(QUICK A/N: This chapter is a bit more graphic, and is the final one before Fairy Tail is FINALLY introduced. I have one more that comes out today, and then more should follow tomorrow. I've been in a frenzy lately with these ideas, and since this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, I want to get them all done as quickly as possible.)

Natsu's Journal - X781

It was raining that day, I remember clearly. We had been wandering for days. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't think. I was walking towards Magnolia, that's all I knew. Darkness flooded my thoughts. 'Get to Magnolia, find Magnolia.' It seemed to be an outside force chanting. I couldn't figure out why I was going there. I thought it must be because of the money I stored there. My time must be up. Give the money to Happy, make sure he finds somewhere to move on, and die. I had no one but Happy. He was the only one to remember me, so it wouldn't be too bad. I wasn't dying alone, but I was dying a failure. I was ok with that. I deserved that. We had finally made it to the forest outside of the Magnolia when he arrived.

Forests Outside Magnolia - X780

"Natsu, you need to eat something!" Happy said, trying desperately to feed him.

"Stop it, Happy. Eat it yourself, I want nothing," Natsu responded.

Happy had only been this afraid twice before, unfortunately, one of those times was only a few days ago. Natsu looked horrible. He had sustained only one injury, that being a slash from his left hip going to his right shoulder. Most people would have been killed, but that slice killed something else. Since that day Natsu hasn't eaten or slept once. He only drank at Happy's insistence. A few more days of this and he was going to die. The mighty Natsu Drakeneel, son of dragons, would die from his own mind and heart giving up on him. The man who had managed to invent his own dragon slayer secret arts out of the royal white flames of Igneel would die. Well, that's what Happy thought anyway.

"Well now, this is a sight you don't see every day!" A short older man with a white mustache, a funny-looking orange hat, and an orange overcoat walked up to them. It was a testament to his exhaustion that Natsu was surprised. Ordinarily, they would have booked it ages ago. No one ever saw them, because Natsu could smell a person a mile away and hear which direction they were going in. This old man just walked right up.

"Natsu! This proves it! You need to eat! You need sleep!" the blue cat shouted at him.

"Well, now I'm even more confused. Now tell me young one, are you alright? You look like death!"

"I'm fine, just go away," Natsu responded.

"Natsu! Stop! Please!"

'HAPPY!" Natsu shouted. Rarely if ever had he raised his voice at his only friend and family, but he was so far gone he could barely tell up from down anymore.

"Well now, ordinarily I leave wily ones alone, but you clearly are in need of some assistance. My name's Makarov Dreyar. Who are you, folks?"

Natsu glanced at the man, and just closed his eyes.

"Well if you won't, then I will!" Happy declared turning to the old man. "Please, help him. My name's Happy and that's Natsu… Something…happened… He won't sleep or eat afterward...I can barely get him to drink...It's like his heart and mind rejected him, I don't know how much longer he'll last. Also loo-"

"That's enough, Hap-"

"NO! NATSU! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE TOO! YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE EVERYTHING! SO DO I! ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME GO THROUGH IT AGAIN?!" At this point, Happy was in tears. Natsu showed the first sign of emotion in days, as he gazed almost apologetically at Happy. That was it, that was all he could take.

"I-I'm sorry… Happy…" he managed to get out, before passing out.

"NATSU!"

"Child! Are you alright, my boy? Speak to me!"

Porlyusica's House - 3 hours later

"Are you sure he's going to be ok?"

"Yes! Now quit complaining or I'll kick you out! I hate humans, don't make me start hating cats too! I can't believe I'm letting you both stay in here while the kid sleeps! He must have a death wish, he was knocking on heaven's door, or maybe hell's door, I don't know the kid, but he was barely living! That wound was terrible, and he was severely sleep-deprived and starving!"

"I...I know…"

"Try to relax, Porlyusica. I don't know who these two are, or what they've been through, but I think they need us now."

"Hmmph!" she growled and stomped off, muttering about lousy humans.

"Mister Makarov, sir?"

"Just Makarov is fine, no need to be so formal! What's wrong?"

"Thank you for helping him…I don't know... what I'd do... without him."

"Of course, young one. It's not in my nature to ignore those in need, no matter what their past or future holds."

Happy smiled and curled back up next to the sleeping Natsu. The dragons' son still looked terrible, but Porlyusica had taken care of his cut. She said it was going to leave a nasty scar and had gotten some sedatives into him so he'd stay asleep.

"Well, young one, I'll return here tomorrow in the morning. Hopefully, I'll get here before he wakes up. Get some rest, and make sure you stay with him. I think it'll help," and with that, the old man hopped down from his chair and headed off towards the city.

The Next Morning

"He's been asleep for over 12 hours, are you sure he's ok?" Happy asked the old lady.

He learned from Makarov that her name was Porlyusica, and she was a 'friend' of his that specializes in healing. It seemed though, that she despised humans, and for some reason that included Happy.

"Yes! Now be quiet before I kick you out again!" she snapped, before turning and walking away.

"Don't let her get you down, young one. She means well."

"I sure hope so…"

"Ughh…." A small groan came from the bed where Natsu was sleeping.

"NATSU! YOU'RE AWAKE!" he immediately flew into Natsu, tears streaming from his eyes while he nuzzled his chest.

"I'm alive? Where am I?" Natsu was beyond confused. He was sure he was about to die. Frankly, he deserved it, is what he told himself. It was sad to leave Happy alone, but he could just add that to the list of reasons he deserved to die.

"Well my boy, good to see you up again!" the old man walked over, hopped up on a chair, and gave him a grin.

"You're that old man…" he noted, glancing around the room. It was strange, he was lying on the only bed, in what seemed like a one-room building. For all he could tell, he was inside a tree. It certainly looked that way. He must really be losing it if he thought he was inside a tree!

"So, how do you feel."

Natsu sat up slowly, wincing from the pain of his chest wound. He flexed his hands a few times, inspected his arms, and made sure everything was still there. But something was wrong.

"My stuff," he groaned. If he didn't feel like he got hit by a dozen magic mobiles, he'd be burning the place down in search of his trophies. "What'd you do with it old man?"

He chuckled and gestured over to the table next to him. "All of it's right there. You have quite the collection there, child. Where did you get it all from?"

Natsu readorned himself with his trophies, inspecting each to make sure nothing had happened. He had upgraded his necklace during the past few years, and it was now made of an extremely rare silver that had been enchanted to be magic resistant. Of course, his own flames didn't burn it, but other people's magic could still damage the necklace should they ever land a hit. His earrings were also made of the same metal, but he kept the identical shape, a loop just barely large enough to go from his ear to the scale.

"The scarf was a gift from my father. I made the rest of them myself," he replied after finally winning a battle to get the earring back on. He hadn't taken them off since he changed the metal, so it was definitely a new challenge for him.

"Well I must say, you do have quite a unique look for someone so young. Your name was Natsu, right?" the old man asked.

"Yeah, Natsu Drakeneel," he responded.

"Well, Natsu, why don't you explain to me what-"

"NO!" he shouted suddenly. "No, that's ok. I don't want to."

"Natsu…" Happy met his gaze. "You need to tell him. You will never heal if you don't get over this."

"I can't tell him, I can't tell anyone...Ever...That part of me is dead, somehow the rest of me is still here, but that part died."

"If you're living in denial, I'll tell him! You would be dead if not for him, Natsu! He deserves to know!"

"Now, now, no need to fight each other!" Makarov was quite uncomfortable. Somehow the talking blue cat was trying to be the reasonable one, while the older boy was stuck in his mind somewhere. This was certainly a first for him. "He can talk about it when he's ready."

"No, he can't! You need to know, and if he won't tell you, then-"

"Fine," Natsu interrupted.

"Really?" Happy was shocked, he expected to have to ask Natsu to be sedated so he could get the story out without being set on fire.

"I'm sorry…" Natsu looked down in shame. He was doing everything wrong. The one family he had left was doing everything in his power to help him, and he was desperately pushing it away. What kind of monster was he?

"Old man?" Natsu began. This was a hard story to tell, but Happy was right. Living in denial wouldn't help anything. "Have you heard of a man nicknamed the White Crown?"

"Hmmm, the White Crown eh? If you ran into him, I'm surprised you aren't dead! They say he never deliberately kills, but more than a few died accidentally from injuries."

"What do you know about him?" Natsu was quite curious about the rumors of his moniker. It was his own fault for branding himself. He never knew exactly why he marked everything, it just felt like he should give a reminder of some sort. 'What can I say, I love a good trophy,' he thought to himself.

"Well my child, let's think. The stories are all very similar. The council is quite split on whether to try to have him killed or to try to hire him. He does a lot of dirty work. Anyway, he's a bounty hunter. No one knows what he looks like." The man scratched his head, trying to remember what they had said about him. "The stories all say something like this. A short man wearing a dark cloak enters the building, demands information, and burns it down when they decline. Some say he uses orange flames, some say they're white. A few said they saw his eyes, and it was like looking into the eyes of a dragon. After leaving with whatever he came for, he kneels at the door, marks a crown on the ground using a hand emblazoned in a white flame, and then leaves without a trace. Now, then, since you're asking about him I can only presume that you've tussled with the fella? I didn't know he had a blade, that's a new discovery for certain! No wonder you don't want to talk about it!"

"The White Crown is me…"

Makarov looked as pale as a ghost, he didn't think about it at first, but it made sense. His eyes were dark and cold, like a dragon crying in anguish. He remembered a few people said he had near-identical scars over each eye, and one claimed he had unique hair but no one else had been able to confirm it. A perfect match.

"I never meant to kill anyone. I knew a few had died, but I never meant to. I never took assassination requests, if that's what you're thinking. Guild destructions and living captures were my specialties."

"O-of course, my boy. It just caught me off guard since you're… uh…"

"Young?"

Makarov just nodded, and Natsu gave a small smile.

"I figured as much. I've been doing this 2 years now, you shoulda seen the faces of people watching a little kid take down their whole guild and walk away with their master."

It was disturbing to Makarov. Natsu was clearly trying to brag or scare him away, but inside the boy was miserable. It seemed as though he knew there were better ways to do what he did and that he hated what he'd done. They were the eyes of fear and loss, eyes he'd seen before in the eyes of his Fairy Tail children.

"Well, my boy, what happened to you? Since you're still here, I can't assume you failed a job."

Natsu sighed, glanced at Happy a final time, who nodded, before starting the story. He told Makarov about being raised by Igneel and Draco, and them being killed in front of him. He told him about living in Rösch and his new family being killed again. He told him about how he got into bounty hunting, and then the information from Shadowstep. And finally, he began the story of what happened before meeting Makarov.

"It was I think 3 days ago, in my old village called Rösch…

Flashback: Rösch - 3 days prior

"What are you thanking me for?" Happy asked.

"The same thing I thanked you for 2 years ago when we started this hell of a life."

"Oh…"

It was an hour later when they reached the village gates. Natsu long since donned his cloak of black, his mind fueled more and more by rage the closer to the village he got. The information was right, he remembered the smell. That ugly bastard who took his siblings from him. He could smell him here. The guildhall ahead was the largest he'd ever seen, in front of it were several guards holding the same spears that killed Parker 3 years ago.

"Calm down, Natsu. It's gonna be ok…" Happy could feel his rage, it was nearly palpable.

"I know Happy... I think I can do this...Just keep an eye out for me…" he whispered the last part.

"Aye, sir!" Happy replied, playfully, finally lightening the mood a bit.

They began walking towards the hall. Happy was in Natsu's hood, hanging from his left shoulder to keep out of view.

"Halt! Who goes there!" shouted one of the guards, aiming his spear at Natsu.

Natsu glanced at each guard, eyeing them up.

"Hey! I asked you a-"

Natsu grabbed the spear, yanked the guard forward, and headbutted him, knocking him out instantly.

"Hey! Who are-"

Natsu ran up to the guards on the left side, grabbing their heads and slamming them together, and then turned to the guards on the right.

"Fire Dragon's ROAR!" he shouted, unleashing a torrent of flames at the guards. He was so fast, they barely had time to react, before all 5 were lying on the ground, two smoldering, and all of them unconscious. He turned to the guild just before the doors burst open. DOZENS of wizards came rushing out, they were prepared and ready for battle. Natsu took a few leaps back, preparing himself for what was to come. Just before Natsu engaged, out came a man wearing purple robes, his dark red hair in a ponytail, holding a red staff with a black dragon etched onto it, and a permanent wicked grin etched into his disgusting face.

"Well now! It looks like he's finally come back! I can't believe you lived! All those years ago, and I thought I was so thorough! The White Crown really is the young boy who got away…"

The air grew thicker, rising with Natsu's rage. Happy flew out underneath and behind the cloak, knowing the battle to come would be too much for Natsu if he had to worry about Happy, that is, if he could worry about Happy. Luckily enough, no one seemed to notice him.

"...Barreth…" he snarled. Natsu had never known rage so unbelievably intense. He was staring at the man who orchestrated and personally helped to kill his second family. Treya, his adorable little sister. Cindy, his feisty female friend. Parker, his arch-rival and fellow insult connoisseur. And Ashley, the big sister… The one who saved him after losing his dragons…

"So, you're back. Finally here to join, eh? Well, nice to see a dragon slayer honoring Acnologia! However, you had your chance, and witnesses leave a bad taste in my mouth, so I'm going to have to ask you to stand down."

"You...you worship... that MENACE!" he roared! THIS was fury. All before was forgotten, besides the here and now. It was true, that was why he was so angry at Acnologia after Rösch burned. Some part of him knew it was his fault too. His minions. Everything was from Acnologia. In the midst of his rage, one of the guards that had a spear took a swing. He almost didn't even notice until it was too late. Rage blinded him to all but Barreth. His vision showed the menacing, disgrace of a man standing in front of a mighty black dragon, in his mouth, the wing of his father. He jumped back, but the blade still did its damage. Slicing the cloak clean off of him, and nearly gutting him, the blade sliced from shoulder to hip.

"RAAAAGHHHHH!" He screamed in pain. It was the worst injury he'd had since training with Igneel. That was going to scar.

"How is it that in 3 years, you managed to get weaker? No wonder your dragons aren't with you, I can't believe a dragon would give power to a whelp like you anyway…"

That was the final straw, suddenly the rage disappeared. The world froze, time itself stopped. Something was calling him.

Kill them

Kill them all

The Dragon's rage knows no end

End their lives

His eyes were closed. He let out a slow stream of flames, cauterizing the wound on his chest. The long-dormant magical power reserve, created with the help of his father snapped open like a water balloon. The ground began to tremble, the wood of the guildhall started to crack. The power was so thick, the non-mage guards were knocked out instantly. All the mages were on the ground except for Barreth, who just looked terrified. Most were conscious but in serious pain.

"What is this power?"

"I've never felt anything so intense!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

His fangs grew longer. White scales began to show prominence on the left side of his face, with his right side growing red ones. Two horns, one red and one white, grew atop his head, and his hands became that of a dragon. He entered Royal Dragon Force, a power never seen by human eyes before. No one had been blessed with dragon slayer powers by a true dragon king.

"O' flames that burn white with holy light, accept my rage, and burn all those who oppose me. Take the form of deathly wings and BURN! WHITE FIRE DRAGON KING'S SECRET ART: RAGING WINGS!" his eyes shot open, his closed fists shooting to either side of him, every muscle flexed. Massive wings made of pure white fire erupted from his back. Each was at least 20 feet in length, and everything around was melting or in ashes. They each flapped down once, unleashing a blistering heat that killed at least half the members instantly, melted the guildhall, and left a massive crater that he was now standing in.

All that was heard were screams. Absolute death was the only outcome of this. Those who weren't already dead were covered in blisters and writhing on the ground in pain. Barreth was the only one able to stand, but barely. He couldn't speak or move, his clothes were gone, and his staff said to be forged in dragon flames had all but turned to ash.

"White Fire Dragon King's Secret Art: FLARE BLITZ!" He suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind Barreth and sticking a flaming fist through his heart, holding the now burnt organ in his hand. Before he had even fallen to the ground, he teleported again. Everyone he could see would be killed. He teleported rapidly, tearing, clawing, and burning everyone and everything. After everyone that was in or in front of the guildhall was dead, their bodies ashes, all that remained were those fleeing in fear. Those lucky few escaped his wings, only to fall victim to the dragon's blitz.

Kill them

Some remain

Not a soul leaves alive

Then there was one left. He was out of teleports, his magic nearly gone, fueled on pure rage alone. The man was trembling, naked, and covered in burns. He was barely alive, but somehow able to crawl away. Not a drop of their blood had been spilled, but at least 50 people were dead. Not a drop of blood other than his own had time to spill. It was burned before it had a chance. Heat and fire of magnitude had never before been seen from a human before, and no one would live to tell the tale. He raised his hand ready to finish the last one off-

"NATSU! STOP IT! YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!" Happy screamed.

"It's not… It's not enough… What they've done… It's too easy for them…"

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Happy shouted, flying full speed and crashing into him. He hit the ground hard, seemingly snapping him out of his daze. It was reckless and stupid. Happy was lucky that he didn't die on impact with Natsu, that the sheer magnitude of firepower he used wouldn't kill him instantly, but somehow he was fine. Not a scratch or a burn anywhere. And Natsu was back. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around at the town. It was destroyed, the ground was smoking, there was melted rock where the guildhall once was, and piles of ash littered the streets.

"What… happened…"

"It's over, Natsu… it's over…" he whispered, as Natsu keeled over asleep, never noticing one man running for his very life. Running away from the monster he had just witnessed release himself in a rage-fueled rampage.

Flashback End

Makarov was speechless. Never had he heard of a slaughter of such magnitude. Dark guilds were known for their cruel acts, but the power that was just described was on a level he couldn't fathom. A bloodless slaughter? A single flap of wings melting over a dozen people? This was truly a nightmare for anyone who witnessed it and lived to tell the tale. Not only this, but this was a child! He looked to be as old as Gray who was only 15! The boy had gone through unimaginable pain, and the circumstances leading to such an event made sense.

"My child, you have gone through terrible pain in your life," Makarov began. "Losing those close to you is the hardest thing one has to go through, but you've managed to move on twice. I think in your mind, there was nothing left for you here. No one needed you, so you shut your mind down and started to pour it into something else. A goal. When you finally saw a way to achieve some piece of that goal you snapped. Such things happen after tragedies, my child. You feel guilty now, and it is something you must come to terms with."

'Now I understand…' Makarov thought. He had been coming back from a council meeting the other day, and during the last day, news came in of a small town called Rösch being decimated. The dark guild there, Nightwing, was a cult of Acnologia worshippers, seeing him as a god of destruction that would plunge the world into chaos if they could awaken him from his slumber. The informant reported that everyone was gone, the entire place burnt and melted to the ground. One person that had turned himself in was nearly dead. They tried to get information out of him, but he trembled and groaned, only saying, "So fast…so much...the fire... the wings, OH GOD THE WINGS! GET THEM AWAY!" He was completely delirious, writhing and screaming. Now it made sense. It was this child, the spells he crafted using his rage was etched into the man's mind, the fear like no other. The heat melted away his sanity and left a trembling mess of a man behind. The council wasn't sure what to make of the information, but such a dark guild was dealt with, and if no complaints were made, they were prepared to sweep it under the rug. They nicknamed the event 'The Flare Blitz of Rösch' after the words that the insane prisoner muttered before screaming.

"I...know… I didn't want to kill them… I didn't… I only needed the one… I just lost it… I'm glad that one lived, I didn't…. I didn't kill them all…" he was whispering holding his head in his hands and trembling violently.

Happy was in tears, still hugging Natsu, and Makarov was doing his best to stay composed. It was hard.

'Frankly,' Makarov thought, 'The kid is lucky it was just the one that got away. And he's lost his mind. Even against a dark guild of such power, the slaughter of this scale could not be ignored if there was any evidence suggesting who did it.'

"Well, child. Why don't you get some sleep, and I have a proposition for you when you wake up."

Natsu turned back to Makarov, clearly confused, but nodded anyway. Still drugged up and physically and mentally exhausted, he lied back down and passed out, Happy sleeping alongside him. 'Makarov...isn't he the master of…' was the last thought Natsu had, before passing out.

"You offering him a place in your guild, Makarov? That may not go so well… If anyone finds out who he is, you're in a lot of trouble. The White Crown has a 10 million jewel bounty on his head last I heard, and if anyone finds out about Rösch, that could skyrocket. And the council would pin it on you."

"I know," Makarov sighed and stroked his mustache. "But I can't just turn a blind eye to someone reaching for the light. I can pull him out of the darkness. He just needs a hand to find it…"

"Stubborn fool…"

Natsu slept almost the entire rest of the day, Porlyusica saying he needed to stay one more day, and then he was getting his butt out of her house. Occasionally he'd wake up and get something to eat that Makarov had brought him, and other times he'd have his bandages changed. Each time his eyes got a little more life to them. They were still cold and filled with hatred and sorrow, but they weren't completely void of feeling and life as they were when the old man first saw him. The next morning, Porlyusica kicked them out after Makarov had given him breakfast. Natsu needed to wear the bandage for only two more days, much to Porlyusica's surprise, normally an injury of that size, especially one left only cauterized for three days, would be there for at least a few weeks. Natsu insisted he was a quick healer, something to do with his dragon constitution, and his fire having a bit of a healing nature for him.

Natsu was walking through the forest with Makarov. He was still following the boy, still wanting to offer him a hand out of the darkness, but something told him that Natsu needed to do something first. After about 20 minutes, Natsu stopped and sniffed around, before digging near a tree.

"My child, you've been through much anguish and sorrow in your life. I fear that you once had a brilliant light in your life, but it kept being extinguished. I ask you if you'd let me try to light that shine one more time for you."

Natsu stopped digging and turned to the man, seemingly very confused at what he was asking.

"I'm the master of the guild Fairy Tail. Would you like to join my family?" he asked, smiling as if to reassure Natsu of his good intentions.

Natsu was shocked. He knew of Fairy Tail, they were strong. Bounty hunters had to keep an eye on guilds all the time, in case they ever became targets, and Fairy Tail was always a threat. Gildarts, Laxus, Kael, and a few up-and-comers Erza and Mira were all names known to Natsu.

Natsu returned to digging deep in thought. Makarov didn't expect a reaction, but he could tell that Natsu hadn't outright rejected his offer.

"Natsu, I think you should do it." Happy said. Once again, Natsu paused and turned to look at Happy. "You promised me you wouldn't lose yourself, Natsu. I saved you once, but I don't think I-"

"I know, Happy," Natsu responded and resumed digging. "I've heard of Fairy Tail before."

Makarov seemed somewhat surprised by this, and Natsu just smirked and continued.

"Bounty hunters know and see more than anyone could ever know. There isn't anywhere in Ishgar I haven't seen." He stopped digging and pulled a large sack out of the hole before continuing. "You guys are top-notch. Always gotta know who might come after us or get to the targets before we do. Fairy Tail is the one everyone knows to watch out for."

"Natsu, what about-"

"I'm getting there, Happy." Natsu sighed and glanced in the sack. "I really don't know. Fate is a cruel mistress. Happy is the only family I've been given who hasn't been killed. Not to mention the fact that I just slaughtered an entire guild with my own hands."

"But Natsu-"

"Happy! Let me finish!" Natsu snapped, irritated that he kept getting interrupted. He tossed the sack to Makarov. "You guys are quite the destructive bunch, so as thanks for everything, take it. I don't need it."

Makarov looked inside and his eyes went huge, "Nonsense! I can't-"

"You can and you will, old man. If you leave it here, I'll bring it to the doorstep every day until it stays there." He glared at Makarov, challenging him to reject the offer.

Makarov saw the serious glare in his eyes and just sighed. "Well I do appreciate it young man, but about joining Fairy Tail..."

"I'm not going to say no," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just...I'm not ready yet… I think I need more time...to sort through what happened…"

"Very wise, my child. You are far beyond your years, in both power and wisdom." Makarov replied, nodding his head at the boy's response.

"Natsu, are you sure?" Happy asked. He saw this as a chance for Natsu, one that would disappear if it weren't pounced on.

"I'm sure. If you won't accept my 'gift,'" he said gesturing to the sack, "think of it as paying for a seat. I don't know when, but when I'm ready, I'll come find you." Natsu gave Happy a tight hug before continuing. "I know you think that I need this Happy, and I agree with you. I just...I can't face anyone before I can face myself."

Makarov smiled and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Well, good luck, Natsu. I hope that you find your way into the light soon. Happy? Make sure you keep an eye on him! He'll need you to show him the way."

"Aye, sir!" the cat gave a determined salute.

Makarov chuckled, gave a final wave over his shoulder, and walked into town.

"Hey Happy?" Natsu suddenly broke the silence that had been hanging in the air for almost ten minutes after they watched the old man leave. "What do you think being in a guild is like?"

A Short While Later - The Fairy Tail Guild Hall

"GINGER HEADED BITCH!"

"STUCK UP COW!"

"I'M A REAL MAN!"

"QUIET YOU BRATS!" Makarov yelled entering the guildhall.

"Oh, Master! You're back! What's in the bag?" A barmaid walked up to greet him.

"A bit of a gift from a friend of mine…" he tossed the bag to her.

"EHHHHHH?" she exclaimed after looking in the bag.

"What is it?"
"Yeah, don't keep us waiting!"

The whole guild was crowding around the barmaid, who just looked shocked.

"The sack... there's at least 5 million jewels in here!"

The whole guild just went silent. "EHHHHHHH?!"

"That's more than I make in a year!"
"You got any more rich friends, Gramps?"

"Where did you get this from? I demand to know!"

Makarov just waved and closed the door to his office. 'Well, they seem interested already,' he thought, chuckling as he sat down at his desk. 'I wonder when he'll come by…'