A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: AIRA & GRAY VS. MEST & WENDY

"I want to know. I want to know your abilities." Mest said.

Gray prepares his Magic as he begins the fight.

"Mest-san, they're going to attack!" Wendy warned.

As if on cue, Gray attacks Mest with a regular punch. Mest defends himself against the attack and detaches himself from Gray.

"Of all the people, it's Mest and Wendy we get to fight with..." Gray said.

"Man... I really wanted to fight Freed... But I ain't holding back just because it's them!" Aira declared. "Water Dragon's Roar!" A tornado of water shot out from Aira's mouth and headed where Mest was standing.

The attacks seems to have hit Mest, but Mest suddenly appears behind Aira. "When did he..." Mest attempts to kick him.

Aira blocks the attack and engages Mest once more.

"Power... Power of the heavens! Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy attacks Gray with her breath attack.

"Ice-Make: Shield!" Gray blocks the attack with an ice shield. Wendy continues to attack, but Gray easily blocks her attack. "That's some force..."

"Water Dragon's Bullets!" Aira aims two fingers at Wendy, shooting water bullets at her as she stumbles back. Mest goes to aid Wendy, attacking Gray.

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray attacks Mest, but his attack misses, hitting a boulder as Mest appears behind him.

Aira quickly attacks Mest to defend Gray. "Water Dragon's Geyser!" Aira swipes his hand in front of him as a dark-blue color Magic Circle appeared and a collum of water shot up from the ground and attacks Mest, causing him to fall unconscious.

With Mest defeated, Aira and Gray turn their attention to Wendy. "All that's left is Wendy! I ain't gonna hold back, either!" Aira said. "I'm leaving her to you, Gray!"

"Ultimate Secret Technique: Just Eating Pickled Plums!" Gray pulls out a jar of pickled plums. He grabs multiple plums and begins to eat them, causing his lips to pucker.

Wendy's lips begin to pucker as well. "I'm not even eating them, but just watching makes my mouth pucker up! Is this some kind of transmission magic? I can only run!" Wendy forces herself to run away.

However, Aira blocks her path and grabs her from behind. "Gotcha! Watch him as you suffer..." He forces her to watch Gray eat the plums with his puckered lips. Wendy is left screaming.

Elsewhere, Elfman and Evergreen battle Mira. Even with Elfman in his Beast Soul form, Mira easily takes down both of them, but just as she is about to give the finishing blow, Evergreen interrupts and tells her that there's something she might want to know.

Mest wakes up and realizes that they have been beaten. Wendy cries because she thinks it's her fault, but Mest comforts her.

Meanwhile, Aira and Gray walk to the meeting place for those who passed the first test.

"Right on! We cleared the first test!" Aira cheered.

"Although if Natsu, for example, lost against Freed in the first test, I'd feel better about what's coming up." Gray commented. "Well, Cana might be a tough one."

"Don't be a fool. There's no such thing as an easy path to becoming an S-Class Wizard." Aira reminded him.

"I know, I know." Gray responded. "I was just thinking we did well by beating Mest..."

"Speaking of which... Was he always that weak?" Aira questioned. "Putting Wendy aside... I thought he was stronger before."

"It's that we've gotten stronger."

"Huh? I can't remember. Have I fought with him before?" Aira tries to remember if he encountered Mest before.

"Oh? Memory loss now, too? Satsuki will think that's hot." Gray teased.

"Satsuki has nothing to do with this conversation." Aira huffed out. "Hmm... Mest said that he got pretty far in last year's exam..."

"Yes, he did..."

"He... Who was his partner last time?"

"Huh? Who was it, again?"

"Why is it? I can't remember at all..." Aira mumbled.

"Me either."

"I can tell something is hazy about my memories of Mest."

"It's true... It's like my memories of Mest are broken off somewhere."

They arrive at the site where the other passers were. "Aira, Gray!" Lucy exclaimed. "I figured you two would pass the first test!"

"Congratulations, for now." Cana said.

"We were lucky and got the peaceful route." Levy stated.

"Lucky?! I didn't get to snack anyone!" Gajeel complained.

"So we're the only ones to past the first exam?" Aira asked.

"Where's Natsu?" Gray questioned.

"He's over there." Happy answered, pointing over to Natsu who's sitting on a rock alone.

"What's wrong with him?" Aira asked.

"You see..." Happy sheepishly smiled.

"Now then, I think everyone is here." Master Makarov approached them. "I will now announce the results, to date. Cana and Lucy defeated Freed and Bickslow in battle, and passed through!"

"What?!" Aira exclaimed.

"Natsu and Happy managed to get past Gildarts somehow, and passed through!"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Aira shouted, surprised to hear how the passers got through.

"I didn't do anything, though." Happy commented.

"Levy and Gajeel passed through the peaceful route with good luck!"

Levy gives out a peace sign. Gajeel's eye twitches in annoyance. "You're sayin' I got good luck?!" He yelled.

"Aira and Gray defeated Mest and Wendy in battle, and passed through!"

"Did Juvia fail?" Gray questioned.

Master Makarov forms a scared and speechless expression. Aira suddenly gets terrified from it. "W-What, Gramps?"

"Juvia and Lisanna hit upon... her." The Master announced. "That female knight who knows not the meaning of holding back!"

Aira now understands that it's Erza who defeated Juvia and Lisanna.

"Then all that's left is Elfman and Evergreen." Lucy said.

"But if we consider what's left, they must have taken the route..." Cana tries to figure out who's left. They then realized that it's the she-devil.

"Mirajane..." They all say her name with such terror in their voices.

"Sucks to be them." Levy commented.

"Well, I still could have won." Gajeel claimed.

"Hold it!" A voice shouted. "We beat Onee-chan!" Elfman and Evergreen approach the group.

"We've passed through the first test!" Evergreen announced.

"Incredible!" Master Makarov exclaimed.

"How did you beat Mira?!" Happy questioned.

Elfman tries not to remember any of it. "I can't say... As a Man."

"Let's just say we managed to find an opening to slip through." Evergreen said.

"What the heck did they do, I wonder?" Lucy thought.

Master Makarov clears his throat before he begins to speak again. "Anyway... The teams that passed the first test are: Natsu and Happy, Aira and Gray, Levy and Gajeel, Cana and Lucy, Elfman and Evergreen. Those five teams. Now we will begin the second test!"

"Natsu, how long are you going to sulk?" Happy asked, approaching Natsu who had his head down.

"No... Just thinking about something." Natsu responded.

"Natsu is! Thinking about! Something!" Happy yelled in exclamation.

"How little do you take him for?" Lucy questioned.

"Let's fight again sometime. Get out there and become an S-Class wizard, Natsu." The words Gildarts spoke repeats in Natsu's mind.

Natsu smiles to himself. "I hear you, Gildarts." He stands back up, pointing his finger at the contestants. "Aira, Cana, Levy, Elfman! Let's fight and see just who'll become an S-Class wizard!"

"You, especially, I ain't gonna lose to." Aira replied.

Cana smiles at him with determination.

"Neither will I." Levy said.

"As a Man, I will take on that challenge!" Elfman added.

"I'm gettin' fired up!" Natsu engulfs his fists in flames.

"Aye, sir!"

"I'm gonna make Cana S-Class, no matter what!" Lucy said.

"I made a promise to Aira and I intend to keep it, I won't hold back." Gray commented.

"Keep barkin', strays." Gajeel grinned.

"Those who would be Men!" Elfman shouted. Some of his bones crack which takes his breath away.

"Elfman, get it together!" Evergreen said. Some of her bones are sore as well.

"Doesn't look good for those two." Aira taunted.

"Now then, I will announce the details for the second test of the S-Class Wizard Achievement Exam!" The Master announced. "The second test is searching for the grave of Mavis, our founding Guild Master."

"Founding Guild Master?" Lucy repeated.

"Mavis' grave..." Cana muttered.

"Huh? That sounds easy!" Natsu said with no problem.

"You only have 6 hours! Hear that? I said 6 hours." The Master added. "I'll be waiting at Mavis' grave." He walks away to the grave.

"Righto! Let's go, Happy!" Natsu and Happy search for the grave in their own path.

Meanwhile, Mest tells Wendy of Tenrou Island and how there's said to be a big secret on the island and invites her to explore. Wendy agrees with delight.

Around the same time, Lily, Carla, Cain, Boris, and Satsuki walk on the shores. "The Prince... I mean, Mystogan, tried to avoid contact with the people of this world." Lily stated. "It's difficult for me to think he'd take on a disciple."

"You're right. It's unlike him." Boris agreed.

"What are you trying to say?" Cain asked.

"It's pretty out-there hypothesis, however... Is Mest really a member of the guild?" Lily questioned, turning to look at them.

"In all honesty, I don't think he is. As I mentioned before, there are no records of him ever being in Fairy Tail. He just appeared out of thin air." Satsuki replied.

"What are you suggesting?" Boris asked.

"Well, I don't want to worry Carla. But Mest might be a spy of some sort, trying to get information on Fairy Tail." Satsuki claimed. "For who, I have no idea.

Back to the trial, the S-Class candidates and their partners experience difficulties in looking for the graves as different monsters chase them all over the place.

"To become S-Class, this ain't nothin'!" Aira shouted, running away from a herd of birds.

"Way to put on a brave face!" Gray commented, pointing out his expression.

Natsu and Happy end up deciding to head up to the top of Tenrou Tree to look for the grave there.

Elfman and Evergreen's method of defeating Mira is revealed to Erza, Juvia, and Lisanna by Mira herself. They had told her they were getting married which caught Mira off-guard and gave them an opening. After the excitement caused by this discussion, Juvia and Erza leaves the examiner's camp in order to look for Mest and Wendy who have not yet arrived.

Elfman and Evergreen end up falling off the path while escaping from monsters and they meet the mysterious boy. The boy gets confused when he sees them and when he finds out that the island is controlled by a guild, he decides to leave, but then he involuntarily unleashes a black wave that destroyed the life of those it touched. It almost killed Elfman and Evergreen if it weren't for Natsu who intervened. Upon seeing Natsu, the boy sheds tears, but Natsu does not know who he is.

Natsu demands to know who the mysterious boy is. When the boy states Natsu's name, it prompts Natsu to attack him with a punch. The boy is unaffected and stands up again while thinking that it seems Natsu isn't ready to destroy him yet and cries. Suddenly, he begins emanating a black aura again and starts to activate the Death Predation that is out of his control. Evergreen, Elfman, and Happy run from it but Natsu gets caught up in it. When the wave clears, it shows that Natsu is all right, except for his scarf, which suddenly turned black. Natsu tries to look for the boy, but he has disappeared.

A/N: Another chapter is finished!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.