Chapter 1: New Recruit
Noah was coming back from a particularly difficult solo quest. He suffered only minor injuries, had an unbelievable headache from when he took a blow to the head, and was forced to use most of the reward money to pay for damages to the town he saved. I definitely pulled a Natsu, he thought to himself as he ran his hand through his brown hair. He kicked a rock across the street, frustrated, and listened to it skip over the cobblestone street.
He had faced off against dozens of lizardmen who were terrorizing a small town named Pyron Village a ways east from Magnolia. He thought he had it handled until he came face to face with the largest, angriest lizardman he'd ever seen, undoubtedly their leader. It's skin was surprisingly durable and he had trouble penetrating it. After a few unsuccessful requips, he finally found victory with his Abyssal armor and one of his favorite swords: Brightroar. The blade burst into flames and obliterated the creature. Not before causing heavy damages however. Noah went a little overboard.
The guild came into view and he smiled. Fairy Tail, his home. It had been his home since he was 8 years old.
His father was a Rune Knight, and all he ever wanted was to be one too. He taught Noah about magic and told him stories about the Knights he served with. Noah admired him and his comrades to no end. But one day, his grandpa Rob disappeared. Besides his mother and father, his grandpa was all the family he had. Grandpa Rob always showed him his fire magic and tried to help Noah find his magic power buried within himself. He claimed he could feel it's prescence within Noah, but he could never make it physically appear. He was too young to understand the art of magic then. He told him stories about Fairy Tail and all the trouble they caused. The stories made him laugh until his stomach hurt. His grandpa was a mischievous man when he was younger, and he had passed it down to him.
When grandpa Rob disappeared, his father was devastated. Being the courageous knight that he was, he went to look for him when the authorities found nothing. His father kissed him and his mother goodbye and told them he'd be back soon with Grandpa Rob. Not months later, his mother came down with a deadly illness. He cared for her all he could, but she passed away in her sleep peacefully a couple months after. His father had been gone 6 months by then. Noah was on his own and only 8 years old. He eventually took to the streets and became a petty thief. He mastered pickpocketing, lying, and stealing. It was how he survived for a few months until he came across a short old man.
Flashback
8 year old Noah Fletcher saw him as an easy target. He was a small old man, whistling, seemingly oblivious to the world. He zeroed in on a wallet in his back pocket, no doubt filled with money that would buy him his food tonight. He grinned, thinking of the sweets shop just down the street. He started to follow the old man. He took every corner, shortcut, and alleyway that the man did, carefully leaving space between them so he wouldn't notice him lurking. He waited patiently for the perfect opportunity. When he was satisfied with his surroundings and the lack of possible witnesses around, he made his move. However, as soon as he got within two feet of the man, he suddenly sprouted into a giant and turned around.
"What are you trying to do you brat?! You think I couldn't sense you coming?!" He screamed. Noah fell backwards and instead of looking down at the old man he was now looking up at him, completely terrified.
"Sensed me? How?" He asked, genuinely curious. He knew he was quiet. He wasn't wearing shoes and walked on the balls of his feet. His breathing was noiseless and his clothes were nicely fitted which allowed no shuffling noises. He hadn't even reached for the wallet yet! How had this old man known he was there? He was basically his shadow. He had practiced this numerous times and had succeeded.
The man shrunk back to normal size. "I sensed your magic power. Not that there's much of it." He snorted. "You've been following me."
"I don't know how to use magic, old geezer." Noah retorted. The old man reminded him of his grandpa. He would always say he could sense his magic, even if Noah couldn't manifest it. He told him in order to be able to use his magic power freely, he had to believe with his heart and in himself. He had to believe that his magic existed, and then he would be able to use it. He had to believe in himself and his magic power.
The old man raised his eyebrow. "What's wrong, boy?" He asked. Noah was taken aback. In his own world and suddenly engulfed by the thoughts of his grandpa and the rest of his family, his eyes had begun to fill with tears and he hadn't noticed.
"My grandpa used to say the same thing." He admitted, then shrugged. He wiped his tears away and toughened up. "You gonna get a guard or what, old man?" He asked hesitantly, but defiant nonetheless.
The old man chuckled. "I don't think that's necessary. What's your name boy?"
"Noah."
"Noah what?" He asked, amused.
"Fletcher."
The old man stiffened, suddenly serious. "Is your grandpa named Rob by any chance?"
And that's how it all started. The old man was named Makarov Dreyar, and he was the master of the Fairy Tail guild, the same guild his grandpa was a member of. Makarov had no leads in the disappearance of his old friend. He took Noah in and helped him find his magic power. He soon found that he could use requip magic. He saved up money to buy new swords and sets of armor by doing odd jobs around Magnolia. His magic allowed him to feel like a true knight like his father. The type of requip magic he used had been labeled "The Knight" and he absolutely loved it. He studied other types of magic in the guild's library and developed an overwhelming interest in light magic. He absorbed everything that he could. He became good friends with Makarov's grandson, Laxus, and a girl named Cana Alberona. He sparred with them frequently.
About a year later, a girl named Erza appeared at the guild. Noah could tell she had been through something truly traumatizing. She had a bandage over her eye and hardly spoke to anyone. He and a boy named Gray Fullbuster had attempted to befriend her to no avail. That same night, Makarov came to Noah and told him that Erza had met his grandpa Rob, and that he had given his life for her at a place she called The Tower of Heaven. He was speechless, sad, and confused. Why was his grandpa at some tower? And if grandpa Rob was dead, where was his dad? He ran out of the guild and through the streets of Magnolia until he reached his old house. Inside it was dirty and lifeless; nobody had been here in months, and Noah didn't exactly clean when he stayed here alone. He collapsed to his knees and sobbed until the tears wouldn't come. He always expected the worst, but now that it was confirmed he had nothing of his family to hold onto. Just this lifeless, rotting house. His grandpa was dead, as was his mother, and his father was gone on a hopeless mission and had yet to make any contact with Noah. It was very likely that something happened to him too. Noah had no family left.
No, he thought to himself, I have Fairy Tail.
Present
He walked into the guild and immediately observed that a brawl was starting. Natsu Dragneel, a very close friend of his, was leading the brawl, which was not surprisinging. He was giving Krov a serious ass-beating, undoubtedly well deserved. He'd have to get in there and help him out.
Innocently standing in the middle of the brawl was someone he'd never seen before. A new member? He thought to himself. She was facing away from him but he could see that she had blonde, shoulder length hair and curves in all the right places. She was wearing a white and blue sleeveless shirt with black high heeled boots. He admired her body as he walked over to the bar. He ordered a drink and took his usual seat next to Cana, who was already sipping on a glass of what appeared to be wine. The beautiful card magic user silently acknowledged him.
"How'd the job go?" She asked between gulps.
"I fucking hate lizardmen." He stated before taking a sip of his beer. She chuckled quietly.
When he first arrived at Fairy Tail, Cana Alberona was one of the first friends he made. She was one of the only members around his age and he was immediately drawn to her. She was about two years younger than him at the time, but they got along well. Her card magic fascinated him. The only magic he had been exposed to was his Grandpa Rob's and the everyday magic sold in shops. The other members of Fairy Tail possessed some truly unique magic - some he never could have imagined.
"So Natsu finally made it back huh?!" A black haired, shirtless Mage yelled.
"Gray, you're clothes." Cana said. Noah smirked.
"I don't have time for that!" Gray yelled back to her.
"It's only noon and you boys are already whining like spoiled babies!" A strong looking man with white hair yelled. Natsu and Gray simultaneously punched him square in the face.
"Kinda noisy around here, huh?" A smooth voice said. The source was a handsome man with glasses and orange hair. Loke. He also had two women in his arms drooling over him. Suddenly, Loke was hit in the forehead with a mug, and Noah let out a laugh.
Loke maintained his cool, smooth appearance despite the embarrassing moment. "I'm gonna go fight, but only to protect you two." He told the girls cooly. Noah rolled his eyes.
"What the heck is wrong with these people? There's not one sane person in the whole place!" The blonde girl exclaimed. Noah smirked. Well you're right about that, new girl.
A beautiful white haired woman - Mirajane Strauss, covergirl for Fairy Tail in Sorceror Weekly - had gone over to welcome the new girl. The blonde girl looked like she might faint. Mira tended to have that effect on people, including Noah not too long ago. He had been completely drawn to her when she transitioned from her young and rebellious phase. She grew up nicely - extraordinarily kind and gentle - but she could also kick some serious ass. She was an S-class mage afterall. Elfman still held a grudge against Noah, even though Mira was the one who ended the relationship. His protectiveness of his sister tended to outweigh logic.
Everyone started to get serious then, including Cana. Her cards were out and she was ready for a fight. Noah's head was still pounding from his battle with the Lizardmen, so he decided to sit this one out. Before anyone could cause some real damage to the guild hall, the master entered and grew to an unbelievable size - nearly making the new girl faint again - and put an end to the brawl. Natsu started bragging, claiming he won of course, and the master stomped his enlarged foot down onto him to shut him up.
"It looks like we have a new recruit!" The huge beast said.
"Yes sir...!" The new girl replied nervously. The master then shrunk down to his normal, tiny size. The girl was completely dumbstruck. Well, she handled his Titan magic better than I did when I first saw it, he thought to himself.
The master then spoke to the entire guild about the pile of complaints from the higher-ups. Apparently, Cana had drank fifteen barrels of alcohol on a job and charged it to the Magic Council.
Noah laughed. "You seriously charged the Magic Council?" She smiled mischeviously.
"I don't remember doing that." She shrugged.
"Sure you don't."
To everyone's surprise, the master then lit the papers on fire and fed them to Natsu. "I say to heck with the magic council!" He said. "Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul! If all we worry about is following rules then our magic will never progress! Don't let those blow hards on the council scare you! Follow the path you believe in!"
Noah crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. Their master was something else. He took a glimpse at the new girl to see her reaction and saw that she was grinning from ear to ear. It made him smile even more.
"Cause that's what makes the fairy tail guild number one!" The master finished. The guild erupted into cheers and laughter.
When the guild hall settled down and Noah finished his beer, he walked over to Mira to let her know his job request was completed. She was giving the new girl her Fairy Tail emblem, so he waited until she was done. The new girl had chosen the color pink and the top of her hand for the emblem. It suited her nicely, and she was completely ecstatic.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail." He said with a smirk, slipping his hands into his pockets. The blonde girl looked over to him and returned the smile.
"Thanks!" She replied, happily.
"Lucy, this is Noah. Noah, Lucy." Mira said.
"Nice to meet you, Lucy." He said as he observed a set of keys on her waist. "Are you a celestial spirit wizard?"
She nodded cheerfully. "You bet!"
Noah suddenly felt a strong arm on his shoulder and smirked.
"What's up, Natsu? Heard you destroyed a port." Noah said to the boy with the cherry blossom colored hair hanging off his shoulder. Natsu grinned widely.
"Yeah, I kinda overdid it."
"Look, Natsu! I got my emblem!" Lucy said.
"Yeah that's nice Luigi..." Natsu muttered. Lucy pouted cutely.
"It's Lucy!"
"So how 'bout a fight, Noah? No way I'm letting you win this one!" Natsu said enthusiastically. He balled his hand into a fist and pounded his palm with it, something he did when he gets fired up.
Noah only smirked. "Maybe tomorrow, man. I'm sore from my last job."
Natsu frowned. "You wimp, you're probably just scared!" He accused.
"Absolutely terrified." Noah replied. He patted Natsu on the shoulder and informed Mira about his successful job request. His head was still pounding, so he decided to go back to his apartment for some rest.
He walked through the streets of Magnolia, staring at the clouds. Everyone always looked down when they walked. Noah made a point of looking up instead. The view was much better, he thought. He walked along the canal near his apartment and waved to the ferrymen before entering his building. He walked carefully and quietly to his room in an effort to avoid the landlady.
Finally inside his apartment, he collapsed on the bed and enjoyed the silence. The springs of the mattress squeaked under the weight. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
A sound woke him up hours later. The sun had set while he was unconscious. How long had he slept?
He looked over at the clock on the wall. It read ten forty-five pm. He thought the sound came from next door, but he didn't have any neighbors. His eyelids began to feel heavier again, and eventually he forgot about the sound and fell back asleep.