Hello friends, my name is Warmachine375 and today I made a Fairy Tail fanfic story titled "Path of a Wizard from Alvarez" that I came up with from inside my head. Since the Alvarez Empire debuted in its current arc after Tartarus, it got me an idea on what if a wizard from the massive military superpower nation from the West were to be in Fiore and join in the adventures of Fairy Tail?

Oneshot just in case. ;)

Summary: Hailing from the Alvarez Empire, Valeria Autumn, August's former apprentice, finds herself in Fiore during her soul-searching journey and eventually joining Fairy Tail, the country's strongest guild in Ishgar being targeted and sought for its greatest secret by her country: Lumen Histoire. For whom will she fight for in her path, her friends or her country? I own nothing but my OC.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and its characters. They respectively belong to Hiro Mashima, the author of the manga series. Same goes for A-1 Animation Studios and FUNimation for the old anime adaptation that I sorely missed and still need of accepting the current incarnation from 2014-2015.

Enjoy and don't forget to review. :D


Chapter 1

In the port town of Hargeon, Kingdom of Fiore

At the small fishing port town of Hargeon with a harbor in the Kingdom of Fiore where the townsfolk, fishermen, traders, and tourists alike gather there as they go about in their everyday lives and business of their own where normal livelihood on fishing thrives prosperously there more than Magic as there's only one Magic store just for traveling Mages passing by.

Among the large crowd of many people, either of them are Mages and non-Mages venturing around town is a teenage girl dressed in a stereotypical wizard/witch garb with a pointed hat and a staff in her hand along with a lightweight looking handbag she carries and a sword sheathed at her side.

It's almost as if she came out literally from the fantasy stories for children.

She is a beautiful woman with a hetero-chromatic set of red and blue eyes, a fairly moderate sized chest of C-cup and a long orange hair with white bangs and wears a long, billowing, light-colored robe with plain edges on its bottom portion that covered her modest blue dress and intricately designed linings on the sleeves alongside a long skirt that covered down to her legs. She keeps this robe tied together with a belt made of a seemingly rope-like material. She also wears a simple grey-colored cape that kept in its place by a long cloth tied around it and her neck and held fast by a spherical shaped clip. She completes this outfit with a tilt-pointed hat attached with a belt on her head, black boots and an elaborate gnarled wooden staff with a large aqua orb at its center.

But this is no ordinary Mage around the countryside of Fiore and she is not even from here.

The young woman's name is Valeria Autumn and she hailed from the Alvarez Empire, a colossal military superpower country located on Alakitasia, the Western Continent that spanned a large portion of landmass neighboring the Ishgar the Eastern Continent which she happens to be here in the Kingdom of Fiore, one of the continent's countries.

And also she is an apprentice or rather former apprentice of August, whose epithet is the Magic King due to his mastery of countless Magics in the world, of the Spriggan 12, an elite unit of extremely skilled and powerful Mages serving as the personal guard of Emperor Spriggan dubbed as the 'Shields of Spriggan' and the generals of the military in the Alvarez Empire.

History tells of her country that was founded at an unspecified time period by the man who calls himself Spriggan, who had subjugated 730 guilds of Alakitasia and absorbed more and more guilds and nations of the Western Continent by martial force and crowned himself Emperor of the most powerful country formed in Earth Land. In year X781, Alvarez attempted to wage war on Ishgar's countries in a bid to capture a certain guild's most sacred artifact for their unknown uses due to some members of the Spriggan 12 not following the orders of the monarch to stay away from the Eastern Continent, but were thought to have halted their invasion after being subjected to the might of Etherion and threatened with Face by the Magic Council. However, the emperor had quelled the unsanctioned war himself, and in the year X783, the empire and the countries of Ishgar have severed all diplomatic relations and no further contact with each other has been made since then.

As for her, Valeria Autumn was born in the middle of the autumn season just before winter came that gave her last name by her beloved parents in a small humble farming village from one of the breadbasket regions of the Alakitasia Continent under the Alvarez Empire. At a young age, Valeria was enamored with tales of Mages and Magic from and often dreamed to become a Mage some day.

Eventually on that fateful event, her magical talent of aptitude and potential was discovered by August after sensing such power from Valeria during his trip away from the capital and she was sent to the capital city of Vistarion with him by the older and wise Shield of Spriggan's permission and consent from her parents and became his apprentice.

Under pressure by the expectations of her mentor and the watchful eye of some of the other members of the Spriggan 12 and the citizenry of Vistarion, Valeria struggled to keep her focus on her Magical studies of every kind from the man who is rumored to possess the abilities to control every single element of Magic there is, even being able to control more types of Magic than the Black Wizard Zeref himself is able to, but she managed to pull it off with relative ease.

Trained and tutored by the Magic King himself, Valeria was a talented and promising prodigy with mastery of Magics and growing power although she wasn't even in the level of her mentor who clearly has a particularly terrifying amount of Magic Power, even going beyond what the other members of the Spriggan 12 normally have at their disposal yet but the young woman was powerful enough to be a bit far above the level of power of the Mages and Magic soldiers serving in the respective squads of the Shields of Spriggan they work under their superiors, namely Bakel of the Ajeel Squad whose formidable strength lies in his physical might and Marin Hollow of the Brandish Squad whose power of Rules of the Area lies in controlling and disabling Spatial Magic at his whim.

Unlike in Ishgar where the Magic Council had placed too many restrictions laws and decrees on its Mages that severely held back their full potential out of fear and paranoia, the Alvarez Empire holds no restriction on limiting its Mages continually growing their power without holding back so long as it adds the already formidable strength of its powerful military that already possessed the capacity of overrun the entire neighboring continent if the word of Emperor Spriggan commands them to.

Some of her mentor's comrades, mainly Ajeel Ramal the Desert King, once joked in a teasing manner that Valeria might eventually replace August as a member of the Spriggan 12 and inherit his title as the 'Magic Queen' in the future someday, given to the fact of the man who spent years mastering all kinds of Magic while Dimaria Yesta, the Valkyrie, even joined in the fun that Valeria might eventually grow up into an old granny with wrinkles on her face a decade later in the path to study Magic just like her mentor much to the girl's utter embarrassment.

Aside from learning the many arts of Magic by her mentor, Valeria learned some several tips of sword fighting along with building up physical strength by Dimaria who finds this as amusing to teach her just to kill her boredom, and some few lessons of hand-to-hand combat by Jacob Lessio, the master at the art of assassination, who often advised her that sometimes even a classic Mage can be as deadly as any modern Mage when it comes with fists and weapons during sparring sessions.

Strangers and acquaintances often confuse Valeria's independence and strength of spirit for a rash personality and headstrong disposition along with a carefree nature which was often blamed on Ajeel in his dismay mostly by Invel the Winter General who tried to instill the young woman of taking rules and regulations seriously to a certain extent at least along with tactics and strategies, and the importance of official paperwork and politics.

However, the truth of the matter is that she has developed an uncanny ability to read people and identify their underlying motives and intentions within their words they speak. A trait that was noticed by Wahl Icht the Adjudicator himself in his observation of Valeria Autumn during her time at Vistarion. Brandish μ the Country Demolisher, who had known August as a little girl and grown up alongside the young woman, also seemed to notice it too but disliked Valeria's fashion sense she took after her mentor.

Despite not being able to meet Emperor Spriggan who was far away in solitude and not a man of politics that left ministers and generals to run the Alvarez Empire, Valeria admired the monarch who united all of Alakitasia into one powerful country that brought great peace, prosperity and equality in laws and economy along with the massive military strength for years which every citizen adored and loved him regardless of his unemotional face he put up whenever he returns to the capital according to Minister Yajeel who appears to be afraid of the emperor sometimes because of 'his curse'.

Eventually, at some point, she left the Alvarez Empire on her free will after finishing her studies and went on a long journey outside Alakitasia. Although her mentor, or rather former mentor now, may have been disappointed of her departure as he believes in her potential to be greatest Mage worthy of serving His Grace, Emperor Spriggan but he knew that everyone have all choices to make of their own and respects her decision to leave in good terms.

He personally told Valeria how proud he was of her as his best student, to follow her own path and cryptically told her that it is a painful thing to lose a friend and protect them. For the others reacting to her departure: Ajeel enthusiastically asked her to bring back souvenirs once she returns; Invel strictly reminding her to fill out and ready her travel documents and passports before leaving; Dimaria bade farewell and hope to meet each other again in a poetic yet cynical manner; Wahl reminding her that she is a Mage of the Alvarez Empire and take pride in it otherwise it is "sinful" for her not to be one; and finally Brandish finds it a pain for someone she sometimes disliked for her fashion taste to leave yet bid her good luck.

Valeria sees the Spriggan 12 almost like a second family to her like her parents, whom she visited her hometown often by August's permission of leave from the capital and they are quite decent people with their own perks of personality once one can get to know them better although Bradman often unnerves her for good reasons and avoided him like a plague, Neinhart, depending whether or not he's around in the capital, and Jacob Lessio can be jerks sometimes when either of them were patronizing her of her potential and abilities but still acts like a dignified gentlemen towards her out of respect for August anyways while the two remaining Shields of Spriggan, Irene Belserion and Larcade who seemed to be away from the capital often times and they almost never met or interacted with each other at all except on formal meeting and important gatherings.

Although some other people out there would ask in confusion and wonder: "Why on Earth Land would a Mage from the Alvarez Empire like her be doing here in Ishgar or more specifically the Kingdom of Fiore, one of the eastern continent's countries of all places?"

Well, Valeria wanted to explore the world outside her country and find herself a meaning and purpose of her life as a Mage other than a loyal and dutiful soldier to the Alvarez Empire which she doesn't feel like it that much unlike the rest of her enthusiastic colleagues and it happens to be on the very same land the Alvarez Empire once invaded by some other members of the Spriggan 12 operating independently of Emperor Spriggan's wishes.

Upon leaving Alakitasia through a sea transportation, she stopped by Caracol Island where the young woman enjoyed some star mango gelato at the stand that sold the dessert run by a man named Walter White who is starting up enough money to migrate to the Eastern Continent in his lifelong dream to build a big business of his popular dessert there and bade her farewell and good luck before heading to Ishgar and happened to have boarded a boat that was set on its route to the harbor town of the Kingdom of Fiore.

"Wow... So this is Fiore... A small wondrous nation of almost 17 million people in Ishgar. Among of all the countries in this continent filled with Magic and wizards, this one is the most famous of them all according to the stories and rumors of this kingdom...", a young woman spoke in awe of the landscape of the country she saw outside Hargeon.

In Ishgar, the Kingdom of Fiore is located on the westernmost peninsula as it is surrounded on three sides by ocean that widely separates this continent and Alakitasia, and has land borders with Bosco and Seven. Additionally, Caelum and Fiore combine their sea trade routes.

Compared to the harbor town of the Alvarez Empire where she left by boat, Hargeon looked almost quite very similar yet more bustling in business and life filled with people than Magic around these parts of town, Mages and non-Mages by her book as she traversed around the place and then that is where she had made a friend in this new foreign land.

"Hey hello there! I take it you're passing by this town? I am too.", a female voice called out to Valeria, turning around to the person who spoke to her.

Standing before the former apprentice of the Magic King is a blond girl with brown eyes and a voluptuous figure, and wearing a fitting sleeveless white and blue dress with a miniskirt. At her side is a whip with a heart shaped tip and a pouch of keys, Gold and Silver.

"Hi, my name is Lucy. What's your name?", the blonde girl asked with a cheerful smile on her face.

"I am Valeria Autumn. Nice to meet you Lucy.", the young woman replied with a small smile.

Sitting on the bench together for a moment, Valeria came to learn that the young girl Lucy she met was a Celestial Spirit Mage with the magical ability to summon Celestial Spirits from the otherworldly realm at her beck and call through Gate Keys and so far the blonde girl possessed three Gold Keys that summon the Zodiac Spirits and few Silver Keys that summon minor Spirits.

One of them happens to the newest one the blonde girl managed to obtain Minor Nikora from a sole Magic store that she managed to obtain a discount from 20,000 Jewels from much to her chagrin of her ineffectiveness of sex appeal towards the store owner who happens to be an old man to lower the price.

"Umm what's with the outfit Valeria? You look like a typical witch in the classics from the looks of it.", the Celestial Mage commented out loud on her new friend's garb.

"Hey I'm just keeping traditions Lucy. Wizards from ancient times wear these robes with pride until the modern fashion statement of today came along. Don't disrespect the classics, you know.", Valeria playfully scolded.

"Y-yeah sorry about that... It's just that hardly anyone wears such clothing around here in the country anymore.", Lucy said sheepishly.

You think?..., the female Alvarez Mage mentally commented. Well, she did saw some of the clothing worn that were casual, formal, bizzare, awesome ridiculous, etc. depending on their choice of wear from any Mage she came across in Ishgar.

In Alvarez, it was not so different with the same concept too but she and her former master August were the only known people who wore stereotypical Mage's garb that somewhat makes them a fish out of water in a sort of way.

"Valeria, you have red and blue eyes...", Lucy commented on her new friend's heterochromatic eyes she glanced upon.

"Oh sorry about that, Lucy. It's just a rare eye condition from birth. Do I frighten you with it?", Valeria explained about her eyes, feeling a bit nervous about it.

"Uh no! It looks kinda beautiful in a way.", Lucy commented much to the embarrassment of the former apprentice of the Magic King since no one complimented her that way. Her associates in Alvarez often saw her like a bit of a freak or teased her for it when it's all about her heterochromatic eyes.

"Thanks Lucy. You can call me Val, if you want. That's my nickname.", she said which the blonde girl agreed that she liked it.

A loud ruckus mostly composed of women's squeals heard by bystanders that occurred nearby as Valeria and Lucy noticed a big crowd of fangirls surrounding person of a famous celebrity-like status called Salamander.

"The famous Salamander in Fiore who controls Fire Magic that can't be bought in Magic stores from the rumors I heard is here in town? Here?... Come on Lucy.", Valeria said to herself in a tone of doubt while her new friend fangirled of meeting the infamous Mage in Fiore as the two girls bypassed through a crowd of fangirls with eyes filled with hearts and great admiration where she encountered a blue-haired handsome man in an ornate clothing who claimed to be the Salamander himself.

Although every girl surrounding that man were all captivated by his ruggedly handsome appearance including Lucy who tried to fight it but fell victim to it, Valeria doesn't seem so impressed, displaying a neutral look and began to walk away like it's none of her business along with the captivated Lucy that greatly shocked Salamander when he noticed the orange haired girl in a witch garb and hat not falling for his natural or rather Magical charms.

"She just left?!", he yelled in shock.

Almost immediately, the mob of fangirls except for Lucy who still gazed her heart-shaped eyes on Salamander started to attack the walking away girl in response of Salamander's shock as they pounced on Valeria and started beating her up in a cloud of smoke!

"How could you ignore that man?!"

"Nobody disrespects the Salamander when I am around!"

"Show him some respect and kindness!"

"Stupid witch!"

"Hey you! That's rude!"

"Right! Salamander is a great wizard!"

"You better be sorry!"

Unknown to them, however, Valeria was revealed to have just teleported out of way in fast reaction and in a casual yet surprised and deadpanned manner to the Salamander's fangirls' mob attack in the nick of time and watch them ended beaten themselves up instead of her. "What's wrong with you people?... I just want to leave...", she wondered deadpanned before glancing at Salamander and noticing his two rings he wore on his right hand.

One had a picture of a sleepy crescent moon shaped like a face with a blue background and the other one had a pink heart picture with a purple background.

She recognized that ring on his finger as if she saw it before and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wait, that ring... Don't tell me that's a Charm...And Salamander's using it? That's just lame..."

Just as Salamander seemed to took that as an offense with an imaginary arrow appeared to impale on his ego for a brief moment and then was about to charm Valeria into his fold with his charm ring just like a heart-eyes Lucy did, someone had rudely interrupted him out of nowhere.

A slightly tanned boy with a spiky pink hair, wearing an Arabian-style outfit with a white scale-detailed scarf and black sandals with a light red jacket with a green backpack and a red sleeping bag on top of his backpack. Below him was a blue cat standing on two feet with a green backpack next to his leg.

"IGNEEL!", the pinkette boy yelled that soon got everyone's attention at the confused teen boy.

Looking at the blue-haired man with a cape, the boy gave a disappointed look on his face. "Who the hell are you?"

The man made a surprised stance in bewilderment for a few seconds when the boy said that in his face before calming down. "Who the hell am I?! Perhaps you have heard of my name, the famous Salamander, haven't you?"

Then he saw the pink-haired teen leaving in a disappointed manner just like the orange-haired girl did. "Him too?!", he shouted.

In response, the fangirls immediately attacked the boy in a ganged up mob attack in the same manner they did on Valeria and spouted the same flurry of verbal accusations at the pinkette boy for offending Salamander while beating him up relentlessly in a cloud of smoke.

But the Salamander was a little more forgiving of the repeated offense he took as he got the girls' attention again. "Now, now! That's enough, ladies. I'm sure he didn't mean to insulting me, including the orange girl too."

His fans then went back in swooning over him almost immediately as if nothing happened at all, letting go of Natsu and Lucy doesn't look impressed, apparently she was freed from the Charm Salamander put her on.

Orange girl?!... Says you blueberry freak!, Valeria wasn't amused of this as she watched on the spectacle while a visible popping vein appeared on her forehead along with a twitching from her left red eye. Inwardly, she wanted to punch the man's smug face so hard that he won't be looking in the mirror anytime soon.

"Here. Have an autograph! Now you can brag your friends about it!", Salamander said, giving the boy an autograph in a friendly offer.

The pink-haired teen's only reply was, "I'll pass."

It then promptly caused the Salamander fangirls about gang up on him again for another apparent offensive comment on Salamander. Having seen enough, Valeria sprung into action as she quickly raised her staff glowing with Magical energy with a blue Magic circle and erected a thick wall made of Magical energy that separates the pink-haired teen and the mob of angry fangirls that surprises both sides when it happened.

"Alright, that's enough for all you! Just because me and the pinkie guy here were rude to Salamander you're fawning over doesn't mean that you should get to gang up on us like that!", she said with a disdain voice at the blue-haired man.

This caught the mob of girls off guard by the female Alvarez Mage's outburst as the pink-haired teen got up and gave a thumbs in support and said his thanks for saving him from another wave of butthurt from angry fangirls while a blue cat glanced at her for a brief moment.

In an instant after Valeria's outburst, Salamander then stepped in front of the crowd and said, "Ladies my appreciation for your enthusiasm knows no bounds." The girls turned their attention back to him again, swooning. "I apologize, but I have business to deal with at the harbor. Red Carpet...", he continued as he snapped his fingers and a purple Magic Seal appeared underneath him, forming a cloud of purple flames and raised him into the air. "There will be a party at my yacht tonight. You're all welcome to attend!"

With that, the Fire Mage left the scene with the girls enthusiastically telling him that they'll more than willing to attend his party in his yacht tonight as they dispersed and went to their homes, ready to dress up good for the man they were Charmed by him to admire.

"Wonder what's that guy's damage?", the pink-haired wondered while recovering from the previous he got from the fangirls of Salamander as the blue cat walked to his human friend.

"He's really a creep, isn't he?", the blond teen said which Val agreed in mutual feeling with a short nod before walking up to the duo composed of a boy and a blue cat. "Thanks for earlier, guys and what's your names?", she said much to their confusion while looking puzzled.


At the restaurant of Hargeon

Later then, Lucy finds herself at the restaurant, sitting by the window where the pink-haired boy ate as much food as he want into his mouth and his cat munched on his fish. The blonde teen treated them as a form of thanks that those two found to be happy for it. Valeria apparently joined in too as well as she sat by the window with her pointed hat taken off and staff on her left side and the blonde girl on her right.

"Fanks for da foo!", the pinkette boy said with his mouth full.

"Yup, yup!", the cat said in agreement as his cheeks filled with fish.

"So your names are Natsu and Happy huh? Well, nice to meet you, I'm Lucy. And you as well Valeria. Umm... could you guys at least not make a mess?...", Lucy said with a sweat-drop at their lack of table manners.

Although Valeria was surprised to see a cat can talk and walk on two feet, she sensed something off from the pinkette teen still hungrily chewing on his food she glanced at him, I sensed a great level of Magic power within this guy, so it's safe to assume that he's a wizard of unknown type of Magic... Maybe Fire Magic I think? But there's some sort of strange yet ancient and powerful presence inside you... Almost like a Dragon for some reason. Just what was that?

The pink-haired teen named Natsu nodded and continued on eating more with the talking cat named Happy on his side that both women shared deadpanned looks on their faces. "Nayws two mreet ryu two Rushi! Ohw! Yuw tuu azh wrell Vwhaleryia!"

Changing the subject, Lucy said quite in an upset tone as she ranted, "I can't believe that Salamander guy used Charm! It's a Spell that sways people's hearts in the wizard's favor. Apparently that type of Magic like that was banned several years ago. It's disgusting that he'd use Magic to attract girls."

Agreeing with her new friend, Valeria shared the same opinion too as well. It's sick-minded for a guy like Salamander to stoop so low to get a girl's attention. Heck, even Charm was banned in the Alvarez Empire.

The two males didn't even listen at all or listened a little while they continued eating but Lucy continued, "Though, I thank you for bumping into me, the Charm wore off when you and Happy shown up."

Well, I almost decided to whack your head with my staff from the Charm's influence a bit hard but thankfully it never happened..., Valeria mentally commented in a sweatdrop and deadpan.

"Ah, I see...", Natsu said while keeping on eating.

"And Valeria? Were you affected by the Charm too?", the blonde Celestial Mage asked.

Snorted in amusement, the Alvarez Mage commented, "Not even once! That Salamander guy used low-leveled Charm spell and it didn't affect me at all. From the looks of it, he's an amateur."

"I may not look like it but I'm a wizard myself.", Lucy said with confidence after pleased with Valeria's mutual dislike for Charm spells.

"Ngeally?", Natsu asked, still stuffing food in his mouth

Lucy replied in response. "Yup. Though, I'm not a member of a guild yet."

The blonde teenage woman then began to talk about the description and concept about guilds where Mages join to make a living and provide their services to the people and dreamed of joining she still feeling a bit insecure on which guild should she wanted to join, considering a number of popular guilds dotting all around in Fiore, that made her really hard to choose just one and yet she must join one and fulfill her dreams and ambitions of a Mage.

Valeria had noted that Ishgar has over 500 separate guilds that spanned across its countries in the continent under the shadow of the Magic Council governing the Magic World as opposed to the Alakitasia's unified 730 guilds that formed the Alvarez Empire in the first place. Mages in guilds from the Western Continent had full-time salaries in their service to the Alvarez military rather than taking Jobs issued by the common people.

Lucy finished, "There's this only one place where many great Mages gather; that's the guild I want to get into!" She then calmed down before speaking again, "Oh what should I do? The one I want to join might be pretty strict.", she added.

"Huh... that's so...", Natsu said, obviously ain't paying attention with Happy noting, "Wow, you sure talk a lot."

"I really doubt either of you cared to listen...", Valeria commented deadpanned which made Happy look away in shame after hearing that.

Now thinking about a certain person Natsu mentioned named Igneel in their accidental first meeting, the orange-haired girl asked. "By the way, Natsu. you said you were looking for someone?"

"Yeah, that's right! We heard Salamander's in town but he wasn't the one we're looking for.", the pinkette teen replied.

"He didn't look like Salamander at all.", Happy still chewing on his fish.

"I was sure he was the real deal, too.", Natsu said in an unhappy tone while eating a loaf of bread.

"Um, how could... a human look like a salamander?", Lucy questioned.

"Ah, Igneel isn't a human being. He's a Dragon.", the pink-haired young man calmly answered much to the shock of both women when his words registered into their heads. Well, the blonde more than the orange-haired girl.

Knowing about Dragons in Earth Land that once roamed the world are extremely powerful that have the power to destroy an entire country and currently few remaining Dragons who survived the destructive civil war over coexistence and subjugation of humanity in the Dragon King Festival or rather Ragnarok by Alakitasian perspective according to her former mentor and apparently disappeared seven years ago that such majestic creatures of great intellect and power are nothing more than fairy tales and stories she heard from the rumors prior to leaving on a journey.

"It's outrageous to think something like that to appear in town!", Lucy exclaimed.

"If it were the case, then this place would have been a desolate ghost town instead by now.", Valeria added in.

Natsu and Happy realized what the girls said, knowing it would be all too obvious if a Dragon did pass by.

"Don't look so surprised! I can't believe you didn't even think of that!", Lucy said to the duo before deciding to leave. "Well, I need to get going. Take your time eating.", she said, leaving some money on the table to pay for the two's meals.

After a brief moment, Natsu and Happy had tears in their eyes which Valeria figured it out that they were grateful for the blond's kindness before they got on their knees in the middle of the pathway and called out their thanks.

"Thank you for the meal!", they simultaneously said together to Lucy right in front of everyone in the restaurant.

"Don't, you're embarrassing me!...", the blonde woman yelped in surprise by the duo's actions as the restaurant is filled with murmurs and whispers from the customers, waiters and bystanders about what was transpiring. "I-it's fine really! Besides, you helped me, too. So we're even now right?", she then nervously thanked the two for freeing her from Salamander's Charm.

"But we didn't help anyone.", Natsu said, still kneeling.

"We're in your debt.", Happy finished, still kneeling also.

The former apprentice of the Magic King can only sigh at the duo's antics and decided to accompany with Lucy for a little while before continuing on her journey around Ishgar and she had a weird feeling that Salamander might be back anytime soon since she and Lucy were the only two women unaffected or broke free of his Charms.

"Well, I'm off as well. See ya around Natsu, Happy.", Valeria said as she put on her hat back in her head and took her staff. "Good luck on your search for this Dragon Igneel of yours."

"Bye! See ya, Valeria!", Natsu said as he and Happy waving goodbye to the female Alvarez Mage. "Aye!"


Somewhere in the outskirts of Hargeon

After Valeria Autumn left the restaurant in Hargeon, she went looking for Lucy who already left but luckily the blonde Mage had spotted her not too far off. Probably due to the pointy hat she wears on her head that sticks out the most.

"Hey Lucy!", she called out to her new friend who turned around and was surprised to see the former Magic King's apprentice.

"Oh hi there Valeria! Do you need something?", Lucy asked when the orange-haired girl caught up to her.

"Umm..., no. That's not it. I just want to hang around with you for a moment. Do you mind?", Val asked which the blonde accepted, happy to have someone else's company in Hargeon.

As they walked and talked, Lucy and Valeria enjoyed each other company and sharing about girls' stuff and topics that they have something in common at least before the former stopped by the newsstand and bought the current issue of a Sorcerer Weekly magazine.

"Huh? Fairy Tail is causing trouble again?", Valeria read out loud curiously. Where did that name come from?..., she thought.

"Apparently, they destroyed the Devon Thief Family but end up destroying several houses that belonged to the townspeople.", Lucy answered without looking away and then laughed and fell over. "Hahahaha! That's way over the top!", she commented, still laughing.

The former Magic King's apprentice knew that the wizards and Magic soldiers under the Alvarez Empire can cause a lot more collateral damage in the battlefield but it can be avoided depending on their commanding officers' decisions in their tactics and strategy but still... it feels amusing about the reckless destruction of Fiore's guild in the magazine's headlines.

Something came into her mind, the blonde girl said in excitement. "Oh right, remember when I said there's a guild I wanted to join? It's Fairy Tail!"

Fairy Tail?... Wait, wasn't that the guild of Fiore in Ishgar the Alvarez Empire tried to invade this continent ten years ago? Just to get some powerful Magic artifact that they needed?...Lumen Histoire?..., Valeria finally recognized that name before and then recalled about the Ishgarian guild her country attempting to take its most valued artifact in its possession while eavesdropping few of the Spriggan 12 members debating inside the meeting room about successfully taking it for the empire this time while Spriggan was away but the others including her former master August have strongly objected to such foolish notion without their emperor's word of leave since the last time Alvarez went into an unsanctioned war on Ishgar before he put a stop it himself.

"Does Fairy Tail cause a ruckus whenever they have Jobs?", the female Alvarez Mage asked in wonder.

"It seems Fairy Tail has a tendency to make a mess whenever they go.", Lucy replied before asking her new friend in curiosity, "By the way I've been meaning to ask: what's your specialty, Val?"

"I'm a wizard Lucy. Does my robed clothing and a pointy hat had already stated the obvious?", Valeria told her deadpanned.

"Oh! Sorry! Sure you're definitely a wizard in the classics but what type of Magic do you use?", the blonde girl said, hoping that she didn't offend her new friend.

"Umm... I use any kind of Magic at my disposal. Taught by my master but I'm very excelled at Elemental types out of most of them.", the orange-haired woman tried to choose her words carefully lest, Lucy or anyone else, finds out that she's really an outsider or more specifically a foreigner from the Alvarez Empire about her magical capabilities she learned under August.

"Wow! You must be some kind of powerful wizard I've just ran into! That's awesome Val!", Lucy squealed in delight which her friend sweat-dropping and flustered of her praise towards her.

By Ishgarian standards, I'm quite powerful compared to this land's strongest wizards although I doubted it of my strength sometimes but in Alvarez, I couldn't even lift a finger with anyone who are much more stronger than me, especially the Spriggan 12 including my former master. There's a big difference in levels of power between both continents after all..., she thought about the huge difference in power scales of strength between wizards of Ishgar and Alakitasia.

"Hey, Valeria? I-I'm just wondering if you want to join Fairy Tail too. I mean, I won't mind you joining me along too! You look pretty strong from the looks of it despite how others sees you in the robes. Ehehe...", Lucy sheepishly said, wondering if she will join the guild too like her.

M-m-me?! A wizard of Alvarez joining Fairy Tail?! Now that is a surprise! My master and everyone else will be flipping hard on the ground like crazy if they heard of this!, Valeria thought in shock about her, a foreigner from Alakitasia, joining the very same guild her country attempting to invade the eastern continent for its most sacred artifact and that's kind of an irony of an irony taken to a whole new level.

"I'm... not sure, Lucy. I'm on a journey around the land, you know like a wandering wizard finding a new purpose in life, and I just got here... so it's a bit too early for me to join a Guild much less Fairy Tail.", she said much to her friend's brief disappointment. "...But I'll think about it when I had the time.", she then reassured which made Lucy happy a little bit.

"As for you, Lucy. What kind of Magic do you have? I figured that it has something to do with either the whip or the keys you're currently carrying.", Val asked, although she knew Celestial Spirit Magic from the books during her study but it wouldn't hurt to ask an Ishgarian friend about her Magic.

The question had caught Lucy's attention as she then explained, "Ah, that's right! It's only fair I tell you what I am since I asked about you. Well, I'm a Celestial wizard. We use Gate Keys to summon various creatures and helpers. They're all unique and have different abilities and contracts, as well as unique personalities! I'm aiming to get strong Keys such as the Zodiac Keys. I've got about three at the moment."

Val nodded as the blond told her of this information, "I'd like to see one of your Celestial Spirits at some point, Lucy. By the way, who's on the cover?", she said before noticing a voluptuous woman with white hair and in a swimsuit.

Lucy looked at the part of the magazine Val was pointing at. "Ah, this is Mirajane, their guild's main attraction. Hmm, I wonder if someone like her is also reckless.", she said out loud.

"You know what they, 'Don't the book by its cover'.", the female Alvarez Mage replied with a playful wink of her blue eye.

The pun from her companion had made Lucy laugh a bit. "Haha, very true. Though I wonder how will I join Fairy Tail? You too if you want. No doubt you're strong, so you might get in. Maybe we just have to be very good or something.", she said.

"They don't do interviews?", Val wondered, in the Alvarez Empire, many new recruits who joined the military are often interviewed by their superiors scanning through their files and documents along with the demonstration of their abilities required to see if they are qualified to join any squads of the Spriggan 12 or transferred to the army reserves depending on their decisions.

Joining an Ishgarian guild like Fairy Tail without even much of an interview in Fiore was surprising by her perspective but it looks interesting of sorts. However paperwork is the most important part of any group or organization after all which leaves her wonder why would such guild lets anyone in without even getting to know who they are firsthand.

Lucy shrugged, "Beats me. But really, Fairy Tail is awesome!"

Sensing a presence hiding in the bushes, Valeria called out to the Peeping Tom in a threatening tone while about to draw out her staff. "Alright, whoever you are. I will turn you into a pig and roast you for lunch buddy.", she said in a threatening manner.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, little lady! I wasn't going to do anything bad to you. Honest! And please don't roast me!", Salamander said with a surrender sign his hands raised after revealing himself to be hiding in the bushes.

What a horrible liar... This Salamander... Why is he stalking us?..., Valeria thought before questioning him sternly. "How long were you been there?"

Salamander defended himself after hearing the accusing question. "Hey, I just got here. You know how hard it is to track ladies like you? If I hear this, right, you both want in at Fairy Tail, right?"

"Actually, I didn't want to join Fairy Tail. Lucy here wanted to but I will be going on the road again.", Val interjected with her mismatched eyes narrowed dangerously at the stalker who made Marin Hollow look decent or probably his long lost cousin of sorts.

This made the skinny spiky haired young man, who is standing guard next to the door to the large bathroom, sneeze and briefly thought someone is talking bad about Brandish, the woman he deeply admired despite her disgust towards him. Then he heard his superior calling out to get her a bath towel which he is more than happy to comply to her wishes as best as he can.

"You can actually do that? Get me into Fairy Tail?", Lucy asked.

"But of course, I also wanted to invite beautiful ladies like you two to attend the party on my yacht.", Salamander said.

The former Magic King's apprentice stood her ground in front of the blond teen as her instincts telling her that this man is mainly interested in women, not doing in any favors.

"Well, let me tell you something! Your Charm won't work on me anymore, so long as I'm aware. If the person you're casting knows what's your doing, it's game over. And besides my friend here can snap me out of it should it happen again.", the blonde Mage said, pointing at the blue-haired man.

Val was surprised to hear someone call her a friend even if she's actually a foreigner from another continent. Well, she had acquaintances with some members of the Spriggan 12 squads but it was mutual feeling. But still, she's glad that she made a friend with the Celestial wizard.

"I knew it! I'd knew you'd be a wizard when our eyes first met aside from your friend beside you. Very well, no Charms so long as you come to my party.", Salamander dramatically said.

Wow... It took you long enough to figure out Lucy is a wizard. Maybe she should wear some robes and a pointy hat like me in order to make it more obvious! That'll do the trick., Valeria sarcastically thought about the man's obliviousness.

"Are you that desperate for attention that you'd stoop to using Charms? That's just ridiculous!", Lucy interjected.

"Please girls, they were only for show. I just wanted to look like a celebrity for my own party.", Salamander said in defense.

"Yeah right, as if a blueberry sleazebag like you would be a famous wizard. Come on Lucy. Let's go.", the female Alvarez Mage said which her friend complied and turned their backs on him, walking away.

"Hold on! Didn't you two or rather blondie wanted to get into Fairy Tail?", the blue-haired man shouted that prompted both girls to stop on their tracks mid-way and turned around.

"Have either of you heard of Salamander of Fairy Tail?", the man asked.

"Yes, I have!", Lucy said before blinking in realization. "Wait, does that mean you're a Fairy Tail wizard?"

"Where's your guild mark?", the orange-haired girl asked.

"Excuse me?", Salamander questioned.

"I said where's your guild mark? If you're truly a member of Fairy Tail Salamander, show it to us that you bear the symbol of the guild as proof.", Val explained, which somehow made the man sweat in utter nervousness.

"I-I do have a guild mark with me in my body but... it's somewhere that you girls would find it... private...", Salamander said much to Lucy's embarrassment and Valeria's disgust as both women knew what he actually meant.

"But really, I am! And I would gladly ask the Master to let you join along with your friend if she wanted to.", the blue-haired man proposed.

"I'm sure it will be a wonderful party, won't it?", Lucy said, leaning on the older man persuading him to let her join which made Val want to facepalm so bad at the sight of the blonde's attempt of sex appeal.

"Huh, your personality is easy to understand.", Salamander said, sweatdropping a little and wanted a little more personal space.

"So I can really join Fairy Tail?", Lucy asked as she was so excited to join in the Guild she always wanted to be in although her new friend didn't want to join but hopefully she will change her mind soon enough.

"Why yes, just don't tell anyone about the Charm.", the Fire Mage asked although this made the female Alvarez Mage suspect him more and her instinct tells her that he might try to kill both of them for knowing his little secret just like classified info within the military but stayed quiet for now.

"Sure, sure!", the blonde Mage exclaimed, raising her hand.

"Excellent! Now I will see you both there.", Salamander said as he walked away and waving goodbye, leaving the two girls alone once more.

Valeria walked over to Lucy and tapped her head with the wooden staff as she said, "He's gone now Luce."

Lucy snapped out of trance and realized something, "Ahhh! I can't believe I fell for a pseudo-Charm!"

"Hey, at least you've returned back to reality Lucy.", Val said with a chuckle before asking serious. "So you're going to a party of his?"

"So long as I can get into Fairy Tail, I'll try to put up with him a little longer.", the Celestial Mage replied then something dawned on her, "...Hey Val., do you have any formal clothes?"

"Actually, I'm not going.", she simply said much to Lucy's shock and surprise.

As the blonde wondered if her friend didn't have any clothes to wear for the party, Valeria simply explained that she's not that much of a person in parties due to spending time studying under August while having only to attend formal parties at the capital of Vistarion or her birthday celebrations at her hometown within the Alvarez Empire.

Then Valeria warned Lucy that this Salamander person may be up to something bad and keep an open eye out on anything suspicious while she will find out what's going on inside his yacht in the midst of the party attended by the girls under his Charms along with the part of calling her in as backup in case things went south. Before they leave, she gave her friend an earring which is actually a Magic communication device to remain contact with each other which Lucy finds it beautiful and fits her style with a dress well.

And with that both girls went on their own ways.


At the night of Hargeon, Salamander's yacht

Later that night, Lucy did came to the party hosted by Salamander with a lot of young women who're the same fangirls of him attending and wore a maroon shoulder-less dress and her hair in a pony tail on one side. She still had her Celestial Spirit Keys at her side and of course a little Magic earring that served as communication given by Valeria Autumn. The blond Mage is currently in the small private room with Salamander.

"Lucy, huh? Such a lovely name...", he complimented.

Said girl thanked him for being nice and hospitable to her, and looked at her surroundings. "What about the other guests?", she asked.

"Don't worry about them. I'd like to have a toast with you.", Salamander said as he poured some wine into the glass and with Telekinesis, made drops of red liquid floating in the air.

Okay that's just really creepy!, she exclaimed inside her head, as well as turning her head in shock before steeling herself. But, I've got to put with this a little longer. Just a little...

Suddenly sensing something wrong, Lucy quickly swat them off and glared at him in an accusing tone. "Those are sedatives, aren't they?"

"Oh and how did you find out?", Salamander asked in a calm position, which confirmed Lucy's suspicions of him that he's definitely up to no good at all.

The blonde girl sternly stated at him, "Don't think otherwise. I certainly want to get into Fairy Tail, but I'm not gonna be your girlfriend!"

"What do I do about a girl like you? If only if you let yourself get drugged, then you wouldn't have to get hurt. Such a shame orange girl in a witch getup wasn't here with you.", the blue-haired Mage said darkly in his tone.

"Huh?", the blonde said in confusion.

Out of nowhere, two strong arms grabbed hold of Lucy's as the latter looked back to see a gang of goons and thugs gathered together with a fall of the curtain with creepy looks on their faces.

"Well, well, well lookie here."

"Guess we got a quite catch this time."

"That's such a pretty face."

"Check out that figure."

And similar other statements and comments from the rest of the men on board this yacht, most with perverted, sadistic and sickening looks in their eyes as they looked at Lucy who was sweating, worried of what might come next and got very upset before Salamander got in her face.

"Welcome aboard my slave ship, miss. It'd be best to behave yourself while we make our way to Bosco.", he declared with a evil glee.

"Wait, Bosco?! What's the meaning of this?!", Lucy demanded.

So that's the real truth behind this party for your 'fans' all along Salamander. You intended to make the women you charmed into your thrall to be branded into slavery... Bosco, one of Ishgar's countries apparently has a slave trade there. Dammit..., Valeria realized while overhearing the confrontation through a communications earring after teleporting the last batch of unconscious girls out of the slave ship midst the unconscious bodies of goons lying on the ground.

Earlier when Lucy attended Salamander's party, the Alvarez Mage under the Invisibility Spell observed several women falling unconscious right after they took one drink from the cups and the goons appeared to take them under their custody, tying them up. She easily knocked them out with a powerful Sleep spell when they weren't looking and then teleported the unconscious girls out to safety.

There was no such thing as slavery even in the Alvarez Empire as normal people here are considered second class citizens next to the first class who uses Magic but at least they had full rights protected within the empire under Spriggan and the council of ministers and generals to stabilize the country.

"Just give it up, girl. You're our merchandise now.", one thug said with a scene shown with numerous unconscious women drugged by the drinks they took.

"So you did this all this? Just to kidnap girls to be sold to slavery. You good for nothing bastard!...", Lucy started to say angrily.

Then Salamander continued, in intent to break her. "Yes, of course miss Lucy. That's the daily routine me and my boys did right under the noses of the Magic Council. I get to lure the women in my ship and then sell them to slavery in Bosco for a price. Quite very profitable for us, don't you think boys?"

The men agreed in response in form of mutters and hollers to their boss' words of reply to Lucy still held on by a brutish man and tried to resist from his hold but failed.

Noticing at Lucy's waistline with a pique of interest for a moment, Salamander reached for her side and picked up her pouch of gold and silver keys in his hands. "Hmm? Gate Keys huh? So you're a Celestial wizard."

"Celestial? What do you mean, boss?", a dumb-looking thug asked.

"It does not matter. Unless you are a contract holder, this kind of Magic can't be used. In other words, they're useless to me", the blue-haired man explained before unceremoniously tossed out Lucy's keys out through the nearby window and sank into the bottom of the sea, breaking the girl into tears of hurt and anger at the man who deceived her.

Brandishing a branding iron for slaves, Salamander issued his orders. "Well, then as a slave, the first thing to do is to brand you and then it's off to Bosco. Too bad your friend, that orange girl in a witch getup won't be to join the fun."

"You're the worst kind of wizard ever!", the Celestial Mage muttered in tears of anger.

Suddenly, a massive exertion of Magical power emanating with rage filled the entire room and shook the whole ship and the surrounding waters of the ocean that froze everyone standing there in utter fear including Salamander who couldn't even withstood the pressure.

It is revealed to be Valeria Autumn herself appearing out of nowhere after teleporting the rest of the unconscious girls who were sedated by the spiked drinks and she was very pissed off at the sight of Lucy being branded like a slave after overhearing Salamander's intentions.

"Val?...", Lucy muttered in surprise of her new friend's calm but very enraged anger.

"It's a painful thing to lose a comrade, Valeria my child. Remember it well my apprentice... Some of my colleagues may disregard of this but I do not and I pass this lesson to you. Cherish them and protect them with your power. That is the path of a wizard. To be strong to protect the weak.", her former master's voice ringed in the young woman's head as she then glared at the man who was about to brand her new friend in Ishgar a slave in a sickening manner.

"A wizard of Ishgar like you disgusts me very, very much Salamander. I will have you roasted alive like a true Hell hereon earth...", Valeria declared in anger with her heterochromatic eyes that screams brutal murder staring right into the blue-haired man's soul looking at her along with the continued flaring of Magical power.

What is this feeling?! Why am I so afraid of her?..., he thought in constant shock and fear.

Twirling her staff around before slamming it on the ground hard, the Alvarez Mage fired a double shockwave blast wave upon another slamming of her staff again at the same time that sent nearly everyone off their foot, and some off the ship unluckily and collapsed with some managing to get back on their feet.

"Mr. Salamander!"

"You bitch!"

"Damn, she nearly knocked our pals off the ship!"

"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson."

"Gang up on her! She can't beat us with our numbers!"

Numerous men started to surround Valeria and Lucy who were about to defend themselves, intending to fight them but all of a sudden a wooden ceiling burst hard with a familiar face jumped into the fray who landed on the ground hard with the wooden floor crushed by his landing with no sign of trouble.

Blinking their eyes in surprise of a certain pink-haired teen who literally crashed into the party from above out of nowehere, the two female Mages muttered his name in recognition, "Natsu?"

In what appeared to be a badass moment for the pink-haired teen coming to save the day, Natsu fell on his knees and his cheeks puffed green a little with a look on his face that he wanted to hurl.

"Oh no, I can't take it.", Natsu said dizzily as he tried to hold on to his mouth from vomiting the contents in his stomach.

"Ehh? What kind of entrance was that?!", Lucy exclaimed in a deadpanned tone before sighing at Natsu's stupidity that Salamander and his men appeared to agree with her despite being enemies now.

The female Alvarez Mage can only facepalm at the 'Epic Fail' moment the pink-haired teen had pulled off right in front of them. "That's gotta be... the worst case of motion sickness ever of all time... So this is Ishgar... Full of surprises.", she muttered.

She also noticed Happy too in the sky, probably responsible for dropping Natsu into the slave ship of Salamander's from above. What are they doing here?, she wondered in her thoughts.

"Lucy? Valeria? What are you doing here?", the talking cat asked while descending down through the hole the now motion sick Natsu made.

"We're in Salamander's slave ship we got ourselves into with a bad case of party invitation by that blueberry freak over there, Natsu.", the orange-haired witch girl pointed out which the blue-haired handsome man find it offensive of her comment.

"Hey! That's just low for you to say that, orange girl.", he retorted back much to her annoyance.

"Hey Lucy, can you swim?", the former Magic King's apprentice asked her friend who then nodded in confirmation. "Alright, you go dive in after your keys and Happy when she surfaces, get her on shore. I'll support Natsu here in beating up these Ishgarian scumbags...", she said.

Lucy and Happy complied and get moving to leave the ship but this did not go unnoticed however as Bora's thugs tried to fire their Magic pistols but they were terrible shots that allowed the two to escape.

"Oh dammit! Search for them you fools! Find them! If news reaches the Magic Council, I'm done for!", he said in cold sweat and panic to his men who were then interrupted by a pink-haired boy who tried to say something despite his condition and pathetically put up a fight but was easily overpowered by the former's men but they were blown away by another Magical shockwave of Val's staff slammed into the ground.

"Fairy... Tail...", he weakly muttered much to his and the goons' confusion.

After Lucy jumped out of the yacht to get her keys back that was thrown out by Salamander, Happy spread his wings and flew above the cold waters, waiting for his friend to resurface anytime soon.

Lucy appeared with her head sticking out to breathe fresh air, just after Happy called out to her, having successfully retrieved her keys from the depths of the water and took out one of the golden keys to summon a Celestial Spirit as she dipped the key into the water.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!", she said as a blue Magic circle began to appear in front of her and out came a beautiful bluenette mermaid with a voluptuous figure and carrying an urn at her side.

Happy was surprise and amazement (not to mention a special interest in her because she looks like a fish) of the presence of a Celestial Spirit summoned by Lucy when she showed her pride of summoning one which irritates Aquarius who turned sternly at her for dropping her key and then threatened to drown her alive right here and now if she did it again that the blonde girl was very disturbed of her death threats.

It was the first time Valeria had seen a Celestial Spirit before and was awed of the Zodiac member's majestic beauty and power upon being summoned. Then she noticed the mermaid woman displaying looks of hostility and insubordination towards her summoner who tried to order her to bring the ship forcefully back to shore, only to reveal Aquarius threatening Lucy that she will kill her if the pouch of Gate Keys including hers were dropped again.

"HAAAAAAAHHHH! Giant Wave Attack!", the Water Bearer said in an irritated response, scoffing as she gathered all water into her urn and then wildly spun herself around in tremendous force to create the large tidal wave that had sent the whole ship and its passengers including her owner and the talking blue cat crashing back into the shore of Hargeon's harbor, resulting the destruction and flooding of the surrounding area!

"Oh shit! Wall of Stone!", Valeria lifted up her staff to summon a large earth wall in front of the harbor town of Hargeon through a brown Magic circle while holding onto the railings to brace herself for heavy impact right before the large tidal wave carrying the slave ship crashed right into it, completely destroying it in the process but managed to protect it from its full force of the impact.

In the aftermath of Aquarius' work, the harbor was a near total mess and all washed up! The slave ship owned by Salamander was completely overturned and a huge wreck with a huge wall it crashed upon, and most of the passengers on it had survived including the kidnapped girls who regained consciousness and then fled for their lives after realizing what happened to them when they're at "Salamander's" ship after Valeria teleported them away to safety in the shoreline of Hargeon.

The crowd of citizens were there too, trying to figure out what's going on down there and were having numerous surprises when they got there.

"Did that ship just crash into the harbor shore?"

"A huge wall just appeared out of nowhere and was destroyed all of a sudden!"

"How the hell did that happen?!"

"This is unbelievable!"

"Someone call the military!"

"I swear that a huge tidal swept that ship and destroyed the harbor shore!"

"No way!"

Lucy and Happy who appeared to have recovered met up with Valeria who managed to get off the destroyed overboard ship and then went off to find Natsu only for them to witness the pink-haired teenager starting to acting serious and glared angrily at 'Salamander' and his men.

"Natsu...", Lucy muttered before about to go help him, ready to fight but Happy stopped her much to her confusion.

"Happy... He's no ordinary person is he?...", Valeria asked, which the blue cat confirmed it.

Then, Natsu spoke in a loud and calm yet pissed off tone to 'Salamander'. "You are a Fairy Tail wizard?"

The blue-haired man answered back with a sneer, looking down on him. "What is it to you?" Turning to two of his thugs and gave an order, "Go teach that punk some manners."

The two thugs nodded at 'Salamander' and charged at the pinkette man with their fists.

"Let me take a good look at your face!", Natsu said darkly before reaching for his jacket while ignoring the two charging thugs coming at him.

Meanwhile, Happy was telling Lucy and Valeria something important. "Don't worry about Natsu, Lucy, Valeria. He's strong. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be a wizard."

Lucy showed her shocked look on her face while Valeria simply raised an eyebrow, Well he wouldn't be if he hadn't possessed such great Magical power I sensed from him and judging from his face, he's ready for a real heavy bruising. Bakel would love this guy as a new sparring partner should they meet...

This made the large muscular man with scarves covering his eyes within the Ajeel Squad sneeze loudly and wondered if someone talked behind his back before shrugging it off and returned to his laidback self, leaving his partner Kareem confused.

Removing his jacket that now flew away in an opposite direction, Natsu quickly punched the thugs at the same time like an adult striking a child while revealing his right arm which had a red tattoo on top of his right shoulder that almost looked like a fairy, growling in anger. "I am Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail and I've never seen you before in our guild!"

Everyone was in complete shock when the pink-haired teen claimed to be the real Fairy Tail Mage in the flesh especially Lucy as she slowly spoke, "... So Natsu is a Fairy Tail wizard?"

"Mr. Bora boss-man! That mark is the real deal!", one of the thugs turned to Salamander upon recognizing the guild symbol on Natsu's right shoulder.

The blue-haired man whose real name to be revealed as Bora panicked in a pissed look. "You damned idiot! Don't call me by that name!"

"Bora. I see... Bora the Prominence. He was kicked out of the Titan's Nose guild some years ago for using Magic to aid in thievery and started his own gang to continue his dirty work of slavery.", Happy said when he got off Lucy's shoulder and crossed his arms.

"I don't care who the damned hell you are but I am not letting you pretend to be a Fairy Tail wizard and let you get away with it!", Natsu said sternly and angrily at the impostor for his name and the name of the Guild he was a member of.

Bora in sheer panic and in desperation to hide his fear by acting arrogant spread out his arms to cast a Fire Magic spell with a red Magic Seal appearing in front of him, yelling. "I think you've blabbered on long enough! Eat this Fairy! Prominence Typhoon!"

Coming out of his Magic seal is a spiraling column of purple fire is sent flying towards an unimpressed Natsu and it seemingly engulfed him in an explosion.

Lucy was about to go to him but Happy and Valeria stopped her briefly in her confusion while Bora and his men were seemingly pleased of Natsu's apparent demise. Sooner after, Natsu began to speak despite the burning flames surrounding his body. "Man, you call this Fire Magic? This flames of yours taste horrible! Yuck! Are you sure you're really a Fire wizard?"

This extremely shocked Bora and his men when the surrounding flames went into Natsu's mouth instead of burning him alive as the Salamander impostor expected him to be and the pinkette teen ate them despite its terrible taste. Finished swallowing it with a whip on his mouth using his arm and a grin, the Fairy Tail Mage. "Oh, by the way thanks for the meal."

"W-W-W-W-W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS KID?!", Bora yelled in panic as Natsu started his counterattack.

Pounding his fists together forming his orange Magic Seal and a burst of flames erupting around his body, "I'm all fired up now!"

As Natsu inhaled a lot of flames into his mouth and positioned his hands in a trumpet-like formation, chanting his spell. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Out came a large stream of fire from Natsu's mouth and took out a big group of thugs in just one hit! Except Bora who used Red Carpet to quickly evade the pink-haired teen's fire breath attack, hovering above his wounded and unconscious men as one of them yelled out to him. "Mr. Bora! I have seen this guy before. The pink-hair, the scaly design scarf, and his flames. He's the real Salamander!"

"Natsu is the real Salamander of Fairy Tail...", Lucy said in awe of the teen's great Magic power as shown in the aftermath of his fire breath spell, surveying a lot of destruction he had just caused.

Well the title fits him better than that douche-bag..., Valeria smirked with a pleased look that Natsu had truly lived up to the befitted reputation of Salamander.

Gleaming at the Salamander impostor dangerously with a hint of red eye glowing, Natsu threatened Bora as he formed his flames around his fists and exerting his Magic power that caused the ground around him to shake. "Remember this asshole, this is the power of a Fairy Tail wizard! Here I go!"

"Aaaahhh! Prominence Whip!", Bora casted another Fire Magic spell as his Magic Seal fired a number of fiery, curved purple beams towards a charging Natsu who evaded them all with ease when the attacks hit the ground in a series of large explosions like fireworks while casting another spell in form of rapid fire flame bullets. "Red Shower!"

Retaliating in return, Natsu summoned his Magic Seal at his feet that allowed him to gain propulsion to launch himself into the air to reach Bora and pummeled him with his fiery fists that sent the rogue Mage crashing into the nearby structures!

"Wow, how can he do that?", Lucy slowly asked Happy in awe upon witnessing a fire battle between Natsu and Bora who then recovered from the attacks and continued on with their fight.

"It's a special Magic that allows the person to have lungs of the dragon to breathe fire, the dragon's scales to dissolve flames and the dragon's claws to wrap flames around it... So basically, the person transforms their entire being into that of the Dragon. To produce and control fire from any part of their body, which can be used both in melee and as a ranged form of offense. The Ancient Magic that was used to subdue with Dragons, Dragon Slayer Magic... That's what Igneel had taught Natsu with that Magic. Lost Magic...", Happy explained about Natsu's Magic with a darkened look written all over his face.

So that makes sense. Natsu is a Dragon Slayer. It is considered somewhat rare to meet one in person and their power are close to a real Dragon..., Valeria thought to herself while watching the awed display of the pink-haired man's Magic.

While Natsu dealt with Bora the Prominence personally in all-out fiery and overly-destructive battle between Fire Mages, the blonde young woman, after hearing Happy's explanation about Dragon Slayer Magic, confronted mostly some of the rogue Mage's wounded but combat capable thugs who managed to survive or evade the Fire Dragon Slayer's fire breath attack earlier.

"Oh, crap. That's a lot of bad guys down there that Natsu didn't take them all out when he used his Fire Dragon's Roar... This is bad.", Happy said in a worried tone upon watching many of them cracking their fists for brutal melee beating or brandishing any kind of weapon they carried along with a malicious killing intent towards the flying talking cat and the two women.

Valeria, on the other hand, calmly walked towards the mass horde of Bora's men as she gripped her ornate wooden staff as she told them. "You two stay back. I got this one. You best stay clear. Things will get a little messy here."

So long as I don't go full power otherwise I might end killing them despite how much I wanted to. Oh well, they're all target practices anyway and this is gonna be a bullseye..., she thought in anticipation with mischievous smirk.

Lucy and Happy was surprised of what Valeria just said to him as she approached those mob of thugs while lighting up her pipe she took from her handbag and smoked casually as if she had won the fight already by now coming from the look on her face which is almost quite in a too calm and casual manner yet they were worried about her facing them all by herself.

What do you mean, Valeria? How are you going to fight that many of Bora's armed men with just your staff unless you use that sword?... It's impossible..., the talking cat wondered.

Oh God I hope she's okay. Val is facing a whole bunch of those goons and she only has a staff. Why didn't she use that sword she always carry around?... , the blonde girl thought.

Bora's thugs, however, didn't look pleased or amused to see the woman who's supposed to be one of their slaves alongside the Celestial Mage ready to be shipped off to Bosco for great profit, is intending to take them all on by herself whilst smoking on her pipe and charged altogether, foolishly believing that they'll easily beat her in strength in numbers.

"You're mine now bitch!"

"That frail wooden staff of yours ain't gonna help you around here when you face with real weapons!"

"Or even that sword you never even bothered using at all. Hell, we might even make good fortune out them once we take it away from you!"

"You pulling a Gandalf the Grey genderbend or something!"

"You're gonna say 'YOU SHALL NOT PASS!' aren't you bimbo!"

"AAAHHH! SNEAK ATTACK!"

"Take her down!"

Ignoring their bawdy, lewd or rude comments, Valeria raised her staff as it glowed with Magical energy, forming a golden Magic circle that symbolizes Light Magic with dozens of sharp looking arrows made of light. "Heavenly Arrow Hailstorm...", she fired the Spell that easily defeated the first wave of Bora's thugs, sending them flying bloodied and bruised with a Magical explosions when the hail of light arrows struck them in precision which destroyed the surrounding area.

Not wasting any time or give chances of her enemies to counterattack, Valeria charged again her staff and summoned a brown Magic circle that symbolizes Earth Magic. "Mountain Lion Pit...", suddenly a huge earth hole of 30 feet below the ground appeared underneath Bora's goons and they fell down in a comedic and undignified manner they displayed.

The talking blue cat and the Celestial Mage was baffled too, watching in surprise of their new friend's performance in her fight of her display of Magic that overwhelmed the fake Salamander's gang without even putting much effort at all although they noticed something strange about her.

Valeria's non-usage of the sword she often carries around and made the two wonder why did she even bother wielding a weapon since she can overwhelm but it is probably justified that it is used in case of Sword Mages who managed to get past her firing range and try to hit her just in case.

Seeing more thugs armed with only their dangerous weapons and fists who finally recovered from Natsu's first attack, still charging at her way recklessly like idiots they are, the female Alvarez Mage then extended her right arm holding the staff and summoned a blue Magic circle that represents Water Magic.

"Tsunami Slammer...", a huge fist made of water from the sea appeared at the shocked and terrified thugs and quickly slammed them down in one heavy attack, leaving them unconscious with fish and water in their open mouths.

Simultaneously summoning another Magic circle of violet that represent Air Magic from her staff, Valeria unleashed another Spell. "Fury of the Skies...", a powerful gust of destructive winds manifested and has sent numerous of Bora's men that got caught at its range and ended flying into the air and then crashed landed around the surrounding area knocked bloodied but unconscious.

Those remained standing who had the brains than balls not recklessly charge in with their comrades that met the end of their line made different shocked reactions towards Valeria Autumn who's still attacking them with her Elemental Magics of any type from long range.

"What the hell is she?!"

"Is she somehow related to Gandalf or Merlin or something!?"

"That girl didn't even bother to use her sword on us?!"

"No way man!"

"This is crazy! No way can a wizard like her master six Magics let alone two!"

"Is she even human?!"

"Game over man! Game over!"

Finishing the last of the thugs trying to gang up on her with the swing of her staff, Valeria Autumn stood victorious while her enemies are lying on the ground, bloodied and unconscious alongside their destroyed weapons before lighting another spark into her pipe.

"Hey, Lucy! Happy! You alright back there.", the former Magic King's apprentice asked.

The Celestial Mage and the talking cat nodded slowly as a yes, still appearing to be shock of the display of Valeria's Magical capabilities before turning attention to the fight between Natsu and Bora above the already devastated town of Hargeon along with the two women.

The Salamander impostor still flying in his Red Carpet placed his arms before him that summoned his Magic Seal that built up a concentrated purple Magical energy into it that unleashed a long, large and laser-like beam on the town, enveloping it in an explosion a very long area before him in attempt to hit Natsu but the latter dodged it. "Hell Prominence!"

"Red Skull!" In one more desperate attempt to strike at Natsu, Bora conjured up a large sphere of fire shaped like a cartoon skull in his stretched arms and threw it at the Fire Dragon Slayer who caught it with ease, causing the ground to shatter before eating it completely.

As he wiped his mouth off and grinned, "I am having a great meal today. Thank you very much but now I'm gonna smoke you to a crisp!"

"Smoke me to a crisp!?", the blue-haired man cried out in shock, raising his hands a little in response of his opponent's threats.

"Here goes...", Natsu said as he punched his fists again to form his Magic Seal once more and charged toward Bora and punched him with his flaming fist! "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Unable to defend from such a ferocious Magical melee attack in time, the rogue Mage who impersonated the Salamander of Fairy Tail was punched in the face hard and was then sent flying across the town, destroying what's left of the remaining buildings and crashing into the chapel's bell!

"I'll admit that he's amazing... but he's overdoing it...", Valeria said in a sweat-drop manner when Natsu walked towards the blonde girl exclaiming in shock of his overly-destructiveness in battle and talking cat complimenting his human friend, telling them that that was a good fight he had... and a meal too despite how bad Bora's flames taste like.

Emerging from the rubble of what's almost left of Hargeon's chapel, a heavily bruised but still alive Bora recklessly charged at Natsu from behind as the Fire Mage conjured a large but concentrated Fire Magic Power at his hand in intent to take out the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail if he's going down with him.

"If I'm going down you pink-haired brat, you're coming with me!", he yelled.

Seeing the danger, Happy tried to warn his pinkette human best friend of his. "Oh no! Watch out Natsu!"

In a dashing blink of speed, Valeria showed up in between Natsu and Bora who were both equally surprised of her sudden appearance out of nowhere, and slowly swung her staff at the rogue Mage's Fire Magic spell after the latter made his last blow with a red Magic circle appearing.

"I don't think so! Stalagmite Fire...", she cheerfully retorted with a grin on her face.

Bora frantically panics for his pathetic life in complete shock and surprise as a large amount of power started to glow, as it began to engulf him in a blind flash of light, realizing that his Fire Magic spell has been overwhelmed by her own Fire Magic spell. "Th-this can't be happening! No! It can't end like this! W-W-W-W-W-Wh-who the hell are you woman?!"

Then a massive explosion of fiery blaze had occurred that completely destroyed the already heavily damaged surrounding area, nearly half of Hargeon that was seen by the people thinking in panic that a dragon had breathed out its powerful fire breath. Such spell was seen or noticed by nearly everyone throughout Fiore and some few neighboring countries or even the Alvarez Empire in a brief glimpse, wondering what it was.

That sent Bora flying into the skies completely charred like an overcooked roast pig with his almost all of clothes burned off and greatly injured from the full backfire of his Spell and will later come back crashing into the ground with a large thud.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!", he yelled in pain.

Natsu, Lucy and Happy, and also what's left of Bora's men could only gape in surprise and awe in a form of jaw-dropping and eyes bulging after witnessing Valeria's over-powerful fire attack on Bora as the woman in a stereotypical witch attire, still brandishing her staff, introduced herself of who she is with a small hint of her pride of an Alvarez Mage.

"I'm Valeria Autumn, a proud wizard from the West who just sent your sorry ass burnt, Bora the Prominence. I told you I would roast you alive and you got it.", she declared with a mischievous quip.

"I dunno who's gone really overboard? The real Salamander or that witch?", one of Bora's remaining thugs asked, which most of his companions answered both in a sweat-drop manner.

Soon, a large battalion of Fiore Kingdom soldiers in mailed armor wielding large shields and spears led by a military officer in full body armor coming towards the destroyed site after getting tipped off by the townspeople witnessing the battle between two Fire Mages.

"Oh no, the military!...", Lucy noticed in panic before all of a sudden Natsu grabbed her hand alongside Valeria's and ran like hell there's no tomorrow.

"Oh crap, we gotta get out of here!", the Fire Dragon Slayer panicked as he kept running.

"Aye!", Happy agreed as he kept pace with his human friends.

"Hey! Where are you taking me, Natsu!?", Lucy asked out loud while beginning to pick up the pace and ran along with them.

"D-d-don't drag me into this!", the former Magic King's apprentice yelled red-faced for being grabbed in her hand by the Fire Dragon Slayer. Then again, I made a very destructive finisher on Bora... I really need to control my power's potency more often. Guess I have to choice but to follow them. Hopefully it won't end up in an international incident..., she thought.

"You said you wanted in to Fairy Tail?", Natsu asked while running. "...Then let's get going!", he said with a smile.

Lucy then warmly smiled at the Fire Dragon Slayer's statement, "Okay!"

"I'm only coming with you guys because I don't want to get arrested!", Val defended herself if they thought she's going to join the guild her country had targeted, then they should think again but she had no choice in the matter anyway since they're on the run.

Natsu, Lucy and Happy simply shrugged off her justification of following them to Fairy Tail anyways and kept on running as fast as they can from the pursuing soldiers of the Fiore Kingdom in the midst of the destroyed town of Hargeon.

However, something tells the female Alvarez Mage within her heart and conscience that give it a try for once, joining this Fairy Tail and see how it turned out to be compared to life with colleagues and acquaintances at the Alvarez Empire.

But this is her path she choose in her own free will and she will continue walking on.

Oh well, it is definitely an irony of an irony after all...


Author's Note: It would appear I finished the first and oneshot chapter of the "Path of a Wizard from Alvarez" is done and hopefully a new update might be coming around soon if you guys liked it. :D Especially with Valeria Autumn, my main OC from the Alvarez Empire. Guess, I have a thing or two with classical wizards in robes. XD If there's any ideas and suggestions for it. Be my guest.

Meanwhile I will be waiting for the update of Fairy Tail manga chapters of the Alvarez Empire arc which is getting quite interesting I would say. Especially the Spriggan 12 and their powers and personalities that made them intriguing characters and hopefully that they lived up to the hype but then again, we all know what happened to bad guys at the hands of the protagonists in the end.

For the identity of Zeref who is only known as Emperor Spriggan of the Alvarez Empire and in Ishgar as the dreaded Black Wizard himself, Valeria just didn't know of it yet until the Tenrou Island arc in the future chapters to come. Due to the fact, Zeref rarely dabbles in politics unless necessary, preferring to stay beyond the capital, or even the empire itself, like in Tenrou Island as the main example while his ministers and generals do the majority of the work.

Anyways, enjoy and don't forget to review.