3, Fairy Tail New Generation

5. Hot Hell Vs Ice Hell

Finally, the hardest trainings were going to start.
Two teams, that would switch so that each would do both trainings.
Each one would have senior members, as guides, and mentors. They would leave at the same time, but to two very different destinations, they would have to face extreme climate, hot and humid then dry hot desert, or extremely cold, frozen valley and an ice and rock mountain, and deep ice cold waters.
Now, let's see who is going to form the teams, who will be the senior member s to guide them and help if necessary.

Two weeks after that great party, junior and senior members of the guild were ready to start the first phase of the training for each group.
This phase is going to last 10 days, then they would switch.
It was going to be an extreme training for both sides, in extreme climates, frozen valleys and planes, lakes deep and cold, or hot, humid tropical forests, with deep mud rivers, snakes, thick vegetation, hot as hell.
Group A senior members,all S class mages, which were going to supervise and arbitrate the training, were Gray and Juvia Fullbuster, Jellal Fernández, and Gajeel Redfox. The junior team, for whom this was the last training, were Storm and Christal Fullbuster, Sakura and Simon Fernández, Electra and Markus Drayer.
Group B was going to be supervised by Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy, and Levy, while the junior members were Igneer, Nashi, Reiki, Jade, Gaile, and Emma.
So one mornining, at dawn, the two groups, with all their respective gear, were ready to start the road, walking. They took almost two opposite directions, A group hitting North, while group B South West. First of all, it would take both groups one whole day to reach the destination of their training. It was a hard long journey already.
But this was going to prepare them for most of their missions.

Group A arrived by night to the mountains where they were going to start. It was extremely cold, and clearly four of them had and advantage, the Fullbuster's. But they were all determined to endure all the hardness and give their best. The first night, sleeping all side by side, sheltered in a cave of ice, in their sleeping bags, was going to be already a test. Of course, everyone had boots and special gear for extreme cold. Specially Electra, who had a special type of fabric that she could warm by her control of electric power. She didn't like cold, so she layed down in her sleeping bag close to Christal, and didn't mind that Storm layed close to her. Like their senior nakama, they layed close to each other, side by side around the fire. They only ate an energetic bar before going to sleep. Gray and Gajeel were going to keep an eye open during that night.
The next morning, they were going to start training, climbing up the snow covered, ice cold mountain, by pair. The first to start were Sakura and Markus... Gray, to make things even harder, made ice spikes that they had to climb up or destroy, in order to go on. Sakura using her katanas, and Markus his thunder power to destroy the obstacle, they progressed quite well... They got a good score and worked good as a team.
The next were Storm and Electra. Obviously for him cold wasn't a problem. Just wearing a shirt, he helped Ellie for whom it was much harder, climbing over the ice rocks. At one point, she was caught off guard and slipped, but Storm was fast to catch her and using Ice Magic he turned the ice rock to dust. They made also a great score. Gray and Juvia could hardly hide their pride.
Gajeel was proud of his Godson as well, but he liked to tease him, as well as his dad
" Well done Ice Prince" he smirked with a wink at him... "as father as son hein ?" Gray had a little smile at the corner of his lips... But just said " it's ok, for beginners..."
Then, Christal and Simon had to do the same... Useless to say that they worked well together and that her Ice and Water magic helped even better. They got the best score.
Other tests waited, even harder... But now, let's see how's going several hundreds miles South... With group B.

In a wet thick, tropical forest, Erza was leading the team, walking through a dirty, muddy water that went up to their knees.
"Why I agreed to follow you Natsu?! Why do I end up always in this kind of mess, following you! I'd better stayed at home" Lucy whined as usual, in bad mood, because she hated getting dirty, and walking with mud and strange, disgusting insects climbing over her.
"Silence everybody! Lucy, you are a senior mage and supposed to give good example to our younger nakamas. And regardless if some of them are our own children. It's going to be hard, that's what trainings are for!" when Titania spoke like that, no one dared to reply.
Levy walked silently beside Lucy, sinking in mud to her hips, because she was the shortest, and she had her heavy gear on her back. Luckily, Panther Lily, which Gajeel insisted to follow Levy helped her lifting her flying, at least for the deepest part of the road. The juniors followed bravely, everyone ready do give the best.
This was already part of the training, because the forest was thick, Erza opened the way cutting the thick vegetation with a long Machette. It was getting dark already, so Natsu lit up the torches made of wood and greased rugs...
" come on Emma-chan, no reason to be scared, it's just mud..." Nashi trying her best to be brave herself, because she's never admit it but she hated walking in the dark, specially when something seemed to slide up her leg!
"rhaaahhhaahhh help! Something's
Climbing under my shirt! Ahhh it's a snake!! Nashi screamed, twisting and
wriggling, scared to death! Emma started screaming too, then suddenly Nashi felt something burning her back, and her tank going into peaces, leaving her half naked! Her brother meanwhile was laughing like crazy, holding the roasted snake, and Jade and Gaile laughing too... Nashi, red like Erza's hair, screamed at him kicking his ass while covering her large chest.
"you Baka! Igneer you're gonna pay it!"
"Hey sis' I just wanted to help you out!" he answered still laughing.
Until their mother shouted at them...
"are you over with it yet? Nashi, cover up, take your spare top, and you, Igneer, you're as dumb as your father! You couldn't have catched that snake without burning her top! You are still acting like kids!" Lucy face-palmed looking at them.
After a little while, Nashi was walking near Jade this time, feeling safer...and well she did... An enormous spider was climbing on a branch right beside her. She jumped back holding his arm without even noticing it, while he cooly smiled,
"Ghee'... Don't worry Pinky, look..." he just sent an iron spike that stiked the insect to the branch, killing it instantly. Even if Nashi hated when he called her with that nickname, she was so relieved and grateful that she said just " thank you Jade"... The boy blushed a bit too" Ghee... No big deal Nash' "...
They arrived at a clear spot in the forest, large enough to make their camp for that night and the following.
First thing, Erza ordered the boys to go with Natsu and Happy for some wood, to make the fire, while the others will arrange their tents and sleeping bags. Erza, meanwhile, went hunting for dinner, went back with some kind of strange rabbit, and prepared it to be grilled.
When everything was ready for fire, Natsu asked Igneer to light it up. They were all very hungry... Tired, and dirty! Thankfully, Levy showed them a spot of clear water, a small, safe lake. The boys didn't care much to get just in underwear to get a bath, the girls wanted to wait but Erza just pushed them half naked giving herself the example,
"when you'll be on a 4 day mission, you wouldn't have always the leasure to change your outfit girls! So don't be so prude, you know each other since you were kids, so don't bother and go wash yourself quickly!" nobody dared to object to her that, with her re equipment power, she could change into a bikini in a blink, so even Lucy and Levy, already used to her Spartiate ways, went in their undies to take a bath. The water was just cool enough to be pleasant... And they all felt better, eating the strange but quite good meal that Erza prepared on the grill, with some fruits they've found nearby. After their meal, the young members fell deeply asleep, while Erza watched over that night.
The next day, they will have to go, by pairs, each in a different direction, folllowing a map, and find a different object each of them.
At dawn, Erza woke everybody up. The seniors were ready since a while, they ate some fruits, took some fresh water, and by pair as follows, got on their training day, Igneer and Emma, Nashi and Jade, Chloe and Gaile, Sylvia and Reiki. The forest as they knew was deep and dangerous, and terribly hot and humid.
They also had to show some skills in using a map, and avoiding traps like moving sand... Chloe fell in and felt she was slowly sinking, but Gaile twisted some lianes with his own iron rope to help her get out.
The first to arrive at their spot on the map were Emma and Igneer, but before he rushed to catch a glaring orange stone, she stopped him, and after pronouncing a spell, she made appear an inscription in old runes, which she deciphered, not easily, saying that " if two feet move as one, only, the way would open to the bravest heart"... After scratching their heads over the meaning of it, Emma said
"we need to walk together, hand in hand, stepping with the same foot at the same time, each step of the way... And then... I guess you must take the stone 'Neer..." she looked deep into his eyes, and he nodded, with an encouraging smile, " don' t worry Emma, I trust you, do you trust me?... So it's gonna be ok". They walked slowly, synchronised, until they reached the three, where the orange stone was glaring, and Igneer reached out and got it! It was burning hot, but he burned it even more until. It turned red, and the light disappeared.
"We made it Emma!" he lifted his petite comrade in his arms, so excited by their success!
"Yes, but please put me down now you silly! Let's go back!
Meantime, Nashi and Jade stepped and suddenly were sourrounded by a cercle of light, emanating heat... Jade could tranform in his Iron form and sheltered Nashi while passing that wall of burning light.
Then, in front of them a sphere of light was floating but this time he could't even approach it. Nashi told him
"Wait Jade, this kind of fire is something I can deal with... It's Celestial fire."
Nashi, had a different sort of fire than her brother, that came from the stars.
She needed to say "I summon thee, Celestial Fire" and golden flames came from her hands. She could get the sphere unharmed. And as soon it was in her hands, it became a soft glowing golden star.
"Woaw, you're great Nashi!" Jade hugged her spinning around.
"Now let's race back"
At the same time, Reiki and Sylvia entered some old ruines... Carefully.
She could use her fairy wings like her mother, and Reiki used a spell making a brightness appear revealing smoke, a toxic spell, in the room they had to go to get a green little statuette. Sylvia using her fairy mist into puryfing oxygen, got clear of the smoke but a sort of lacrima spell still shielded the statuette... Reiki, then used one of his fathers astral magic as a spear to broke it... There was an explosion and a great flash of light, then, the artefact glared with a soft green glow. Reiki felt it was safe, they could take it now.
At the end of the day, they were all back, sweating, tired, hungry... Even lightly wounded, but all of them had accomplished the mission and brought the different artefacts, the stone, the green figurine, an old parchment for Chloe and Gaile, and the golden star.
The first day the mission was accomplished! They enjoyed a well deserved bath and rest.
Lucy was very proud, as well as Natsu, and Erza and Levy. The kids have definitely grown into fully accomplished mages.
"when will you give them their gifts?" Natsu asked Lucy.
"When the training is over" she said, with a smile.

Now, a few days later, let's go back North to group A's last day of training.
They had to climb frozen mountains, face ice rocks falling over them... Walk on deserted frozen planes of ice... Fearing at each step it could break under their feet.
Thankfully, they could rest in their ice shelter, and Juvia had even created a hot source, for them to bath and heal their frozen bodies, after all the training both physical and using their magic resources.
That last day was going to be particularly difficult.
Each team had to dive to bring up an Ice Pearl. These were spheres of 4 inches, glowing with a silver, ice blue colour. Deep, on the bottom of a freezing cold lake. They had to help each other, and bring one Pearl.
Gray, Juvia, very anxious this time, Jellal and Gajeel were watching in case anything happened...
They all dived together... It was extremely hard, cold. Even Storm could feel the chill, so used Water body, while Electra, even wearing a protective gear, could hardly swim. He quickly found the Pearl, and sent it with Electra in a Water Bubble, to shelter her as much as possible.
Sakura and Markus got bravely down, as he used his magic on a very light scale both to heat the water around them and to see more clearly in the deep bottom of the lake. They found the Pearl, and swimmed to the surface as fast as they could, but arriving at the top, a thick layer of ice was already formed... Markus with all the power he could summon, broke it with his fist, carrying Sakura, frozen, and the Pearl.
Christal and Simon also dived together, she used Ice Body to protect herself from the cold, as she went fast deep to the bottom to get the last Pearl... while Simon was making light and helping her, he didn't see a block of ice hitting him and lost conscience ... Thankfully Christal, (rightfully named the Ice Mermaid,)found fast the Pearl and, creating a hot Water Lock around Simon, brought him fast and safe on the surface.
This happened almost all at the same time, so Juvia rushed to help Electra, Sakura and Simon in a bubble of warm steam, while Jellal, Gray, and, Gajeel helped the others. Markus was lightly wounded, Storm and Christal needed a warm bath, but more than anything to be sure their partners were well and safe.
Later, while they were eating after a hot bath, they all received the congratulations of their seniors, and as well from their comrades.
They knew they all worked hard, together. And a bond even stronger than before was forged during these days of hardship, and that they learned much more than master their force and magical skills.
Same at camp B. After a very painful training in a dry and dusty plane, counting only on each other, they have all successfully finished this part of the training.
Erza congratulated them, while their parents, and senior comrades, watched them becoming each day stronger mages.
They all enjoyed the moment, knowing well that, 2 weeks later, they would have to switch... From one hell to another.