20

Disclaimer I do not own Fairy Tail. Why would I be writing fanfiction if I owned something like that?

Beta Reader: volfwildman

God Dammit!

How?! How could I forget about Lisanna! How could it slip my mind! I found myself looking through my notes I took of future events shortly after Mira and Elfman arrived. It was mainly a list of bullet points with important events like arcs and some other points.

How could I forget about Lisanna though!? She was a major plot point in the Edolas arc with her coming back and everything! Yet it just slipped my mind!

In the end, I could do little more than bang my head against a wall for my stupidity. The thing that really got to me though was the fact that I wasn't angry at myself, no that emotion still escaped me and all I felt was the filtered down version of it called annoyance. Guilt, satisfaction and even fear I had all gotten but anger still eluded me.

I suppose in the end it matters little. There was nothing I could do now short of finding out how to open a portal to Edolas and getting Lisanna back. That is if she did end up there and didn't die because of my presence. Hope for the former and prepare for the latter.

I had to keep my head if only for the rest of my family. Natsu and surprisingly Gray were the ones taking the loss the hardest. Natsu refused to believe it when he was first told and when he finally realized it wasn't a lie, he locked himself inside his room where he is now. Gray seemed to have grown to be good friends with Lisanna since both would spend time with Natsu. He had gone down a similar route as Nastu and locked himself in the art room, but he was only there for three days, guess he was, unfortunately, more use to loss then Natsu.

Erza had not really known how to react. She just seemed to try to get Mira happy, usually by trying to get her mad for some reason. Cana had also not really known how to react to the death of her younger brother's best friend, in the end, she ended up trying to copy Erza and get Elfman happier but in far more kinder ways.

Mom seemed to have little reaction to the news and simply focused on giving Mira and Elfman everything they needed as well as trying to help Natsu and Gray. The truth of the matter was that she was also broken up, after spending so many years with her I can just tell from the look in her eyes. She really was a strong woman.

Mira and Elfman though we're of course also out of shorts. Mira had rebounded in an interesting way by demanding mom show her how to be a proper woman. Mira seemed to blame her rage and temper for getting her and her siblings into the situation that led to her little sister's death. Mira was trying I'll give her that much, but her temper and rage keeps bursting through at even small annoyances. Elfman though had rebound and in a way that still puzzled me.

I had expected to see Manly Elfman but instead, I got Gentlemen Elfman. The man started to dress up like a butler and speak in a bit of a pose to his voice. He would constantly talk about how one should act like a gentleman and keep calm and elegant. Not sure how this came about but honestly it was the least of my problems right now.

No, right now my biggest problem was getting Natsu out of his room.

I found myself standing outside of the Slayer's room as I contemplated what to say. Mom and Gray had failed to even get the pink head to talk. I was the next best bet for getting him out of his solitude.

"Natsu?" I said with a slightly raised voice, "It's been about two weeks. You need to get out of that room." I waited but didn't hear a thing from him. "Natsu at least talk to me." Again, no response.

I let out a sigh, what I'm about to do next I didn't want to do but desperate times call for desperate measures. I reach for sliver of my magic and created an illusion. "Natsu." Came a voice, not mine but rather that of a girl. Of Lisanna.

There was a second of silence before I heard things falling inside the room followed by the sound of running. Natsu all but slammed open the door as he stepped out of his room with a hopeful face. Said face turned to surprise at only seeing me and was soon followed by rage.

He attempted to slam the door closed but was stopped when I put my leg in between the door and the frame. I stepped into the rather destroyed room while trying my best to ignore the pain in my leg. Everything was a mess chairs lay destroyed, cabinets turned over, ripped clothes everywhere and a bed that had been broken in half along with burn marks all over the room.

"Get out!" Shouted Natsu. "Natsu-" "I said get out!" Natsu refuses to let me talk as his hands lit up in flames. I resisted the urge to just leave; I needed to get him out of here.

"Natsu what exactly do you plan to do while in here? Want do you plan to do while in this room? What have you even been doing for the past two weeks while your family is worried sick about you!?" I all but shouted at my younger sibling.

For a few seconds, the only thing we did was glare at each other before Natsu ended is by scoffing and turning around while turning off his flaming hands. "Just get out! It's not like you would understand." Natsu said that last part in almost a whisper.

I couldn't help but agree with Natsu on that last part, I really didn't understand it, well at least as well as him or my other siblings. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't understand how you feel but that doesn't change anything. Me, Mom, Cana, Gray and Erza are all worried about you. Even some people from the guild have shown up looking for you."

I let out a sigh as Natsu refused to look my way. "Natsu please just come out. Please just let us help you!" I shouted that last part to my little brother. I waited a few seconds for him to respond but when he didn't, I was about to speak once again but pause when I heard something. It was the sound of sniffling.

The sniffing was quiet and slow, but it was still there, along with the sniffing I noticed water sliding down the side of Natsu's neck as well. "Natsu," I said softly as I put a hand on his shoulder and expected him to violently attack me for doing so but nothing seemed to happen.

A few seconds passed before Natsu spoke. "Bish…. why do people leave? First Igneel and now Lisanna. Why did they leave?" As he spoke Natsu turned to face me, tears streaming down his face.

I pulled him into a hug which he responded to by returning it in full as he squeezed his arms around my body and dug his face into my shoulder. I waited a second before speaking, "The truth of it Natsu is that life is unfair. It takes just as easily as it gives."

Natsu just continued to hug me as I felt my shoulder gets more and more wet. Eventually, he spoke, "What if more leave? What if Mom leaves? Or you or Gray or or…or…"

I sighed as I rubbed my hand through Natsu's hair. "What do you do? Simple, you just enjoy what you have. Look at what you have now and be happy for it. Just…. just be grateful to be alive."

I don't know how long Natsu and I stayed there, maybe a few minutes or even an hour I don't know I simply lost track of time. Evenly Natsu pulled away from the hug and spoke, "Thanks Big Bro."

I simply give him a little smile. "Any time Little Bro."

I let out an annoyed groan as I walk into the guild. I gave a few people who say hi to me a nod while making my way over to the bar. The guild was in a bit of a mess, but it was still far better than it had been in the morning.

The reason for this was that last night the guild had partied do to a new mage becoming S-class. To be more specific it was Mystogan who became S-class. The Eldolain joined the guild a few years ago but considering he was never around you'd be forgiven for not even knowing he was even a member. Didn't even show up for when the S-class trial participants were announced or for his party, of course, that didn't stop the members of Fairy Tail from partying.

I weaved around the labyrinth of chairs in the room before stopping and sitting down at the bar. The second I was sitting I stretched my back for a solid few seconds before relaxing into the seat.

"Tough job?" Said Mira smiling as she brought over a sheet of paper and some apple juice. She had been working at the bar for a few months now in order to make some money since her magic had stopped working after the Lisanna incident.

"No just boring and tiresome. I know those caravans pay a lot for me to come and make them invisible but I'm starting to wish someone would see through my Vanish like those bandits." I say this while writing on the paper she had given me, it was a simple job report sheet that mages filled out after a job or simply just talked to the guild master about the job.

"Well, at least you are making easy money. It could be worse-" Mira promptly stopped talking as her eyes narrowed onto something behind me and her kind smile turned into an angry scowl. "Hey, asshole! You better clean that mess up or I'm going to make an even bigger mess with your blood!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw a man rapidly start trying to clean up the mess at his table. Mira let out a sigh and held her hands to her head and started to mumble things to herself. I could only make out stuff like 'calm, idiot and peace'.

"Still trying to get your temper and anger under control?" I slide the finish job report to Mira while I talk and proceed to start drinking my drink. "Ya, but it would be going a lot better if this guild wasn't filled with idiots!" Mira near screamed that last part and quickly calmed herself down before taking my report and storing it under the bar.

I took another sip of my juice before speaking up, "You know that it's ok to be angry right? It was that temper and rage that let you get to S-class. You don't have to get rid of it." Mira gave me a raised eyebrow before shrugging.

"Maybe but I at least want to not explode at the littlest things." I nodded my head at her words, "Ya it would help for you not to scare off and alienate the guild members."

Mira let out a little chuckle at my words "Says the guy that gave everyone the cold shoulder for the first few years you were here. Some members still make jokes about that." I flinched a little at her words before letting out a sigh and drinking the rest of the beverage.

"You're not wrong but at least now I at the very least acknowledge the members I don't know." Mira once again shrugged and filled back up my drink. "Still not stopping the jokes about how you should be an Ice mage."

No, it annoyingly did not.

I let out a hum at her words before taking a few seconds just to nurse my drink. "How's your magic?" Mira let out a groan at my question "According to that old hag Porlyusica there's nothing wrong with my Core or Channels." Mira lets out a sigh before continuing, "The old hag thinks I just can't mentally bring myself to use magic. Kinda agree with her though."

"Just give it some time. I'm sure you'll eventually get to the point where you can use Takeover magic again." After speaking I finished off my drink before standing. "I'm heading home; I mean it when I say you shouldn't get totally rid of your temper and rage."

Mira just rolled her eyes but did smile at me before heading back to her job. With that done, I make my way home. See if I can't get some training before I head off to bed. I was making real progress with one of my illusion experiments.

I was just finishing up a new fantasy novel, about mages going to the moon, when I felt my stomach rumble a bit. It had been a good few hours since I ate as Mom was spending the entire day at the restaurant she was employed at. I should probably head out and get something for dinner.

I was just heading down one of the hallways about to make my way out when I notice a smell in the air. It was a smell of cooking food to be more precise. Who was cooking? Mom was still working and last I checked Erza was the only one still in town right now but was at the guild.

I decide to head to the kitchen just to make sure some burglar wasn't attempting to make some food. After about a minute of walking, I found myself in the hallway with the kitchen and proceed to make my way into said room. Inside there were various things on the counter and an altogether mess really. Standing in the room was Elfman who appeared to be checking the food he had made before putting it in the oven.

The tall white head man was dressed in his now usual black tux with a white undershirt and black dress pants along with slick back and fancy looking hair. He seemed to have heard me entering and turned to look. "Ah Sir Bishop, I apologize for the mess I shall clean it was I'm done. It is only right for a gentleman to clean up the mess he made."

"Its fine Elfman but what are you doing here?" He still has cooking lessons with Mom but since she's not here there shouldn't be a reason for him being here.

"Well, I ask Lady Vern if I could use her kitchen to make something special for Mira. Didn't want her to see it being made. She said yes and now I'm just putting the finishing on the pasta with lamb ragù."

I had no idea what a ragù was, but it did smell nice. "Well next time just make sure to inform anybody in the mansion that you're here. Thought someone had snuck in or something." He bows his head at my words before saying "Of course Sir Bishop, I will do so for my honor as a gentleman."

I lightly roll my eyes at his gentleman comment before turning to make my way out of the kitchen but stopped when my stomach let out a loud growl of hunger. Elfman perked up at noticing this, "Sir Bishop allow me to make you something to eat. It is the least I could do for all the kindness you family has shown me and my sister."

Before I could decline his offer, he put his ragù in the oven and quickly started to dart around the kitchen and make something else. I just let out a sigh and took a seat by a table in the corner of the kitchen and waited.

Eventually, Elfman sets a plate on the table with what looks like a sandwich on it. "Here is a muffuletta sandwich. It should satisfy your hunger." I give the strange sandwich a bit of a look over before just shrugging and picking it up to take a bite.

It tasted rather good if a bit weird. By the time I got done eating Elfman had gotten done cleaning the kitchen and was pulling out his dish from the oven. "I'll be going now. I shall give back the with the pot ware, I swear this on my honor as a gentleman."

I once again lightly roll my eyes at his word. And with that Elfman was on his way out with a hot pot in his currently scaly hands from a partial Takeover spell. Before he was out of the room though I decided to speak up. "Hey, Elfman. I know Mom probably said this already but just want to remind you. You and Mira are always welcome here ok. If you need some help don't hesitate to come to use."

Elfman paused at the door and seemed to just stand there for a few seconds before turning slightly to face me. He had a sad but still happy smile on his face. "Thank you, Sir Bishop. You and your family truly are a blessing for me and my sister." And with that, he was gone.

I stared at the door for a good minute before letting out a sigh and leaned back on the chair I was sitting in. I still had this feeling of guilt over what had happened. I could have done something to keep Lisanna here but ultimately did nothing. All because I had forgotten. All because I had forgotten about the event to come. The trials and challenges that would face Fairy Tail.

I needed to be ready to face them. Long ago I just want to be strong enough to survive on my own and let the guild take care of everything but now just the thought of doing that left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. As annoying as it was these people were no longer characters in a story for me. They were real people. Some strangers, some friends, and some family.

No, I couldn't just leave now. This left me one option. I now needed to be not just strong for myself but for my family. I needed more power.

I had been training sure, but unlike my siblings, I never really went all out with it. They put their all in improving while I was just happy to improve at a slower rate which had gotten even slower over the years. Even after the Sword mage incident I only really slightly stepped up my training. I had just become complacent in all honesty. I started living in the moment and forgot about all the things to come. The Lisanna incident was the kick in the ass I needed to remember my situation. A situation I can't just run from now.

I was going to need something for what's to come. I was good by most mage standards but good won't get me far right now. I needed to be better. I need a trump card. Something up my sleeve. I had idly experimented for something like that for the past few years but just like my training, I was far too slow and complacent with it.

Lucky It seemed that fate didn't hate me completely as a certain experiment with illusions was proving to be very successful and now I just need to perfect it. Hopefully, It was the ace I needed for the chaos that was to come to Fairy Tail's gate and I was the Gatekeeper of Fairy Tail after all. It was only fair I properly greet it.

With new determination filling my head I made my way out and to one of the rooms that had been converted into a training room.

I had some work to do.

The guild was rather quiet right now. Not from lack of people, in fact, nearly every guild member was here right now. All cheer and loudness were gone from the building as everyone waited.

What were they waiting for?

For the Guild Master to announce who would be in this year's S-class trials.

Eventually, the Guild Master appeared on the top railing and called for everyone's attention. Instantly what little noise in the guild quiets and everyone waited with bated breath to see who a chance would have to become S-class.

"Ok everyone, I won't keep you waiting. For this year's S-class trials there will be eight participants." The number of participants tended to change between eight and ten, but I had heard that it had been twelve and even fourteen at one point.

"First is Macao Conbolt." Macao let out a mighty cheer at hearing his name. "Second will be Wan Chanzi." Wan simply gives a nod before taking a sip of his drink. "Third will be Cana Vern-Alberona." Cana gives a sigh at her name. I should probably note that a few years ago all my little siblings agreed to put Vern in front of their last name as a way of showing that they were now all a family, Mom had been rather happy at that development.

"Fourth will be Max Alors" Max, who I believe was the Sand Mage, gave out a happy laugh at his participation. "Fifth will be Mikuni Shin." Mikuni Gave a formal bow at the Master's words. "Sixth will be Levy Mcgarden." Levy seemed to be at a loss for words as Jet and Droy cheered for her. "Seventh will be Freed Justine." Freed held himself up proud as Bickslow patted him on the back. "And Finally, Eighth will be…" I held my breath as the Master paused for dramatic effect. I didn't really care too much for being an S-class mage, but I felt like going through the trials would be a good test for me.

"Natsu Vern-Dragneel." Natsu gave out a loud roar at being the last to get into the trials while Happy excitedly hovered around him. Guess I won't be in this year's trials. Several other members let out sighs and groans of disappointment at not being picked. But before any chatter could start up the Master spoke again.

"Now that's not all. We're trying something new this year. All those who will be in the trials will be allowed a partner to help support them. No S-class mages or other participants. We will be leaving the day after tomorrow at 10 am sharp. This year the trials will be held in the Twisting Canyons in the northern part of Fiore. Pick wisely and be prepared." And with that, the Guild Master jumped down from the railing and proceeds to start drinking at the bar.

There was a second of silence before the guild burst into activity as members tried to become partners with those that had been picked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Natsu declare Happy his partner much to Gray's frustration. When I looked around for Cana though I saw nothing until I saw her walk out of the guild.

After a few seconds of debating, I decided to follow her and waved my way through the maze of mages and exited the building. I saw Cana heading towards the docks and made to follow, eventually, after a few minutes, she found a bench by the docks and proceed to sit down and stare at the ocean. After some more debating, I decided to take a seat right next to her on the bench.

She spared a second to look at me before once again staring into the ocean. We spent a good minute or two just sitting in silence before I decided to speak up. "You seemed worried."

Cana seemed to clench her fist for a moment before relaxing and letting out a bitter chuckle. "This is going to be my fourth time participating Bish. I can't help but think I'll fail again and won't be allowed to take the trials again."

"We both know that the Guild Master wouldn't do that." She let out another bitter chuckle at my words before speaking once again "Ya probably but I still can't help but think I'll fail."

We spent another few seconds sitting in silence before she spoke up again. "Did I ever tell you about my Dad?" I shrug at her question. "You mention him when Mom and I first met you, but you didn't really say much about him."

Cana seemed to think for a few seconds before talking. "He still alive. In Fact, he's a member of the guild." I waited a second before I spoke. "And he would be?"

Cana once again had a look of conflict on her face before she relaxed and spoke. "Gildarts." I put on the best look of surprise on my face. "Gildarts? As in the Ace of Fairy Tail." Cana nodded at my words and we spent the next few seconds in silence.

"So, I guess he doesn't know?" Cana had anger flash on her face for a second before she calmed down. "I tried to tell him. I really did but every time something would come up." She let out a sigh before leaning back on the bench and stared into the blackening sky with a sad smile. "Don't get me wrong I've been so happy with you and Mom and the others. You're the best family I could ever ask for but…. I still want to at least tell him. If only for my birth mom's sake. So, I decided that I would become S-class and then tell him but…"

"Never quite worked out for you did it." Cana let out another bitter chuckle at my words "Nope." She said while popping the p in the word.

We sat in silence for about a minute before I stood up. "Well, I guess I better help fix that then." Cana gave me a confused look. "Let me be your partner so I can make sure my little sister becomes S-class."

She gave me another chuckle but this time it didn't have a bitter edge to it. "And who says I was going to pick you? Maybe I was going to go with Gray." I gave her a raised eyebrow at her words and she just rolled her eyes. "Ya, you would be my first choice."

I gave my little sister a small smile before holding out my hand to her. "Well then let get ready. We got a day to prepare and I don't want to waste it." Cana gave my hand a stare for a few seconds before she looked at me with a smile on her face as she grabbed it and pulled herself up. "Ya, let's get ready."

As I walked home with her a part of me protested my actions. I had already changed so much, I should try to limit the changes as much as I can right now. Not change things more. But as I looked at my sister who was walking with a spring in her step and a smile on her face I had only one thing to say to that part of me.

"Fuck it."

AN: Welp that's a lot to go over. First off is the Lisanna aftermath and some stuff for Natsu. Some development for Mira and Elfman. Mira, I'm going for a mix of her new and old personality, a nice girl that has a short temper and can be very volatile. For Elfman, I obviously going for a gentleman rather than a manly man. And the ending is set up for a mini-arc that's going to hopefully be followed by a be line for the start of canon. I did think about having Bishop be in the trials but I thought it would be better narrative-wise for Cana to be supported by Bishop. Either way, we're getting some S-class Trials.

Thanks once again to volfwildman for being a Beta. As well as thanks to the rest of you for your support, also going to give 19Teardrop94 a special thanks for an amazing review.

HEY! REVIEW!...please.

Have a great day.

Edit: So I've come to the conclusion that like Bishop I got too complacent. I found that I didn't add some things because I just assumed that others would figure it out and got too lazy as well to add them. I had this problem early on but lucky Volfwildman pointed it out then and I started explaining more. Unfortunately, it looks like I fell back into that complacency. I just added a few things to this chapter to help explain some things, I might even do the same with a few other chapter just to be safe. I sorry about this and I hope that I can fix my mistake here.

Once again have a great day.

P a treon . com (slash) BETAsatchel