We're almost there...the hundred favorite milestone. Thank you so much for the favourites, and it brings a smile to my face when I have more 'favorites' than 'follows'. I'm glad that most of you are enjoying, and the best has yet to present itself.
Next chapter, I'm gonna cannonball (or should I say...'canon'-ball...*wink*) into the timeline of the FT series. If you guys did not already know, Naruto in this story is born a year ahead of Erza. I don't really know whether he was twelve or thirteen in his own series, so I'm just gonna say he's thirteen. Erza joined Fairy Tail at twelve so the ages should something like this (as of Lucy joining FT):
20: Naruto
19: Jellal, Erza, Ultear, Mirajane, Cana
18: Natsu, Gray, Elfman
17: Lucy, Lisanna, Juvia
It's funny that Naruto is the oldest but there's a purpose. It's because...¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ...figure it out yourself. There's definitely a reason.
Still looking for any interested beta readers. - No one can miss this now.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Not my characters...
Ever since Naruto had brought back jewels, things had started to look up. They had new clothes, a good supply of food and even some left for transportation and information. After he had asked around for information about this 'Fairy Tail', Naruto finally made his way to the seaport with Erza, where he was told he could board a vessel to the city of Magnolia, where Fairy Tail was located at.
Other information the people gave him was that Fairy Tail was a rowdy place, though rowdy was not a bad thing in Naruto's eyes. People also said that Fairy Tail was unlawful, while others also labeled Fairy Tail as the best guild around, but the best thing about Fairy Tail he heard so far was the one thing he had hoped for.
Fairy Tail was said to be one big family.
He gripped his map hard, feeling the impatience building inside him. Naruto would arrive at Fairy Tail even if it was the last thing he did. He broke out of his thoughts when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Little did he know, the queue for tickets on board in front of him had moved significantly. Bowing in apology, Naruto moved forward, as well as tilted his head to check how much longer it would take.
"Did you hear about the duke getting stabbed?"
Naruto turned his attention at the statement, his heart skipping a beat. The two men behind him were conversing about it, and Naruto did not expect the news to travel so quickly. Trying to extract as much information as possible, Naruto turned around with the friendliest grin he could form. "Could you tell me about it too, sir?"
The man only considered for a moment before speaking. He bent in close, pulling his companion and Naruto in closer as well. "There was a corrupt duke a few towns away who was robbed by a mere boy. The funny thing was the boy, who wore rags, managed to defeat the guards so quickly! I heard he embezzled funds from the Magic Council, using the plight of his villages as an excuse! Serves that bastard right!"
Naruto nodded at the comment, feeling pleased that someone recognized his gallant stunt.
"It's a shame the boy is probably gonna get executed when he's caught."
Naruto choked on his own saliva. "WHAT!?"
"Of course, dude. He pissed off such a powerful guy, even if the council doesn't sentence him to death, the duke would probably come for his head. Bastards like them always hold a grudge." Naruto's mind became blank. If he had known the man was so powerful, Naruto would have thought twice before attacking the man.
"I-I see..." Naruto turned back to face the ticket booth, leaving the conversation. As he gripped his map harder, Naruto was even more impatient. As Naruto had pledged earlier, he would arrive at Fairy Tail if it was the last thing he would do.
It most probably would be the last thing he would do.
-3-
The vessel was crowded, so crowded that though Naruto wanted to wander about the vessel, there was no space to even walk. Naruto settled for sitting in his allocated seat instead, allowing a seasick Erza to lean on him as she takes a nap. Though thinking was not something Naruto did very often, he knew for Erza's sake, he had to put some thought into the situation.
As much as Naruto would like to join Fairy Tail, Naruto knew that after what he had done, danger would come looking for him, and he definitely did not want danger to befall Erza or anyone not involved. It was his problem, so he would solve it.
He took a look at Erza's sleeping expression, and uncontrollably, he smiled. Erza may have been in the tower with him, but she was not like him. Erza did not attract misfortune like he did. She probably had a family and friends before being a slave, and she deserved all of it, as opposed to Naruto himself, who had never done anything right.
Dimwitted, irrational and dense, Naruto was no use, unloved, but when people like Erza, along with his cellmates, was introduced into his life, Naruto felt that warmth he had desired since the day he was born. But Naruto had learnt that the 'warmth' he felt was a mere illusion.
Naruto could not 'fit'. There was always a place for Erza, a strong wizard with equal strong moral values. No one would want him, a troublemaker who attract misfortune. Even the dimwitted Naruto would have learnt his place by then. The only meaningful thing Naruto could do was pave the way for Erza, at the same time keeping himself away from her.
If he was caught, she would be caught too, and Naruto could not live with that.
The vessel's horn sounded, signaling that they were nearing the port of Magnolia. It reminded Naruto that his time with Erza was almost up.
"Erza, wake up." Erza slowly opened her eyes, batting her eyelids a few times before realizing that she was leaning on Naruto. The look on Erza's face when she realized that she had slept while drooling on his shoulder the whole time made Naruto chuckle. "Let's go get something to eat, sleepyhead."
Erza, who was trying to shake off the embarrassment, avoided any talk about her nap. "Y-Yes, I'm hungry. We should eat something."
"Great! I know just where to eat!"
-3-
Naruto stood in front of the legendary stall, where the gods order their food from. He did not need his map or any information. The aroma was so distinct, so fragrant that with Naruto's nose alone, he could track down the store from a mile away. "T-This is the shop!"
Before he lost control of his salivary glands, Naruto took a seat, patting the seat to signal for Erza to take a seat behind him, but was given a hesitant look by Erza. "What's wrong, Erza? Ramen is really delicious!"
"Should we be spending money unnecessarily? Even if we find a job, we might not-"
"C'mon, Erza! Isn't the reason we escaped to experience life? This is it! The meaning of life is right here in front of us." Without even waiting for Erza's rebuttal, Naruto waved at the assistant. "Excuse me! Ramen please!"
The assistant came over, greeting him with the kindest of smiles. "What kind would you like?"
"Kinds? What kinds are there?"
It took a while for the assistant to explain the kinds of ramen, and even after her detailed explanation, Naruto was still spoilt for choice. "Erza, what do you think I should get?"
No response. Naruto turned to ask again, but instead caught Erza staring into space. "Erza?"
"Sliced pork with miso."
Naruto did not say anything about Erza's odd behaviour, instead passing it off as lethargy. "Three bowls of miso ramen with sliced pork please."
The assistant nodded and left with the same smile, leaving no one in Naruto's and Erza's vicinity, making it the perfect chance for Erza to open up. "You can tell me what's wrong, Erza."
"You're the one not telling me what's wrong!"
Erza shouted, and though her outburst did not go unnoticed, no one particularly was concerned. "What are you talking about, Erza? I'm not-"
"You're trying to smile, but I can see it, Naruto. Y-You're planning to leave, aren't you? That's why you're spending all the money."
Unfortunately, Erza had hit the nail, though he was not really planning on spending all the money, but making as much memories as he could with Erza. He should have expected someone as intelligent as Erza to figure out. "Erza...I'll tell you about it later. Don't be angry with me...please?"
Naruto gave his best puppy look, and though Naruto was sure it would fail, instead, it made Erza look away, which meant that Erza could not withstand his pitiful look. "You must tell me about it later. No excuses."
Naruto saluted, straightened his back and looked at Erza with grateful eyes. "Yes, ma'am!"
-3-
After a half a day of splurging money on several non-necessities, Naruto knew it was time to let go. The sun had risen, dyeing the sky an orange that resembled his jumpsuit. And just like him, that orange cannot glow forever.
Erza held his hand as they walked down the path that would lead them to Fairy Tail. It was oddly quiet, but for the first time, Naruto might have felt comfortable silence. Erza looked nervous, as if she wanted to remind him to tell her everything, but she too did not want to break the mood. It was a pleasant mood after all, a mood that only lasts a while.
"Today was fun, wasn't it?" Naruto smiled, or at least he tried his hardest to smile.
"Yes, it was. So...why must you leave?" Only silence followed her question, but they did not stop walking, nor did they look each other in the face. Naruto could not bear to look at Erza's face, and Erza probably could not look at his either. If he did, Naruto could not hold up his smile any longer.
They found themselves standing in front of the guild hall of Fairy Tail in no time, and just by standing outside its doors and listening to the loud noises, Naruto could tell that these were a bunch of fun people. He definitely was not disappointed when he opened the large swinging doors.
An atmosphere of celebration filled the air, along with the smell of booze and meat. There was not one person that was not enjoying themselves. Whether it was talking to one another or dancing terribly, the people in the guild were having fun, letting go of all their worries.
If only Naruto could be one of them.
Instead, Naruto gripped tighter onto Erza's hand, walking and maneuvering through the crowd, making his way to the door at the opposite side of the room. The door that was labeled with the words: "Guild Master".
As they finally squeezed through the door and took a peek in it, Naruto saw no one sitting behind the desk, and yet a voice came from behind it. "Who is it? Did another job go wrong again? Annoying little brats..."
Naruto felt a little nervous approaching the guild master who hid behind the desk, as he was careful not to make a bad impression. This was regarding Erza's future guild and he needed to be courteous. "Excuse me, Mr. Guild Master...we have come to apply-"
"Apply? Apply! Yes, of course! Did I say another job went wrong here? Well, of course nothing went wrong! Fairy Tail has a excellent track record of satisfying their employers!" That was not what Naruto heard, but Naruto was willing to let it slide. "Come on in!"
Naruto and Erza stepped into the room, surveying the room filled with messy paperwork and a few pornographic magazines. The guild master startled them by jumping onto the desk. Whereas most adults would hit their head if they were to jump onto a desk, the guild master did not. That was because the guild master had the height of a gnome, and if Naruto were to stop restraining himself, he would had laughed till his stomach hurt. Must...not...laugh...
"You can call me Guild Master Makarov. Ah...A boy and a girl! We have a few guild members your age around here, though some of them are not really smart...I'm sure the both of you will...fit in." In that small pause, Naruto noticed that the guild master cast a glint of suspicion at him.
"Erza, I'll handle the negotiations. Could you wait outside?"
"But...you must remember to tell me, okay?" Naruto nodded without looking back, only returning his focus to the guild master when he heard the door shut. At the same time, Naruto took off the smile he had struggled to keep on. "You know about what I've done, don't you?"
Makarov gave him a regretful nod, searching into the pile of papers to take out a poster, on it was a poor sketch of him. "I'm sorry, but...as a guild under the Magic Council, I can't officially indoctrinate you into the guild."
"I'm not asking that much from you. I understand my place. All I hope for is that Erza can find her place here." Naruto got down on his knees, this time willingly scrapping his knees. With a kowtow, he pleaded. "Please...let Erza join the guild."
"Get up first, boy. Even if you didn't ask me too, I would have taken her in. I can sense the immense magic power in her. She's definitely going to become a strong, righteous wizard." The guild master jumped of his desk and helped him up. As he got a good look at Makarov's face, he noticed that the petite man was smiling, and in the most heart-warming way. "And you too, young one, will be a strong and righteous wizard."
"How can I be righteous? I'm a criminal. All I wanted was to teach that man a lesson, but instead I became the evil one. I...don't know what to do. I don't want to be executed!" Naruto tried to take steady breaths, but to no avail; his trembling would not stop.
"What is your name, boy?"
"Naruto."
"Then listen up, Naruto. You aren't going to be executed. There are laws in these kingdom, and disallowing executions of children is one of them. I have a friend in the Magic Council who can help you, but ultimately, you will be jailed."
The word "jailed" caused a stir in Naruto's mind. The trembling became more violent, and there was no stopping it. "Jail? But I just escaped from that place...I don't want to go back in there!"
"Naruto!" He jumped at the sound of his name as well as the look on Makarov's face; a dead serious face that was nothing like the smile he put on before. "There are times where you have to face the consequences of your actions, but that does not make you a failure, it makes you responsible. Fairy Tail has a bunch of unjust complaints that I have to deal with, but I deal with it, because I have my children to take care of. Do you want Erza to lose you?"
Naruto shook his head, considering the words of the old man. "I really don't want to leave."
"You aren't leaving. Fairy Tail's doors will always open for you, Naruto." Makarov walked back around his desk retrieving a small lacrima from his desk drawer, tossing it to Naruto who caught it in time. "This is a teleportation lacrima. It teleports you to the Magic Council's headquarters when you pump magic into it and is distributed to guild masters. The choice is yours, Naruto. When you come back to Fairy Tail, no one will look down on you, especially not Erza."
Naruto held the marble-sized lacrima in his palm, considering his choices. He could continue running, or he could take a chance and maybe, just maybe, the outside world would seem better. Just maybe, Naruto could spent his time with Erza and the rest of Fairy Tail. "I'll go."
Makarov's face lightened into a smile. "I hope you understand that it's the right thing to do. Would you like to say good bye to Erza?"
"No. I can't see her upset in front of me. Make sure to take care of Erza. Tell her I'll be back in no time." Just before Naruto was about to pump magic and teleport before he had time to change his mind, Makarov grabbed his hand, stopping the teleportation process.
"One more thing. When they ask for you full name, tell them proudly and with your head held high that you are Naruto Dreyar, the grandson of the great Makarov Dreyar." That was the moment Naruto could feel his heart truly touched for the first time. It was the first time he had some refer to him as family, something he had hoped for and prayed for, and now that it had happened to him, Naruto coud not have asked for more.
"See you, Jii-chan." Goodbye, Erza.
The last thing he saw before he teleported was the sight of his grandfather smiling, and though Naruto knew he was about to be jailed, but he did not feel like that was the case.
Why do I feel so complete?
-3-
Erza's new guild master stepped out of the office, but there was no one behind him. There was tons of questions in Erza's head, but those were merely to give Erza a false hope. Naruto had left, leaving Erza in this guild. When the guild master walked up to her, she made the first move. "Where's Naruto?"
Makarov leaked a look of guilt over his face, and Erza could deduced what happened. "He left, but he is doing the right thing. He is being the responsible man he promised me he'll be."
When people talked in riddles, Erza knew not to probe, although Erza in truth really wanted to know. "Will he come back?"
Makarov patted her head, a gesture she had not felt in a long time. "Yes. We may write letters to him, so it wouldn't feel like he left at all."
Though Erza was glad that letters could still be exchanged, it was not the same. Naruto had brought her here, and it should only be fair if Naruto got to stay here. There were people dancing and brawling, and these were Naruto's kind of hobbies. "Naruto would have loved it here."
Only after Makarov wiped her cheeks did Erza realize her uninjured eye was leaking tears. On the old man's face was a kind-hearted, genuine smile. "So let's have fun in his place, shall we?"
With the back of her hand, Erza wiped her own tears. She promised not to cry ever since she saw Naruto. It would not have been fair that Naruto who was trying so hard continued to smile as she weeps. She looked behind her at the group of kids her age, a few boys and girls.
I hope we'd make friends together when you come back, Naruto. Erza took a step towards the group, her first step in starting her new adventure, the adventure known as Fairy Tail.
Because I'll be waiting.