Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters . (Probably a good thing)

Prologue: Past, Present, Future

The course of history is determined not by battles, by sieges, or usurpations, but by the actions of the individual. The strongest city, the largest army is, at its most basic level, a collection of individuals. Their decisions, their passions, their foolishness, and their dreams shape the years to come. If there is any lesson to be learned from history, it is that all too often the fate of armies, of cities, of entire realms rests upon the actions of one person. In that dire moment of uncertainty, that person's decision, good or bad, right or wrong, big or small, can unwittingly change the world.

But history can be quite the slattern. One never knows who that person is, where he might be, or what decision he might make.

It is almost enough to make me believe in Destiny.

-Jim Bucher

A cloud of smoke hung over the distaint horizon like a funeral veil. A small, lone figure stumbled down a sandy dune in a hot arid desert leaving a long trail of foot prints and drops of blood that lead far into the distance. The young boy collapsed and went tumbling down the side of the dune. Tasting the dry sand in his mouth the boy weeped bitterly as he starts to lose conciousness. Two shadow fall over his still form.

"Are you sure? He looks about done in."

"No but at least we should give him a chance. Who know? He could prove useful."

"..."

Totaly oblivious to every thing else the boy whispers a name as he falls unconcious.

"...Ren..."

The boy woke up. That, by itself, was a surprise. He looked around the strange tent, trying to recall how he got there. "Ah you're awake." The boy jerked at the sudden gruff voice that spoke. He saw a dark scarred man, of about thirty or fourty, stepping out from the shadows of the corner of the tent where he had been standing. He was taller than average and built like raw hide, tough and none too pretty. He had muddy brown eyes dark hair and deeply tanned skin. As the boy examined him closer he reilsed the the man was covered everywhere in layers and layers of scars. "Fininshed stairing, boy?" the man's deep rumbling voice interupted the boy's observations. "Uh yessir!" the boy said quickly, as he look the man in the eye. "Good." The man grunted. Neither said anything for awile and the silence stretched. "Now, do you have a name, boy?" the man suddenly said. "I uh- yes my name is... is... Araris." the boy's voice trembled and dropped to a whisper as he spoke. The man nodded but didn't reply. "Sir?" the boy said slowly "May I ask you what your name is where is it I am and where all my stuff is?" "Seems you just did." the man replied with just a ghost of a grin. "My name is Bardos and you are in Thieves Hideout. "Thieves Hideout?" Araris repeated confused. "As for your stuff it is currently in the boss's keeping." "what do you-" Araris started to say but he was interupted by the tent flaps being flung open letting in bright sunlight. "Bardos, Boss wants see the boy." Said another man's voice. "Alright come on, boy. We will now decide what to do with you." Bardos said ominously.

Araris's mind swirled with questions but he asked none of them noting the sword born by the other man as he walked out into the hot day. "Don't think about running." the new man said, "I'll kill you befor you go a dozen paces." Araris nodded. As they walked through the camp Araris observed the place. It was a strangly shaped semi-circular cliff that had a oasis near the center, several caves leading deep inside the cliff, and only one entrance that opened to the left of the furthest part from the cliff. There were tents everywhere and even a few stone houses on the more solid portions of the ground. What was even more interesting were the people, there were many strong looking men that carried no weapons but had a confidence about them that only armed men have. They must be wizards then. Others had weapons and appered to be well trained with them. But not all the people there were men, Araris realized. There were woman and children as well. He also noticed what looked like a blacksmith, a cobbler, and other professions. Its like a small town here. He thought to himself. At length, they arrived at the entrance to one of the largest caves. Bardos knocked a few times on the side of the cave. There was a small laugh from inside the cave "Come in, I've been expecting you." The inside of the cave was well lit not by candles but by a hole in the roof that led all the way to the top of the cliff and opened to the sky. There was a woman sprawled on a couch in the middle of the patch of light "So this is the boy?" she asked. "Yes boss." "Hrm..." she looked him up and down thoughtfully. He was about thirteen and tall for his age with large hands that promised much growth later on. He had hair the color of a raven, and bright blue eyes that missed little and were unwavering. His skin was a light tan. He was wearing little more than a staned sandy white shirt and pants and no shoes on. Araris was studying the woman also, she was a little shorter than average but fit and had dark skin that resulted from living in the desert for all of one's life. She broke the silence first. "What is your name?" "Araris." He responded looking her in the eye. "Good." she said approvingly "You look people in the eye when you talk to them, I like that." Araris, unsure how to respond said nothing. "You probably have many questions, I will answer a few. Sit." She told him and Bardos "Arnold, leave us." "But- yes Boss" he said. Then he left. "Alright" she adressed Araris "First I don't care who you were or where you came from so don't bother telling anyone. Now as for right now you are in the guild hall of a dark guild called Theives Hidout." She pointed to a banner that was hung from the roof that depicted a dagger upside down with a serpant coiled around it. "A dark guild?" Araris asked. "You don't know the of the guilds?" The woman asked. "No." he replied. "Then you will be told later. For now you are an honrary member." "Thank you." He said "But why?" "Why?she asked "Why save me and do this for me? I heard the theives are evil cutthrouts." Araris said cautiously. She replied "Because we have a law that states anyone found in the desert in trouble must be helped and children will be adoped untill they are old enough to take care of themselves. Besides we only steal from those who can afford it and only kill if necessary. Chivalrous theives if you want. I am the leader and you will know me only as the boss understand?" "Yes ma'am." Araris replyed. She said "Use 'sir' when you respond!" "Yes sir!" Araris exlamed. "Better. Now Bardos will be you mentor and he will take care of you here. He will teach you all that you need to know to survive. You are probably hungery so Bardos, go get him somthing to eat. Araris, you will start training tomorrow at dawn. Dismissed." Bardos bowed and lead Araris out. After he had eaten the sun was going down. Bardos told him that his stuff will be given to him along with his own tent. But for now he would sleep in the one he had woken up in. As he lay in bed, waiting for sleep Araris wondered if he finaly found a place to call home.

As the days went by Araris was trained by Bardos with a sword and in hand-to-hand combat which at both he excelled in. Bardos was actualy one of the best swordsmen in the entire guild. Araris was also taught to steal and to rob mercaints and which ones to target. So, a month after joining he went with Bardos (Who never called him by name he was alway 'boy') on a raid ageinst a merchant one fateful day. The raid went well the hired guards were easily subdued and the goods liberated. On the way back Araris pondered about the thieft. He asked Bardos "Isn't it wrong to do this?" Bardos, in an unusual meloncoly mood, replied "Yes it is. But it is necessary. Ever since the new corrupt King decent folk go hungry at the expence of the wealthy. Orginally this guild was just a bunch of crooks but then Alyss-er the boss took control she shaped it into something halfway decent, boy, however that doesn't change the fact that we are still criminals and if we were caught we would all be exicuted." "Oh." is all Araris said. As the band of about a fifteen raiders drew nearer to the base one stopped and cried "Look! I see smoke, vultures, and crows!" "Oh no." breathed Bardos "Come on! ride quickly!" Just befor the entered the encircling walls Bardos told Araris "Stay here." "But-" Araris tried. "No buts boy!" he roared at him. All the others rode in and soon the sound of combat could be heard. Dreading what he would see Araris climbed up a well-hidden spot he had found to the top of the over-hang. He saw the scene of a massicure. Everywhere young and old were dead, no one had been spared, there where about thirty soldiers left alive and more dead strewn about the place. The fifteen raiders were desperately fighting them but, out-numbered they soon started to fall one by one. Soon there where only three left alive, Bardos, who's left arm was broken, against a mage and a heavly armored soldier. The soldier yelled at Bardos "Why? Why would you betray your oath to the King and take up with these vermin? Tell me Bardos, ex-captain of the Rune Kights!?" "You know why. I have already explained the day I left. I will say no more. If you still don't understand let your blade do the talking!" "Damn you! I have vastly improved since those days and I am the better now 'Master'." "Don't forget, traitor," snickered the mage "You are out-numbered and wounded. Beg and we may spare your life hehehe." "Only to be hung at the gallows most likely. No, Prandine I will not die at the hands of the likes of you!" Bardos proclamed "Bold words traitor," sneered the black mage, Prandine. "But you will regret them soon. Ardin! Kill him!" "I don't take orders from you." said the knight, Ardin. "Whatever." And so they fought. Even out-numbered and wounded Bardos was almost too much. He slew Prandine easily and strove against Ardin back and forth, for they were evenly mached however, Bardos was tiring quickly. "Give up!" Ardin growled at him. "Never." was Bardos's reply. Suddenly Ardin managed to break his guard by pressing his left side and he stabbed Bardos though. "Finaly, its over you lose." Ardin panted. "Not yet." Bardos cried, and with the sword still in him he cut Ardin's head off in one blow. Araris had scrambled down when Bardos was stabbed intending to help him. Araris yelled a battle cry as he ran in, brandishing his sword but stopped when he saw Ardin dead. Araris ran to the side of his master "No, Don't leave me, not like this!" Araris sobbed. Bardos told him "I'm sorry. This is the end for me. Let me tell you, those days with you...were the best...of my life. This is...goodbye... young Araris...I hope...we'll...meet again...in the next life..." "No...not again. Master, I'm so sorry...if I were stronger I could have saved you and Ren." In a daze he left his master's side and searched for survivers, there were none. Everywhere he looked he saw people he had begun to know dead. It was too much. Araris gathered what little he had, including his sword, which was his only momento of his real father and a tent along with food and water. As he passed the Boss's cave he heard a voice out of it, dropping everything he ran inside. Just as he ran in he saw her on the ground hurt badly with a soldier about to finish her off. All his anger swelled and with a shout Araris unsheathed his sword and stabbed the soldier through the back killing him instaintly. "Boss! Are you alright?" "No." she said "What became of Bardos?" "He is dead." Araris replied "I feared so." She said sadly "I don't have much time and I would like to tell you a little bit more, so the truth about this will be known. Will you lisen to my last words?" "Of course" Araris replied "Bardos and I made this guild into a band of revolutionaries to dethrone the king. That is why we were attacked so fiercely. We just wanted the people to be free and happy. But now I wonder, was it worth it? Was the suffering we caused worth it for our ideals? I just...don't know." she fell silent. Then she slowly said "I want you to know my real name...my name is Alyss. My father was a powerful wizard in a guild. I want you to go... meet him..." "What was his name and which guild?" Araris asked. "His name...was...Rob...and the guild...is...Fairy Tail." Araris gasps rembering the words his friend once told him... "One day I'll will be a great wizard, just like my Grandfather Rob and I will join his guild, Fairy Tail. "Are you-" but the question died as he realized she was dead. He had no tears left to shed anymore so Araris went back out, found a shovel and in that cave he buried both his master and the father and mother of his best friend. As he walked away two words stayed and echoed in his heart...

Fairy Tail

This is my first fanfiction so type some reviews and tell me how I did. I welcome any advice on the summary or plot that you might have. I will add a new chapter anytime the mood takes me, but should add at least once a week. Hope you enjoyed this!