During Those 7 Years

by legoman7861

When Natsu's injuries sustained in a recent guild brawl with Gray prevent him from participating in this year's S-Class exam, how will he cope with the inevitable future ahead of him without his closest and most powerful Nakama there to guide him every step of the way? More importantly, what does this mean for the future of the Fairy Tail Guild hall?

40. Chapter 40: Eiji, Sayuki, and a Dreyar

Author's Note: After a little over two months, I have finally returned to finish up the last few uploads of this story! Even if the chapter is much longer than I usually try to shoot for, I didn't intend for my break to take this long. I needed to finish up my finals for my last semester at college, and I wanted to relish my graduation for a bit!

I currently have a job interview lined up and have been doing a little research into grad school, and I've been working nearly 45 hours each week over summer at my part-time job! Not that I'm complaining; I have some spending money to myself (for once). It just gets a little stressful knowing that I don't really have a dedicated time I can write. So, please bear with me with the upload times for these last few chapters. I want to make them as enjoyable as possible for all of you waiting for the end!

We are almost done with During Those 7 Years. No, really. I know I've been saying this for some time now, but there are two more chapters I have to upload after this one. The end is nearly there, and even though it's a stretch, I've always wondered if I've had some people from the three years and a half years ago I started this Fanfiction stick around for the ending (:

I know a sequel is planned, but I was thinking about taking a small break after this story to maybe polish up some of the earlier chapters. Just read chapter one of this story and tell me that you didn't see a difference in my writing style (sarcasm). I think it changed for the better, but some of the other chapters did NOT age well.

I have nothing else to say other than thank all of you for your unconditional support. You guys are amazing, and I just noticed this story is about to break the 1K favorites mark. I seriously can't believe that something I used to burn time my Freshman year of college has transformed into one of the daily highlights of my life, as well as many others.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this update. It's not nearly as actioned packed as the Origins arc/ Natsu's nomination for the Ten Wizard Saints, but I think it has some long due character development that I wanted to clarify before the sequel starts! I hope you like that I got around to this, so read the update and see what I mean for yourself (:

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During Those 7 Years

Chapter 40: Eiji, Sayuki, and a Dreyar

Natsu rapped his fingers against the bar's countertop while eyeing the remainder of his congealing breakfast. For the first time recently, his thoughts were not plagued by most of the other duties associated with being Fairy Tail's Guild Master. Instead, his mind was infested with the insatiable guilt that was slowly consuming his mental state.

The guild member who preferred to dine with Natsu during his mornings, Kinana, immediately noticed his lack of composure. She downed the last of her orange juice and gestured towards her Guild Master's leftover food. "What's going on there? Since when does Master Natsu leave food on his plate?" Before Kinana could continue teasing Natsu, her eyes widened in anxiousness as she began to draw a different conclusion, "Uh- I hope I did a good job preparing your breakfast! I know that I've been away from the bar during the time we were in Era, so if I messed something up, let me know and I'll go fix it right away." Kinana briskly bowed from the barstool she sat at.

Natsu shook his head to snap himself out of his trance before briskly reassuring the barmaid. "C'mon, Kinana. You know I love your breakfast! Like hell that a few days spent in Era are gonna make your cooking rusty. It just feels weird to be back at home after everything that went down with my duel."

"Shouldn't that make a home-cooked meal taste all the better?"

Natsu chuckled and held his hands up in defense. "You've got me. That was only half the story," He sighed while reflexively stroking his brooch of the Ten Wizard Saints hanging around his neck, "If I'm being honest, I've been feeling a bit guilty about Nab, Reedus, and the rest of them not being able to come along with us to Era to see my nomination go through."

Kinana flashed her Guild Master a supportive smile. "You shouldn't feel bad at all! They told me that their client had an amazing job opportunity they shouldn't pass up," She paused to scratch her head in confusion, "Even though the client never told them what their reward is, he promised to make the job worth their while, so I'm positive that everything will work out in the end."

Natsu sighed. "The problem is that their client is me."

"You're their client?"

"Ummhmm… I can't lie to you. I haven't told anyone what their reward is because I wanted to first see how well Nab and Reedus were able to get along with the group I sent them with before I started telling the rest of our guild."

"Well, what was their job?"

Natsu vaguely spoke the truth, "I just needed them to help train Nab so he can start taking S-Class quests on his own," His voice was still tinted with uncertainty over his decision.

Kinana patted her Guild Master's shoulder. "Think about it this way, when you asked them if they'd be willing to train Nab, did you also offer them the option to go with you to Era?

"I did."

"And they still took you up on that offer to help Nab out, right?" Natsu's eyes began to widen upon realizing what Kinana was referring to, and the Guild Master's reaction was all Kinana needed to continue. "See what I'm getting at? They wanted to be there with Nab because they care about him. They knew he needed the support more than you needed the motivation to kick ass in Era!"

Natsu chuckled while agreeing with her reasoning. "You're totally right. Thank you for that, Kinana. I guess I never thought of it that way."

"No problem!" She paused to tidy up the spot she ate at. "Y'know what? If it makes you feel any better, now that I think about how much they're willing to look after each other, the group you sent on that job reminds me of something."

"What would that be?"

Kinana sported a bright smile towards Natsu while projecting the singular thought for her Guild Master to hear. "Team Natsu."

Before Natsu could even react to Kinana's analogy, the duo was interrupted by the thunderous sound of the guild hall's entrance opening. "Shh- DOOM!" The wooden doors resounded as they were flung open by the silhouette of two wizards.

As sunlight poured onto the floor, the two figures revealed their presence by emerging from the harsh glare obstructing the view of Natsu and Kinana.

The much larger of the two silhouettes sported a slightly disappointed expression on his face and berated the Fairy Tail Guild master for his hypocrisy, "Yo, Master Natsu! For someone who preaches about us needing to train in the mornings, you sure like to make yourself comfortable at the bar." A masculine voice called out.

Natsu rolled his eyes and revealed the identity of the man. "C'mon, Macao. You know we got back from Era last night. Give us a break!"

Macao shook his head in disapproval. "Does that include the other day when you and Kinana were also eating breakfast together?" He then sported a playful glare that rapidly transitioned between the duo. "Do I need to tell Kagura about how much time you and Kinana have been spending together lately?"

Kinana's face grew a ghostly pale as she frantically shook her hands in denial. "Nononononono! It's not like that! I would never burden someone else with my feelings unless I knew they felt the same way!" Kinana's eyes widened in horror at what she accidentally revealed.

Luckily for her, Natsu remained oblivious to Macao's teasing and Kinana's embarrassed reaction and groaned in response before anyone could react. "Get real, old man. If it weren't for Kinana and the rest of you guys reminding me it was my anniversary as Guild Master along with me having to promote Nab to S-Class, I would have been the first one to run the loop around Magnolia Town. I chose not to because you guys were so kind to me, and it would have been unfair to NOT put aside time for us when you guys wanted to celebrate."

Macao held up his hand in defense. "Alright, alright. You've got a point. I guess this time of year is hectic for all of us, so I'll let it slide this once."

"Don't worry. That's exactly why I'm usually not too keen on partying. I fully plan on putting us back to our normal training schedule once all the guild members have gotten settled in again." Natsu reassured Macao while diverting his attention towards the smaller preteen approaching him from the entrance.

Natsu immediately recognized the young boy by how similar their attire was and greeted the guild member with his signature, toothy smile.

"Hey, Romeo. I'm sorry I never got to speak with you after my duel, but I hope you liked visiting Era with me!" Natsu revealed the identity of the preteen.

Considering how much of a prominent role model Natsu remained for wizards across Fiore, the young boy had managed to adopt a somewhat similar style to his Guild Master. Although Romeo still attempted to persuade his father every day to allow him to purchase the same cloak as Natsu along with a chain mail vest, for the time being, his father agreed on purchasing the boy Natsu's same black undershirt and matching charcoal jeans. This was to tide Romeo's obsession until he was old enough to use chain mail armor to its potential. To compensate for the missing cloak and armor, Romeo opted to sport the same, gold-trimmed waistcoat Natsu wore five years ago from before the Fairy Tail Guild master drastically altered his appearance.

Romeo dismissed his Guild Master's apology while gripping his dark hair in frustration, "AUGH! I'm already over not getting a chance to speak with you," He frantically shook his head while gesturing to the ornament hanging from Natsu's neck, "I just wanna know if I can see it!"

"Eh?" Natsu cocked his head in confusion.

"Your brooch! I didn't get a good look at it back in Era!"

Nasu sported a confident smile and surrounded himself in an aura of Dragon Slayer Magic, forcing Macao and Kinana to widen their eyes at the immense magical potential stemming from their Guild Master's core. Natsu proceeded to proudly extend his brooch outwards for Romeo to catch a glimpse.

Romeo wasted no time darting his eyes across every detail of his role mode's achievement; he was completely mesmerized by the ornament's appearance. After a few moments, Romeo broke his transfixed gaze by groaning towards his father in frustration while gesturing towards the brooch. "Daaaaad," the preteen nagged, "Why can't you get me a cloak and some armor like Master Natsu?! That way, I could kick the ass of any mage that fights me and get nominated to be a Wizard Saint myself!"

Macao released a bold laugh at his son's reasoning. Even Kinana couldn't help giggling as she approached the boy to ruffle his hair in a comforting manner.

"What's so funny?!" Romeo fumed while being held helpless against Kinana's antics.

Macao shook his head and began to explain to his son's shortsighted logic. "Listen, Romeo. If you think Master Natsu got to be the person he is today because of a cloak and some armor, you've got a long way to go before you learn what it takes to be him."

Romeo pouted and began staring at the floor in embarrassment. Kinana then released her grip on the preteen as she concluded that it would be best to give Romeo time to reflect on the advice his father provided him with. As she began to divert her attention back towards the bar to prepare for the morning breakfast rush, Natsu sneaked across from her on the other side of the countertop and leaned towards her to whisper. "Hey, Kinana? Thanks for cheering me up, but just as a small apology to the group who couldn't make it to Era, do you think it would be appropriate to ask you if you could whip them up something to eat in advance?"

Kinana beamed. "That sounds like an amazing idea, Master Natsu."

"It's a relief to hear you agree with me," Natsu sighed, "In that case, I'll talk to them about their reward once they all arrive," He paused to shell out a large number of Jewels from the inside of his cloak before sliding the notes across the bar countertop towards Kinana.

The barmaid began to shake her head in embarrassment just by resting her eyes on the amount laying in front of her. "Muh- Master Natsu. This is way too much! Breakfast isn't THAT expensive."

Natsu confidently winked Kinana's way. "That isn't just for them. Make sure you put some of that towards whatever you and I ordered this morning, and keep whatever is left for yourself."

Before Kianna could even fathom playfully scolding her Guild Master for such a ridiculous offer, Natsu diverted his attention towards Macao. "Oi, old man! Meet me at the bar when we close the guild hall. Now that we're back from Era, we've got some important stuff to take care of."

Macao held his hand up in agreement while slinging his opposite arm around Romeo's shoulder. "Whatever you say."

---

The Fairy Tail Guild hall was fully immersed in light banter and laughter as the remaining guild members began to settle in for the morning.

Nab, Reedus, and the other mages who returned from taking down the Dark Guild began to grow comfortable at the bar while reluctantly accepting the breakfast Kinana was preparing for them.

As the barmaid began to finalize the last of the plates for the eight mages leaning over the bar countertop, Reedus turned to the small group and provided them with a suggestion. "Just so we get it out of the way, do you think we should catch up and thank Master Natsu while Kinana finishes? That way, we'll have the rest of the morning to ourselves."

Kinana turned around and projected a smile towards the small group. "I'll be done in around ten minutes, so that should give you plenty of time to head to his office. He didn't sound like he had any plans on training today when I spoke to him earlier, so you'll be able to enjoy your food without being interrupted!"

Nab nodded in agreement, "I guess it's settled. Let's check in with Master Natsu before we get too comfortable," he then gestured towards the door leading to their Guild Master's office on the other side of the top floor's balustrade.

Reedus began leading the small group of mages towards the staircase leading to the top floor of their massive guild hall, avoiding the onslaught of mages adapting to the morning atmosphere. The group strolled across the walkway and approached the door Nab originally gestured towards, prompting the Pict Mage to raise his hand and politely knock on the door.

"You're welcome to come in." The voice calmly called out from the inside of the office after a brief moment of silence.

Reedus slowly opened the door for the small group, allowing them access to their Guild Master's respectable office. The group ensured the door was shut behind them before turning to be met with Natsu's welcoming smile being projected from behind his desk.

To their surprise, an assortment of chairs were already laid out for their leisure. "I managed to come prepared this time, so Reedus doesn't have to waste his magic on creating chairs. We shouldn't be here a while, but please feel free to take a seat." Natsu generously offered. The eight mages accepted their Guild Master's gesture and planted themselves in the chairs, prompting Natsu to begin speaking. "Reedus told me everything went smoothly aside from you guys running in with Acnologia and Jellal."

"Ummhmm," Jet nodded his head in agreement, "Taking down that Dark Guild was a piece of cake. It turns out you didn't have to worry about any leads on Ivan turning up there," He paused to sport an embarrassed look on his face, "So you didn't have to go out of your way to get us breakfast on the house. It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"C'mon. It meant a lot to me that you guys turned down the offer of visiting Era to help Nab out. I felt bad for making you guys have to choose between the two."

Laki smiled. "Well, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we all appreciate the offer. We're always here to help each other out when the time comes, so don't feel like you need to do something like that again for us. Thank you for looking out for us, Master Natsu."

"There's no need to thank me for doing what I love, and I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Natsu chuckled while reassuring all of them, "But don't worry. That was just a small token of my appreciation. Before I get to that reward I was talking about, can I ask the eight of you how you liked working together as a group?"

After a few moments of silence, Vijeeter scratched his head. "I know we all agreed that clearing out that Dark Guild was easy, but I'm almost positive it was mostly because of how well we get along with each other. It wasn't necessarily because those Dark Mages were weak. Most of us are already on teams with each other or pair up on jobs, so we've got our dance moves figured out for us." He responded with his typical persona.

Natsu cocked his eyebrow while gauging the reaction of the other mages. They all appeared to silently accept Vijeeter's response. "I take it you all can come to the same agreement?"

Warren nonchalantly shrugged. "I can't think of a better way to put it than Vijeeter already has. We all understand our limits and can work around each other's weaknesses. I don't think any of us will object to going on more missions together if you ever need us to."

Natsu smiled to himself as he processed to individually eye each guild member resting in front of him. They all sported looks of approval and comfort on their faces as they were able to mutually agree with one another. After confirming for himself how satisfied the eight guild members remained with their performance, Natsu proceeded to offer them a reward none of the guild members expected to receive. "Maybe this is just me being selfish at this point," He paused to anxiously tap his desk and provide dramatic effect for the other mages leaning towards him, "But… I want you guys to join Team Natsu."

A deadly silence enveloped the room: almost as if no one wanted to accept the reality behind Natsu's offer. After a few unnerving moments passed between the nine mages, Warren chuckled in disbelief and was the first to speak for his group. "Pfft… Stop joking with us, Master Natsu. You're talking about THE Team Natsu? The one with Erza and Gray on it?"

Natsu childishly crossed his arms and pouted. "Uh- I'm serious! With the disappearance of the Tenrou Group, I'm kind of the only member who's still active. I know I'm busy as Guild Master, but I was hoping to get the old team up and running. Even though I speak to you guys every day we train, it gets lonely seeing you guys have so much fun at the guild hall without me. I would have asked you guys if you had room for me to join one of your teams," Natsu sighed from needing to be upfront with them, "But the truth is… I'd never have been able to choose just one. I look up to each and every one of you guys just as much as you guys say you look up to me. That's why I wanted to personally extend an invitation for you to join my team. Since I still have to prioritize my duties as Guild Master, I can't promise that I'll be with you on every quest we take, but maybe you guys could continue Team Natsu's legacy and continue looking into Ivan Dreyar's whereabouts."

"What about the teams we're currently on?" Jet worriedly asked. "Would it be right for Droy and me to just leave Levi…?"

Natsu frowned and acknowledged Jet's concern. "I know that this isn't going to be an easy decision for you guys, but one of the reasons I asked you all in specific is because the eight of you are either independent mages or are a part of teams only consisting of two members. So, no one would be brought down if you took me up on my offer."

Nab began to grow nervous and delicately word his response for the other seven mages. "It's not like we don't want to be on Team Natsu; it's just that we don't think we're the right people for you to have come to," He paused to scratch his head in uncertainty, "When I think of Team Natsu, I think of monsters like you, Erza, and Gray. Everyone on your team is so powerful, and I don't think it's right for any of us to be considered in the same league as you guys."

Eiji comically cleared his throat while correcting Nab's statement. "Well..."

"You know what I mean, Eiji," Nab sweatdropped while directing his attention back towards Natsu to provide him with a recommendation, "Seeing as you two are dating, wouldn't a badass like Kagura be a better fit for your team?"

Deathly silence enveloped the office from the truth behind Nab's words, causing the other eight mages in the room to grow uncomfortable in the presence of their Guild Master. Their blank stares prompted Natsu to sigh and shake his head in disagreement. "Nab, I'll tell you what Kagura told me the night before we left for Era. We all train and contribute to supporting this guild hall in our own ways. It doesn't matter if you're a God Slayer or practice Maker Magic; each and every one of you has a trait you'd bring to the team better than any other guild member I know, and you do it even better than Erza and Gray ever could. You might not be able to see it for yourself, but I sure as hell can," He paused to allow his face to adopt a reassuring expression, "You've all helped me during the times I needed it most, so this is my way of returning the favor."

"Duh- Do you really mean that?" Laki stuttered while gritting her teeth from the flattering compliment.

"I would rather die before I take back what I said," Natsu responded with complete seriousness before an embarrassed expression began to creep upon his face, "And for what it's worth, Kagura is busy outside the guild hall working part time at the academy. That's why I never planned on asking her to join the team."

The eight other guild members began to chuckle at their Guild Master's antics, "In that case," Jet paused for Droy to sport a confident smile on his face before speaking for the two of them, "We can't keep dwelling in the past forever. If you've shown us anything over the past five years you've been our Guild Master, it's that we have to accept whatever happens in our lives and use that as motivation to move down the path we're led. We're now in this together as members of Team Natsu: BOTH OF US!" They confidently chanted in unison while clarifying their decision.

Reedus nodded his head in agreement with the two former Team Shadow Gear members. "Oui! If you think the eight of us would fit on your team, we'd be crazy to pass up an opportunity like this!"

Nab and Vijeeter stood up from their respective seats and began to celebrate by displaying an elaborate set of dance moves. "Nab gets promoted to S-Class AND granted a spot on Team Natsu? I'm jealous of how much he's been able to accomplish without me!" Vijeeter playfully joked with his partner.

Warren and Laki hugged each other in anticipation of such a life changing offer and laughed at Nab's and Vijeeter's reaction. "I can't believe this! We're actually going to be members of Team Natsu!"

After a few moments of registering the reactions of the eight mages, Natsu's black eyes began to gloss over as tears began to well up inside of his eye sockets. He did not even attempt to hide his lack of composure as he wiped his eyes from the sheer respect and support he was rallying.

"Master Natsu? What's wrong?" Warren broke the comfortable silence to comfort his Guild Master.

Natsu laughed and dismissed his tears of happiness. "Don't worry about it. It's just that it feels good to finally be back on a team, and I even thought of the perfect way to celebrate!"

Without hesitation, Natsu averted his gaze from the other mages and began rummaging through the drawer on the side for a blank Lacrima. After resting his gaze on the crystal orb, he immediately retracted it and placed it on the desk facing the other guild members. He proceeded to stand up from his plush office chair and scampered behind the seats they were resting in. All the while, he paid no mind to their clueless expressions tracing his body. As the mages looked over their shoulders, they were met with Natsu flashing them a toothy grin from behind while gesturing for them to inch closer to where he was kneeling against the office floor. "C'mon! What better way to capture the moment than with a photo?"

Laki blushed intensely while comically trying to separate herself from the group. "WAIT! I HAVEN'T EVEN MADE MYSELF PRESENTABLE!" She frantically declined the offer while attempting to cover her face.

Warren grabbed Laki by her arm and deviously grinned while forcefully lowering her hands. "Oh, no you don't. You heard our Guild Master. We're on a team now, so we're in everything together. You'd better get used to it!"

After a few moments of erratic chaos between the nine guild members, the Lacrima was momentarily illuminated in a bright white aura. Natsu stood up from the floor and bolted back towards the Lacrima to eye the image displayed by the crystal from the other side of his desk.

Warren and Laki were positioned in the middle of the image. The two of them weren't even staring at the camera; they were attempting to tease and defend the other, respectively. Jet and Droy were sitting beside Laki and both of them were attempting to shove her back towards Warren as she was about to fall out of her chair and onto their laps. Nab and Vijeeter had managed to separate themselves from their chairs mere moments before the image was captured, and they sported the most ridiculous dance poses imaginable. All the while, Eiji and Reedus had their heads lowered in embarrassment from the scene the rest of the mages were displaying.

And then there was Natsu. He was the only one who attempted to strike a meaningful pose for the Lacrima, and even still, his eyes were bolted open and he sported the most terrifying smile possible.

"Well… I don't have any more Lacrimas, so I guess this is gonna have to do." Natsu sheepishly rubbed his head while lowering the Lacrima back into its original drawer: right on top of Reedus's sketch commemorating Natsu's and Kagura's relationship by portraying them resting on their bed.

Laki fumed at her Guild Master's actions while attempting to catch a glimpse of the image. "Oh, c'mon! After all that mess we went through, you're just gonna put it back without showing any of us?"

Natsu began to shiver just from the thought of considering Laki's reaction to the Lacrima. "Errr… It's for the best if you don't see how it turned out," He paused to reassure the other guild members silently agreeing with her, "Anyway, I didn't really have anything I wanted to go over with y'all. I'm sure Kinana's done preparing breakfast for you guys, so you're welcome to head back down and enjoy the rest of your morning!"

Warren immediately bolted from his seat, threw his head towards the ceiling, and clenched his fists in joy. "I can't wait to see what Kinana's whipping up for us! I'm getting there before it gets cold, you guys can fool around all you want."

"Whatever happened to chivalry and 'ladies first?' You men are all the same." Laki gritted her teeth in frustration. Just before the group was prepared to make a mad dash out of the office and towards the main floor of the guild hall, Nab turned around in hopes of discussing the last thought plaguing his mind with his Guild Master. "Hold on, guys. I think you're forgetting one more thing."

"Ugh… What is it?" The seven guild members groaned in unison.

Nab diverted his attention back towards Natsu's welcoming gaze.

"What's up, Nab?" Natsu responded.

Nab paused to word his response in the most delicate way possible. "Now that we're all on the same page with what went down at that Dark Guild, Reedus told us that you had a plan to get ahead of Acnologia. We didn't want to bring it up with you because we wanted to give you all the space you need to come up with a pan, but since we're on the same team now, we just want you to know that we also want to be there to support-"

Before Nab could continue, Natsu interrupted his newest team member by holding up a hand. "Don't worry, guys. I got into contact with someone the other night who gave us some info on Lumen Histoire. Even though Redus told me about how worried you guys were about Acnologia's plan, thank you for giving me some time to gather my thoughts together," He paused to flash them a reassuring smile, "That just goes to show that I made the right decision with the new Team Natsu members. I'll be sure to let you guys know once I get a plan in motion."

Jet and Droy shrugged in unison while accepting Natsu's response. "Alright, now that we're all on the same page, let's get back to the guild hall, so we can get this party rolling!"

---

Scene Change – Fairy Tail Bathhouse, a few hours later

The late afternoon sun comfortably rested above the Fairy Tail Guild hall, and many of the guild members had opted to top their days off with a visit to the recently renovated bathhouse. The bathhouse rested on both sides of the mineral pool across the balustrade leading to the Guild Master's office, and each side was separated according to gender.

"Soooo… Now that you were invited to join Master Natsu's team, how do you think you'll like spending time with all those boys?" Bisca swooned while her voice echoed off the stone walls. She was currently washing her body in a separate fountain off to the side. Although her back was turned to the central bath, where the majority of the other females were bathing, she managed to glance over her shoulder to gauge Laki's reaction.

The purple haired Maker Mage fumed and retorted. "WHAT?! I KNOW I'M THE ONLY GIRL ON THE TEAM, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

"Sureeeeeeeee," Bisca teased with her sly persona, "But, seriously… How did training Nab go?"

Laki paused to lay a finger on her bottom lip. "Well, since Master Natsu was the first person to make us the offer, I'm sure it's because he liked how well we worked together as a group."

"Aaaaannnndddd…? What do you think about his decision?"

"What I'm trying to say is that this new Team Natsu might even be stronger than the old one," Laki spoke in a low tone.

Two of the three other females in the bathhouse widened their eyes in disbelief. "You mean… You think this Team Natsu is even stronger than the one with Erza and Gray?" Bisca added.

"Isn't that what she JUST said," Kinana deadpanned, "But, we HAVE been training the past few years they went missing, so it isn't too hard to believe," She provided her input from the opposite side of the bathhouse.

Laki nodded in agreement. "Ummhmm. Our synergy is freaking unbelievable, so it makes sense we'd one day get to the point where we pass them in terms of strength," She paused to sport an impressed expression, "I have to say, I know Master Natsu is an incredible fighter and all, but I can't believe how much thought he put into our team member. We all cover our weaknesses in one way or another, so it all makes sense why he asked the eight of us in specific to help train Nab."

Sayuki, the only person confused by Laki's revelation, hummed while playing with her brown hair, "I still think everyone here is joking with me. You're telling me Master Natsu Dragneel founded a team?" She proceeded to lift her arms out of the water and lay them on the cold stone edge of the bath. All the while, she continued to use the steaming veil of water to hide the majority of her body.

Kinana snapped her finger and responded to Sayuki's skepticism. "That's right! We keep forgetting you haven't been around Fairy Tail for as long as we have," The barmaid released a giggle, "But, yes. Master Natsu actually founded a team. Since you're a huge fan of his fighting style and everything, you can probably imagine he's always been more suited for being an independent mage more than him being a member of a team. And, for the longest time, he WAS an independent mage."

"HAH! I knew it!" Sayuki deviously smirked before immediately cocking her head in confusion. "Then… What changed?"

The other three females in the bathhouse sported a bittersweet smile from reminiscing the catalyst their Guild Master used to found Team Natsu. After a few moments, all three of them chanted a single name in unison. "Lucy."

Sayuki sweatdropped from the foreign name she was provided. "Who now?"

Bisca began to clarify for the Maker Mage. "Master Natsu used to be an independent mage, but that changed a few months before the Tenrou Group disappeared. Long story short, Lucy was Master Natsu's newest friend, and the two of them were practically inseparable. Wherever Master Natsu went, he would drag Happy and Lucy along with him. It got to a point where they got into so much trouble that Master Makarov had to send the only two active mages at the time who were powerful enough to stop him from stealing an S-Class quest off the Job Board."

"Gray and Erza," Sayuki whispered, "I heard rumors about what went down on Galuna Island."

Bisca nodded in agreement. "You've got it; the rest is history. The five of them went down as being founders of one of the most powerful teams on Earthland."

"5 of them? I guess Wendy and Carla are stories for another time." Laki jokingly chimed in.

"You of all people should know that we'd be here all day if we talked about those two." Bisca deadpanned.

Sayuki accepted Bisca's response and began to project her thoughts out loud. "Y'know, I used to look up to Gray and Erza, so I still remember a good bit about them! I know that Erza used to be an S-Class mage, and Gray was nominated for the S-Class Examinations, but were the two of them really powerful enough to stand up to Master Natsu?" Sayuki's eyes widened in horror just from considering the sheer power Erza and Gray would share if it meant contesting their Guild Master's magical potential.

Laki laughed. "You're forgetting that was at a time where Natsu didn't force us to train every day. He was a lot less powerful back then. I'd personally say Erza and Gray were around the same power as him when we first started training for the Magic Coalition," She paused to confidently reassure her," But, to answer your question, they were still forces to be reckoned with. I'd go as far as saying that the three of them were practically considered monsters back then."

"Now, back to this 'Lucy girl,'" Sayuki paused to protectively narrow her gaze, "Even if they were close friends, she KNOWS that Master Natsu already has a girlfriend… Right?"

Bisca began to laugh at how defensive Sayuki had become. "I'm not sure about THAT, but she was probably aware that Natsu was too dense at the time for anything to happen between the two of them. Hell, the same can be said about him and Kagura at times," It was then that the green haired mage cocked her head in concern and spoke to Sayuki. "Sayuki, can I ask you something?"

"What's up?"

Hesitation tinted Bisca's voice before she delivered her question. "Do you have a crush on Master Natsu?"

Kinana was the first to dart her head upwards as she began to sink in the water from overhearing the conversation shift towards romantic feelings for their Guild Master. This was a topic she was all too familiar with.

Similarly, an embarrassing blush crept upon Sayuki's face as she began to frantically wave her hands. "Wwwhhhhaaaaaaatttt?! What made you think that? Did you forget I have a boyfriend or something?"

"That doesn't mean you can't have a celebrity crush," Bisca wagged her index winger and teased the Fire Make Mage before adopting a more serious persona, "But, seriously, I know you're a huge fan of him and everything, and you talk about him all the time, so that's where I got the assumption from. I thought that you started dating Eiji because… Well… He's similar to Master Natsu, and since he's already dating Kagura, I was thinking those were the traits you saw in Eiji and where why you decided to go out with him."

Sayuki began to sport a meek smile. "Don't get me wrong… I love Master Natsu, but not in the way you guys probably think. Plus, the reasons I'm dating Eiji are completely different from the reasons why I look up to Master Natsu, so I'm not using Eiji as a way to make up for not being 'the girl' for Master Natsu."

"I promise I didn't mean for that to sound rude. I was genuinely curious," Bisca laughed at Sayuki's response before continuing, "But are you comfortable with sharing what those reasons are?"

Sayuki smiled. "When I first met Eiji, I saw some jerk who insulted Fairy Tail at the Magic Coalition. But, after seeing how much he changed and supported how much Master Natsu wanted to divert attention to guild members, I realized that's a trait I wanted in a partner: someone willing to accept change."

"That doesn't sound TOO different from Master Natsu."

"You have a point, but when I think of Master Natsu, change isn't the first thing I think of first. When I think of Master Natsu, I think of the person who encouraged me to join Fairy Tail."

"Was there anything in specific about Master Natsu that motivated you to become a fan of our guild?"

Sayuki's welcoming smile began to turn into a bittersweet expression as she sighed to herself.

Bisca reassured her by sweetly speaking. "Hun, we don't have to continue talking about it if you don't want. I know I like to tease y'all, but it isn't any of my business to butt into your personal life all of a sudden. Fairy Tail mages have the habit of doing that at times."

Sayuki shook her head. "Nononono… I promise that I'm fine. It's just that there IS something specific about Master Natsu that encouraged me to look up to him and join Fairy Tail. It's what I'm thinking about right now, and to this day, it's something I still hold dear to me."

---

Scene Change – Magnolia Town, Seven Years Ago (X782)

The frustrated whispers of a man resounded throughout the hallway he was standing in as his voice was projected towards his wife. "I just don't understand what's so important about someone she's never even spoken to! We do everything for her, Jasmine; we get her nice clothes, we put food on the table, and we even buy her figurines from that freaking guild of hers! After everything we do for her, she still locks herself in her room because she cares about those monkeys more than she does her damn parents! Are you kidding me?!" Just from eyeing his composure, the man was struggling to keep his voice down through his clenched teeth.

"HONEY, you KNOW it's not like that! Sayuki loves us." Jasmine hissed in a low tone while revealing the name of their daughter.

"Then why don't I ever hear that from her? The one time I try to be here and THIS is how she shows her appreciation?"

Jasmine lightly clenched her fists and lowered her gaze, causing a dark shadow to cascade over her facial expression. "Yuh- you work all day and take every overtime shift that's thrown your wuh-"

The man immediately pointed down towards the floor they were standing on a short distance outside Sayuki's room, "So we can stand here in this nice house TOGETHER," He completed her statement in his own words.

"And you expect that to make up for the fact that your daughter never sees you? What else is she supposed to turn to, other than Fairy Tail, when her father hasn't attempted to see her face in weeks?"

"She could turn to her mother, or she could try to understand the position I'm placed in at times?"

Jasmine groaned. "All you talk about is her not understanding how much you work, but do you EVER take a moment to consider how she feels? Life… Isn't… All… About… You…" The woman began to desperately pant for some form of dominance. She was growing lightheaded from how quiet they needed to keep their conversation out of fear of their daughter overhearing.

It was at that point the husband inhaled deeply before releasing a heavy sigh. The amount he was berated by his wife had now forced him to lose all interest in their argument. "You know what? Maybe you're right… I'll never be able to understand her. And, as far as care, that's the best thing for this family," He paused to grab his briefcase resting on the other side of the hallway, "I'm going back to work."

"Huh- Honey… It's nearly evenuh-" The woman proceeded to slowly approach her husband, but she was never allowed to finish speaking to him.

It was because man gritted his teeth while holding up his hand, halting his wife's advance and snapping her back to reality. "It's the one place I care about right now."

It was at that moment, Jasmine's heart cracked. The woman slowly began to backpedal towards the door leading to her daughter's room in a trance-like state. She helplessly slumped her body against the doorframe as she heard her husband exit their house without another word spoken. After a few moments of needing to collect her composure from the insensitive comment her husband delivered to her, she brought herself to knock on Sayuki's door before reluctantly parting it from the doorframe.

As Jasmine entered her daughter's room, she didn't bother turning on the lights. She was well aware of the state Sayuki was in from the events that unfolded earlier that day. Without giving Sayuki time to react to her presence, she began to project her voice towards the bed her daughter was sprawled on. "Sweetheart, I just wanted you to know that I heard about what happened to Lisanna. I'm… Sorry…"

"Dad's gone back to work, I guess," Sayuki choked through her tears, completely ignoring the fact that her mother had reminded her of Lisanna's supposed passing earlier that day.

Jasmine widened her eyes while planting herself on Sayuki's bedside. "Yuh- You heard what we talked about?"

"Ummhmm," Sayuki mumbled as her head was nestled into her pillow, "I see Fairy Tail around their guild hall more than I see dad, and he expects me to show him more affection?" She pathetically scoffed while helplessly chuckling. "For someone who gets angry when I care for people I don't even speak to, I guess he hasn't gotten a chance to look in the mirror lately."

"Sayuki, don't say that." Jasmine whimpered.

Sayuki managed to lift her head from her pillow only for her mother to catch a glimpse of the state she was in. Her dark eyes were glossed over as tears continued to cascade down her flushed cheeks. Her short, brown hair was unkempt, and her nose was running uncontrollably. "Mom… Could I just be left alone?"

Jasmine flinched at Sayuki's lack of composure as well as how blunt her response was, but she understood her daughter needed space. She reluctantly stood up from the bedside and approached the entrance to the room. Just before she closed the door behind her, Jasmine spoke in a caring tone, "I love you, and I'm here if you need me," Before leaving Sayuki to her thoughts.

Sayuki buried her head in her pillow and began to resume sobbing, but not for long. Now that her privacy was restored, she mustered the mental fortitude to separate herself from her bed, cross her legs together, and snap the fingers of her dominant hand. Without hesitation, a brilliant, red flame began to flicker in her extended palm.

After marveling at the array of embers softly crackling throughout the silence of the darkened room, Sayuki subtly averted her gaze towards her door. She ensured it was closed and that she had complete privacy before performing a stunning and marvelous feat with her magic.

The single flame in the palm of her hand began to adopt the shape of a searing grasp intertwining its fingers within hers. The flaming grasp transitioned into a muscular arm before forming the entire upper body of a rather lean man sitting before her in the same cross-legged fashion. The man sported a black waistcoat, white trousers, and black sandals. However, his most distinct features were his toothy grin and spiky, pink hair. Sayuki was well aware of this man's identity; it was an exact copy of Natsu conceived with her Fire Make Magic.

Sayuki's mouth quivered in sadness before she managed to reciprocate a similar toothy smile towards the copy of her lifelong idol. "In a few years, I'm gonna join Fairy Tail. I want to meet you for the first time because I know you won't be someone like my father. You're kind to your friends, you're always there for them when they need you, and you're someone who I want to say I've become when I die," She began to reminisce about her friends telling her about Lisanna passing away and quietly suppressed her flame, "One day, I'll get to show you how much you changed my life. I just know it."

---

Scene Change – Fairy Tail Bathhouse, Present Day Time

"It's great to finally have you around the guild hall, man," A comforting voice called out from the opposing gender's bathhouse, "You should really take a breather before you get back to clearing out those Dark Guilds."

The man being referred to, Eiji, chuckled before folding his hands behind his head and revealing the original voice's identity. "C'mon, Wakaba. You know the bills don't pay themselves."

"And all those Sorcerer Magazine photoshoots you pose for don't? Man, you have no IDEA what I would have done to have gotten into one of those photoshoots with Mirajane in it."

Eiji smirked at Wakaba's antics. "Y'know, Wakaba? If you weren't already married, I'd totally be open to you stopping by the studio every once in a while. I would have offered to introduce you to some of my coworkers. A lot of the girls don't get into relationships with other models because of all the added attention."

Wakaba groaned. "Shut up; don't remind me. A man can only dream at times!"

"Looks aren't everything in a partner. Your wife still loves you a lot!" Eiji attempted to comfort Wakaba.

"That's rich coming from someone who's dating a lass like Sayuki." Wakaba laughed.

"Alright, considering how I treated Fairy Tail at the Magic Coalition, I lucked out when I asked out Sayuki. I'm a pretty average-looking guy. I mean, aside from my magic, I'm nothing particularly special. I guess she really liked how much I managed to drop the whole asshole-to-Fairy-Tail persona when you guy convinced me to join. That should be enough to show you a good personality can get you somewhere in life!"

"Lucked out?!" Wakaba Scoffed, "More like used your life's luck on Sayuki! Her body is practically a spitting image of Mirajane's: even after all the years that passed since the Magic Coalition!"

The light banter continued between the group of men resting in the bathhouse. Another voice called out and used it as an opportunity to chime in to the conversation. "Hey, Eiji? Now that you've mentioned it, how did you learn Holy Devil Slayer Magic? I'm sure Romeo would love to know." Max inquired from a separate hot tub while gesturing towards the preteen bathing in a separate corner.

Eiji began to stroke his chin while providing Max with a response. "Well… It isn't the most interesting story ever, but if you guys really wanna hear it, I've got nothing better to do."

---

Scene Change – Twenty Years

"WUH- WAHHH... WAHHHHH!" The cries of a newborn resounded throughout the delivery room: piercing the ears of the doctor, nurses, and parents.

"That's what we love to hear: a nice, healthy cry." The primary delivery nurse cooed as she comforted the newborn in her arms.

Moments before the remaining staff could begin running diagnostics on the infant, the mother pleaded as she was barely managing to remain conscious from the energy sapped from her body. "Puh- Please… Let me see my baby."

The primary delivery nurse smiled while carefully lowering the newborn into the mother's arms. She then backed away from the bedside and leaned towards the doctor as she began to whisper into his ear. The doctor's warm smile dissipated into an intriguing expression from the Nurse's words. After whispering a set of instructions for her to follow, the doctor parted from the Nurse and approached the mother's bedside.

"Excuse me, miss Morita. I understand this must be sudden for you, but the other Nurses and I still need to run a few diagnostics on your son just to confirm he's healthy."

The mother reluctantly nodded and transferred her son to the doctor. The doctor carefully lowered the newborn into an incubator resting next to the bed before wheeling the device out of the room with the primary delivery nurse scurrying at the side.

A few hours had already managed to pass, at least, that's what it felt like to the mother, and it was because she was worried beyond relief. Her husband had attempted to persuade the hospital staff to allow him to check on the newborn for peace of mind, but it was against policy.

Over the period, she continued to drift in and out of consciousness from the toll the labor took on her body, but she eventually managed to remain somewhat responsive if it meant being able to hold her son again as soon as possible.

"Shuh- Should it be taking this long?" The mother brought herself to ask one of the other delivery nurses. Up until then, none of the other nurses had opted to bother the mother, fearing it would bear her with unneeded stress.

The nurse tending to the equipment sported a reassuring smile and provided the mother with a reassuring response. "Don't worry, I'm sure your child is perfectly healthy. It was just that… When the other nurse was holding him in her arms, something felt off."

"Off?" The mother grew anxious.

"I'm sure the doctor could explain it better once he finalizes the resuh-"

Just before the nurse was able to reassure the mother, the doctor entered the delivery room with the primary delivery nurse wheeling the newborn baby resting in the incubator.

"Uh- I still don't believe it." The doctor unknowingly interrupted the nurse as his eyes rapidly scoured the series of complicated forms he was holding.

"What is it?" One of the other nurses called out.

"Our primary delivery nurse's suspicions were right; in all my years of being a doctor, I can assure you that this should not be possible under our current understanding of Entropy."

"Uh- Is my son alright?" The mother began to raise her voice, fearing for her son's life.

The doctor smiled and laid a comforting hand on her blanket. "Miss Morita? Your son is more than fine," He paused for dramatic effect, "In all the literature I have reviewed over the years, not once have I heard of a human who could use magic from birth."

A few moments of silence encompassed the delivery room, prompting the mother to speak in sheer ecstasy. "Muh- My son is a wizard?"

"Not just ANY wizard. From what I can determine from his test results, he's been capable of harnessing Ethernano the moment he left your body."

"Suh- so my son won't grow up like a normal child?"

The doctor scratched his head, "While it is unusual for a newborn to tap into Ethernano, from what I can tell, it has no adverse effects on him, but there's no way we'll ever be able to confirm that with what little research we have on this topic," The doctor paused to slide the mother a manila folder housing the files he was originally scanning.

"What is this?" She asked while growing restless again.

"Those are the extra tests we conducted, and the one I wanted to show you is PCR. We tested a single sequence of your son's DNA and replicated it billions of times to confirm my suspicions, and they were all true. Your son's genome appears to have a mutation that seems to be beneficial in his ability to harness Ethernano. That's why he's able to use magic the moment you gave birth to him."

"But magic can only help him, right?"

"Magic itself won't do any harm, but I can't say the same about the mutation. If he's able to use magic because of it, I see no reason why he shouldn't."

The mother began to tear up in happiness as her husband clasped her hand from the other side of the bed. "Did you hear that, sweetheart? Our son's a Wizard!" The husband exclaimed.

The doctor smiled and interrupted the couple for the final time. "I see you two have a lot to celebrate. If you're interested, I'm more than happy to send you home with all the books and literature we have on practicing magic," The doctor paused to sheepishly rub his head, "Of course, it's not meant for infants, but it just might give him the edge he needs to become a fantastic Wizard when he grows up."

As the father scooped his newborn son from the incubator and handed him towards the mother, she sported the most heartwarming smile on her face as she whispered a single word. "Eiji."

"Excuse me?" The Doctor continued.

"It means 'great.' That's what I want his name to be because when he grows up, I want him to become an amazing Wizard."

---

Scene Change – Present Day Time

"Aannnndddd… That's it." Eiji's words nonchalantly broke the following silence.

"Wow. Who would have guessed? You were LITERALLY born with talent." Wakaba remarked while folding his hands behind his head.

"I guess," Eiji sighed, "I still don't think I'm particularly special. I don't work nearly hard as someone like Master Natsu. Most of what I'm capable of doing is because of my mother's support."

Wakaba laughed. "C'mon, Eiji. Being gifted isn't anything to be ashamed about. You still work your ass off to take down Dark Guilds and be a member of Fairy Tail. I mean, I've been alive a long time and I've never even heard of someone who could use magic from birth! I think that's badass!"

Eiji brought his knees to his chest, "I suppose," He spoke in a completely uninterested tone.

Eiji's response didn't go unnoticed by other men bathing with him. Modesty was one thing, but from Eiji's reaction, it was almost as if the young man was completely uninterested in their conversation. Wakaba used it as an opportunity to address the one concern on everyone's mind. "Eiji, could I ask you a question?"

"Shoot it."

Wakaba cocked his head in confusion "You didn't seem that interested when we asked you about how you became a Wizard. It got me thinking… Do you want to be a Wizard because it's your passion, or is it because you feel pressured by your mother to live up to her expectation?"

A deathly silence enveloped the room. Eiji's concentration was masked by the question that even he had no response for. He lifted his body from the bathtub: not even aware he was no longer hiding his shame. He proceeded to speak in a monotone void of emotion. "Uh- It's getting late. I think I should be getting home."

Eiji briskly tossed on his bathrobe before power walking towards the far corner of the bathhouse. He gathered his belongings and used the cover provided by the veil of steam to exit the bathhouse before anyone was able to deliver some sort of response.

Macao immediately facepalmed the moment the veil of steam had returned: indicating that the entrance had closed. "What the hell was that, man? The one time we get to speak to him, and you find a way to make him leave? This was supposed to be about Romeo getting to speak to another badass mage that ISN'T Master Natsu for once."

Wakaba groaned. "Oh, c'mon! We were all thinking about it. It's in Fairy Tail's nature to ask each other personal questions. Why do I gotta be the one to take the blame just because I had the balls to ask?"

"Just because most of us are used to asking each other personal questions doesn't mean that we all are. It was still insensitive to ask him that out of nowhere."

Wakaba hesitated for a minute before rising out of the water and covering his lower body with a spare towel. "Ugh, fine. I doubt I'm gonna be able to catch up to him. Does anyone here know where the kid lives?"

---

The guild hall had long emptied for the day, and Macao found his way over to the bar. He noticed that Natsu had already made himself comfortable by helping himself to a glass of water.

Macao planted himself in an adjacent barstool and acknowledged his Guild Master's presence by extending his hand over the bar's countertop and towards an elaborate flask containing his favorite alcohol. Just as he was prepared to grab it, his fingers were prevented from wrapping around the flask as Natsu lightly slapped his wrist. "We're here to talk about guild matters. I don't need you getting tipsy."

Macao rolled his eyes and held his hands up in defense. "Alright, the bathhouses are clear, and everyone has gone home for the day. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Natsu responded by downing the remainder of his water. He rested his empty cup on the bar's countertop before separating himself from the stool and gesturing for his advisor to follow him towards the stairwell. "Follow me to the basement. There's something I want you to check out with me."

The duo navigated the guild's floor and jogged down the massive staircase towards the basement. As they exited the stairwell, their gazes were met with an assortment of games and leisure activities spanning the entire room for the guild hall's enjoyment and pleasure.

Natsu continued through the arched atrium and towards the center of the room, navigating through the seemingly endless ocean of attractions. Macao followed closely behind him and cock his eyebrow in confusion, prompting him to place his hands on his hips and sigh. "I thought we were gonna check out the infirmary… But this is just the game room: the same one we renovated a few years ago."

Natsu shook his head. "I know, I know. I'm looking for something specific." His eyes scoured the many different attractions while rapping the fingers of his dominant hand against his folded arms.

"Well… We can play Billiards. AFTER I get my drink."

"I'm not here to play any games," Natsu paused to extend his palm towards Macao, "And you're not here to get drunk. Now, give me your Purple Flare."

Macao was utterly confused at this point. "That doesn't sound like progressive rummy."

Natsu groaned. "Yo, Old Man?! I'm not here to play any games! Just give me your magic."

"Fine," Macao groaned while engulfing his hand in an array of purple flames, "Why the hell can't you just use your own?"

Natsu momentarily clasped his hand with Macao's: long enough to transfer the magic between the two mages. The Fairy Tail Guild Master proceeded to encase his hand in the darkened flames while beginning to sport a devilish smile. "Because my magic can't do this," He paused to show Macao that, during the past few moments, he had slowly conjured the flames into a massive hammer.

"Muh- Master Natsu? What do you plan on doing with that?"

Without hesitating a moment longer, Natsu transferred the weight of his lean body to his rear foot. He then lurched his body forward and brought the hammer's head down towards the center of the room without remorse. "Shh- TTTEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW!" The ear-piercing sound of its impact echoed throughout the guild hall, causing Macao to cringe as the games towards the center of the cataclysm were launched in all directions.

A massive cloud of dust erupted from the tile beneath them: shattering into countless fragments and forcing Macao to close his eyes through his violent coughs. Just as the soot began to settle in the wake of the destruction, Macao's face began to adopt an enraged expression as he clenched his teeth in disbelief. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! WE JUST RENOVATED THIS DAMN PLACE NOT TOO LONG AGO." Macao roared while removing his hands from his ears.

Natsu reflexively clasped his ears from Macao's piercing voice disturbing his enhanced hearing, causing the hammer he created to dissipate into the air around them. "Calm down, would you? I promise that It'll come out of my pocket and not the Guild Hall's," He began to divert his attention to the webbed cracks beneath them, "Besides… I wouldn't have done that if I didn't have a damn good reason."

Macao remained silent in bewilderment. There were no words he could use to describe the display his Guild Master had attempted to show him.

After a few seconds of silence and adjusting to his surroundings, Natsu's ears twitched as his enhanced hearing identified the sound of rubble cascading from somewhere nearby. "Do you hear that?" He proceeded to cup his ear with his dominant hand.

Macao slowly nodded, "Uh- I think? It sounds like rubble," He paused to scour the entire game room in confusion, "But I don't see any places where any looser dust or soot can fall from."

Natsu furrowed his gaze around the room before his eyes widened in realization, "That's because it's not coming from the room," He paused to gesture beneath them, "It's coming from below us."

Natsu immediately retracted the hilt of his lifeless sword from his pocket and proceeded to form its blade using a considerable amount of his Dragon Slayer Magic. The cross-section of the hilt adorned by a pair of Dragon Eyes began to flare up as Natsu's magic erupted through the handguard and forged the blade of his sword.

He slowly kneeled towards the fragmented tile beneath him and wedged the thin blade into the cracks. Piece by piece he manually removed the pieces around the hammer's impact, caring as to not cut his hand. As he carefully removed the remainder of the shattered tile from the floor, he stood up and marveled what to be the outer foundation of a massive, cylindrical stairwell.

Natsu's jaw went slack at the sight before him as his eyes scoured the rubble coating the stairs. He spoke out loud without averting his gaze for even a moment. "How did the construction workers overlook this while they were renovating the basement?"

Macao casually shrugged, "What do you mean? They DID notice it. Since I was managing over the construction at the time, they told me about the stairwell, and I dismissed it as being another secret entrance of some sorts to Raven Tail's headquarters beneath Lake Sciliora."

Natsu facepalmed. "And you didn't bother to go down there OR check with Lahar or Mest to see if it's an entrance that we already know about?"

Macao childishly argued. "Yeah? What else am I supposed to say! I thought you already knew about this!"

"Macao, as ironic as this might have sounded five years ago," Natsu paused for dramatic effect, "You're an idiot."

Macao laughed. "Look who's talking!"

"Well… If neither of us knows what's down there," Natsu paused to raise his sword in front of him, "We should be on our toes."

Natsu subtly nudged towards the darkened steps before slowly leading Macao down the massive stairwell and into the depths of the Fairy Tail Guild hall. The foundation was completed with dark stone, and the stairwell was dimly lit by artificial light from the main guild hall. The duo carefully placed one foot after another, uncertain as to the integrity of the lower floor.

As they exited the cylindrical stairwell, they were met with a hallway consisting of high arched supports hanging above them. A series of spaced torches provided the path with enough light for anyone to approach the massive double doors resting towards the other end.

"Someone's been here recently," Macao noted in uncertainty, "There's no way those torches have been burning for all these years."

"Or," Natsu began to squint his eyes towards the door in the distance, "They're powered by magic. Someone's been living down here in our basement, and they just might be a mage."

As the duo continued down the hallway, Macao was the first to observe the set of double doors. His eyes scoured their complex designs as well as the circular handles that were chanting an invitation to him. Just as his Guild Master was prepared to approach the doors, Macao grabbed his arm in a single, swift motion to prevent him from traversing the remaining portion of the hallway. "Wait… What if something dangerous is on the other side?" His voice shook with uncertainty.

Natsu comically rolled his eyes. "Macao, if you've ever dopped Erza's strawberry cheesecake, you'd know nothing is more dangerous than that. "

"Point made," Macao released a small chuckle before providing Natsu with a recommendation, "But if there might be a mage on the other side who's gonna attack us, how about we use the best element we got?"

Natsu cocked his head. "What would that be?"

"Oh, you know, Master Natsu." Macao smirked while adopting an offensive stance.

After taking a few moments to register what his Advisor was referring to, Natsu reciprocated the smirk, "Now I've got a fire in my belly," He confidently chuckled. Natsu immediately flared up his Fire Dragon Slayer magic, causing a golden aura of flames to erupt from his core. A layer of draconic scales began to plate his skin which protected his body from the intensity of his magic. The blade of his sword changed from a blazing red to a pure yellow, forcing Macao to hide behind his Guild Master's body as it was the only entity resilient enough to shield him from the unfathomable heat.

"Uhhhhh, you can take it from here." Macao sheepishly croaked. Whatever would happen next, he knew his Guild Master would give it a run for its money.

Without a moment to spare, Natsu lowered his sword at his side to give his body a burst of momentum towards the entrance, not caring if the sound of his ghostly flames revealed their presence. In the blink of an eye, he was upon the door. Natsu lifted his foot above his waist and thrust it against the door with sheer might, causing them to hurl open with a gale of wind. "Shh- DOOM!" The sound of the doors resounded throughout the lower levels of the Fairy Tail Guild hall.

Natsu began to comically roar as he outlandishly revealed his presence, "Knock, knock motherfuh-" but was interrupted before he could continue. Natsu was instantly frozen in place before he could finish speaking. The golden flames encasing his body dissipated without a trace: so fast that it was as if the essence of life was sapped from his body. The draconic scales plating his body instantly seeped back into Natsu's skin, and his jaw went slack. His fingers that were once firmly wrapped around his sword's hilt began to tremble before releasing their grip.

"Ctlang- Ctlang… Ctlang…" The hilt of his sword resounded as it fumbled against the ground after tipping from Natsu's fingers.

Macao reluctantly peered through the cloud of dissipating dust in the background and immediately sported a similar facial expression from the sight before them.

The dust in the room settled almost immediately due to the torrent of wind being generated from Natsu's entrance, revealing the life-changing scene for them to view. In front of the two mages was a massive crystal with what appeared to be the body of an adolescent girl encased within it.

"Warrod was right," Natsu managed to gasp, "Uh- I had my doubts, but now that I've seen it for myself, this changes everything."

"Muh- Master Natsu?" Macao trembled, "What the hell do you know that I don't?"

"This is Fairy Tail's most powerful weapon: Fairy Heart... It's a crystalline Lacrima containing the body of Fairy Tail's first Guild Master, and it's known to Ivan Dreyar as Lumen Histoire."

---

A few minutes had passed between the duo since they returned to the empty bar, but it felt like an eternity to them. The awkward silence between the two men was so maddening that Natsu took the initiative of breaking it for them. "You made sure to block off the stairwell to the game room until we get the hidden floor covered up… Right?

"I took care of it," Macao silently nodded while slouching in his barstool, "I remember when Kagura was captured by Ivan that one of the things he told her was that he was trying to gain access to Lumen Histoire to secure himself a life of power and luxury. How did you find where it was?"

Natsu began to rap his fingers against the bartop while explaining his reasoning to Macao. "Long story short, I decided to train Nab for S-Class missions by sending him with the other guild members to take down a Dark Guild that worships Ivan Dreyar and the Darkness. I thought it'd be a good way to get some info on him. It turns out… They had a run-in with Acnologia. Apparently, they suspect he's trying to also get to Ivan Dreyar to harness the Darkness. If Acnologia gets to the Darkness before Fairy tail does, he'll have enough power to kill Rebuke, get to me, and end the Dragon King Festival once and for all. I realized this is now a race; we need a way to get to Ivan Dreyar before Acnologia does," He paused to reassure his advisor, "Coincidentally, this all went down a few hours after my duel in Era: just a few hours after we met someone who'd be willing to help us."

"Who is it? Is it Kyoko?"

Natsu shook his head. "Warrod Sequen."

Macao widened his eyes. "One of the founding members of Fairy Tail! He's bound to know more about Ivan Dreyar and what Lumen Histoire is."

"You have no idea," Natsu rubbed his temples while resting his legs on his table, "If you really wanna know everything he told me, then make yourself comfy. You're about to hear one helluva story."

Natsu spent the next hour recalling the founding of Fairy Tail, its first Guild Master, Mavis Vermillion, the Contradictory Curse she was bound to, and the forbidden love between her and the darkest mage of all time. His hands went through many motions: depicting Zeref's childhood alongside his unnamed brother. Natsu even went as far as describing the consequence of Mavis loving Zeref, forcing Warrod and Precht to house her seemingly lifeless body inside of the Lacrima in their basement.

"From what I know, Mavis's body is stable. She's in no immediate danger. Precht was driven mad from the years he spent attempting to resurrect her body. You all know him as Hades: the Guild Master of Grimoire Heart. Zeref ended up killing him from the damage Acnologia ended up doing to Tenrou Island."

For a moment, Macao sported a look of absolute confusion. His eyebrows were cocked, and his mouth was agape. It was then he began to lightly snicker before outright laughing in amusement. "Haugh, Haugh, Haugh," He began to lightly slam the bar's countertop in disbelief as his eyes began to tear up in amusement, "I bet you stayed up all night after your duel in Era coming up with that story. I have to say, you almost make it sound believuh-" Macao was never able to finish. Just as he lifted his head to wipe his eyes, he locked gazes with Natsu sporting a completely neutral stare. Macao's eyes widened in disbelief as he lightly shook his head from observing his Guild Master's lack of a reaction. "Yuh- You're not joking?"

After a moment of silence, Natsu provided Macao with a single worded response, "No," His eyes were void of any amusement, and his body's tone was completely ambiguous. He was neither frustrated nor amused. He sported an expression as if he insisted that Macao consider how he would feel if their positions were currently swapped: only adding to the guilt beginning to flood the older gentleman's body.

Macao began to intently massage his head while forming an appropriate response. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you're not the same person from five years ago. For what it's worth, as long as that story was, it DOES help us out a ton. We owe Warrod more recognition than he knows."

"I agree," Natsu nodded, "At least we're now on the same page."

"So… We know what Lumen Histoire is, and we know why Ivan wants it, but how the hell does this help us get to him before Acnologia does?" Macao attempted to change the topic.

Natsu groaned. "Can we chill out with the questions? I can barely keep my own history straight none the less the history of the entire guild hall! I'm Fairy Tail's Guild Master: not a miracle worker. I'll think of something when the time comes," A short silence dawned upon the duo, and after a few moments, Natsu's eyes widened as he began to brainstorm to himself, "Nevermind… Maybe I am a miracle worker." He launched himself off the barstool he was resting in and began a beeline towards the staircase leading to his office.

"Where the hell are you going?" Macao questioned while wondering if he should make himself of use to his Guild Master.

After a few moments, Natsu gestured towards his office door on the upper floor of their guild hall. "We're going to my office. You're gonna want to hear this."

---

Macao leaned back in the chair on the opposite end of the desk. "Alright, what did you have in mind?" He extended his arm towards Natsu, awaiting some form of a response.

Natsu immediately flung open one of the side drawers to his desk and rummaged for both a piece of parchment and a Light Pen. "Let's start with the most important part," A long silence fell between the duo while Natsu scribbled on the blank sheet resting on his desk. After a few moments, he did something that caused Macao to begin stroking his stubble in confusion; Natsu winced as he briskly plucked a strand of pink hair from his head. He proceeded to unscrew the top of the pen, inserted the thin fiber into the ink, and screwed the top back in place. He then spent the same amount of time scribbling on the piece of parchment. After he finished, he held the parchment up to the side for both him and Macao to observe. "Alright, old man. Can you tell me what you see on here?"

Macao shrugged in complete confusion. "All I can read is 'My name is Macao.'"

Natsu sported a confident smile and slowly shook his head. "That's not what I see. On my end, the only words I can read are 'Natsu Dragneel is Fairy Tail's Guild Mater.'"

Macao slowly began to nod his head in realization. "I get it now. You plucked a piece of your hair, inserted it into the Light Pen's ink, and it displays-"

"Something only I can read," Natsu finished Macao's statement, "That way if I need an encrypted message for someone in specific, it won't attract unwanted attention from normal people who read it."

Natsu then proceeded to fold his hands on his desk and sit upright. "Keep that in mind for later. Now, let's go over the second piece of the plan. Let me start by asking you this; what happened to Laxus Dreyar?"

Macao winced upon hearing that name. "You know damn well, Master Natsu… He found his way onto Tenrou Island, and he vanished with the rest of our family.."

Natsu triumphantly smirked and tapped his head. "Ah, ah, ah… You're forgetting ONE key detail; Ivan Dreyar doesn't know that. All Ivan knows is that Laxus was excommunicated from the guild… Right after the Battle of Fairy Tail."

Macao slowly nodded his head in agreement. "How do the two pieces link together?"

"Let's say we write a job request with the normal ink from the light pen. It could be encrypted and have a message with zero meaning behind it. Anyone on Earthland who reads won't think twice about accepting it… Except for ONE person," Natsu reached over towards where Macao was sitting and plucked a piece of his hair out without his permission, causing the middle aged man to wince. After inserting the strand of hair into the pen's ink, he began to scribble for the same amount of time as he did previously. Natsu then held the parchment up to the side for Macao to view with him. "That person is Ivan Dreyar, and this is what he should read."

Macao peered blankly at the parchment and widened his eyes in absolute bewilderment. "'To my father, from your lost son:

Ever since my excommunication, I have taken the time to be guided on the correct path you envisioned. It is in your best interest to know that even though we may be apart, it is time I relinquish the key to the Heart,'" Macao paused to stroke his jawline, "Heart… Heart… Heart… "Macao recited the words and immediately snapped his finger, "You mean Lumen Histoire," He gasped.

Natsu nodded. "I purposely capitalized 'Heart.' It refers to one thing and one thing only, Lumen Histoire. If Ivan Dreyar were to read this, he would know that the only person who can be described as having been 'excommunicated' while holding possession over a 'key to the Heart' is-

"Laxus Dreyar!" Macao's voice quivered while standing up.

"Bingo."

"Muh- Master Natsu. You're a goddamn GENIUS!"

Natsu took a moment to relish the moment while intently tapping his desk. "Here's what we do. We get a lean man, let's say with yellow hair and a lot of Magic Potential, to wear a hood and visit guild halls every few months as a traveling mage with this flyer in his hands. If Ivan stumbles upon another job board in his life, this is what he'll be met with. Chances are that Ivan will bring this up with whoever manages job requests at the guild. He'll ask if he or she remembers who brought in the request, and the response he's given should be 'A hooded person with yellow hair and strong Magic Potential.'"

"Laxus…" Macao murmured.

Natsu nodded his head. "At that point, there's no doubt in my mind Ivan will get desperate, try to get into contact with Laxus, and fall for the bait," Natsu paused to eye Macao's dumbfounded expression, "No one will suspect a thing. A wizard as sinister and powerful as Ivan being able to 'decipher' the request shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, even if he hides his identity. It doesn't even matter if someone puts two and two together and figures out that the message is impossible to decipher and is directed towards Ivan because he's bound to dismiss it as Laxus trying to keep communication between the two of them confidential. He's just the type of Dark Mage to fall for desperation… Questions?"

Macao shook his head to snap himself out of the trace he was forced into. "Just a few. First, where are you going to get a piece of Ivan's hair from?"

Natsu paused to reopen the side drawer to his desk. He carefully pulled out the cracked half of Ivan's golden mask given to him by the Magic Council. He proceeded to pull a fiber of Ivan's facial hair from inside of it, spit it in half, and inserted a portion of it into the ink of the light pen. After safely securing the second half of the strand inside the desk's side drawer with the fractured mask, he wrote the same message, and this time, it remained invisible to both of the mages.

"The true message will be vague enough for Ivan to initially assume that anyone can read it, and even if the flyer ends up sitting there for years, Ivan has no reason to ask why guild members haven't traced this back to Fairy Tail. Even if the message contains words such as 'excommunication' and 'Heart," it has absolutely no concrete evidence a normal Wizard would have of Fairy Tail setting him up. Nobody else knows about Lumen Histoire except us. In fact, if he starts asking questions about whether or not other Wizards have traced the message back to Fairy Tail, HE'S gonna be the one that looks suspicious."

"Incredible," Macao whispered before diverting his concerns to the final questions plaguing his mind, "Where are we gonna find someone strong enough to pass off as Laxus Dreyar while looking just like him?"

Natsu sported one last confident smile and grandly gestured to the luxurious chair he sat in. "Just get me some yellow hair dye because I think we both know the answer to that one," He paused to adopt a more serious persona, "The two of us can polish the plan over the next few weeks, but the way I see it, I'll space out my visits to the other guild halls every few months as to not attract too much attention," Natsu paused to chuckle at the thought beginning to enter his mind, "Hell, I might even have to give Fairy Tail a visit in disguise. After all, we don't want ANY loose ends he can escape from."

"There's just one problem… Let's assume the absolute worst-case scenario you described. If Ivan approaches whoever manages the job board at the guild hall he visits, and they manage to put two and two together that there's a hidden message only he can read, where would this 'Laxus' have gotten a piece of Ivan's hair if they realize the writing has been tampered with?

"Who's to say Laxus only knows how to tamper with a Light Pen and no other forms of encryption?" Natsu smirked, "Even if Ivan somehow finds out that the Light Pen is the exact reason behind the message being encrypted, I learned from somewhere that a child inherits part of their genome from their parent. That should be just enough for Laxus to use his own strand of hair to tamper with it."

Macao began to sport the most hysterical of expressions on his face, and there was no better time than now to do so. Could the person he was speaking to even be considered a human?

Before Macao was able to respond, Natsu slammed his hands on his desk and stood up from his chair, startling Macao to inch backward into his seat. "All this time, I've been approaching these types of situations the wrong way. Look at Acnologia. Even after the three years I put those flyers up hoping for a lead, we still haven't gotten a word from anyone looking to help us. It's probably because no one WANTS to go out of their way," Natsu paused to thump the piece of parchment resting on his desk in rapid successions, "But this is what we needed. This isn't a race to get to Ivan first; this is a test to bait him into coming to us. And once we've done that, we've got what we need to face Acnologia," Natsu paused to stand up and confidently ball his dominant hand in a fist, "And make him his grave."

---

Thank you for your time!