A/N: yo.

this is my treat!

it's a long one!

ya know what, i feel like i don't give y'all enough love and care.

while you're reading this, go get some food. get a snack, eat some lunch, whatever. drink some water. take a little walk somewhere (if you're not going to freeze and if it's safe), get some fresh air. if you have to take meds, take your meds. if you're tired, stop reading for right now and take a nap or just a rest. listen to some music while you read this. create some art. watch a show. maybe take a shower afterwards. do something you love. if you're stressed out by work or school or something, it's okay! you may read my stories for whatever need you want (except fetishization, if you're here for that get the fuck out). throw yourself in this story. you can be artemis or natsu or makarov or some civilian, i don't care.

remember, take care of yourself.

have a great day.

Artemis glided through the streets of Magnolia, followed by Laxus and Freed. Ey was in what ey called eir "masked form."

Ey wore several layers. The first was simple black pants and an undershirt complete with wine-colored combat boots. The second was a halfplate of armor and a black pleated half-circle skirt plus hand and knee bandages. The third was a long, hooded cloak with an overcoat, and finally, with a mask that covered eir nose and mouth.

"Man, how are you not boiling hot in that?" Laxus commented.

Artemis laughed. "I've been in worse, believe me. But if you think about it, how are either of you also not boiling in those getups?"

Freed shrugged. "I mean, you've got a point."

The three kept walking and chatting all the way to the guild hall.

"You don't have to be masked anymore, y'know," Laxus said.

Ey sighed. "I know, but it gives me a sense of security. Besides, I can change out of it whenever I want. This is mainly for traveling, especially through towns where people can see me and potentially report me."

"People aren't going to report you if they see you with us, though," Freed added.

"No, they will. And the Magic Council is going to take you with me, regardless if you were at all involved, because they are vigilant and ruthless and will go to extreme lengths just to imprison me."

The rest of the walk was silent. Both men knew that, no matter how one looked at it, Artemis was right.

The three eventually reached the large guild hall sitting at the top of the quiet little town of Magnolia.

"You ready, Art?" Laxus asked.

Artemis took a deep breath and replied, "Yeah." Eir voice cracked, though.

Clearly, Artemis didn't feel ready.

"Well, let's go inside, then."

"Do I have to unmask?"

Freed thought for a moment before answering, "No, I guess you don't have to. For a while, we had a member, Mystogan, that didn't show his face at all. Master and Laxus were the only two in the guild who knew what he looked like."

"Well, I kind of did," Laxus muttered guiltily. "I was strong enough to resist his sleeping charm, but not by much. I have only a slightly blurry memory of his face."

"Well, now we know that he looks exactly like Jellal, since he's the Edolas version," Artemis cut in. "I guess it's time, then?"

Freed nodded. "Go on."

Artemis stepped forward and pushed open the grand double doors. As soon as the bright sunlight hit the room, everyone looked to the three standing in the doorway.

It made Artemis feel very self-conscious, despite having layers of clothing and armor covering up every insecurity.

As the three walked down the hall and towards the bar where Master Makarov was sitting, everyone's gaze followed them, mainly trained on Artemis, since nobody had ever seen em before.

As the three approached the Master, he looked up and said, "I see you are back, Artemis?"

The mentioned child nodded shyly. "Y-yeah."

"Come on, now, no need to be shy. I'll get Mirajane and she'll give you the sacred guild mark of Fairy Tail."

Artemis nodded again.

"There's no need to be nervous, Ar," Freed murmured. "We don't bite."

The teen sighed, shoulders dropping. "Yeah, I know, but my… my brain doesn't like that answer. It's convinced that something is going to go wrong and everyone will hate me and I'll get turned in and I'll live the rest of my life in a prison cell- ugh."

Laxus whispered something to Freed and Freed poked his ribs with his shoulder. Makarov soon came back with Mirajane, who carried a special, magical rubber seal stamp with the Fairy Tail insignia carved into it.

"Where would you like it?" she asked sweetly.

Artemis had been overthinking about where to put it for a while. Shoulder? Leg? Hand? Ey wasn't sure. After a while, ey had decided to go with eir gut.

"Right here," Artemis said. Ey took off their cloak and mask and, leaning eir head to the side, pointed at eir neck.

"Okay, perfect! One guild mark, coming right up!"

She pressed the seal into Artemis' neck and held it there for a few moments. Then, she took it off and gasped in awe at the beautiful, majestic color of that mark.

Artemis was handed a mirror to see the mark. It was a lovely burnt orangey-red color that held a feeling of autumn leaves and dying flames, of warmth and comfort, and of courage and loyalty.

It was possibly the most beautiful color Artemis had ever seen. Ey was determined to live up to the meanings of that color, and of to eir new family that ey had been so blessed to have. It was as if the gods had given Artemis this blessing of family and warmth.

Freed and Laxus were smiling like proud parents when Artemis turned around.

Makarov stepped onto the stage and got everyone's attention.

"Attention, Fairy Tail! We have gained a new member in our ranks! Come on up, you know who you are."

"Go on, go on!" Freed whispered, urging Artemis to run onto the stage with the Master.

Artemis walked up to the middle of the stage next to the Master and the room darkened with only a single spotlight shining on the stage.

"Welcome your new guildmate, Artemis Azuria!"

Artemis had no idea how the Master knew eir last name, but went with it.

Thunderous applause erupted from around the hall. It lasted for only about a minute, but it felt like forever to Artemis. Eir smile was so large ey was worried eir face would split.

Once it died down, Makarov spoke again. "There is one thing you should know about Artemis. Artemis is neither a boy nor a girl and goes by ey/em, and I would ask every one of you to respect that."

Artemis let out a sigh of relief. At least ey wouldn't have to tell everyone emself.

The entire guild hall began chanting, "Artemis, Artemis, Artemis," over and over again, getting louder and louder, until the entire hall was roaring Artemis' name. Artemis stood strong, chin high, and more confident than ey ever could have expected.

After a while, the chanting died down and the lights faded back on. Artemis and Makarov stepped off of the stage. Artemis went back to Freed and Laxus, smiling like the world had no problems at all.

"That was amazing! I didn't expect that at all!" ey exclaimed.

Freed smiled lovingly. "Come on, I'll show you around and introduce you to the other members!"

Laxus watched the two wander off. They suddenly stopped at an empty table.

"Few people know of our relationship. Just say you live with me," Freed whispered.

"Oh. Well, you're not exactly subtle about it. I'm pretty sure at least half the guild knows by now," Artemis giggled.

"Ssshhh! I don't want anyone to know!"

"So what you're implying is..."

"Don't say it, Ar!"

"I'm out before you!"

Freed groaned. "Knew you'd say that."

Artemis giggled again. "No, no, you didn't. I am, in fact, out of the closet before you two. I was out just like that and... how long have you been dating?"

"About two years?"

"Have either of you come out as, like, not straight yet, though?"

"Laxus came out as bi and demi about half a year ago. I haven't. I mean, I'm not bi or demi, I'm just gay."

"Oh, okay," Artemis replied, chuckling.

"Well, let's go, I've got to do introductions and show you around!"

The first place the two went was to introduce Artemis to the "strongest team."

"Um, h-hi!" Artemis said.

Lucy turned around, smiling warmly. "Hey, Artemis! This is Natsu and my friend Levy. Gray and Erza are... somewhere else at the moment."

The hospital wing. Of course.

"Oh, that's ok! Nice to meet you all."

Natsu grinned. "Now, I don't like beatin' up kids, but you seem pretty powerful. Maybe we could have a little-"

"You are not fighting Artemis!" Lucy scolded.

Artemis was a little intimidated, but went along with it. "Uh, sure. Let's call it a test of strength?"

"Sounds fun."

"I told you, Natsu, you're not fighting em!"

Lucy and Natsu got into a little argument. Levy sighed. "They do this often. Don't mind them. With Gray around, though... those two fight like feral wolves."

Artemis giggled. "I feel like I've heard that."

"So, you showing Artemis around, Freed?"

The Rune wizard nodded. "Ey're living with me. Ey're too young to get a place of eir own yet."

"So... adoption?" Levy laughed.

Artemis looked up at Freed expectantly. "Yeah. So, adoption?"

Freed blushed. "I told you, I'm not adopting you!"

Artemis shrugged. "Technically, you are by letting me stay at your place and holding responsibility over me."

Freed sighed. "I'd be a single dad."

"You'd be a fucking awesome dad, though? Plus, I've lived with one parent for, like, half my life. Then with no parent since I was captured. I think I'm good."

"I suppose. I'm still not adopting you, though."

"Awww, come on, Dad!"

"I'm not your dad!"

"Yeah, but you are, though."

The two kept squabbling as they walked off. Without looking, Artemis accidentally bumped into a tall, muscular dude.

There are a lot of tall, tough, muscular-ass dudes.

"Sorry! I didn't see you there-oh." Artemis apologized.

Ey looked up to see a scowling guy with iron bolts in his face and long, spiky black hair.

"Huh. The new kid, eh?" he growled.

"U-um, yes," Artemis squeaked.

Freed scoffed. "Gajeel, cut it out. You're intimidating em."

"Will you finally admit that I am your child now?" Artemis laughed.

"Oh, come on!"

Gajeel laughed (specifically, a weird "geehee" sound) and replied, "Mind if I take em? I'll show em around, Freed."

Artemis gaped. "Wait, what?"

Freed facepalmed, but couldn't hold back his laughter. "No, Gajeel, you cannot take Artemis. Ey lives with me and I am considered eir guardian."

"Aah. Makes sense. Now, I'm not a fan of beatin' up kids, but it's kind of a tradition to fight the new member. You're old enough and you seem real tough."

Artemis laughed. "Gladly. In fact, I'd fight you right here and now, but Dad's not gonna let me."

"I said-"

"Whatever. Give up, Dad, you are powerless against me!"

Freed sighed. "I guess if you want to call me 'Dad,' you can do that, Ar."

Artemis punched the air. "Hell yeah! I won! Fight ya later, Gajeel-san!"

The two walked off again.

Basically, it went kind of like that, introducing Artemis to all of the members and showing em where everything was. Finally, they reached the hospital wing.

Artemis listened closely as Freed talked. "Gray's in there. I think Wendy, Juvia, and Erza are in there right now, working on how to cure him. As soon as you try to enter, you're attacked by Erza with ten swords. I'd suggest we not go in there."

"Well, not we, just me. I should be there, too," Artemis muttered.

"Just because you're the new member-"

"No, that's not it. I got Gray-san ill."

Freed gasped. "You did what?!"

Artemis hissed, "Shut up! I didn't do it on purpose. It was my demon who attacked him, not me."

"Your demon?"

"Yeah. It's the main side-effect for being a Demon slayer. When Azrulia died, her soul latches onto me because I carry her teachings and she has her own free will. Sometimes if she finds someone who is either a worthy target or a potential danger to me, she'll make them awfully ill like that."

"Can't you heal him?"

Artemis dropped eir shoulders, almost deflating. "She never taught me. Azrulia was fairly old and when I was discovered, the Magic Council murdered her. I barely managed to escape with my life."

Freed placed a hand on eir shoulder. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"Nah, it's fine, Dad. It's all in the past now, anyway."

Freed wasn't so annoyed with that title now.

Chapter nine

"Okay, but be careful. I don't want you getting hurt," Freed muttered worryingly.

"I'll be fine. My body holds too much magic power to be anywhere near natural."

Artemis walked up and pushed open the door, only to be immediately lunged at by Erza.

"Who are you and why are you here?!" she roared.

Artemis glared at her confidently and hissed, "I'm Artemis, the newest member of Fairy Tail."

Erza took a step back, but held her ground. "That doesn't give you the authority to waltz in here, Artemis."

"Yeah, I know. In fact, it probably gives me less authority. The thing is, I know exactly who's in there and why they are sick. I have information."

She tensed. "How do you know this?"

"Let me go in there and I'll explain to everyone in that room."

Erza put her weapons down and hissed, "Alright. But anything sketchy and you're out of here."

Artemis walked into the room to see a old, pink-haired woman, a young blue-haired woman, and a blue-haired girl about eir age.

"Juvia, Wendy, Porlyusica-san, this is Artemis. She says-"

"Ey."

Erza was confused. "What do you mean?"

Artemis tried eir best to stay calm. "I… don't go by… she/her. I-I like ey/em better, if it's not too much trouble."

"My apologies. Anyway, Artemis has information about Gray."

The old woman (Porlyusica?) rasped, "Speak, child."

Artemis took a deep breath.

"I'm the one that got Gray-san ill."

The whole room went completely silent with a heavy tension that hung thick in the air.

"You did what?!" Erza roared.

The demon slayer growled and added, "Technically, I myself didn't do anything. It was my Demon, whom I have no control over. I'm much like a dragon slayer, except instead of a dragon, it was a demon, Azrulia. I was discovered by the Magic Council and they murdered her. I barely escaped with my life. Her soul latched onto me as I was the most compatible entity for her, so now she is tethered to me."

The blue-haired woman (Juvia?) seemed as if she was holding herself back from attacking Artemis and questioned, "What does this have to do with Gray-sama, though?"

"If Azrulia finds either a worthy victim or a potential danger to me, she attacks them and gets them ill like that. She was never able to teach me how to cure it, though."

Porlyusica was silent until she hissed, "I may have known Azrulia. Demons tend to go by many different names, if I am correct?"

Artemis nodded. "Azrulia went by a few other names. Myrelo, Sudanza, Tiriasa, and the most rare one was… um… Norevie?"

The old woman nodded. "I knew Azrulia as Norevie. She was, as I recall, quite a lovely creature despite being a demon."

Artemis let out a small, fond smile at the image of eir guardian demon. "She was. I miss her."

"I remember her giving me a scroll and some kind of sacred artifact. She wanted you to have them when you were ready."

Artemis thought for a second. "Perhaps she thinks of me as 'ready' after some kind of test. Maybe that test is coming up."

"Or perhaps, that test is right now," Erza murmured.

Artemis whipped eir head around to look at Erza. "You think that's possible?"

The Requip wizard nodded. "I don't know how he could be of any danger to you, and I don't know what 'worthy target' means, but I doubt he fits that criteria."

"Can you see her?" Wendy asked.

"Sometimes," Artemis responded. "Even when I can see her, no one else can. She tends not to be visible to me very often and I'm not sure how to make her be visible."

Promptly, a phantom of Azrulia appeared.

"She just appeared," ey mumbled.

Azrulia spoke no words except for, "You are not ready yet. He is not your test. He is a danger to you. If you learn how, do not heal him." Then, she vanished, leaving Artemis in shock.

"Wait! Tell me how! Azrulia!"

"What did she say?" Juvia queried.

"She-she said that I'm not ready and Gray isn't my test. She said… that he's a danger to me and that if I learn how to, I shouldn't heal him. Then, she vanished."

"How would Gray-san be of any danger to you, Artemis?" Wendy questioned.

Artemis shook eir head, very disoriented. "I have no idea. Apparently, he meets her criteria or something. I…"

"It's alright, Artemis," Erza consoled, placing a hand on eir shoulder. "Perhaps we should all take a break."

"Oh, good idea, Erza-san!" Wendy exclaimed.

Artemis shuddered. "Hours? Around Gray-san? What horror!" ey exclaimed dramatically.

Wendy laughed. "All he does is stir and groan all day. Not really the best company."

The two young teens immediately stuck to each other, whispering and giggling.

"Hey, Wendy, wanna see who adopted me?" Artemis asked excitedly.

"So someone in the guild took you in as their child?" Wendy responded.

"Yeah! C'mon!" Artemis grabbed Wendy's hand and ran towards Freed, shouting, "Dad!"

Wendy blinked, surprised. "Freed's your dad?"

Artemis giggled. "Yup, he is indeed now my dad."

"Is he a single dad?"

"Can I tell you a secret, Wendy?"

"O-oh, sure. What is it?"

Artemis leaned in and whispered in Wendy's ear, "Freed is only one of my dads. Technically, I have two."

"You have-"

"Ssshhh, don't say it!" Artemis covered the girl's mouth.

"Aah! Sorry!" she yelped.

Ey grinned. "It's fine. Neat, though, right?"

"Well then, who's your other dad?" she murmured excitedly.

"Just you wait, Wendy!"

The two hurried around until they found Laxus.

"Old man!" Artemis hissed. Laxus didn't turn around, apparently unfazed.

"Ngh. Laxus?"

The Lightning wizard turned around. "Whaddya want, kid?"

"You are my dad now. That is that."

"I said I didn't adopt you!"

Artemis shrugged. "Freed gave in, now it's your turn. He's Dad, you're Pa or 'old man,' and I am unstoppable."

Laxus sighes. "Did he say that...?"

"He diiid, and I swear I'll do the same to you, Pa!"

Meanwhile, Wendy was giggling like a madman (mad... little... girl... does not compute).

Artemis was possibly the happiest ey had ever been.