Kids

DESCRIPTION: There are those who say that the future is not written in stone; that our destinies are ours to make. However, when a new group arrives at the doors of Fairy Tail, they will turn that theory upside down and then some.

A/N: Hello everyone, this is my first attempt at a fanfic. I hope I do well and I welcome your reviews and not too harsh criticisms…May God have mercy on my soul. From the get go you may already have an idea as to who's kids I'm talking about, so I apologize for being so obvious. Also, I will be changing the rating of this story from a teen to a possibly mature rating. It all depends on where I go with this. For now, expect some harsh language here and there and what not. With that said, let's begin!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail; Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics USA own it. If I did…well let's just say some things would be different.

Kids: A Fairy Tail fanfic

CHAPTER 1: New Arrivals

The skies above Magnolia were unusually dark.

The day had started out like any other; warm and sunny. The skies were relatively clear, with the exception of the occasional cloud or two, and a light breeze gently that rustled the branches of the trees. It was, for all intents and purposes; a normal day. That was until the breeze gradually turned into a powerful wind. The wind in turn brought clouds. Not the little wisps that dotted the sky as before, but massive storm clouds that darkened the sky. No sooner did the clouds appear did the rain begin. It started light but soon developed into a torrential downpour, catching the people in the streets of Magnolia completely off guard by the bizarre change in weather. As people sought out shelter to stay dry from the storm, something else was occurring deep within the East Forest on the outskirts of town.

Within a small clearing, the wind picked up to the point where a small whirlwind of leaves and debris formed. Without warning, static electricity began to crackle as a circle of light formed within the whirlwind. Slowly, runes of various sizes and shapes began to form within the circle in a clockwise motion. Once the process was complete, the circle glowed brighter than it did before. Then, for the briefest of moments, everything within the clearing came to a standstill, despite the raging storm around it.

Nothing moved, nothing breathed.

There was no sound.

There was absolute silence.

Suddenly, with a deafening roar and flash of light, a massive bolt of lightning accompanied by a crack of thunder struck the circle with the utmost precision. A blinding white light illuminated the circle and clearing. If one were to see it, they would think a second sun was forming within the forest.

When the light faded, so did the storm. The entire event had lasted only a matter of minutes.

But…the clearing was no longer empty.

Where the enchanted circle had once formed, stood a group of seven; four girls and three boys.

Their features and clothing were hidden beneath long flowing cloaks, but they all ranged in height and build. They stood still for a moment before, if ever so slowly, they began to take in their surroundings.

"It appears we made it." Said the fourth girl, her voice being the first to break the silence with its professional tone.

"Where are we ane-chan?" Asked a small cloaked child as she gently clung to the person next to her while she held a small stuffed teddy bear close to her chest with her free hand. She couldn't have been no older than five years old.

"Home." The first boy said as he stepped out of the circle while cracking his knuckles. The way he carried himself indicated that he was the leader of the group.

"How can you be so sure?" The second boy asked.

"Notice where we are?"

The boy's compatriots took another cursory glance of their surroundings.

"Ah, I recognize where we are now…sure looks different from what we're used to." Said the third boy.

"I'll say, this place looks foreign without the training and fire damage." Said the second.

"Are you saying that's my fault?" Asked the first girl as she placed her hands on her hips.

"No, I'm just saying you tend to get carried away every now and then." Second said as he raised his hands defensively.

"Carried away? Like you're so innocent yourself." The girl said as she pointed an accusing finger at the boy.

Second clenched his hands into tight fists.

"You trying to start something toots?" The boy said through clenched teeth.

"TOOTS!? Who you calling toots you as-"

"That's quite enough you two." The leader said, his voice leaving no room for argument while his aura flared slightly.

The girl and the boy both shrunk back while waving their hands apologetically. Even just a small taste of their leader's aura was enough to make them stand down.

"Sorry/Sorry boss won't happen again." They said in unison as they noticed the youngest member of their group had a pair of hands protectively covering her ears.

"Need I remind you that my little sister is with us?" The third girl said threateningly as she removed her hands from her sister's ears.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'll be more careful from now on". The first girl said as she went to stand next to the group leader.

"You better be...same for you too baka" Third muttered under her breathe as she slugged second in the shoulder; hard.

Second subsequently tried stifle is yelp of pain.

With the small conflict avoided, the group turned to their leader.

"What now boss?" The third boy asked.

The leader dug a hand into the inside of his cloak before producing a nondescript hard cover journal. He quickly thumbed to his previously marked page.

"We head for Magnolia and work our way from there. If the information in the book is correct, everything suggests that the guild will be taking on a multi team job today. We need to verify each team member's identity before we can act. In the event that our identities are discerned beforehand then we retreat for the time being and find some place to hide until we can come up with another plan. If all goes according to plan, we should be able to shadow them without any problems. After that it's all up to fate to play its hand."

"…And then we reveal ourselves?" The fourth girl asked.

The leader nodded, "Yes…so until then we must be extremely careful; understood?"

The other group members nodded in silent agreement before they followed the leader down a natural trail that winded its way through the forest.

"Are we going home?" The little girl asked as Second hoisted her up so she could rest on his shoulders.

"Yep…" Second nodded, "home sweet home."

"Are we gonna see mommy and papa when we get there?" The girl asked as she rested her chin atop her big brothers head.

"We will sweet heart, we will. Just not immediately, okay?"

"Okay." The little girl agreed.

XXX

Makarov Dreyar, the Guild Master of Fairy Tail, sat in his desk chair with his arms crossed while a pile of papers lay before him in an organized pile. He continued to watch the sky via the window in his office as the storm clouds faded away and the peaceful weather that had been momentarily disturbed return.

"That was odd." Makarov said to no one in particular.

The weather had caught him off guard due to its untimely appearance. Such storms were not unheard of but there was something…different about this storm. He had thought he had sensed an unfamiliar magic when the massive bolt of lightning hit somewhere off in the forest. Then again, the weather of the world had its own style of magic on a simple, primitive level and given how massive the lightning strike had been he really shouldn't have been surprised when he sensed a magic force. Still…there was something about it that-

Makarov shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"I'm overthinking things…perhaps I just imagined it." Makarov said as he turned back to the task set before him; deciding the team roster for an S-Class job that Fairy Tail had been requested to handle.

Makarov sighed.

He had accepted the job but he still had one glaring problem; he was down to only one S-Class Mage in the whole guild.

"Gildart's is off gallivanting like he usually is, Mirajane and Laxus are both working a job and won't be back in time and Jellal is with his own guild…so that leave's Erza."

Makarov sighed and rubbed his temples.

"She's not going to like this." Makarov said as he picked up the roster for any available mage who needed a job at the moment. After carefully weighing his options for which mage fit the criteria for the job, Makarov believed he had a team that compensated for each other's strengths and weaknesses. It was time to brief everyone on the situation.

"Cana," Makarov called out over the ruckus being caused in the guild hall, "Cana could you come in here please."

A minute or two passed before the door finally opened to reveal a strikingly beautiful woman. Cana Alberona was a brown haired, brown eyed beauty of a girl. Despite being eighteen, Cana had a body that left most women green with envy along with the talent of being able to outdrink some of the most hardcore competitive drinkers in the guild…and not suffer alcohol poisoning in the process.

How she managed to hear Makarov over the craziness of the guild eluded the man but he did not dwell on the matter.

"Something you need sir?" Cana asked as she folded her hands behind her back.

"Yes, could you possibly calm everyone down out there, we have a job and I need to brief everyone on the details concerning it."

Cana raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of job is it?"

"The important kind."

Cana smiled at Makarov's witty response.

"I'll get right on it sir."

Makarov gave Cana a smile of his own before he hopped out his seat and popped his back with a resounding "crunch" to aleve the knot that started to form his back. Makarov grunted as he rubbed his sore back.

"Maybe I'm getting too old for this." He muttered as he and Cana left his office.

"You alright?" Cana asked with a concerned frown.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," as he shook his hand at Cana, "just the usual aches and pains associated with getting old…and putting up with a bunch of obnoxious brats." Makarov gave Cana a mischief filled grin.

Cana chuckled slightly. "I'm surprised you've held out as long as you've had."

"Well someone has to keep an eye on you crazy kids."

"Ah, you know you love us."

The two entered the guild hall just in time to avoid getting nailed by a glass that was haphazardly sent in their direction.

"So…who started it this time?" Makarov asked as he observed the chaos before him. A large mass of guild members were engaged in an all-out brawl while others were trying to avoid getting dragged in it by staying on the side lines.

"I think you know." Cana said as she cocked her head to the right to avoid someone's boot hitting her in the face.

"…Natsu and Gray?" Makarov asked as he ducked from being pelted with a plate.

"Natsu and Gray." Cana said knowingly. Whether it was one thing or another, the Fire and Ice mage always seemed to be causing trouble.

The two let out tired sighs before Makarov hopped up on the bar counter. Cana let out a loud whistle that seemed to reach the ears of the guild members and cause them to pause.

"EVERYONE SETTLE DOWN AND SHUT UP! WE GOT A JOB!" Cana yelled. Her words instantly registered with the guild and everyone grabbed a seat where they could and directed their attention to Makarov.

Clearing his throat, Makarov held up the job request form for all to see.

"Earlier this morning I received a Subjugation Mission request from Crocus. A rouge magic group has been raising all kinds of hell in and around the city. The offenses range from severe property damage, armed robbery to assault. The city guard have tried to apprehend the group members but have met with little to no success. We've been asked to deal with this situation in a quick and precise matter. Once the group is apprehended and detained they are to be handed over to the Capital Guard and from there our involvement will be over with. Given the severity of this job, it has been designated an S-Class mission."

Makarov paused for a moment.

"If we successfully pull this off, the payment for our help will amount to up to 2,590,000 jewels."

Most, if not all of the guild members jaws dropped to floor once they heard the amount of pay to be given. Most normal Subjugation jobs allotted a payment of 2,000,000 jewels. The amount for this job was unheard of.

Makarov cleared his throat again as he dug into his coat then withdrawing a piece of paper.

"I hold in my hand the roster for this job. Now, given the fact that this is an S-Class job, a complication has arisen. We are short three of our S-Class mages, with only one in our presence."

Everyone directed their attention to Erza. The redhead swordswoman leaned against a support beam with her arms crossed as she eyed Makarov curiously.

"That being said, I have created the team based on some of our guild mates who are closely matched in strength to our S-Class members. It wasn't easy but I believe these people will be able to compensate for the lack in strength."

Makarov looked at the list in his hands.

"The team for this job are as follows," Makarov paused to make sure he had everyone's attention, "Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Gajeel Redfox, Levy McGarden, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Wendy Marvell and Romeo Conbolt."

Makarov let the names of the team sink in as the guild hall broke out into conversation. While the group members were excitedly chatting with one another about the payment amount to the fact that they had been selected for an S-Class mission, Erza had left her spot and approached Makarov.

"Master Makarov," Erza said tersely, "can I speak to you in private?"

"Here we go" Makarov thought.

"Of course Erza." The two left the guild hall for a more secluded area of the building.

Once they were sure they were alone, Makarov turned to face Erza.

"What seems to be the problem Erza?"

"I must protest against the selection you made for the mission," Erza said as she crossed her arms, "I do not feel that the members selected will be effective for the task at hand."

"I don't like this anymore than you do Erza." Makarov answered back levelly. Makarov considered each and every member of Fairy Tail his "children." They were a nakama… a family. And like any parent, Makarov dreaded putting his family in harm's way.

"Then why did you select them? Couldn't you have at least waited until someone more qualified returned or-"

Makarov raised his hand cutting Erza off. Makarov let out a deep sigh before giving Erza an understanding look.

"I understand what you're saying Erza but the fact of the matter is that we simply do not have the time to wait or delay this job any longer than it has to be. The longer we wait, the more time the rouge group has to cause more damage…people's lives are at stake here. Crocus specifically asked for our help and I do not intend to let them down. I don't think the two of us could live with fact that we let innocent people get hurt while we procrastinated with this job."

"But Master-"

"Erza, you've worked together with the selected people before. You know what they're capable of. They can be unorthodox at times but they are just as capable as any other S-Class mage in the guild. So long as you are there to guide them, everything will turn out fine."

Makarov gently took Erza's hand into his own.

"I have the utmost confidence in your abilities."

Erza lowered her head slightly and avoided looking at Makarov for a moment before nodding with a confident smile.

"You're right Master…I'm sorry to have doubted your judgment."

Makarov smiled brightly.

"That's the spirit. Now have everyone pack up and meet up at the train station, time is of the essence."

"Sir!" Erza nodded curtly before heading back into the guild hall.

Makarov watched Erza leave. Before looking out a nearby window, a slight frown on his face. During the entire conversation, Makarov could have sworn someone was watching him and Erza. Whoever it was or if anyone was there, they were gone now and were quite adept at hiding their magical signature.

"I hope everything turns out fine with this job…I have an odd feeling about this."

XXX

The leader watched Magnolia from atop the spire of Kardia Cathedral. The town appeared just the way he'd left it.

From South Gate Park and all the way to the Book Land, everything appeared exactly the same. And, as he looked past the river that divided Magnolia in two, he saw the building that would one day become his home.

A home he already missed.

The leader sighed as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Dear Mavis, I'm getting homesick already." The leader said as the first girl took her place next to him as if she had appeared out of nowhere.

"I know what you mean. Everything looks and feels the same...it's strange seeing home like this."

The two were silent, enjoying the view offered by the Cathedral.

"Everyone has confirmed the identities of the group being sent to Crocus…it's just as the book said. As of now they're heading for the train station; they're on the move as we speak."

"Then so are we." The leader said as he left the vantage point, his cloak billowing out behind him.

The girl followed suite but not before taking one last glance at Magnolia.

"We'll meet soon enough…mom, dad." The girl said before heading after her compatriot.

XXX

A/N: Soooooooooo, what do ya'll think? Glaringly obvious plot points and characters here but, whatever. I'm rolling with it! I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. I'll get to work on the next one as soon as I can. As stated before, this is my first fanfic here so don't be too harsh on me with the reviews. I appreciate constructive criticism but not to the point where it tears apart my self-esteem. If you have any questions, just post them in your review.

Until next time, adios!