20

The group had been training nonstop for the past week and a half, honing their skills, and improving their teamwork. They had each made noticeable strides in their abilities, and certainly improved upon what they set out to do. So much so in fact, that Natsu had finally deemed the trio ready for the first trial.

He'd been keeping an eye on the trio as he constructed the trial, in addition to training his own Crash Magic on the side at night. Eliza had come up with a suitable training regimen for him. However, he unfortunately had little time to fully put his own progress to the test, unless he wanted to burn himself out.

Shaking his head, Natsu decided not to dwell on that fact for the moment, and chose to put his focus on his friends instead. They were the real reason they'd come here to begin with, after all.

"All right guys, come on over here," Natsu called out as he slowly opened his eyes. "I have something I want to talk to you all about!"

"What's up Natsu," Gray asked curiously, as he dispelled an Ice Shield.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"What's going on Elise, is that I've finally decided that the three of you are ready to take on the first trial," Natsu grinned, as all three Mages' faces lit up in excitement. "I've been paying close attention to you all this last week and a half, and I think you've got a good shot."

"You really think we're ready," Elise asked, clearly wanting him to say it again, which elicited a chuckle from him.

"Yes Elise, you're all ready for this."

"All right!"

"I finished up the trial before sundown yesterday, and have just been tweaking it a little. So, whenever you three feel like you're ready, we can get it started?"

"I think it's pretty obvious that we're ready now Natsu," Erza replied with a smirk, prompting Natsu to roll his eyes in response.

"Okay then, let's head on in," Natsu said, as he held out his hand, and the ground shifted upward, revealing a stairwell. "The trial will be held at the heart of Kryden."

"Wait, you built the trial inside the mountain?"

"I built the basics the trial would need, as well as protection from highly destructive attacks," Natsu replied, prompting Erza to raise an eyebrow in response. "Within this mountain lies an ancient city that many of the people of Kryden used to call home. With the blessing of the Great King, I was allowed to use a section of it to host the trial."

"Hey Natsu? Not to sound like a dick or anything, but the history lesson can wait," Gray cut in as he ran toward the staircase. "Let's get going!"

"Alright Gray," Natsu chuckled, as the group started descending the stairs.

The group spent the next five minutes walking down the spiral staircase, with the trio wondering what kind of trial Natsu had in store for them. Once they finally reached what appeared to be the bottom, they walked out into a well-lit underground city.

"Wow," Elise muttered in awe. "To build something like this so long ago would've been a technological marvel!?"

"It was," Natsu nodded in agreement. "Back when all this was constructed, there was only one other known group with advanced technology at the time, though their name has been lost. I only know that they once existed because records here reference them, about how they tried attacking Kryden, but failed, due to the ambient Magic surrounding it."

"Interesting," Elise hummed, as she considered the history of the people of Kryden.

"So, is this where the trial will be held Natsu," Gray asked as he motioned toward the city at large, prompting Natsu to shake his head.

"The main city itself is not the focus of the trial, the arena over there is," Natsu said as he pointed toward a massive stone structure in the distance. "The first trial is fairly basic and so a simple arena setting will suffice."

"So, what? We're gonna be fighting a bunch of monsters that live around here or something," Gray asked, which prompted Natsu to shake his head.

"You'll only be fighting the one this time Gray, but don't be fooled into thinking that means it'll be a cakewalk for you," Natsu replied, as the group walked toward the arena. "Remember what I told you when we arrived about the strength of the creatures, don't go underestimating them."

"So, we're fighting just the one monster then … What does it represent that we have to face as a trial," Elise asked curiously.

"Good question Elise. The three trials represent three different areas, one of the three of you will be at a disadvantage due to it being your weakest area. This area will be cooperative combat scenarios."

"Cooperative combat scenarios? So, you mean working together as a team during fights, right?

"Essentially, yes. But the goal here isn't to beat the opponent, but rather, to demonstrate your teamwork with one another. You can, of course, beat the opponent, but it won't gain you any extra points if it wasn't a combined effort."

"I think I get the idea," Erza responded, clearly understanding the basic idea of what they were going to be dealing with, since she had to face a familiar version of that test during the S Class Promotion Trials.

"And we're here," Natsu said, as he spun around and gestured with his hands. "Ready to go in?"

All three Mages nodded in the affirmative, as Natsu snapped his fingers, the ancient metal gates swinging open to reveal a large open space with a throne similar to the one the Great King appeared on. Walking into the arena proper, Natsu moved toward the throne and sat down, a small smile on his face.

"Are you guys ready to start?"

"Better now than never, right guys," Gray asked, only for Erza to cut him off.

"Hold on Gray, think about the area we're in for a moment? We don't know anything about it, and there could be any number of traps or other hazards around? Just take a minute to look at your surroundings and you'll notice…"

Gray heeded Erza's advice and began to look around the ruined arena. There were several traps scattered around on the arena floor, as well as one of the walls which had seemingly decayed to the point of near collapse.

"We're ready," Gray said, after being sure they'd found all the traps around the arena. "Bring it on Natsu!"

"Alright then," Natsu replied as he closed his eyes and leaned back into the throne. "Let the first trial … BEGIN!"

Powerful thuds vibrated through the earth, which immediately put the trio on alert. An audible growling sound soon alerted the group to the approaching point of their foe, as a massive claw struck the side of the arena entrance they'd come through only minutes prior.

"What the hell," Gray muttered as a massive beast that looked like a cross between a bird, and a Drake, forced its way into the arena. "The fuck is that thing!?"

"I figured this would be a suitable test for you all," Natsu replied, as the creature reared back and let loose a loud shrieking roar, whilst simultaneously releasing a spout of flame from its maw into the air. "This is your first trial, the Wyvern!"

"A Wyvern," Elise gasped as they all took a step back. "These things are offshoots of Dragons, descended from a mixture of the Drakes and Griffons!"

"You know your bestiary well, Elise," Natsu smirked as the beast moved to stand in front of the throne, leering down at the trio with a furious expression. But I wonder if such knowledge will be enough to defeat such a foe?"

"Well, we did say we were ready," Erza sighed, as the trio moved closer to one another. "Alright guys, we can do this!"

"Damn right Erza, we've got this," Gray cried as he ripped off his shirt. "Bring it on!"

"Requip – Black Wing Armor!"

Erza changed into her Armor, and immediately took flight, as Elise and Gray shot off in the opposite direction of one another, forcing the Wyvern to look between the trio for a target. Eventually, it decided that Erza being in the air was of less concern and shot toward Gray.

"Oh no you don't, you scaly bastard! War God's Covenant – Tempo!"

A black Magic Circle appeared in front of Elise's hand, as she seemingly cast a spell, with an identical one appearing below Gray's feet mere moments later. Just as the Wyvern was about to crash into him, Gray vanished, and appeared behind the Wyvern with a dark blue Magic Circle surrounding his right wrist.

"Thanks for the speed boost, Elise," Gray grinned, as he aimed his right hand at the thrashing tail of the Wyvern. "Hey, bird brain!? Ice Make – Artic Cone!"

From Gray's right palm, a solid cone of ice shot toward the Wyvern. As if sensing the attack, the Wyvern's neck pulled a one eighty, as it looked at the attack with a snarl. Then, as the group thought it would hit, the Wyvern simply vanished.

"What the-!?"

Gray was suddenly flying through the air, blood escaping through his mouth as the Wyvern appeared right next to him, its tail having struck him across the chest. Elise and Erza blinked in complete shock for a moment before pulling themselves together.

"Erza, long range attacks!"

"Right! Moon Flash!"

Swinging the two blades in her hands, Erza fired off dozens of aerial slash attacks to draw the Wyvern's attention toward her, whilst Elise dashed toward Gray. The Wyvern seemed to just teleport ever so slightly in order to dodge, as it looked up at her and snarled.

"This thing … how is it warping around like that!?"

"It's not warping," Gray coughed, as he slowly sat up with Elise's help. "It's just that fast!"

"That ties into what I've heard about them," Elise added as she helped Gray to his feet. "Wyverns are considered a subspecies of Dragon, just like the Drakes. The Drakes got the raw power side and the Wyverns received the speed and dexterity!"

"What options do we have to take this thing out then if it's so fast," Gray growled, as Erza was swatted out of the sky, crashing into the left side stands of the arena. "Shit … Erza!"

"I'm fine Gray, but I've got an idea," Erza called out from within the dust cloud. "Requip – Lightning Empress Armor!"

Emerging from the dust, Erza appeared with a spear at her back that crackled with powerful lightning. Spinning it around to her front, she pointed it at the Wyvern before looking over at Gray and Elise.

"First, we remove its ability to freely roam the area," Erza cried as she then raised the tip of the Lightning Spear up into the air. "Lightning Discharge!"

A solid bolt of lightning shot up high into the air until it was level with the arena walls. Once it reached that point, dozens of bolts shot out from the original, and landed along its edge, forming a barrier.

Once the barrier was formed that prevented any kind of aerial escape, lightning strikes started raining down on the Wyvern's position, with the beast snarling whilst dodging them. It didn't take long for it to figure out Erza was the one responsible, seeing her still generating the lightning from her spear.

"Oh no you don't," Elise growled as she noticed the Wyvern preparing to make a move. "War God's Elemental Lances!"

Generating twelve identical yellow lances, Elise charged and leapt high into the air so she could see the area from above. Looking at where the Wyvern was beginning to move, she shot her lances ahead.

"War God's Lightning Torrent!"

Firing her lances, they all vanished as a loud screeching noise struck all their eardrums. The lances had hit home, pinning the Wyvern down as its body was riddled with a deadly torrent of lightning.

"Serves you right, stupid scaly prick," Gray grinned savagely as he dashed forward, two dark blue colored Magic Circles appearing over his forearms. "Time for some payback! Ice Make – Seven Slice Dice!"

Rushing toward the pinned Wyvern, two thick blades of ice formed along Gray's forearms, as he cocked back his right arm. Once he was in range, Gray slashed the Wyvern across the face seven times, before jumping away, as the beast released a powerful stream of flame.

"Whoa crap! This thing isn't out yet!?"

Natsu watched the trio beat on the pinned Wyvern, eyes narrowed as he analyzed their movements. After some consideration, he shook his head, and met the eyes of the Wyvern directly.

"Holy crap guys, get back," Gray cried, as the Wyvern started to growl whilst slowly getting back onto its feet. "How is it even able to move!?"

"I think it might be adjusting to the lightning," Elise replied, as she stabbed it in the side with one of her swords, before being swatted away by its tail, sent crashing into one of the walls.

"Elise," both Erza and Gray cried as the Wyvern let out another roar.

Neither Gray nor Erza expected the Wyvern to forcefully rip itself free of Elise's lances, shredding its wings in the process, as it stumbled forward, before looking over at Gray with a maddened gaze.

"I think we've pissed it off Erza," Gray muttered as he took several steps back. "Erza!?"

"Calm down Gray! We'll just have to come up with some other way to take it out! Besides, it's way slower now thanks to its injuries, we can use that to our advantage!"

"Well, I think I might have a-!"

Gray was about to fill Erza in on his idea when something shot past him and smashed into the side of the Wyvern, knocking it over as it rolled several times before scrambling to its feet.

"What the hell was that!?"

"Elise," Erza called out as the War God Slayer charged toward the Wyvern. "Elise, what are you doing!?"

"Think you can just toss me around like garbage, I'll slice off your tail you overgrown lizard," Elise snarled, as she grabbed onto the end of its tail. "RAAARGH!"

"Holy shit," Gray muttered as Erza ran over to him. "What the fuck …?"

"She's bleeding," Erza noted as blood seeped out of a slowly healing wound on the War God Slayer's right side. "It looks like she's gone into some kind of … berserker state?"

The Wyvern roared in anger as it tried to flick Elise off of its tail, frustrated to find that her strength was greater. Elise's muscles bulged as she held onto the tail of the Wyvern with all her strength, snapping Erza back to her senses.

"This is our chance Gray; Elise has it pinned!"

"Oh yeah," Gray nodded as Erza shifted into another Armor using her Requip Magic.

"Requip – Purgatory Armor!"

Emerging from the light, now clad in one of her most formidable sets of Armor, Erza swung the massive spiked mace out to her right side, before charging at the front end of the beast. The Wyvern was too focused on roaring at Elise as it charged up another flame attack, that it didn't even notice Erza coming in from the front.

"Purgatory Lambast!"

The moment she called out the attack, the Wyvern spun around only to be smashed across the face by the spiked mace. The attack knocked everything out of the Wyvern as it stumbled sideways, its head spinning as it made a strange groaning sound.

Elise laughed cruelly at it, as she released its tail, and sprinted past it, running toward the arena stands and launching herself up atop one of its walls. Turning back around, she smirked at the staggered beast before launching herself high into the air, right at the center of the arena.

"This attack will finish you," Elise roared as a black Aura exploded from her right fist. "War God's Armageddon Fist!"

Coming down right onto the Wyvern's back, Elise's grin widened as she heard the crunching sound she'd been hoping for. The Wyvern screeched, as many of its bones were cracked from the power behind the attack.

"Alright guys, out of the way," Gray cried out as the entire area started to feel rather chilly. "Ice Make – Skewering Cocoon!"

Elise leapt away, as the Wyvern quickly found itself coated by a thick layer of ice that took the shape of a cocoon. Gray then extended his arms outward, before crossing them, as the Wyvern let out another loud screech.

"Ngh-!"

All three spun around at the rather loud grunt of pain that came from where Natsu was sitting, to see blood escape from his mouth. He gripped the sides of the throne hard enough to crack its surface. After another bout of coughing, the trio rushed toward his position, clearly concerned.

"Natsu! You ok!?"

"I'm fine Gray," Natsu replied weakly, as he wiped the blood from his mouth, right as Erza practically shoved herself into his point of view.

"What happened Natsu!? Why are you coughing up blood like this!?"

"I never explained how I can control the creatures, did I," was the mumbled reply. "To put it simply … I put part of myself into them in order to … control them."

"But if that's true then the moment it pulled itself from my Lightning Lances," Elise gasped as Natsu rolled up his sleeves.

"Yes," Natsu sighed, as he revealed twelve large gashes across them, blood pouring from the wounds, as all three of them recoiled in shock.

"What the hell were you thinking Natsu," Gray snapped as he clenched his fists. "We wanna get stronger, sure … But not if its gonna hurt you!"

"Gildarts did the same for me Gray," Natsu replied, as he slowly sat back on the throne. "That being said, though, you guys all passed the test…"

"Well, it doesn't feel so special now that I know we were fighting you," Erza replied as she pulled Natsu into a tight hug.

"I'm fine Erza. I've suffered way worse than this," Natsu chuckled. Trust me, if I didn't think I could handle the pain, then I wouldn't have done any of this."

"Well, I'm not doing this trial anymore Natsu," Erza snapped back in response. "I won't let you tear your body apart for our sakes!"

Natsu sighed as he looked over to Elise, before shifting his gaze toward Gray, noting that all three shared the same look. Sighing, he nodded slowly.

"Fine. We won't complete the trials, okay?"

"Good!"

"We'll still be training though, don't think that's going to change. That being said though, there's something I've gotta do before we leave, alright?"

"We get it Natsu. Do what you have to do and meet us at the clouds edge."

"Will do Erza," Natsu replied as he slowly rose from his seat. "But before that-."

Natsu threw Erza away from him, as the Wyvern appeared right next to Gray and Elise's position, chomping down where Erza had been, only to sink its teeth into Natsu's arm instead.

"Ngh-!"

"What the hell!? I thought we killed that thing!?"

Natsu simply grunted as the Wyvern continued to push him back, taking a swipe at Natsu. He managed to block it, but was sent flying into a wall. All three Mages looked from where Natsu had gone, and back to the Wyvern, with Elise making the first move.

"That's it … Now it's personal," the War God Slayer snarled, as she summoned a single lance and charged toward the beast.

"Gray, we need to back her up! NOW!"

"Right," the Ice Mage replied as he formed two dark blue Magic Circles around his wrists. "Ice Make – Dual-Calibur!"

Summoning two copies of his Cold Excalibur, Gray rushed the Wyvern alongside Elise, as Erza was enveloped in golden light.

"Requip – Armor Of The Brilliant Flame!"

Emerging from the Requip already mid-rush, Erza let loose a loud battle cry. All three charged the Wyvern, furious with the beast for hurting Natsu, as it reared back its neck and prepared to roast them with another breath attack.

"You've gone and done it now, you overgrown piece of trash! Let's see you take a piece of Natsu after I slice your face open," Elise roared as she dropped to her knees and skidded underneath the dual claw swipe the Wyvern tried to swat her away with. "War God's Dark Strike!"

The Wyvern moved to release its breath attack however Elise skidded right under its head and stabbed it through the bottom of its mouth. Twisting the lance as it drowned her in blood, Elise could only lick her lips as the Wyvern whimpered in pain.

"That's right you piece of filth, SUFFER," Elise cackled with glee as she leapt up onto its neck whilst bringing the lance with her, slicing open a good majority of its throat as Gray charged forward.

"You're not gonna get away with it, you bastard," Gray roared, as he leapt at the disoriented Wyvern. "Ice Make Dual-Calibur – Grand Cross!"

Gray followed up Elise's work by carving an X shape into its face with his Dual-Calibur, the beast roaring in pain, as Erza took to the skies on wings made from pure fire and prepared for the final attack.

Holding the Sword Of The Brilliant Flame out to her right, she shot toward the Wyvern right as it managed to wrest itself free from Elise's grasp. The Wyvern reared up on its hind legs to throw the War God Slayer off, and flared its wings as it prepared to unleash another breath attack.

Before it had the chance however, Erza struck.

"Draconian Knight's Piercing Strike!"

 Cocking back the blade with both hands, Erza thrust it right into the chest of the Wyvern, the beast roaring in agony as it fell onto its back. Erza yanked her blade free and leapt off of its chest, landing next to Gray and Elise who were both likewise panting.

"Is it dying," Gray asked tiredly only for the Wyvern's leg to start twitching.

"I don't think so Gray," Erza growled in reply as the Wyvern flopped back onto its front and shakily rose once more.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to gut it then," Elise said with a sadistic grin, as she summoned a sword to her side.

"That's enough you three! You'll need to put out a lot more power than that if you want to actually kill this thing."

"Natsu," Erza gasped as the Dragon Slayer kicked some rubble off of himself, the Wyvern immediately turning its full attention toward him.

"Gotta admit that I wasn't expecting to lose control of you," Natsu said as he spat out a glob of blood. "Been quite a while since I've fought something like you though, so maybe the fault is mine? That being said though, I'm not gonna let you walk away after ripping into my arm like that."

The Wyvern growled but backed away slightly as Natsu started walking toward it, straightening the fingers in his right hand as a mixture of fire and orange sparks coated its length.

Faster than the others could react, Natsu vanished. The next thing they knew, the Wyvern roared before suddenly being cut off. Looking over to the beast, Natsu's entire arm was elbow deep through its eye socket with fire being expelled from its opposite orb.

"Fire Dragon King's Quaking Piercing Claw!"

Gray and Erza looked on in a mixture of surprise and shock, whilst Elise, who was still in a blood lusted state of mind, grinned sadistically at the amount of blood oozing from the now deceased Wyvern's head.

Natsu yanked his arm free, the Wyvern's corpse collapsing to the ground with a powerful thud, Natsu himself now standing atop its head, looking down at the others. He sighed, and shook his head, when he saw Elise looking like it was her birthday, knowing full well they had to curb that at some point.

"You know, the rest of the Guild would be creeped out if they saw that face Elise?"

"Who cares," Elise grinned as the trio ran toward him. "That was amazing!"

"I'll say," Gray agreed as Natsu leapt off of the Wyvern's head. "Is it dead this time?"

"Yeah, it's dead, for real this time," Natsu nodded, as he motioned to the giant gaping hole in its eye. "Basically, I melted its brain."

"How's your arm Natsu," Erza asked, as he lifted it up to show her.

"It'll leave another scar, but I'll be fine," Natsu replied, as he quickly caught Elise as she was falling over.

"What happened to her?"

"It's her blood lusted state, a side effect from her God Slayer powers. From what Eliza told me, she'll be fine with a bit of rest."

"I guess that leaves you time to sort out handing back the powers that the Great King gave you," Erza replied, prompting Natsu to sigh.

"Yeah, I'll go do that now. You guys take Elise, and meet me at the clouds edge, alright?"

"Right. Will do Natsu," Erza replied with a stiff nod, as she took Elise from Natsu's arms. "You'd better believe we'll all be talking about this later though Natsu."

"Sure, whatever you say Erza."

"Natsu …"

"Don't glare at me Erza, I did what I thought was right," Natsu countered evenly. "Now take Elise, and get ready to leave. I'll only be a few minutes."

Erza glared at him for several more moments, before abruptly snapping her gaze toward Gray, who simply nodded in turn. The two walked off, Erza carrying Elise in her arms, leaving Natsu alone in the arena.

"Fuck," he hissed as he ran his good hand through his hair. "Maybe I should've told them?"

***POTD***

After spending some time tending to his arm, Natsu warped into the throne room, and knelt before the golden throne once more, as the form of the Great King manifested itself.

"We observed your trial, Natsu Dragneel," the Great King hummed, leaning forward on his throne. "Your three friends fought admirably, but appear to lack the mental strength to continue, it seems."

"To be fair, everyone is different," Natsu replied, as he looked up to meet the Great King's gaze. "If they believe that the power is wrong, and refuse to train in fear of my being harmed as a result, who am I to argue against them?"

"A wise viewpoint to reach, Natsu Dragneel. The mind of mortal man is something bound by emotion. Although some are capable of blocking these emotions, they are ultimately ruled by them. Those that can resist emotion lose something, but those who give in to emotion lose out just as equally."

"Yeah, I've seen examples of both throughout the years, Great King," Natsu replied tiredly, as he felt the Great King's mind brush up against his own to view the memories. "I've seen living beings act more like machines than the flesh and blood they are comprised of, just as I've seen those born of a machine race act with more emotion than most living beings."

"Indeed, you have," the Great King hummed thoughtfully as he brushed over Natsu's offered memories. "You do realize that the war that rages in Scarlione even now shall one day spill into Fiore, correct?"

"Trust me, I'm well aware."

"The current systems Fiore have in place are failures, not worth the breath used to utter their names. As it stands, Fiore stands less hope than Scarlione in beating back the monsters across the sea."

"I know …"

"We cannot grant you the power to fight them, Natsu Dragneel, for it would go against the Ancient Magics bound to these mountains," the Great King continued, as he leaned back into his throne. "But we would offer you words of wisdom, should you wish to lend and ear to them?"

"I would be honored for anything you can provide, Great King," Natsu replied rather quickly as the Great King steeled his ethereal fingers.

"The key to defeating an Empire lay not within the hearts and minds of men, nor do they lie within the loyalty of its valiant troops," the Great King said as Natsu narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher what the King was getting at. "What you face is not an Empire crafted by one seeking glory, wealth or land. No, you face an Empire built for a larger purpose. And THAT, Natsu Dragneel, THAT is what will be the key to defeating them."

"What," Natsu muttered as he felt the powers bestowed upon him by the Great King begin to seep away. "What do you mean by that!?"

"I cannot tell you the answer to that, Natsu Dragneel, though I would if I could," the Great King replied sadly, as he rose from his throne. "Know that my words shall one day ring true, however, and you will be better off having heard them."

"I see… Thank you for your words of wisdom Great King," Natsu replied as he bowed respectfully before the spectral entity. "Hopefully one day I do understand what you've told me?"

"We see bright things in your future, Natsu Dragneel. Though bright, the path is littered with a terrible darkness, unlike any we have ever known," the Great King said as he extended his arms outward. "Allow us to do what little we can to ease your burden, by transporting yourself and your friends to the base of Kryden."

"Really? Thanks, Great King. You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

"It is but a small kindness given in the hope of potential future visits," the Great King replied in a much softer tone, as everything in Natsu's vision started to go white. "Until we meet again, Natsu Dragneel."

***POTD***

In the time it took Natsu to blink, he was back at the base of the mountain alongside Gray, Erza and Elise. All three were knocked out, probably from the sudden shock of being warped down so far by such monstrous power.

Natsu sat in silence, pondering what to do next with the group, since they still had time left before Makarov would even need to know of their return. As he pondered this, the others slowly started to regain consciousness.

"Ugh … I feel like I just got hit by a train," Elise groaned, as she rolled onto her front and tried to get up.

"Is this what Natsu used to feel like on them," Gray asked, as he clutched his head, seemingly dealing with a powerful migraine. "I'm never making fun of him for that again …"

"Is everyone alright," Erza asked, as she managed to rise into a sitting position.

The trio continued to groan and fumble around in a disoriented stupor, until Erza noticed Natsu was simply staring at them, a neutral expression on his face.

"I assume this was your doing, Natsu?"

"The Great King decided to teleport us all down to the base of Kryden, and save us the climb down," Natsu replied, as the trio noticed their new surroundings. "You've only been out for about five minutes or so."

"You know, now that I know I don't have to climb down the mountain, I suddenly feel a lot better," Gray grinned, as he slowly stood up, and began to stretch.

"I don't… Can someone carry me," Elise groaned as she flopped onto her back again. "Why does everything hurt so much!?"

"Blood lusted State aftereffects," Natsu replied bluntly, earning a blush from the God Slayer who scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile.

"Ah, my bad. I hope I didn't do anything too crazy, or hurt anyone?"

"Nah, you were too busy fighting the Wyvern," Natsu replied with a wave of his arm as Erza made her way over to him.

"Natsu, how's your arm doing," Erza asked as she rolled back the sleeve to reveal the wounds had stopped bleeding, and were now little more than grotesque gashes.

"Its fine now, why?"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure as I can ever be Erza," Natsu replied, as he started waving it around wildly. "See, just fine."

"Alright then, if your arm is fine, then you have to carry Elise."

"What!? Why do I have to do that!?"

"Out of all of us, you're probably the only one fit enough to do it. Otherwise, I'd have Gray or myself do it."

"Of course, wouldn't want you getting jealous," Natsu teased only for Erza to snort in response.

"As if," Erza remarked, though her tone was slightly off as she did so.

"Fair point," he admitted with a roll of his eyes. "So, where are we going anyway, since we still have two weeks off?"

"Isn't there a town nearby? Maybe they have something we can do to pass the time until we have to go back," Erza suggested.

"We could go to the beach and relax," Gray chimed in with a tired sigh.

"The beach … That's it Gray, you're a genius!"

"Huh?"

"Look, I have these tickets to some place called Akane Resort; some R&R after what we've done ought to do us some good, right?"

"Natsu, where the hell did you get those from," Erza gasped. "Akane Resort is always sold out!?"

"Jessabelle gave them to me for coming to see her, back in Crocus," Natsu replied, only for Erza to cross her arms, clearly not impressed.

"And why am I only just finding out about this NOW!?"

"Well, sorry for not organizing it, or remembering it, in-between folding in Dark Guilds, Demons and Wizard Saints, Erza," Natsu snapped back, as all four of them looked away from one another. "Sorry Erza, I'm just a bit tired still."

"Me too Natsu," Erza admitted softly, as she sat back down next to him. "So, think we can go to Akane Resort?"

"I don't see why not, assuming you two are in," Natsu asked, as both Gray and Elise nodded slowly, both just as tired as Natsu and Erza. "Well then, by majority vote, resort it is."

"Any idea on how to get there from here," Erza asked, with Natsu nodding in response.

"We just have to catch the train from here, and it will get us to Akane in just a few hours."

"A few hours before we get to relax in a luxury resort," Gray sighed as he practically floated to his feet. "What are we just lazing around here for when there is the best relaxation money can buy just waiting for us!?"

"All right then everyone, let's head on out," Natsu chuckled, as they all rose to their feet and started walking toward the nearby town.

"HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME!?"

"Oh, right," Natsu laughed as he turned back around to see Elise glaring at him on the ground. "My bad."

"You jerk! I should beat you black and blue for just ditching me!"

"Settle down Elise, I knew you were there," Natsu laughed, as he scooped her up with ease bridal style. "You're pretty light, I'd have thought you'd be heavier."

"If I responded with, are you saying I'm fat, would you have been flustered?"

"No."

"Thought so. But really, you're just strong as hell, so it isn't really surprising that my weight doesn't register to you. Can I ask why you thought I'd be heavier though, just out of curiosity?"

"Muscle weighs more than fat, and you're muscular, so I assumed you'd be heavier. As a general rule, if you see someone rocking a six pack, assume that they're packing weight if you need to lift them for whatever reason."

"Who has a general rule that specific though?"

"This specific person right here," Natsu grinned as Elise stifled a laugh.

"Well, 'Mister Specific,' I can assure you that I'm actually rather heavy thanks to my muscle, so you're just stupidly strong!"

"And now comes the part where I put my foot into my mouth," Natsu grinned in reply, as he shuffled Elise in his arms. "How much do you weigh exactly?"

"You shouldn't ask a girl her weight you know," Elise shot back instantly, giggling when she noticed the flat look on the Dragon Slayer's face. "Ok, I knew you weren't gonna react, but I just had to! Before I answer though, how much do you weigh?"

"Me? Last I checked I'm a hundred and twenty-two kilograms," Natsu replied as Elise started looking at his arms and neck, noticing just how thick with muscle they actually were.

"Shit, I didn't even notice until you said it, but you're actually really jacked!"

"Damn right! Erza never shuts up about how jacked I am," Natsu replied loudly on purpose, just so Erza would hear them.

"What can I say, it makes hugging him feel all the more rewarding," Erza smirked, as Gray started making gagging noises.

"Oh man, save the flirting for the resort!"

"Shut up Gray," Erza snapped back, as she smacked him over the back of the head.

"But to answer your question, I'm ninety-eight kilograms," Elise continued, as she flexed her right arm right in Natsu's face. "All muscle baby!"

"I'd be disappointed if you had any fat Elise, being a War God Slayer, and the personal student of an actual War God," Natsu grinned, as Erza fell back and started pinching Elise's bicep.

"Solid. Very impressive."

"I try," Elise grinned in response, as Erza moved down toward Elise's side. "Oof, that spot the Wyvern hit you left a rather nasty bruise."

"Yeah, it'll heal up though. I have passive regeneration thanks to my God Slayer abilities, though they take longer depending on the type of injury and my proficiency with my powers."

"I've always been rather curious about how God Slayer powers differ from that of Dragon Slayers," Erza admitted as the town came into view. "Aside from the regeneration thing, what else do you get?"

"Well, I'm what's known as a First-Generation God Slayer, meaning that I've been taught personally by the God of my element and have had them wield my body as their own. The significance of that last bit means that, as I grow stronger, I can grow closer to the God my powers came from, with the chance that I could even rival their power someday."

"Sounds just like a First-Generation Dragon Slayer," Natsu hummed in response. "We were taught by a Dragon on how to wield the element we have, and can approach their power if we train hard enough."

"The difference between a First-Generation God Slayer, and those who come after, is massive," Elise continued as she looked off into the distance. "Second Generation God Slayers, like Zancrow of Grimoire Heart get the enhanced healing and raw power right off the bat, but can't ever go beyond a certain point, since the God that should have bestowed the element upon them hasn't wielded their body directly."

"Why do they actually need to wield the body though in order for God Slayers to grow," Erza asked curiously.

"When a God takes over your body for the first time, it rewrites everything you are, right down to your very DNA. The reason why Mother and I look so similar is because my DNA was rewritten, so that Mother's own lies within it."

"Wow …"

"Because of that, I can draw out the full potential of God Slayer Magic through hard work, and, one day blow past Second Generation God Slayers like Zancrow," Elise replied, before sighing and shaking her head. "There is more to it, but the gist of it is that a God Slayer who actually has the support of the God of their element just has greater potential than one who doesn't."

"I get it," Natsu nodded in understanding as they reached the train station. "Makes sense really, considering what Gods actually are."

"As interesting as this topic is, I wanna get onto the train and have a nap," Gray sighed as the others all nodded in agreement.

"Alright Gray, we'll drop it here for now," Natsu agreed, as they approached the ticket booth. "Let's get these tickets and get some rest, alright?"

***POTD***

After waiting in line for around ten minutes, the quartet were finally able to purchase their tickets, and board the train headed for Akane Resort. They immediately sought out an empty compartment and, once inside, Natsu laid Elise down on the seats opposite where Gray, Erza, and Natsu himself decided to sit. The God Slayer's ribs still looked rough, and Elise clearly deserved the rest the most.

Sitting down near the window, Natsu leaned back as Erza sat down next to him, the train lurching forward as it pulled out of the station. Once the small town faded into the distance, he looked back to his friends, noticing that it was just himself and Erza left awake.

"So, you want to tear into me now?"

"Why do you think that," Erza replied quietly as she met his gaze. "I know I sounded a bit mad at the time, but do you really think I'm going to tear strips off of you?"

"I-I don't know? Maybe?"

"Maybe?"

"Maybe," Natsu repeated, before the pair laughed quietly together for a moment. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For not telling you guys about the drawback of the Magic of controlling Kryden."

"Did Gildarts do the same thing for you, endure the pain on your behalf?"

"He did, yes, though he was able to hide it far better than I did," Natsu replied as his vision lost focus, as he remembered back to when he took the Kryden Trials. "I was only around Gray's level back then, and he was stronger by a landslide, so I suppose it makes sense."

"And how did you respond when you found out about how the Magic of Kryden worked?"

"I was … shocked, but I didn't let that stop me," Natsu replied, surprising Erza. "Gildarts was adamant that I push through the Kryden Trials, and that if I couldn't do it, he'd send me back to Fairy Tail…"

"What!? He seriously said that," Erza gasped in reply. "Why?"

"Because, if I couldn't muster the resolve to push through the trials, even if it hurt him a little, then what hope would I have had in Scarlione? What chance would I have stood going with him on his Century Quest to face Achnologia?"

"Natsu…"

"Either way, I don't blame you all for not wanting to continue the trials," the Dragon Slayer continued. "But I will say that eventually, the three of you will find yourselves in a situation one day where you'll have to potentially harm a comrade, just so you can save many lives. It isn't nice, glorious or fair … but it will one day be a choice put before you all."

"And you … Have you ever had to make that choice?"

Natsu didn't respond instantly. Instead, he merely glanced at Erza, before sighing deeply, and looking out the window at the grassy plains that rolled on by.

"Nine times."

"What…"

"Nine times I've made the call, not just to harm, but to actively condemn someone I considered a friend…"

"Oh my…"

"You never forget those moments, Erza. You remember them as if you literally just experienced them that same day. What you were doing, how you were feeling, where you were located and who was with you … all of it. You remember everything down to the most minute detail…"

"Natsu, you don't have to-."

"I've learned to accept my decisions, and I no longer lose sleep over them," the Dragon Slayer continued, cutting Erza off. "But I refuse to forget the faces of those who I called friend that died by my order. I refuse to dishonor their memory by doing so."

Erza couldn't respond, her ability to speak seemingly gone for the moment. Instead, she opted to merely lean herself against his left side, gently resting her head on his shoulder, wrapping his good arm up with both of her own as she hugged it to herself.

Natsu didn't resist the gesture, knowing that Erza was simply showing him support. His eyes felt heavy, as he felt his head tilt to the left slightly, his vision slowly fading as he focused on the warmth Erza's support filled him with.

It was an odd feeling, but one that was most welcome.

As he drifted off, he pondered what he should do once they reached Akane Resort. Something in his mind had clicked, and he found himself feeling slightly nervous, until finally, he fell asleep.

The cabin fell completely silent, as the quartet made their way to Akane Resort, in need of some good rest and relaxation