A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand, I'm back!
I've been feeling a little down lately...
But then, you guys are still so supportive with your comments and everything so thank you all!
I really do appreciate that you read and take time to even vote and your own thoughts!!
This is heartfelt.
Thank you guys so, so, so very much.
You all make my day and I couldn't be happier than having you guys for readers...
Thank you...
Getting to the chapter though!
Chapter 88:
"Quick!"
A scramble ensued with some kids hitting the others to get them out of the way.
"Hurry, already, we can't risk bein' seen by any o' them Fairy Tail clowns..."
"Move it, man!"
"Get that stick away from sight!!"
A sturdy man with a large nose stood in front of the group of young people, "So you guys know what you heard right?"
A couple heads nodded in response.
"Good. We get only one of 'em. Only one... It's a kid with super long blond hair... We can't afford to mess up..."
Another guys shook his head, "Get caught or Fairy Tail will tear us to shreds..."
A collective shudder went around the group.
The first boy swallowed, "So we don't get caught. Keep it simple. And whatever you do, damn it, don't kill her. The last we wan' is a full out war with Fairy Tail.
Every head nodded vigoruously, "Got it."
"Well, Natsu..." Erza had her chin resting in the palm of her hand as her beautiful, scarlet hair fell over one shoulder. "What do you suppose we do?"
Natsu's face showed intense concentration, "Same as before, Erza. We defeat the guy and stuff him in a key."
Lucy sighed from between the two.
"You guys..."
"Hush, Lucy," Erza said as she sat beside the two students on the gym floor, "It's onnly a matter of time..."
"Yeah, Luce," Natsu let his fingers drum on his knee, "This guy'll be in the key soon and then he's all yours."
"Who is?"
Lucy almost cried when Mirajane showed up behind them, her ears perked up and eyes wide.
Laxus leaned in from behind her, silently listening.
"Loke," Natsu told her, "We're gettin' him for Luce. She kinda wants him a lot."
Lucy began to stammer when both Laxus and Mirajane raised eyebrows at her, "It's not... W-Wha, no! It's jus-"
Erza put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's alright to let your friends in on what you desire the most, Lucy."
Lucy blanched.
Erza was making this worse.
Mirajane looked completely blown away while Laxus looked mildly interested, "So how're you guys plannin' on doin' this?"
Natsu turned to the lightning dragon slayer with a huge grin, his face lit up, "Erza and I take him down and then drag him over to Lucy who can do whatever she wants with him!"
"Oh no, Natsu..." Lucy groaned when both Laxus and Mirajane looked taken aback.
Erza was suddenly seen polishing her sword, "I hope the man gives in quietly... Keep this between us, you two?"
Lucy could feel the tears of frustration pricking at her eyes when Laxus and Mirajane nodded before shooting Lucy a very different look.
"Whatcha guys doin' here?"
"Metalhead!! We're planning on getting Teach Loke for Luce!"
"Yeah? Where can I join in, Salamander?"
"Right here! Bring Levy too!!"
"Sure. Lily looks interested too, we'll be right over."
Natsu received a painful knock on the head, "Ow, what was that for?"
"That," Erza told him, "WAS FOR TELLING GAJEEL! THIS IS A SECRET!!"
"Ow," Natsu whimpered, "But he won't tell 'nyone..."
Lucy didn't like the twitch in Erza's arm.
"WELL, KEEP TELLING OTHERS AND SOON EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT LUCY WANTS LOKE!!"
"Geez, alright, don't yell!"
Laxus quirked an eyebrow, "Not an expert but it might be too late."
Mirajane shot the nose-blowing, eyes-crying Lucy an apologetic smile.
"Lucy wants who?!" Cana and Bisca yelled over the room.
The pretty blond sighed in defeat before leaning back against the wall.
Experience had taught her that there was nothing she could do in situations quite like this one.
Fairy Tail was a flow that would not stop.
"We're here," the towering, metal-pierced man did a funny laugh with a concerned looking Levy and Pantherlily by his side.
"Lu?" Levy gave her friend a look that no other would understand, "Is there something you should have told your bestie before this?"
The blond sighed, "Well, Lev-"
Erza set aside her sword, "Now, now, Levy...No hard feelings here, we are all Lucy's friends and it falls upon all of us to secure what her heart yearns for."
Levy's eyebrows shot up as she glanced at her possibly now-retarded friend, "I guess..."
Aries and the bookworm glanced at each other once before understanding that some sort of confusion had begun.
Lucy only gave her two friends a contented smile before she looked over at the group that was beginning to form.
Loke was no where to be seen and after lunch, all the students from both teams had gathered in the new gym to wait for Mavis to appear.
Lucy couldn't help the small smile that broke out on her face at the thought of all her friends coming together to help her out.
Of course, they would, as confused as they were, try to make sure that she had what she wanted.
"Ye're smilin', Luce..." Natsu whispered.
Lucy glanced over at the boy she loved, "Yeah, Natsu... All of this just makes me really happy..."
"Whoa, she's smilin' to herself."
"She must really like this guy."
Lucy almost growled in defeat before she caught sight of the look on Natsu's face.
There was something special about the way he watched her.
It was as though he was memorizing the smile on her face and trying to come up with something to say at the same time.
The urge to give the cutie a hug was something she pushed down.
"What're we planning?"
The group jumped up in fear and scrambled to their feet at the voice of the First, "Master Mavis!"
The beautiful blond blinked as she stood beside Loke and Jellal, "What's happening?"
The group gave her huge grins, "It's a secret."
A large pout popped up on Mavis' pretty face, "Could you tell me, please?"
"Well," Gray looked over at Erza for help but the redhead suddenly looked completely incapable of speech, "Uh-"
The ice-make mage glanced over at Jellal who smirked.
Okay? Why was he all jumpy?
"We're actua-"
"In need of the Battle pair-ups, Master Mavis?" Levy was smooth to cut in and save Lucy further embarassment, "We need to know who Fairy Tail is up against?"
That seemed to distract everyone including Gray.
Even Erza perked up, her eyes lighting up at the thought of fighting for her school.
Gray caught Lucy shoot her friend a grateful smile that he dismissed quickly.
He needed to know who they were paired up with or what the Tests would be like.
The better he knew that, the better he would be at kicking everyone out of his school's way to victory.
Natsu looked like he was thinking the same thoughts when he glanced around the Teams once and then back at the First.
"Okay." Mavis gave everyone a charmingly beautiful smile, "Let us begin with the planning then! Levy, my dear, and Kinana? Will the two of you give me the honour of working with you in understanding what the Tests will require?"
Levy and Kinana perked up and Gray stood to the side to let the two hurry over to stand beside the First Master.
"The others may sit down," Mavis smiled.
Gray glanced down to see the each student sit down randomly.
He soon found himself between Gajeel and Laxus.
Mirajane leaning into Laxus and Levy almost on Gajeel's knee made the ice-make mage grit his teeth.
When had this even happened?
And how had both of the most unsocial ones of the group landed them first?
Mysteries that would never be understood.
Juvia stood waiting outside school, a nervousness, she had never experienced before, doing weird things to her stomach.
School had let out only a few minutes ago and quite a few students had left already. Laxus, Loke, Jellal, Gildarts and a few others had accompanied the First back to the Head Master's office.
After the strategic meeting, Natsu had stood up to promise everyone there that he would bring back the Tests' Trophy and make his school proud. Something that made Juvia smile even then.
What Natsu had said had fuelled a fire within the others as well and the meeting had ended with a shout and a cheer.
The next day was the very first day of the Three-part Tournament that the Tests seemed to be and Fairy Tail was excited beyond belief.
"Hey."
Juvia jumped up when she heard Gray's smooth, deep voice.
The handsome mage stood in front of her, hair still as messy as usual but miraculously wearing a shirt, "Juvia, Lucy and Levy said you needed to tell me something."
Gray watched the pretty girl's eyes widen at being addressed.
"J-Juvia's glad you came by," She smiled, beautiful hair curling around her slender shoulders.
The ice-make mage tilted his head to the side as he stared at her, "Yeah?"
"Um," She fiddled with the soft fabric of her skirt, "There's something Juvia would like to ask you..."
Gray waited patiently, noting the cute way she spoke, "Okay? I'm listening."
"Um," A pink blush spread across her cheeks before she covered her face with her hands, "Juvia's really embarassed to do this..."
An eyebrow shot up as Gray watched her, unable to look away from the pretty sight in front of him, "Oh."
"J-J," Juvia swallowed before she looked up at the boy, "W-Will Gray be willing to listen to something very important that Juvia has to say after the Tests?"
A twitch of Gray's lips showed amusement, "I have a feeling I know what Juvia's going to say."
Juvia's eyes widened and her cheeks burned pink, "O-Oh..."
Gray gave her an amused smile before he walked past, a hand gently resting on her head for a few moments, "Sure. Gray'll listen to whatever Juvia has to tell him after the Tests."
Walking away from the school, Gray couldn't help the smile on his face as his body shook with a thrill that shot through him.
He would wait.
He would make sure the atmosphere was happy after the Tests.
Gray wanted to hear Juvia confess to him.
He would get that Trophy just to wait for her to walk over with that cute bit of nervousness to tell him how she felt.
"Master Mavis!!"
Gildarts and Loke ran over to the young girl who lay sprawled across the floor, soft blond hair sprayed around as her body looked beaten with bruises all over her legs and hands.
Loke roared in anger when the two men found the First, almost dead in front of the School.
It was almost Twilight and no others stood by the pavement except three familiar students with large blood stained iron pipes.
"Freed," Gildarts shouted over to one of them, "GET OVER HERE, KIDS! And don't let any of the others see you OUT THERE WITH THOSE THINGS!!"
Loke noted how each of the students looked surprised before they dropped the pipes to run over to the Teachers.
The trio stopped when they saw the heavily injured Mavis, their faces horriefied and eyes widened in terror.
Freed seemed to understand the situation first.
He slowly knelt to his knees, swallowing before he glanced over at Gildarts, unbelievable fear showing in his eyes, "Teacher..." his voice shook, "I swear this upon my life... My comrades and I would never hurt the First... We didn't touch her..."
Bickslow was the next, "Whoa, wait... W-We didn't do it, Teach..."
Evergreen looked the most disoriented, "We just found those pipes there! We didn-"
"I know." Gildarts sighed.
Loke stayed knelt on the ground letting the unconscious Mavis rest her head on his lap, "We need to take care of the Head first... Why don't you shift the First inside?"
The thunder legion nodded, still looking like their hearts had been twisted.
Gildarts slapped Bickslow on the back, "Don't worry about nothin'... We'll find the bastards behind this... We'll also rip 'em apart..."
Freed nodded, shifting Mavis into his arms, "Upon my honour, I sha-"
"There."
Loke's eyes darted to catch a single boy watch the proceedings from the end of the street.
The student broke into a run.
"Get him," Gildarts ordered and Loke found himself flashing forward to catch the guilty looking spy.
There were things to be found out.
A slight wind ruffled the hair of the dark mage.
Standing, as he did, on the branches of a large tree just outside Fairy Tail High, Zeref watched a man shoot forward to catch the student across the street.
There was an agonizing pain in the dark-haired mage's chest as he watched his only love lay unconscious in the other man's arms.
Bruises marked her body and her lips stayed parted, her face showing the pain she'd taken however long ago.
This was not the scene the dark lord needed to see.
Landing a few paces away from the School's gates, Zeref turned away to walk down the pavement.
A swirl of darkness settled around him as his wrath began to surface slowly.
Zeref would be back to see Mavis.
He had some unfinished business elsewhere.
Something he would take care of before he came back to see his light.
A/N: Imma give you the next chapter very soon!!
I hope you liked this one! XD XD XD
I love Natsu and Erza!
And Zeref is comin' in full force!! XD
Okay,
Ciao!!