Into the Past: To Become a Maharathi Part One
Link, now fourteen years old and a highly respected mage, stood in front of the stairs that led up to the second floor of the Guild House; Gilded Sword and Hylian Shield resting comfortably on his back "Come on, Link, why the delay?" A young Natsu suddenly asked as he came up beside him. "You did it, you're an S-Class!" He said with a laugh as he clapped his shoulder and Link offered a nervous grin in reply before they both heard Macao's laughter.
"He's probably remembering what happened to him the first few times he tried to sneak upstairs when he got here." Macao said and Link's ears drooped slightly at that while Natsu looked at Macao curiously. "Let's just Master is very adamant about only S-Class mages going up there." He said with a chuckle and Link nodded his head rapidly in agreement. "But there's no problem now, Link, so get up there and get your first S-Class job." Macao ordered with a jerk of his head and a friendly grin.
Link hesitated for another second before he nodded his head then gave Natsu a small grin. With that, he swiftly went up the stairs and looked around the mostly bare balcony before going to the Job Board. Once he walked up to it, he closed his eyes and was quickly surrounded by a green aura. The aura remained for several seconds before it traveled up his body as he thrust both arms into the air; within a few seconds it became a green orb that floated next to the board before fading from view. Once that was done, he returned his attention to the jobs and slowly scanned them all over for several minutes before he finally stopped with a sigh and looked down. Nothing that even hints at a way... Link thought before he shook his head to scan the jobs again. This time he picked a job after only a minute and carefully took it from the board, moving down the stairs in a flash and crossing over to the table Erza was sitting at.
Erza was now in a new breastplate, the update because of her new height and the modest bust she now had, and she looked up hesitantly as Link approached. When he showed her the job, she read the description before a pained look came to her eyes. "I see... good luck, Link." She said coolly and Link looked at her in surprise. The two had been partners for three years now, ever since his first job, and always before they had tackled every job together. Erza noted his surprise and gave a sad sigh as she gripped her cup tightly. "Link... surely you know the limitations for S-Class jobs." She said patiently and though Link nodded his head, he still showed he didn't quite understand what she was saying. "You're a new S-Class... Master won't allow a non S-Class to go with you on a job like this." She said but Link shook his head.
"You're just as strong, Master won't try to stop you." He said confidently and Erza offered a small smile at his words before she looked down uncertainly.
"Then how is it I wasn't even offered a spot in the S-Class Advancement Trial?" She asked and at that Link hesitated uncertainly; not sure himself of Makarov's reason. "You see?" Erza asked with a small sigh before she looked up at him. "I... think I might slow you down on an actual S-Class job." She said uncertainly and he looked at her for several seconds before he looked down at the job.
"I'll put it back then." Link said firmly and her eyes went wide before anger sparked in them.
Erza exploded up to put her face a few inches away from his and he leaned back quickly in reflex. "Don't you dare." She said firmly and Link blinked in surprise at her. "You fought with your heart and soul for the right to be an S-Class Mage, and I will not be the reason you refuse to take on the jobs more fitting for your ability." Erza said and after a few seconds Link's eyes narrowed at her before he put his face inches from hers.
"Those jobs that gave me that chance, we completed as a team." Link said just as firmly as she had, and now it was Erza who hesitated.
That hesitation quickly passed as she sat back down, refusing to look up at him for several long seconds as those around them watched the two in surprise; it was now a rare moment where Link would stare down Erza. "Very well." Erza eventually said with a smile and a sigh as her confidence returned. "I shall go with you on the next one, but only if you do this by yourself." She said her eyes went back to his and after a few seconds, Link nodded his head with a small grin. "Good luck." Erza said as he walked away and he glanced back at her with a confident grin and a fiery gleam in his eyes.
"Tch." Mirajane said in annoyance as she sat at another table with Elfman and Lisanna. "I can't believe that bastard actually made it." She said and Lisanna looked at her then sighed.
Mirajane had also blossomed, though her choice in clothes made it much more apparent. Her black halter top and black shorts showed off her growing curves for all to see, and Lisanna was starting to grow as well though her clothes tended to be more modest in nature. Because of this, Elfman was quickly becoming more aggressive as he punched out any young man brazen enough to stare too long at either of his sisters. The only one that had his grudging approval was Natsu, and that was simply because the young Dragonslayer still seemed uncertain how to act around his younger sister half the time.
"Mira-nee, you're just still upset because of what happened last year, aren't you?" She asked and Elfman nodded his head even as Mirajane shot her an irritable glare. "Come on, he was drunk and barely remembers what happened; just let it go." Lisanna said reasonably but Mirajane just shook her head.
"I won't let it go until he actually agrees to a fight. But all he does is just run away instead of letting me even the score." Mirajane said crossly and her response made Lisanna giggle. "What?" She asked darkly as Elfman held in his own chuckle.
"Mira-nee's pride was bruised because of how easily he held you back, even though you were fighting with Er-"
"Don't remind me of that!" Mirajane snapped sharply before she paused and offered a sigh. "Maybe you're right." She admitted grudgingly in light of Lisanna's smiling face before she crossed her arms over her chest as Link nodded farewell to Makarov then walked to the doors. "But until he mans up and faces the consequences of his actions, I won't forgive him." She said darkly, to which Lisanna just sighed again.
"Good luck, Link!" Gray, who was currently clad in just a pair of shorts, called out with a smirk and Link waved at him in acknowledgment with a grin of his own.
"Kick some ass!" Natsu yelled as he pumped his fist into the air with a wide smile and Happy pumped one paw into the air. "Aye!" He said in his squeaky voice.
Lupinus Village - Five Days Later
Link walked into the moderately sized village, a large forest a mile away from its southern gate, with the sun high in the sky and a small breeze blowing through the air. A large castle, which was the first Link had seen as he had approached, lay in the exact center of the village and Link immediately made his way towards it through the busy streets. Hopefully the Mayor will have a good idea where these bandits-
"ATTACK!" A loud roar suddenly came from behind him, cutting off his train of thought, and he quickly spun to see a large group of people in armor charging in at the village. "DON'T LEAVE A TRACE LEFT!" The same voice roared and Link's eyes narrowed while the citizens around him started to panic; one exception being one figure covered by a brown cloak and hood. This person started to move forward before pausing as Link sprinted out towards the incoming charge; his action taking some of the citizens who saw him by surprise.
"That kid's gonna get himself killed!" One middle-aged man yelled as Link rushed outside the gate then came to a halt, his eyes showing no fear of the incoming group.
Link stood firm as he watched them close in when suddenly his left hand tightened into a fist then punched the ground with all his strength. "HYAAA!" Link yelled as his fist hit the ground and a wall of fire exploded upward in front of him, making all the armored warriors charging skid to a halt in surprise even as they shielded their eyes from the heat and glare. When the fire cleared, they looked to see Link looking at them intently, his ears straight back.
"What the... that kid was able to cause an explosion that big?" One of them asked uncertainly when one of the others, his armor more ornate with several runes over it, walked forward with his broadsword held in his right hand.
"Kid, we have no problems killing you to get the supplies we need from that village." He said in a deep, booming voice but all Link did in response was to point at them then back at the forest they had charged in from. "Heh, you think we're afraid of that little spell you just used?" He asked and Link's eyes narrowed. "I'm a former Rune Knight, and every one of my men were once Knights. A little thing like-" *CLANG*
The sound of metal hitting metal sounded through the air as the former Rune Knight barely shifted his sword in time to deflect an arrow from Link, who had swiftly pulled out his Fairy Bow and an arrow from his pouch. Link had only taken an instant to notch the arrow and aim at the arrogant ex-Rune Knight before he had let fly. This kid's fast! He thought in surprise, for he had not expected such quick movements from someone so young. "Very well then! Kill him!" He ordered and the former Knights immediately charged forward to cut the young mage down.
Link had three more arrows out of his bag and notched by the time they took four steps and let them fly at the ground in front of their charge; this time an icy aura around all three. Intense cold erupted from the arrows upon impact, causing not only the ground to freeze from the sub-zero magic, but also the closest of the ex-Knights. Before they could recover their wits and their balance, Link began his own charge while he put the Fairy Bow back in his bag. When he was fifteen feet away, Link pulled out his sword then jumped over the icy ground to slash down at one of the ex-Knights, cutting through his armor with ease, then jumped from his falling body to attack another.
The villagers all watched with awe as Link tore into the ex-Knights with his sword and shield before they lost sight of him as the former Knights all moved to pin him down with sheer numbers. "That kid's done for." One woman said sadly when suddenly lightning erupted from the center of the ex-Knights, sending them flying away to show Link standing there with his sword and shield back on his back; a black and silver trident held in his left hand.
"Clever child." The cloaked figure said with a feminine voice while the shaken Knights slowly got to their feet. "But now that they know not to group too closely together to fight you, what shall you do?" She wondered out loud, ignoring the curious looks thrown her way.
Link quickly sprinted out and within a matter of seconds took down seven more of Knights with electric blows that finally knocked them out. Thirty-eight left. Link thought before spinning just in time to avoid a powerful downward stroke that nearly buckled his legs. Strong! Link thought in surprise as he looked up at the former Rune Knight.
"Not bad, kid, but- !" The Rune Knight started to say before jerking in surprise as lightning raced along the length of the trident and through his sword. To Link's surprise, though, the electricity fizzled out as soon as it hit the Rune Knight's armor. "Rune Knights are trained and equipped specifically to bring down mages, you foolish boy!" He announced with a laugh before planting an armored boot in Link's stomach, sending him flying back. "The rest of you raid the village!" He barked out as Link spun in the air to regain his balance. "I'll finish this one alone." He said as he twirled his broadsword and Link's eyes went wide as the remaining Knights turned towards the village.
"No!" Link cried out then rushed forward as his eyes, now burning with intensity, narrowed in concentration before he suddenly disappeared in a flash of green. While the Rune Knight's eyes went wide in surprise, Link reappeared in front of the former Knights without breaking his stride to continue his charge straight into the surprised Knights. He quickly took advantage of their hesitation and let loose with devastating sweeps and spins of his trident that also shot out forks of lightning from its end; unlike their leader, their armor was not protected against magic.
Link's attacks focused more on brute force and ferocity rather than his normal precision and skill with the occasional burst of magical power, and within minutes ten more Knights were down. Unfortunately, though, the numbers were also showing their toll on the new S-Class mage as he was covered in a myriad of wounds that ranged from the trivial to the normally debilitating. "Haa... haa..." Link panted out as sweat dripped from his brow, his trident now gone as he had once again gone back to his shield and sword.
"Haa..." The Rune Knight, as well as his subordinates, was also breathing a little hard, a fact that frustrated him to no end. "How... how can a child like you hold us back?" He demanded angrily before he paused to take a calming breath. "But I must admit, you fight rather well." He said with a patronizing smile then motioned to his remaining Knights, still almost thirty in number. "I'm feeling generous; I'll let you run back to your pathetic Guild if you leave right now." He said and Link froze as the fire in his eyes erupted into a blue inferno that held the former Rune Knight captive.
"What... did you say?" Link asked quietly but with a dangerous edge that drew everyone's ear as his grip tightened on his sword. "Burn this lesson into your soul." He said before he took a deep breath to focus his energy. "Din, Goddess of Power." He started to chant and a golden glow started to issue from his left hand. "Beacon of hope... flame of destruction..." He continued and the former Rune Knight shook off his hesitation then narrowed his eyes as he prepared his sword. "Grant to me thine heavenly flames... AND HUMBLE THE ARROGANT WITH TRUE MIGHT!" Link roared out the final part and golden flames exploded from him, the sheer force and heat of the flames causing everyone to cover their eyes; everyone except for the cloaked figure.
"YOUR MAGIC IS USELESS AGAINST THIS ARMOR!" The former Rune Knight bellowed in retort as he charged forward to engage Link, who just suddenly seemed to disappear from his eyes before reappearing before him in mid-spin; the golden flames now only around his blade.
"DIN'S ERUPTION!" Link roared as he completed the spin and a ten-foot diameter cylinder of golden fire exploded up around the ex-Rune Knight, completely engulfing him, as foot-sized holes began to appear leading up to where Link had suddenly reappeared. The pillar of flame shot upward into the sky and though the heat from it crossed over everyone, it wasn't overwhelming anyone past his target, only making them burst into a moderate sweat.
"RAAAWWWW!" The former Rune Knight screamed as the heat from the flames, completely focused upon him as he stood in the middle of the inferno, started to overwhelm the protection of his armor while his subordinates watched in horror. "My... my armor... you can't... MY ARMOR!" He roared in denial as he turned to look at Link.
Link brought the Gilded Sword down to his side as he glared back at the Rune Knight, who was now losing consciousness. "Insults to Fairy Tail are always repaid in full." He said and the ex-Rune Knight's eyes went wide before he gave a final bellow of denial then lost consciousness. Link dismissed the pillar of fire after a couple more seconds then turned his glare to the remaining ex-Knights and brought his sword up threateningly. "Leave." He commanded firmly and all of them took a few steps away from him.
Suddenly one of them stopped and stood firm as he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Wait!" He ordered and the others stopped to look at him uncertainly. "Look at him, that last attack must have drained most of his magical power." He said and they all took a closer look at Link; his breathing heavy, his entire body covered in a thick layer of sweat and several lacerations. "We can finish him off now, and then the village is all ours." He said and Link's face tightened as the ex-Knights started to regain their composure.
If the village were farther away... Link thought before he mentally shook the notion away, he needed to focus on what he actually had to work with. Suddenly his eyes went wide and he did a quick pivot on his right foot as he brought his shield up to narrowly block a downward scimitar strike from the same cloaked figure that had been watching with the villagers.
"Hmm... your reflexes remain sharp despite your condition." She said speculatively, completely ignoring the remaining ex-Knights. "You are also highly skilled with the weapons you utilized... but your current method of going between them is inefficient." She said and Link blinked as everyone else looked at her in surprise. "I will finish this, and then I would like to speak to you." She said as she took a step back then Equipped another scimitar to her left, dark-skinned hand.
"What the... who do you think you are?" The Knight that had shaken off his paralysis first demanded angrily and the cloaked figure offered a soft chuckle in reply that only incensed him further.
"I do not offer my name to petty thieves." She said before blurring out of sight. All of the Knights' eyes went wide in surprise before they saw her again as she came to stand five feet away from one of them calmly, the scimitars held out wide at her sides. "Especially one's of such low skill." She added before blood shot out from all of them as their armor shattered into small pieces. "Now then, do you need help getting into the village?" The cloaked figure asked as she Ex-Equipped her scimitar. Link hesitated for a few seconds, storing his shield into his pouch then sheathing his sword before storing it as well while all the villagers looked on with dumbstruck expressions.
Link then pulled a vial, a roll of bandages, and a small jar from his pouch and sat down right there. He quickly downed the vial then took off his tunic, showing off a highly defined physique that had all the young women blushing. The staring continued even after they noticed the long scar that started at right shoulder and went down diagonally to mid-stomach on his left side. He carefully, yet quickly, applied the white ointment from the jar to his wounds then applied bandages to the more serious ones, the cloaked figure waiting patiently for him to finish. When he was finally done, Link put his tunic back on then quickly jumped to his feet before he looked at the cloaked figure and nodded his head.
Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were sitting in a private room in a tavern so they could speak without being overheard. "I have never been one for dancing around a subject, so allow me to get straight to the point." The cloaked figure once the owner of the tavern had closed the door. "There's something about you that has piqued my interest." She said and Link tilted his head curiously as he looked at her. "Yes... there in your eyes... a lifetime of experience... of fighting and loss..." She said and Link's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he found himself held by an overpowering presence. "For an eternity, you were but a weapon-"
"Stop!" Link suddenly said as he closed his eyes and shook his head; he had never met anyone who just seemed to peer into his soul with such ease. Except for... Link thought as Rauru and Makarov suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Forgive me, child, but you have a pair of eyes so unusual for one your age." The cloaked figure said with a small forward bow. "Not even..." She said before trailing off and Link looked back at her curiously. "Nevermind, it is not important." She said firmly then folded her hands on the table. "This interest, combined with the way you fight, makes me believe you would be a good student." She said and Link blinked as he looked at her in surprise. "You will find the magic I plan to teach you a more efficient way of going through your weapons; your current method takes too long to be used safely against more powerful opponents."
Link looked at her for nearly half a minute, his gaze now focused and serious, when his ears suddenly flicked. "I don't know your name." He said and the stranger paused before a soft chuckle came from her.
"Of course, I've forgotten such a common courtesy." She said before pulling back her hood to show a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. She had long, black hair that went to mid-back and had red eyes that shined like rubies. "I am Durga of Avyactha." She introduced herself and Link's eyes went wide in surprise. Although Fiore and Avyactha were currently at peace, the two were not allied and travel between them was strongly discouraged. Durga noticed his expression and gave a small sigh when he suddenly blinked and offered a short, seated bow.
"Link Kokiri, of Fairy Tail." He said politely and now it was Durga's turn to blink in surprise before she offered another chuckle.
"I see. The fact that I am from Avyactha doesn't bother you in the least, does it?" She asked and Link shook his head twice. Nationalities, not even species, could ever bother the young mage after what he had done. "Well now, this tolerance makes you even more interesting." Durga said before she suddenly glared at him. "How do you know I am not here to look for weaknesses in Fiore's defenses?" She asked as her magical power slammed into Link, making him freeze.
In the same league as… Link thought as Durga continued to glare at him for several seconds before he was able to answer. "Because your eyes don't show that intent." He said quietly in reply and she paused as her presence returned to normal. "Thank you for your help earlier." He and, after a few seconds, she nodded her head in acknowledgment. "But I don't wish to leave Fairy Tail, so I must respectfully decline your offer." Link added and there was silence between the two for several minutes.
"Fairy Tail... that would mean your Guild Master is Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, correct?" Durga suddenly asked and Link paused for a few seconds before he nodded his head. "I would like to speak with him." She said as she stood up, bringing her hood back over her head in the same motion.
Link looked up at her in surprise for several seconds then stood up as well, indicating for her to follow him. He didn't feel any hostile intent from her, and he felt he could trust her.
It didn't hurt that he truly believed that only one person, someone that he had last seen spinning uncontrollably in an infinite void, could possibly defeat the Master of Fairy Tail.
Thus begins my three part mini-arc.
Don't know if everyone has already seen this, but here's a link to a drawing I had commissioned a while ago.
.com/art/Link-Mage-of-Fairy-Tail-Illustration-284991649
On a different note, I'm going to be making a poll for an idea I had. Once this mini-arc is over, I'm going to go back to present time after the Guild War between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord; but I have to say that I enjoy showing the interactions between Link, Erza, and other characters when they're still kids. So after some chapters I may, if an idea comes to me, put small scenes from that time frame. They would be too short to warrant their own chapters, even compared to some of my earlier ones, but something I feel like putting in just the same. They could be amusing, touching, or just a random scene that shows Link interacting with someone. If you think it's something you wouldn't mind reading, you can vote for it; if you don't, you can vote no or not vote at all.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Till next time.