Chapter 2- Bureaucracy

A/N: Alright so I'm still gonna update this story every monday but I have like twelve chapters written out and by the time I leave for college I wouldn't even have half those out so I might do twice a week on rare occasions. Or maybe more I don't know.

Warren set down the stack of papers in front of Natsu. Natsu looked to the mountain before him, and then to Warren. Natsu had suspected that something like this would happen, but that didn't mean it was welcome.

"Ya know, if you had let me stay master you wouldn't have to worry about paperwork," Macao taunted from the bar as he downed a keg of ale. Natsu frowned as he took the first paper from the stack and scanned over its contents. There was no line to sign, he realized, it was just terms and conditions for a guild's existence that he needed to familiarize himself with.

"Not like you would do any of this," Natsu retorted as he quickly skimmed all the bolded bits, not bothering to read the fine print. He figured that Gramps hadn't really adhered to many of these rules anyway, seeing as how Fairy Tail was hated by the magic council. It was only a few minutes before Natsu stopped reading the papers entirely, only glancing at headings and subheadings. He knew that he was going to have to be more responsible if he was going to lead, but that didn't apply to paperwork. Or at least he hoped it didn't.

Before long his mind drifted away from the logistical nightmare he was currently facing, and to something much more important. The strength of Fairy Tail had been on his mind for awhile. Having lost nearly every impressive wizard Fairy Tail once boasted, conflicts that the guild had previously overcome wouldn't be welcome. Fighting excited natsu but Natsu also knew that he was a different level than anyone else currently in the hall, so there was no plausible way for him to simply brute force his problems as he was used to.

"Natsu, pay attention!" Natsu looked up to Wakaba's face, who was scowling as he chewed on his pipe. Running a hand through his hair, Natsu casually apologized and continued to churn through the white mass. He finally spotted what he was looking for about half way through his papers, a line where he was to sign his name. He picked up the pen and gripped it firmly, to prevent it from shaking while he held it. He had horrid handwriting, something he would readily admit to anyone and something he hadn't previously been ashamed of. But being master meant Natsu needed to change a lot about himself, and change it fast. He slowly wrote out curled letters, neatly as he possibly could, until he had finished his signature.

"Hey… Do you think this is legible?" He asked the open air in front of him as he held it up for criticism. Laki walked forward and squinted at it.

"Well it isn't as bad as your typical writing, but you definitely murdered the paper," she said matter of factly as she adjusted her glasses. Natsu pursed his lips and re-examined it. He didn't think he'd done that badly, had he?

"Don't worry about it, she honestly doesn't know how to compliment someone," Max stated brusquely as he looked over Natsu's shoulder to get a look at the signature. "I can tell what it says, and that's really all that matters."

"All right!" Natsu cried out happily as he held it in the air triumphantly.

"But you still have a lot of work," Max responded quickly. Natsu chuckled and set it down in a separate, new stack for papers he had to deliver personally to the council.

Suddenly, the room around him darkened. Everyone was gone and a feeling of absolute dread filled Natsu's body. He felt his whole body enter a shaking fit, one which he couldn't snap out of. His breaths became sharp and jagged, and he could hear his heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears. He raised his eyes to stare across the guild hall, and from the shadows he could make out a looming silhouette. He heard a laugh, almost inaudible due to its soft resonance.

"Good, you're still here. I would hate for something to happen to you. I suspect I won't see you for several years to come. Get stronger, Natsu…" and as soon as the dark figure had spoken, the room returned to normal. Everyone was focused on Natsu, some surprised, others shocked, and all of them worried.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jet asked. Natsu looked down and saw that his hands were still shaking uncontrollably. He looked up across the guild hall once more but saw nothing but the entrance. This hadn't been the first time he'd encountered the shadowy figure. Natsu gulped and lowered his hands to the bar, the cool varnished wood finally calming them down. He nodded his head slowly and wetted his lips before addressing the guild.

"I'm fine," he decreed, before resuming the menial task of filling out his forms. But he lingered on the final words of the stranger. Get stronger. Natsu wasn't sure if he could, the guild master didn't go on jobs or get involved in any of the fights that all the regular wizards of Fairy Tail did, the only time Natsu had seen Makarov in battle was during their fight with Phantom. But that was a war, not a job. No, if he couldn't get stronger, than he'd have to make sure the rest of Fairy Tail did. He stood up and pulled himself onto the counter, standing tall enough that everyone could see him.

"Alright everyone, I'm almost done with this," he shouted, quickly jabbing his finger in the direction of the white mountain of refined tree. "And when I am, I have to go to the Magic Council to get it verified and shit. And when I get back, anyone who isn't on a job is gonna start training!"

"Training for what?" Alzack asked from his table. It was a question everyone had on their mind.

"To get stronger, that's what!" Natsu replied. "You guys all have strong magic power, and it just needs to be refined! Than, I guess I can hold some S class exams," he finished, crossing his arms. The hall erupted in confused chatter.

"Natsu, this is all well and good," Bisca began slowly. "But why did you have to scuff up the bar when you could have easily just announced it from our actual stage?" Natsu closed his eyes and smiled, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He was still a bit of a dunce. He was going to have to work on that…

The Magic Council, About a Week Later

"Well, with Grimoire Heart out of the picture it would appear the only Tartaros remains of the Baram Alliance," Gran Doma stated as he drummed his fingers on the large ovular table. Several seats down Sage Org frowned beneath his great gray beard.

"It isn't much of an alliance when it's one Dark Guild. I suspect tributaries of Oracion Seis and Grimoire Heart will soon be enveloped into Tartaros," he suggested. A council member across from him shook his head slowly.

"Org, why would they do that? We hardly know a damn thing about Tartaros and from what our informants in their sub-guilds say, nobody among those guilds has seen or heard of tartaros either, besides an occasional lackey coming to collect a tithe. Why would they act now?"

"Why wouldn't they act now?" Org retorted disdainfully. At times he felt as if he were the only member of the council with the ability to reason. "There can't be a non-aggression pact when there wouldn't be any blowback for acting aggressively," Org explained. Gran Doma smacked his clenched fist onto the table.

"Enough about Tartaros, we haven't heard or seen anything from them, which means they aren't an issue currently. What we do need to worry about is the King of Fiore's request."

"Oh, how he wants to hold a wizard's tournament?" One of the councillors asked. Gran Doma nodded.

"The amount of magic that would be involved in hosting as many wizards as the king wants safely in Crocus would be difficult without supervision, we're going to lend him our aid."

"And how much is our aid costing?" Another councillor inquired. "I mean, we're supplying Crocus with defense, we're constructing the arena and creating events using our magic, so I should hope it isn't cheap."

"We'll be well compensated, of that I can assure you," Gran Doma responded. He looked to Org who had his head hung.

"Sage Org, what is it?" The man in question looked back up and ran a hand through his beard.

"Fairy Tail." The councillors all unanimously laughed as he spoke the name. All except Gran Doma, who raised an eyebrow. Nobody could see this gesture do to his hat though.

"Fairy Tail is as good as gone," Gran Doma stated. "They rid us of the problem of Grimoire Heart and were destroyed in the process, two birds with one stone."

"But they aren't gone," Org corrected. "Many of the members still survived." Gran Doma grimaced.

"I'm well aware. Doranbolt quit the day we had him inform the survivors." The council began to mutter to themselves about the enforcement and intelligence agent who had gone rogue. Gran Doma pounded his fist against the table once more, silencing the side conversation.

"Why do you bring them up, Org?" Sage Org didn't know whether to grin or frown. Fairy Tail had always been a thorn in his side but their tenacity was oddly inspiring.

"A member came in today with all the paperwork to become the guild's fourth master." The table went silent. Gran Doma was visibly agitated, stretching out and clenching his fist in quick succession as his veins bulged. "We have no reason to say no," Org said. Gran Doma sighed deeply, and nodded to Org.

"I suppose we should get to it, than."

Natsu wasn't one for sitting. He wasn't one for long lectures. He wasn't one for paying attention during said lectures, and he most certainly wasn't one for having to repeat back what was said to him. Of course Natsu knew that he had to become one to do all these things, because being a parrot was necessary for Fairy Tail's survival. So he sat in silence, spoke when prompted, listened to the best of his ability, and hardest of all spoke politely. It wasn't a fun time.

"So, mister Dragneel, remind me what the relationship between the council and the guilds are?" Gran Doma asked. Natsu shoved his crossed hands between his legs.

"Well, the more jobs we complete to client's satisfaction, the council will increase our stipends that we can use to improve our infrastructure and stability. You set rules for us, and if we don't follow them you retract that stipend."

"Very good," Gran Doma replied. He was honestly surprised that the pink haired wizard before him was the same Salamander he'd many tales about. The boy was polite, thoughtful, and able to regurgitate information quite well. Unfortunately he was a member of Fairy Tail, which was an unforgivable offense to the magic council.

"Now as I'm sure you're aware your previous master received no stipends and was only able to fund your guild through very charitable donations from the town of Magnolia. Currently you have tabula rasa, so until you begin to show us you're like Makarov's Fairy Tail we'll send you a monthly stipend of five hundred thousand jewel. It may not be much for a guild of your size but should you improve your reputation we may be willing to negotiate raising that amount." Natsu frowned and mulled over his options. He didn't want to make any stupid decisions, but he also felt he had Fairy Tail's pride to uphold.

"Thank you for your generous offer, Chairman, but Fairy Tail won't need any allowance from the council."

"Is this your way of saying you're going to continue to wreak havoc in Fiore?!" Org shouted from his seat.

"No, Sage Org, Fairy Tail will still follow council regulation, but we won't need the monthly stipend. We get good money from Magnolia and other kind donors." Gran Doma smiled to himself contentedly. He'd been hoping the boy would be overly proud, it was less money that the council would have to spend.

"Hmmmm. That is acceptable, master Dragneel." Gran Doma's use of the honorific 'master' signalled to Natsu that he'd completed all the necessary tests of etiquette. He was master now, done and done. With a grin he began to shift his weight, making to stand up, but Gran Doma cleared his throat loudly.

"Now, about your previous master's spot as one of the Ten Wizard Saints… It has been almost two months, and the annual meeting was supposed to take place next month anyways. His disappearance nullifies his position." Natsu had known that it was a possibility, but he had been hoping that they would have waited for confirmation of his death, or something of the likes. Natsu nodded in response to Gran Doma, displaying that he had heard and understood what the chairman had told him.

"Fairy Tail is allowed to put one wizard up for consideration, the meeting will be held in one month's time. You aren't required to participate."

"I understand," Natsu muttered on autopilot. Gran Doma looked over to the frogs in the entryway and gestured for them to escort Natsu out.

"Good day, master Dragneel."

Fairy Tail, The Next Day

"So… They're tryna avoid my training?" Natsu chuckled as he sipped his firewhiskey, before brushing the foam from his mouth. Warren laughed from beside him and spun around on his barstool to face the sparsely populated guild hall.

"I guess. Especially considering none of them were really driven to go out on a job until last night." Natsu traced little lines along the varnished bar counter, considering his options for the wizard saint dilemma.

"When does the training start, though, Natsu? We've been here waiting," Bisca stated as she cleaned her rifle. Alzack voiced his agreement from beside her.

"Probably tomorrow, there are still a few things I need to take care of first. Master business and all that." He downed his tankard and let out a light belch, before slamming the iron down and walking towards the master's office. It wasn't much of an office, but Natsu figured that he would need some time to mull things over on occasion and with that in mind he'd had some members put up a few makeshift walls and a desk. He sat down at the desk and glanced about at the walls. He'd put up the bulletin board from his house on one wall, and memories came to him unbidden as he took note of the little scrawlings he'd written on each job request.

There were quite a few matters he had to concentrate on. The first was how he was going to manage to finance the guild. He didn't have a great mind for figures and math but he knew that Fairy Tail never took cuts in the jobs that were done by its wizards. He wasn't entirely sure how Fairy Tail managed, honestly, because before his meeting with the council he'd never heard about getting donations from anyone. It wasn't the mayor of Magnolia because the mayor was the one who came to collect the property tax every other month.

He leaned his elbows onto the table and began to ruffle his unkempt hair. Natsu couldn't believe he was thinking so much. His mind was racing at a million miles an hour, whereas it'd previously never been faster than maybe a crawl. Then there was the saint thing, but he put that out of his head nearly instantly. That was something he'd discuss with the guild, not a decision he could make willy-nilly on his own. His eyes moved up a tad and rested on the framed painting that sat facing him. It was a painting of the whole guild, all the members sitting and standing together smiling. They were all there, besides Gildarts. Natsu reflected on the fatherly figure he'd found in the guild, and when they'd last seen each other.

Several Days Before the S Class Exams

Natsu gaped as he saw Gildarts sitting down at his table, a keg of beer in one hand and a certain exiled Fairy Tail wizard sitting across from him.

"Laxus?! What are you doing here?" Natsu asked as he pointed a finger at Makarov's grandchild. It wasn't out of anger or fear, but genuine surprise. Gildarts took a long sip of his alcohol.

"I ran into him on one of my jobs. I brought him back." Laxus scoffed and picked up his own tankard.

"He ranted on about how he had some 'bad feeling' and that I needed to come to Tenrou

with him. To be honest I'm not too keen on running into Gramps, but I guess it's unavoidable." Laxus pinched at the bridge of his nose and sighed. Natsu looked over at Happy and then back at Gildarts.

"Wait… What bad feeling did you have?" Natsu crossed his arms and stared at Gildarts intently.

"I don't know, I just can't shake the feeling that something pretty bad is going to happen. And because of that I figured it would be good to have all the strong help we can get."

"Does this mean I can fight him during the exam?" Natsu inquired excitedly, looking forward to the opportunity to brawl with the lightning dragon slayer.

"Fuck that, I'm not helping proctor your shitty exam," Laxus said disdainfully, taking another gulp from his tankard.
"This all seems pretty suspicious," Happy stated. Gildarts smiled again.

"Anyway Natsu, there was a specific reason why I called you here," as Gildarts stood up and put a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Natsu's eyes narrowed as he pondered what it could mean. Gildarts nodded his head at Laxus, who in turn stood up and approached Natsu.

"What's going on?" Happy questioned as he slowly backed off, fearing being too close to Laxus. Natsu grinned, but was quickly gunned down.

"You're not going to fight him," Gildarts grumbled. "I want you to eat his lightning." Happy nodded as if it made sense but quickly did a double take, crying out in surprise. Laxus and Natsu said nothing, only staring at each other, their forms crackling with elemental energy.

"B-but Natsu will get sick! He can't eat the lightning!" Happy exclaimed. Gildarts shook his head as he gripped Happy by his puch. The two stared as Laxus began to channel his lightning towards Natsu, who stood stoically as it began to snap around his body.

"I had a dream where Natsu was all alone, but he was able to defeat an entire army with fire and lightning. It might not have anything to do with my premonition, but it's worth a shot…" Natsu began to cry out in pain as he absorbed the bolts of lightning. Laxus' onslaught continued, but Natsu held his ground. The flame surged around him but the lightning kept surging into him, glowing powerfully. Then it ended abruptly. Natsu was huffing, clutching at his chest as he began to slump. But he didn't fall.

"Hmph, did it work?" Laxus asked in a bored tone. He stifled a yawn with one hand. Gildarts looked to Natsu with pride in his eyes after the boy's demonstration of strength.

"We'll see. Maybe you can beat me, Natsu…"

Present

A small tear fell onto the desk, marking it as it slowly trickled into the wood. Natsu hadn't even gone to Tenrou, he wasn't able to become S class, he wasn't able to make Gildarts proud, and he wasn't able to save his friends. And now here he was. Crying in an office all by himself, worrying about how to keep Fairy Tail alive so that it'd still be standing when they came back. Because he knew they'd be coming back. Natsu decided he was in no mood to do desk work. His chair creaked as it slid back against the stone tiles as he stood up from his workspace.

Just as he stepped out of his little quasi-cubicle the large main doors to the guild hall opened, and a courier stepped in. He dug around in his satchel and help up a large envelope.

"Who here is Master Dragneel, I've got a package I'm supposed to deliver to you?" Natsu stepped forward and raised his hand so that the courier could see him. He took the envelope into his hands and thanked the courier as he left. Natsu walked back into his office and sat himself back down, eyeing it up. He had no clue what it was or where it could be from, but he assumed it wasn't from the council since the courier didn't seem tied to the council visibly. He slid it open and a smaller letter slid out as well as a photograph of four figures standing in front of a large building. He took the letter in his hand and eyed it over quickly.

Dear Fourth Master of Fairy Tail,

It has come to my attention that you've received your post in a most tragic fashion. Normally I would have liked to send this message of congratulations to you in a joyous manner and pack my writing with jokes and double meanings to confuse you, but I find with what you've gone through that would be inappropriate. I was once a member of Fairy tail like you, but I've long since retired. Even so, I want you to know that I have always, and always will be a Fairy Tail wizard and thus I will tell you what I told Makarov many years ago. You can always count on me for help. And I'd like to start helping you by providing you with the money you'll need to pay for all of your infrastructural fees. I will send you a check every other month coinciding with your payments so that the guild will never be in jeopardy of closing down.

Sincerely,

Saint Warrod

Natsu read it over a few times just so that he was sure of its meaning. It seemed to him that this is how Gramps had managed to keep Fairy Tail around even without council support. Natsu also gathered that the man in question was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, but he didn't know enough about them to know which one or who he was. But he was Fairy Tail, which meant Natsu didn't need to know him to trust him entirely.

Looking to the other paper that had fallen out of the envelope, Natsu noticed that it was a check. And a check for a large amount of jewel at that. This Warrod man had been truthful. Not that Natsu ever doubted he was. Natsu opened one of the drawers in his desk that was meant for filing, and he stowed away both the letter and the check in the finances tab. He then glanced at the last paper sitting on his desk. The photograph. In the foreground were four people, one of whom seemed oddly familiar to Natsu. He had yellow hair, a smirk, and long eyelashes that reminded Natsu of Laxus. There was a man with an eyepatch and a trenchcoat. A man with a tree-trunk looking neck, and a small girl with blonde hair and a wide smile. Behind them in the background was a large building that Natsu instantly recognized as Fairy Tail's old guild hall. He smiled and stuck the photo in a spare frame, sitting on his desk beside the current guild photo.

"I don't know which of those is you, Warrod, but thank you," Natsu whispered. "Welp, that's enough for today." Natsu walked back into the main hall and saw Alzack and Bisca sitting at one of the tables out across the large hall.

"Hey you two, ready for some training?" He called out. Alzack grinned shoved his fist in the air.

"Hell yeah!" Natsu smiled again. An action he felt had been a stranger to him over the last month. They'd be back, he told himself. And until they were, he still had family all around him. He would never be truly alone. He missed them and he wished they were still here, but he knew he would just have to wait patiently, no matter how long. He'd see them again.

"Alright, let's head to the forest, I wanna fight you guys!" Bisca went pale but Alzack laughed happily. Yes, Natsu decided, he no longer felt that he was alone.

Their strength was purely ranged, and they both recognized it. They had both known Natsu hadn't meant training as much as he'd meant fight, but they both sort of hoped they'd be sitting under waterfalls and running through the forest. Something cliche like that. But in a predictable Natsu manner he'd challenged them to a fight.

Bisca and Alzack were by no means frail individuals, but they were still human. If Natsu was able to get close enough to land a hit, there was a good chance that it would be the end for either of them. But they had two advantages. Range, and numbers. Alzack glanced at Bisca, only briefly but it was all that was needed for them to agree upon a strategy. They had been partners long enough to know what the plan would be. Across the forest from them, about twenty meters or so, they could hear Natsu's flaming fist slam into his palm, and they couldn't hear his catchphrase but they could both guess it; he was fired up.

In a flash of movement Bisca jumped to the right and began to sprint up a small hill in the eastern portion of the clearing. Natsu saw it and recognized that she was attempting to claim the high ground. But if he rushed at Bisca he'd leave his backside to Alzack. But if he ran at Alzack Bisca could position herself before Natsu wrapped it up and begin to lend supporting fire. He knew what he had to do.

As Bisca began to ascend the hill she noticed Natsu was sprinting away from the both of them and into the edge of the woods. She scoffed, not thinking Natsu would be the one to run from a fight. In the center of the clearing, Alzack's eyes widened. Natsu wasn't running, he must be strategizing. Bisca laid herself on the grass and requipped her sniper rifle. She glanced through the crosshairs and saw Natsu's form beside a tree.

ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON! A huge pillar of flame engulfed one of the trees, instantly catching fire. Bisca aimed for his head, narrowing in. But then natsu smashed his fist into the tree, sending into the clearing. The flaming spire of wood and leaves crashed into the grassy plain, spreading across the field.

"Fuck, he's shaping the terrain to his advantage…" Alzack muttered. Bisca lost Natsu beneath all the smoke, and with horror realized she could barely see into the smoky bowl Natsu had created. Which meant she couldn't see her partner either. She requipped to her Thompson Sub-Machine Guns and slid down the hill into the bowl. It was hot and she had to raise her bandana around her mouth to keep out the smoke, which lowered her visibility further.

Alzack aimed his pistol at the ground. He wouldn't be brought low by a trick as simple as this. TORNADO SHOT! The bullets he fired from his revolver popped into the dirt, and the wind from his shot blew out all the smoke to the sides. Right in front of him was Natsu, soaring towards him with a flaming fist. But the blow didn't connect. Bisca let out a flurry of shots from her guns, a few of which caught Natsu in the flank, sending him rolling into the grass. Alzack jumped back and placed his palm on the hammer of his revolver.

ICY SHOT! The storm of blue bullets flew towards Natsu, but without any hesitation Natsu was able to fry all of them with a wing slash. He turned and glanced for a second behind him, where he saw Bisca had switched to her shotgun and was charging at him. He spun on his heel and and raised his hands for another spout of flame, but several icy shots from behind him connected and rippled across his back, each shattering and forming large patches of ice.

Then Bisca's first wall of flechette barrelled into his chest. Natsu stumbled and fell to his knees in the smoldering grass. Bisca quickly switched out to her bazooka, and aimed it at Natsu. She was barely a meter away, she wouldn't miss. Alzack's eyes widened.

"Bisca, don't!" But he was too late. The explosive round smacked into Natsu's hunched form, and the ground erupted into a cloud of dirt and flame. But then the flame began to slowly recede into the center of the impact zone. Bisca's heart sank as she realized with horror what she had done. Natsu sailed out of the dust with incredible speed, delivering a swift punch to Bisca's torso. She cried out as all of the air in her lungs left her at once, and her limp body sailed across the clearing. One down. Natsu spun on his heel quickly and charged at Alzack. The gun wizard fired off several rounds, hoping that some of the bullets would connect and give him time to run. But as Azlack was shifting his body to sprint away a wave of fire erupted onto his back and sent his face into the dirt. He reached for his gun, which had landed relatively close to him. But a sandaled foot kicked the revolver away.

Natsu loomed over him, fire resonating around his form. Alzack grinned. Several homing shots had arced behind Natsu and hit him, knocking him to the ground beside Alzack. Natsu gritted his teeth as his opponent dove for the revolver and grabbed it. With one hand on the hammer and one on the trigger, a storm of ice shots began to explode against Natsu, coating him in a layer of ice. Alzack figured Natsu would melt out of it in seconds but seconds was all he needed to gain some ground. But that was a miscalculation.

SWORD EDGE OF THE FIRE DRAGON! Like a rocket, Natsu roared over the clearing and easily made up the few paces Alzack had gotten. Natsu's hit connected, and Alzack bent like a twig beneath the tremendous force, hitting the dirt and bouncing several times before he finally came to a stop.

"Shit, maybe that was too much," Natsu muttered apologetically as he ruffled his hair with one hand. Bisca pushed herself up wit her elbows, everything aching.

"You're a monster, Natsu…"

Macao took a long chug of beer, and sighed contentedly as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"I wouldn't have taken the money," he told Natsu. Natsu shook his head and popped a piece of flame into his mouth.

"Well you're a proud bastard who wouldn't be able to keep this guild intact longer than a month. Plus you're a pussy." Macao choked on his beer and had to cough out a bit.

"How am I a pussy?!" Natsu laughed lightly and looked across the hall at Bisca and Alzack who were bandaged and bruised.

"You pussied out of my training." Macao held up air quotes as Natsu said training and gestured over at the two injured guild members. Natsu supposed it was true.

"Yeah I'm thinking maybe fighting isn't all that training is…" Macao laughed and put his hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"Are you feeling alright, Natsu? Fighting is kinda your thing." Natsu looked down into his keg of flaming ale and sighed.

"Yeah, but it isn't about my thing," he muttered. "Now that I'm the master, it's about what's best for the guild." Macao smiled to himself and looked up to the ceiling, picturing Makarov. He had a feeling that Makarov would've been proud of Natsu. "Speaking of which, I'm gonna try to become one of the wizard saints," Natsu informed Macao nonchalantly. Macao did a spit take with his drink, spraying it across the bar.

"WHAT?!" He screamed, pushing himself away from the counter. "A wizard saint?! Do you have any idea how crazy powerful you have to be to become a wizard saint?!" Natsu watched as a small ball of flame danced around his fingertips. A small bolt of lightning criss crossed the surface of the flame.

"It's not about combat power solely, it's about the quality of the magic in general. My magic isn't anything special, but I have a good chance."

"You don't though, imagine how many dozens of other dragon slayers there are out there, hell we had like three in our guild alone!"

"It's not just that. I can't honestly imagine a world where we aren't all together, where Gramps isn't sitting at that counter with a tankard and where all of the Tenrou group are behind us. But that's the world we live in. And I feel like since it was Gramps' spot that was vacated it's my duty as the guild master to keep the spot warm for him until he gets back." Macao fell silent and slumped back into his seat. He glanced around the guild hall and thought about what Natsu had said. It had been true, they were living in a world Macao would've thought never could have existed.

"So… When do you go in to get tested, or whatever?" Macao asked over the lip of his drink. Natsu shrugged.

"Next month. In the meantime I'm gonna train, and so is anyone else that's just hanging around the guild."

"When you say train, do you mean what happened with Alzack and Bisca?" Natsu shook his head in reply to Macao's question.

"No, that was unreasonable of me. We're gonna stick to cliches." Macao smiled and laughed lightly.

"But I'm still gonna have people fight me," Natsu announced. Macao did another spit take. Natsu looked to Macao with a smile broader than any Macao had seen since they'd heard the news.

"Some things never change, do they?"