Hello there, friends. I watched Fairy Tail all over again, caught up on the current chapters, and read a bunch of Fairy Tail fanfiction. Of course, that made me want to write one. This will probably just be a pet project, though, since I'm still (slowly) working on Blazing Sky and Miles of the Universe. Enjoy.

Living Shadow

Ever since its founding, Fairy Tail has had a mysterious protector who works in the shadows and never reveals his face. Only the guild master knows his true identity. But when things begin to snowball downhill, beginning with Phantom Lord's attack, it's time for the legendary guardian to step into the limelight. AU, Naruto x Fairy Tail crossover.

Prologue – Eternal Promise

Year X677

"Mama? Papa? Where are you?"

A small girl slowly wandered through the thick maze of trees, clutching a stuffed pink horse to her chest. Her bare feet were covered in dirt and grass stains from how long she had been walking around, desperately searching for her parents. Sunlight streamed through the leaves above her head, falling in rippling patterns over the forest floor.

There was a quiet rustle from a nearby bush. The little girl turned towards the shrubbery with a hopeful glance. "Mama? Is that you?" she asked, taking a step forward.

A brown rope suddenly shot out from the bush, wrapping around the surprised girl and causing her to drop her stuffed horse to the ground. A weedy man with two buck teeth poking over his lower lip rose from the bush, cackling. "Hyahaha! Got you, girly!" he leered, walking up to her. He rubbed his spidery hands together in glee. "A little one like you will sell real well on the market, 'specially with that hair of yours." The girl shivered in fear as the man grabbed a fistful of her wavy blond hair and held it to his nose for a long sniff.

"W-who are you? What are you g-going to do with me?" she stuttered, frozen to the spot.

She yelped in pain as the man tugged harshly on her hair. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she held them back the best she could. She wasn't a cry-baby, after all. Mama and Papa told her that the fairies didn't visit cry-babies.

"I don't like it when my prey talks back to me," the scary man hissed into her ear, scraping his dirty fingernails over her cheek. She whimpered.

"S-stop it," she whispered, her vision going blurry from all the tears welling up in her eyes. "Let go of me!"

The man snarled at her and smacked her, leaving thin red welts over her face. She cried out and thrashed against the rope that bound her arms to her sides. "You brat! Don't make me hurt you more or you won't sell as well!" he roared, tightening the rope.

"Mama! Papa!" the little girl screamed. "Someone, help me!"

The weedy man's face purpled in rage as the child he had caught refused to listen to his demands to obey him. "You'll pay for this, you bit–" He was interrupted as a flying kick nailed him in the head and smashed him into a nearby tree face first. He slumped to the ground, clearly unconscious as the whites of his eyes indicated.

Without him to tighten the rope, the brown cord fell away from her small body. The little girl turned grateful, teary eyes up at her savior. She gasped as the sunlight hit his hair and face at just the right angle, making his tousled locks shine like spun gold and the blue of his eyes glow like gems. He wore a dark cloak over his shoulders, outlined in burnt orange. Underneath he wore no shirt, leaving him bare-chested. Black drawstring pants with dark orange stripes running down the sides completed the get-up, along with plain navy-blue sandals.

"Are you… a fairy?" she whispered, awed by his appearance.

The stranger looked amused. "That's the first time I've ever been called a fairy," he spoke, his deep voice rumbling pleasantly from his throat.

She blushed in embarrassment, her hands clasping together in front of her. "You aren't?" She sounded a tad disappointed.

The golden-haired man laughed. "No, I'm afraid not, little lady," he said, grinning down at her.

"Aww," she pouted, absently toeing at the dirt. Her green eyes landed on the stuffed horse still lying on the ground. "Ah, my horse!"

The man bent over, taking the stuffed animal off the ground. He dusted it off carefully and handed it back to the little girl. She hugged the pink toy close, giving her savior a bright, cheerful smile.

"Thanks, mister!" she exclaimed. "Um, what's your name? I'm Mavis – Mavis Vermilion."

"Mavis, huh? A cute name for a cute girl," the man chuckled, patting her on the head. She blushed again at the display of affection. "My name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

Mavis tilted her head at him in confusion. "Uzumaki Naruto? But then wouldn't your name be 'Uzumaki'?" she asked.

"Where I come from, we introduce ourselves with our surname first, then our given name," the blue-eyed man explained, chuckling. "Though that was a long time ago, I suppose. According to your land's rules, my name would be Naruto Uzumaki."

"Oh, that makes sense," Mavis replied, nodding. "Okay, um, thank you for saving me, Naruto."

"No problem, little lady," Naruto responded, giving her a toothy grin. He turned his gaze to the unconscious slave trader lying several feet away. "It's always a pleasure to put scumbags like him in their place. Now, why don't we get you back to your parents? I'll drop this guy off to be arrested afterwards." He walked up to the other man, swiped two fingers down the odd markings on his left arm, and caught a scroll that appeared in mid-air. He muttered something unintelligible to the girl's ears, causing a faint blue glow to appear over the unconscious man. The next moment the man disappeared, and then the scroll followed.

"How did you do that?" Mavis gasped, staring at him with large, round eyes. "Where did they go?"

Naruto winked at her, placing a finger against his own lips. "That's a secret, little lady," he teased. "Now let's go! I'm sure your parents are worried about you."

Mavis was disappointed that he didn't tell her, but brightened at the mention of her parents. "Okay!" She took the hand he offered to her, reveling in the feeling of his large, strong fingers dwarfing hers. She giggled a little. This man would keep her safe, she was sure of it.

It took a while, but they finally arrived at the small house where Mavis lived with her parents. The little girl let go of Naruto's hand and bounced up to the door, knocking on it eagerly. The door immediately swung open, revealing the face of her mother. The woman gasped at the sight of her lost daughter beaming up at her, and swept the little girl up in a crushing hug.

"Thank Earthland you're alright, Mavis," the woman sobbed. "We didn't know what to do when you suddenly disappeared. Your father is still out there looking, but we can surprise him when he gets back!"

"Naruto helped me get back!" Mavis chirped. "He knocked out the creepy man who caught me and brought me back here."

"Naruto, is it?" The woman lifted her head and gave the area a cursory glance. "I don't see anyone here, honey. Did he leave already?"

Mavis turned around, confused. "He's right – huh?" she mumbled, staring at the spot where he had been just a few moments ago. "He was just here…"

"I guess he's just shy," her mother remarked. "Now come in. Help me prepare for dinner, okay?"

"Okay," Mavis replied. With a last look towards the line of trees beyond the house, she turned to enter her home, not knowing that it would be many years before she met the mysterious man again.

Year X686

Nine years had passed since her first – and only - encounter with the man named Uzumaki Naruto. Even though she had just been a child, her memory of him standing in that sunlight among the trees, his kind eyes and bright grin warming her heart, was still crystal clear. Since that day, so many things had happened – her parents' deaths, the Red Lizard guild, the Tenrou Jade – but now she was here, with the three people she had met while on Tenroujima, and together they had founded their very first guild, Fairy Tail.

"Do fairies have tails?" she had asked her three guild members when they wondered why she wanted to name it 'Fairy Tail'. "No one knows, that's why it's a mystery. I want our guild to have an endless journey, like the eternal search for an answer to that question."

"An excellent question, indeed," Warrod Sequen, a tall, dark-haired mage with a surprisingly long and blocky face, had said, rubbing his chin.

"An endless journey, eh? Sounds like my kind of deal," Yury Dreyar, a man with spiky blond hair and a vertical scar over his left eye, had responded.

"We may be a new guild now, but the path of greatness lies before us," Purehito Gaebolg, a mage with slicked-back hair and a black eyepatch over his right eye, had said. "Let us endeavor to make Fairy Tail the best and strongest guild in all of Fiore!"

As with all new guilds, not very many requests came in at first. But the four main members of the guild persevered. This guild was one of Mavis' many dreams, and they wouldn't let it end when they had just reached the first leg of its journey.

Then one day, they received a letter from an unknown sender.

Mavis stared at it, noting the plain white envelope and the untidy scrawl across the front. It was personally addressed to her, although the sender hadn't bothered to write their own name on the envelope. She didn't want to open it in case it turned out to be a trap.

"What's that, Mavis?" Warrod asked, walking up to her. "A letter?"

"Maybe it's a love letter," Yury snickered. "It's never too early to get started!"

"It seems too plain to be a love letter, Yury," Mavis softly commented. Her fingers turned the envelope over, and her eyes widened.

On the back of the letter were written the letters 'U.N.'. Immediately knowing who the sender was, her slim fingers dug under the flap and tore the envelope open. She took out the piece of paper that was inside with care, a curious smile playing over her lips. Unfolding it, she began to read, drinking in his somewhat untidy handwriting and warm words.

Hello Mavis,

I know it's been years since we met, and I will understand if you don't remember who I am. Unfortunately certain circumstances have forced me into hiding, and I can no longer freely give my name away. No, I'm not fugitive or a criminal – according to the shitheads on the Magic Council, anyway - I've simply caught too much negative attention at the moment. If you wish to contact me, you must call me 'N'. I'll tell you how at the end of this letter.

So how's it going, little lady? I heard you founded a magic guild. Congratulations on that, by the way. I have a gift for you, and it will also be a way to contact me in case of an emergency. With that in mind, please don't play with it. I won't be able to tell whether you're actually in danger or not if you do. Promise me, yeah? Emergencies only.

Anyways, that's not what I wanted to write to you about. I have a proposition for you, and I hope you'll accept. To avoid giving too much sensitive information away, I will come and talk to you personally. This is the only time I'll allow you to use your gift outside of an emergency, alright? I can just see you vibrating with curiosity there. Have some patience, little lady! Being a guild master comes with lots of responsibilities!

To accept your gift, place your thumb on that seal at the bottom right corner. It will react to your magical signature and give you the gift. The seal also functions as a sensor of sorts, and I've coded it so that you are the only one who can open it. Do you remember that disappearing act I did with the slave trader and the scroll nine years ago? Same thing. Now you know my secret, heh.

Well, what are you waiting for? Open that seal and get your gift. It might look weird, trust me, but throw it and you'll see what happens. See you soon, little lady!

N

Mavis didn't realize that she had a huge smile on her face until Purehito pointed it out. She blushed a bit, but told her fellow guild members that it was a letter from a man who had saved her life a long time ago.

She placed her thumb against the small black seal in the corner as the letter instructed, and gasped as a shiny black knife with three prongs appeared in a puff of smoke. Her friends had been unprepared and all three jumped back with apprehensive looks, ready to unleash torrents of magic upon the item that had suddenly appeared in mid-air.

"No, it's okay!" Mavis reassured them. "He told me this was a gift for me." She set the letter down so she could examine the odd weapon.

It was polished black, and made from a material that she didn't know about. The handle was tightly bound in white wrappings. There was a circular ring at the end of the handle that looked like it could fit one finger. The blade was split into three prongs, with the middle being the most prominent while the other two were shorter and stuck slightly outward on both sides. There was something inscribed onto the metal just above the handle.

Now that they knew what the strange item was meant to be, the other three slightly lowered their guards. After all, some gifts could turn out to be deadly. "May I see that, Mavis?" Purehito asked. "It looks interesting."

The blond guild master handed the gift to him. Warrod and Yury also squished into Purehito's space to examine the gift. It was unlike anything that the three of them had ever seen in their travels around Fiore. "Did this savior of yours tell you what this is supposed to be?" Warrod asked, running a finger down the length of the blade. "If this is a throwing knife, this has got to be the first time I've seen one with three prongs."

Mavis shook her head. "He only said it was a gift. He mentioned that this was something we could use to contact him in case of emergencies, but that was all. Maybe the name is considered 'sensitive information' and he didn't want to mention it in the letter," she said.

"So what does he want? Is there a reason he contacted you?" Yury inquired, squinting at the inscription. "This is some damn fine forge work, if I do say so myself."

"Ah, that's right!" Mavis took the object back, ignoring Purehito's grumpy "I wasn't done looking at it yet". She then tossed it point-first towards the floor.

The man from her memories was there before the knife hit the ground.

"Gyah!" Warrod yelled, falling backwards.

Purehito and Yury already called up their magic and were about to attack the stranger in their midst when Mavis commanded, "Stop! This is him! This is the man who saved my life nine years ago."

The blond man held up his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "I mean no harm, Fairy Tail," he said, looking at the three mages' apprehensive faces. "I simply wanted to talk to the little lady here. I'm glad you remember me, by the way." He smiled down at her.

"While you're here, can I use your real name or do you still want me to call you 'N'?" Mavis asked.

"It would be best if you just called me 'N' from now on, Mavis-chan," N replied. "I can't have my real name being heard by the wrong people, you know. I know you and your friends are trustworthy, but precautionary measures must be taken regardless."

Mavis nodded. "Okay, N. Let's go up to my office. We can talk there," she said, gesturing to the stairwell leading to the second floor.

"You better not hurt her, N," Yury warned. "Mavis is the only one who trusts you; I'll bring you down myself if you harm one hair on her head."

"Fear not, the little lady is too cute for me to harbor ill will towards her," N chuckled. "Lead the way, Mavis-chan."

The petite girl danced up the stairs, N following her at a more sedate pace. When the door closed behind them, N slapped a palm against the door, a black mark appearing on the door from underneath his hand.

"What's that for?" Mavis asked curiously, sitting in her chair.

"Your friends might try to eavesdrop on us. This nifty little thing makes our conversation entirely private," N said cheerfully. He stood opposite her at the other side of the desk, dropping his grin in favor of a more serious face.

Mavis recognized that now was not the time for fun and games, so she also adopted a business face. N almost laughed because her serious face was completely unsuited for her, but held back. "So, I have a proposition for you, Mavis-chan."

"Yes, you mentioned so in your letter," said Mavis.

"Before I tell you about it, let me give you some background information about myself," said N, crossing his arms across his chest. "I come from a place called the Elemental Nations, which is what you guys now call 'the Orient'."

"The Lost Lands of the Orient?" Mavis gasped. "I heard that place is supposedly a myth because no one can find it. You came from there, N?"

N nodded, some strands of blond hair falling his eyes. He swept them aside with his hand. "The Elemental Nations existed a long time ago. As time passed, modern technology and foreign 'magic', the kind you mages use, came into favor and the people of that land, called shinobi, fell out of favor. War and emigration left it in ruins. There's nothing there anymore but the last remnants of its culture. I am the last shinobi left," he explained.

Mavis frowned, lightly biting her bottom lip. "But if you came from there… how old are you, N?" she asked tentatively. "You don't look a day over twenty-five."

"Older than you think, Mavis-chan," N replied, winking. "You're welcome to try and guess if you like. You're not going to be able to guess how old I am."

"Ooh, that was a challenge, wasn't it?" Mavis said, shooting up from her chair with a grin on her face. "If I can guess your age, do I get anything?"

N pretended to mull things over. "Nope!" he answered. "Actually, what would you want, anyway?"

Mavis pointed at him. "If I win, you'll join my guild!" she declared.

N blinked at her, surprised. "Join your guild? You want an old fart like me in your guild?" he teased.

Mavis pouted at him. "What, you won't accept it?" she asked sulkily.

N just laughed. "Oh, I will. It's on, Mavis-chan!" he said. "So, back to the story. Shinobi is a term used for the warriors of the Elemental Nations. We were ninja, so to speak. There was an energy called chakra that existed in a shinobi's body. As an individual grew, so did their chakra coil. This is different from what mages use. Mages' bodies are wired to automatically collect Eternano particles from the air to refill their magic containers. With me so far?"

"Uh, sure!" Mavis answered glibly. She gave N a slightly guilty smile. He just sighed and continued with his impromptu history lesson.

"Chakra enables me to perform many feats, and is much more versatile than magic. Most mages tend to stick with one type of magic, but chakra makes me more of a jack-of-all-trades type. Which leads to my proposition. Mavis Vermilion, I, Uzumaki Naruto of the Elemental Nations, hereby request to become Fairy Tail's official shadow guardian," Naruto finished, bowing deeply to the guild master.

Mavis stared at him in stunned silence. She slowly sat back down on her chair. "You're sure about this, N?" she asked softly. "You won't be able to reveal your name or face to anyone but the guild masters of Fairy Tail. You will forever be a shadow of the guild, its eternal protector no matter what happens to it."

"Shinobi were born to be shadows, Mavis-chan," N answered steadily, raising himself up again. "And I have lived for this long thus far, more years aren't going to hurt me. I have decided on this myself."

"Why?" Mavis murmured. "We are just a brand new guild. Why protect us?"

N regarded her with cool blue eyes. "I can see the potential in your future," he replied quietly. "Your kindness and caring for your comrades – they will be passed down to all of your guild members. I wish to protect this guild so that it will grow into something that you can be indefinitely proud of. Maybe some years down the road I'll have to abandon my shadow guardianship and step into the light, but until then, I will be its invisible guide and protector."

Mavis smiled sadly. "Very well, then. I, Mavis Vermilion, hereby accept Uzumaki Naruto's request for shadow guardianship of Fairy Tail. The shadow guardian cannot betray the guild or its master in any way. This contract shall bind the guardian to the guild for an eternity, unless the current guild master chooses to relinquish said guardian from the contract. So mote it be!" Golden magic circles burst into existence, a fiery ribbon of platinum magic circling around both of them, binding them to the contract. The image of a black fox with nine tails appeared on Mavis' right wrist, while Naruto received a black Fairy Tail mark directly over his heart. He looked down and put one hand on the mark.

"I guess you'll have to find something else you want if you win, Mavis-chan," he joked. "With this mark, technically I am part of your guild."

Mavis laughed with him, her musical voice tinkling like tiny bells. "Yeah, you're right. Let's see… if I win, will you take me out for dinner?" she asked.

N blinked. "Like, a date dinner or just as friends?"

"A date dinner, of course!" Mavis cheered. "I am a lady, you know."

"A little lady, that is," N teased, causing the young guild master to puff out her cheeks in annoyance.

The golden circles faded from the room. "Well then, little lady, I shall see you later. As Fairy Tail's new shadow guardian, I will always be here with you," N said, giving her a salute. "Ta-ta for now!" He vanished in a puff of smoke.

Year X703

"Are you passing down the title now, Mavis-chan?" N asked standing in front of Mavis' desk. "Your tenure as guild master has lasted seventeen years so far."

Mavis, now a thirty year-old woman, smiled at him wanly. "Seventeen years is long enough for me, N," she said gently. "It's time for me to step down so my successor can lead Fairy Tail to a new age."

"Who is it? You'll have to pass on responsibility for the shadow guardian contract to them."

"I'm thinking of letting Purehito take over for me. What do you think?" Mavis asked.

N raised an eyebrow. "You want my opinion on this?" Mavis nodded. "Mm… Purehito certainly has a good head on his shoulders. He values his comrades and isn't lacking in the magical department either. As long as he carries your will, Fairy Tail won't falter under his leadership. I'd say he makes a good choice. Remember that you'll have to show him that, too."

"The Lumen Histoire? Yes, I know," Mavis sighed. "Thank you for all you've done for Fairy Tail, N. I don't know where we would be without you."

"Aw, shucks, little lady, don't downplay yourself. Even without me here, your legendary tactical prowess would have kept the guild afloat, no problem," N said, grinning.

"I was simply following the melody of the fairies," Mavis sniffed, although the smile threatening to break out of her face indicated that she wasn't serious.

"Sure, sure," N agreed. "Do you still think I'm a fairy?" He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Wha – of course not!" she denied. "You said so yourself that you weren't."

"Damn straight I'm not," he said. "But if you want to get technical, then yes, I am a fairy… of Fairy Tail, that is."

Mavis huffed. "You're poking fun at me, aren't you?" she grumbled.

"When haven't I poked fun at you in some way, little lady?"

"Oh, you – I'm not little anymore, N. I'm thirty!" she exclaimed.

"And you still look like you're sixteen, okay?" he replied. "I'm pretty sure girls like to look younger than they actually are." Mavis didn't miss his brief mumble of "like Tsunade-baachan".

"That's not the point," she insisted. "The point is that you still treat me like I'm–"

N gave her a somber look. "When you're as old as I am, everyone seems like little kids," he said quietly. "And it has been a very long time."

Mavis didn't have a counterargument to that. "Do you ever get tired of living, N?" she asked equally quietly. "Your friends and family have probably been waiting for you for years..."

N barked out a laugh. "And don't I know it!" He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "But I've been cursed with this immortal existence. I can't die – I'm not even sure there is a way for me to die. Old age? Psh, no way. Fatal injury? No problem, it'll heal in an hour. Poison? Gone in minutes. Decapitation? Well, I haven't tried that… and I really don't want to. It sounds messy."

"N? My next guess is 450 years old."

"Sorry, try again."

Mavis stamped her foot on the floor like a kid. "Darn! I thought I'd get it right this time!" she pouted.

N laughed. "At this rate, you'll grow old and wrinkled before you guess my age right," he teased.

"Old and wrinkly or not, you'll still have to take me out for dinner," Mavis said. "I'm determined to get this right! See this? This is my determined face!"

"I'm so scared," N replied jokingly.

"N," Mavis whined. "You tease."

"Heh, it's in my nature, you know? Anyways, I think we're getting rather off-topic here. Go talk to Purehito and see what he thinks about being the next guild master," N said. "I'll wait here for you." He vanished into the shadows of the room.

Mavis huffed, but walked around the room to the door. She made her way downstairs, spotting her target sitting at one of the tables talking to one of the newer members.

"Purehito!" she called, gaining everyone's attention. "Come to my office, I need to talk to you about something."

Purehito excused himself from his conversation with the rookie member and followed Mavis back to her office. Once the door closed and the privacy seal activated, Mavis gestured for N to come out.

Purehito stared at the third person in the office. The person was very tall and broad-shouldered, only slightly shorter than himself. The person wore a black mask decorated with orange lines, giving off the visage of a snarling fox. A black cloak with burnt orange trimmings covered the person's shoulders, and the person wore nothing underneath but a pair of black cargo pants with orange flames rising up from the bottom. The person's arms were covered with thin steel plates, their hands sporting a pair of plain black fingerless gloves each embroidered with the guild's insignia in dark orange. A black Fairy Tail mark was placed directly over their heart. Midnight-blue combat boots completed the rather dark ensemble.

"…Who are you?" Purehito finally asked.

"You don't remember me? I'm hurt," a distinctly male voice drawled from behind the mask.

Purehito's brow furrowed in confusion. "Should I? Remove your mask and perhaps I'll remember who you are," he said.

"Ah, but I wear this mask for a reason, you see. Mavis-chan, do your thing first."

Purehito's senses instantly went on alert. This strange man was on such familiar terms with Fairy Tail's guild master, yet chose to hide behind a mask? For some reason, his term of endearment towards the petite blond woman seemed strangely familiar…

Mavis took a deep breath. "Purehito, you have been with this guild for seventeen years. You have seen it rise, struggle out of the earth, fall to frustration, and live. Your mind is keener than any blade, and your magical power is nearly unparalleled. I have discussed with N here, and both of us have decided to choose you as the next guild master of Fairy Tail," she said firmly.

Purehito had been expecting many things, but certainly not this. "You want me to be… the next guild master?" he said, shocked. "But I… well… this is the highest honor you could bestow on me, Mavis. Thank you very much for your consideration." He bowed deeply to the blond woman.

Mavis smiled. "Chin up, Purehito," she said softly. "Your love for your comrades is clear, as is your heart and mind. I gladly welcome you as the second guild master of Fairy Tail."

"I wholeheartedly accept the position and all the responsibilities that come with it," Purehito said. "I will make Fairy Tail a guild to be proud of, Mavis."

"I know you will, old friend," Mavis laughed gently. "But before I hand over the mantle of guild master, there are a couple things you must first know about. N, if you would please take off your mask?"

"Time for me to shine, little lady," N said, undoing the strap that held the mask to his face. He looked up when it was off and gazed directly at Purehito's surprised face.

"So it's you," the mage answered in a slightly gravelly tone. "No wonder I recognized your voice from somewhere. You are N, the man who saved Mavis many years ago."

"Correct," N said. "And since you are going to be the guild master, you should know that I am officially contracted as Fairy Tail's shadow guardian."

Purehito almost choked on his own spit at the casual revelation. "A shadow guardian? I didn't think anyone still did that in this day and age," he murmured.

"All for the purpose of protecting Fairy Tail," N said firmly. "Mavis-chan will pass her part of the contract to you, the new guild master, and from then on it will be your responsibility to ensure that my tri-prong kunai is put to good use. Like I've told Mavis-chan, it is not for playing with. Use it only for emergencies."

"Rest assured that I will not play around with a weapon like that," Purehito replied. He turned back to Mavis. "What else do you need to tell me before you announce me as the new guild master?"

"Ah, come with me. What I am going to show you is a secret that absolutely must not be revealed to anyone except who you choose as your successor." Mavis gave him one of the most serious looks he had ever seen on her face. "Do you understand, Purehito?"

"Yes, I understand," he said. "I promise that this secret shall never leave my lips until I choose a successor to pass it on to."

Mavis smiled. "Good. N, you are dismissed. Let's talk again soon," she said to the blond man. N gave a slight bow, slipped his mask back on, and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Year X750

Mavis lay on her deathbed, staring silently up at the blank white ceiling. Though she was old and her body was failing her, she still sensed N's presence as he appeared in the room. She attempted to lift her head to see him, but quickly tired and abandoned the endeavor.

N crossed the room in three quick strides and stood by her bedside. "You're about to go, huh? I'll miss teasing you, little lady," he said quietly, brushing her graying hair out of her face.

Her cracked lips parted in a semblance of a smile. "N? My last guess… is 900 years old." She took a wheezing breath as she waited for his answer.

"Heh, got it in one, princess," N answered, finally giving her the confirmation that she had been waiting for for so long.

"I told you… I'd get it… didn't I?" she rasped, trying to muster the strength to grab his hand. He saw what she was trying to do and took her hand.

"I'm sorry I can't take you out for dinner though," he murmured. "Maybe next time, okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise, Mavis. And Uzumaki Naruto never makes promises he can't keep."

"Thank you…" She took a deep breath, silently praying for her body to hold on just a little bit longer. "N… no, Naruto?"

"Yeah? What's up, little lady?"

"I love you."

N smiled sadly down at her feeble form. "I know."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be around longer," she whispered.

"You lived a long and happy life, Mavis. That's enough for me," he replied, squeezing her hand gently so he didn't accidentally crush her brittle bones.

"Bury me on Tenroujima, please?" Mavis asked, taking a rattling breath.

"If that's what you want, little lady," N replied. "Your wish is my command."

Mavis let out a rasping laugh, her eyes blinking tiredly at him. "I feel tired, Naruto. Can I sleep now?" she asked.

N leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Yeah, you can. Goodnight, Mavis. Fairy Tail is in good hands," he murmured.

"Okay," she said, smiling at him. Her eyes closed, and seconds later, her breath ceased and her heart stopped. Mavis Vermilion, first guild master of Fairy Tail, died at the age of 77, holding the hand of her most beloved person.

N let out a slow breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "See you next time, little lady," he whispered into the air.

He imagined he could still hear her tinkling laugh in the room.

I swear this thing wrote itself. I hadn't intended to write such a long prologue… I feel like the prologue will be longer than the future chapters. Well, this is just a pet project to satisfy my Fairy Tail binge. Yeah, so I had a bit of NarutoxMavis thrown in, but that is in no way the final pairing. I'm not sure what pairing I'm going to do anyway – I'm undecided between Erza and Mirajane, maybe.

Also, I decided to use 'Purehito' instead of 'Precht'. Because how the hell does 'Purehito' translate to 'Precht'? So Purehito it is.

So, tell me what you think, okay? Please drop a review. Bye bye!

MangaFreak15