Chapter 2: Recklessness is the key.
(Unknown location, one month later)
Gildarts Clive sighed for the hundredth time as he ambled aimlessly along the edge of the mountain cliff. His tired eyes looked up at the sky full of grey clouds. Was it going to snow?
...
Shaking his head, the auburn haired man stared at the view below him. Surrounding him were massive pointy mountains covered in snow, so big that it looked as if it could pierce the heaven. The cold wind brushed against his tattered cloak, making it sway. Being the brave man he was, Gildarts peeked down below him, only to see nothing but fog. An annoyed expression bloomed across his face as he scratched the back of his head.
He was lost...
Great, now what?
He had taken an S class mission from the board and had been traveling for months now, trying to find the damn location... another sigh escaped his mouth, his shoulders slumped down disheartedly. He had been walking nonstop since this morning. Maybe he should take a short break? Two or three hours should be good...
Looking around, Gildarts found the perfect spot for a rest. It was a massive rock, and its texture was by far the smoothest ones he had ever seen on a rock. A smile formed on his middle age face as he slowly made his way towards it. Ah~ finally, a place to rest-
ACHOO!
A loud sneezing sound echoed loudly near Gildart's location. The auburn haired man couldn't help himself and turned around to see a blonde haired child at the age of thirteen, hugging himself from the coldness as he looked at the view below him. A deadpan look appeared on his face as he continued to stare, the boy had weird whisker marks on both sides of his cheeks, but that wasn't what made him stand out... It was the choice of clothing.
The blonde haired boy wore a plain white T-shirt, black shorts that reached down just below the knees, and a pair of flip flops...
Flip flops!
In this kind of place?!
...
Noticing that he was being stared at, Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. Only to see a hobo looking at him with a speechless expression...
The two continued to stare at each other with their own deadpan expression until the blonde spoke up.
"What?"
"..."
Pointing his finger rudely, Gildarts questioned, "Aren't you cold?"
Naruto's face grew beyond blank. Was this old guy really asking him that? Okay, he had to admit. His outfit might look weird, but it was the only thing he could afford, and besides. It was comfortable.
"I dunno, you tell me...," He mocked.
Something inside Gildarts snapped, "Cheeky little brat...," he shook his head mentally and decided to ignore the comment. Maybe he should change the subject...
"Anyways... what's a brat like you doing all the way out here?"
An unpleasant look appeared on Naruto's face as he tilted his head, "Aaahhh? I could say the same thing to you too... Old man," He sneered.
Now that does it, a vein could be seen popping on the auburn haired man's forehead. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed.
"I'm not old dammit!"
"Whatever," Was the blonde's reply.
The feeling of irritation overwhelmed Gildarts. A sigh escaped his mouth, he mentally shook his head as he tried to calm himself down. The kid might be annoying, but he was still just a kid. Coughing into his fist, the middle age man tried to change the subject once more.
"Jokes aside, I don't know what you're doing up here all by yourself, but I suggest you leave," He crossed his arms.
Naruto tilted his head in confusion, "Huh?"
"It's dangerous here...," The middle age man said, looking around, "Don't you feel it?"
Silence claimed the area as the two stood. Naruto could feel his hair swayed in the cold wind as he tried to 'feel it'.
"..."
Nothing.
He looked up at the older man straight in the eyes.
"I don't feel anything... are you sure you're not just imagining it? Since you're old and all," He mocked.
Gildarts's body shook, trying his best not to lash at the blonde. He was in his thirties dammit! A brat like this shouldn't be able to wind him up!
"Dammit kid, doesn't your parent teach you manners?" The ace of Fairy Tail hissed.
The look on the boy's face made him stop. The uncaring expression was replaced with a frown.
"I don't have any parents," Naruto shrugged, but the auburn-haired man could tell that he was a little bit offended.
Scratching the back of his head. Gildarts tried to think of a way to change the subject.
"Today's weather is great isn't it?"
"..."
"..."
"Lame,"
That one word pierced through his heart like a spear. A rain cloud appeared out of nowhere over his head as he looked down at the ground. Naruto continued to watch the middle age man sulk before an annoyed sigh escaped his mouth.
"Oi...," He called out half-heartedly. Making Gildarts perk up in curiosity, "What about you? Why're you even up here, old man?" He questioned.
Gildarts made a face. "My name is Gildarts Clive, not old man!" He exaggerated before rubbing his bearded chin, "And for what I'm doing up here... hmm...,"
A smirk appeared on his face, oh... the brat would be surprised by this!
"I'm a Fairy Tail mage, currently on an S-rank mission!" Gildarts exclaimed, pointing his thumb towards his chest.
A flash of recognition popped onto Naruto's face. Fairy Tail... wasn't that the guild Erza wanted to join so much? He looked up at the older man and raised his eyebrows.
"S rank you say?"
The Fairy Tail mage smirked, "That's right," He nodded.
Naruto stared straight into the auburn haired man's eyes. Untamed blues met dark browns.
"I don't believe you,"
Gildarts face faulted. A growl rumbled out of his mouth as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a poster.
"Look,"
Handing the piece of paper to the blonde, he watched with a slightly raised eyebrow. The flip-flop wearing boy squinted his eyes as he skimmed through the poster. His main attention was on the picture which was showing a big, golem-like creature. His eyes glided down towards where the writings were, and began to read...
read...
"..."
"I can't read,"
Gildarts's face became dumbfounded. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Where the hell were you raised? Doesn't the orphanage teach you or something?"
Without a care in the world, Naruto replied casually, "I was a slave...,"
"..."
"A what?" The auburn haired man's face became blank.
The blonde frowned, "A slave," He repeated. Doesn't this old dude know what a slave is?
A long, tired sigh escaped the man's mouth. He slumped down on the ground and gestured his hand for the boy to sit down.
"You and I are going to have a long chat about this,"
Naruto groaned in annoyance.
XXXX
At the edge of Fiore, footsteps echoed through the thick forest area. A small child wearing armor walked closely behind the silver cloaked individual
"Are we there yet, Rayleigh-san?" Asked Erza Scarlet for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
The cloaked individual, Rayleigh, smiled, "We're nearly there," He responded.
A doubtful frown made its way on the girl's face as she nodded. They had been walking for more than five hours, she didn't know where they were going, but her mentor said that it was for training. So being the good child she was, she didn't ask any further. Erza threw a glance forward, looking straight at the elderly man's back. She had learnt a lot of things about her mentor in the past month.
Rayleigh was a light-hearted, casual, and fun loving. Though, he often has a serious air. He enjoyed going with the flow and appearing in unexpected places and unexpected ways, but much to Erza's dislike. The man loved alcohol and women.
A soft sigh escaped her mouth as she thought back to the past month. The only thing he had taught her were the basis of holding a sword and stances. Erza quivered. Rayleigh doesn't really know how to hold back.
Noticing a soft sigh behind him, the silver cloaked man looked over his shoulder. His eyebrow raised slightly as he noticed his red-haired student quivered under her armor... was she cold?
A thoughtful look appeared across his face. Maybe it was because of the armor? He had suggested that she didn't have to wear it all the time, but the girl refused to listen, saying that she felt more secure with it on. Rayleigh sighed, Erza really liked weapons and armor. He didn't know why, but his student just couldn't keep her eye off them. Every time they went shopping, she would always stop at a certain blacksmith store, and just stare at the items on the shelves with her brown, glittering eye.
Growl~
Taken by surprise. Rayleigh turned his head towards the sound. A chuckle escaped his mouth when he noticed a large blush on his student's face. Erza was holding stomach, clearly embarrassed.
"Still hungry?" He laughed quietly at the girl's miserable face.
Erza nodded timidly. That was embarrassing. She had already eaten just a few hours ago, there was no way she could ask for more...
WuuuussSH...
The sound of ominous wind whispered through the trees, cutting the armored girl out of her embarrassment. Chills went down her spine, making her turn her head to her mentor. Her blood froze as she noticed the look on Rayleigh's face. The carefree expression was gone, and was replaced with a stern one.
This spelt trouble...
Looking around. Erza observed her surroundings.
The forest had gotten much darker; the sun's ray was unable to pierce through the thick leaves like it was able to just a minute ago. It was as if they were traveling in the night. Sweat started to bead down her forehead as she felt calculating eyes bore into her back. With a swift movement. The girl turned her head towards her teacher.
"R-Rayleigh-san," Whispered the redhead fearfully.
Rayleigh did not budge. He knew that there were predators of all kind around these areas, but he didn't need to worry about that. After all, they won't be doing anything rash if they knew what was good for them. He turned to face his student and smiled.
"Do not worry. We're almost there," He tried to calm the frightened girl down.
Erza nodded. She tried to keep up with his pace as much as she could so that she doesn't get left behind. As the two came out into the clearing. The eye patch wearing girl squinted her eye to adjust to the sunlight. An astonish expression flare onto her cherry face as she looked at the view before her.
A massive grassy plain that was stretched out far and wide into the horizon. No trees could be seen, just a few mountains and hills here and there. Forgetting all about the creatures that were watching her. The red haired girl asked out loud with excitement.
"Where are we, Rayleigh-san?!" She couldn't contain the smile on her face.
Rayleigh chuckled. He looked at the plain before him and hummed lightly.
"Fiore, Seven, and Bosco. This is a place where the three countries are connected together,"
A gobsmack expression appeared on Erza's face. Does that mean they were at the edge of Fiore? Impossible! They were walking on foot, there was no way they got here this quick... unless Rayleigh was really good with shortcut...
A sudden flash of memory hit her. She quickly turned her attention towards the man beside her.
"Rayleigh-san, is this the place where you said we will be training from now on?" Asked the girl to her teacher.
The old pirate smiled. My... what a smart girl.
"That is correct," He answered. Looking straight ahead of him, and narrowed his eyes, "Now then,"
Erza paid close attention. Was training starting already?
Closing his eyes. Rayleigh stretched his senses out far and wide, "There sure are a lot of uncontrollable beasts. I say about three hundred beings are out of your capabilities right now," He opened his eyes and rubbed his chin.
The armored girl tilted her head in confusion. What was he talking about? Numbers? Beasts? She watched as her mentor turned towards her.
"You have to get stronger, or you can't even sleep at night,"
She wasn't sure she understood, but she nodded her head anyway.
"How are you able to know about them and their numbers, Rayleigh-san?" She asked. Clearly confused.
The elderly man smiled, "This is something that concerns you. You must obtain this power," His eyes suddenly became serious, "The power called Haki!"
"Haki?" Questioned Erza.
Suddenly.
A massive tremor appeared out of nowhere. The redhead gasped in surprise as she wobbled here and there. She quickly looked at her teacher to see if he had any idea what was going on.
Rayleigh had a stern look on his face. He stood his ground, not budging at all.
Boom!
Out of nowhere. A massive tarantula shot up from the ground. Rubbles flew everywhere as the Arachnid's body loomed over the two humans. Its hungry eyes bore down at its prey while its needles like fur glittered beneath the sun.
Erza Scarlet took a step back, her left eye widened in fear, "R-Rayleigh-san...," She whimpered.
With a mighty screech. The eight-legged creature went in for the killing blow. Its jaw expanded, revealing acid covered fangs. The red haired girl was in a complete panic. Her mind wasn't working straight.
"Listen well, Erza-kun," Said her mentor with a calm voice, "Haki is a latent power that everybody has," He began his lecture.
Erza didn't know what to pay attention to, Rayleigh's lecture or the giant tarantula that was coming closer and closer.
"Presence, fighting spirit, intimidation... it's no different from the senses that normal humans have," He continued, "However, most of them don't realise their power or don't know how to bring them out, until the very end,"
The look in his eyes made Erza stopped. All panic were gone as she felt a calm feeling washed over her body. She continued to stare until the next sentence struck her mind and heart.
"Having no doubt. That what makes you strong,"
And with that, Rayleigh closed his eyes as the tarantula came down like a meteor. The armor wearing girl tried to shout for him to move, but her words died in her throat when she saw her mentor side stepped the incoming attack.
Completely avoiding it.
Gaping like a fish. Erza could do nothing but watched as the Arachnid crashed to the ground, shattering the earth. A gust of wind, followed by a small shockwave blew past her. Making her short red hair sway.
"There are two prominent types of Haki," Rayleigh began. Catching the girl's attention, "The one I used just now was the power to feel other's presence more strongly," He turned to face her.
"It is called Observation Haki!"
Astonishment filled Erza's face as she gawked. So there was a power like that... and it wasn't even magic.
"If you enhance this power, you can tell where your invisible enemy is, how many there are, and what their next move will be,"
Grrrawwl!
The tarantula screeched. Shooting up to its feet. It glared down at the two humans with eyes burning in anger.
Rayleigh paid no mind and continued his lecture.
"Next is the Armament Haki. This power is the same as wearing an armor, and if the armor is hard enough. It can be used as the offensive power," He pulled out a long sword that was hidden beneath his cloak, "It can also be transferred to a weapon,"
Erza watched as the sword turned pitch black. It was as if void had engulfed its entire form. Her eye wavered, she was definitely going to focus on this one. After all, it might be very useful with her Re:equip magic.
The next sentence that came out of Rayleigh's mouth cut her out of her thoughts.
"Observation Haki, Armament Haki... those are the two types of Haki," Seeing that the girl was paying close attention. The old pirate continued with a small smirk, "However, there are a few rare people who can use another kind of Haki,"
Erza didn't even get to ask when the tarantula brainlessly used the same attack once more.
"Watch," Said Rayleigh loud and clear as he narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly. Erza felt a massive intimidation aura engulfed the whole area. Sweat bead down her forehead as her blood stopped. This feeling. It was the same as last time...
Blinking several times. The redhead widened her eye in disbelief at the sight before her. The tarantula... it fell to the ground. Unconscious.
"H-How...," Was the only thing that escaped her mouth.
"That was the power to intimidate your enemy, Conqueror's Haki," Rayleigh stated, somewhat dramatic, "However, unlike the other two. You can control the Conqueror's Haki, but you can't train yourself to use it,"
Erza frown in confusion, "Why?" She asked.
The old man smiled. She was a good student , "That's because it's the owner's spirit itself. You can enhance it only by developing yourself,"
The redhead looked down at her hands, "Developing myself...," She muttered.
With a flick of his coat, Rayleigh looked at her fondly.
"I'm going to teach you the basis of Observation Haki and Armament Haki, most people would lean towards one type as their preference dictates. They find which one they prefer and strengthen that one" He said, looking at her with a knowing expression.
Erza pouted before an uncertain look appeared on her face.
"What about Conqueror's Haki?" She asked.
Rayleigh shook his head, "You are still too young for that, and I'm not even sure that you have it in you...,"
The armor wearing girl nodded. She doesn't really care, she was happy just like this.
"We will began your training tomorrow, so I suggest you rest as much as you can today," He said. Earning another happy nod from his student.
Erza watched as her teacher turned around to look at the unconscious Arachnid.
He rubbed his chin and spoke up unexpectedly.
"Now then... what do you say about grilled tarantula?"
Erza grimaced in disgust.
XXXX
"Naruto... you are one stupid kid; you know that?"
Gildarts tilted his head to dodge a small pebble that was thrown at him. A displease look on his face as he stared at the scowling boy.
"I don't want to hear that coming from you, old man," Naruto growled.
The two were seated on the rocks up on an unknown mountain in an unknown area. Cold, sharp wind brushed against their skin, making the two quivered. Gildarts's eyes drifted up towards the grey cloud... it was definitely going to snow.
The two of them had been playing the twenty questions game. Well, it was mostly just Gildarts asking serious questions and the whiskered boy giving half-arsed answers. The auburn haired man had lernt quite a lot about the young lad, the boy was rather laid back, has a foul mouth, and pretty much has no manners.
Well, he couldn't blame him. The kid was raised as a slave, after all.
"What is the mission about anyway?"
A question was thrown at him. The ace of Fairy Tail hummed. How should he explain this?
"Well, the client said that I have to eliminate a golem monster inside the Oath Ruin, the Ruin of Promises... Ever heard of it?" The only reply he got was a confused look.
The mission was fairly simple. All he had to do was find the location and defeat the trouble, but that was easy said than done. The town people said that the ruin's entrance was tricky to find, and apparently. There have been some morbid rumours about the place.
"Ruin? You mean that cave over there?" Said the boy casually. Pointing his thumb behind him.
As Gildarts's eyes travelled. A deadpan expression made its way across his face as he spotted a massive cave just right behind the blonde, hidden behind thick layers of ice. No... The entrance was pretty much covered by ice...
A sigh escaped the man's mouth. How did he not see it? It was right in front of him!
"So? How are you going to get in?" The blonde asked.
The auburn haired man rubbed his chin. "Easy," He replied.
Watching Gildarts getting up. Naruto watched silently as the older man moved towards the thick layer of ice. His eyes widened in surprise when powerful magic spike erupted from Gildarts's body.
"What-,"
He didn't get to say anything when lights filled the whole area, followed by a massive crash.
Boom!
A massive gust of wind blew past him, making him cover his face. Naruto grunted when he felt small, cold pebbles hit him as if they were frozen needles, and as everything died down. The boy squinted his eyes to adjust to the lights. Only for a gobsmack expression to appear on his whiskered face.
There Gildarts was. Stood unmoving with his right hand extended. But that wasn't what surprise him the most. It was the perfectly square shaped ice cubes on the ground, they looked as if they were chipped to pieces.
"Well, that cleared the path," Came the casual comment.
Naruto gawked, "H-How...,"
Hearing the foul mouth boy's astonishment. The Fairy Tail mage couldn't help but smirked, "Crash magic," He answered simply.
Sweat began to bead down Naruto's head. So there was someone other than him who can do massive amount of damages to their surroundings. His untamed eyes bored into Gildarts's back. This old man was strong...
"Now then, I am going to get on with my business so I suggest you get out of here," The auburn haired man turned towards the blonde and made a shoo gesture with his hand. Treating the boy as if he was a dog.
Naruto snarled, "No way, I'm coming too," Then, an idea popped into his head. A small smirk appeared on his face, "Besides, there might be treasures hidden inside. The place is a ruin, after all," He said. Sounding slightly excited.
A deadpan expression covered Gildarts's face, "What are you, nine? This ain't no fantasy adventure, and besides. There's a fat chance of there being treasures,"
The whiskered boy growled, "Aaahhh? How do you know? You're just chatting shit!" His dream wasn't going to be crush by this hobo.
He stopped when a heavy sigh escaped the older man's mouth. Gildarts looked him with an unusually serious expression on his face.
"I'm being serious, Naruto. Don't follow me, it's dangerous,"
The two stared at each other in silence until the blonde scoffed and avoided eyes contact.
"Whatever...,"
A pang of guilt stabbed Gildarts straight in the heart. He could hear the disappointment in the boy's voice very clearly. Turning around, he began to stroll into the now opened cave. He stopped for a few seconds and glanced over his shoulder. Naruto was glaring down at the ground with a sad look on his face.
Rubbing his head. Gildarts began, "You know... it's not like we're not going to see each other again...,"
"Huh?"
Came Naruto's clever reply.
The two were now staring at each other once more, a blank expression met with a confused one.
"The hell are you talking about?" The boy asked.
"..."
Gildarts could do nothing but stared. This brat was seriously something else. Pinching the bridge of his nose. The ace of Fairy Tail groaned in annoyance.
"I don't care anymore,"
Raising a brow. Naruto watched as Gildarts ambled further inside the cave. What was his problem? The blonde was about to ask but stopped when he spotted small, white flakes gliding down from the corner of his eyes. Looking up. Naruto's face became amazed.
It was snowing.
All around him were grey clouds, dripping down snows as if they were heaven's ash. The whiskered boy quivered when the coldness seeped through his bones. The weather was getting colder. His eyes slowly dazed to the side where the entrance of the cave was... maybe he could go in? It might be warmer inside than out here.
Suddenly, Gildarts's word popped into his mind.
"It's dangerous,"
"..."
Scoffing loudly. An uncaring expression made its way onto Naruto's face.
"The old man can shove those words up his ass. I'm thirteen, dammit. I can take care of myself,"
And without a care in the world. He chased after the Fairy Tail mage.
"Oi, wait up!"
XXXX
Darkness was all Gildarts could see. It hasn't been long since he entered the ruin and he could feel it already. He could feel the magic that was trapped inside the walls as he went deeper and deeper. The auburn haired man clicked his tongue when the air became chilly, as if there was something frozen ahead of him. Sweat began to pour down his head despite the cold. He felt like someone was watching him from all around. He turned his head to look at both sides, before a sudden goosebumps burst from his body.
Wwwuuuuuuusshhh~
The wind whispered creepily in his ear. Gulping down his saliva. Gildarts tried his best to ignore the feeling and began to speed-walking. He just wanted to get this over and done with as fast as he possibly could!
Suddenly.
A flash of crimson light flickered lazily just ahead of him. Gildarts couldn't help but be taken back a little. Now that was definitely creepy. Preparing himself for the worst, the ace of Fairy Tail gathered his magic for Crash.
Flash!
Without any warning. The whole area was lit up by unknown lights, making the auburn haired mage jerk back in surprise as he covered his face. Trying his best to adjust to the brightness, Gildarts blinked several times. His eyes widened when his vision cleared. He was inside a room, and around him were walls, covered in old style writing that he doesn't understand. But what surprised him the most was the massive eyeball painting up on the ceiling. It was as if the red eye was staring at him, right into his soul.
The feeling spider crawling on his skin made Gildarts froze. This place was way too creepy for his liking. The mage of Fairy Tail slowly turned his attention towards the front of him. There were now not one, but two path ways. It was making him decide which way, left or right? Rubbing his chin, a thoughtful look made its way onto his face.
"Man... this place gives me the creep,"
Gildarts slowly turned around. A plain look on his face when a certain flip flops wearing blonde came into his view.
"I told you not to follow me...,"
The boy just scoffed at him, "It's snowing outside,"
Sighing. The middle age man scratched his head in irritation. How was he going to do this?
"So, which way are you going?"
The question from the blonde cut him out of his thoughts.
"Who said that you're coming with me?"
Naruto looked at the older man and pointed his thumb towards his chest, "Me," He answered. Somewhat annoyed.
The two stared at each other blankly. God, they had been doing this quite a lot lately.
Breaking the intense staring contest. Gildarts decided to give up. He doesn't have the time for this nonsense.
"Whatever... just don't come crying to me if you die or something...," He muttered.
Only for the bird to be flipped at him.
Naruto stared with a casual body posture. An amusement expression on his face when Gildarts's body trembled in anger.
"Do you need to use the toilet?"
"Calm down, calm down, calm down!"The mage chanted.
Ignoring the blonde's childish comment. Gildarts scowled, pointing his finger at the boy in a nagging manner as he began to walk towards the two separated paths.
"You stay here! Do not move from this room, do you understand?!" He ordered, but the boy just waved him off.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go already,"
Watching the middle age man clicked his tongue away like a child. An irritated look spread across Naruto's face.
"That old man really needs to get laid," He murmured aloud.
Glup
The sound of an unknown movement caught Naruto's ears. He looked up at the ceiling, only to freeze in shock. Staring straight at him was a massive, bulging eyeball. The blood vessels in the eye looked so thick as if they were going explode at any moment. But that wasn't what surprised him the most. It was the way the eye was looking at him. Naruto could feel goosebumps looming all over his body, he felt as if his soul was being watched...
Creepy...
But now that he mentioned it... how come he hadn't noticed this when he came in? If he remembered correctly. Up on the ceiling was a painting of an eyeball...
...
Jerking back, the boy cried uncharacteristically.
"G-Gildarts! Wait for me!"
XXXX
Once again, darkness was the only thing Gildarts could see. He frowned slightly as he looked at the unseeable floor, he should of have been more prepared. Maybe bring a torch or something...
Scoffing loudly, he shook his head. He himself was an S class mage dammit. Not being able to see anything won't stop him! The Fairy Tail mage had decided to go to the left side of the path way, which had led him into this situation. Sighing to himself... Gildarts wondered if the whiskered blonde boy was doing alright...
Suddenly, while he was strolling aimlessly inside the darkness. The auburn haired man felt one of his foot sank into what seemed to be a shallow water area. With a raise of his eyebrow, he slowly took another step forward, carefully touching underneath the water surface.
Clank.
Gildarts froze.
The ground... it moved.
No...
It was as if, something was piled up.
Like... bones.
Without a warning, crimson lights lit up the whole area. Gildarts widened his eyes as his vision became cleared. Swiftly looking around, the only thing he saw was that he was in a wide spread area that seemed to stretched far into the horizon of darkness. It seemed endless.
Drip Drip Drip
"..."
His eyes glided down, cold sweat drained down his forehead to his chin as he saw the image that would burn into his memory. Underneath him were rotten bones and skulls of dead people, piled up together as if they had been like that for centuries under the shallow water. Gildarts did his best to not lose his cool. He jerked back a little to look at the whole image.
"What hell is this place...," He muttered with shock.
This place... it was as if he was inside a nightmare.
Nothing was making sense.
Trying his best to stay calm. The ace of Fairy Tail began to stroll through the hell ground, looking everywhere to find a way to get out of the endless field of the dead.
Unnoticed to him, a giant red eye was boring straight into his soul from far above.
XXXX
"Fuck off!"
Naruto cussed for the hundredth time as he snarled venomously at the giant eye above him. The boy had been storming through the ancient ruin like an unstoppable force, going through many rooms and pathways, ignoring every single creepy subject that tried to get in his way…
It was as if the eye was trying to make him go the other direction…
Frowning as he came into another room. Naruto looked at his surroundings, taking in as much details as he could. The room was old and dusty; many cracks were clutching onto the walls that were decorated with strange patterns.
Looking up. A deadpan expression merged onto his face as he spotted the similar red eye, bulging at him with anger. Ignoring the creepy eyeball. Naruto moved his focus onto what was in front of him.
There were three pathways.
The one on the left was dark and gloomy, giving off an unpleasant aura, and the other two were dull and plain…
Naruto stared.
It was so obvious; they were not even trying!
Walking up towards the left pathway, Naruto looked behind him. The eye on the ceiling was glaring straight at him with burning rage.
Hmm… suspicious.
A curiosity look appeared on his whiskered face. How did he not see this before? This place was definitely hiding something. With a sly smile, the blonde began to walk inside the unpleasant path way.
Coming here might be a good idea after all.
…
A massive tremor appeared out of nowhere and shook the whole area awake. Naruto stumbled here and there, trying not to fall off his feet. Sweat began to pore down his head as he looked back at the eyeball on the ceiling. His eyes widened in fright.
There was nothing.
The eye was gone.
The tremor shook louder making the boy grunt, and oddly. Naruto could hear sounds that were similar to footsteps. Preparing himself for the worst. The blonde haired child backed away a little, something inside told him that he was in danger.
All of a sudden. A massive hand made out of diamond shot through the walls. Naruto didn't have time to react as it crashed against him. A painful grunt escaped from his mouth as he was sent sprawling backward and skidded across the ground. Many rubbles were sent flying randomly in all directions, making it rain.
Struggling to get up. Naruto felt a sharp pain in his knee dual to broken bones. He peered up with difficulties to see who or what his attacker was. The blonde's eyes bulged slightly as a massive golem like creature came into view. Its diamond body glimmered brightly in the dark, making the boy grow in awe. Naruto continued to stare as his eyes travelled towards the golem's face. The monster only has one eye, and that eye looked exactly the same to the one that was on the ceiling.
Feeling the broken bones in his knee healed. Naruto instantly shot up to his feet. A snarl erupted from his face as he stared at the diamond golem before him. He doesn't know what was going on, but he knew that he was in serious danger.
Getting a better look. The blonde was amazed by the golem's size. It was big, way too big. It was as big as a small mountain. He wondered how such a big creature like this got in here. Naruto was cut out of his thoughts when the monster loomed over him, its red eye bored down into his soul.
Without wasting any moment, the one eyed golem pulled its massive fist back, making Naruto widen his eyes.
There was no turning back now.
Being the reckless boy he was. He threw a punch at the air, shattering it, and left a massive crack in the empty space. The blonde grunted loudly as the diamond fist struck down, causing massive shockwaves to explode everywhere. He could feel the earth beneath him being destroyed into bits as the force of the punch kept coming down on him. Naruto gritted his teeth in irritation.
"Where the hell is Gildarts?!"
XXXX
Staring at the sight before him. Gildarts, the ace of Fairy Tail could not find the word to describe what was in front of him. His body trembled with the feeling that he hasn't felt in a very long time. There in front of him were massive mountains of gold, piled up on top of each other waiting to be collected. Trying to calm himself down, the man shook his head.
There was no way that this was real. There must be a trap somewhere.
Observing his surroundings, Gildarts frowned slightly. From what he could tell, he was inside an old storage room. There were many ancient paintings on the walls and there was some sort of magic rune carved into the stone on the ceiling.
This place certainly doesn't look trust worthy.
The mage let out a small 'hmph' before turning back. He was here the eliminate a golem, not treasure hunting.
…
Peeking behind his shoulder a tiny bit. A dribble of saliva somehow managed to escape his mouth.
"Ehehe~,"
Gildart's face looked like he was in heaven.
Maybe…
Just maybe. Getting some gold would be fine, right? The amount of money he could spend on women and alcohol… it was like a dream come true!
Crack!
Out of nowhere, a massive tremor shook the whole place wildly. Gildarts snapped out of his day dream and became alerted. He swiftly looked around, trying to locate any enemies on sight.
"What the hell's going on-,"
He was interrupted when a familiar boy with bright blonde hair burst through the walls, arms and legs flying wildly as he crashed to the ground, and skidded uncontrollably across the room.
Gildarts wasted no time and quickly rushed over, worries were shown on his face as he tramped all over the expensive looking artefacts as if they were nothing but pebbles.
"O-Oi, brat-,"
His word died in his mouth when Naruto shot up to his feet. Blood were dripping down his head to his toe, making him look like an undead corpse. Observing the boy more closely, the mage of Fairy Tail cringed slightly as he saw the broken bones on the arms and legs.
"Hey…," Gildarts began, sweat of nervousness dripped down his forehead.
Naruto did not listen. His attention was ahead of him where he had been sent flying through. The boy gritted his teeth and turned towards the older man.
"Hey Gildarts,"
Said man raised a brow. That was the first time his name had been used by the boy. Seeing that Gildarts was listening. Naruto continued.
"On a scale of one to ten… how strong are you?"
"Ten,"
The answer came instantly with a deadpan expression.
Naruto stared. Before he could make a remark, massive footsteps shook the ground heavily. The dual looked towards the hole in the wall. Gildarts was about to ask what was going on, but stopped when the blonde spoke up.
"Here it comes,"
His answer was spoken when a gigantic golem beast with diamond body burst through the walls, sanding rubbles flying everywhere. Its giant red eye glared down at the two humans. With a brainless action, it heavily rushed towards the two smaller beings, shattering the earth along the way with its right fist pulled back.
"What-,"
Taken by surprise. Gildarts could do nothing but gawk at the sight. Shaking his head mentally, the Fairy Tail mage quickly turned towards the younger boy.
"Naruto, stay out of this-,"
He did not get to finish when said boy sprang forward. Launching himself up into the air straight at the monster with his own fist pulled back. Gildarts stared with wide eyes. This brat, is he trying to get himself killed?!
With nothing to do but watch. The auburn haired man covered his face with his arms as the two clashed. Shockwaves and wind were sent everywhere, blowing away the ancient artefacts as well as many pebbles on the ground.
Peering forward Gildarts widened his eyes when he noticed the massive crack floating in the air where Naruto's fist had landed. He let out a gasp when the ground started to break apart, the walls began to crumble and the ceiling slowly falling into pieces.
Gritting his teeth. Naruto once again failed to power forward. The golem was way too strong, its unstoppable punch sent him sprawling backward. Thinking that he was going to crash to the ground. The boy braced himself as much as he could.
…
But the impact never came.
Instead.
Two pair of strong arms caught him before he was about to hit the ground.
Gildarts grunted as he skidded backward. Damn, this golem must be insanely strong to be able to put this much force into a single punch. Looking down at the boy in his arm, the mage smirked.
"Heh, how come you never told anything about your power?" He asked, trying to brighten up the mood.
Naruto was way too exhausted to answer. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a bloody cough. Placing the boy down, Gildarts turned to glare at the beast before him. The golem looked ready for just about anything.
With a swift movement, the ace of Fairy Tail took his tattered cloak off in a flashy style. He cracked his knuckles.
"I will be your opponent," He stated to the brainless beast.
Feeling a little bit of strength regaining to his body. Naruto peered up.
"O-Oi…,"
The auburn haired man smirked down at him.
"Just stay still and watch. You're way too reckless for your own good,"
With that said, he began to amble towards the golem. The blonde haired boy was about to shout for him to get out of the way as he saw the beast got ready to throw another punch. Gildarts narrowed his eyes, and with his mighty strength. He rammed his fist down at the ground. The earth shattered into strange looking cubes, making the one eyed golem loses its balance. As the gigantic creature was falling head first. Gildarts clenched his right fist tightly, magic began to build up around his fist as he launched a powerful uppercut at the golem's face.
"Crash!"
A massive shockwave exploded from the impact, flipping the diamond creature upside down as if it was a rag doll. Naruto grunted loudly as he dug his fingers into the earth, trying to keep himself in balance as massive frenzies of wind blew past him. As everything died down, he peered up. His eyes widened unbelievably at the sight before him. There Gildarts stood, unmoving with his back turned. The golem was on its back, unmoving.
"W-Wow," He muttered with a gobsmacked expression.
Hearing the boy's astonishment, the auburn haired man turned around and smirked. He was about to boast but stopped when he saw the look on the boy's face.
"Gildarts, behind you!"
Swiftly turning around. He was met with a giant fist to the face.
Naruto watched speechlessly as the older man was sent flying backward and crashing against the wall, shattering it completely. A snarl made its way onto his face as he turned his attention back towards the golem. He wasn't too worried about Gildarts, he was sure that the old man wouldn't die from an attack like that.
"Damn you…," Naruto murmured.
This beast was unstoppable.
Hearing footsteps behind him, the boy peeked over his shoulder to see Gildarts staggered slightly towards him.
"Dammit," The auburn haired man rubbed his face. God that hurts.
"Seems like you're getting old,"
A vein popped on his forehead. Gildarts growled at the boy.
"Shut up you brat!"
"Whatever,"
Ggrrrrrraaaawwwwooolll…
The two stopped chatting and widened their eyes when the golem leaped up high into the air and dived down towards them. The Fairy Tail mage did not waste any moment and forcefully grabbled the blonde haired boy's shirt collar and leaped to the side. Completely avoided the monstrous attack that obliterated the earth's crust. The two sprawled wildly as they met the ground. Grunting in pain, Gildarts quickly got on his feet. How could something as big as this moved so fricking fast?!
Hearing the boy next to him coughed, he couldn't help but questioned.
"You alright?"
Naruto didn't answer. He slowly stood up and glared at the unstoppable beast.
"How do we kill that thing?"
A little taken back by the word 'kill'. Gildarts stared blanking at the boy, he shook his head slightly before becoming serious.
"I say the best thing to do is make it loses balance," He suggested.
The whiskered boy raised an eyebrow.
"Balance you say…,"
The auburn haired man did not know why, but he felt an unknown chill down his spine when he saw a sly smile on Naruto's face. He was cut out of his musing when the boy turned towards him.
"Hey old man, get ready to use your strongest attack,"
Hearing that, Gildarts couldn't help but look on with curiosity. It seemed like the brat had a plan.
"Hmph, just don't get blown away and regret it," He commented, causing Naruto to scoff.
"I won't,"
Gildarts did not say any further and began to gather his magic for Empayren. The one eyed golem got up from its last attack and turned towards the two. With another brainless move filled with wrath. Its raised its diamond fist and slowly ran towards the two humans, making the ground shake on the way.
Gildarts waited for the right moment. His eyes widened in shock as he noticed the air around him…
Everything was filled with dread.
Turning his head to the blonde. The auburn haired man could do nothing but watched with a gobsmacked expression. The boy's body that used to be filled with bruises and cuts were now healed, as if nothing had happened. The only thing that remained were the blood stains. He did not get to ask when Naruto went into a stance. He lifted both of his arms up and made a motion as he was grabbing air. A confused expression made its way on to his face, what was the boy doing?
…
The only answer he got was when Naruto yanked the air down.
And before Gildarts knew it.
Fiore trembled to its core.
