It was that time of the year again. The S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial.

Everyone at the guild, except for the new members who probably had no idea what was going on, was going insane at trying to finish as many missions in the shortest amount of time as possible. Erza could only shake her head at the sight of people running in and out of the guild like headless chickens. What they did not understand, was that the candidates were chosen based on their performance throughout the year, not just in the period leading up to the Trial.

Each candidate would be chosen based on their achievements, work ethics, spirit, contribution to the guild, and the potential for growth if they advance to S-class. All the current S-class members available would put in their references of who they thought would be good contenders for the promotion, but ultimately the decisions of both the candidates and the format of the tests lay in the hand of Master Makarov.

Erza was curious about what Master had in store for the candidates this year. She could still remember her own Trial four years ago, vividly. The redhead couldn't suppress a shiver every time she thought about it. And it had only gotten harder each year.

They had lost both Laxus and Mystogan, there were only three S-class mages in Fairy Tail now. Erza couldn't wait to see who would be the one to join them this time.

The Trial would take place on Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail's holy ground and where the first Master rested. There were eight participants this year, each of whom was to choose a single partner to come with them as their support during the Trial. However, only one candidate would advance to S-rank, the partner wouldn't share the title with whoever it was.

They had one week to prepare themselves, both physically and mentally, and choose their partners before going to Tenrou Island, the details of each test would be provided once they were there.

Erza was surprised to see Lucy's name listed as Cana's partner for the Trial. She had thought the blonde would be Natsu's, given how close the two of them were. Knowing the format of the tests this year, Erza wondered whether partnering with Happy would be in the Fire Dragon Slayer's best interest, given his limited combat capabilities.

The Celestial mage told her she had her own reasons for being Cana's partner, which she was not at liberty to disclose to Erza. The redhead didn't really mind though. Cana had been in the Trial five consecutive times, she knew what to expect and how to navigate through the instructions effectively. No harm should come to Lucy when the blonde was in Cana's care.

Erza, Mira, and Gildarts were to leave for Tenrou Island one day before the main group, to set up the necessary logistics for the tests and scout out the situation around the Island, making sure there was no potential threat lurking around in the dark once the candidates got there.

"I don't know what will happen in the Trial, but I really hope I won't have to face you." Lucy smiled at her. The blonde had come to the harbor with Erza to bid farewell to the S-class group early in the morning.

"Why? You are tired of my face already?" Erza chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

"No, I would never get tired of your face... It's because you are scary sometimes, when you are in battle or extremely serious about something. And I admire that about you, but... it makes me never want to be on the other side of you, even if this is just an internal trial among Fairy Tail members. You are terrifyingly powerful, Erza." Lucy quickly shook her head and rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously.

Mirajane chimed in teasingly from the redhead's right, "Oh, and Gildarts and I aren't? You would rather face us than Erza? My, my, clearly in Lucy's eyes, we are not on Erza's level, Gildarts."

Gildarts grinned, "In that case, I humbly withdraw from the Trial if we face each other, Lucy. Wouldn't want to stand in the way between you and your most worthy opponent after all."

Brown eyes widened in surprise before the blonde started waving her hands around wildly, "No! I did not mean it like that! I don't want to face any of you! All of you are too strong for me. I don't have any chance of making it past the Trial with you guys acting as hindrances in the process."

Erza shook her head fondly before reaching over and patted the blonde gently on her head, "Don't belittle yourself like that. You still haven't known what the Trial entails. There is a lot more to being S-class than just power or strength. All the candidates and their partners of choice will learn that. Your responsibility in this Trial is to help Cana to the best of your ability. If you have to face me, face me with everything you have. Remember, Cana needs you as her partner. She needs your friendship and support to overcome every obstacle thrown her way and become S-class, alright?"

Lucy was silent for a few seconds before nodding once, shyly.

"Good. We have to leave now. Make sure to keep Natsu in check so he and Gray won't destroy the guild the one day I am not there. I wish you the best of luck in the Trial tomorrow, Lucy. And please send my wish to Cana as well."

The blonde looked up into her eyes and smiled, twinkles dancing around in bright brown orbs, "I will. Be safe on your journey, Erza. I will see you tomorrow."

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The smoke signal was set on the east side of the island, letting the mages know the starting point of the first part of the Trial, which focused on magic power and combat intelligence, combined with the luck of a draw.

Erza headed to route D as planned, wondering which group would be her opponent in this round. With one out of eight chances, it was highly unlikely Lucy and Cana would get her for their first test. But who knew, luck could be on her side after all. The redhead heard that Lucy was getting pretty good with her whip. As the Celestial mage had only been with them for a short time, Erza hadn't had the chance to properly assess her skills in close combat range. She had seen the blonde fight in various missions they went on, but it was not the same as facing her directly in a one-on-one situation.

Light chatters broke the silence in the cave Erza was in. Upon hearing those footsteps getting closer, Erza could already guess which group was heading her way. Both sets of footsteps were too light to come from a guy, and she was too familiar with the distinctive sound of Lucy's to not recognize the blonde anywhere.

Erza was never one to do things half-heartedly or cut corners. This was an examination, a test of might and will, the first step every S-class mage had to overcome. Juvia and Lisanna were her friends, she would do her best to honor them in a full-blown fight with her Sea Empress Armor, intended to reduce the power of all attacks with water attributes by half.

It was her way of showing respect to them, both as mages and as members of her family, to provide Juvia and Lisanna with a real challenge for them to grow on their path of advancement. To show them what it took to gain the privilege of calling yourself an S-class mage of Fairy Tail. She would not take it easy on them.

The candidates did not actually have to defeat one of the current S-class wizards to get through the first round. Erza, Mira, and Gildarts all have proctor rights to allow the groups whom they deemed fit to pass.

And, sadly to say, Erza was not impressed with Juvia and Lisanna's performance enough to let them proceed to the next round. Granted, Lisanna had improved from her level two years ago but Erza had higher expectations for Juvia. The water mage was a former S-class wizard of Phantom Lord after all, and also the chosen candidate for this year, not Lisanna.

Erza thought she had sensed more mettle from Juvia back when they first met at the Tower of Heaven. Had she been too generous in her assessment at the time?

Either way, both Juvia and Lisanna were not qualified to become S-class yet. Erza briefly wondered about the performance of the other groups before delivering the final blow and knocking both girls out unconscious.

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They were given a few hours' breaks after round one ended, the second round would start at one in the afternoon, giving people some time to rest and recharge their energy.

Erza was surprised to know she was the only one who had disqualified a team in the first test. Elfman and Evergreen defeated Mirajane while Natsu and Happy were allowed to pass by Gildarts. Only three groups were eliminated in this round, a lower number than Erza expected.

They all gathered at the temporary camp at the center of the island, except for Mest and Wendy who still hadn't shown up. Erza frowned. Although they had secured the parameters around Tenrou Island yesterday, there was no guarantee that all danger threats had been annihilated. She would give them until two in the afternoon to get back, otherwise someone needed to go look for them in case Mest and Wendy got lost and couldn't find the camp.

Erza was preparing lunch with Mirajane when some of the girls wandered over. Levy peered into the stock pot at Erza's station curiously, "What are you guys making?"

Erza smiled at the small bluenette. Out of all of them here, only Levy and Gajeel remained unscathed, having chosen the Serenity route in the first test. "Just beef stews, breads and mash potato."

Lucy perked up from where she was lying on a table nearby, "I didn't know you could cook, Erza."

Mira giggled at that, "Erza is actually a pretty decent cook. I taught her myself. She even helps me out at the guild when it gets too busy sometimes."

The redhead simply shrugged, "Cooking is a necessary skill for survival. I find no disadvantage in learning it. Besides, it is relaxing for me, in a way."

That was only part of the reason she decided to ask Mirajane to teach her, two years ago. The white-haired mage was so lost after Lisanna's accident and the only reprieve Erza could think of was to divert Mirajane's attention away from the pain, by offering to learn how to cook from the girl.

Erza knew Mira had been wanting to do that with Lisanna for a while then, as a bonding experience between family. It was not the same with Erza, but she could only hope it helped alleviate the grief somehow.

"And the way to anyone's heart is through the stomach too, right Erza?" The oldest Strauss sibling nudged her shoulder playfully, ever the fervent advocate of romance.

Erza only shook her head at that, bemused.

"Juvia wonders why that doesn't work with Gray-sama. Juvia has cooked for him many times, but he never shows interest. Was it because of Juvia's cooking techniques?" Juvia hung her head in defeat.

Lucy groaned in exaggeration from next to the water girl, "That is because you're too obsessed with him. No one wants to eat a bento box shaped like their own face!"

"Ha! Juvia knows you have your sight set on Gray-sama too!"

"I do not! That was legit advice I was giving you. Constantly stalking someone will not make them more receptive to your advances!"

"Juvia was not stalking! She just wants to be closer to Gray-sama. You are the one who doesn't know anything about romance!"

"I know enough to realize there are better ways to show you are interested!"

Erza blinked as Lucy and Juvia broke into an argument right on the spot while Levy and Lisanna tried to calm them down in vain, "Are they... comparing tips on how to properly court someone?"

Mira hid her giggles behind her palm from next to Erza, "It appears that way. Though I don't know how that will help them. Lucy and Juvia have very different approaches when it comes to love."

The Requip mage turned around, surprised, "How do you know that?"

"Because I know who Lucy likes." The Take Over mage answered easily, holding Erza's eyes in a challenge, "And I think you know too, Erza. I know you, you are not as dense as you like to appear sometimes."

The redhead looked away from Mirajane's knowing blue eyes, letting her gaze turn back to the sight of the blonde in front of them.

That was the truth. Erza knew.

She had doubts before, when Lucy told her she had feelings for someone. But now, now she was certain.

The lingering looks. The subtle touches. The quiet whispers. The unrelenting care. Everything about Lucy already spelled out the name of the person she liked.

Erza knew, because she was the one who let it happen, this silent thing that had been simmering between them for a while now. Lucy might have been the one who initiated it, but Erza was both receptive and responsive.

"If we compare love to fire, Juvia's way of caring for someone is similar to Natsu's fire. Overt, extravagant, and passionate. Her love is boiling and scorching, she is not afraid of showing affection to Gray in front of everyone whenever possible. If Juvia is vehement enough, she can thaw Gray's ice shield from the outside and reach his heart eventually."

"But not every shield works that way. Armor certainly doesn't, right Erza? Iron and steel, you can't burn through them from the outside without hurting the person in it."

Erza could only keep silent.

"Lucy knows, that's why her approach is the exact opposite. She works her way from the inside out. She learns about your heart first, then all the things about you that follow. Her way of courting someone is more like this fire we use to stew beef. Slower and not as intense, but steadier. She coaxes you in bit by bit, letting you get used to her presence and being in her care. And before you know it, you are already done for, from the inside out."

Just how much did Mira know about them already? "Juvia's way is the way of a hunter. She chases. Lucy's way resembles fishing. She waits."

"The question now is," The white-haired mage gently touched Erza's shoulder, silently offering her support, "How long is she gonna wait until either of you do something about it? I am not trying to put pressure on you, Erza, nor am I telling you you have to return her feelings. Your relationship is your own, not everyone moves at the same pace. Just something for you to think about in the meanwhile, alright?"

Erza simply nodded, letting the words settle down inside her chest. She already knew about Lucy's feelings, and she did have some ideas about her own as well.

The redhead smiled at seeing the argument between Lucy and Juvia had escalated into a fistfight, both of them were extremely stubborn in their own ways. She wouldn't be opposed to exploring more of this thing with the blonde. Soon, maybe.

Mira's light laughers reached her ears, "What am I even worried about?! You guys are both smitten already. Look at that smile on your face! It's so cute!"

Erza flushed pink to the tips of her ears. If anyone asked, she would blame it on the hot weather on this island. The currents surrounding Tenrou Island made it excessively warm all year-round despite it being winter already.

"Shut up, Mira. I need to go break up their fight now, before it attracts the guys and makes a bigger mess."

There was no pressure, Erza knew. She just wanted to wait for some more time, for both of them to be certain about their feelings first.

Erza had always been a patient person, whenever there was something worth waiting for.

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The Trial was thrown into disarray when Gilmore Heart appeared out of nowhere and declared a direct attack on Fairy Tail. Erza quickly fired a red flare high up in the sky, signaling to the others about the presence of an enemy on their holy ground. The Trial was on hold for the moment, a necessity for them to regroup and figure out how to face this imminent threat.

Erza quickly instructed Levy to take Gajeel back to camp to recuperate since both of them were wounded so badly. One of the Gilmore Heart wizards started rambling about their main forces coming to their island, the Seven Kin of Purgatory. The redhead found out from him the reason why Gilmore Heart was attacking Tenrou Island.

Zeref was on this island, and they wanted him.

That was absurd! Erza growled. He couldn't possibly be alive all this time. Her innocence, her childhood, her friends, her freedom. They were all ruined because of his death, because of his devoted followers' obsession with resurrecting him, their craving for his power of darkness.

All the torture, the torment, the suffering she had been through those years ago was because of him, because people believed he was dead. Zeref was not allowed to be alive, standing above a pile made of skulls and bones from the children who were abused to death just for the slim hope of him being able to breathe in the air on this earth again.

Gilmore Heart intended to dye the world in darkness with Zeref's power, starting right from this sacred ground of Fairy Tail. They intended to commit savagery on this island enveloped by the fairies' protection. Worse, one of the Seven Kin was already on the island with them, it was imperative that they found Mest and Wendy and returned to camp before something bad happened to either of the mages.

Erza and Juvia were making haste through the thick jungle when a formidable magical presence appeared right next to them. Erza turned around just in time to deflect the pink-haired girl's attack.

The tremendous level of hostile magic power was all Erza needed to know this girl must be one of the Seven Kin of Gilmore Heart. She was overpowering both Erza and Juvia quite efficiently, and Erza was getting frustrated with it.

And to think there were six more of the enemies who were on the same level as this one.

What came as a surprise, was that this girl's target was not Fairy Tail as a whole, but rather Gray Fullbuster himself. What she wanted was to kill him to avenge the death of Ur, which immediately triggered Juvia's overprotective mood.

Erza was speechless, and a little alarmed too, to see Juvia completely transformed into an entirely different person than when they faced each other during the exam. The water mage's magic power kept on increasing, easily trounced over their opponent's, leaving both of them bewildered.

Erza left to find their other comrades, believing Juvia had this handled. Intense feelings for the one you loved could serve as sources of strength. This was indeed Juvia's true power. After all, as long as Juvia was passionate enough, she could thaw every obstacle blocking the way to the object of her desire. Powerful enemies wouldn't be an exception to that.

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Azuma of the Seven Kin intercepted her on her way to find Wendy and Mest, claiming he had defeated both Wendy and Mirajane before going to find a more worthy opponent in the famous Titania of Fairy Tail.

Similar to the other ones in the Seven Kin, Azuma was both tough and tenacious in terms of magic power. His reason for seeking her out was to engage her in combat and gain more strength by conquering both the redhead's title and skills.

The only way, he insisted, for a person to acquire such power was to hunt and overthrow mighty warriors on their paths. He claimed, that Erza and he were alike in that way, getting stronger each day by seeping off the lifeforce and fortitude from defeated opponents.

A blind man he was, Erza shook her head defiantly. Her strength came from her feelings for her friends, her family, her past and future. All she needed was the power to protect those she held dear in her heart. In exchange for that strength, she would gladly be weaker than anyone else on this earth, as long as they were safe with her by their side.

Azuma gave her a nod of respect just as he started to reveal more of Gilmore Heart's plan. How he was sent to the island first to take control of its magic power. His magic, the Great Tree Arc, allowed him to manipulate all vegetation to his desire and destroy the great Tenrou Tree standing in the middle of the island.

Deprived of the protection and blessing from the Tenrou Tree, those bearing the Fairy Tail emblem would lose all their magic power and immunity from death granted to them upon setting foot on the holy ground of the guild.

Erza gritted her teeth in disdain. These bastards dared to invade their land and stain Fairy Tail's territory with darkness and carnage. If what Azuma needed was a fight to dispel his delusion, Erza would show him the true power a Fairy Tail mage bestowed upon their worse enemies.

Everyone's fate was resting solely on her shoulders. She couldn't fail them. She would prevail, because that was the only way to save her family.

She couldn't back down, couldn't give up, couldn't relent. Because once she did, there would be nothing to turn back to anymore. Her defeat spelled the guild's defeat. She couldn't afford to lose now.

However, Azuma had proven to be stronger than she expected. None of her armors had any effects on him. As such, if she hoped to surpass his magic power, she needed to use all of her own for offense and channel them into her sword. But it was still not enough...

Azuma blasted her in a colossal explosion with the Tenrou Island's vast magic power he absorbed from the Tree. The concentrated intensity of destructive power knocked her on her back, enough to make Erza doubt the possibility of her winning this seemingly hopeless fight.

But the weights they carried on their shoulders were different, between Azuma and Erza. And their sources of strength, too. She must protect the guild at all costs.

She found them, the force of her power, in the next immense Tenrou Island magic attack Azuma sent her way.

Are you giving up? Someone was calling to her. Giving up means you will die. And Erza, you have promised you wouldn't let go of life this easily anymore, remember?

Erza could recognize the familiar displease in that voice, clearly and brightly as the Sun shining high up in the sky above their heads.

Erza. It was Natsu now. You are not allowed to die. I will never forgive you. And all her friends, her nakamas followed. You are not alone, you have never been alone. We are right here with you.

That was right. How could she be such a fool. She had forgotten the most important thing of all. She wasn't protecting everyone. The one who was always being protected was her. She had always needed Fairy Tail, just as much as Fairy Tail needed her now.

Tenrou Island belonged to the fairies. Erza could feel it, the gentle magical flows floating around her body, silently offering their support in recognition of their own flesh and blood. No matter how powerful Azuma was, their bonds were the one thing he could never dream of severing.

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Master Hades turned out to be Master Precht of Fairy Tail, second generation, the one who appointed Makarov to become his successor.

Magic was born from darkness, or so he said, and Makarov had strayed Fairy Tail too far from the source of magic to step into the light. He wanted to take them all back to those darker times, believing being closer to the origin of magic was a prerequisite for power enhancement and magical purity.

His reasoning was severely flawed. Erza did not know what the intended use for magic in the past was, but it should always be used as a source of light, for mages with magical power to extend their help to ordinary people around the world and build a better place for all to live in harmony with each other, not to exploit their strength in conquering whom they considered weaklings just because they did not have access to magic.

It didn't matter if magic was originally darkness or light. Magic was alive, and as times changed, so did its role.

In the end, they defeated Master Hades with the help of Laxus and the Exceeds. Erza was glad to see the blond man again. She knew he would find his way back to them one day.

It was dawn on Tenrou Island, the start of a new day.

Natsu fell asleep as soon as the battle was over, probably from magic depletion as a side effect of consuming other attributes aside from fire.

Erza set out to help Wendy with treating the injured members, but simply wrapping bandages turned out to be harder than she expected. She was well versed in treating her own injuries after battles, but applying the techniques to other people required a whole different skillset.

"Give it to me, please?" A hand appeared in her vision, pink Fairy Tail emblem visible in her line of sight. Erza could hear Gray's sigh in relief when the redhead handed over the bandage roll to Lucy.

"You are applying too much pressure. It is not the same as wrapping it around yourself. With other people, you cannot know whether it is too hard and is hurting them or not simply from sensation alone. You need to look at them and deduct from their reactions." The blonde patiently explained and used Gray's arm as demonstration.

"Yes!" Gray practically screamed in gratitude, "Please save us, Lucy!" before shutting his mouth immediately under the Requip mage's malicious glare.

Erza nodded along with Lucy's instructions, silently took notes for future reference. The Celestial mage was so gentle in her touch, and Erza was lost in the concentrated draw of her eyebrows, the pleasant tune she hummed under her breath. The way brown eyes brightened up with each inch of the wounds she covered.

Erza made a mental note to leave all future healing tasks for Wendy and Lucy, just so she could see the blonde like this again. A selfish thought, really, but the redhead couldn't find anything in her to be displeased about it.

"All done!" Lucy happily exclaimed, waving Gray's perfectly wrapped up arm in the air, "I need to go with Cana for a bit now. Surely you can handle the rest of them, right Erza?" Erza smiled and nodded, straightening her back up confidently.

"Hold up! You can't leave me with her!" Gajeel frantically fretted from his position next in the line while Gray just crackled madly, "Ha ha, sucker! That is what you get for cutting the line!"

Time to apply theory into practice then.

Everyone was happy at the sight of Laxus. Erza could see it, how much he wanted to come back and be a part of Fairy Tail again. He had traveled the world for a while now, and he knew, deep in his heart, that Fairy Tail was where he belonged, his family and his root.

She was trying to reason with Master to allow Laxus back in Fairy Tail when a terrifying chill crept up her spine, signaling the presence of a nefarious magical being before a deafening roar spread out the whole island.

A giant, black form appeared in the sky, bringing with him terror and destruction.

His name was Acnologia, the accursed Black Dragon in the Book of Apocalypse. The one whom Gildarts encountered during his 100-year quest. Humans were mere insects to him.

It was apparent that even all of their magic strength combined together could not hold a candle to the dragon's insanely powerful attacks. Even so, they were Fairy Tail, and that meant no one got left behind to sacrifice their lives so that others could escape. Especially not Master Makarov.

Their strength lay in unity, not individuality. If there was truly no way out, then they would all go down together. That was what Fairy Tail was always about.

There was not enough time. Erza silently squeezed Lucy's hand in her own when they formed a circle of bonds, feeling the blonde's grip tighten in response. If we get through this, Lucy, will you...

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A/N: I hope their relationship progress doesn't feel too rushed.

I personally don't see Erza as being obtuse in romance. She has always been a contemplative person and great at discerning feelings of both her friends and herself. She read romance novels in her free time, she told Alzack and Bisca to treasure each other before it was too late, she encouraged Gray to confront Juvia's feelings, and she knew perfectly what her feelings for Jellal were in the anime too. It is true she didn't have any experience in terms of being in a relationship, but there is no indicator of Erza being oblivious to people's actions whenever they like someone.

Votes and comments are welcome!