The Joy of the First Night

"Kids! Off the boat!" After more than two hours at sea, the Fairy Tail guild finally arrived at their destination.

Makarov was the first to disembark onto the beach. "The girls' dormitory is over there, and the boys' dormitory is on the other side. Go get your rooms sorted out first. Four people to a room—come get your room numbers from me! Rest up today. We'll have fun tomorrow."

Feng Lan carried his luggage to his room. Natsu, Gray, and Elfman were assigned to the same room as him.

Before long, Feng Lan and the others had divided up the beds. Feng Lan and Natsu took one side, with Feng Lan on the top bunk and Natsu below him. Elfman and Gray were on the other side, with Elfman on top and Gray below.

Feng Lan complained weakly, "Seriously... they stuck me with a bunch of little brats. There isn't even anyone to drink with at night."

Natsu shot Feng Lan a glance. "If someone drank with you, would we even get any sleep...?"

Feng Lan awkwardly turned his head away. "Fine, fine, fine. Hurry up and go to sleep..."

Laxus's room

"Snore... snore..." The moment Gildarts entered the room, he flopped onto a bed and fell asleep.

Laxus gave his only two pairs of earplugs to Freed and Biggs, while he covered his own ears, on the verge of tears.

Laxus pulled a pillow over his head, but it did absolutely nothing. He turned to look at Gildarts, who was sleeping like the dead, and at Freed and Biggs, who were sleeping peacefully. "I seriously have the worst luck... Why didn't anyone tell me Gildarts snored...?"

Girls' dormitory

Lisanna and Cana lay on one bed, studying Tarot Cards.

Lisanna looked at the complicated cards, her head spinning. "Cana, you're amazing! You can even learn something this complicated."

Cana said smugly, "Of course I can~ The only thing is, I can't read my own fortune."

Lisanna asked curiously, "Why not? I'm really curious what Cana's other half is like."

Cana shrugged. "It's an unwritten rule that fortune-tellers can't tell their own fortunes, and even if they do, the reading won't be accurate... Oh, right. Your card was Hell, wasn't it?"

Lisanna nodded. "Yeah! I bet it's definitely Natsu!"

Cana asked worriedly, "But Hell's dark implications..."

Lisanna scratched her head as she recalled, "I do remember that one time when I went on a mission with Natsu, his flames were a little strange... They were dark-colored, and they felt really terrifying..."

Cana scratched her head. "Forget it, don't think about that. I believe in my reading. Since you two are destined for each other, then not even the darkness of Hell can tear you apart. I also believe Natsu won't be defeated by any darkness."

Lisanna clenched her fists. "Yeah! Even though I'm weak right now, I want to become stronger too. At the very least... at the very least, I won't hold everyone back! Whether it's Mira, Elfman, Feng Lan, Natsu, or everyone in the guild, Lisanna wants to stay by everyone's side forever."

Erza smiled and encouraged Lisanna. "Well said! Then you'd better work hard, Lisanna!"

Mira smiled at Lisanna with pride. "That's my little sister! Then you're not allowed to slack off on missions anymore, okay~?"

Cana looked at the book in Mira's hands. "What's this... 'One Piece'?"

Lisanna explained, "It's that novel Feng Lan loves to read. Mira started reading it these past few days too."

Erza looked at Mira with interest. "Oh~ You're really putting in the effort. Are you trying to make up for your lack up front with a shared topic? Maybe Feng Lan likes girls with big breasts~"

Mira's little face turned red. "Who... who cares what kind of girls he likes? Seriously..."

Lisanna and Cana continued to rub salt in the wound from the side. "But boys these days really do like girls with big breasts..."

Mira glared resentfully at Lisanna and Cana below. "Whose side are you two on, anyway!? Besides, you two are about the same as me, okay!?"

Lisanna and Cana looked at each other. "But you're several years older than us."

Mira pouted miserably and buried her head beneath the blankets. "Sleep!"

As night fell, everyone gradually drifted off beneath a sliver of moonlight.

"Boom! Ah!" Early the next morning, everyone was still asleep when an explosion and a scream jolted them awake.

Erza hurriedly equipped a suit of armor. "What's going on!? Don't tell me we're under attack!"

Lisanna and Cana, who slept on the lower bunks, hurriedly got out of bed and pulled open the curtains. Mira and Erza also leaped down from the upper bunks and came to the window.

They found no sign of enemies. Instead, they saw Natsu running around in panic, chased by Feng Lan, whose back was on fire and who held Onikiri and Spider Sever in his hands.

"Come on! Natsu, get over here! I'm telling you, one of us is dying today!"

Before long, everyone in the guild had been awakened by the noise and gathered on the beach.

"I... I was wong, Feng Lan..." Natsu had been beaten beyond recognition by Feng Lan and was carried into the infirmary by Elfman and Freed.

Feng Lan sat shirtless on the beach, maintaining his beloved blades.

Gray stood behind Feng Lan, helping him ice his burns.

"Ah~" Laxus stretched and walked over to Feng Lan. "Yo, Feng Lan. How'd you sleep last night?"

"Pretty well, except getting set on fire by Natsu first thing this morning was a little less than wonderful." Feng Lan turned to glance at Laxus. "But what happened to you? Those dark circles are awful! Didn't sleep well?"

"Heh..." Laxus gave a bitter laugh and glanced at the energetic Gildarts nearby. "Don't mention it. Even the thunder I make with magic isn't louder than Gildarts's snoring..."

Feng Lan looked at Laxus sympathetically. "Uh... Good thing the rooms are soundproof."

Laxus scratched his hair. "Oh, right, Feng Lan, come with me. I found something fun."

"Gray, thanks. Go have fun yourself." Feng Lan got to his feet. "Let's go! Let me take a look!"

Gray nodded. "I'm not playing. I'm going to practice God Slayer Magic... I'll grind you all into the ground!"

Laxus grabbed Feng Lan by the arm and ran toward where the guild members had gathered.

When Makarov saw them, he smiled with satisfaction. "Laxus... have you finally become part of this family too...? It seems all you ever lacked was a key like Feng Lan."

Gildarts handed Makarov a glass of wine and said with a smile, "Guild Master, that kid Laxus has completely blended in with everyone in the guild too. It's all thanks to Feng Lan~"

Makarov nodded. "Yes. Laxus has always been too rebellious, lacking care... lacking attention... lacking close friends. But Feng Lan has solved all of that perfectly now~ I never wanted Laxus to become overwhelmingly strong. I only wanted him to grow up laughing together with the rest of the guild..."

Gildarts took a sip of wine. "Your wish has already come true. Look at Laxus... his smile is from the heart~ It's just as bright as everyone else's. But aren't those dark circles pretty bad? How did he get them?"

"Mm... this is enough. Whether it's Laxus or Feng Lan, they're still underage children. Those are the expressions they should have." Makarov watched Laxus and Feng Lan run around like children and nodded with satisfaction. "But surely you know your snoring is earth-shaking, right?"

Gildarts awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Heh, hehe, I didn't know..."