//------------------------------// // Big Announcement // Story: Spike the Fairy // by PonyJoel //------------------------------// It's now 7:30 at night. Lucy is in the bathroom taking a shower while Spike is cooking dinner. Spike is making rice, spinach pasta, and sausages. Lucy is enjoying her bath until she screams. Spike slams the bathroom door open and wields a frying pan. "What happened?!" Spike sees Lucy and Cana naked in the bathroom and shuts his eyes. "I-I-I didn't see anything!" Spike leaves the bathroom, pretending that he didn't see what he saw, and goes back to cooking. "Geez, what's up with him?" Cana asks. "Uh, you're in our house!" Lucy exclaims. "Speaking of which, got any adult beverages?" Cana asks. Lucy sighs. "No, I'm not a heavy drinker like you. Would you like to stay for dinner?" "Sure, I'll bite. What's for dinner?" "Spike is making rice, spinach pasta, and sausages. He wanted to cook tonight. So, why are you here?" "Sounds good, I guess," Cana looks down. "Something on your mind?" "I've been thinking for a while. I'm considering quitting the guild," Cana admittingly said. "What?!" Lucy shrieks so loud. Spike comes back wielding a kitchen knife. "What happened?!" Spike sees the two still naked in the tub. "Oh, come on!" Spike covers his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm going back to the kitchen," Spike closes the bathroom door as he leaves. "We better put some clothes on," Lucy suggests. "Okay," Cana agrees. After a while, dinner is ready. Lucy and Cana come out fully clothed and sits at the table. Spike brings food to the table. "So, how did you sneak inside the apartment, Cana? What made Lucy shriek the way she did earlier?" Spike asks. "I came through the window. Just some life-changing decisions, Spike. Also, why were you covering your eyes? We see you naked all the time." "Yea, well," Spike coughs. "My uh.., parts are hidden. They only appear when it needs to be," Spike trying not to sound so awkward talking about his privates. "Whatever," Cana rolls her eyes. "So, what are you deciding? Changing your drinking habits?" "Hah, you wish, Spike. Though, that's not the life-changing decision I'm considering. What I'm thinking is quitting Fairy Tail." Spike drops the plates in shock after hearing Cana's possible decision. He didn't expect that outcome to come out of her mouth. "Now you know why I shrieked, Spike," Lucy gets up to sweep the broken plates. "Uh, any reason why?" "Sorry, not in the mood to talk about it, Spike." "Okay," Spike grabs another set of plates and brings it to the table. "Hope you enjoy my cooking." "I'll be the judge of that," Cana said as Spike is serving her plate. She questions about the spinach pasta and tries it. "Oh.., wow..," Cana is overwhelmed with Spike's cooking and chows down. "Looks like another biter loves your cooking, Spike," Lucy smiles a bit. "Yea. I bet if I cooked for the whole guild, they would want three or four more plates." "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened." "More, please," Cana asks after finishing her plate. "Wow, that was quick," Spike gives Cana another serving. After an hour of eating dinner, Cana leaves the apartment satisfied with Spike's delicious cooking. Spike and Lucy clean up a bit before heading to bed. It is now 8:30 the next day. Spike and Lucy wake up at the same time. "Morning, Lucy." "Morning, Spike. The two see dark clouds in the sky, signaling it's going to rain. The two sigh and get ready to go to the guildhall. They'll eat breakfast over there. Spike and Lucy walk out of the apartment and down the street. Many people wave to Spike while they walk. "Have a good day, Fairy Dragon," A bystander on a boat shouts. "Stay safe, Lucy," Another bystander on a boat says. "We will. Have a safe trip, you two," Lucy waves at the people on the boat. Spike and Lucy enter the guildhall to see everyone in the center of the messhall. They wonder what's going on. "Are we under attack?" Spike asks Gajeel. "No," Gajeel shakes his head. "Makarov has something important to tell us. Judging from how everyone is reacting, it must be good." "I'll say. Everyone here is amped and anxious to know what the Master has in store," Said Lucy. Master Makarov is on stage with Erza, Mirajane, and Gildarts with important information. Everyone cheers loudly; they are excited to hear the news. "In accordance with the Fairy Tail's Guild Time-Honor Tradition, I will now announce this year's entrants for the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trials!" Everyone cheers louder than before, believing that Master Makarov will be choosing any one of them for the spot. "Wow. No wonder why people are super hyped today," Said Spike. "No kidding. Maybe yesterday, after watching the arm wrestling, everyone went nuts on crazy jobs going left and right," Said Lucy. "Perhaps what Cana was feeling relates to this." "Maybe..," Lucy put some thought into Spike's theory. "Please be quiet, everyone," Erza said, "Shut up and let the Master finish talking," Said Gildarts. "The trial this year will take place at Tenrou Island, our Guild's sacred grounds. The strength you possess inside, your character, and your heart. These are what I consider while making my selections. And I have chosen nine participants. Natsu Dragneel," Makarov announces first. "Thank you, Sir," Natsu accepts with honor. "You got this in the bag, Natsu," Said Happy. "Gray Fullbuster." "It's finally my time to move up," Gray said happily. "Juvia Lockser." "Really? The Master chose me?" Juvia is astonished to be selected. "Elfman." "S-Class deserves a real man like me," Elfman proclaims. "Best of luck, big brother," Lisanna said. "Cana Alberona." Cana is silent. She knew she was going to be picked again this year. "Freed Justine." "So, I'll be following Laxus' footsteps, interesting," Freed said in response. "Levy McGarden." "I'm so stoked about this," Levy said. "Levy is totally going to win this one!" Jet and Droy cheer in unison. "Mest Gryder." Mest Gryder hears his comrades reminding him of coming close to becoming S-Class last year. "And finally, Spike the Fairy." Spike's jaw drops. Everyone around shrieks in terror. Gajeel couldn't believe that the Master picked Juvia and Spike but not him. Everyone couldn't believe that Spike is chosen to be a participant in the S-Class Trials. Other Fairy Tail Wizards become jealous of Spike but push that thought aside. Erza is in shock. She didn't expect that outcome from Master Makarov. "Spike! I believe in you! I know you'll come out on top!" Wendy cheers. Spike couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Wendy!" "Although nine wizards are selected, only one will emerge victorious. The trial will begin next week time. So you better step up your preparations. For the benefit of the newcomers, let's go over the rules of the challenge, shall we?" "The nine participants will each choose a partner. This person will also be allowed to train with them during the week leading up to the event," Mirajane explains. Spike's eyes widen as he knows who to ask to be his partner. He overhears Max Alors and Warren explaining that having a partner will also be putting their friendship to the test as well. "Observe these two rules when choosing your partner. Number one, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. Number two, your choice cannot be an S-Class Wizard," Erza also explains. "We will reveal all the particular details of the trial once we arrive at Tenrou Island but know that you'll have to get past Erza to claim victory," Everyone except Spike freaks out a little. "I'll be doing my very best to weed out the rest of you right beside her," Mirajane said. Everyone panics even more. "Quit your bellyaching. The three of us had to go through this trial. It's only fair you do too," Said Gildarts. "Bring it on! Any of you!" Everyone gasps hearing after Spike's optimism. "I will be ready to fight you!" "Does Spike have a death wish?!" "Remember, he fought Gildarts the other day and held his own. He can take Erza as well." "But what about Mirajane?" Some Fairy Tail Wizards think about Mirajane's insane power that frightens them. "Oh my, Spike has the devotion and motivation to embrace any challenge," Said Mirajane. "The rest should have his optimism. Believing they can overcome anything," Said Master Makarov. "He's tough, however. I didn't go all out. Perhaps when we meet again, I won't hold anything back." "Easy, Gildarts. Remember, I ordered you to restrain yourself a bit." "Sorry, Master. It's been a while since I had an actual challenger to go toe-to-toe with," Gildarts sweat a little. "If Spike and I were to meet, I don't think he'll ever forgive me if I held back," Said Erza. "This year's should be interesting." "Spike has never seen my magic before. If he and I were to meet, it should be interesting to see how it fare," Mirajane smiles. "The nine participants I named earlier and their chosen partners are asked to meet me at the Port of Hargeon one week from today. So, get to work," Master Makarov declares. Spike leaves the guildhall. "Spike, where are you going?" Lucy asks. "To pack up my things for this week's training. When I'm finished packing, I'll select my partner, and we'll go to the river by the East Forest to train there!" Wendy couldn't help but smile more. She knows that Spike will ask him to pick her as a partner. Carla reads Wendy's body language and senses something is amiss around here. It is now 1:30 in the afternoon. Spike is in the apartment eating lunch. After he eats, Spike grabs his luggage and starts packing for the week. He takes 100,000 Jewels, books from the Magic Library that mention unison raids, a first-aid kit, and the sleeping bag Lucy gave him to sleep on before buying his bed. "Alright, gotta go in town to buy a few more essential items, and we'll be good to go," Spike smiles. "This'll be a blast. I can hardly contain myself!" Spike takes 70,000 jewels and leaves the apartment. He walks around looking for the Magnolia Sports store in hopes of buying a quality tent to sleep in. Spike sees a snowflake coming down. "Oooh, it's going to snow. Here I thought it was going to rain." Spike sees lots of people going into different stores to buy shovels and salt. "This'll be longer than I thought." Spike walks around to see many stores jampacked with people buying food, water, salt, and shovels like it's Black Friday. Spike kept his cool and imagines Wendy as his partner. Spike finally finds the Magnolia Sports Store and sees a long line. "You've got to be kidding me?" Spike sighs and walks to the back of the line. People see him on the line and take pictures of him. "How long will this take?" It is now 5:30 in the afternoon. Spike is still standing in line, waiting to go inside the Magnolia Sports Store. A store clerk comes outside to tell everyone that they ran out of shovels and mini snowplows. A lot of people leave except for Spike. He walks inside. "Excuse me, where is the tent section at?" "Downstairs, Spike the Fairy," A Store Clerk named Garry said. "Thank you," Spike goes downstairs to the tent section. He looks around to find a quality tent for him and Wendy. Something a bit big and not small. To have room, so it isn't tight. No matter how much Spike wants to be closer to Wendy. Spike spends two hours looking for the right tent. He sees a blue one matching Wendy's hair color. "This could be the one," Spike looks in the interior of the tent and sees how big and roomy it is. "Definitely the right one," Spike gets out. He walks up to Garry. He's doing stock with several baseball bats. "Hey, Spike the Fairy. Found what you are looking for?" "Yes, Garry. I want that blue tent over there," He points to the tent he wants. "Ah, Traveler's Prime. One of the best-underrated tents to use. Good choice, Spike the Fairy." "Thanks. How much is it?" Garry walks up to the tent price clipboard and scans it. "45,000 Jewels." "I'll take it," Spike smiles. He knew that the wait was worth it. "Excellent, follow me to the register," Garry leads Spike to the register. Garry places a large package of the tent Spike wants to purchase. "Here you go," Spike pays Garry 45,000 Jewels. "Thank you for shopping at Magnolia's Sports Store. Have a nice day, Spike the Fairy." "You too, Garry. Want to see something cool?" "Sure." "Spike wants," Spike increases his size. He's the same size as yesterday when he took on Gildarts in an arm-wrestling match. Garry's jaw drops. "Pretty cool, huh?" Spike places the package on his shoulders. "You made my day. Wow..," Garry is speechless as Spike walks up the stairs. People upstairs don't panic and freak out. They know that Spike is a gentle and a great defender of Magnolia. It is now 8:00 in Magnolia. Spike walks to the apartment to gather his belongings. Now he's ready to ask Wendy to be his partner. Spike opens the door to see Cana and Lucy coming into the apartment. "Thanks for opening the door, Spike," Cana gratefully said. She's a bit drunk. "Where you off to, Spike?" Lucy asks. "Uh, you're welcome... I'm heading off to ask Wendy to be my partner so we can train together." Spike leaves the apartment and walks down the street. Hopefully, Wendy is still in the guildhall talking to everyone. Spike walks down the same pathway to the guildhall when he sees Wendy, Carla, and someone he doesn't recognize. He walks closer to hear Wendy say. "Sure, I'll be your partner since your Mystogan's pupil." Spike balls his claws but sighs. He walks a different way to the guildhall feeling a little sad. "I should have asked earlier. That's a blunder on my end. How can I be so stupid!" The different route Spike went on took twenty minutes to reach the guildhall. He sees a lot of his friends talking, strategizing, and having fun. Spike walks in feeling sad but brushes his feeling aside. He needs to find another partner. "Hey, Spike. Looking for a partner?" Panther Lily asks. "I am, actually. The one I was hoping to ask is taken. Would you like to be my partner?" "Hmmph," Panther Lily smirks. "I'll be honored to be your partner. Also, it gives me a chance to have a rematch against Gajeel if we wind up fighting him." "Alright, I've packed up to go training by the river of the East Forest. Let's get going." "Perfect," Panther Lily follows Spike. "So, who were you going to asked originally?" "Wendy Marvell. Mest Gryder asked her to be his partner. I have no idea who the guy is and never heard of him either." "Odd. Maybe, this Mest guy took on serious jobs that lasted longer than usual." "Probably. Have you ever trained with Spike Knightwalker?" "As much as I don't like the guy, his fighting techniques are efficient in battle. I was forced to train with him by King Faust. The man may be deranged but, he's ingenious in strategy. I'm hoping when you and I train, it'll be pleasant and thrilling." "It will be. Plus, it'll give me time to work out the spell I use to create the sword for longer periods of time. From what you told me, it lasted fifteen minutes." "Yea," Panther Lily nods. "If you can improve on that, it'll be more useful in battle when you need to take a breather of using your magic energy." "Yea, imagine Gajeel's reaction when he sees you as my partner. For weeks he's been wanting a flying cat. Now, he will have to wait a little longer to fight alongside you." "It'll be disheartening for him a little bit. It should be interesting to see how he reacts." "Definitely," Spike concurs. An hour later, Spike and Panther Lily arrive in the East Forest. They are near the river. Spike and Panther Lily set up camp together and mark the days till the Hargeon meetup. The two enter the tent after setting up camp. "Night, Panther Lily." "Night, Spike. Get ready for some hard physical training." "Sounds good, bro. Sounds good."