responded.
"I doubt it." Annie said blankly. Everyone turned to look at her. "There are only eight paths and only one of them is the one that doesn't require any fighting. There is just a good chance that path was already taken before Lucy and Cana arrived." She explained. The cadets and veterans looked at her.
"Wow, you're in a talking mood." Reiner mentioned. Annie slightly glared at him.
"I'm just making an observation."
The two girls walked onto the path and soon found themselves in a cavern with little fireflies flying everywhere and what seemed to be corral coming from the cavern walls . As soon as they thought they were in the clear, the entrance behind them closed and the girls started getting nervous.
"I never expected for a cave to be so well lit." Lucy noticed.
"Probably, all the spirit flies. Since the island stays warm all year, they multiply like rabbits." Cana explained. Hange was intrigued at the name, and their similar appearance to fireflies. She wondered if she could get her hands on one.
'Never let your guard down.' Levi thought, disappointed the girls make such an amatuer mistake, especially since one of them took this test three times before.
Just when things couldn't get worse for them, they heard another team of contestants. They were alert and when Lucy realized what the voices meant, she looked up the banner near the ceiling and jumped in fright. The other team was none other than the first team to arrive on the island and trap everyone on the ship to get a head start, Freed and Bickslow. The girls were beyond nervous at this point, they were terrified.
"Okay, Lucy. On a scale from one to ten, how screwed are we?" Cana asked, her hands up and her eyes shot open.
"Eleven, give or take a hundred." She replied, her eyes also open wide and her hands closes to her chest.
"Why are they so scared?" Ymir asked.
"It's complicated, my child." Makarov sighed. He didn't feel like going into the history of what happened before the soldiers arrived. Ymir scoffed a little.
"Freed and Bickslow are tough opponents for sure. Let's hope they can defeat them." Armin said.
Oruo scoffed. 'Yeah right. Like my teacher is gonna lose to them. The girls are way out of their league on this one.' He thought arrogantly.
After a brief banter, the explanation of another gate opening when one team wins, and the girls swallowing their nerves to keep themselves together, the battle began.
Before any actual fighting could happen, Freed started to blush due to the girls wearing swimsuits and he was not comfortable with that. Cana took advantage of that and tossed a few cards at him, transforming them into a bunch of beautiful women in bikinis that surrounded Freed, leaving him flustered… and leaving everyone flabbergasted.
"Well, that's one way to get one up on your opponent." Eld commented. The girls, except Ymir, Annie, and Mikasa, were extremely embarrassed about the situation while the boys, mainly Reiner and Jean, looked at the screen a little too lustfully.
Back to the battle, Lucy tried to add on to that by summoning Virgo, also wearing a maid version of bikini and saying some stuff about her tenets; she was quickly taken out by Bickslow's dolls.
"Well that didn't last long." Connie murmured.
'Is she always like that?' Bertolt thought, both confused and flustered by the maid's appearance and behavior.
Bickslow Doll's charged at the girls, with them narrowly avoiding the attacks. Lucy brings out Aries' key and summons her. Cana tried to throw her Magic Cards at some of them, but they swiftly dodged them like the girls. Lucy asks her to use her Wool Magic to disarm and overwhelm Bickslow, preventing him from attacking and using his "babies" at his beck and call, which is what exactly she did, despite her meek personality and her constant apologies.
Freed was shocked at yet another woman with revealing clothing, even if Arie's outfit wasn't that bad compared to the ladies surrounding him. Lucy took the opportunity to use her "Lucy Kick" on him.
"Lucy Kick?" Mikasa questioned.
"Unoriginal, but effective." Ymir said.
This didn't last long however, as Freed was well freed from the Sexy Lady Card, and he retaliated, using their magic to overwhelm the girls. Cana tried to fight back again by throwing more cards, but they were sliced in pieces. Most of the scouts were on the edge of their seats, wondering which of the two teams would win. Others just kept looking at lacrima, taking in what they were seeing.
"Come on Lucy." Krista prayed.
"Kick his ass girls!" Connie cheered.
Cana got back up after Freed tried to slice her.
"Cana" Lucy cried out for her friend.
"It's gonna take more than a little scrape to bring me down." Cana declared.
"Here goes nothing. Grand Fountain!" Cana threw down another card, which created a strong water sprout from the card's location.
"It's no use!" Freed called out, slashing through the water spires. The brunette called out "Not again!" at seeing her attack dealt with like it was nothing
The cadets cheered for them to win. Lucy took the opportunity to use the water from Cana's summons Aquarius to try, despite her trying to warn the blonde that she could get killed due to the magic's volatile nature. Lucy tried to get her to attack Freed, only for the mermaid spirit to attack her and her partner instead.
Lucy shouted at Aquarius and told her clearly that Freed was the one she should be attacking. Aquarius made a comment on Lucy's body and her ability to seduce men, which Cana did not take to kindly too.
"YOU LOOKING TO GET BATTERED AND DEEP FRIED?!" Cana shouted in the mermaid's face, her face quickly showing her offense.
"I'm staying out of this." Lucy declared with her hands up and a nervous smile plastered on her face.
"I don't blame you." Armin added. He wouldn't want to get in the crossfire between two angry women either.
"Can you not tell the difference between friends and enemies?!" Cana questioned, using her arms in a rolling the sleeves motion.
"Every woman alive is my enemy, idiot! You think you're hot stuff just because you let your jubblies out to jiggle?" Aquarius shot back. The soldiers were rather shocked by the mermaid's bold comment on that subject, especially the girls. Lucy put her hands to her head and let out a worried cry.
The two started throwing insults towards each other, the tension literally sparking a beam of electricity forming between their eyes. Lucy pondered on whether or not she should intervene: She shouldn't.
After that scuffle, Aquarius decided to leave, not letting the opportunity pass to flaunt her new boyfriend to Lucy much to her annoyance. The audience were none too pleased with her attitude.
"I can imagine abandoning a comrade like that." Gunther noted, clearly displeased with the mermaid's attitude.
"At least it's just a competition, otherwise there would be serious trouble." Eld replied, getting Gunter to nod his head in agreement.
"Hopefully they can find a way to defeat Freed before going all out." Petra added.
The girls did just that. While Lucy didn't have any other ways to fight against Freed, Cana decided to throw down another Sexy Ladies Card. Everyone didn't think Freed would fall for that again, including Lucy. But that was quickly proven wrong; he was mentally and emotionally overwhelmed when they were summoned.
"Well that was, pathetic." Annie murmured.
"Your guys just can't keep it in your pants, can you?" Ymir teasingly scolded, getting the guys in her class (except Armin and Bertolt) to glare at him. She smirked at them, then turned back to the screen."
Cana throws down more Walls of Sexy Ladies cards, trapping Freed in a barrage of babes. If the Scouts weren't shocked before, they definitely were know. This was probably the most jarring thing they've seen, and that's taking into account the personalities and habits of the Fairy Tail members. Most of them had flushed faces, others had raised eyebrows at the ludicrously situation, and the perverts were taking their sweet time enjoying the free eye candy, including the master.
Lucy and Cana commented on the effectiveness, and weirdness of the strategy, they still needed a way to defeat Freed for good. Freed at that point figured out a way to escape by cutting through a rock. When that occurred, they tricked the Thunder Legion member into stepping into a card trap that electrocuted him. Freed fell to the ground with a thud and the girls just stood there in shock.
"Woah, we beat him." Cana said.
"Hey look, the gate leading to the next route is wide open." Lucy responded, the gate indeed being opened.
"Do you know what this means?" Cana said excitedly.
The girls high-fived each other.
"That we totally rock!" Lucy cheered.
"S-Class Rank, here I come!" Cana added.
The girls ran toward the route.
"Let's go!" Cana called out.
"Yeah!" Lucy laughed.
The cadets cheered for their friends' victory, even the veterans were pleased at their success.
"Well, guess those girls are better than I thought." Oruo admitted.
"Yeah, you bet they are!" Petra cheered, flashing her teammate a smug smile. Oruo scoffed and turned the other way.
When the girls left celebrating their win, the boys got back up and revealed something: They threw the match.
Freed went on on how he owed the girls after their history in the past, with Bickslow agreeing but both confused and disappointed. Confused because he thought Freed wanted to be like Laxus, and disappointed because he got surrounded by all those hot babes and he didn't. Freed agreed to the first reason, but rebutted that him being a Fairy Tail wizard comes first. The greenette also noted that he has a feeling that Laxus will return someday.
"I can't believe it. Those girls hit the jackpot. What are the odds that they run into us?" Bickslow commented."
"I guess they are pretty lucky after all." He finished. The scouts were contemplating what they heard.
"So they went easy on them?" Connie asked.
"Of course baldy, why else would they say that and put up a weak fight." Ymir grunted, getting Connie to snarl at her.
"So does this mean they didn't really win?" Sasha asked.
"Going easy or not, they did beat them, so yes they did win, but it's clear who the true victors would be if Freed and Bickslow got all serious." Annie stated.
Makarov narrowed his eyes. While he can understand and appreciate the sentiment from the two men, it wasn't fair for them or the girls that they held back. He might have a talk with them after this. That comment about his grandson also made him feel uneasy, mainly because of the guilt and heartbreak he remembered from that incident. Armin took notice and wondered what made the master so upset.
Before anyone could talk any further, one of the lacrima screens caught something else. Everyone turned their head to them and watched closely.
Before Lucy, Cana and the others arrived, Natsu and Happy were the first of the left behind to make it to the entrance ways. Four of them were already taken, Route A, B, F, and H.
"Uh, man we're way behind" Natsu grumbled
"Half of the routes have already been taken." Happy pointed out. He flew forward to Natsu's right.
"Well, which one should we pick? You chose." Happy asked. Natsu looked over and squinted his eyes, then made his decision.
"That one." He said, pointing at Route E, which was a cave entrance. "If we take Route E, I bet we'll have to fight Erza!" He reasoned. The Scouts sweatdropped.
"I don't think that's what the E is for Natsu." Connie said exasperatedly.
"Knucklehead." Jean scoffed, his arms crossing.
"That's definitely not the path I would choose." Happy said nervously.
"I finally get to fight her mono e mono!" Natsu declared, his mouth going in between a frown and a smile.
"I'm coming for you Erza!"
"Uhhh, have you thought about what you're gonna do if she is not on this path?" Happy questioned.
The two best friends ran towards Route E,
While walking on the path and during Lucy and Cana's victory against Freed and Bickslow, Natsu was calling out for her to come on out already. Happy mentioned that they didn't even know if it's her route, but Natsu reiterated his reason for picking it, so he was sure this was the path, doing a silly dance while Happy looked at him sweat dropping
"Annoying brat." Levi said. He was actually hoping Erza would come and beat him up already if he was so desperate to fight her.
Natsu shouted his excitement to finally have a chance to beat Erza for so long and claim the S-Class Rank. He grinned with ecstasy at the thought of finally proving himself. Happy then pointed out the large opening at the end of the path, making Natsu giggle.
They got up to the clearing and noticed a figure standing in the darkness.
"I think I see somebody." Natsu said.
"Is it Erza?" Happy asked.
The spirit flies flew around the figure, slowly lighting them up. The boys were still unsure if it was actually Erza. However, those thoughts immediately vanished when the two saw who they really were up against.
"NO FREAKING WAY!" Natsu shouted, Happy screaming as well. The scouts were also greatly surprised at who the boys were facing, even the more stoic ones.
"Well damn." Ymir spoke.
"Of all people." Bertolt added.
"No kidding." Reiner said, his arms crossing.
"Yep, they're goners." Connie said, his head sweating nervously.
Levi stared, intrigued on how powerful this man is, can't help but notice the similarities between the titles in their respective groups. Commander Erwin also took interest in the man.
"Sorry, dead end. Luck just ain't on your side." The man spoke.
"We're dead." Happy said, tears of fears coming out of his eyes
The two froze as they saw who it was. A tall and big, light brunette tan man with a goatee and a confident smile. The man has a black cloak from him, one arm visible that was wrapped in bandages and a black wristband, the other a completely metal arm replacing the original after a terrible incident. He had bandages wrapped around his torso, a large silver belt, loose-fitting dark pants, and guard plates tucked under his gray boots and on his shoulders. The man was the embodiment of power.
Gildart Clives, Fairy Tail's ace.
"I should warn you, I've never been good at holding back in a fight, so this will be quick ." Gildarts warned, walking towards them.
Natsu and Happy just stood there in shock. Natus was staring down at the ground with his eyes shadowed. All of a sudden, he grinned and let out a loose chuckle, his magic flaring up as his body was covered in a fiery aura. He looked up at his mentor and father figure after Igneel.
"I'm all fired up now." Natsu said, speaking his usual catchphrase.
Everyone stared intensely, some even sweating. They met Gildarts before during their stay at the guildhall and despite the man's laid back attitude, he gave up a powerful aura that everyone could feel even if they didn't have magic. They also knew of Natsu's tendency to fight almost everyone, even if they were stronger than him by light years, and Gildarts was no exception. They just hoped he would be alright after this, cause unlike with the girls, Natsu's luck ain't on his side despite his attitude.
Happy started moving his backpack since he figured they were done for. Natsu asked him to have a little faith, since he was going to be the one to make Gildarts beg for mercy.
"Find, mercy" Gildarts said blankly.
"You can say yet! I haven't even laid a hand on yah!" Natsu shouted exasperatedly, making some of the cadets snort.
He immediately charged at Gildarts. He tried to say he wasn't ready to fight mentally yet, but Natsu was so caught up in his excitement and hunger for combat that he went straight in. He tried to punch Gildarts straight in the face, but the S-Class Mage easily blocked it and retaliated with his own magic, blowing Natsu back.
A large hole was created from where Natsu was standing, leaving everyone to think he's been blown to smithereens already.
"Damn, that fast." Oruo said.
This was proven wrong however, when Natsu fell from above and attacked Gildarts again. He effortlessly dodged, blocked, and nullified every one of Natsu's attacks. The fiery pinkette got more frustrated and kept continuing to attack.
"If you get caught in your emotions, you'll lose your focus and not complete your objective." Ymir said, disappointed, but not surprised with his behavior.
Gildarts retaliated, giving those smacks to the top of the head that Natsu was all too familiar with. The young wizard grunted and tried to attack again, but like before, it was counter efficient and Gildarts landed a hit that did a lot more damage than what Natsu can dish out right now. Natsu led out a Fire Dragon Roar, but that too was dissipated. However, Gildarts Crush Magic, a magic that can break practically everything into pieces including other magics, was still active and Natsu's Spell wasn't the only thing affected by it.
Everyone saw how Natsu was affected by the magic, having white square outlines all over. He dissipated into pieces. The audience was shocked by this, a couple of the girls even having their hands over their mouths.
"No, Natsu." Krista muffled, her eyes watering a bit.
"Just like that." Gunther muttered. His squad was just as surprised as he was. Even the vets were shocked.
Happy started crying, telling Gildarts he'll never forgive him for this, especially since it was a test. That was until the mage explained that his magic wasn't that kind. He told Happy to look up and he did. What he and the soldiers saw bewildered them to say the least.
A bunch of mini Natsus.
"What in the?" Ymir got out, Krista and everyone else looked just as confused. Even the veterans were stupefied by this, although Hange thought they looked cute. Gildarts explained the nature of his magic. Happy watched as the horde of Natsu's began piling up around him, showing everyone how many there actually were. The man reassured Happy that Natsu would return to normal, and was about to declare that Natsu failed, but surprisingly Natsu still wanted to fight, bewildering everyone on how he was gonna do so because of his condition, even more weird out when they all started talking and shouting at the same time. Makarov sighed and shaked his head, should've expected this to happen. Natsu was too persistent for his own good.
"So, should I feel bad for feeling sorry for Gildarts now that he has to deal with all of them?" Bertolt asked, still stunned about the display.
"No, I can't blame you for that." Reiner responded, the same reaction on his face. Even Annie was astonished by this.
Gildarts smiled, nevering having to face an army before. It reminded him about all the times Natsu challenged him as a kid, even though he would always get his ass beat by the more experienced and powerful wizard. Gildarts smirked and said he won't hold back, or lose. The Natsu army let out a battle cry as they charged at him.
"It's an army of mini Natsus!" Happy shouted. Gildarts let out a sigh and smiled tiredly.
"Here we go again."
What followed afterwards was rather a hilarious debacle. All the Natsu's charged at Gildarts, which he simply swiped away with his cape. But after that, some of the little Natsus snuck up on him and pulled on his hair, mouth, and face. The other Natsus took the chance to attack him, comedically attacking him with fire, making some of the soldiers laugh at the silliness of the situation.
"I can't tell which is weirder: This or the bikini babe showdown that happened in the last fight." Ymir said, exasperated at the scene
"Well, the last one would take the cake for weirdness. This one however, is the silliest so far." Reiner responded, both of their faces glued to the TV.
Annie raised her eyebrow at the scene. While she didn't really care that much about the trials and who was participating in it, she was rather curious on how Natsu would get himself out of this situation. Something about him… struck a chord within her.
Gildarts had enough and transformed Natsu back to normal. However, Natsu took the chance to take him by surprise with one of his Secret Art spells: Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade. The attack didn't do much to stop Gildarts, but it did push him quite far, which was a win in Natsu's book because none of his attacks could do anything to him before.
"I guess you take any small victories when you get them." Gunther said.
Natsu chuckled at the small win and tried to get himself ready to fight again. However, he was stumbling on his feet. Happy called him out on it, but Natsu tried to deny it, resulting in Happy replied that he "totally has this", NOT!
"Must've used a lot of magic in that attack." Erwin stated.
"Yeah, even with all of that, Gildarts still hasn't taken much damage." Moblit added.
Gildarts tried to pass Natsu, but he wasn't having it. It didn't feel right for him to win like this, he wanted to earn the right to be S-Class by defeating one of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages.
"Stupid brat. Don't be greedy if you are given something." Levi scoffed.
"Just take the win and get out of there." Connie pleaded, not wanting things to get out of hand.
Gildarts smirked. He apparently expected that and he would answer Natsu's call. Gildarts started unleashing his Magic Power, which was so powerful that it could be felt all over the island, including the ones still on the ship. The soldiers were shocked at how powerful the mage was, even the more calm ones had their eyes bugged out. They could even see the light coming from Gildart's Crush Magic from where they were standing.
"No way!" Bertolt managed to get out, too intimidated to really say anything.
Mike's eyes were shot open. He didn't say anything, but everyone could tell by looking at him how nervous he was at the insane amounts of Magic Power being released, and his attempts at trying to keep his composure.
No one was taking it as bad as Natsu though. He never felt this much power in his life before. He shouted and tried to charge regardless.
"Are you kidding me! Don't go, you blockhead!" Jean shouted at the screen. 'Great, another suicidal bastard.' He thought, grunting through his teeth because of the pressure still going.
But he stopped right in front of Gildarts. He looked at the silhouette, glowing red eyes and a menacing appearance that kept growing bigger and scarier by the moment. Natsu felt like an ant trapped in a spider's web. The feeling he was gettin in his chest, it was one that never really felt as he core: Fear. The cadets felt it too, and the image of Gildarts behind his magic aura wasn't helping.
Not being able to take much more of this, he knelt down on his knees, still shaking and hyperventilating from the experience.
"I…" Natsu paused.
"Accept defeat." The people watching were stunned at seeing the happy, go-lucky dragon slayer like this. Happy was crying while saying his name softly, while Gildarts stared at the young mage.
"Natsu." Krista gasped out.
Gildarts stopped his magic and looked down on the boy. He gave him a soft smile.
"A wise choice." He began. "I applaud anyone who has the courage to stand up and face their enemies." The Scouting Legion stopped what they were doing and listened to Fairy Tail's aces words.
"However, the wizards who are the most courageous are those exceptional few, who know when to stand down." Gildarts stated.
"Remember Natsu, there's nothing wrong with feeling fear. After all, how else would we come to know our own weaknesses. You need to know them, in order to become a stronger and gentler person. A necessity for those that want to be S-Class." He finished. They thought that was it, but the mage had more to say.
"Now that I've shared this knowledge with you: you passed, kid." Natsu gasped, as well as Happy and the cadets.
"But, I didn't beat you." Natsu reasoned.
"Don't argue with me. I'm your examiner and I say you passed." Gildarts scolded lightheartedly.
"You've made it through the first round, but this is just the beginning. You know how Master can be, I'm sure this was nothing compared to what he's got in store for you." He joked. Makarov grinned slightly, knowing that he was right on that.
"Have confidence in yourself, I know you can do it." Gildarts turned to his right. "Now that we finished up your test, let me tell you something as a friend."
"Possessing powerful magic isn't the be all end all. One thing I can truly appreciate is your hunger to win. Your burning desire for victory." Gildarts closed his eyes and gave a toothy grin. "I say that 'cause I have it too. Like you, I don't wanna lose." He turned to the young boy
"I'll take you on again anytime." He gave another grin. "Now go become an S-Class Wizard, you hear me."
Natsu heard him alright, loud and clear. He had tears of happiness streaming from his eyes, snot dripping from his nose, cheeks pink and a determined expression on his Dragon Slayer was touched by the man's confidence in him. He wasn't going to let that go to waste.
Everyone watched the scene in awe and admiration for Gildarts. That lesson about fear reminded them about the fear they felt when facing the Titans, giving them something to reflect on. The veterans, mainly the older one, nodded at the advice the Crush Mage gave them, while the younger veterans made sure to take his words to heart and reminding them about what they were fighting for.
"Natsu." Mikasa gasped out. She was happy that her friend passed, even if he didn't win. She hoped he would be alright.
When those fights were over, what happened to the other teams was revealed. Juvia and Lisanna were overpowered by Erza's strength, Loke and Gray teamed up to take down Mest while scaring Wendy with pickled plums, and Elfman and Evergreen caught Mirajane off guard by pronouncing they were getting married, leaving her open.
After the first half of the Trial was over, the contestants that passed it made it to the site, which was where Makarov was, having arrived and notified the soldiers beforehand. He declared the second trial beginning, requiring all the contestants to find the grave of the First Master within six hours, to which the contestants began to look for.
The contestants had initial problems, as they had no clue where to look for and Tenrou Island was much bigger than it looked. On top of that, there were many wild animals and monsters roaming natively on the island, forcing the mages to either fight or flee. Elfman and Evergreen end up finding themselves off the initial path after being chased down by some creatures.
When they came to, they started arguing about the trick they pulled on Mira to win and how bold it was.
They heard rustling and saw something unexpected.
"Huh, people?" Both gasped.
"I'm confused, why have you come to such a desolate place?" A figure asked. It looked to be a strange boy with black hair, black robes with golden lining, and a white toga wrapped in a scarf around his body. He also had a silver locket around his neck. Upon closer inspection, the boy seemed to be tired and a little sad.
"I was under the impression that this island was uninhabited." The boy said.
"Well you were wrong pal!" Elfman shouted.
"You are trespassing. Only members of our guild are allowed here!" Evergreen clarified.
"I'm trespassing?" The boy said blankly. "Forgive me, I didn't know this island was controlled by a guild." He looked down sadly.
"It is ours!" Elfman shouted. "NO STAY BACK!" The man shouted back, his hand held out. Elfman grunted at the warning.
"If you value your life, don't come any closer to me." He stated.
"That kinda sounds like a challenge." Elfman pointed out.
"No it's not." The man clarified. "I don't want to fight you. I'll leave the island peacefully." His body posture went straight again and dropped his arm down.
"Please just don't come near me." He pleaded, a sad look on his face.
"What's wrong with him?" Evergreen asked.
"I don't know, but he shouldn't be here." Elfman responded. The man all of a sudden grew horrified as his body shook.
"No.. Here it comes." He held his head in pain. The man started grunting and hyperventilating, like he was about to break down.
"Predatory Death… I can't stop it!" He shouted. A couple of leaves flew in front of him as they suddenly withered and shattered. A black vortex appeared around the man in a dome like form. The man moaned in pain more until the dome exploded, covering the area in it's path and likewise destroying it.
The couple looked in shock at the wave of death coming towards them. They couldn't move in time!
"Get down!" A voice said.
The two felt a hand on the back of their head and forced them to the ground. Natsu was there. Natsu and Happy decided to go to the very top of the tree to look for the grave, but when they saw Elfman and Evergreen in trouble, they knew they had to help their friends.
Natsu looked up at the man, but was surprised to see a rather stunned expression. The man looked at Natsu shockingly,before crying.
"You…" The man got out as he shed tears.
Natsu looked extremely stunned himself. All of a sudden, what came out of the man's mouth next caught him off guard.
"Natsu." He choked out.
"Who are you?' Natsu grew angry.
"You better answer me or else!"
The part of the forest around them was slowly decaying. The leaves were drying out and the trees were lacking them as they turned bare.
"I'm glad you showed up when you did Natsu." Evergreen thanked.
"Me too, but can you give us a heads up next time?" Elfman complained.
"Natsu." The man said, still crying. Natsu was getting angrier by the minute. He's been angry before, but this time, it felt different.
Happy soon arrived to ask if Natsu needed to use the bathroom. He corrected him by saying that something stinks here, but he wasn't the cause of it. Happy was flabbergasted at all the dead trees, but Evergreen pointed out that it wasn't just that. Everything looked like it was on the verge of death. But Elfman also added that they weren't affected.
"This guy did all that damage?" Happy asked.
"He's no ordinary wizard." Evergreen stated.
"What's with the sissy tears?" Elfman noticed.
"Look pal, this island is off-limits to anyone that's not in the Fairy Tail guild. Keep your freaky death cloud out of our trial." Natsu warned.
"You've grown… so much." The man said, his head down.
"Huh?" Natsu gasped.
"I've missed you. Natsu."
Natsu's eyes widened, and without warning, he jumped in the air and socked him in the face, much to everyone's shock.
"Tell me who you are or I'll hit harder!" Natsu warned.
"Cheapshot."
"Kid cold cut him."
"That's how he does things." Evergreen, Elfman, and Happy said respectively.
The man smiled as he was still in the air.
'I see. Nothing's changed, has it? Not at all'
The man used his hand as a fulcrum and backflipped on his feet safely.
'You still can't break me.' Natsu was still seething in front of him, ready to attack again.
"You better tell me who you are bub. I won't ask again!" The man got up shakingly.
'When will this mindless destruction end? I don't want to kill anymore, and the one person who can stop me still isn't strong enough.' Natsu grunted in surprise when he saw the man was pouring tears out of his eyes.
'How long must I wait?' The man started shaking again.
"Uh, why is he crying?" Happy wondered.
"His creep factor's sky-high." Evergreen said. Elfman grunted at the situation at hand and the one responsible for it.
A branch started to break and the man spasmed and groaned, a red outline briefly appearing before a black aura began covering him. The man held his head again.
"Run… Now!" Natsu took a step back from the warning.
The man kept groaning in pain until a black dome appeared around him again. Happy was shocked at what it was until Elfman said that it was the same wave from earlier, and Evergreen spoke of its dangerous properties.
"Natsu!" The boy turned to his friends with his hand out.
"Get out of here right now." The black-haired boy cried out in agony. As he did, Natsu and the others began to run for their lives. However, Natsu wasn't fast enough and it caught up with him.
"No!" Happy tried to get his friend with tears in his eyes. Elfman grabbed him.
"Don't be stupid! You go back there and you'll get yourself killed!" They dove for the ground, out of the black wave's reach. The previously destroyed trees were now disintegrated into nothingness.
When it cleared, it showed that Natsu was okay.
"Well, that sucked." He sat down as he started coughing.
"You're alive!' Happy shouted happily.
"What about him? It looked like he lost control." Natsu responded.
"He's gone." Evergreen said, her and Elfman seeing a tree breaking and falling down.
"You sound disappointed." He noted.
Happy drew back in shock. "Natsu what happened to your scarf?! It turned black!" The dragon slayer turned forward and saw Happy was right.
He grabbed his scarf and grew angry.
"He'll pay for this. Next time I see that punk, he's getting a fiery fist to the face!" While Elfman and Evergreen tried to search for the boy, Happy took notice of what happened to the scarf.
"Igneel gave Natsu that scarf. Maybe it changed colors because it absorbed the magic from the blast." The dragon slayer stood up.
"Where did he go?" Natsu looked at his scarf. "He has no idea how bad he's gonna be pounded when I get my hands on him." "Sorry," Happy added.
"I mean how does he expect to go out in public wearing a black scarf with a black vest?!" He screamed.
"Wow. I never thought Natsu was that concerned about fashion." Elfman said.
"Me either." Evergreen replied.
"So what are we gonna do about the trial?" Happy questioned. Evergreen crossed her arms.
"Hmm. With Mr. Doom and Gloom running amok in the woods, I think it should be put on the back burner."
"You're probably right."
"Ain't no way I'm ditching the trial!"
"A real man would conquer both at the same time!" Natsu and Elfman protested.
They both got in each other's face and grunted.
"If I quit, I'd be breaking my promise to Gildarts." Natsu said first.
"As Mirajane's brother, it's my duty to win! I'll beat down anyone that gets in my way!" Elfman followed up.
As the two stared each other down, Happy was still wondering what to do.
"We can't just ignore that creepy tree-killing guy. He was crying while he attacked, like he didn't want to do it." He turned to his best friend.
"You need to quit making friends with psychos, Natsu!" He scolded.
"That freak ain't no friend of mine!" The pinkette rebutted.
"Still if you ask me, he didn't seem to be hostile." The blue cat said.
"He could've fooled me." Evergreen countered.
"Enough!" Natsu shouted, his fist up in the air. "We got a trial to conquer!"
"Aye, sir" Happy cheered.
"He's right. Let's go Evergreen." Elfman encouraged.
"When I need a shirtless bozo to boss me around, I'll let you know!" Evergreen argued.
As they went their separate ways, something else was taking place at that exact moment they were speaking.
Overhead, an airship floated about the island, giving off a sinister presence. It consists of a central hull at whose sides are located two larger, elongated parts jutting frontwards. It seems to be kept flying by several large magical glyphs floating near it, with a pair of them being located behind it, at the ends of the protruding sections, something which makes them highly reminiscent of propulsors, and an even more massive one sitting under it. The hull's shape is that of a real boat, possessing an arched, pointed lower part, ending on the front in a dark section which houses the guild's symbol, with an open zone right above it, where the main hall seems to be located. Such a hall is topped by a dark, arched roof reminiscent of a capsized hull, on whose back part sits yet again another, similarly-shaped tower, sprouting from the main hull and going up several meters, which ends in a massive observation deck protruding frontwards, complete with large windows. At the tower's sides, on the dark roof, is a pair of large, wing-shaped ornaments jutting upwards; a similar pair of wings is also present on the airship's protruding sections, with one of them adorning each outer side. The two attached sections of the ship possess frontal, protruding dark parts reminiscent of rostrums, each adorned by a light motif, somewhat similar to a stylized monstrous head. Both the hull and the two adjacent sections bear linear blank parts, where a multitude of square windows is lined up one after the other, these being highly reminiscent of hatches.
This airship housed a member of the Balam Alliance: A group containing three of the most powerful and dangerous dark guilds that exist. This particular aircraft was owned by Grimoire Heart.
Inside, one of its members, a former member of the Magic Council, held a magic crystal ball that showed an image of Tenrou Island, then a reflection of the owner. A young, beautiful woman with dark purple hair, and deep red lipstick. She looked over to her master.
"We finally found our quarry. And he appears to be in a state of rest." She said, "I believe the time is upon us, Master Hades." The man grinned, then sighed in ecstasy.
"I shall finally meet the man who showed the world the true potential of the Black Arts. His horde of demons created chaos and death tolls without equal. Catastrophe is his daily bread. In all the history of the magic world, he is the true champion of wickedness: The Black Wizard, Zeref." He raised his head and looked at his subordinates.
"The day is upon us. The abyss of sorcery is within our grasp." He is revealed to be an old man with a long beard, a mustache, wearing metal gauntlet, with a cape, and black and silver bat-like shoulder pads with a collar-like opening circling to the back of his neck. He wore a helmet with a black section on top accompanied by blocky protrusion, a more beige color near where a faceplate would be that had nails on the top of the section, and two silvers horns coming out of the helmet that looked like blades. He wore a red shirt, a brown belt and sandy-colored pants with flames near the bottom, accompanied by black boots. His most compelling feature was his eyepatch over the right eye.
"It's time to get to work. Tenrou Island will run red with the blood of Fairy Tail." Presented in front of him were six individuals.
The woman from before, wearing a purple garb with white patterns near the bottom and a black sash around the waist.
A goat-like humanoid. He wore sunglasses, the top part of a business suit with a yellow collar shirt and green tie, exposing his toned chest. He wore a brown belt with a heavy silver buckle, and black pants.
In front of him was a young girl with pink hair, golden wings attached to her head, and red eyes. She wore a purple leotard with a dark orange strap over her waist with a magenta circle in the middle. She had a dark purple vest with white outlines on, and a red cape with golden outlines that were clipped together by a green gem. The left section of the cape had a white marking of the guild's symbol.
Next to the woman, a man with long, and frenzy blonde hair stood. He had red eyes with swirls inside that gave the appearance he was crazy. He was a blue and yellow shirt-like armor with a section in the middle being reminiscent of samurai armor wrapped together by a giant red ribbon. The bottom half that covered his legs had patterns of big yellow diamonds separated by yellow lines. He wore red garbs for pants, had wraps that covered his shins, and white shoes with black circles on them.
In front of him was a well-dressed man with neatly styled silver hair. He wore glasses with blue lenses, a gray long shirt, a blue coat with a fur trim on the top, a black belt with a normal silver buckle, black pants, and finally gray gloves.
Next to him was a big and chubby man that was pale white in his skin color. He had black wild hair, with bushy, black eyebrows and black eyes. He wore two brown straps over his chest in an X-shape, a black speedo with a brown layer on top. Finally, he wore a blue cap with pale yellow sections covering his shoulders.
A little while later, a group of soldiers wearing white masks with the symbol painted red on them, purple cloth armor with hood, and a black coat. Some of them had golden horns attached to their gear. They were assembled before their master.
"This is a momentous day indeed. If all goes as planned ,we will see the return of Zeref, the Black Wizard." The master raised his right hand in a fist. "The ambitions of Grimoire Heart will no longer be a fantasy." His subordinates looked at him.
"Now that we gathered all the necessary keys, we will awaken that which sleeps within Zeref."
"Master. You're overlooking the opposition." The woman spoke. She raised her hand and the crystal ball glowed. "Our plans still could come crashing down around should Fairy Tail intervene." She explained, the ball revealing the Fairy Tail guildhall.
"They defeated one of the Balam Alliance's most powerful guilds: the Oricaion Seis. The strongest among them are currently gathered on Tenrou Island. They've also taken in some people that could prove to be a hindrance should they not be taken care of. Awakening Zeref won't be a simple task." She concluded.
"Enough with all the wimpy talk!" The woman turned to her blond guildmate. "That sad bunch of weaklings shouldn't be called a guild. I got more power in this finger." He did a little dance as he stopped and pointed his finger as an example, only to put his hands out and cover himself in black flames with purple tints as he laughed maniacally.
"When I'm done with them, they'll be ash beneath my boots, including those other weakling they decided to take in." He continued laughing, relishing at the thought of taking those pests down and putting them in their place.
"Beware of overconfidence, Zancrow." The woman replied, revealing the man's name.
"Never underestimate one's opponent." The goat-man spoke. He held a hand to his heart.
"Even so, I have faith we will win this battle."
"I couldn't agree more with Caprico." The silver man said, pushing his glasses up and sparkling around.
"I, uh, well, yeah." The big man stumbled, his body shaking.
"At least we will unleash our ultimate desires." He gave out a pose as the big man moaned and giggled.
"Our war drums beating against their cages and cry for violence. We shall dance the waltz of death to their rhythm." The big man moaned again after hearing this, before raising his hand and saying "I feel the same way."
"No one understands you, tubby!" Zancrow exclaimed.
"Kain Hiruku's statement is deciphered as follows." The pinkette spoke, getting Zancrow to look over at her in confusion. "I feel the same way. Is that correct?" She asked.
"Yep that's it!"
"Rustyroses previous statement's deciphered: Desire means wants, war drums refers to hearts."
"Meredy, will you be joining us?" The woman asked the girl.
"In battle? Yes." She replied, nodding.
Hades stood from his throne. "I am delighted. No one will be able to withstand our might. Not even Fairy Tail! Their strongest wizards will soon know the power of true darkness, the eminence that lurks within the abyss."
"For we are Grimoire Heart. We've walked the path of devils and we'll force this world into the darkness. Tonight, these devils will bathe Tenrou Island in the blood of Fairies." He grinned, releasing a malicious aura.
"I'm looking forward to the agony on Makarov's face."
"Our showdown against the Fairy Tail guild and their allies starts now!"
Authors Note:
And here's Chapter 5. I said I would get two chapters out this month, and I intend to keep my word. Just one more chapter, and who knows, I might be able to get a third one out if I'm in the zone.
I hope you like the reactions of the Survey Corps towards the fights. Don't worry, they'll get their action soon, but this was a nice way to slide into things. I also tried my best to make sure the Scouts' (and Annie's) presence had some impact on the Fairy Tail members due to being together for a full month. The fights largely remain the same, mainly because I don't feel there was a need to change things up since it's the same people fighting against each other in canon, but things will start mixing up. I promise that things will start changing once we get into the big stuff.
Next up, we go back to Eren to see what he's up to. And you might be surprised by what occurs in that chapter. Thanks for reading and see you soon.