A/N: Hello hello and welcome to Chapter 2! I just want to say that I do no own Fairy Tail or any of the references that I shall sprinkle onto the story. I only own Hunter.
With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 2: Fire, Spirits, and Light
Somewhere in Harogeon
A couple of hours passed since Hunter had left the train station, the conversation with the talking cat still fresh in his mind. As he thought about it he walked through the streets of Harogeon with a magazine in hand, currently reading the latest volume of Sorcerer Weekly to pass the time while he searched for an inn. He hummed as he flipped through the pages, of course running into the photos of the most well renown women posing in their bikinis.
"Does Sorcerer Weekly always have to put in these types of photos?" Hunter asked himself as he particularly looked at one image of Mirajane posing in her bikini. "Wait, shes from that one guild that always causes trouble...Fairy Tail thats the one."
Hunter indeed heard stories about Fairy Tail, the guild best known for their powerful mages and their specialty in causing collateral damage. As he actually thought about that he flipped the page, running into a story that involved in Fairy Tail causing more damage.
"Now wait just a moment," Hunter chuckled some as he read the title. He lowered the magazine and looked around for a moment. "Ohh I gotta find a place to sit if I'm gonna read this."
As he looked he noticed a nice little spot that had two benches close to a fountain with a couple birds flying about overhead. Humming and nodding to himself he approached one of the benches, dropping his bag next to him as he sat down and immersed himself into the article. He held the magazineclose to his helmet and read.
"Devon Bandit Clan wiped out in Tuly Village, seven homes burned and destroyed...yep that sounds about right," Hunter nodded, flipping onto the next page to read another article.
He wondered how they manage to get away from all the damage that they cause. Sure they're doing it to stop evil and to prevent harm, but they somewhat do more harm to the others by destroying their homes. Hunter shook his head and scoffed at the thought of Fairy Tail doing destruction knowing that despite all of it, they were doing it for the right reasons.
After flipping through a couple of more pages Hunter sighed and closed the magazine, dropping it on his right side. He grumbled and sat there while looking into the sky, rubbing his hands together and cracking some fingers.
'What if those two back at the train were from Fairy Tail...' Hunter thought, remembering the blue cat who made fun of him about his emergency and the pink haired boy who looked like he was about to barf at any moment. 'Yeah, most likely Fairy Tail.'
As Hunter stared into the sky he began to doze off, his mind drifting to sleep as he slowly sunk his body down on the bench. He closed his eyes and only heard the sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing with a couple of leaves rustling here and there. Everything was silent...beautifully silent.
...
...
...
"AHHHH HES HERE HES REALLY HERE!"
Of course, all of that beautiful silence was ruined by a group of teenage girls screaming out gleefully while they ran past Hunter, leaving a small trail of dust in their wake.
Hunter groaned in defeat as his chance of a small nap was ruined, a drop of sweat seen slightly running down the top of his head. He slowly sat up and looked at the direction where the girls ran off to, seeing a bunch of hearts floating up above them. Waving them off he shook his head and rested back down, slowly closing his eyes again as he took a deep breath.
...
...
...
"COME QUICK COME QUICK!"
His second chance at rest was ruined once again as two more screaming girls ran past him. With his breath still being held he exhaled it all out by blowing a raspberry. He lowered his head for a moment and shook it, overhearing what the two ladies were yelling about.
"He's here, the Salamander is here!" one of them exclaimed with hearts in her eyes.
"I can't wait to meet him, he's such a charmer!" the other squealed, her eyes shut as there was a massive blush on her face.
Hunter took in what the two said and hummed, finding it quite odd that a group of ladies would be head over heels for someone with such a name. Though...what if 'Salamander' was an actual salamander? Maybe he was such a famous amphibian to the point where all the girls would swoon at his specific slimy features?
Hunter shuddered at the thought and shook his head, actually imagining one of the girls kissing a slimy salamander. Regardless of such a thought he clapped his hands together as he decided he was going to see who this 'Salamander' was, curiosity getting the best of him. He stood up and grabbed his bag, grunting as he slung it over his shoulder. Without a moment to lose he walked in the direction where the girls ran off, leaving the magazine behind on the bench.
Harogeon Market
Hunter continued walked down in the direction where the flurry of screaming fan girls flocked too, shuddering and shaking his head every now and then to rid the though from earlier. He does have the tendency of brining thoughts up from earlier, most of them being troubling, unpleasant, or childish.
'Eck...kissing an actual salamander. I wonder what would happen if-WAIT DONT GO IN TOO DEEP!' he mentally slapped, stopping himself from going into horrid detail of the aftermath post kiss.
Thankfully his entire dilemma stopped at the sound of a door aggressively swinging open, followed by angry grumbles and stomping boots. Hunter opened his eyes and looked up at the direction of the sound, seeing a blond haired lady with an oddly tied ponytail huffing and puffing with red ticks floating above her head. He narrowed his eyes and took in her features, seeing that she was wearing a white zipped shirt with a blue streak across her chest horizontally. She also wore a brown belt around her waist over her blue skirt, followed by brown boots and a whip on her left side.
"I cant believe that old man only dropped the price 1,000 Jewel! Am I not charming enough for him?!" she angrily grumbled to herself, stomping away towards the bridge.
All the while she was grumbling Hunter looked at her with his head titled to the side, completely confused at what she was so angry about.
"What was that about," he mumbled to himself, turning his head over to where she stomped out from.
To his surprise he saw it was a magic shop. It was quite small yes, but a magic shop is a magic shop. Humming to himself he walked over and entered inside, peaking around. The sound of the door opening caught an old clerks attention, looking over at Hunters direction.
"Ah, welcome my dear boy!" the clerk smiled, actually slightly nervous of Hunters intimidating appearance.
"Is this a magic shop?" Hunter asked while looking at a glass ball, seeing his faceless reflection on it.
"Indeed it is," the clerk replied with a nod. "Its actually the only magic shop here in Harogeon!"
"Huh, that explains why its so small," he hummed now walking over to the clerk.
"Well it is mainly focused on selling goods to traveling wizards," the clerk informed him while grabbing a couple of potions from underneath and presenting them to Hunter. "You are a traveling wizard yes?"
"Uh huh," Hunter nodded, actually on a job that was in Harogeon. Rather, someone was in Harogeon.
"Splendid! Perhaps I can interest you in some of this towns finest potions?" he asked, picking up one of the potions and stirring its contents.
The clerk removed the cork from the potion and lifted it above his head, a single drop falling onto his head. Suddenly a puff of hair was seen on his head, his little hat resting on the top.
"We have hair growing potions if you need some!"
'Is he assuming I'm bald because of the helmet?' he thought as he slightly slouched his back. "Actually...I was wondering if you have any books involving in Light Magic?" Hunter asked while reaching towards the clerks hair with a finger.
As soon as he poked it popped away with a small sound, small little golden sparks fluttering around.
The clerk frowned and rubbed his chin for a moment, snapping his fingers with a sudden bright smile. "Give me a moment!" he exclaimed hiding under the desk and rummaging through some things.
Hunter rested his arms on the desk and slowly peaked over, trying to see what the old man was grabbing. With a small hum he was rummaging through some items and books, tossing up a strange looking disk that bumped into Hunters head. He flinched and reeled back quickly, fumbling the disc around his hands before he finally caught it. Gripping it firmly he brought it close to his head, examining the disc. He slid is thumb across the edge, feeling a sharpness that possibly cut a tree down with a firm throw. Hunter could feel the intensity emitting from the disc, only making him stare at it longer.
"Meh..." he shrugged and tossed the disc behind him, a small crash heard followed by a cat screeching.
"Aha! Here it is!" the clerk exclaimed, grabbing the book and presenting it.
Hunter looked over and expected a grand book, hopefully the most grand book he would ever see containing the secrets and knowledge of Light Magic in all of Fiore.
'Light Magic for Dummies' the title read.
A large drop of sweat ran down the side of his head with a couple of lines visible on his forehead, his body lightly quivering. Hunters expectation was shot down harshly, failing to notice that a cheap magic shop would offer something like this. Nevertheless, a book was a book and he couldn't turn it down, especially since it contained information about Light Magic.
"How much is it..." he strained.
A Sneeze Later
"Honestly I should've known better," Hunter mumbled as he walked out of the shop with the book open.
Skimming through it he could see that the pages contained some helpful tips here and there about the use of Light Magic, as well as some tutorials on how to use basic spells. Though as he flipped through the pages, none of them contained the contents that he searched for.
"Not a single page on the type I was looking for...of course," he sighed, shutting the book as he walked over to the ledge of the bridge.
It overlooked the rest of the town and markets as the locals walked about doing their business, as well as decent view of the endless sea where fishing boats could be seen. Hunter was enjoying the view with a blank mind taking all the sights in, but that moment was interrupted with an uproar of women gleefully screaming. Turning his head over he quickly walked over to the other side of the ledge, seeing a crowed down below a courtyard surrounding someone.
He hummed and stared off directly at them, his fist lightly clenching, "Salamander..."
Harogeon Church Courtyard
"AHHH SALAMANDER!"
"HES SO HANDSOME!"
Down below the courtyard there was a large crowd of lovesick girls surrounding a blue haired man who had a grin on his face, chuckling a bit. This man was the supposed Salamander, currently wearing a white shirt with a red streak down the middle, red paints with a black stripped pattern, and blacked polished shoes. What was interesting was the purple cape he wore, followed by the X symbol over his right eyebrow and the rings that were on his fingers. All the girls swooned around swaying, yelling out comments towards Salamander while others just continued to scream out his name. There was one familiar blond girl in particular though who was falling for him, her heart thumping madly as she gripped her chest with both hands. Her eyes widened as there was a heart swirling around inside them. Blinking once her brown eyes were replaced by heart filled ones.
"Excuse me, pardon me, hey watch the gauntlet!" came a voice from behind her.
"Igneel! Hey Igneel!" exclaimed another voice.
Soon the occupants of the two voices bursted out of the crowd and into the middle of the court yard, the two of them skidding to a stop. The pink haired boy had a bright smile on his face as he seemed to be expecting someone; it was Natsu. The other boy seemed to have his fist clenched also looking eager; it was Hunter. The blond haired girl slowly widened her eyes and gasped, the hearts shattering as the spell that overtook her broke.
Everyone was silent for a moment as the two boys stared at Salamander, the pink haired one breaking the silence.
"Who in the heck are you?" Natsu asked with a confused look, this causing Salamander to gasp out with his body turning into a ghostly white.
"Not the someone I was expecting thats for sure," Hunter said with a slightly disappointing tone.
Salamander shook his head any regained his posture, lifting up a hand with the same grin returning to his face, "I am the one and only Salamander, surely you two have heard the name before."
In the blink of an eye the two walked off like they heard nothing, Salamander screaming out to them with his eyes bulging. For some reason the girls took great offense in that and sprang into action, attacking the two boys and bringing them to the ground.
"YOU TWO ARE SO RUDE!" one of them screamed out as they kicked Natsu square in the face, the others pulling on his arms while one bit his leg.
"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY WALK AWAY FROM HIM LIKE THAT?!" another screeched as she suddenly grabbed a bat from out of no where, bashing the side of Hunters head. One of them holding his neck in a choke hold while the others stomped on his stomach and bent his arm awkwardly.
The two of them yelled as they were beaten around, steam slowly rising above their heads as they groaned.
"Jeez what is it with you girls..." both of them strained.
"Now ladies there is no need to get barbaric. I'm sure the two didn't mean it in a rude or mean way," Salamander chuckled, causing the girls who had red ticks above their heads to suddenly shout out gleefully with hearts floating around.
Grabbing two sheets of paper and a pen, Salamander wrote his name down and offered it to the boys, "Here's my autograph, why don't you show it around to your friends hmm? I'm sure they'll love it."
"No thanks..." Natsu declined with his back haunched.
"I'm good..." Hunter muttered crossing his arms.
The girls once more grew enraged by them and next thing they new they were punched to a wall, steam rising from their heads as their legs twitched.
"And I thought he was an actual salamander..." Hunter groaned painfully.
"Defiantly not..." Natsu strained, receiving an 'Aye' from the blue cat Happy.
Salamander looked at the two and shook his head as he looked back at the girls, "Alright ladies I'm afraid I must head off."
With a small laugh he snapped his fingers and a red seal appeared before him. Purple fire suddenly surrounded his legs as it swirled around, lifting him up in the air.
"No need to fret ladies! I do have a party tonight on my boat and you're all invited!" he exclaimed, laughing as the purple fire carried him off into the sky with a small glint seen.
Natsu slowly sat up and rubbed his head, looking up at the direction where Salamander flew off, "Who the hell was that guy?"
"Some no good snake thats for sure," Hunter replied while rubbing his stomach sitting up next to him.
Natsu turned and looked at Hunter for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he took in his strange looking appearance and features. Widening his eyes he pointed a finger at him, a grin appearing on his face.
"Hey aren't you the guy that-GMPH!" he was suddenly cut off by a hand firmly placed on his mouth.
"SHUSH! Not here please," Hunter sighed, knowing what he was going to exactly say.
As Hunter removed his hand from Natsus mouth there were footsteps approaching the two, them belonging to the blond haired girl who was under Salamanders spell earlier.
"Whoever that guy was he was a total creep," she said grabbing their attention. "Thank you for helping me!" she smiled waving at the two.
Hunter and Natsu looked at each other for a moment then back at her, tilting their heads to the side. The two of them were caught off guard by her sudden approach and appreciation, recalling that they didn't do anything to help her.
"Who are you?" they both asked, not using the question for each other.
Harogeon Restaurant
"My name is Lucy, its nice to meet you three!" the girl named Lucy greeted, offering to take them to lunch as a token of her gratitude which they gladly accepted. If they weren't there in time, she would've indeed lost her free will for good underneath that charm spell.
Natsu was currently eating up all the food in an aggressive manner while Happy was munching on a fish. There was food and liquid flying around the table, Natsu mostly making the mess.
"Ehm...so you're names are Natsu, Happy, and Hunter?" she asked, struggling to not get disgusted due to how Natsu ate.
"Yep, except I met Hunter now, " Natsu replied with food in his mouth, currently stuffing vegetables and noddles.
"Oh, did you?" Lucy asked as she turned to Hunter who was sitting next to her, widening her eyes and yelling in surprise at the sight.
Hunter was currently taking the brunt of the mess Natsu was making, food and such flying towards his helmet and plastering itself all over. His arms were crossed as some smoke lightly seeped out from his head, clearly showing that he wasn't too happy at the mess that was being made all over himself.
"Mhmm, when those love sick girls punched us to the wall," he grumbled, pushing his plate away and wiping his helmet since he lost his appetite. "What the hell was that about anyway?"
"Well that Salamander guy was using a charm spell to hypnotize the ladies thinking that they were in love with him," Lucy informed, remembering the rings that he had on his fingers. "The charm spells that he casted are supposed lure people against their own will, but they've been illegal for years now."
"Is that so?" Hunter asked as Lucy nodded in response. "Huh...to think of the things he did to get his hands on those charms."
"Got that right, and that makes him a total creep," Lucy frowned as she crossed her arms. "I do have to thank you three for snapping me out of it when I fell victim to his spell," she said with her smile returning.
"No problem," Natsu replied as he currently tossed some tomatoes into his mouth.
"Speaking of spells and magic I'm actually a wizard myself!" Lucy announced to the three, her mind now set on the guild that she has been wanting to join for a long time. "But I'm not in a guild or anything yet."
Lucy then began to go on a ramble about what guilds were and what they did, as well as mentioning that you're not considered a wizard unless you join one. She then proceeded to nag about all the types of well known guilds, especially one that she has been dying to join for a very long time as steam blew out from her nose. As this was happening Natsu, Happy, and Hunter looked at her and slowly looked at each other. Hunter lifted his hand and did a rapid hand puppet motion to mock Lucys rambling, the two quickly stifling a laugh.
"Oh I'm sorry for rambling about this wizard stuff it just gets me excited," Lucy said as she quickly flapped her hand waving it off, stopping as she now rested her chin on her hands. "I know one thing for sure, I will get into that guild one day and make a lot of money!"
"Really?" Natsu asked with some food still left in his mouth.
"Gee you talk a lot for being a wizard," Happy lowly said, quite exhausted of hearing her ramble.
"I don't think that's healthy for her to speak that fast," Hunter told Happy as he grabbed a cup of water and slid it closer to himself.
Lowering his head he brought the straw close to his chin, a small rectangular hole opening up underneath his helmet. He slid the straw inside and brought it to his mouth, sipping up the water carefully. Hunter failed to notice Lucy, Natsu, and Happy looking at him strangely, asking themselves why he doesn't take off the helmet instead. Clearing her throat Lucy got his attention, Hunter lifting his head away from the straw.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Hunter asked while looking at the three.
"I don't even think he has a face..." Happy whispered to Natsu, the two imagining Hunter without his helmet but having faceless features. No nose, no mouth, no eyes...it was creepy to the point where they shuddered.
"Ehm, are you gonna take off your helmet?" Lucy asked as she pointed at it.
Hunter processed her question for a moment, shaking his head as he leaned back in his seat. This was a question that he was used to, multiple people asking him this every time he stopped to eat or drink something during his travels. It wasn't his fault that it was permanently stuck to his head, he was used to it no matter how annoying or disheartening it was every time he looked in the mirror. Despite him being used to such questions, it does make him uncomfortable the longer that subject drags on.
"Nope I can't," Hunter replied.
"How come? If you don't mind me asking," Lucy said with a little bit of hesitation in her voice.
Hunter waved it off and sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he shrugged, "Because I can't."
"Wait, are you telling us that you're actually faceless?!" Happy assumed with wide eyes, this causing Hunter to sweat drop and hunch his back slightly.
"I am not faceless, Happy," he grumbled in annoyance. "If I were I wouldn't be able to breathe or see Natsu eating my noodles," he pointed at Natsu who was now slurping up a new bowl of noodles, stopping mid slurp.
"Its not like you were going to eat them anyway..." Natsu grumbled with his mouth full, Hunter shrugging and slightly nodding agreeing with him.
"But doesn't it get stuffy in there?" Lucy asked with discomfort, knowing for a fact that she wouldn't be able to bear such a thing.
"It does every now and then, but hey you'll get used to it eventually right?" Hunter quickly replied not wanting to go into this conversation any deeper. Clearing his throat he looked over at Natsu, "Anyway while I was making my way through the crowd I heard you calling someone."
"Now that you mention it, who was it that you two were looking for?" Lucy asked curiously now looking at Natsu.
"His name is Igneel and we're looking for him," Happy informed the two nodding.
Natsu currently bit off a chunk of pizza looking down at Happy, "We came here hearing rumors about a salamander heading over to this town, so we wanted to see if he was actually here. Sadly, it turned out to be that dude with the cape."
"Come to think of it he doesn't look like a salamander at all," Happy said.
Hunter widened his eyes underneath his helmet as his thought from earlier was slowly arising again,'Wait...are they saying that theres a real famous salamander out there?!'
"Uh huh, I bet that dude can't even breath fire like a real dragon. What a fake," Natsu said as he took in the rest of the pizza in one bite.
Lucy looked at the two with utter confusion while Hunter still listened intensely, slowly lowering his head down to get another sip of water.
"Uhh wait a minute I'm lost," Lucy said confuse as multiple drops of sweat formed behind your head. "Are you saying Igneel looks like a dragon?"
"Oh no Igneel doesn't look like a dragon, he is an actual dragon," Natsu confirmed crossing his arms.
The background behind Lucy and Hunter changed showing a fire breathing dragon roaring. Lucy looked like her mind broke while Hunter choked on his water and did a spit take...all in his helmet. He coughed as he removed the straw from the hole, some water freely dripping down. It completely took them off guard since they believed that dragons were extremely rare, probably extinct.
'Okay I'm done thinking about that stupid famous salamander thing...damn boneheaded thought...' Hunter thought as he stopped coughing. "Wait...is he actually a fire breathing dragon?"
"Aye!" Happy confirmed.
"Huh?!" Lucy exclaimed as she had a shocked, and maybe terrified, look on her face. As for Hunter he just sat there, two gears popped up above his head as they slowly started to turn.
He was thinking logically for a moment, brining his finger up to his chin and rubbing it. Hunter didn't understand why Natsu and Happy were looking for a dragon, but he assumed that Igneel must be someone of importance. They both rode the train all the way here searching for him, but why in the middle of town where it's populated with people? Isn't it kind of ridiculous to be looking for a dragon in the middle of town...wait a minute.
"Hold on," Hunter began, grabbing Natsu and Happys attention. "If Igneel is a dragon and you two were looking for him in this populated town...then..."
"WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD A FIRE BREATHING DRAGON BE IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN?!" Lucy finished, looking like she lost her sanity.
Natsu raised a finger and Happy raised a paw about to explain, but the logic struck them, a sudden black background with white lightning appearing. Their pupils were dilated as their mouths were wide open, struggling to speak as their bodies lightly quivered.
"Why would you believe that he would show up in a populated town?!" Lucy yelled out at the two dumbfounded at their ridiculousness.
As this happened Hunter couldn't help but burst out laughing at their reactions, wheezing now and then since it was the hardest he ever laughed in a long time. "Ohhoho, its even more funny now that you guys REALIZED IT!" he laughed out while slamming a fist on the table, some of the people who were trying to have a nice meal looking at them annoyed.
"Ugh, unbelievable," Lucy sighed as she placing her Jewel on the table to pay for their meal, standing up and grabbing her purse. "Well I should head off now, I hope you guys enjoyed the food!"
As Lucy walked off both Natsu and Happy were still in the same position, Hunter reaching over the table and snapping his fingers in front of their eyes trying to snap them out of their state.
"Thank you please come again!" the waitress said to Lucy with a small smile, though her smile was quickly replaced by a look of shock. "Oh my!"
Lucy stopped and noticed her look, humming as she slightly looked back behind her. Her pupils quickly shrunk as she was shocked to see both Natsu and Happy bowing to her on their knees. Hunter peaked over and watched the scene unfold, gripping his stomach as he held back another laughing outburst.
"Thank you for the meal!" they exclaimed showing their gratitude.
"Oh cut it out you're embarrassing me!" Lucy yelled as her blond hair stood on end. She shook her head and nervously laughed, "I mean thank you guys for being so nice, but you helped me out earlier remember?"
"I don't even remember trying to help her out..." Natsu doubtfully muttered to Happy.
"Aye, I still feel like we're missing something..." Happy nodded.
Hunter overheard the two and rubbed his chin, thinking about how they could repay Lucys kindness. He snapped his fingers slightly snickering, looking towards Natsu.
"Hey Natsu, I think you should give Lucy that Salamander autograph!" Hunter suggested holding back a laugh.
"Oh good idea, Hunter!" Natsu smiled as he reached behind him and grabbed the autograph, presenting it to Lucy. "I believe this belongs to you!"
"No way!" Lucy yelled aggravated with her hair standing on end again. Quickly she turned and left the restaurant, the onlookers processing what just happened with shocked faces while Hunter wheezed laughing.
He coughed and took some deep breaths, finally relaxing himself after that wonderful experience. He knew deep down that he would be seeing her again, and it was something he knew for sure. Shaking his head and sighing, he pushed all those thoughts aside and brought one thought in: his job. Right before he was about to leave Natsu and Happy came back, the two noticing him grabbing his bag.
"Heading off?" Natsu asked with as he sat down once more, Happy jumping up on the table.
"Mhmm, I got a job to finish up," Hunter nodded as he scooted over to the edge of the seat.
"A job huh? You in a guild?" Natsu asked curiously as he rested his arms on the table.
"Nope, haven't joined one," he shook his head replying.
"Have you ever thought about joining one?"
He stopped and looked off for a moment, his mind going blank now that he mentioned it. Hunter never really put any thought in joining a guild since he was used to doing jobs solo, it was his long time gig. The though about joining a guild did pop into his head every now and then, but he always shrugged it off because he believed that guilds were a place to earn a title or get recognized by the public by showing off how powerful you were. Of course being the eavesdropper he was, he would always hear people claiming that a guild was a home. Hunter was perfectly fine without a home...right?
"Yo Hunter...Hunter," Natsu called as he tapped his arm with a finger noticing that he went still for a while.
Hunter blinked and shook his head, looking back at Natsu. Taking a deep breath he tapped his fingers on his legs, "Well...I never really thought about joining a guild."
"Hmm, are you an Independent Mage?" Happy asked.
Hunter shook his head in reply.
"A Mercenary?" Natsu asked narrowing his eyes and giving him a suspicious look.
Hunter sighed and grew aggravated shaking his head, "Look I'm no Mercenary or Independent Mage." He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, looking at the two and nodding, "It was nice meeting you guys."
With that Hunter took his leave, glancing back and giving a small salute to the two. He looked at the waitress and gave her his thanks, opening the door and leaving the restaurant. Natsu and Happy watched him leave, a look of interest on their faces.
"He's not from around here," Happy stated as he looked at Natsu.
"Thats for sure, but there's something about him that I can't put my finger on," Natsu hummed as he had a serious frown on his face, Hunters appearance still fresh on his mind. The streaks of light across his body, the gauntlets, the helmet, the scent...he was different from everybody else he met in his life.
"Aye...but I gotta say those lights looked cool!" Happy exclaimed with his face brightening.
"I know right?!" Natsu laughed with a big smile.
Harogeon Beach
Night had fallen on Harogeon. There were barely any ships seen on the water at this time, the moonlights reflection making itself known. The tide was calm and low as the waves gently crashed onto the sand, reeling back into the water before they crashed again. Some crabs took advantage of the night and scurried out into the beach to see if they could find any food to satisfy their hunger. Though one fellows hunt was cut short with a foot stepping in front of the a crab, causing it to scurry away.
For the past couple of hours Hunter searched high and low throughout the town for his contact, asking some of the locals questions but receiving no good answers. Now here he was walking along the beach heading over to a seaside inn that wasn't too far, careful not to step on the crabs. A couple of them challenged him, but he payed no attention. As he walked he couldn't help but start thinking about the guild talk he had earlier, the entire subject actually bothering him while he searched throughout the town. With too much on his mind, he stopped and groaned to himself.
'Have you ever thought about joining one?' he remembered Natsu asking, the question echoing inside his mind.
He approached the shoreline and stopped right where the water was about to touch his feet, looking out into the ocean. He could even see Salamanders said party boat sticking out like a sore thumb. Shaking his head he bent down and grabbed a small rock, flicking it onto the water as it skipped along the surface.
'Joining a guild huh?' Hunter thought as he skipped another rock.
It's always the negative thoughts about them that plagued his mind, constantly assuming that they were a place were mages searched for fame and glory. To boast their power and bring others down, but then there were the guilds that people called home. Home was something that Hunter was a stranger to, never really experiencing or feeling what home was, especially through a guild.
He grunted as he gave a firm toss, the rock skipping across the surface for a while before it sunk. Hunter slowly sat down and lifted his knees up, resting his arms on them as he looked at the moon with its reflection seen on his helmet. Going solo for so long and now he was thinking about a guild...about a home.
"Hmm...maybe it's time for a change of pace," he said to himself, thinking about the company he had earlier. He couldn't help but feel a small smile stretch across his lips remembering.
Hunter stared out into the see, admiring its beauty for a while. Sighing he placed a hand on his knee and stood up, grabbing his bag from behind and backing away from the shore.
'I wonder if the people that I met are still here,' he thought, now resuming his walk towards the inn.
As Hunter walked he saw a sudden bright blue flash off the corner of his eye. He stopped and looked over in its general direction, stopping dead in his tracks as what he saw completely shocked him. Out in the sea there was a sudden explosion rocking the water, causing a major tidal wave to rush over where he was standing.
"Scheisse..." he muttered, making a break for it away from the water.
Hunter quickly looked around and saw an old fisherman's boat beached, wasting no time as he skidded over towards it. He yelled as he leaped inside and held on tight, the wave sweeping him away as it crashing into the beach violently.
As the water receded it was revealed that Salamanders party boat was washed up to see, an entire crowd of people gathering around to see what had happened. While this happened Lucy ran over to where it was, Happy resting on her shoulder. She was wearing something more elegant now, it being a crimson colored dress.
"Natsu!" she yelled out, stopping as she saw him stand up.
Natsu stood on the edge of the boat with a harsh frown on his face, staring down at Salamander and his group of grunts.
"So, you say you're a Fairy Tail wizard huh?" he growled clenching his fists.
"Like hell you'll do anything about it!" Salamander yelled as he pointed at Natsu. "Get him!"
Two of his grunts nodded as they approached Natsu, the pink haired grabbing his coat and tossing it away.
"Come closer," he challenged as he got into a fighting stance.
"Look out!" Lucy warned as she saw the grunts charging at Natsu. She looked over and saw Happy acting calm, currently eating a fish.
"I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. He's actually a wizard!" Happy informed while looking up at him.
The two grunts leaped at Natsu with grins on their faces, about to take him down. Their attack was short lived when they were easily tossed aside in a flash, the pink haired mage swiping his hand at them. He revealed a mark that was beneath his right shoulder, and that right there was the mark of Fairy Tail.
"I am Natsu from Fairy Tail, and I've never seen your damn face before, Salamander!" he exclaimed glaring at the two.
This caught everyone by surprise except for Happy. Out of all the people Salamander and his goons had to face...it had to be an actual mage from Fairy Tail. What are the odds of that?!
"No way?! Natsu is a Fairy Tail Wizard?!" Lucy asked baffled with wide eyes.
The grunts shivered in fear as some took a step back, realizing that Natsu was the real deal. Knowing their reputation, things were going to end with a broken bone.
"Crap that guy is the real deal, Bora!" one of the goons exclaimed, accidentally revealing Salamanders real name.
"You idiot! I thought I told you to not use my real name!" Bora yelled looking at the person who revealed his name.
"Bora...Bora the Prominence," Happy began with his arms cross, glaring up at him. " He used to be part of the Titan Nose Guild, But he was kicked out years ago."
"WAIT!" suddenly yelled a voice, causing everyone to stop and look in the direction of it.
The source of the voice came from a small boat that was not to far, an arm stretched with a finger pointing up. "What was his name again?"
"Uhhh, Bora the Prominence?" Happy repeated looking confused. Actually everyone looked confused.
Slowly there was a trail of green light beginning to increase its glow from its index finger all the way down. The hand lowered itself and grabbed the edge of the boat as a figure slowly stood up shaking his head and removing some sand. Carefully he hopped out of the boat and shook a leg, clenching his fists as he walked towards them.
Happy and Lucy narrowed their eyes as they saw the familiar color stretched throughout the body, but Natsu had a grin on his face as he recognized who it was.
"Wait a minute...Hunter?!" Lucy exclaimed as she and Happy finally saw him step into the moonlight, and boy he didn't look happy.
"Finally, I've been looking all over for you, Bora!" Hunter shouted in relief as he lifted his arms in the air, earning yet another confused look from everyone.
"And who the hell are you? Some coward who hides his face?" Bora growled as he recognized Hunter from earlier, his insult earning a couple of chuckles from his goons.
Hunter didn't say a word, instead he stopped and reached behind his back to grab a sheet of paper. He gripped it firmly and held it in front of him, revealing it to be a wanted poster of Bora. It had his name and the bounty resting at 300,000 Jewel, but his face was scratched out.
"You're the one to talk you noodle," Hunter shot back at him.
Bora gritted his teeth and took a step back, now having to deal with two mages. One going after him because of his Fairy Tail lie, and the other because of the bounty placed on his head.
"So thats the job you were talking about," Happy said as he floated next to him with a smile
Hunter glanced back at Happy and nodded, shaking his head as he saw the cat with wings, "Cats have wings?!"
"I'm not a cat, Hunter," Happy sighed as he closed his eyes and sweat dropped. "I'm an Exceed!"
"Nows not the time for small talk!" Lucy yelled while flapping her arms quickly, Boras goons approaching them with grins.
"Well now that I know you're a bad guy," Natsu began as he looked away from Hunter and approached Bora, "I'm going to pummel you into the ground before you tarnish Fairy Tails name!"
"Like hell you will!" Bora grinned as he spread his arms. "Prominence Typhoon!" he chanted as a red seal appeared before him, streaks of purple fire being launched at Natsu.
Natsu stood his ground and took the hit, his entire body enveloped in a giant explosion.
"Natsu!" Lucy took a step forward fearing for him, but Happy spread out his wings and stopped her.
"That's what you get for talking big," Bora chuckled as he looked at the flames, now turning and looking down at Hunter with a sinister grin. "Now to deal with you..."
Hunter clenched and unclenched his fists as he said that, looking up at him. Bora only saw his reflection through the helmet, but he couldn't help but shudder as he felt glaring eyes staring right back at him.
"Aw man this fire tastes horrible!" came Natsus voice from the flames. "Are you sure you're a fire wizard?!"
Bora and his men quickly snapped their heads back at the flames, seeing them being sucked up like they were nothing. Once they were gone Natsu breathed out, giving Bora a wicked smile.
"Hehe, thanks for the meal," he chuckled while giving out a loud burp afterwards.
"W-What?! Who the hell is this guy?!" one of the goons shouted as he and many others were completely shocked at what happened.
Lucy and Hunter were beyond shocked at what they saw, Lucy having a wide eyed look while Hunter had a massive explanation point hovering above his head.
"I can see you guys need an explanation," Happy giggled as he saw their reactions.
"No kidding! I've never seen that type of magic before!" Lucy exclaimed while looking up at Natsu completely shocked.
As she spoke one of Boras goons charged, jumping up as he yelled. A fist would connect to his face as he was punched away, Hunter delivering the blow.
"Save the explanation for later!" Hunter exclaimed as he charged at the goons, the lights on his body increasing their glow. 'Right, I gotta be careful with my magic.'
As this was happening Natsu slowly approached Bora and his goons with smoke seeping out from under his feet, "Now that I've got a good meal in me, I'm all fired up!"
He then punched his fists together causing a red seal to appear, the image of a dragon in the middle.
"Fire Dragon's..." he chanted, taking a deep breath as his cheeks started to puff up while brining his hands in front of his mouth. "ROOAR!"
As he screamed a powerful stream of fire was shot from his mouth, the attack enveloping Bora and his men while they yelled. The impact caused a massive explosion that was seen from the sky. The smoke caused Boras other goons below the ship to cough and wave their hands around, their vision seriously reduced since smoke was everywhere.
"I can't see anything!" one of them yelled.
"Let me help you with that!" Hunter yelled as he stopped in front of the group.
He stretched out his hands and took a deep breath as the gauntlets on his wrists glowed brilliantly. A green magic seal then appeared in front of him, the image of gates seen in the middle.
"Himmels..." he chanted slowly spreading his arms wide open, the light spreading over to his hands. Hunter then grunted as he quickly shut them, clapping his hands together, "FLASH!"
A brief bright flash of light was seen stretching across the sky before quickly disappearing. It was almost like a pretty big but quick camera flash.
"GAHH MY EYES!"
"I CAN ONLY SEE WHITE!"
When the light died down most of the goons were covering their eyes yelling in agony, some on the floor rolling around while others quickly blinked with white eyes. Taking this to his advantage Hunter charged at them, sweeping their legs and delivering firm punches. Though he felt considerably weak after using his spell, growling as he tried to keep up his strength taking down the blind goons.
Lucy had brought an arm close to her face to shield herself from both of their attacks, slowly lowering it once the smoke died down. It was revealed that Natsu had taken out all of the goons on the ship, only leaving Bora in the air surrounded by his fire. Not only that, but there were a number of goons flat on the sand knocked out, only leaving Hunter and a goon with a blade.
"S-Shit, this guy...I've seen him before!" one of the goons yelled as they looked at Natsus form with a terrified look, his eyes burning. "The scale patterned scarf, the pink hair...Bora this guy is the actual-"
"S-Salamander?!" Lucy yelled out in shock as her eyes lost their detail.
"So you're the famous Salamander then!" Hunter exclaimed as he pointed a finger at Natsu.
"Pay attention freak!" the goon with the blade yelled as he swung at Hunter.
Hunter yelped as he barely dodged the attack by ducking his head, nearly having it cut off. He sidestepped and dodged each swing the goon made, even reeling his back to avoid a pretty harsh slice.
While Hunter fought defensively, Natsu charged at Bora with pure offense. His hands were enveloped in fire as he dodged each of his attack, leaping up in the air. He yelled as gave a powerful punch on Boras cheek, sending the criminal crashing into a building.
"Natsu punches with fire and eats fire...Hunter can summon a bright light by clapping his hands," Lucy said as she watched the two of them fight. "Is this really what magic is like!?"
"Well Natsu has the lungs, scales, and talons of a dragon, which is why why can eat fire, dissolve fire, and summon fire without being affected," Happy explained to Lucy while crossing his arms. "Igneel gave him these qualities by casting an ancient spell, later teaching all of its secrets."
"Ancient?" Lucy asked as she glanced at Happy, a large explosion heard due to Boras Fire Prominence attack.
"Aye, this ancient magic was used to slay dragons," Happy nodded. "Its called Dragon Slayer Magic."
"B-But what about Hunter?" Lucy asked as she turned to him, seeing him parry an attack from the goon with his gauntlet. "Is he also a Dragon Slayer because of how he summoned light?"
Happy looked over at Hunter and shook his head, "Not even close. It's quite obvious that he uses Light Magic...but-"
As he said this Hunter had to block another attack from the goon with a gauntlet, growling as the two were pushing each other. He lowered an arm and curled his hand into a fist, shaking it as the light from his gauntlet began to glow brightly again and travel down to his knuckles.
"Himmels..." he chanted, shoving the blade away with his arm as he brought his fist behind his head, the green seal appearing. "STRIKE!"
In the blink of an eye Hunter released a powerful punch to the goons gut, the impact causing a shockwave of light from ground zero. The goon screamed as he was flung away towards the ship, crashing into the wooden ship and bursting out through the other side and crashing into the sand.
"I've never seen that type of magic before..." Happy finished as Lucy had her mouth agape at the sight of Hunters attack...though that wasn't the only powerful punch she would see.
'So much for being careful...' Hunter thought panting as the lights around him dimmed, feeling seriously drained from using his magic. He slowly fell on one knee and placed his arm on it, looking at the direction where the Dragon Slayer was fighting.
Natsu had just finished eating one of Boras attacks, sighing in relief as he wiped an arm across his mouth.
"Ah that was good, but playtimes over ya noodle!" Natsu grinned as he punched his fists together.
"Noodle?!" Bora comically yelled out as his hair was standing on end.
"Fire Dragon's..." Natsu began chanting, charging toward Bora and leaping up into the air. He reeled his fist back as it was enveloped in fire, releasing a battle cry. "IRON FIST!"
He screamed as he swung his fist at Bora, the punch connecting right on his face. The force of it was so powerful that it sent him crashing through several buildings, finally stopping as he ran into the church bell.
"Actually Natsu I think Hunter is supposed to say that," Happy said casually.
Lucy looked at the destruction that Natsu left, seeing that there were buildings destroyed while others burned.
"Wow that was intense, but I think you overdid it way too much!" she exclaimed.
"Aye!" Happy agreed lifting a paw.
"Oh shut up and don't give me that!" Lucy yelled getting fed up with Happy.
Natsu landed in front of the two with a grunt, looking over in Hunters direction and seeing the mess that he made on his own.
"Woah, did you do that?!" he smiled pointing at all the goons that were on the floor.
"Yep..." Hunter nodded slowly as he also pointed the hole on the ship. "And that."
He slowly stood up and wobbled around a bit, groaning as he held onto his head. Natsu saw this and quickly ran over to Hunter, wrapping an arm around him. "You alright?"
"Oh yeah I'm fine...just need a little bit of water," Hunter chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Natsu, the two walking back over towards Happy and Lucy.
Suddenly the four of them began to hear multiple foot steps approaching, actually multiple heavy footsteps. Lucy quickly turned back and gasped, seeing an entire platoon of armored men running their way.
"The army?!" she exclaimed seeing them.
"You know what I'm feel better all of a sudden," Hunter said as he remove his arm from Natsu as the two looked at each other.
"BOOK IT!" they both yelled making a break for it.
Natsu grabbed Lucy by her wrist as they ran, the blond being waved around in the air like she was a kite about to take off.
"Why are you taking me?!" Lucy shrieked.
"Hey you said you always wanted to join Fairy Tail right?!" Natsu asked as he looked back at her.
Lucy widened her eyes as and looked towards Natsu, seeing that he had bright smile stretched across his face. "So I'm taking you there!"
Fairy Tail...the place that she's always wanted to go to ever since she was a little girl. There was no way she was going to turn down his offer!
Lucy slowly smiled as a small blush formed across her cheek, "Alright!"
Natsu nodded and then turned to Hunter who was running, Boras wanted poster in his hand.
"So did ya think about it?!" he asked him eager for his answer.
"Hold on a sec!" Hunter yelled as he veered off slightly, running towards a guard that just ran out of the alleyway.
"You're welcome!" Hunter jumped as he comically slapped the poster in the guards face, earning a terrified screech from Lucy and a laugh from Natsu.
"I can take that as a yes?!" Natsu laughed as Hunter ran back next to him.
"Yup, and this guild better be good!" Hunter nodded as he felt a grin on his face.
"Oh trust me," Natsu smiled as he looked back in the sky, seeing Happy fly above them. "It's one of a kind!"
Hunter laughed it out and shook his head, picking up the pace as he mentally sighed.
'This is going to be fun.'
A/N: Whooo that was a lot to write but I sure had fun doing it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feel free to leave a review! See you guys in the next chapter!
