Chapter 114: Sidebar - Prodigal Child

Gray Fullbuster and Lucy Heartfilia were the most prominent of all former Fairy Tail wizards to remain in the public eye after the dissolution of the old guild system and reassembling them into the wizard saint led magic knights. Having the Heartfilia name didn't exactly help, as Lucy was regarded in the same light as her father; the founder of the World Republic, and her brother, as the saviour of Ishgar sacrificing his life for the continents survival, (that being what was told to every nation in Ishgar and Solana after brutal the civil war ended). Fairy Tail was the sole guild that received special status as Legendary, and was allowed to keep its land rather than having to forfeit it to the new government. The guild could no longer act as it once had, taking on missions and receiving payment, that was now handled by magic knights, and so the guild became a sort of social club for wizards across the nations to come together and relax.

The only wizards of the old guild days Gray and Lucy recognised, whenever they visited Fairy Tail were Laxus Dreyer, Mirajane Strauss, Laki Olietta and the two twenty four year olds; Romeo Conbalt and Wendy Marvel. The majority of their fellow friends had joined the Knight squads, all excited to work with and see first hand the powers of the respected wizard saint. And yet every time Lucy visited, the two persons she wanted desperately to see again was never there. Erza Scarlet had up and left the fairy tail guild after James had been frozen in time, determined to travel the world and find anything that could lead to his curse being lifted; and him finally getting a proper life.

The other friend that had seemingly disappeared without trace was Natsu Dragneel. The resident fire dragon slayer had left, soon after the Civil War's end, upon realising the extent of Lucy and Gray's feelings for each other. That was years ago, and now Lucy and Gray had a son; twelve year old Chakuro, who had never met his uncles James and Natsu nor his aunt Erza, and who now lived in a world that was changed by the actions of his uncle and grandfather.

For all intents and purposes, Chakuro Heartfilia-Fullbuster was not what people had expected the child of two such powerful wizards, like his parents, to be. And even more surprising was that he hadn't inherited celestial magic from the his Heartfilia blood. Chakuro was small for his age; brown haired with green eyes and dressed in a blue jeans shorts, a purple T-shirt and a black waistcoat; he was always being mistaken for Kinana and Cobra's son, Kobayashi; with whom he had a friendly rivalry with. Chakuro had discovered his magic late, to his own annoyance and joy at having believed that he wasn't going to be able to follow in his parents footsteps but now realising that there may have been a reason for his wait.

Upon realising what their son's magic was; Lucy and Gray had been so shocked that they had immediately called their old guild mates, the ones they could find, and told them that a "legend was born", but they were also "scared of the Triumvirate finding out". To Chakuro however, his magic seemed a bit of a cheat, as if he was denigrating others magical abilities out of nothing but pettiness and spite. Yet, it was the words of his father that consoled him and reforged his belief in his own power; Copy Magic.

Copy Magic, was exceedingly rare and the only other wielder of it, had been the man known as the 'Magic King', but whom had fallen during the last failed invasion of Ishgar by Alakitasia, before it was defeated and became part of the World Republic. Another thing was that, this power wasn't just limited to copying other types of magic, excluding Holder types, but potentially could also be used to copy devil fruit wielders abilities; Zoan, Logia and Paramecia. The fear that Lucy and Gray now felt, regarding their son, wasn't that he would misuse his magic, but that by copying magic and devil fruits; the Republic would be made aware of the military advantages of this power. And the Triumvirate could order Chakuro be turned over to the Knight squads, or even worse the "Red Guard", the elite soldiers of ERA under the purview of the Prime Minister. Their son could be made into a weapon of war against Mariejois, a prospect that neither parent wanted and were desperate to shield their son from. Even if it meant keeping Chakuro away from his own grandfather.

Both of Chakuro's parents were high level knights of Gold Squad; the squad based in the Home Continent, working with first ranked wizard saint, Draculos Hyberion, to try and find a way to remove the cursed imprisoned god from his uncle James's lacrima-incased body. Therefore, the twelve year old boy would spend most of his time at the former Fairy Tail guild, socialising with his friends; Kobayashi and Reina, who was the daughter of Laxus and Mirajane. The three friends mostly spent their time causing mischief amongst the social clubs visiting wizards and other patrons but sometimes they would explore the library, of the former guild; which was still regarded as property of the Master of the guild, and out of reach of the Republic's burgeoning Citadel complex of scholars, scientists, historians and theologians. The de facto master, Laxus Dreyer, had made it a point to keep the guildhall independent but also knew that by doing so he'd have to sacrifice the building being a working base of operations of wizards, and so the guild became a social club.

"You should be grateful that you actually have parents that are still together". Reina spoke, brushing a strand of her blonde-silver hair out of her face, and over the shoulder of her blue and red kimono. "Its better than knowing that the only thing keeping them sane is knowing that they are hiding their resentment of each other from you", she continued. Chakuro knew better than to ask about Reina's family. Her parents had divorced six years ago, but for her sake had tried to retain a close working relationship; due to them both working at the 'Club Guildhall', as fairy tail was now called.

However, everyone could tell, from the occasional withering glares, that Laxus and Mirajane were no longer appreciative of that arrangement. Just barely holding firm for their daughters sake. "I'm just saying..." Kobayashi stated, waving his hands in the air, "I just wish I got to see my own parents more. Being a magic knights sounds exciting and all, but I really I just wish they didn't have to travel around the world as a much". Chakuro slapped a hand over his friends mouth upon seeing his other friends lips become a firm line of annoyance, at having her point being taken as non rhetorical.

"But, seriously... we should apply to become magic knights when we're older", Kobayashi exclaimed, pushing away Chakuro's hand. "That way we'll be together, and we can explore the world!" At the suggestion Chakuro grinned; thinking back to his mother's story about his uncle James's attempts to reform the old Rune Knights, and have them act in a new capacity of international envoys, as well as his father's description of how the remaining Wizard Saints took that idea, and went with it each squad being regarded as 'honourable heros'.

"Yeah, right as if you'd make it to the knights", Reina laughed, "you're still learning how to manipulate lightning". Kobayashi scowled at being put down, before summoning lighting around his left handed, and sending a bolt up through the ceiling into the sky. "I have as much control over my magic as you do! Miss always-knows-best!" He yelled back angrily. Instantly, Reina was on her feet and used her gravity magic to unceremoniously bring Koba to his feet and then slam him to the ground; eyebrows raised in a triumphant display of showmanship. "You know Chakuro," Reina spoke, releasing her magic, and pulling Kobayashi back upright, "you could become as strong as Hyberion if you actually tried to master your Copy Magic".

Chakuro curled into himself at the thought of actually following through on his dream of travelling the world, knowing full well that his parents would be staunchly opposed. "As much as I want to..." he began. "I know you care about your parents Chakuro, but you have to think about yourself once and awhile", Reina opined. "You are not bound by them, neither by the ghost of your uncle.

And not by the Director-General, even if he is your grandfather".

Kobayashi slung his arm around his friends shoulders and tussled his hair, "come on Chaky! You always said you wanted to see the world. And now you're scared about worrying mummy and daddy..." Koba was suddenly struck by a block of ice appearing out of the air and landing on his head. "Don't insult my parents! They may be overbearing sometimes, but I still love them!" Rubbing his head, Koba stood up and grinned. "Now that you've regained your fire, let's go sign up at the nearby military outpost. Then when we are fifteen, our adventure begins!" Smiling, Chakuro pushed himself to his feet, "yeah let's go sign up. Ishgar is great an all but the world is bigger! And with us three, our magic's will be unstoppable".