WARNING: SPOILERS!!! ~A Watty's 2019 Submission!

Saved for Kasumi: Wings and the Ocean

Kasumi stared at the Request Board, thinking hard on which task she should choose. She wasn't sure if she could take on anything too difficult without Natsu. She still couldn't believe that she had taken on the challenge. Natsu was probably going to enlist Lucy and Happy to help him, maybe even Wendy and Carla, but Kasumi was on her own, other than Lyla. Gray was out on his job and Erza was trying to encourage her to go by herself, since Erza had gone on so many by herself. Kasumi wasn't sure that she was strong enough to go on the kind of jobs that Erza would go on by herself, but then again, Erza was S Class. The others would probably go with her if she asked, but she was a little nervous to ask anyone else. Everyone else had their own teams, and she didn't want to mess up anyone's chemistry or feel like she was useless to someone's team.

"Hey, do you mind getting out of the way? I need to make some cash, fast." She jumped at the gruff voice, and turned to see Gajeel standing there with Panther Lily on his shoulder.

"S-Sorry, Gajeel." She stuttered, stepping aside, and Lily jumped down to his feet.

"Is something wrong, Kasumi? Where's Natsu?" She rubbed her arm, her face red, embarrassed.

"Well... we sort of have a competition going on." She explained. "We never go on jobs without each other, so we wanted to see who would do better on job without the other person."

"And you two are on your own?" Lily asked, already annoyed, as Lyla nodded.

"You should've heard them, Lily! Natsu was such a jerk! Him and Happy both! They think they're so tough, but we're gonna show them that they're useless without us!"

"Why don't you join on with someone else?" Lily asked. "I'm sure he's got his own team. I know Happy and Carla told me that they were going out with him, Lucy, and Wendy." Kasumi turned red.

"I was worried to mess up anyone's teams."

"Maybe you can come with us then." Gajeel glared at Lily for that one.

"You want to bring Water-Log with us?" he growled, and Lily gave him a look back.

"Why not? She needs to win this competition, and it's not like you've exactly formed a team yourself, Gajeel." Gajeel glared at her, and she clasped her hands together.

"Please, Gajeel? I don't think I can do this by myself! I've never been on a job by myself! I don't think I can do it!" Gajeel rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Fine! Just don't get in my way!" She sighed with relief, smiling as he picked out a flyer. "This seems like quick money. Just keeping a couple of bandits off of some gems. Probably'll be able to knock some teeth in!" She pumped her fist with a determined smile.

"Heck yeah! Let's do it!"

FAIRY TAIL

The trip wasn't as exciting as Gajeel thought it would be originally. They were driving a covered wagon pulled by large pigs along a dirt road. It was going to be about a two day trip. The plan was to use the wagon as a diversion so that no one would suspect that it was full of precious gems. It looked so plain, no one could guess that buried under pillows and blankets were four heavy boxes filled with gems. A relatively easy, if not long, task that they were planning on splitting 200,000 jewel between them.