It was a nice combination of main group ships you guys support, apparently. Also, why so much KatsuchixNashi? Are they that compatible? Anyways, Enjoy!
Drake may have been the one directing them around, but he felt like Asuka had no idea what she was talking about. They'd already tried the closest beach, but found nothing. Asuka suggested they try and see around to the west, and he had nothing to say to that. It occurred to Drake that Asuka had no idea where exactly this Makarov vs. Hades fight had happened, but he had less of an idea than her.
"Are we there yet?" Drake asked, kicking up more sand as he trekked behind her.
"I don't know, do you see our paper anywhere?" Asuka retorted, sounding a bit irritated, probably with him. He wasn't exactly being helpful at the moment. "I told you it was on the coast, I didn't say I knew which."
"Fair enough." Drake replied. "But I can't help but get the feeling we're losing terribly."
"Nah, we're doing fine." Asuka reassured, doing nothing to quell Drake's losing feeling. "Who knows how difficult the others clues were?"
"I could have looked at Elise's." Drake said. "I wonder how hard it wad, I should have looked.
"That may have qualified as cheating, though." Asuka pointed out. "Then we'd lose no matter what."
"...Yeah, you're right." Drake didn't say anymore, and neither did Asuka, but she was probably to busy looking for their clue and puzzle piece. Speaking of which, Drake picked the pieces up out of his pocket and played with them in his hands, pondering what they were supposed to be. It seemed to be some kind of area on the island, as the visage with the pieces he had seemed to be grassy land. Playing with them in his hands, Drake did not notice Asuka had stopped until he slammed into her. "What?" he asked.
"I feel like we're close, do you feel that?" She asked, and Drake took in their surroundings. Now that she mentioned it, he did feel a rather harsh presence from the area, as if a lingering evil. He'd been around enough evil to know what it felt like.
"Maybe, look around." He replied, doing so himself. Nothing really stood out to him, but he could say for certain that the scent of powerful magic definitely came from this area. "I don't see anything, do you?"
"...Maybe." Drake turned to find her walking over to a rock near the grass. On top rested the third piece of the puzzle and another slip of paper. "Here, read this." She said, tossing him the paper. He caught it as it fluttered around in the breeze and unfolded it, reading the sentence inside. "What does it say?"
"The final clue is where the water woman won through feelings." he read, raising an eyebrow.
"Juvia." Asuka replied. "Meredy, too easy." Drake watched the girl look around.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Have you listened to the Grimoire story?" She asked. "Juvia beat Meredy by convincing her she wasn't doing the right thing. That was, if I recall, in a marshy area, so over there." She finished, pointing inwards into the island. Drake nodded, pocketed their next piece of the puzzle, and followed her into the forest.
"Where do you think this stupid exam will lead us?" He asked, the question coming to mind. Being truthful he had no idea himself.
"I have a few ideas." Asuka replied, pushing a few plants out of their way. "Although who knows, it could be anywhere."
"...Who do you think will be the finalists?" he asked suddenly. Asuka stopped and cast him a look from over her shoulder. They stared at each other for a moment before she snorted and continued. "What?"
"I don't know." She lied. Drake sharpened his hearing and indulged himself on her thoughts on the subject.
"You don't think you'll make it?" he asked.
"How did you...oh right, sound magic." Drake nodded and Asuka sighed. "I...Well, I'm the least deserving of the people in this exam."
"How so?"
"Think about it, Drake." Asuka replied, stopping again to look at him. "You, Nashi and Elise took down a dark guild, stopped an invasion of Earthland, and so much in the short time you've been adventuring." Asuka laughed weakly. "I don't think it's very difficult to see who the final three contestants will be."
"Even so, it's no reason to put yourself down." Asuka rolled her eyes and continued pushing her way through the bushes, Drake close behind. H could tell by her body language she was done talking about it, but his curiosity still bugged him. If Nashi, Elise, and himself were the 'obvious finalists', what would the final exam be?
I guess we'll find out, won't be ladies?
"Asuka does have a point, Gramps." Laxus heard Simon say from behind him. "The three finalists were hurtfully obvious the moment you said it."
"I know." He replied. "I know."
"So, what sort of game are you playing, here?" Ultear asked. Laxus smiled at the questions, knowing they'd surface eventually.
"You'll see."
It was painfully easy to find their next clue once Elise stumbled across the path of destruction from her father Iron God Sword. She just followed the path until they found where it originated from, a small clearing. Right in the center of the clearing was their next clue and the puzzle piece, both of which Elise picked up, tossing the piece to Sammy, who has right behind her.
"The clue?" he asked, pocketing the piece.
"Your final clues location is where the imagination defeated the beast and the fairy." Elise replied. "Any ideas?"
"Hm," Sammy hummed, placing a hand on his chin. "Imagination...beast..." He napped his fingers and smiled. "Rustyrose!"
"Eh?"
"Grimoire, Redfox." he replied. "Rustyrose's magic used his imagination. He defeated Elfman and Ever, remember?" Elise mind went back to the story she'd been told a million times, and grinned.
"Good job!" She shouted, looking around. "Now, how do we get there?"
"Beats me." he replied, looking around as well. "Although I think it was near that old village."
"Well, where is that? We'll start there." Sammy did a few more spins before he pointed deeper into the island.
"Seems to be in that direction, given what I can see." Elise was already headed in that direction after he'd told her where to go, and he jogged to catch up. "You think we're ahead?"
"Who knows." She replied. "Drake and Nashi aren't stupid, so it's anyone's game at this point."
"Yeah, maybe we're behind." He replied. "And poor you got stuck with me." Elise sighed at his self-deprecating attitude. Truthfully she'd have already lost if she hadn't been stuck with him, but she wasn't about to come out and say that. The last thing she wanted wast to try and be nice with this guy by going back on saying he was worthless.
"I'd have already won if not for you, basically." Elise decided to say, hoping the joking manner in her tone was obvious enough.
"Keep telling yourself that while you try to figure out the first clue." he shot back, making Elise choke.
"Alright alright, you aren't entirely useless." She conceited, making him laugh. "Just, you know, usually."
"I know." he replied. "Rocky tells me all the time."
"Rocky's got his head on straight then." Sammy nodded. Silence was about to befall them when Sammy made a sound. "How do you think Nashi and Rocky are doing? You know, with the hating each other thing they got going on."
"Don't know." Elise replied honestly. "I don't see either of them making the effort to get along with the other whatsoever."
"Heh, yeah." Sammy replied, smiling. "They really do hate each other thoroughly."
"Can't imagine why." Elise said it in a threatening tone, and Sammy flinched.
"I tried to apologize." he hissed. "Why wanted to hear none of it."
"Who's to say you weren't just going to lie because she could beat your ass?"
"She could, that's why I tried." He rolled his eyes, then, "You know what? I don't even want to argue about this with you."
"Fine, whatever. I don't care." Elise tried to calm herself after Sammy brought them around to an irritating topic, but it didn't work very well.
I wonder how they're doing...
"Dragneel, for the last time, I don't know!"
"Try and use that pathetically small brain of yours! Or is your head really filled with what your named after?!"
"At least I admit it when I don't know something, smartass!"
"I don't know!"
"See?! Baby steps to realizing your a bitch!" Nashi growled deep in her throat and got even closer to Rocky, who remained still and stoic.
"You want to call me that again?" Nashi demanded, and Rocky rolled his eyes.
"You're. A. Bitch." he emphasized for her. "There, was that clear enough for your dumbass?" Nashi's response consisted of grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and lifting him up. "Now what, are you gonna...!"
"Fuck you!" Nashi shouted, slamming a fist into his face, sending him like a meteor over the tree lie and into the distance. Nashi huffed and crossed her arms, swearing under her breath as she tried to calm down. "Rocky?" She called.
No response. Nashi knew she'd sent him completely flying, but just how far? She walked towards the tree line and peeked through seeing nothing.
"Rocky?" She called again, this time a bit louder, but still not getting any response from her teammate. Rolling her eyes, Nashi stepped into the brush and waded through it, looking for Rocky. "Rocky! I swear to Mavis if you're trying to prank me...!" Coming out on the other side of the tree line showed Nashi a gigantic hole right in the center of the area. Looking down into it, Nashi spotted her teammate lying face down in the center. Sighing and sliding down the side of the crater, she walked towards him with her hands on her hips. "Come on jackass, get up."
"..."
"Well come on, let's go!"
"..." Growling in frustration, Nashi stormed up to him and flipped him onto his back, revealing his pained expression and weak groaning.
"Oh come on you big baby, I didn't hit you that ha..." Nashi paused as she noticed Rocky' chest, or rather, the slip of paper stuck to it. Gasping happily, Nashi grabbed the paper and unfolded it, reading their next clue.
Your final clue resides where everything else has died.
"Uh..." Nashi thought for a moment before a visage of the completely dead area came to her mind, and she smiled. "Got it! Come on Rocky, I know where our next clue is! Grab that puzzle piece, too!"
"...Give me a minute..."
"We don't have a minute, come on!" Nashi grabbed him again and dragged him towards the edge of the crater, throwing him up with a pained groan and a thud. Jumping up herself, she grabbed him again and dragged him through the bushes, ignoring his groans and complaints as if they were nothing. She had the drive to win, and she wasn't about to let him ruin it, even if he'd done so only a moment before.
"Nashi please...Just wait a moment..."
"No!"
"Nashi..."
"I took hits from dragon mech to the face, you can do this!"
Not much happened in this chapter, but we're nearing the end anyway. Anyways, today I thought I'd do something interesting with your question:
Nashi vs Drake: Who wins?
I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get ten!