Titania and The Hunter

by Master Attlon

Born as a human. Treated as a demon. Gathered as a slave. Viewed as a leader. Traveled as a Mage. Grew as a Legend. The journey and life of The Hunter, Naruto Uzumaki

11. Welcome Home

Titania and The Hunter

Chapter 11: Welcome Home

Disclaimer: Oh a man can dream though. A man can dream.

350+ reviews, 800+ followers, 700+ favorites and 100,000 views. I can say nothing more than you guys just kick major ass.

And now, I hope to satisfy the last of your wishes with this last chapter. If its good, I couldn't be happier! If it sucks, meh, live with it. Also, never going to be this long in a while. P.S. Kur0Kishi original idea, so that explains first action.

And also, I will be utilizing stuff mostly from the anime into this chapter. If you only read the manga, you might have to watch the episode to get some context. If you refuse to...well I guess that's just SOL, huh?

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May X778

The birds sang out a beautiful melody as the sun was rising up over the seaside town. The dew slowly dripped off the leaves of the tree as the baby birds chirped for their mother. It was a fresh early morning in the late of Spring as the noise from the animals in the tree outside her window slowly woke the girl up.

From inside the female dorm, the young scarlet-haired girl slowly opened her eyes as the morning sunlight peaked out through the trees, the curtains and into her face. The 13-year old lifted herself up from her little bed at the edge of her room as she yawned cutely from waking up so early. She wiped her eyes and stood up from her bed, making sure to avoid all of the stray weapons and armor that were laid out on the floor around her.

Erza went to her bathroom and started to fix up her messy back-long hair and take off her simple pajamas. As she stood naked in her dorm room, she breathed out and was engulfed in a bright light that covered her entire frame. When the light dispersed a moment later, she was dressed in her usual armor outfit. A simple armor plate that covered her torso and a white skirt that covered her knees that were followed by brown heeled shoes that gave her an extra inch of height.

She walked over to the mirror in her personal bathroom as she looked at herself. She took a length of her hair and started to braid it down to her back. As she did, she found it much more difficult to do by herself then when she had Hilda-obaachan help her with it.

Erza then stopped the looping of her hair as she was hit with a phantom feeling of the melancholy she was trying to overcome over the past few weeks. When she found the overturn horse carriage, all the young armored Mage could do was cry her eye out. And when the news reached the rest of the dorm occupants, all they could do was cry at the loss of someone so important and essential to their lives.

They had tried to move on from the painful loss but found it was so much harder then any of them could imagine. Master Makarov had helped them through it, saying that she was a wonderful woman who had treated the girls of Fairy Tail like her own children. That she was a lady that would be loved and remembered for the rest of their days in Fairy Tail. And that she would never truly be gone as long as they remembered the love and kindness that she had given them over the years.

But Erza still found it hard, feeling so lost and hurt from the tragedy. How could someone so important to her life, who she was talking to just the night before about what she would be like when she grew up, be gone in just a day? It was heart-breaking. Erza was still very disheartened about it even now. But she was able to relieve some of the pain through talking it out with someone who would listen.

Surprisingly enough, that someone was Mirajane!

After a week had passed and Erza was still a little out of it, some of the other guild members were worried about her. She didn't even know she was causing this worry among her friends. If she actually knew she would have tried to repress some of the pain and cover it up with a smile. But before she could even react, Mirajane marched right up to her. Slapped her across the face. And then stood there with her hands on her hips.

Everyone in the guild was shocked and horrified. Everybody, even Master, was already ducking undercover as the red-head turned her surprised face up to look at the demon girl. And even through they didn't actually say anything there, she immediately knew what it was that Mirajane was trying to convey onto her. That she couldn't sit there regretting what had happened and that she had to start living her life like Obaa-chan would want her too. And Erza nodded and had a small smile on her face to show she understood. Which was returned by an enthusiastic Mira.

Of course to keep up appearances they had to have a brawl and destroy half of the guild. Hey, you can't have people think they can smack you across the face and you wouldn't react by smacking them back. Afterwords, while the rest of the guild put things back together, the girls had a quick talk about the subject. In which Mirajane told Erza the exact same words she had said to her a few weeks prior after their first fight.

Erza finished her braiding as she looked in the mirror and smiled to herself. She had to start bucking up again. She wasn't supposed to be the type that sits their regretting for the rest of her life. She had to stand back up and start where she left off. If that meant accepting requests, eating cake and beating up Gray and Natsu, then so be it.

The red-head walked out of the restroom and looked outside to the tree in front of her window. She watched silently as the birds that flocked in the nest in the tree flapped their wings. They flew off and into the bright, blue skies. She smiled as she decided that she had to do the same thing.

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Deep inside the East Forest besides Magnolia, a tall woman with pink hair done up in a bun was cleaning the area in front of a large tree with her broom. As she continued to tidy up the 'yard' in front of her home, the Medicinal Advisor of Fairy Tail looked up to the bright, cloudy sky of the early morning new day.

This was one of the reasons that she loved the isolation of forest in this world the most. There was no hustle n' bustle of the city so she didn't have to worry about people bothering her. The only worry she ever actually had was whether or not she had fed the deer today. That...and when more of Makarov's idiot kids get themselves hurt fighting for absolutely no reason but to fight.

She guessed that was one of the reasons why she was still here. After all the years she spent at Fairy Tail after they took her in when she first came to this world, she must have felt obligated to help the people who needed her. Every time Makarov or Rob got themselves hurt fighting, she was the one that had the expertise to fix them up. It must of been a feeling she got deep down when she knew that they had resorted to fighting to solve their problems.

Especially after what happened to Hashirama-San and his group. She knew what it was like to come to a world so similar to hers and yet so different in so many ways. Having to adapt to the styles and culture of a world that was finding it hard to accept you. She had to wonder how many years it had been since someone called her by her true name?

She had hoped the best for the powerful ninja and his followers on their quest to find a way home. Knowing that even though she was stuck here, that didn't mean that they should be too.

So she was crestfallen when the news of the Tonewa tragedy had reached across the nation. This was what fighting had lead to. Because of an escaping tag and a need to prove oneself, hundreds of people suffered and died. And not only the innocent civilians but Hashirama, Yukiha and everyone else were never heard of again. She hate fighting. She truly hated it. All it ever did was lead to more pain.

After that idiot Makarov was acknowledged as the next guild master, she knew that there was going to be even more pain in the future. And she knew that she might have been the only one who could help the next generation stand back up on their feet. So even now, despite all her nagging and rattling on humans and their need to solve everything with violence. She knew that she was a human who couldn't leave a person to suffer if it was in her power to help them.

Which lead to her next pain in the butt.

Porlyusica walked back towards her hollowed tree home as she placed the broom down by the steps. She walked up the stairs and opened the door as she walked back into her home. The elderly medic went over to her work station as she started to break apart the herbs and make them into her potions. As she messed with a flask full of a synthetic magical potion used to heal certain ailments, she caught a reflection of her current patient.

Lying in the only bed that occupied the large room was a blond boy with whiskers-like markings going down his cheeks. The boy was peacefully resting underneath the sheets as the sunlight was washed over the bed. Despite the resting blond's face, beneath the sheets his body was still covered in fresh bandages and healing medicine to accelerate the process.

The old doctor could only say that this was more trouble then it was worth.

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"Nehhhh~ Porlyusica, why did we have to come out here again?" The leader of the three person group looked behind her at the whining midget and disgruntled ace of the guild. "I just got back from the guild master meeting and I wanted to get a drink."

"Quit complaining you idiot. It's because of what you told me after the meeting that makes this so urgent." The tall old woman pushed a branch out of her way as she continued down the usual path to her house. As she carefully tried to maneuver her way through the pristine condition of the environment, Gildarts just walked casually and destroyed anything in his way with Crash.

The tallest member of the three looked down at the smallest member. "Hey old man, what exactly did you tell her that's got her panties all up in a-" Porlyusica glared over her shoulder at the younger wizard as the two men fl chef and shook in fright. "I-I mean what did you say that has got Prolyusica-San all worried about?" Makarov rubbed his chin as he tried to think about what it was that spurred on this sudden journey to her tree house.

"Weeeeellllllll, when I came back she told me there was something I really had to see. And when I told her that I was supposed to be looking for someone the council had put out a report on, she said it was very important."

"What was the report about?"

"Ah, it was something stupid about a kid that they were looking for." Makarov yawned as they neared the house made out of the hollow tree. "Apparently, some young man had challenged and beaten a division squad of Damnation! And now the council has ordered that all guild masters be on the look out for this kid. Of course, that man Jose had decided that only the 1# guild should report this case in and promised that he would deliver the boy, Dead or Alive."

"Wow? He must have some serious issues?" Makarov chuckled and nodded as Gildarts whistled in surprise. "Man, a little kid actually took down a team from Damnation! That's amazing! I'd love to meet the little bastard who could do something like that to those assholes!" The ace of the guild laughed loudly as he was accompanied by Makarov's laugh as well.

"Yeah! I'd love to share a drink with him!"

"He-hey, maybe Obaa-chan is leading you to her house to show you where she had already captured him!" Both of the men laughed until their sides hurt as they reached the open door of the medical advisor's house.

"Ahahahaha, that would be the day!" The two men wiped some tears building up in the side of their eyes as they walked in. They immediately went stoned face when they saw a bandaged up body resting in the bed in front of them. Several tense moments passed as the only sound that could be heard was the crickets outside scrapping their legs.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! She did it! She killed someone! Hide me! Hide me!" Gildrats ran outside and jumped off the stairs as he knew that the woman did not care for all the times he ruined her house just by walking inside.

"Porlyusica-chan! What have you done? Did he eat your apples or something? Oh My God you've snapped! Run! Run from the crazy woman!"

"SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS AND LISTEN!" The men stopped their momentary break down as they held each other and cowered in fear of her wrath. Her veins were throbbing as she took a calming breath and walked over to the injured form of the boy. "Makarov, you said that the person they were looking for was a blond boy with whiskers and a prosthetic arm, right?" The shirt master stopped playing the fool and looked at the woman in surprise at where she was leading the conversation.

As the two men walked over to the bed, Porlyusica softly pulled the bright yellow hair upon the young boy's head. She then pulled back the sheets and revealed the fully formed metal arm that was attached to the left side of the child's bandaged torso. And on closer inspection, you could clearly see the three black lines across each his cheeks. "This is him, yes?"

Makarov kept a stern face as he looked up at his old friend and nodded. Gildarts stood there silently and looked over the boy who was covered from head-to-toe with new bandages. His chest was barely moving as the young boy was taking very small breaths of air. The stress and pain on the boy's face was still evident as there seemed to be some droplets of sweat building up on his brow. "What's wrong with him?"

Porlyusica knelt down and soaked a small towel in her hand as she wiped the boy's face clean with it. "He had 7 cracked ribs and 5 broken ones. Torn muscle fibers throughout his entire chest. Fractures across the bones in his arms and legs that would cause anyone to fall down and cry in pain. He has torn ligaments and his ankles were sprained enough to tear his muscles up. The skin and bone structure in his fists were broken so bad a splint was going all the way down his forearm. Plus he had some internal bleeding and severe trauma to the head, limbs, lungs and sternum. He also had multiple burns across his whole body, most likely induced by some magical means. So in short, he is pretty messed up."

Makarov looked over the boy as he couldn't help but feel sorry for the young child. No one this young should experience have to be hurt so badly. "Where did you find him?"

"It was in the forest near Yarrow after the attack from that dark guild." The older men looked shocked at her theory as the child seemed to calm down at the touch of the cold compress in her hand. "I didn't even know there was an attack going on as I was gathering up some medical herbs to make more potions. When I was close to finishing, I just found this kid stuck to a log floating down the river. He was lucky I was there to give him immediate first aid...or else..." She shook her head to show how lucky the boy was for her to be there when she was. "I've had to be careful transporting his body here or else he might have been in critical condition.

"Soooo, are you saying he was a part of that Grimoire guild and he just got caught up in the blast?"

"Maybe. But I cannot be certain until he actually wakes up and I can ask him."

"How long has he been asleep?"

"A few days now. I've tried to wake him up but he isn't responding. Just a moan every few hours and a nervous sweat like that." She cleaned the sweat covered rag as the two men stood there, contemplating the next suitable course of action.

"So old man, are you going to report this to the council? Tell them you've got the guy they're so anxious to meet?"

Makarov had his head tilted as he was thinking through the options at hand. "Well, I suppose we need to wait until we can interrogate him ourselves. See if he really is a threat or if the council just got some bad information. I won't think a kid like this did something as bad as that until I hear him say it with his own lips. Until then, we should keep him here. Away from everybody else." Gildarts nodded as he agreed with his Master's decision on the boy's condition.

"There is something else you need to know." Makarov looked over at the pink-haired woman as she bent over the boy's head. She put her hand on his face and pulled back his eyelids with her thumbs. Makarov walked over to his side and looked at the boy's eyes. He kept silent and calm betraying the slight surprise he had in his eyes at seeing the boy's coloring. "Blue and Brown."

"The same as that armor girl you brought in last year. So she may have something to do with this after all."

"Armor girl? You mean Erza? What does Erza have to do with this?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later Gildarts." The tiny Wizard Saint look over at Porlyusica. "What do you think we should do?"

"I'll keep him here until he wakes up. When he does, I'll see if I can find anything out about what he was doing. If he was a part of that guild, I'll try to sedate him so you can turn him into the knights."

"It could be dangerous."

"I don't care. It my duty to make sure he pulls through these injuries and wakes up. And I can't do that if he is in a cell." Makarov smiled at her as she stayed completely serious with her promise. And behind them, Gildarts was completely lost.

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That had been about a month ago. Since then, most of the boy's injuries had healed up and faded. His muscles would still be undoubtedly sore from all of the exhaustion and physical treatment, which was why he was still unconscious now. And there would still be a new scar or two to add to the boy's collection on his body. But nothing that would affect him in the long run.

But she had to say that it was becoming tiresome to hide this boy from everyone else. Makarov made it easier by asking the kids to be more careful on the requests they go out on. But she didn't have much faith that those little brats wouldn't get themselves hurt doing something stupid. She just wasn't that lucky.

The old woman sighed as she continued to work with the chemicals in front of her. Whatever the case would be, she would be here to make sure that the child would stay calm when he woke up. And if he really was part of that dark guild, then she would have to make sure that he didn't make his way into the town. No matter what the cost.

Unseen by the woman as she continued to make new remedies and medicine, there was a stirring in the sheets of the bed behind her. And a flicker of blue and brown light from behind slowly opening eyes.

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Erza was looking at the request board impatiently as she tapped her foot on the wooden floor. She had her arms crossed as she couldn't decide which of the crummy jobs in front of her were acceptable to take. Usually, she wasn't too picky about the type of job she accepted, but these really didn't look like they were worth the effort.

Finding some strange plants for a 'certain experiment'. Destroying a rock that was in the way of a river flow. Maids wanted, full bodied women preferred.

She didn't know why, but she felt like she wouldn't be accepted for that last job. And that kinda pissed her off.

The only job on the entire board that she would actually accept was the worker job back at Parker-San's place of business. It didn't actually require her to use her magic or anything, just to do some heavy-lifting. But since it wasn't a job that actually needed the help of a Mage, it didn't pay very well. Of course, the man himself was really quite kind, despite his rather rough exterior. The first time she took the job was when he told her that Naruto was still alive and had come to the mainland. And since then, she would come over every few months to see him and help him with his place of business.

But she didn't feel like traveling all the way to Hargeon today, so she just let out an annoyed breath and turned around. "What's wrong Erza? Nothing good to be had?" Erza looked over to see her old master looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope. I don't think I'll be going on a request for today. I might just stay here and have a day off." Her master raised his mug and cheered to that as he gulped down a quarter of the beverage in a few moments. Erza chuckled as she started walking over to the table with her mid-day snack, hoping to finish it off before grabbing another piece.

The armor clad girl looked down at the empty plate. She stood there silently as the other mages around her just seemed to have fun. Not knowing that she had just had another piece of her favorite strawberry cake taken away from her. Why? Why did everybody have to take her cake? Was it funny? Did they want a piece?

She looked to the only other people at her table. Natsu and Gray as they were glaring at each other and promising to punish the other one for absolutely no reason. Ohhhhhhh, it's time for some payback. "Oh boys, can I have a word please?" The two boys stopped their arguing and looked towards the older girl.

"Huh? What's up Erza? Finally coming to challenge me right?"

"Are you stupid charcoal brains! She obviously came to get a beating from me!"

"Whatever you say guys. But let's go outside okay?" The two boys jumped out of their seats and followed the red head girl as she calmly walked outside. From her place at the other table, Mirajane laughed coyly as she licked her fingers clean of the stolen cake's frosting. Across from her, her younger siblings were shaking their heads at her trying to engage a fight with the other girl Mage.

But outside the guild building, a bright shining light appeared for an instant before fading again. And in its place were the forms of five people. Well, two women, two men and a cat with wings.

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Porlyusica finished her chemical mixing as she poured it into a separate flask for it to settle. She was actually showing a faint, almost minuscule smile as she lost herself creating the new elixirs. She then noticed that a small gust of wind was pushing in some cold air into the housing. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the door to her room was slightly agape. She sighed as she got to her feet and walked over to the door to close it so she could-

Wait! Open! When did it-

She turned around quickly to see that the bed was empty and its sheets were thrown over lazily. She looked around the entire room as she tried to find the boy that had awoken in her home nowhere in sight. She dashed over to her workstation and picked up a potion for fast-acting sedation.

She slowly creeped out of her house and gently walked down the steps, trying to make no sudden movements or noises. She had to find the boy before he reached the town and caused any trouble. If he found out that Fairy Tail was inadvertently holding him here, who knows what he would do to retaliate. As she reached the bottom of the staircase, she grabbed hold of the broom she was using earlier and used it as a make-shift weapon. Looking all around her, trying to find the young blond boy.

"Euahhhhhhh~." The woman heard a strange noise come from her left side. She turned around to see only the trees and forest.

"Uehhhhhhhhhh~." Porlyusica could make the strange noise out as some kind of moan of pain or exhaustion. She walked forward towards the noise, still on her guard as to make sure that she wouldn't be taken by surprise. The noise continued to ring out through her ears as it was soon followed by a rush of what sounded like water.

She suddenly heard the noise clearer then before and could distinguish where it was occurring. She kept to the side of her house as she scaled alongside the bark, trying to keep as unnoticeable as possible until the last moment. She jumped out if her hiding spot to see what was happening.

There he was. Her blond patient of the last month. Standing there with a few bandages on his arm and chest. With his grey pants lowered to his thighs as he urinated on her tree house.

"Awwwwwwww~ so much better." The boy moaned as he continued to relieve himself on the stump of the tree he found himself in. He finished and shook himself clean as he realized that there was a feeling of being watched at his side. He turned his head to see a wrinkly old woman standing there with her jaw wide open and a broom in her hand. She had her pink hair up in a bun held up with a crescent pin and was wearing a long red cape. "Hello."

"DON'T JUST SAY HELLO TO ME YOU LITTLE BRAT! AND STOP PEEING ON MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT!" She started to bash the the top of her broom on his head as he grunted and whined in pain.

"Ow! OW! Stop it lady! What the hell's your problem! Ow!" He tried to block her strikes and send her a threatening glare only to realize that he was staring at the face of a fire spewing demon in a mad rage. He screamed and tried to run away from her as she chased him around the tree, shaking her broom at him in promise of revenge.

"DON'T THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY FROM ME THAT EASILY!"

"AHHHHH, MONSTER! MONSTER! SOMEONE GET HER!"

"VENGEANCE SHALL BE MINE!"

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"What? I've been here for a month! What happened?!" The blond boy screamed out at the old woman sitting on a stool in front of him.

"Shut up! God you're a noisy little brat!" The whiskered boy flinched as he continued to be examined by the medical advisor that lived in a tree. She checked his pupil dilation and muscle reflex as well as checking his vitals. She pulled off her stethoscope as told him to lower his new black top. "You seem to be fine."

"No thanks to you hitting me with that broom.

"Don't pee on my house next time you ignorant little punk." The boy jumped up and hid under the covers of the bed as his eyes were the only visible feature still open to be seen. She sighed and went back to mixing up new elements for her treatment. "All of your vitals check out and there doesn't seem to be any changes in your brain functions either."

Naruto looked over himself as he rotated his arm around its socket, wincing as some light aching pierced his muscles. "I still feel sore though?"

"That's because your body was very badly injured. It took a long time for your muscles and bones to set back in and fix properly, even with my help. Don't worry though, just give it some time and lay off any dangerous feats of stupidity and you should be right as rain." Naruto looked around the room as he sat on the bed with his feet crossed.

"Where am I anyway? And who are you Baa-chan?" Naruto panicked and dodged a thrown vile of some strange liquid as it crashed and corroded the wood behind her head.

"Don't you dare call me that you little brat! My name is Porlyusica and that is all you shall call me okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Porlyusica nodded at Naruto's salute as she settled down and sat back into her stool.

"You are in my house in the East Forest. I found you drifting down the river near Yarrow covered in wounds and brought you here. I've been taking care of you ever since to make sure you didn't take a turn for the worse." Okay, here goes nothing. "What were you doing there exactly?"

Naruto grumbled a little as he tried to think through the events that had lead him to this spot. "Well, I was on my way to Magnolia when I arrived at the city in ruin." He growled angrily as his teeth mashed and his hands grinned his pants tightly. "I saw all of those-those dead people and I couldn't control myself. I found those guys from that stupid guild and I tried to fight them but-" he looked at the palms of both of his hands, some evidence of scratches and small scars on them. He remembered the overwhelming number of mages and the immeasurable fear and power that old bastard exuded. "They were too strong."

The woman saw the pure anger and vulnerability evident in his mismatched eyes as he seemed to boil over in rage at being unable to defeat the immensely powerful dark guild. She could plainly see in his eyes that the reaction he was having was not faked or an overreaction. And she could tell...

This boy really wasn't a part of that guild.

"Then can I ask you another question?" Naruto looked up at her with an innocent look in his eyes as she turned around and looked at him. "Before the attack at Yarrow, there was a small town call Acacia that was destroyed by a squad from the guild Damnation. There was report of a boy with your features being spotted at the scene engaging them in a fight."

"Yeah. Those guys were going to kill a bunch of innocent people so I just got in their way. I'm not a part of that crappy guild if that's what you are asking." He rested his back on the smooth wood behind him as he felt surprisingly tired just from this conversation.

"So your not some mysterious creature who helps the bad guys get away with their deeds. You're just a nosy kid who puts himself into too much trouble because he can't help it."

"Pretty much." He actually laughed like a normal kid as he looked at the prosthetic arm on his body. "That's kind of what Bob-San and Rob-jichan told me when I got this thing." The elderly woman dropped the vile in her hand as she was shocked by his casual reminiscence. She walked over and grabbed his shoulders as she looked him in the eye.

"Did you say Rob? Do you know Rob? Where is he? Is he still alive?" She was shaking him fast enough for his face to blur as only separated syllables were reaching her ears.

"Yea...h he wa...s in the mounta...ins near Pegasus wi...th Bob-San! He gave me th...is prosthetic after I got hurt and I...haven't seen him since!" She stopped shaking him as his eyes were bouncing around in his sockets and he was finding it hard to see straight. Porlyusica sighed as she couldn't believe that old son of a bitch didn't tell them he was back. She grumbled and stomped her feet in anger. Naruto was actually trying to back away as he was getting more and more frightened of the old woman.

"Do you know Rob-jichan Obaa-ch-" *Glare*. "Um, Porlyusica-San?" Had to make sure he didn't piss her off more then he already did.

"Yes, we used to be friends together. He and I were part of the same group." She looked over to a photo on a stand by her workstation. She picked it up and had some fond memories play through as she fiddled with its side. She turned around and handed it to the boy who was watching her with expectation.

He took the photo and examined it carefully. In the corner was a writing of X736, representing that this was taken a very long time ago. He looked at all the people in the picture that were standing together like one big happy family. A man in a leather jacket giving the camera a thumbs up was the closest person in the picture. And behind him, a handsome man in a suit with silky black hair and a sensual smile. A shorter man with spiky blond hair and a very grumpy scowl on his face. Besides him was a large tower of a man and a younger man with only one eye open and a strange rectangle jaw. And finally, a woman standing with impeccable posture with long pink hair going down to her back. And behind him, the Fairy Tail building.

"Wow! You got really old, huh?" *Thwack* "Ow! Sorry!" He nursed the bump on his head as he looked back down at the photograph. "So wait? Where's Jii-chan?" She snarled at him before pointing at the huge man with the familiar shaped her and hair. Naruto gaped and laughed as loud as he could. He tried to calm himself before falling over the bed and holding his sides in pain at his pleasure. Prolyusica shook her head and returned to her stool in work as she picked up the pieces of broken glass.

"Hahaha, this is so cool! I get to meet another one of you guys!"

Porlyusica looked at him in question. "What do you mean?"

"Another one of you people who were in the past generation of Fairy Tail!" He smiled as widely as he could as he looked up at her in admiration. "All of you guys are so cool! It makes me want to join that guild more and more every time I meet one of you guys! Rob-jichan taught me all about magic and fighting! Bob-San started a whole new guild(granted they were all weird as fuck) that's famous all across the world! And you saved my life! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Porlyusica looked at him and his wide grin before she felt a tinge of nostalgia evident in his shit eating grin and his ecstatic attitude. She shook her head quickly as she tried to get the slight enjoyment from being praised for her skill out of her head. "Well that's nice. You really seem excited to be meeting some old coots from Fairy Tail, don't you?"

"Yeah, I've been wanting to join the guild since Rob-jichan told me stories about it all the time." He looked down at his feet as he smiled sadly at the few good times they had in that hell hole. Where there was a light that they could fight towards just outside the bars. And he wanted to get there with the girl that had given him that first bright light. But every time he came close to it, someone or something pushed him further back. He didn't even know if the red head was at the guild. Let alone alive. It was all just wishful thinking, hoping that the goal he wanted since he was a little kid could still be alive. But how he had seen the world so far didn't raise his hopes, and was only making it harder to see that goal. "I really wanted to be there with Erza...but...I guess we can't have everything we want in the end."

"Oh, so you do know that little red-headed girl? I was wondering if that was the case. I suppose I was right." Naruto listened to what she said and looked up to the cape clad back of the woman with partially widened eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean Obaa-chan?" She was about to turn around and smack him across the head for his continued insolence when she saw that there was a spark of confusion and hope laying dormant in his eyes. She turned back around so she could keep the air of indifference intact around her.

"I mean that you have the same eye color as that Erza girl that Makarov brought to see me last year. She was missing an eye so I decided to fix her up. By the way, you said you wanted to join Fairy Tail right?" She pointed over her shoulder at the closed door to her house. "If you follow the dirt path it will lead you straight to the entrance of Magnolia. And at the other end of the city is that guild you've been wanting to see all this time. Aren't you lucky?"

She sat their waiting for an answer from the boy, like a strange yelp or a thud from his body falling over from fainting. But she received no sound or thud like she had expected. In fact, it was completely silent except for the sound of the evening winds blowing through the leaves. She turned her stool around but was blinded by a flash of yellow and black.

"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You Obaa-chan! Thank You So Much! Ha! HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" He continued his spine crunching hug as the woman started turning purple and was flailing her arms as she gasped for air. He dropped her on the floor and started literally jumping off the walls like an excited child should be. Completely ignoring the aching in his muscles from the active action. "I Made It! I Made It! WooHooooooooooo!"

He jumped up off the bed so strongly that the springs actually creaked underneath his feet. He made a line for the door before he felt the woman grab the back of his shirt in an attempt to pull him back. Unfortunately, her being a woman with no magical capabilities and the boy being a super powered tank of stamina with a metal arm and one whole month of built up energy, was pulled through the door and dragged through the dirt until he realized that he was carrying some extra weight.

"Huh? Obaa-chan? What's wrong?" The panting, dirt covered old woman started crushing his head between her hands as his arms were flailing around in an effort to escape.

"What's wrong with you! How could you just dart off like that when I haven't even given you a check out diagnosis?"

"But I'm right here! I'm so close! Obaa-chan, let gooooooooo!" He was lifted up and put under her arm as she walked back to her tree house.

"Look, I'll fix up some food for you to eat before you go."

"But I'm not hungry-" an animalistic growl was rang through their ears as Naruto looked at his shivering stomach. "Ehehehehe. Okay. I guess I can eat before I leave."

Porlyusica shook her head in anger at the boy's lackadaisical care for his own condition. And how she was forced to take care of it. Stupid human brats.

########Hunter########

The blue sky was dyed the colors of spreading red and dazzling orange. The clouds had expanded and were covering the entire land in a beautiful mixture of blue and white. Even though it was close to night time, where people would head home and prepare for the next day, there were still so many people walking around and doing their business. Everybody had a smile plastered on their face and the streets were clear for dozens of people to walk by and still enough room for him to feel star-struck at the environment.

This city felt much larger then Viola did. And there were many more people who were using magic as a daily appliance then anyone at Hargeon. The young man in the long grey pants, black shoes and black short-sleeved shirt was astonished that this was the city that he had heard was the base of the guild. Random people, strangers, were waving at him and telling him to have a nice day. He felt overwhelmed with this new feeling of familiarity and could do nothing else but wave back excitedly.

Naruto felt a wave of anxiousness flow in his body and butterflies flying in his belly. Well not really flying. More like bouncing around at sonic speeds as they impacted into his stomach like a train. He was constantly chuckling as he was walking closer and closer into the center of the large town. He followed the the sparking river that was leading down the center of the town as he came up to a tall man that was closing up shop.

"Excuse me, sir?" The older gentleman looked behind him as down a the voice that garnered his attention. The boy in question came up to about his navel, with stunning blond hair and wide glowing eyes of cerulean blue and vibrant brown. He was dressed rather blandly, but had some kind of covering around his left arm as the metal went all the way up to where his sleeve ended. But the most eye-catching thing about him right now was that those strange marks on his face were scrunched up with the muscles tearing happy grin he was showing right now. "Can you tell me where I can find the Fairy Tail Guild?"

The older man smiled and pointed along the water bed behind the boy. "If you follow the water, you'll come across where the town starts to break into the north and south regions. Over on the north part of town, you'll see the guild on the outermost edge of the city. You can't miss it." Naruto followed the man's direction and nodded his head in thanks. He walked along the streets as he couldn't see over the large buildings surrounding him.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he decided on the faster approach to finding his target. He walked into an ally and sent some of his magic into the bottom of his feet. He jumped up and started to bounce off the walls of the surrounding buildings as he came closer to the roofs, remembering his tree jumping practices with Rob. He landed on top of one of them and looked out at the enormous town in front of him.

The city was illuminated with the vanishing light of the setting an. The entire town was bathed in a glow of red and orange. The massive lake behind the coast was almost completely still as it reflected the sky so well it looked like two suns were setting into each other. Naruto felt speechless as his breath was taken from the dazzling sight in front of him.

Naruto sat down on the edge of the building, looking out at the entire scenery in front of him. Directly in front of him the massive Cathedral overtook everything in detail and size, standing far above all the surrounding stores and houses. The joining rivers were all bleached red from the color of the sky as they all flowed into the lake. And at the farthest end of the city, sitting on the edge before coming to the coast, was a big orange building.

It had a large dome rounded off on its top. Three stories going down it until it reached the ground of the city. And even from here, he could see the three flags that were dangling from the top floor. With the insignia of a creature with wings and a long pointed tail coming out its back. There it was, Fairy Tail.

Naruto leaned back on his left arm and reached out with his right hand. The light beams from the sun were blocked out by his hand as he looked out of the clearer picture of Magnolia. He smiled contently as he pulled his hand back to his lap.

He looked down at his hand as he examined how it had changed over the years. He could remember what his hand was like when he first came to this world, stuck in that tower. It was much smaller and far more fragile then it was now. Now that he thought about it, his whole body had changed a lot since then.

He thought about how young and simple they were back then. Even in that horrible cell, him and all of his friends still tried to work together and see the best of the world out there. Telling each other about what they would do when they finally were free of that place while Rob-jichan chuckled from his place by the wall.

He felt a hint of nostalgia and regret as he couldn't be here with all of his friends. Memories of that last day played out in front of his eyes like they were happening once again. Their sorrow and tears. The pain and loneliness. Everything. And he didn't even know where they were.

But at least Erza was here. Porlyusica-baachan told him that she had joined the guild over a year ago. Around the time they had broken out of the tower. So she must have been happy with what she was doing now. Taking requests. Making friends. Exploring the world. And looking for her...

Parents.

And just like that, an ice cold weight dropped in his stomach so fast he almost felt like throwing up. He put his hands by his side and held onto the side of the building as he tried to keep himself steady. Like an anchor to this world that he couldn't walk away from.

This was it. This was the moment he had dreaded about for the last year. Where he had to tell his oldest friend the truth about her family.

When they were in the cell, she would talk to him and only him about this situation. Se didn't bring it up often. And each time was short and barely passed as a conversation. But when she talked about them, her eyes sparkled with a light that could have shined throughout the entire tower.

A hope that he could safely say he had never experienced in his whole life,

In that dark hell, that was the light in the tunnel that she just kept trying to claw her way through. Her motivation to keep standing up tall and fighting for her freedom. That was her hope. That was her light.

And he was about to crush it like an apple.

All he wanted to do was go to this guild and experience what it was like. To have a purpose and family to call his own. And when he was there, he would meet the girl who gave him this dream to fight for. And he was suppose to tell her her family, her real family, was gone?

He felt sick just thinking about it.

What would he do? Would he go there and just ignore the topic, hopping that it would never come up? Or would he lie to her and tell her to keep searching, keeping the truth from her so that she could keep hoping for a chance?

What did they say? Ignorance was bliss?

He looked down at his lap as he was coming close to a panic attack. Did he have a right to keep it from her? When she helped him realize and fight for a dream, that he would lie to her and tell her to keep moving forward on an endless path. It would hurt to lie to her face like that.

But he knew it would hurt even worse to see the devastation in her eye if he told her the truth.

*crack*

Naruto was brought out of his downward spiral of regret as he looked to his left. In all of the commotion in his head, he had started to grasp at the roof even tighter for support. And as a result, he had dug his fingers into the concrete like hot butter and pulled out a chunk of it absentmindedly. He squeezed and reduced the chunk to pebbles and dust. As he watched the particles of rock escape his hand with the wind, he looked at the part of him that had changed the most over his time in this world.

That which had changed the most. But was still the anchor to what he really was.

You're not even a whole human anymore, are you?

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he looked around him for the clear and booming voice in his ears. After a moment of searching, he realized where he had heard this voice and tone before. That Hades bastard. The fucker who was the whole reason he was like this now was ringing through his head. His taunting words and ample jabs at his humanity and control were echoing in his mind.

You can fight that impulse for as long as you want. Stray away from it. Ignore it. Imagine that it never existed in the first place. But one day, when the people you tried to help are dead at your feet and you are drenched in their blood...you'll snap. And you will kill everyone around you. Be they friend or foe. Most likely with that very hand.

Naruto growled in contempt as he remembered the man trying to question his morals and dreams. Testing him by saying that he was going to become a demon, something worse then even that creature he had summoned to attack him. And that he wouldn't even be able to control himself from taking the lives of everyone around him. It was just a matter of time.

Naruto mashed his teeth as his eyes flared with a deep seeded hatred and anger. That made him mad! Pissed him off to an unbelievable amount! That guy! That freak, was lecturing him on his uncontrollable attitude and use of power! While he was standing in a field of fire and blood that the man in question had caused!

He couldn't control him! He didn't understand his will and need to fight on! He knew that Hades was wrong! He just knew it! Naruto looked down at his clenched armored hand and saw several tiny scratches that laced the knuckles. His eyes widened before they became heavy and lidded in sadness.

Except, he wasn't.

As much as he wanted Hades to be wrong, he was right. Naruto couldn't control himself when he lost his temper and he was fueled by anger and hate. The end of that fight was more then enough evidence to support that claim.

That unbridled rage in the face of a monster like that man had clouded his mind. Like what had happened to him when he was under Kurama's influence, except it was just his feelings making him turn. His thoughts and actions were only concerned with killing the ancient man in the most painful and humiliating way. Even though he couldn't feel anything in his left hand, he still could still feel the sensation of breaking that man's face and body apart with his own hands. Covering him in blood and spit. Hearing his bones crunch, blood squelch and screams of pain and agony still ringing in his ears. All of that was still fresh in his mind, and he didn't even know if the man was still alive.

He wouldn't be able to control himself if he lost it again. So would he risk it? Risk putting Erza and everything she had started to love at risk just so he could experience a few moments of happiness?

Or...could he just run?

If he left, Erza would never know what happened to her parents. She would still search, having a long lasting hope fill her heart as she searched for her old family with the people she had come to recognize as her new one.

He could do what Kazuya and Erika had done with their lives. Travel around the country and help out those who really needed it. He wanted to teach those guys from Damnation the lesson he promised them. And he just knew that Grimoire Heart wouldn't be dead just yet. He could die, but it could be for a cause that was worth it.

In the blaze of the setting sun, Naruto turned over his shoulder and looked at the entrance to the city over the houses. And then back to Fairy Tail. A possible future home or the life of solitude he tried to abandon? Hurting his comrade or fighting against those who lived to hurt? The options were right there for him to take.

He just had to choose.

########Hunter########

"Natsu! Gray! Where are you? Come out now! I have to apologize!" The scarlet-haired girl cupped her mouth as she yelled out to find her little pseudo-brothers. After their little spar(read:her beating the snot out of them) she returned to the guild to take a breather. When she returned, Mirajane had came out and said for the whole guild to hear that she took it. Normally, Erza would have just been mad and argued with someone who did that to her. But since it was Mira, and she just pissed her off for some reason, they opted to take the physical option out.

Luckily for everyone present, Makarov had grabbed them mid-leap and lowered them back to the ground, telling them no fighting when they had a guest over. Said guest was a voluptuous blonde woman in a red and white bunny suit, looking nervously as Erza checked her form up and down, making sure to cover her right hand. It was strange to have this 'Bunny-chan' here for some reason, causing a party among the guild. Even stranger when all the men were jumping at the chance to accidentally rub up against her.

Men were very strange sometimes.

As Erza was making her rounds and was coming close to the guild again, she was reminded of the fighting between Natsu and Gray. Their constant rivalry in an unsuitable environment as they challenged each other to prove who was strongest. It was childish and moronic to see them like that.

Suddenly, she remembered the same sequence of events, except with different people and settings. An idiotic blond that kept boasting about his climb to unrivaled strength. And a proud bluenette that promised to teach him how real strength looked. When they were by themselves, or surrounded by the other kids in her family, they always fought with everything they had. With an even amount of wins, losses and ties for the both of them.

Each of those silly brawls would end with one of them standing over the other, the losers' eyes replaced by 'x' as they tried to lighten the mood of the cell. And each one of them was just a silent promise the two made to each other that they would have to grow strong and show everyone here that it was possible to escape this place. And the hope they unconsciously dug deep within all of their hearts.

For a moment, the pleasant memory was replaced with the last instant of those two looking at each other face-to-face.

One of them, crazed and tortured. Pushed off the brink of sanity as he had come to accept the ways the cult had strived for as the only means to change the world.

The other, angered and broken. His infinitely fueled rage pushing his beaten and bloody body as he tried to keep some semblance of both his conscience and what they had all been fighting for.

She shook her head as she tried to forget the pain she felt on that last day. The sight of one of her best friends promising to end her life if she ever tried to come and stop him. And her oldest friend sacrificing his safety just so she could come out breathing.

She tried to shake her head of all of those troubling thoughts. She hated seeing Gray and Natsu fight like that. Because it reminded her of what she couldn't do when those two were fighting each other. But she hated having to hurt them like that too, even if they seemed to eat her cake.

She wanted to apologize. But she just found it hard to do so. She always did.

"I can't do it!"

Erza looked over to a small tent right outside the guild hall. The exclamation had caught her off guard as she had thought that thing was empty. She shrugged her shoulders and started walking over to its open gap. As she came closer, she saw what looked to be a combination of a curvaceous woman and a white cat. A long tail swinging around as she saw some ears resting in her hair.

Well, whatever help she could find.

"Hey, cat lady over there."

########Hunter########

Naruto had lost track of time as he laid on his back with his hands behind his head. He was looking up at the cloudy blackening sky as his leg hung lazily from the side of the building. He couldn't make up his mind on what was the right decision to do.

His heart felt heavy with each and every possibility his mind could think up of when he thought about what to do. His heart felt heavy and his eyes were getting hard to keep open. Even at night, he could survive sleeping up on this roof.

He closed his eyes as he decided to forget about what he had to choose. When he woke up, the decision would come to him. He just wanted to make the painful feeling subside for a moment. Just a moment would do.

"Help!"

...

Ignore it. You have to think right now.

"Someone please help!"

It's alright. Someone will take care of it.

"The carriage has lost its driver! Someone stop it!"

Seriously! It doesn't concern you! Not your problem!

"There's a little girl inside! Someone help her!"

...

Sigh. Damn it.

Naruto opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. He looked over the edge of the building as he could see people moving out of the way of the carriage with no driver. Naruto kept his eyes firmly on its escaping form as he started to follow it as fast as he could.

He jumped from roof to roof, using his magic to make it easier to jump and land. When he was coming close to losing room to run over, he jumped off the building and landed with a ground-breaking thud.

The civilians jumped out of his way as Naruto rounded a corner and kept after the vehicle with all of his might. He looked surprised as when he was making the corner, a woman in a strange bunny outfit was chasing after the runaway carriage as well. She was just a few inches from grasping the metal bar to the carriage as she tried as hard as she could to save the girl inside.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled from behind her. "You should leave! I can handle this by myself!"

"So! I'm not just going to leave some little girl to get hurt!" The girl yelled over her shoulder as she couldn't see the boy directly behind her. "I have to help her anyway I can!" Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise at her noble effort as he smiled a little at her attempt to help.

"Well here! Let me help!" He ran forward and put his hands out to help throw her up on top of the carriage. In this case, the first thing he could grab to heft her up was her round and firm ass in those tights. Earning a surprised yelp from the blonde woman in front of him.

"Hey! What are you doing you little perv! Get your hands off of-huh?" She felt herself get lifted off her feet as the boy's pushed up on her butt. She squealed as the boy behind her hefted her above his head and pulled back. "Wa-wa-wait! Let's think this-Eyahhhhhhhh!"

Naruto threw the bunny girl up over the top of the carriage, hearing a grunt of pain as she made loud contact with the roof. Naruto followed after her and grasped the bar she was after earlier. He pulled himself up and jumped on the back of the carriage as he could see a terrified silhouette in the separated curtain.

"Hey! Are you alright?" He got the barely audible positive answer as he looked over to see the bunny girl land at the front of the carriage. She was making some annoyed sounds of effort as she tried to grab hold of the lashes around the horses' mouth. "What about you? Any luck?!"

The bunny girl heard the sound of the little pervert that was helping her in this effort as she failed to stop the horses. "No, we're going to fast! I can't grab it from here!" Naruto clicked his teeth as he tried to think of a way to help the woman with her job. He looked down at the speeding floor beneath him and got a stupid idea.

"Hold On!" Naruto jumped down and used his feet as a break to stop the acceleration of the carriage. Both girls squeaked when the vehicle suddenly slowed down as the boy used his magic to strengthen his feet and burrow into the concrete beneath him. He grit his teeth as to not let out the gathering noises of displeasure and pain escape from his mouth.

Bunny girl took this opportunity to reach out to the struggling horses' mouth and pulled the leashes out. The animals ran off as the older woman fell back on her butt. "I did it!"

Naruto gasped and jumped back up to the back of the carriage, hissing in pain at his bloody feet through his black shoes. He massaged his feet as the carriage rolled out of the town's limit and onto the rocky path. All three blondes on the carriage took some deep breathes as they felt their adrenaline lower. And then, all three of them started to laugh in joy at what they did.

"Um, hello? Onee-chan? Are you alright?" The soft and timid voice from inside the carriage asked the panting woman at the front of the the vehicle. She received a giggle in return as the woman regained all of her vigor. Naruto smiled as he jumped down from the perch and slowly limped over to the front of the cart.

"Of course I'm alright! I'm a wizard after all!" She smiled and leaned back casually as she remembered she had some help. "Hey, are you alright Perv-kun?" She heard some shuffling coming closer to her side.

"My name isn't Perv-kun, got it?" He walked out the side of the carriage and got a good look at the woman he had assisted in stopping the cart. She was younger then he thought, only a few years older then him. She had very long blond hair that had a pair of white bunny ears on top of them. She had very large breasts and a slim waist that formed nicely with the cosplay she was wearing. And on her hand was the symbol for Fairy Tail colored in pink. Naruto went wide eyed as he wanted to ask her a question.

"Oh really?" She started to turn heard head to look over at him. "And what exactly do I call yo- Naruuuooooooooooooooooooo!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs as she jumped back and seemed to make space between her and the younger blond boy. Said blond boy was covering his ears from the ear-piercing noise, joined by the little girl inside.

"Geez lady! Control your voice! Ow." He massaged his ears when he looked back up and had the woman almost an inch away from his face. He got a full look of her brown eyes and could see down the large cleavage of her dress, getting him to blush slightly at the sight. Just as he was about to say something, the woman grabbed his cheeks and started to pull on them.

"Wow. It really is you. Only one guy has got whiskers like this." She kept pulling his cheeks even farther as she seemed to ignore the sound of annoyed grumbling coming from the young man. This continued until Naruto had enough and swatted her hands away with his left one. "Itai!"

"Ah! Sorry Nee-chan! I just sorta reacted!" Even if she was causing him mild pain, he still felt bad for using this thing to hurt innocent people. The bunny rubbed her hands before looking at the metal arm in fascination. She grabbed it and started to inspect it from the fingers to the shoulder.

"Woah. I remember this thing. Been so long since you had it I completely forgot about it."

"Huh? What?" The woman seemed to bite her tongue as she jumped out of the carriage seat and onto the floor, mindlessly shooting out random words as she tried to string together a full sentence.

"Ahahaha! Never mind! You just remind me of someone I know! Forget I said anything! Oh, look at the time! I've got to go!" She turned around and ran as fast as she could as she yelled over her shoulder. "Perv-kun, take care of the girl for me, will ya? Okay! Bye!" Before Naruto could even respond, the girl had sped off as fast as she could out of his sight. He was left there in the road as he just looked at the carriage and shook his head.

It wasn't his problem anymore. It didn't concern him about what was happening.

"Hello? Onii-chan? Are you still there?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks as he felt a sudden need to help her rise up in him at the innocence of her question and voice. He grumbled to himself before walking back to the front of the carriage and started to push the cart with his own two hands. With some magic in his hands and ignoring the pain in his feet, he started to push the little carriage back to the city they came from. "Yeah." He replied. "I'm right here."

"Thank you Onii-chan." He kept pushing the cart at a very slow pace as he didn't want to frighten the little girl. "Huh? Are we moving?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'm doing it. I'm pushing this thing back towards the city."

"Wow. You're super strong, huh Onii-chan?" Naruto felt some of his pride swell up at the compliment from the little girl as he chuckled to himself.

"Well I do have my moments." He said with a well hidden smirk on his face. "So what are you doing out here, huh? Do you usually take doomed carriage rides by yourself?"

"N-no! I was with some of the servants my daddy assigned to watch over me." She said with a little hint of embarrassment in being accused of being stupid and dangerous. "They said they had to check that I was protected the whole time before I take my ride."

"Protected? Why would you have to be protected?"

"Be-because some bad men sent my daddy a letter saying they were going to hurt us for doing something bad to them. And I don't really know why" she sounded scared as her voice seemed to crack slightly. "But I'm not allowed to go anywhere until everyone makes sure that I'm safe."

"That sucks." He said lamely as he kept pushing the cart with very little interest in the conversation. "So why aren't you're mommy and daddy here with you now?"

He waited for a few seconds as there seemed to be a silent war waging in what the girl was going to say next. "My daddy always has work to do so I don't get to play with him very often. And my mommy..." She swallowed hard as she found it difficult to say the next few words. "My mommy died last year." Naruto stopped his pushing as he looked through the curtain in shock at the pain she had in saying that. He lowered his head as he felt ashamed for being so indifferent in their conversation.

"I-I'm sorry. That must have been horrible." He heard a few sniffles as the girl hummed in reply to his statement. As he kept pushing he decided to try and help her remember the good things about her loved one.

"What was she like?"

"Huh?"

"What was your mommy like? She must have been wonderful." The girl let out a few sniffles before she decided to comply.

"She-she was the kindest, most wonderful woman in the world. She was nice to all the people she met. And she always wanted to make sure that the people around her were happy before she worried about herself." The girl started to gain some mirth in her voice as she continued to describe her mother to the stranger outside. "She never got angry at me, even if I did something stupid. And she was the most beautiful lady in the entire world. Really Onii-chan! You wouldn't believe how pretty she was."

"Heh, I bet."

"And she was an amazing wizard too. She was the best Celestial Sprit Mage ever."

"Celestial Spirit?"

"Yeah! It's a magic that let's you summon spirits from another world! It's amazing!" Naruto was surprised at the revelation that there was a magic that let you summon living creatures like that. "You can summon people and animals! And they all have their own abilities and skills that make them amazing! Oh, and then there are the 12 Zodiac keys! Those let you summon the strongest spirits in the entire world!"

"Seriously? That's so cool!" Naruto actually felt himself getting excited at the explanation the little girl was giving him on her mother's magic.

"Yeah! And I have two of them." He smiled as he actually felt the pride and exuberant happiness flowing off her voice. "I've got Aquarius the Water Bearer and Cancer the Giant Crab. They are super strong...except-" he heard a shaking in the cart and a nervous tic in her voice. "A-A-Aquarius-San is kinda mean." Naruto nervously laughed at the girl's state of terror at the obvious hostility the supposed spirit showed to her.

"But they help me a lot." She said with renewed feelings of excitement. "And I'm learning how to use them better everyday! And someday, I'll be just a good as my mom-" Naruto heard the girl stop her exclamation as he figured that she couldn't continue saying what she was saying.

She was learning the same magic as her mother. Maybe because it was so easy since she had seen it before. Maybe because she was pushed into it. But probably because it helped remind her what her mother was like; so she would never forget.

"She's not really gone." The little girl inside stopped her quiet sniffling as she heard the older boy outside consoling her. "If you are learning her magic and wanting to become more like her, then you will never forget her. But if you just remember what she has done for you and what she was like, then she will never truly be gone. She's your mommy, she could never really leave you without making sure that you could live happily with the life you've got."

He smiled a little as he was entering the city limits from his efforts as he thought about how remembering Kakashi and Kurama helped him adjust to this world when he first arrived. Helping him remember that this was the new life they had given him, whether they knew it or not. Thats what Rob-jichan told him when he was feeling sad anout his friends' disappearance. The girl sniffled a little as she wiped away her tears.

"Did your parents tell you that Onii-chan?"

"Nope. I don't have any parents."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Don't know. I just sort of came into the world. Never bothered with the who or how."

"I-I'm sorry."

"That's okay. I don't really let it bother me." Naruto looked around and saw that the people that had once littered the had vanished and gone home. "I did have this guardian once. He was the first-um-'person' that I really ever knew. He sort of took care of me and taught me a bunch of stuff. And..." He looked down at his foreign arm and felt a tinge of sadness rise up. "And he's gone now."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. He died making sure that no one would be hurt again. And he made sure that I could live how I wanted to. And I've still got a piece of him with me wherever I go..." He smiled again and finished pushing the cart into the city. He breathed out and leaned on the side as he looked back up at the stars.

"Onii-chan? Are you a Mage?"

"Yeah."

"What do you do?"

"Well, I was kind of interested in this guild called Fairy Tail. And I really wanted to too, but... I kind of have to think it through now."

"Why?"

Naruto scratched his neck as he just nestled into the side of the carriage as a support for him. "If I join, I will have to tell my friend some really bad news. And I'm worried about what will happen to her when I do."

"Will it hurt?"

"...Yeah."

"Then you can be there for her right?" Naruto looked at the closed window where the little girl's shadow was still sitting down. "If you want to see your friend and she's going to be sad when you tell her the news, make sure you are there to help her. Tell her what you told me. And I bet she'll be happy that you are there. That's what I think."

Naruto contemplated what she had said and looked off in thought. It probably wasn't that simple to think about. And it definitely wasn't going to be that easy to just say it. But if this little girl could come up with a solution...what kind of man was he going to be if he couldn't.

"Lucy-samaaaaaaaaa!" Naruto looked up to the street as a group of men and women were running this way, crying their eyes out as they yelled. They all arrived in front of him, panting heavily as they all propped themselves up on their knees. The first person to notice his present was a short middle-aged maid with a pony-tail. She looked up at the blond boy casually standing in front of the carriage of her master's daughter. "Wh-who are you?"

"Could he be one of the Ronin?"

"Did he kidnap Lucy-ojousama?"

"Wh-what does he want?"

"Y-Young man-" the maid stepped forward, obviously terrified of the blond boy that looked at them like they weren't even a threat. "I-I don't know who you are...but" she got into a ridiculous fisticuffs stance and held her fists out as if inviting him to a spar. "If you really are taking Lucy-ojousama then you will have to take her over my dead body."

Naruto watched as all the other people there were standing in funny stances as well as he measured them all up. Despite not knowing who he was or what he could do, they still only thought about the little girl's safety over their own. He smiled as he lazily knocked on the carriage door.

In response the little girl opened the door and jumped down, looking at all of her servants/family that had come for her. Naruto finally saw the girl that he was exchanging words with for the last few minutes. She was shorter then him, by at least a few good inches. She was blond and had her hair in a sideways ponytail, wearing a little pink dress. She looked up to all the people in front of her. "Spetto-San?"

"Lucy-ojousama!"

"You're okay!"

"Thank god!"

All of the people started crowding her and hugging her, grateful that the girl was safe. The scolded her for her reckless actions and cried that she was still okay. Naruto smiled and decided that it was his time to leave the happy scene. He pushed off the cart and started walking in any direction he could.

"Onii-chan!"

Naruto turned around and received a fast blond blur into his chest as the little girl pulled him into the strongest hug her little arms could. He looked down to see the little girl looking up at him with a big warm smile across her face. "I know you'll make the right choice. I know you will. And when I grow up and become a great Mage" she closed her eyes and gave him the biggest grin she could make. "I'll come and visit you and then we can play with our magic. Okay?"

Naruto looked down at the girl in shock as he couldn't believe all the boundless faith this little girl put in him. Even though they only knew each other for a few minutes, she trusted him like she knew him her whole life. He returned the hug around her smaller form and smiled. "Yeah. It's a promise."

Lucy let go of the older boy's body and ran over to where her family's employees were all standing. She waved to the older boy as he walked off to wherever he was going. And when the servants asked her who the boy was, she stated with a big smile on her face. "He's my guardian angel."

########Hunter########

Naruto was aimlessly walking around the now empty town as his mind was drowning in everything he was thinking of and decisions to make.

The motivation he got from the little girl who put her faith in him. The depression he received from dark guild master who looked down on him. It was becoming too difficult to decide! Too difficult to think! Naruto grabbed his head as he tried to stop all the commotion and voices in his head. He needed help!

Someone! Help!

"Dammit! Where are those idiots!"

Naruto looked up at the source of the voice that shattered the disorder. It was a tall woman, with long red hair in a pony tail and white cat ears coming off her head. She was wearing a form-fitting white cat costume that showed off her figure that could match or even beat the bunny girl earlier. She had one of her hands on her hip while the other was gripping a withered old book tightly.

"If I don't find them fast, we'll be stuck here! And I am not going to be left here just because of those dumbasses!" The woman turn around slightly, showing off her left arm that had a blue fairy tattoo imbedded in the forearm. Naruto looked at her in surprise before steeling himself and running up to her.

"Hey lady!"

"Huh? What now-" the cat woman turned around and saw the boy with blond hair looking up at her. At a speed that made light look like a snail dissolving from being touched with salt, she dropped to her knees and covered her hair and eyes with the book and her paws. She was visibly shaking and seemed to sweat while the boy looked at her warily.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes! I-I'm just-um" the woman kept checking her surrounding as if she was trying to find something to garner her attention. "I was checking the condition of the street pavement!" She tapped her hand on the ground and got some solid thuds back. "Yep. Seems good."

Naruto looked at the woman like she was an anomaly as he shook his head as he had something to do. "Whatever. Listen, do you know a girl in your guild? Her name is Erza! Erza Scarlet!" He actually received a lucid nod from the spaced out woman who kept playing with the concrete.

"Is she happy?" The cat woman lifted her head as she was interested by the question he asked her. "I-I mean is she happy with what she has now? The people in the guild! Her new family! Does she seem happy?" Naruto waited apprehensively as the woman seemed to think through her answer.

"Yes. She is very happy." Naruto breathed out a long sigh of relief when the woman confirmed his ideas. At least he was right. She was happy and that was all that mattered. "Why?"

Naruto calmed down and looked down at his feet. "I wanted to know if she liked the new guild she joined. And I thought that you would know so-"

"Don't you want to see her?" Naruto looked at the kneeling woman with surprise.

"What?"

"Don't you want to see how happy she is? You're acting like an outsider. But all you really want to do is see her yourself, right?" Naruto stood there silently as he just looked at the open back of the woman before him. "So why don't you want to see her?" She waited anxiously for an answer from the boy behind her. The boy looked down as he tried to think of an answer for the woman. He didn't know what to say.

So he said what he was trying to hide.

"I'm scared because that girl is the first person that ever looked at me like a real human." He didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't try to lie to himself or the woman in front of him. He had no reason to anymore. "The first person who ever really saw my life with any value in it. She's my friend. My first friend. And she saved my life so many times that I can't live without knowing she was happy. That she could have everything she wanted would be something I would give my life for."

"And I know a truth that she deserves to know. But if I tell her, she could see me as a monster. The messenger that tells her the truth that will break her heart. And I don't want to lose her like that." It was a selfish reason, but he can't deny it. If she would look at him as just a friend, that would make him happy. So if he risked losing that friend, he didn't want to take that chance. He hated himself for that. But he couldn't fight the fear of seeing the rejection in her eyes when she would look at him.

"And I won't be able to control myself." He looked down at his hands as they were illuminated in the partially cloudy sky. "I can fight this feeling now. And I can keep trying to reject it for the rest of my life. But if Erza hurt me, or if I hurt Erza. I would lose it. I would lose everything my friends have sacrificed to get me here today. Even what she has given me." He raised his hand and lightly touched the space underneath his right eye. "I can't give up what so many people have suffered to give me. I cant risk that. Not even if it made me happy."

"So just knowing she is happy. That's enough for me."

The two of them stayed there in a mutual silence. Naruto looking at the woman as she continued to kneel in the opposite direction. She seemed to lower her head and let out a heavy sigh. "So it was always this deeply rooted. That's bad." She stood up and dusted her knees.

"Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"I said close your eyes right now." Naruto was wary before complying and covering his eyes with his hands. Immediately, he felt an immensely fast, heavy, somewhat soft yet hard fist impact on the back of his head. He groaned and covered the area he was knocked on with his hands. "Cover your eyes!"

He brought them back to his face as he was alarmed by the ferocity in the woman's voice. As all he could see was darkness, he felt the woman's paw covered hands grasp his shirt and pull him up to her face. "What is wrong with you?! How could you think that she would be happy if she knew that you were suffering like this?! Does your happiness not matter to you?! Well?!"

"U-um-"

"That's all you have to say?! You don't even know what you want so how can you think about what that little girl wants?!" The boy was stammering as he tried to think of a defense against the older woman's offense. "So let me tell you what I know about that little girl."

"Even though she is happy with the new life she has found, she can't stop regretting leaving her old family. Imagining what she could have done to help them. Trying to stop crying every night because she was all alone again and she couldn't protect the people she promised to be with. That was what she was going through!"

"And then she learned that there was a chance that one of the friends she thought she had lost forever was still alive. And she felt a whole new ray of hope present herself. She prayed for their safety! That they could be free and see this new world for themselves, she prayed that they would be safe! That's what she did!"

"So now, one of her friends is finally here and is thinking he should just leave without even letting her know he is okay! You think that's a good idea?!"

"N-no ma'am!"

"Damn straight no! Even if this news is bad; even if this news would devastate her, you think she doesn't have a right to know?! If you think it will hurt her, be there for her! Comfort her! Consolidate her! Be the fucking friend you say you are and help her though it!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"And this feeling that you're going to hurt people? This past you are running from?" The woman actually lowered her voice and the boy back to arch of his feet as the boy was surprised with the sudden loss of hostility. "It's natural to be scared of hurting people. When you start to become stronger, you always have to worry about if this new strength will help or hurt the people you meet. But the difference is if you face that fear and use that power to make you strong. Or you run away from it an kill anyone who crosses your way."

"Don't let it control you. Don't ever lose to it. You won't just be hurting yourself if you lost. The people who care about you; your friends and family will be heart broken if they see you suffer like this."

Naruto felt the woman let go of his shirt and he could feel her coming to eye level with him, somehow feeling the warmth and security her presence was radiating strengthen his resolve. "So now you have to choose. Run or face it? No one will think any less of you for your choice. If you want to see that girl, go one mile west of the guild and you will find a building she is staying at. If you want to let her stay like she is, then you can leave the town and build a life you can be proud of. But..."

Naruto felt the sides of his face being held by the fuzzy fur of the woman's paw covered hands. He then felt a soft and warm sensation place itself on his forehead. A kiss of good luck from the woman in the cat outfit as she tried to reaffirm his courage and effort. "I know that you will make the right choice. You always make the right choice. It's you, after all."

Naruto felt a strange warmth grow in his chest as the grasp around his face disappeared. After a moment, Naruto lowered his hands and saw the woman had disappeared. He stood there silently before slowly touching the place the woman had kissed on his forehead. A small pink hue growing on his features.

He lowered his hands as stood there while the breeze of the night blew the clouds closer to the moon. Naruto looked there direction of the guild he had be watching for some time now. And he felt a strong fire burn in his eyes.

As he steeled his will and choice.

########Hunter########

Erza sat in her bed with as she read the novel that Levy had loaned to her so she had something to do when she couldn't sleep. She looked to the little clock on her nightstand and saw that it was well past midnight and she was still up.

She couldn't sleep. She just didn't feel like it. And it wasn't the fault of the romance book she was reading (just general fluff and love, you pervs!). She just wasn't sleepy right now. And more often the not, she would have another one of those dreams. Of the two people who felt so natural but never knew their faces. All of the commotion and shenanigans that had happened today should have tired her out, but didn't.

Fighting Natsu and Gray. Beating Natsu and Gray. Threatening that bitch Mirajane. Looking all over the town for those idiot boy's. And even being lectured by that cat lady was taking its toll.

Erza placed her book on the table and opened the curtains to her window. She looked up at the dazzling moon as it floated like a beautiful jewel resting in a dark lake. She sat there mesmerized by its sight as the shape of the rock illuminated her eyes. She remembered the only other time she had seen the moon so clearly as the transition of her life. The break off of her past, and the beginning of her future. The clouds covered the light of the moon as she sighed and looked down to the ground beneath her.

Her eyes widened when she saw a figure standing outside their dorm, masked by the shadow of the clouds. She couldn't recognize the form or person outside as they just stared at the dorm with no action. Pervert? Molester? Was he going to raid the dorm?

She was about to alarm the entire dorm as she ran outside to-

No. No, she didn't have to. Hilda-obaachan would have taken care of it herself. And now, she had to take responsibility for everyone's safety. It was her job to do it!

She ran down the stairs to avoid alarming everyone as a light covered her body. From the top of the stairs to the bottom, she had changed from her pajamas to her regular fighting armor, her long red hair still flowing behind her. Erza stormed outside and ran around the building, seeing the man standing on the cliff even through the blinding darkness.

Erza wasted no time as she Requip a sword to her hands and dashed towards the figure. The shadow saw her coming towards him as he seemed to use his hand to deflect her sword. Erza was surprised by the powerful counter before regaining her stance and slashing her blade against the man's arm. They exchanged blows several times before they pushed off each other and stood a large distance away.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just came to see someone."

"I don't care! There are no interlopers like you allowed in this place! I have sworn to keep everyone here safe! So leave now!"

"Look miss demanding, I just need to go in there for a minute!"

"No exceptions!" The clouds started to move as the light returned to the cliff around them. "I have to stop people like you or else...we...would..."

And just like that, both of their hostility had vanished. The moonlight illuminated the once black area and they stared at each other, completely frozen in shock.

She had gotten taller. She no longer wore the rags and tethered cloth from the cell days that she was forced to. Now, she wore armor around her small chest, accompanied by a white low-bearing skirt and brown boots. She had grown her hair out much longer, the scarlet follicles now reaching all the way to the small of her back. And something had changed with her face. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

He had grown older. His once childish face had grown slightly leaner and seemed to have seen a lot in his time gone. His eyes still carried her gift to him and the whiskers she had come to know after so many years together. His clothes were nothing to that appeared to be bought or sold for much, just hand me downs that he had received from some. His feet were slightly bruised and bare. His arm had bandages further up his shoulder. But there seemed to be a strange change in his left arm, it was shining in the light of the moon.

They stared at each other as they couldn't believe what was happening. Like it was a dream or illusion they were suddenly thrown into. But they didn't know of care. Just looking out in front of them.

"N...Naruto?" A pool of tears was building up in her left eye.

"E-Erza?" His eyes were widened beyond shock.

"Naruto." The tears fell as she grew a shaky smile.

"Erza." His voice seemed to break as a faint laugh came out of his lips.

She dropped her sword and took a step forward. He followed her move. They took several clunky and uneven movements before sprinting right at each other. They both smiled as they came closer and closer.

She raised her hand. Brought it down on his cheek. Knocked him down. Jumped on him. Grabbed his collar.

"YOU ARE REAL! WHERE WERE YOU? I'VE BEEN WORRIED FOR A YEAR IF YOU WERE EVEN STILL ALIVE! PARKER-SAN TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE ALIVE BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM! AND NOW YOU'RE HERE STALKING THE GIRLS!"

Naruto just laid there stunned as the girl seemed to be yelling at him. Smacking him across the cheek with no warning and reprimanding him for his actions. Yeah, it was definitely Erza. She would do this to him and Jellal every time they started fighting for no reason. In fact, if they counted how many times she beat them up after their fights, she held the championship.

He smiled as she yelled at him before he heard her go silent. He then felt a small drop of water fall on his right cheek as he opened his eyes to look up at her. Her shoulders were shaking as she was sniffling, tears pouring down the left side of her face and onto the boy beneath her.

"*sniff**sniff* I-I-I thought you were gone." She was crying full out as Naruto looked up at her in worry. "I thought you had died. And I didn't even get to see you." She wiped the tears from her eye as she tried to steel herself but fail. "I...I..."

Erza was stopped as she felt the boy's arms wrap around her and hold her as tightly as he could. Her eyes widened in surprise as he nuzzled into her as much as he could, savoring her feeling after so long. "I missed you. I've missed you so much. And..." A tear ran down each of his eyes as he smiled as wide as he could in the hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Erza's eyes softened and she snaked her arms underneath his and returned the hug. They held each other as long as they could as they revived the warm and easy feeling they had when they encouraged each other in the tower when they were too scared. Erza let some of her sniffles run out and Naruto let tears run down as they both stayed silent in the embrace.

After what could have been hours, they released each other and laughed a little. Both wiping their eyes free of tears as they both giggled at each others' face. "Y-you grew your hair out." He ran his hands through her long red hair as she laughed a little at his interest in it. "I think it looks really nice."

"Thank you." She looked down at his bandage covered arm and grabbed at it, looking the boy over as she tried to find the cause of the wounds. "You got hurt didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Did you get into a fight?"

"Yep."

Erza shook her head in disappointment as she palmed her face. She then looked back up at him. "Did you win?"

"It would be safer to say I got a draw." If beating the shit out of a monster powered human so badly that he was reduced to blowing you and himself up for breathing space, then yeah. Draw. Naruto laughed lightly as the girl was about to reprimand him for his reckless actions.

Naruto then noticed the change on the features of her face and grabbed it in between his hands. "What happened to your eye?" He was looking at her new right blue eye in shock as he remembered that when he last saw her, she had given him the feature so that he would survive? Naruto was holding her face so close that a small pink hue built up on her face.

"U-um, Master said that it ruined my face to be missing my eye like that so..." She grasped his hands and lowered them down, intertwining them in hers. "Porlyusica-San gave me a replacement one." She said nervously as she looked down, avoiding his surprised face.

"B-but why is it blue? If it's blue then it'll look like-" Naruto stopped as he left the statement hang in the air and touched the space around his eye.

"I chose it like that because..." She looked up at him and gave him a kind smile that showed how glad she was that he was back. "I wanted to have something to remind me of you. So that I'll never forget." Naruto felt a blush creep up on his face at her honest words as he couldn't look her in the eyes.

Suddenly, she firmly grasped the elephant on the cliff and waved his arm in front of his eyes. "What is this?" She pulled up the short sleeve of his shirt and saw the strange metal form around his socket in a jagged and uneven manner. "Why is it around your arm? What happened?"

Naruto just laughed and scratched his head. "Where do I begin?"

########Hunter########

"Rob-ojisan taught you all of that? Really?"

"Yep!" Naruto laughed as he balanced himself on the bank of the river moving through the center of the street. Walking besides him was his oldest friend as they talked about everything they had done over the last year and a half. Nothing was spared. And even after three hours of wandering around town and conversing about what they've done, they were still excited to tell each other the smallest detail. "We should go and visit him up in the mountains. We can pass through Pegasus too if you want. Fair warning: they're weird."

"He survived." Erza smiled but only showed a fraction of her relief and happiness to know that the old man was still alive. "That's good. I'm a little ticked off that he didn't come to see me." She pouted in the opposite direction as they continued their little stroll.

"So Fairy Tail! All that stuff you told me sounds so cool." He turned around and started to walk backwards on the stone bump. "These Natsu and Gray kids sound like fun." Erza shook her head with a smile as she just knew that he would connect with the boys. "A-And this Mirajane girl? Are you sure that she is a ruined prostitute that's our age?"

"Yeah. The biggest whore in the whole damn town. Make sure you don't come into contact with her. Or else you will get sick. Got it?!" Naruto buckled under the force and anger floating in the girl's voice. She readjusted herself and lost her angry tone. "So does it hurt?"

"Nah! I got used to it now." He jumped down and threw a flurry of swift and powerful jabs with his left hand. "It's actually pretty cool once you get the hang of it."

"If you say so." They were walking alone in the empty town as all the other residents were sleeping in their homes. She had noticed that they had almost come full circle around the massive town as they were lost in the conversation. Their adventures. Their experiences. Erza telling him that Parker-San was still fine. Rob-jichan's house and the training he delivered. They didn't talk about the tower though. They could just tell that they didn't receive any word from their friends.

"Hey Erza? What kind of magic do you use?" They arrived in the park at the edge of town as they decided to take a rest from their walk to the tree. "It must be something cool, right?"

"Well I don't really know about that. I would say that my magic is at least average. But if you insist..." Erza walked out into the middle of the park, in front of her old friend. She stood there for several moments before her whole body was covered in a bright light. Naruto gaped at her before her armor and clothes completely disappeared from her body and left her naked for a single moment.

Then, her body was covered by a new set of armor that changed how she looked. A pair of wings were attached to a black breastplate and large shoulder pads with jet black gauntlets. She stood proudly as she showed off her newest armor to her old friend. "I can Requip my armor into any other pair I have in my space. And this is my Black Wing Armor. What do you think Naruto?"

Naruto's face was frozen in shock with a small blush and his mouth hanging open. "Wh-why were you naked?"

Erza blinked as she wasn't expecting that to be the statement he asks. "Well I have to change to get into this armor. And it's much simpler then actually taking off my clothes in battle." She smiled and looked towards him in excitement. "Want to see another pair?"

"N-no! Tha-that's alright. I'll take your word for it."

Erza shrugged and changed into her base armor, making Naruto look away to keep a false sense of dignity for the girl. As the regular breastplate and white skirt returned, she looked at Naruto with a smirk. "Sooo, what magic did you learn?" Naruto ditched all forms of his previous wariness as he smirked at the girl.

"Check this out." He picked up a small pebble resting by his hand and covered it in his magic. He tossed it around before flicking his wrist and aimed the small rock at the girl.

She raised an eyebrow as she watched the rock sail towards her. She lazily lifted her hand and smacked the stone out of her way. She looked back and was surprised to see another rock sail in the path of the last one. She leaned out of the way and watched the rock bounce of the ground. It laid there before glowing and dispersing into magic dust, much to the shock of the young Fairy Tail Mage.

"That's how my Copy works. I use my magic to cover what I want. Then my magic makes a permanent imprint of its form and I can remake it whenever I want." He then held out his hand and another rock reappeared in his hand. He made a big grin as Erza was impressed with this new form of magical ability. "But that's not all."

Naruto then stood in front of the huge tree in the middle of the park and covered his body in a different style to his previous one, Erza watched as he released a fair amount of his magical power before it started to compress and become a visible light on his form. It wall traveled down his arm and into his right fist as it made a shimmering ball of light around it. He stood proud, with a smile, and threw the punch aimed at the tree.

The ball of light flew off his hand and sailed towards the bark of the tree. It impacted against the tree and caused some splinters of the huge and sturdy wood to peel off. Erza was surprised by the display of his other power and clapped at his effort. Naruto stood there before deflating and hanging his head.

"I really wanted that to do more damage." He regained his cheerful attitude and looked at Erza. "And that is the Armor of the Knight. I can amplify my power and abilities with a layer of magic. It is so cool." Naruto started playing with the magical armaments ability with his hands. "Rob-jichan tells me it makes me about 2 to 3 times stronger with a full layer. But if I concentrate on just one part" sending some magic to his forearm " I can make my attacks 4 to 6 times stronger."

Erza looked at him in awe as she had no idea he had assess to such innovative forms of magic. So simple yet surprisingly complex. "And..." A familiar light shined in his hand before two bat like weapons appeared in his hands. "I know Requip too. Just some weapons I copied but still..."

"Naruto that's amazing!" Naruto laughed as he scratched the back of his head in pride and embarrassment at being praised by the armored girl. "I had no idea that Rob-ojisan knew all of these magical styles. I should go and ask him to train me as well." Erza considered the idea before looking up at Naruto for his view. And then saw something.

Naruto eyes had seemed frozen, like he had just realized some horrible news. He lowered his head like he was experiencing fear and shame and every emotion in between. She saw the exuberant happiness he was emitting fall and be surrounded in something else. "Naruto? Naruto what's wrong?"

"I-I..." He fought with himself as he tried to find the right words to say to the girl. He lowered his head and his mouth was moving but no sounds were coming out. He shut his mouth and bit down as hard as he could, regretting what he was thinking of saying. But then, he melancholy seemed to subside and was replaced by just shame and sadness. "I didn't learn from Jii-chan... I... I learned from other people. Their... Their names were Kazuya and Erika."

"Really?"

"Yeah... They were really strong... And they were cool too. And they cared about each other a lot. And they loved each other... And..." Erza realized that his words were in the past tense. Like they were no longer with them. She reached out and tried to comfort him.

"Naruto. It's alright. You don't have to-"

"And they were gone." Naruto lifted his head and looked at her with eyes full of pain. "They were gone for so long when I found them in the tower." Erza watched as he was trying to strengthen his words and tell her something. Something he had to say now. "They were gone before they ever got to say goodbye."

"Naruto...what are you talking about?"

Naruto summoned a pair of strangely wrapped bloody bundles that rested in his arms as he gripped them like a support. "These...these belonged to them." He pulled back a corner of the wrapping and showed the pristine grips and exquisite metal of the two swords. "The Excalibur and Kusanagi blades. These were their prized possessions. And they wanted for their family to keep it with them. Their daughter." He looked up at her as she just looked at his with hope and disbelief.

"Their child Erza."

Erza stared at him as he extended his hands out and placed the graceful swords into her hands. She grabbed the blades and looked at them in her shaky hands, piecing everything he said together. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"Erika Sōko and Kazuya Sakumina. I found them in the catacombs of the Tower of Heaven. They were holding onto these as the last of their belongings that they stole back from the cult. A-And on them" he summoned a small, worn out brown leather book into his hand. "I found this book. That told me about them and their magic...and..."

"And their daughter. You. Erza." Erza looked scared as the realization fully dawned on her. "They were your parents. And they were killed for trying to destroy the tower and get everyone out." He looked up at her as he was being hit by a wave of sorrow at having to tell her this. "I'm sorry Erza. I'm so sorry."

Erza was looking at the swords with empty eyes as her shoulders were shaking and her left eye was tearing up. "Th-they're gone? Th-they're already gone?" Even though she didn't know them, this hurt her unlike anything she had felt before. An overwhelming pain and sadness gripped her heart like how she gripped the swords in her arms. Like her only lifeline to the family she never got to meet.

"Erza..."

"I-I wanted to meet them..." A tear dropped from her eye and fell on her swords. "I wanted to meet them and ask them why we weren't together. M-maybe there was a reason I was taken. O-or maybe they forgot me or left me to save themselves. It hurt...it hurt thinking like that. A-and I didn't forget the idea that they could-the-they could be..."

She clutched them even tighter. Tears falling from her eye like a stream. Naruto just watching as he felt his heart sink and break. Watching her experience this pain.

"I'll never even get to ask them. If they really loved me. I'll-"

"OF COURSE THEY DID!" Naruto grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with renewed fire, even as some tears clouded his eyes. "I read it Erza! I read what they thought and what they did! What they experienced and what they felt being with you! THEY LOVED YOU! THEY LOVED YOU MORE THEN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD!"

"You were their new beginning to happiness! You were their end to past pain! You were the light that helped them see that they could do great things in the dark world! And you were their last thought! All they wanted was for you to be happy! All they wanted was for you to be free! Just so you could have a life you could enjoy!" Erza looked up at him in shock, as the tears still leaked from her eye. "Whatever you do! Whatever you did! They were happy! They were proud of you!"

He embraced her as tightly as he could as he tried to convey their feelings though his touch. "They wanted you to live a life you could be proud of! And where you could be proud of them! So don't second guess yourself!"

"THEY LOVED YOU ERZA! THEY LOVED THEIR DAUGHTER THE MOST!"

Erza's eyes widened as his proclamation rang out through the cool morning air. Her eyes grew heavy as they started to tear again as she leaned into his embrace even more. The same warmth she had when she was held by her family in the tower. When she was terrified and couldn't go on to the next day. It was like the warmth she had experienced in her dreams.

The warmth of her parents' love.

She dropped the swords and held Naruto back, crying into his shoulder as she let out all her regret and pain. She screamed into the night as it was just her and her friend, lamenting over the fact she couldn't see her parents.

But moving into the future where she lived her life like they wanted. As she wanted.

########Hunter########

Makarov Dreyar yawned into his wizened hand as he slumped his way to the guild on his stubby little legs. He had stayed up pretty late last night taking care of Natsu. After he found a strange old book lying on the river bank, he then found the young pink Dragon-Slayer running around the outskirts of town. Screaming something about demons as he held onto an injury on his neck.

When the wizard saint tried to inquire about how he got the scar, the boy just panicked and fell into the fetal position. It took him at least two hours to calm the child back down and get him back home. And after finally getting him to sleep, Makarov only got a few hours of sleep himself. And man was he tired!

So now all he could do was open up the guild early and try to get a nap while he still could.

As the small man rounded the corner to the guild, he came upon an unusual sight. Standing in front of the guild doors was the resident armor girl, looking up at them with a slight smile. And he could make out a second figure standing by her side, obscured by the girl's placement but able to see a tuft of yellow hair.

"Yo, Erza!" The girl looked to her side to see her Master with his staff in hand and a casual wave on his silly face. She ran over to meet him. He looked up and was surprised at what he saw. "What happened?"

Her left eye was red, raw from crying for possibly hours. But even then she had a small, content smile on her face as she looked towards her old mentor. "Oh. It was nothing master. I just had some time to think things over." She sniffed her nose one last time before wiping her eye free of any stray water. "Master. I'd like you to meet my friend."

She turned around and showed off the person who was standing besides her. A boy with sunshine blond hair and whisker marks. With two different colored eyes and a prosthetic limb. The same boy he had been keeping watch over for the last month. Strangely enough, his eyes were also red from crying.

The boy smiled as he walked over to the short man. "So this is Makky huh? Rob-jichan was right. He is short."

The old geezer got mad and blew some steam from his ears. "What has that guy been saying about me?!" Naruto and Erza laughed as the old master played the field with his comedy routine. He could see in their expressions that there was no heated past or malice between them. No boy held no ill will to her or him, and appeared to be happy just standing next to her. He regained his composure and coughed into his hand.

"So young man. What can I do for you?"

########Hunter########

Naruto sat on the stool at the bar counter with Erza to his right and Makarov sitting in front of him. He had explained to the old man everything that he believed he should know. Robb's current status. His real origin. His past with Erza. And why he was here. And after the last hour of conversing, Makarov smiled at the boy with some pride.

"Well, you are something else aren't you my boy? Made of some sturdy material for someone your age. No wonder you're friends with Erza, huh? Ahaha!" He patted his back as the boy chuckled and the girl sighed. "Well Naruto, if you really want to join my guild, I would be honored if you did." Naruto looked at him with the widest, joyful gleam in his eyes he could muster from not sleeping all night.

"Really Jiji?"

"Really." The old man leaned over the counter and pulled out a stamp from underneath the top. "Any family of hers is a family of ours. And we would love to have you here with us. What do you say?" Naruto grinned and nodded his head like a mad man.

"Alright! Now all I have to do is give you your tattoo and your in."

"That's all? Wow. I-I thought there was like some great unfathomable initiation you have to go through to join?"

"There used to be. But one of our old guys sort of broke the town doing it so now we just stamp ya and boom. Instant member. Now, where do you want it?"

"Huh? I choose it?"

"Yeah. You can choose anywhere on your body and we will stamp you there." Naruto thought it over and was quite intrigued with the possibilities.

"Has anyone ever done their butt?" Erza smacked him across the head as Makarov just bellowed a laugh at his question. "Ow! Just asking." He nursed the sore spot on his head as he looked over at the pouting girl as she looked in the opposite direction. He then looked down at her arm and saw a dark blue Fairy tattoo on her left bicep. Naruto looked down at his right and smiled.

"Jiji!" The old man stopped his laughing as he saw the boy pointing to the spot on his right arm. Makarov looked between where the boy pointed and where the girl besides him had hers done.

The old man smiled lecherously and giggled like and old pervert as he looked at the younger boy. "My my. Making a proclamation at your age? Aren't we bold?"

"It-it's not like that!"

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Naruto gave a pointed glare at the old man as he slapped his knee and laughed. He then stood up and walked over to the boy's arm. He pressed the stamp against his bicep and pushed down, a small light shining from underneath as he did so.

When he pulled off, a black Fairy tattoo was imbedded into his right bicep. Naruto gawked at the sight as he couldn't voice his incomparable joy. Erza smiled happily as Makarov grinned at the boy as a smile grew on his face.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

Naruto smiled as he just continued to admire the new addition on his arm. Looking at it from different angles. Erza smiled and stood up from her seat on the stool. "Come on Naruto. I'll show you around the guild before-"

"SUP BITCH!" Erza got a kick to the back of the head as she was sent over the bar and into the bottles of alcohol on the counter. Naruto looked in shock at what had just happened to his best friend as he turned around and looked at the perpetrator.

The girl in question was about his age, maybe a few months younger. She wore a strange gothic like style that didn't leave much to the imagination. She had beautiful, silky white hair and shiny blue eyes. The girl had some nail polish on her fingers and an evil sneer on her face. "That's for not taking my challenge yesterday you skank!"

"N-Nee-chan! What did you do?"

"Mira-Nee! I told you not to go instigating fights with Erza!"

"What? She started it." She dug her finger into her ear as she just smirked and laughed. She then noticed the looks from a new person at the bar counter that just looked at her like she was some different force of nature. She glared at him before walking over to him and putting her face close to his, looking directly into his eyes. "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Naruto. I'm new." He pointed to the newly placed tattoo on his arm.

"Hmmmm?" Mirajane leaned forward even more as she was inspecting his whole body from his spot. He had the same kind of eyes as that damn Erza. And he had something weird going on with his arm. But those whisker things on his face were actually kind of cute. And he wasn't that bad to look at. As a small blush centered on Naruto face from her proximity, she leaned back and crossed her arms, nodding her head.

"Okay. You look stupid but you've got a nice face. You can be a part of by harem when I grow up!"

"Wh-what?"

"MIRA!" The white haired girl turned around and was punched in the face, sending her flying and into the table of several other arriving guild mates. Erza landed on her feet, her eyes blackened out as she was panting from a rush of blood. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!" She lunged forward and attacked the girl on the ground.

"Erza's fighting Mira again!"

"Same old. Same old huh?"

"I wanna join!"

"No Natsu! Bad! Bad!"

Makarov felt a bead of sweat run down his neck as he watched his guild descend into another wave of destruction. And it wasn't even 10:00! As everyone started to fight, he looked over to his newest family member, expecting him to be frightened by the reckless attitude they were showing off to him.

Instead, he saw Naruto watch the entire bar with eyes full of wonder. He watched as they all punched each other. Called each other names and insulted them. But he felt no malice in their words or actions. Even Erza and Mira's fight held no real hatred and harm to each other.

A smile grew on Naruto's face as he watched the whole bar turn into a battle royale. Makarov smiled and nudged the boy's shoulder. "What do you think?" He waited for a moment to hear the boy's answer. Before he turned around with a full faced grin, showing off all of his teeth as he couldn't control his happiness.

"I'm home."

########Hunter########

Done. Shit that was long. And late. Sorry about that. Can't change it so I won't make excuses. OVA 3

Anyway, we're here. Finally. Home to Fairy Tail. So since some people asked this, I'll try to clear up this misunderstanding. Naruto is about six months older then Erza. Which is why I made her birthday 4/10, while Naruto's is 10/10. As such, the ages are

13-Naruto, Erza, Mira; 12- Natsu(?), Gray, Elfman; 11- Lisanna, Levy, Lucy

Also since you guys seem like experts, I have some questions for you.

1. Current chapters Gildarts, Luxus and Jura. Do you think they come close to the power of the Kages, like Tsunade and A?

And 2. How many bowls of ramen can Naruto eat realistically? I don't mean like those its his favorite so he can eat forever and ever. I mean I've seen him eat several bowls in the anime and I know he can eat a lot. But how much can he stomach before his gut can't take much more and he has to throw up?

Just asking

ReadxReview

Thanks and Goodbye