Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.
Chapter 28: Reconciliation (X784)
Lucy loved Fairy Tail. She really did. It was her dream to join the world famous guild, and her wish had been granted. She had so many scary yet wonderful moments with her friends, and she wouldn't trade the last few months of her life for anything.
But sometimes, I wish I never met Natsu, she wailed in her mind, as the hotheaded dragon slayer was in the midst of covert discussions with Gray about how best to sneak out of Magnolia Town to find and save Cana and Mira. They had only just returned from a mission up in the north, coming way too close to where they had their frightening mission to fight Oración Seis. But evidently the trip hadn't doused the duo's enthusiasm for an unsanctioned journey to rescue their missing guild mates, and Lucy was inevitably dragged into the equation.
"C'mon, don't tell me you're s-scared of E-Erza!" Natsu hissed in a low whisper, his stutter betraying his true feelings on the matter.
Said crimson-haired mage was seated at another table, smiling in satisfaction as she sampled the wide array of confectionery laid out in front of her. Natsu, Gray and Lucy all chanced quick peeks at the Requip mage, hoping she didn't hear anything. Judging her sufficiently distracted by the red velvet cake she was currently savouring, the trio returned to the huddle.
"I say we wait past midnight before we try to leave," Gray muttered.
"And when they find us gone tomorrow, we'll be screwed!" Natsu replied heatedly, stunning Lucy with his insight. "I say we pick a mission and finish it real quick before we go find them!"
"Why do you even care about finishing the mission?" Lucy pointed out. "Won't that take up too much time?"
"Hey, it's a matter of responsibility!" Natsu argued, Gray folding his arms across his naked chest and nodding in agreement. "We took the mission, so we hafta complete it!"
Lucy blinked in shock at Natsu's surprising maturity. "So why didn't we sneak off to find them on the last mission?"
"The old man assigned the mission, and he knows roughly how long it would take. We wouldn't have the time to do much searching," Gray answered, glancing at a seemingly oblivious Makarov drinking happily at the bar with Gildarts. "Plus, I saw Erza leave town in the same direction we were going. She was obviously sent on a mission nearby to keep an eye on us. If we tried anything…"
All three mages and Happy shuddered in unison. Lucy shook her head to clear the fog of fear. "Master hasn't said anything about Cana and Mira, and he didn't send anyone to look for them. Surely if they are in trouble, Master will do something about it?"
"The old man has a big blind spot when it comes to Naruto, and we all know it," Gray retorted. "Just look at how broken Elfman is. He hasn't even talked about being manly since Mira disappeared! We've got to do something!"
Lucy had to grudgingly agree. Sighing, she let Gray and Natsu continue making plans as Happy interjected with unhelpful comments, the blonde letting her mind wander. It had been more than a week since the two women had vanished without a trace, and while she remembered Makarov being quite strict about having no one help Macao when he didn't return from his mission, this was a different matter. But he seemed wholly unconcerned, which hinted to Lucy that he probably knew where they were.
If he did, he could've just saved me all the trouble and told the knuckleheads, Lucy bemoaned in her head. I bet they must be with Naruto. There's no way his sister and his girlfriend will both disappear together if they weren't going to look for him! Why do they wanna find him though? Are they planning to leave Fairy Tail and joining him instead? Or did he really kidnap them?
Lucy smiled sadly as the thought of her estrangement from her family flashed though her mind, before pushing the awkward memories aside. She stared fondly at the trio she was seated with, wondering if they would join her if she went rogue.
I can't say I'm not a little jealous of Mira though, the blonde mage sighed forlornly, cupping her face with her hands. I wish I had a relationship like hers, even if Naruto is kinda scary. She's so obviously in love, with the way she went bonkers at Gray. I wonder if I'll ever find a guy who will elope with me? That would be so romantic!
A finger snapped in front of her face, drawing her out of her reverie. Gray and Natsu pinned her with serious eyes, the former retracting his hand. "Hey Lucy, focus! We're going to leave tomorrow, so remember to pack all the things you need tonight!"
"Can I not go?" the Celestial Spirit mage whined.
"Didn't you say your Celestial Ghosts can do loads of stuff?" Natsu cajoled. "What if we need your help?"
"If you're going to ask for my help, at least get their names right! It's Celestial Spirits!" Lucy groaned. "Fine, I'll come along. You two better not be thinking of fighting though! This is a rescue mission, not a revenge mission!"
"We'll fight him only if we have to," Gray conceded, before punching his palm. "But if he did kidnap Cana and Mira, he has a ton to answer for."
A hand rose behind Gray's head, and before Lucy could warn the Ice Make mage, it smacked the black-haired man. The hand proceeded to stretch further, thwacking Natsu and Happy's craniums too. Lucy got a lewd pinch to her butt before the hand shrunk back to its original length. Makarov hopped off his barstool, a disapproving look on his aged features. He strolled over to the group, meeting Gray and Natsu's defiant glares with a stern gaze.
"Didn't I tell you fools not to get any stupid ideas in your head?" Makarov reprimanded.
"C'mon gramps, they might need our help!" Natsu protested.
"They went off on their own, and are ultimately responsible for their own actions," the diminutive man revealed, as eyes turned to the guild master. "And there's no evidence to suggest they went to look for Naruto. I thought you would have learnt not to jump to conclusions, Natsu, after the Oración Seis mission."
Chastised, the pink-haired mage huffed and crossed his arms, looking away. Makarov raised a hand to stall Gray's fresh objections. "You say you care about Mira and Cana. So do I. But you're looking at this as an opportunity to fight Naruto instead of truly thinking of their well-being. And that I cannot accept. Two of my foolish children have already gone on some self-imposed quest. I don't want to have to worry about a couple more."
"If you cared about them, you would've sent us to look for them already," Gray scorned.
"ENOUGH! I don't need any more lip from you! Do you think I don't want to find them?" Makarov roared, the guild falling into a deathly silence. Taking a deep breath, he visibly tried to calm down. "Have you considered what will happen if you find them with Naruto, willingly or not? We are on thin ice with the Magic Council for the Oración Seis mission already, and they clearly associate Naruto with us. If any news of contact between Fairy Tail and Naruto were to reach the ears of the Council, what the hell do you think will happen?"
"We could be asked to disband," Gildarts answered cheerfully.
Realisation dawned, as looks of horror appeared on many faces. Makarov returned to his perch beside the orange-haired Ace, taking a swig of his beer as he sagged in his chair. "If only life is as simple as you kids always seem to think it is."
"Master," Erza spoke up, her desserts abandoned. "Weren't you the one to tell us to ignore the Council? Weren't you the one to teach us to do what we felt was right? Even if Gray and Natsu have ulterior motives for finding Mira and Cana, what about the rest of us? Certainly Elfman is more worried about Mira than fighting Naruto."
Makarov rubbed his temple. "You kids…will be the death of me. Can't you just trust those two to take care of themselves?"
Lucy noted that the Wizard Saint looked resigned, and it seemed Gray and Natsu had noticed too as they exchanged determined nods. Before they could continue harassing Makarov however, the doors to the guild hall burst open. Everyone whirled to face the entrance, squinting at the three figures standing in the doorway.
"WE'RE BACK!" a familiar voice hollered, before toning down. "Man, I've always wanted to do that."
"Cana?!" Gray gawked.
"M-M-Mira-nee?" Elfman gaped, as he stepped unsurely towards the trio.
Cana waved cheekily at the guild as Mira let Elfman pull her in a bear hug, the tall man dissolving into joyous tears. As people poured forwards to greet the wayward women, Natsu was assaulted by the final member of the group. Lucy squeaked as the white and blue blur flew past her, knocking the dragon slayer to the ground. The pink-haired man stared at the mop of ivory hair in confusion, before the familiarity of her scent jogged his memories.
"L-Lisanna?" Natsu croaked out.
The girl raised her head, a blinding grin plastered on her face. "Natsu!"
"Lisanna?" Elfman goggled, as the girl lifted Natsu back to his feet. She squealed as her older brother appeared beside her in an instant, crushing her into a hug with Mirajane. "You're…you're alive. You're alive!"
"Elf-nii!" the youngest Strauss exclaimed as she returned the hug. "I'm back!"
The guild roared in delight as they celebrated the return of Lisanna, the siblings soon getting paraded around the guild hall as everyone tried to take a look at the girl once thought dead. Elfman eventually let go of his sisters, wiping tears and snot from his face after he set the two down to the ground. This gave others the chance to envelop Lisanna in their own hugs, the girl soon lost in the crowd. Mirajane smiled at the enthusiastic response to Lisanna's return, her eyes sweeping the hall until they met Erza's. The latter offered the Take Over mage a warm smile of congratulations, but it soon dimmed as Mira responded with a curt nod.
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Cana watched the happy carnage from a distance, a pleased grin on her lips. She cocked an eyebrow as Gray approached her with a serious countenance. "Not going to join in the festivities?"
"Did you two really go off to find Lisanna?" Gray questioned seriously. "How did you two even find her?"
"I dunno, maybe I'll be more inclined to answer you if you were wearing underwear?" Cana smirked.
Gray looked down, dismayed at his lack of clothes as he clamped his hands over his privates. Juvia growled from behind a pillar, blushing and seething as Cana laughed at Gray's predicament. As the black-haired man ran off to find himself some clothes, Cana turned her eyes to the bar, where the two oldest men in the guild sat with beers in their hands and content smiles on their lips. She took a seat beside them, sighing happily.
"Hey Master," Cana greeted casually. "Gildarts, didn't expect to see you."
"Just got back from a failed mission," the man smiled, raising his glass. "How's the crazy brat you were always tagging along with?"
"Eh, he's fine. Just a little heartbreak, that's all," Cana leaned over the bar to grab a glass and top it up with cold alcohol. She chugged the entire thing in a single mouthful, smacking her lips in relish as she slammed the empty mug down. "AH! That hit the spot."
"Heartbreak?" Makarov queried.
"Eh, he got in a tiff with Mira. I'm sure they'll get over it," Cana shrugged, her hair shifting with the motion of her shoulders. "Also, Mystogan is probably living it up as a king back where he came from, so we'll never be able to see him again. My idiot brother told us not to say anything about it though."
"I'll keep that in mind," the guild master chuckled.
Gildarts suddenly grabbed Cana by her shoulders, his thick finger brushing her hair away gently to reveal the scarred flesh that was once her right ear. The air suddenly grew heavier as the orange-haired man twisted Cana in her seat to face him, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Who did that?"
"From what niichan said, he's deader than a doorknob," Cana adjusted her hair to cover the ruined cartilage back up. "And he's from the other dimension, so it's not like you can go fight him there anyway."
"I'm surprised he let you get hurt," Makarov remarked.
Cana coughed. "I don't think he expected me to run into the Edolas version of Gildarts. I'm lucky I even got out of there alive."
As Gildarts' eyes widened in horror, Cana laughed aloud. "Hey, chill! It's not like it was you who did it. They all have these weird personalities over there that are the total opposite of ours, so that means you're a good guy here, y'know?"
"I'm surprised he let you two follow him there," the Fairy Tail Ace grumbled, letting go of the brunette. "I'll have to give him a good thrashing if I see him."
"We kinda guilt tripped him into it. He's like putty when it comes to Mira these days," Cana laughed away the awkwardness. "Mira getting some of her old fire back can only be good news when it comes to keeping him in line."
"I still can't believe Mira's like that now," Gildarts mumbled, taking a sip of his beer as he observed the former spitfire.
"Yea, well, losing a sister can do that to you," Cana responded chirpily. "By the way, I'm your daughter."
Makarov slipped away quietly, chuckling as the Crash mage spat his beer out upon hearing the non-sequitur, whirling around to stare wide-eyed at the brunette. The Card Magic user grinned uneasily at her father by blood, leaning her elbows on the bar behind her. "When mom died, I came looking for you. But when I finally found you, I was intimidated. How was I supposed to confess to a super powerful mage like you that I'm your kid? So I figured I would become a great mage, and maybe then I'll find the courage to tell you the truth."
"What changed?" Gildarts whispered, his voice nearly lost in the din.
"I was pretty close to death on that mission, y'know? Dying at the hands of my father from an alternate dimension would've been some way to go," Cana exhaled deeply, staring at the ceiling. "But at that point, I realised that there's no point in trying to get strong enough to confess, because there'll be no confession if either of us died too soon. So I told myself to tell you the next moment I saw you."
"Your mother…" the man murmured, scratching his cheek as he looked away. "…Who was she?"
Cana gaped at her father's embarrassed flush. She palmed her forehead as she swore under her breath, but before she could reply, Gildarts turned wet eyes towards his daughter. "It's Cornelia, isn't it?"
The Ace smothered her in a warm embrace, his voice cracking as he spoke. "I'm sorry. I…I never knew. I was so engrossed with work I pushed aside the only woman I loved…and I left you alone. I'm so, so sorry…"
"Hey, hey, it's fine," the brunette patted her father on the back. "You know now, right?"
"Yea, I do," the man sniffled, before rising to his feet. "EVERYONE! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!"
The guild slowly quietened down, staring at Gildarts in confusion. The bearish man clamped a beefy hand on Cana's bare shoulder, pulling her tight against him as he flashed a wide grin. "Everyone, Cana here…is actually my daughter! I have a daughter! Today is a wonderful day for family!"
As everyone looked at the proud father as if he were crazy, Cana slowly planted her burning face in her palm.
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Gildarts' declaration only managed to weird out Fairy Tail for a transient moment, and raucous celebrations went into full swing almost immediately after. Erza watched quietly as the chaos unfolded in their guild hall, hours of drinking and merrymaking that led well into the night. She didn't partake much in the festivities, her celebratory mood dampened the moment she made eye contact with Mira.
Said woman had slipped seamlessly back into her usual role as the barmaid of the guild, serving drinks from behind the counter. She looked appropriately happy, as she should be, but Erza couldn't help but feel that it was somewhat forced. That she would offer such a cold reception to the crimson-haired swordswoman only spoke of emotions left simmering beneath her sweet veneer. It didn't take much of a guess to figure out what was probably on the Take Over mage's mind; especially with the way her conscience had been gnawing at her for the past few days.
So she kept her eyes trained on Mira the entire night, her lack of enthusiasm barely registering with the partying guild. It was just like the introverted Erza to keep to herself, as usually she does during the many, many celebrations they hold over the smallest things, so no one gave her a second glance.
As the merrymaking slowly died down, everyone just a little too drunk to be observant, the ivory-haired woman slipped out from behind the bar and left the guild hall. Erza quickly rose to her feet, picking her way through the throngs of drunken men and women to follow Mirajane. The eldest Strauss looked perfectly normal as she ambled through town, illuminated by lights spilling out from homes and open stores. The emptying streets provided Erza little cover as she trailed Mira, but the darkness of night provided many shadows for her to slip into.
Mirajane walked purposefully, and soon the paved streets gave way to the beaten, dusty roads that led to the East Forest. It was clear that the Take Over mage had noticed, and Erza dropped all pretence of stealth as she followed the woman at a comfortable distance. The woods seemed far less inviting as the new moon offered little light, but she forced aside the morbid thoughts. Eventually, as the forests grew denser and harder to navigate, the white-haired woman came to a halt, turning around to face Erza.
"How is he?" Erza enquired stiffly.
"Suitably apologetic," Mirajane replied coolly.
The crimson-haired woman winced. "He told you."
"He told me it was his fault," the Take Over mage commented.
"He's wrong. It's not his fault. I was…the one to ask," the swordswoman defended. "He told you about it, didn't he? He didn't try to hide it or lie about it. He cares for you, Mira. More than anyone else in the world. Don't let this come between you two."
"Your fault, huh?" Mira inhaled slowly, shutting her eyes. As she exhaled, aquamarine orbs snapped open. "Good. Then I won't feel bad about this."
Erza got her arms up just in time, as a clawed palm smashed into her hasty defence, sending her blasting through three sturdy trees before a fourth trunk halted her flight. Her Heart Kreuz armour was heavily damaged, little metal chips falling off the gauntlets that bore the brunt of the impact. Spidery cracks spread from the centre of her breastplate, the basic armour too weak to fend off the full force of Mirajane's Satan Soul.
"Put on your best, Erza," Mira demanded, flexing her hands.
"I won't fight you," the swordswoman shook her head.
"This isn't about my relationship with him. This is about pride," the Take Over mage hissed. "He broke my heart, but you…you trampled on my pride. I thought we had a mutual respect as rivals, but you clearly didn't give a fuck when you slept with him. So put on your fucking best, Erza, before I lose any more respect for you."
Erza took a moment to digest her words, biting her lower lip as she understood the inevitability of the situation. Taking a deep breath, the crimson-haired woman straightened her back, meeting Mirajane's fierce gaze with determined eyes. "I…I never intended to disrespect you, Mira. But if words won't suffice, then I won't hold back."
"I expect nothing less."
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The usual noises in the forest were absent, replaced by sounds of nature getting torn asunder by two fierce combatants. The earth shook with alarming regularity as trees toppled like dominoes and animals fled in droves. Occasionally, bright flashes of light illuminated small patches of forest, accompanied by ferocious war cries. Through it all, two observers watched the devastation from a safe distance, seated on the wide bough of a tall tree.
"See what happens when you do something stupid?" one of the observers gesticulated at the trail of destruction. "The two strongest women in Fairy Tail blowing up my forest. Bravo! You really live up to your name, Naruto. Even when you're not directly involved, you still leave destruction in your wake. 'Maelstrom' indeed."
"Sorry, Porlyusica," Naruto tried to placate her. "I'll help with the regrowth after this, I promise. Ethernano works wonders."
"Shouldn't you try and stop them instead of waiting this out?" Porlyusica asked, growling as another tree fell over with a dull boom. "At this rate, there won't even be a forest left."
"No. I interfered in Mira's last fight and hurt her pride then," the blond answered in the negative. "If I broke up a fight she incited to restore that pride…I've hurt her enough recently. I'm not inclined to do so again."
The pink-haired healer glowered. "Brat, my forest is more important to me than your ongoing spat with your girlfriend."
"To be honest, I'm not sure how much my interference will help. In fact, it might make things worse," the shinobi said carefully. "Mira's not exactly in the right mood for talking, and Erza is invested in the fight now."
Porlyusica sighed frustratedly, before accepting the inaction of her companion. "So who do you think will win?"
"My heart desperately wants Mira to win," Naruto responded softly. "She has her fair share of demons in her heart, and I'm ashamed to admit I created some of those. Winning this fight will help her overcome some of them. But…"
"But?"
"But Erza will win this eventually," the ninja stated objectively. "Mira is more of a power-type, and she hasn't used that power in years. She doesn't have the stamina to access all of her strength for any extended period of time. Erza is a finesse-type, and she's been training and fighting and completing difficult missions all this while. The only chance Mira had, was to strike early and at full tilt, when Erza's defences were down. But that moment's gone now, and it wouldn't be a cathartic victory anyway."
"I don't need a frustrated Mirajane destroying more of my forest in the future," the elder huffed.
"She's more considerate than that. This will spur her to train to use her powers properly again, not cause wanton destruction," the blond defended his lover. "In a way, it's probably better for her and for Fairy Tail. I have quite a few enemies, and they might want to use Fairy Tail or Mira against me."
"That sounds a little egoistical," Porlyusica didn't hesitate to point out.
"Maybe, but according to Tartaros members, I'm the target of their master for reasons unknown," Naruto remarked matter-of-factly. "And even if the danger they face isn't related to me, it's better to be strong enough to face whatever may come."
"Fiore isn't a war zone, you know," the healer commented.
Naruto snorted. "Fairy Tail has been in two guild wars in the past few months, and I think I might have averted another by going to Edolas preemptively. They are always in some sort of trouble, whether you wish to admit it or not."
"I guess I can't argue with that," Porlyusica conceded. "…And thanks."
"For what?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"For helping little Shagotte and the Exceed," Porlyusica grunted. "I never really thanked you for helping her, so…thanks. But don't think this cancels out all the favours you owe me."
"I won't," Naruto grinned.
"That reminds me. Why did you even implant that Dragon Slayer lacrima in yourself?" the pink-haired woman asked curiously. "Do you even need that sort of power on top of what you can already do?"
"Losing the ability to channel chakra to my legs was a blow," the blond murmured. "I was planning a two-man coup against a militarised country with the fate of Fiore in the balance. I had to compensate somehow. Plus, it was my ticket to getting back to Earthland from Edolas."
"Didn't you consider just…staying in Edolas?" Porlyusica queried.
Naruto offered her a thin smile. "Of course. But I had a responsibility to help the Exceed settle here, and Jellal had been living in my shadows for too long. If I stayed, he would have made me an advisor, and he'll never grow into his role or gain the respect of his subordinates. And…I told myself I should stop running from my problems and start fixing them. Staying in Edolas permanently defeats the purpose."
"Do you have an excuse for everything?" the dragon rolled her eyes.
Naruto flashed her a melancholic smile.
"If I didn't, how will I sleep?"
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Mirajane tumbled to the ground, gasping for air. For a moment, she just laid there on the broken ground, her body unresponsive. Her muscles felt like liquid fire, screaming their protests. Her chest heaved with each breath, her lungs desperately trying to feed enough oxygen to her body. She had to squint through one good eye, the other having swollen shut.
The cold metallic tip of a blade brushed against her chin, a shiny pink blur standing above her. Whatever resistance the Take Over mage ended there, her head falling back to thud against the earth underneath. The demonic form of her magic faded into brilliant wisps, replaced with a dirtied, crumpled dress.
No more words were spoken as both fighters acknowledged the conclusion of the battle. The sword was removed from its threatening position, and the pink was replaced by silver. A gauntleted hand stretched out, and Mira gladly accepted the assistance, struggling to steady her legs under her body. An arm wrapped around her thin waist, as her own was thrown around a warm neck. Closer, Mira could just about make out Erza's features and her soft smile. She returned it sincerely.
"Do you want to take a detour to see Porlyusica?" Erza asked, as the two women slowly limped back to town.
"My wounds will heal easily enough," Mira mumbled. "Do you?"
The Requip mage paused in her tracks, before continuing their slow trudge back. "I'll be fine."
Mira interlaced her fingers with the hand propping her up, giving the redhead a reassuring squeeze. Erza nodded in return, smiling gently as they hobbled along the dirt path into Magnolia.
As their figures disappeared into the distance, a loud feminine shriek filled the forest briefly. Naruto rolled his eyes as the woman in his arms punched him in the chest weakly, unfazed by the light blows.
"Do you want me to drop you?" the blond grumbled, as he set the healer on her feet. "You really remind me of Sakura-chan."
"I'm sure whoever this Sakura person is, she's a whole lot more considerate than you are," Porlyusica harrumphed, before her stance softened. "Who is she?"
"A friend from long ago. Heh, can't believe it's been ten years already. Time really flies, huh?" Naruto mused aloud. "Pink hair, violent, and also a healer. S'bout all I can remember, to be honest. I guess she must have been beautiful too, or I wouldn't have had the biggest crush on her."
The blond winked at Porlyusica. "But then again, that seems to apply to most of the women I know."
"Flattery will win you no favours from me," the Edolas native replied dryly.
"Is that what you tell yourself every time Makarov compliments you or your tea?" Naruto teased.
Porlyusica spluttered, light pink dusting her cheeks as the blond shinobi laughed aloud. He waved a jaunty goodbye as he melted into the shadows of the forest without a sound, leaving the pink-haired woman alone. She took a moment to compose herself, before striding back to her little cabin in the woods, a fond smile on her lips.
"Brat."
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A petite girl scampered into the recruiting station for the Rune Knights, her short purple hair bobbing and weaving through the scattered group of men and women applying to join the Magic Council's forces. Ignoring all protocol, she went straight for the recruiters' desks, barely tall enough to look above the table and glare at the two befuddled men manning the desk.
"I want to join the Rune Knights," the girl declared, her soft voice at odds with the hard edge of her words.
The two men exchanged confused glances. One of them, a brown-haired man smiled kindly at the young girl. "Why do you want to join the Rune Knights, miss?"
"Don't look down on me!" she screamed, her puffed cheeks making her round face look even rounder. "I can fight!"
"Hey, hey, we're not looking down on you!" the other recruiter grinned genially. "It's just something we usually ask potential recruits. We want to make sure whoever joins us is willing to fight, and not just joining for some random reason."
"…Fine," the girl mumbled.
"So? Why do you wish to join us?" the first recruiter asked gently.
"I…I…" the purple-haired teen clenched her fists, before pointing her finger at a wall. "I want to kill that man."
Turning their heads as one, the two recruiters stared at the wall covered in wanted posters. Her tiny, trembling finger was aimed square at the newest poster they had put up, one of many they used to try and encourage people to join the Rune Knights for the duty, if not the fame and glory. The brown-haired man stared at the picture incredulously, before turning to stare at the girl in wide-eyed astonishment.
"You want to kill…Uzumaki Naruto? The former Wizard Saint and S-class criminal?" he voiced his disbelief.
Evidently it was the wrong thing to say, as roiling purple energy erupted from the girl, ruffling her clothes and hair as she snarled at the stunned recruiters. She screamed at the two men, the sound waves amplified by her latent powers and blasting them and their desk backwards. Everyone else in the station covered their ears with their hands as the piercing screech threatened to knock them out.
Soon, the girl ran out of breath and energy, panting as she put her hands on shaky knees. The two recruiters were unconscious, wedged beneath their desk. A moment later, a small platoon of Rune Knights rushed onto the scene from the administrative lodge next door, pointing trembling lances at a defiant little girl.
A paper doll floated away from a window of the station, tumbling through the light breeze as it made its tortuous way back to its master. Eventually, it arrived at its destination, settling innocuously in a large, tanned palm. The tall man smiled mischievously as he received the information, before crumpling the paper and tossing it into the wind, its role fulfilled.
"So that little girl wants to kill Naruto-chan too?" the cloaked man chuckled to himself, admiring the snow-capped peaks that surrounded the town. "I wonder if he knows just how popular he is?"
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Mirajane sat down on the edge of her bed daintily, pursing her lips as she stared out of her window. The waxing gibbous moon hung low in the starry night sky, casting her dark room in long shadows. Her right hand reached up to her chest, grasping the blue gem of her necklace between two fingers. She rolled the precious stone in her digits absentmindedly, lost in her muse.
Giving the empty picture frame atop the chest of drawers beside her bed a quick glance, she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and channeled the smallest sliver of magic into the gem. Nothing happened immediately, but she didn't have to wait long as a man appeared in her room without a sound, an arm's length away from her. His whiskered face, illuminated by the moonlight streaming into her room, wore a gentle smile.
"Mira," he greeted quietly.
"Naruto," she returned the salutations. "That was quick. Nothing important ongoing that requires your attention?"
The blond shook his head. "I have other people working on it. Tracking dark guilds is not as easy as it seems."
"I suppose not," the white-haired woman hummed.
A short pause fell upon the conversation, the couple seemingly transfixed by each other. Then, Mirajane patted the bed beside her, a silent invitation. The blond accepted it, walking over to seat himself beside the petite woman. Mira took several audible breaths, before she shifted to face Naruto. The shinobi did likewise, azure eyes meeting aquamarine.
"I have been thinking for the past two weeks," she began. "And I have a lot to say. So don't interrupt, and let me finish first before you say anything, okay?"
At his muted nod, the ivory-haired mage continued, fingers fidgeting in her lap. "I…I tried very hard to forgive you, you know? I asked for details on the mission from Erza. I tried to find out why it happened, whether there were extenuating circumstances. And in a way, there was. But every time I thought about how you cheated on me, I got angry."
"I tried understand just why I get so mad about it. It wasn't easy," she smiled wryly. "Obviously I'm angry at you; you and your stupidly caring, bleeding heart that caused the entire Nirvana incident and the cheating. I was also angry at Erza for being selfish, for not offering me the respect I deserve as a friend and former rival. Funnily enough, I even got mad at Oración Seis, because they were your mission objective. If they didn't exist, then none of this would have happened."
She sighed, glancing out the window briefly before meeting Naruto's warm gaze again. "Then I wondered if I could have done more, you know? I'm selfish too. I hate that you're always giving yourself for others, for the world, and I wondered if I could have done something to keep you closer to me, to prevent you from being a hero, from helping Erza that way. And then I got angry at myself, because Erza suffered too, and she doesn't have anyone to help her."
"None of this is your fault," Naruto refuted her. "I should have been more principled, even if Erza needed help."
"You should have," Mira agreed. "Ifs and buts are worthless though."
"I know."
Mira exhaled slowly. "I still haven't forgiven you."
"I understand. If I were in your shoes, I'm not sure…I can forgive myself either," Naruto muttered. "You've brought me out of my funk, you've supported me, you've given so much for me. But all I've done is to cause you pain."
"You have," the ivory-haired woman nodded. "But in a way, it's my own fault. Your selflessness is one of the things that made me fall in love with you, but it also puts your personal life at risk. I should have expected that being a part of your personal life would mean suffering."
"That's nonsense," Naruto retorted fiercely. "Just because I'm flawed doesn't mean you deserve to get hurt by me."
"No, I suppose not," she smiled softly.
Mira suddenly bridged the gap between them, eyes fluttering shut as her full lips pressed against his. Naruto didn't resist, hands reaching for her waist as he returned the kiss. Her arms slid around his neck as she deepened the lip lock, revelling in the intimacy. When they finally broke apart, Mirajane couldn't help but giggle at his stunned visage.
"I said I haven't forgiven you. But…I can't help but miss you," she whispered. "I thought about our relationship and all that we've been through, even though I should be mad at you, right now, sitting here with you, I can't muster up the anger."
Naruto pulled her into a tight hug, mumbling into her shoulder. "I don't deserve you."
"You've said that before, and my response is still the same," she murmured, stroking the downy hair on the nape of his neck. "You still have a lot to make up for, you know?"
"I know," he whispered, breaking the embrace as he stared into her large eyes. "Whatever you want, I'll do my best to fulfil."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Mira shoved Naruto onto the bed with a soft thump, clambering over the blond. She claimed his lips with ferocity, her affections returned with fervour. She suppressed an involuntary shiver as his hands ran along her clothed sides, only to be left puzzled when he grabbed her by the shoulders and broke the kiss.
"Wait, wait," he panted, swallowing deeply. "Are you sure about this?"
"Are you seriously asking me that right now?" she muttered in disbelief.
"You did say you haven't forgiven me," he reminded her.
"And that's exactly why we're doing this. It's called make-up sex," Mira rolled her eyes. "Now do you have any other mood killers you want to blurt out, or can we get on with it?"
"Erm…we should ward the room for privacy?" Naruto suggested weakly.
"Like you haven't done that years ago," the ivory-haired woman sighed in exasperation. "Or did you think I wouldn't notice? Now shut up and kiss me."
"Yes ma'am."
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Sunbeams streamed through the large window, soaking the modest room in its warmth. In her four-poster bed, Mirajane stirred into wakefulness, blinking blearily. She moaned quietly as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fall back into sleep. Lying on her side, she snuggled backwards into the muscular body behind her, relishing the warmth of the person spooning with her in bed.
Mira's aquamarine orbs snapped open, biting her lower lip as a grin spread across her cheeks. Shifting her hips slightly, she shut her eyes once more to enjoy the moment of tranquility, no longer feeling as sleepy as before. The ivory-haired woman placed her small hand atop the larger tanned one draped across her waist, tracing random shapes on the back of the hand as she waited for her partner to wake up.
She nearly gasped in surprise, eyes flying open as he pulled her tighter to him, burying his face in her hair with no warning. His breathing stayed even throughout, his chest rising and falling slowly as if he were still asleep. Smirking, Mirajane playfully pinched the hand on her toned stomach, which earned her a hard puff of air that sent strands of white locks flying over her face. She laughed aloud as she threw her hair back, eliciting an indignant grunt and a finger poking her abdomen.
"Lemme sleep," he groaned.
"Not all of you agrees with that," she teased.
She got a poke on the back for that. "It's a normal physiological function."
"Hmm. Don't you have a world to save?" she twisted her head around, meeting Naruto's sleepy eyes. "Are you sure you have the time for more sleep?"
"S'not my fault I was kept up all night," he retorted, pressing up against her as he captured her lips. He grimaced exaggeratedly as they broke apart. "Your breath stinks."
"Shut up," she slapped his thigh, eliciting a fake cringe. He retaliated by gnawing playfully on her shoulder, the hand on her stomach sliding lower. "S-Stop that. Lisanna has been coming over to my room every morning since she got back."
"She's almost an adult," the blond shot back, even as he stopped his ministrations. "And anyway, she has even kinkier ideas of sex than we do."
"I thought you would be more worried about Fairy Tail getting disbanded instead of just Lisanna seeing us together, but I guess it's out of sight, out of mind huh?" Mira replied in mock anger, spinning around to face her lover. "Too busy saving the world to care about his former guild. Hmph. I'm not sure I want to be with a man like that."
"Privacy seals. Hiraishin," Naruto mumbled, tracing circles on her smooth back.
"Smart-ass," she pecked him on the lips, pressing her bare chest against his. "How long can you stay?"
"I can't be seen outside with you," the ninja sighed, playing with her silky hair. "I can visit every night, but only if it's safe on this end, and that's if nothing happens in the missions I delegate to clones."
"Then why bother keeping Mystogan's departure a secret?" Mira furrowed her brow. "I thought…I thought you were going to adopt his persona and rejoin the guild."
"And live another lie?" Naruto replied wryly. "Besides, no one really sees Mystogan around. It'll be suspicious if 'he' stopped using his Sleep Magic or started dating Mirajane. I just wanted to keep the option open."
"I guess…I can accept that," the ivory-haired mage sighed.
"Thanks for understanding," Naruto kissed her on the forehead. "By the way, do you know if Makarov is in town today?"
"No, he left Magnolia yesterday for some personal business," Mirajane answered. "Why are you looking for him?"
"To ask a favour," the blond responded cryptically, eyes flashing yellow momentarily. "Anyway, I should go. Lisanna is leaving her room."
"Will I see you tonight?" the petite woman asked quietly.
"I'll do my best," he smiled.
Mira moulded herself against Naruto as he captured her lips for a farewell kiss, eyes fluttering shut as she revelled in the sensations. When he broke the kiss, a warm gust of wind had opened the windows and blown through the room, removing the scents of their night spent together. Offering her a wink, he vanished into thin air along with his scattered clothes, just before the door to her room burst open.
"Good morning Mira-nee!" Lisanna chirped brightly, before tilting her head to the side, bringing a finger to her lips. "Hmm? Since when did you start sleeping in the nude?"
The eldest Strauss smiled enigmatically.
"Recently."
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Makarov hissed in pleasure as he sunk into the comfortable couch they had provided in the hotel. His old bones had protested heavily against the long journeys on rough and bumpy roads, but having secured very comfortable accommodations in one of the nicer hotels in Crocus, he was looking forward to a good rest before yet another lengthy road trip back to Magnolia the next morning.
Fresh from his shower, he was dressed in a white, fluffy bathrobe and slippers as he picked up the book he had brought along for the trip. Not two pages in, he groaned and slammed the book shut, glaring without heat at the blond man sitting across of him on his bed.
"Naruto. Again with the late night visits," Makarov greeted with a sigh. "Do you even care for an old man's need for rest and relaxation?"
"Not if he's an annoying old codger at the best of times," Naruto riposted.
"I see you're in good spirits," the venerable mage smiled, pleased. "How has life as an outlaw treated you?"
"Not too bad, to be honest," the shinobi admitted. "I have loyal subordinates. I brought a girl back to her family, returned a young man to his rightful place as king, rescued an entire race, and even made up my girlfriend."
"Sounds like you've been busy," the Wizard Saint remarked cheerfully. "So what's next? I don't suppose you're here just to engage an old man in idle chitchat."
"You know me. I always have an ulterior motive," Naruto smirked. "Anyway, I have a favour to ask."
"You want to rejoin Fairy Tail?" Makarov inferred.
"As Mystogan? Mira asked the same," the former Wizard Saint replied, a grateful smile on his lips. "Thanks for the offer, but it's too much of a hassle. I just want an opportunity to apologise to the whole guild."
"Of course," Makarov acquiesced, before his countenance grew serious. "Naruto, I'm sorry."
"What for?" the younger man blinked.
"I failed to convince the guild about you, especially the kids," the diminutive elder sighed exhaustedly. "You've done so much for us, but…"
Naruto waved his apology away. "Forget it. I don't expect them to respond positively to betrayal, especially not those who went on the Oración Seis mission and saw what I did. It's completely normal, and I don't expect you to scold them for it."
"Still, you're as much a child of mine as any of them," Makarov scowled. "You deserve better than this."
"It's fine. They all have short tempers and even shorter attention spans. The resentment will fade with time and distance," the blond reassured his former guild master. "Besides, I'm a fugitive who can't return to Fairy Tail. It's easier to calm the small group that like me than to admonish the rest who don't."
"You're too easygoing about this," the ageing man grunted.
"There are other people far more understanding and forgiving than me," the ninja commented softly. "But while I'm fine with the status quo now, I'm not sure I can accept your hypocrisy, old man."
"What do you mean?" Makarov raised an eyebrow.
The whiskered man gazed at the guild master disappointedly. "I…attended your meeting with Mest. Asking me to put down my espionage work for my own sake, but pushing a kid to be a spy? And Gajeel as well. Don't you think he needs more assurance as a Fairy Tail member, rather than having to be a double agent?"
Makarov chuckled resignedly, rubbing his forehead. "I should have known you would find out eventually."
"So why? Why go through all that hoopla?" Naruto questioned. "Ivan and Raven Tail doesn't necessitate two guild members on separate spying missions. Especially when you could have just asked me to pick up where I left off."
"You were already leaving the business bit by bit when Ivan was excommunicated. I didn't want to push you back into that world again," Makarov explained his decision. "Mest is young, but his magic is uniquely suited to spying. He was spying on them through the Council rather than an actual infiltration, which reduces the danger significantly. And he wasn't in depression, nor did he have people like Cana or Mira who needed your support as you needed theirs."
"And Gajeel?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"The Council is extremely tight-lipped about Raven Tail, even more so than guilds in the Balam Alliance. A double agent became necessary," the Titan Magic user agreed reluctantly. "I admit, there's an element of danger to his infiltration. But I didn't have the heart to ask you to do something like that again, not after the fallout of the Phantom war. You also had plenty on your plate then, as I recall."
The tall blond exhaled deeply. "So Mest even managed to wipe my memories of him, huh?"
"There's no shame in that," the older man cracked a grin.
"Anything you need help with?" Naruto offered.
Makarov shook his head. "It's fine. I'm planning to pull Gajeel out soon. Ivan's been handling a lot of things personally, and Gajeel can't get much out of him. Being viewed as a double agent for Raven Tail really limits what he can find."
"Mest?"
"I'm not confident in this new Council, to be honest," the guild master confessed gravely. "They seem a lot more secretive and a lot more heavy-handed. Without Yajima there, I can't sleep easy."
"I don't have any commitments beyond tracking dark guilds currently," Naruto remarked. "I got bigger fish to fry than Raven Tail, but it won't be hard for me to keep an eye on him."
"Spend that time doing good deeds around Fiore and rebuilding your reputation instead," Makarov suggested. "Or do you want to prove the Council right about you being a criminal?"
"Fairy Tail is more important to me than my reputation. There are people in there that I care about," Naruto reminded.
"Focus on those big fish of yours. Leave Raven Tail to me," Makarov said, tone brooking no further argument.
"Fine. I'll leave Raven Tail be. But if you need any help, just ask Mira to contact me," Naruto nodded, as he slid to his feet. "When can I drop by the guild?"
"I'll tell Mira," the elder smiled fondly.
"Thanks, old man."
As the younger blond disappeared, Makarov picked up his abandoned book, flipping it open as he reclined into the couch.
No…thank you, Naruto.
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Most Fairy Tail mages found it strange that their guild master called for a meeting of everyone that night. Usually, S-class promotion trial announcements were in the day, and were pretty formal events. Also, it was far too early in the year for the trials to be starting as per tradition. Nevertheless, it was the only thing the guild could imagine Makarov calling everyone in for, and there was a general buzz around the guild that culminated in a giant fight which ended an hour ago.
After the friendly brawl, most people had settled down in their own cliques, drinking and chatting noisily as they waited for the master to make his appearance. Privately, some wondered if it wasn't about the promotion trials, but Gildarts taking over as the Fourth. The man hadn't been around the guild for an extended period of time like this as far as most people could recall, and now that Cana revealed their blood ties, he could well be ready to stay put and take over.
The loud clink of a metal spoon against a glass drew attention towards the bar, where Makarov was standing. Coughing loudly into a fist, he began to address the guild. "I've called everyone in tonight for a special event. Before anyone asks, it's not about the S-class promotion trials. That will come later this year as per normal."
"Someone had asked me to allow him to speak to everyone," Makarov continued, pausing as a man slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Well, since he's here, I'll let him have the floor."
Wendy gasped in surprise as Mystogan walked into view sans staves, his face and hair obscured by his mask and bandanna as usual. But before she could run up to greet the friend who had reentered then left her life so suddenly, gloved hands reached for his mask and bandanna, removing both in one fell swoop. Instead of blue hair and a tattoo around his right eye, he had blond locks and dark whisker-like marks stretched across his cheeks. A tense silence befell the guild.
Natsu bared his canines while a bare-chested Gray brought his hands together.
"You-"
"Naruto-niichan!"
Lisanna dove forwards before anyone could make a move, lunging at the man's chest in a flying hug. Naruto chuckled as he caught the enthusiastic girl by the waist, returning the affectionate hug from the teen. She grinned widely as he put her back down on her feet, before pouting exaggeratedly. "Mou, Naruto-niichan, I haven't seen you for weeks! Couldn't you have visited me in secret?"
"Sorry Lisanna, I've been a little…preoccupied," the shinobi replied weakly.
"Hehe, you've been visiting Mira-nee in secret instead, right?" Lisanna winked, elbowing the man in his midsection. "I bet you are! I've never seen her smile that happily before!"
"Lisanna, get away from him!" Elfman shouted in horror. "He's a criminal!"
"Don't worry, Elf-nii!" Lisanna waved off her brother's concern. "Naruto-niichan is harmless. Right?"
"That's debatable," Naruto answered nonchalantly, before patting Lisanna on the head fondly. "Anyway, I don't have a lot of time, so let me do my thing, and I'll visit you next time, okay?"
"Okay! If you don't, I'll sic Mira-nee on you!"
Lisanna shuffled off to the side as Naruto cleared his throat. "I don't know how best to say this, so I'll be blunt. I asked Makarov for the chance to speak to everyone in Fairy Tail, to apologise for everything that I have put the guild and its people through."
"I'm sorry," Naruto bowed deeply. "I know words won't suffice, but I do not expect forgiveness or welcome. But I hope that everyone can accept my apology."
Macao stepped forwards, hands planted on his hips. "Master told us everything after the Phantom hullabaloo. I'm kinda miffed you hid all that stuff from us, but I guess you had your reasons. Since this is all so official-like…I accept your apology."
"Yea. It's all cool, man," Wakaba smiled around his pipe. "Could've done with our drinking partner back, but being wanted kinda puts a dampener on that, eh?"
Murmurs of agreement floated into the air, before the sound of a table being smashed silenced the guild. Gray muscled his way forward, trailed by Natsu, Lucy, Wendy and Carla. Erza looked to intervene, but a quick glance from Naruto stopped her in her tracks. Before the Ice Make mage could do anything though, Naruto spoke.
"Gray," he addressed, causing the half-naked man to stop in his tracks. "Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Erza. I also need to apologise specifically to you."
"Apologies won't fix anything," Gray snarled furiously. "Apologies can't turn back time."
"No, they can't. But I should apologise anyway," Naruto bowed once more. "I should have put my trust into all of you and the Alliance, and not gone off on my own accord. And while I was not in control of my actions when I fought everyone, I was responsible for the situation developing in the first place. I'm sorry for letting things turn out the way they did."
"Lisanna said…" Natsu piped up. "Lisanna said she hasn't seen you in weeks."
"Yep!" the girl nodded.
"That means she saw you recently, but she has been missing for two years," Natsu stared at Naruto intently. "Did you help rescue her?"
"I'm surprised you came to that conclusion," the blond replied blithely.
The youngest Strauss cast a pleading look at Makarov and Mirajane behind the counter, and receiving no disapproval, she leapt to Naruto's defence. "Yep! He helped bring me back from Edolas with Mira-nee and Cana!"
"What?!" Elfman exclaimed in shock, as mutters filled the guild hall.
Natsu folded his arms, wearing a stern visage. "I don't like you. You lied about many things. You're a wanted criminal. But you brought Lisanna back, so I'm going to let you go with a warning. Don't you dare hurt Fairy Tail again, or you'll be sorry."
"Natsu, you're going to just let him go?" Gray turned to his rival, disbelief written on his features. "After all he did to us?"
"I was mostly pissed at him for hiding the truth about Lisanna," Natsu responded matter-of-factly. "But she's back, and he's not part of our guild anymore. The Council can deal with him instead."
"I agree with Natsu," Elfman nodded firmly, eyes shifting between his sisters.
"I can't believe the two of you," Gray ground his teeth.
Glaring daggers at the blond, the black-haired man dashed forwards as a blade of ice materialised in his hands. Gray roared as he stabbed the blade forwards, aiming for the underside of Naruto's chin. Chains had sprung out from the ninja's palm, but they only restrained Lisanna. The crystalline weapon trembled as it caressed the vulnerable flesh, its wielder stopping just before murder.
"Why?" the navy-eyed man hissed. "Why aren't you dodging?"
"I don't have anything to offer you but apologies and my life," Naruto answered calmly. "If you wish to take it as recompense for everything I've done, then take it."
"I should end you right here," Gray growled, nudging the shinobi's chin with the sword.
"For the sake of everyone, perhaps you should," Naruto said mildly. "I failed to kill a man when I should have, and my actions doomed my world. This is probably the best opportunity anyone has ever had of killing me."
Navy orbs met azure. "You don't care about your life, do you?"
"I have things to live for," Naruto smiled morosely. "But equally, I have many regrets. I've made many mistakes in life, and I've hurt many people, especially Fairy Tail. I still remember when I declared to myself that I would walk down a path of no regrets."
Naruto laughed melancholically. "Fifteen years later, look where that got me."
Gray searched Naruto's eyes, but found nothing but sincerity. With a deep breath, he lowered his blade and straightened up. "If I kill you here, I'll upset Mira."
"Maybe," Naruto said noncommittally, freeing a frowning Lisanna from her bindings.
"I don't want your blood staining my hands either," Gray scoffed, turning around to stalk off. "But like Natsu said, if you hurt Fairy Tail again, I won't hold back."
"This is nonsense!"
Eyes swivelled to face the white-furred cat flying in the air, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto. "This guy, he tried to blackmail me, he fought all of us during the Oración Seis mission, and he's even working with a dark guild! They forced Wendy to revive Jellal Fernandes! How can you just trust him like this?!"
"Carla!" Wendy cried out.
"What?" Gray spun on his heels.
Multiple gazes bore into the collected cerulean-eyed man, who looked unfazed. "I did blackmail her, yes, but to get her to agree to let Wendy join the Oración Seis mission. I fought all of you because of Nirvana, and I've apologised for that. Trinity Raven has been my source of intelligence on Tartaros ever since I flipped them a few years ago, and reviving Jellal had three objectives."
"One, I wanted to prevent dark guilds from using him for their own purposes, as Oración Seis sought to do. Two, I need critical intelligence that only Councilmen possess," Naruto expounded, eyes darting towards Erza for a second. "And three, I thought it might be good for some people to exorcise some inner demons. I'm sorry for putting Wendy in a spot, but I did order Ikaruga to be gentle."
"Anyway, I admire your dedication to protecting Wendy and now Fairy Tail," the blond smiled approvingly. "You're perfectly entitled to distrust me. That goes to everyone here today."
"Carla, it's fine," Wendy insisted pleadingly. "Please come down!"
"Wendy, we can't just let him go, he's a criminal!"
"You're free to contact the Rune Knights about my presence here, although they are currently busy chasing one of my clones elsewhere," Naruto shrugged. "I have no issues with a lawful guild following the law. In fact, that will be for the best."
"W-What?" Carla stuttered, lost for words.
"Fairy Tail should avoid being associated with me," the former Wizard Saint stated indifferently. "I shouldn't linger. And Carla, perhaps you'd like to visit the former Cait Shelter if you have the time. Ask for Queen Shagotte, and you may get some answers about your mission in Earthland."
Brushing off the numerous questioning looks, Naruto turned to leave. He smiled appreciatively as Cana gave him a thumbs up while Gildarts offered a two-fingered salute, the father and daughter duo drinking merrily throughout. Mira offered a supportive smile as Lisanna tried to cling onto Naruto. Laughing, he patted the girl on the head as his eyes met Makarov's.
"Where's Freed? I thought I might apologise to him for being…heavy-handed, the last time we met," Naruto queried.
"I sent the Thunder God Tribe on a long term mission," the guild master replied stiffly.
"Family is family," Naruto nodded knowingly.
Prying Lisanna's arms off his torso, he gave the guild one last glance and smile before vanishing into thin air.
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The wooden shack was instantly demolished in a massive white conflagration, flaming wooden debris smacking against sturdy trunks and littering the leafy forest floor. A blur shot away from the epicentre, bursting through the smoke and landing with a roll. The figure scrambled upright, watching as the remnants of the cabin were destroyed by the sheer bulk of the titanic fox that barged through it. The fox growled menacingly, its large canines glinting as the fires behind draped it in a cloak of shadows.
"Didn't expect to see someone from Tartaros here," the jet black canine rumbled, malevolent snarl at odds with its jocular words. "Guess we can't call them safe houses anymore."
"Well, I actually found it by tracking you," the figure, a man shrugged. "And you're the one that blew it up, so if anything, it's your fault."
"Never heard of erasing sensitive information?" the fox retorted.
"It's a pretty thorough job, I must admit," the armour-clad mage replied cheekily. "Razing a safe house to the ground just to preserve secrecy…man, you guys really don't know how to do things by half."
"So what does Tartaros want from him?"
The dark-haired man scratched his temple as he sighed, donning a look of resignation. "Boss-man wasn't happy that Kyōka and I didn't manage to finish off Trinity Raven, and he got über pissed when Kyōka blabbered about how it was his 'arch-nemesis' Uzumaki Naruto who rescued his team. So he ordered me to send a message to the guy."
"A message?" the fox snorted. "Next time, just call. Shall I give you Naruto's number?"
"Heh, a fox with humour. Wish the big man has even a shred of that," Silver whined whimsically. "Truth being told, I hate this sort of crap. It's odious. But I'm just a lackey, so what can I do?"
"You don't seem like a bad guy. I'm sure Naruto can accommodate," the animal offered.
"Eh, he sounded like a stiff last time we met, which does beg the question of how he won over Ikaruga," the mage stroked his unshaven chin. "But at least he doesn't get a rage boner every time he hears the name of his most hated adversary. He doesn't, does he?"
The fox grinned. "Shall I call him for you?"
Silver laughed out loud, heedless of the fight he was supposed to be in. "If I could, I would. As it stands, I'm pretty much stuck with Tartaros until something cataclysmic happens."
"So what happens now?"
The armoured man turned his head up towards the sky, the dense jungle canopy shielding them from the bright sunlight. Shadows danced across his scarred face as the wooden shack burned with unnatural fire. The cheery countenance gave way to a cool, dispassionate face as Silver raised his palm. "Well, I still have a message to deliver."
The fox didn't stand a chance. An avalanche of ice swept forth from Silver's palm like a biblical flood, encasing swathes of forest in crystalline water instantly. The canine was frozen in mid attack, its maw wide agape as it prepared to fire off another blast of white flames. The small fires caused by the fiery rain of debris were immediately blown out, the once smouldering landscape now an icy tundra.
Silver lowered his palm, as a sword of ice slowly grew in his hand. His footsteps were heavy as he walked up to the entrapped beast, his features twisted in sorrow. With a single, smooth motion, he stabbed his blade upwards through the roof of the fox's mouth, piercing the brain of the creature. He released his grip on the blade, leaving the conjured weapon in the beast as he turned to leave, leaves crunching noisily beneath his boots.
"Sorry," he whispered. "But he told me to kill you."
Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait! The 2nd half of my summer was quite busy. I hope the chapter isn't too much of a mess. It's a bit of a rush job because I wanted to get it out before the new semester swamps me with work.
I know many of you want to see more action and less moping about, but I thought I should wrap up whatever emotional conflicts I could before we head off to other arcs. I guess I could've written the Mira/Erza fight, but that would ruin the flow of the story. And yes, I know this chapter is pretty choppy anyway. But no sense making it worse.
As for the fluff, I feel like I haven't written properly fluffy Naruto/Mira fluff for a while now. I mean, I am a romantic at heart…despite all the violence and gore and mutilation and death…and angst and drama and emotions…
Ahem.
So, erm, some fluff to balance things out isn't amiss.
By the way, I still don't condone cheating. Naruto is an idiot, Mira is a bigger idiot, but they are idiots in love. And, y'know, extenuating circumstances. I like realistic stories, but damn it, I want to write happiness and fluffiness too!
I hoped that the whole apology scene helped readers gain a better perspective of what the characters are thinking. Quite a few reviewers expressed hate of Natsu, Gray and Carla, but I only tried to write them experiencing things from their own perspective. Hopefully people won't hate on them that much now, especially since Natsu's a little more mature.
Finally, I spotted a terrible error. I've been writing Crocus as if it was where the Magic Council HQ is, when I should be writing Era instead. Super embarrassing.
P.S. Not sure why Tartarus' name changed back to Tartaros. Bloody annoying, that. Also, as Mashima-sensei reveals more of the backstory for the Albareth arc, I find myself getting really pissed at him. I won't say much more here, but I think it's a steaming pile of crap that is pointless to integrate into La Tormenta. Sorry to disappoint some of you, but I'm not doing the Albareth arc. It won't exist in the La Tormenta continuum. Hence my changes for Mest's story.
Seriously, if Zeref wants that thing so badly, HOW ABOUT TAKING THAT 7 YEAR TIMESKIP TO VISIT THE EMPTY, FORECLOSED FAIRY TAIL BUILDING TO FIND IT?
I'm not swallowing this. Not in a million years.