Chapter 3 Close Encounter Of the Fairy Kind
Here's a list of what's to expect for those new to the story;
1. The story takes place a 3 years after the end of YYH and in the first season of FT (Pre Phantom Lord Arc, post Changeling)
2. All 4 members of Team Urameshi will be getting new moves, and 2 will receive new forms. And a few members of FT will also be learning something new (Don't ask, not telling. Nyah!)
3. I know what you're thinking, how could you kill of Genkai and Keiko?! but I believe that the added loss will add a sort of drive that will help Yusuke mature as a person AND as a warrior. Don't worry though, they'll be making brief cameos in certain points of the story to help Yusuke move forward.
4. All 4 members of Team Urameshi will be shipped with someone from FT. I'm definitely having Yusuke shipped with Erza, for 3 good reasons. First, I wanted to go with a character who was sort of the opposite of Keiko. They're both caring, kind, and tough when they want to be. However, the main difference (aside from the hair) is that Erza is a hardened warrior with years of experience in battle, and it's that experience that helps Yusuke find common ground with her. Second, like Yusuke, Erza knows what it's like to lose someone close to them. Because she understands him, Erza will serve as a sort of foil to Yusuke, who differs from Titania in the fact that he can be callous, indifferent, instigative, and immature. It will be thanks to his newfound comrades in Fairy Tail, mostly Erza, that he develops a softer side and learns to care more about his fellow men. (And women). And third, most importantly, she's just TOO GOOD for Jellal. He had a LOT of opportunities in the anime to tie her down and he totally chickened out. No question that that ship has sailed, caught fire, and sank to the bottom of the ocean.
5. The rest of Team Urameshi (Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei) will not show up until the Oracion Seis arc.
6. I'll mainly be following the main storyline of Fairy Tail but I'll also be adding some elements for YYH. Such as adding arcs from the movies. There will also be original chapters, mostly to help build up the bonds Yusuke will eventually make with his guildmates. I mean, jumping right into the main arc and having him suddenly warmed up to his teammates without any explanation? That's just lazy writing (Not to mention a big middle finger to the readers and continuity) and I'm better than that.
(I do not own YYH or Fairy Tail. Also for those wondering, I couldn't fit the entire chapter title in. Too many characters. But luckily you can still see it here. Anyway, Please enjoy)
Magnolia - Moments before Yusuke had arrived
The streets of Magnolia were as lively as the day was young. However, most of this enthusiastic energy came from a certain pink haired young wizard clad in an open sleeveless, gold trimmed, black waistcoat that showed off his muscular physique, a pair of white knee-length trousers with black ribbons at the end which were held up by a brown belt with an oval-shaped buckle, a black wristband on his left wrist, a pair of black open toe sandals, and, most notably, a white scale patterned scarf that was wrapped around his neck. There was also a red mark that resembled a tattoo on his right shoulder. This mark was the symbol of Fairy Tail, and the young man bearing the mark was none other than Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's resident Dragon Slayer.
"It's great to be back"! He exclaimed.
"Aye sir"!
The one who replied was a small blue cat who had a green knapsack on his back. This was Happy, Natsu's partner and fellow guildmate. He flew up next to Natsu with a pair of white angelic wings coming out of his back.
The next person to speak was a young girl with shoulder length blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail on the right side of her head with a blue ribbon. She was around Natsu's age and wore a white, sleeveless shirt with blue highlights and a blue cross that went down the center. She also wore a pair of black boots that came up to her knees and a blue skirt that was secured by a brown belt with a whip and key ring with 8 different keys, 4 gold and 4 silver, attached to it. On the top of her left hand was the same guild mark that Natsu had, only hers was pink. She was Lucy Heartfelia, Fairy Tail's latest recruit and Celestial Wizard.
"Can't help but agree with you there", She said with a sigh, "It always feels good coming home from a job".
She and her friends had come back from their most recent job; getting rid of a herd of giant rabid weasels that were plaguing a small town a few miles west of Magnolia.
"Yeah, fighting monsters can take a lot out of you", a young man with spiky black hair replied.
This was Gray Fullbuster. He wore a long white coat with a blue trim, black pants, and black shoes. He was another member of Fairy Tail who used Ice Maker Magic and who also had an impulsive habit of taking off his clothes. Luckily, this was one of the rare moments where he was able to keep himself fully clothed.
"Who knew they'd be so hard to take down", Gray said in surprise, "And with Natsu burning everything up, I'm surprised we managed to get anything done".
"And what's that supposed to mean, ice prick"?! Natsu asked angrily getting in Gray's face.
"It means that it was a miracle you didn't end up burning the entire town to the ground during the fight, flame brain"! Gray retorted just as angrily.
They were soon pushed back forcefully by the 5th member of the group. A young woman maybe a little older than Lucy who wore a silver breastplate with a red Fairy emblem on one side and a golden cross that intersected overtop of it. Her shoulders were covered with thick pauldrons and greaves with winglike structures on the elbows adorned her forearms. She also wore a blue skirt which was covered by two plates of armor held together by brown leather straps that were connected to a brown belt. Adding to that, she also wore a pair of black boots that came up to her knees. What was most notable about her appearance was he brilliant, scarlet red hair. This was Erza Scarlet, an S-Class wizard and the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail.
"That's enough you two", She said in a firm voice, "Besides, you should be grateful for such an opportunity. The experience you acquire from each job will help you later on life. There's always something to learn from everything we take on as members of the guild".
"Talk about turning lemons into lemonade", Lucy muttered in astonishment.
"That's Erza for ya", Happy noted.
"Tch, whatever", Natsu said, rubbing his neck.
"Yeah like that's going to apply from every little job we take", Gray muttered sarcastically as he rubbed his own neck.
Natsu's scowl quickly left his face as his highly trained sense of smell suddenly picked up the faint traces of a new scent. He darted his head around, trying to see which direction it was coming from.
"NOW what's he doing"? Gray asked, somewhat irritated as he watched Natsu sniff the air.
"I believe his dragon senses have picked up peculiar smell", Erza noted.
"Maybe someone's barbecuing a meat brisket, big deal", Gray said uninterested as he placed his hands behind his head.
"What do you got, Natsu"? Happy asked.
"What is it"? Lucy inquired, becoming equally interested.
"I'm picking up something...something I never smelled before", Natsu said, as he sniffed the air, "I think...I think it's coming from that way"!
Natsu was pointing off in the east direction of town. As the others turned to follow his gaze, the young Dragon Slayer set off, determined to find the source of the scent.
"Hey wait up"! Happy said flying off after him.
"Ugh, come on, we better make sure he doesn't end up setting something on fire like he normally does", Gray sighed, going after Natsu.
"He's right, let's go", Erza said firmly following suite with Lucy close behind her.
"What do you think Natsu's tracking"? Lucy asked as she ran up next to Erza.
"I don't know", Erza said, "But we'd best stay on our guard. This could most likely lead to trouble".
"That's not really a comforting thought", Lucy said as a drop of sweat ran down the side of her head.
Earthland - East Forest of Magnolia
As Yusuke walked through the forest, he couldn't help but admire the scenery. Even though Kuroko's house and Genkai's dojo were surrounded woods, he was still used to the hustle and bustle of the big city.
"Never seen a forest like this back home", he said to himself, "There's not a beer can or a single piece of litter in sight. What do you think, Puu"?
Yusuke waited for a moment, but after a few seconds, he had yet to hear his Spirit Beast reply.
"Puu"? He said, turning his head.
He turned around to see that Puu was nowhere around.
"Oh great", Yusuke sighed irately, "Now he's wandered off. Not even an hour here, and I've already lost the only other mouth I need to feed besides my own".
The aforementioned Spirit Beast had flown off to a nearby stream and was currently taking a nice long drink. The trip to Earthland had made the large bird quite parched and, after finding a nice cool spot with a clean body of water, he was eager to quench his thirst. The spirit beast was so caught up with refreshing himself that he didn't notice the young, pink haired dragon slayer that was hiding in the bushes. Natsu had finally gotten to the East Forest and, to his surprise, he had found that the scent he was so eager to locate was Puu's.
"Whoa", he thought, "What kind of animal is that? Never seen anything like this before in Magnolia. It's bigger than a Forest Vulcan. Hmmm...".
As Natsu eyed the large bird, he soon became aware that it'd been a while since he had last filled his stomach and the mere sight of the bird began to make his mouth water.
"Bet that thing will taste good extra crispy", Natsu thought as he quickly imagined the creature plucked, cooked and ready for the dinner table.
Natsu quickly emerged from the bushes. The sound of the leaves rustling caught Puu's attention and quickly noticed the young mage walking towards him.
"A nice hot meal after a long trip back is just what I needed", Natsu said, grinning as he cracked his knuckles, "I bet you taste just like chicken".
"Puu"? Puu said curiosly, tilting his head to the side.
"Let's make this easier, just hold still and I'll make this as quick and painless as possible", Natsu bargained as he set his fist ablaze with his magic.
Puu suddenly became wise to Natsu's plans for him. Standing up straight on his legs, the large blue Spirit Beast spread his wings out and let out a loud cry, as if to say "Go Away"!
"So that's how you want to play it, huh"? Natsu said as his grin slowly began to grow, "Fine! Fighting you will work up my appetite"!
The young wizard charged towards Puu, cocking his fist back as the flame it held slowly grew.
"Fire Dragon Iron Fist"! Natsu charged in, fist first, aiming to make contact with the beast. Unfortunately, Puu was faster and quickly evaded his attack by flying up.
Natsu growled as he looked up to see his prey flying overhead.
"You're quick, I'll give ya that much", Natsu said with a smirk, "But nothing's gonna get between me and MY free meal ticket"!
"Fire Dragon Sword Horn"!
Using his magic to propel him upwards, and engulfing his whole body in flames, Natsu rocketed up towards Puu with a headbutt style attack. This time however, he made contact with Puu's underbelly and the large creature cried out in anguish as the dragon slayer hit his mark.
"Ha, gotcha", Natsu said, smirking as the large beast hit the ground.
Gray and the others soon followed him, having seen the light emanating from Natsu's magic. They arrived just in time to see Natsu walking over to the now downed beast.
"What's he doing"? Lucy asked.
"I'd say Natsu just found his dinner", Happy observed.
"Hey Natsu! You're planning on sharing that with us, right"? Gray asked curiously.
"No way man! Find your own"! Natsu exclaimed.
"Don't be greedy! That thing's big enough to feed an orphanage"! Gray shouted, irritated by his comrade's selfishness, "Come on, I haven't eaten anything since we got back"!
"I found it, I beat it, so it's MY dinner"! Natsu retorted stubbornly.
"You'll share with me, right Natsu"? Happy asked.
"Of course! I'm always glad to share with my little buddy", Natsu said warmly.
"That's not fair! Why does the cat get some and we don't"?! Gray snapped.
"He's right Natsu", Erza said firmly, "If you're going to share with Happy, it won't kill you to share with the rest of us".
"Ugh, fine"! Natsu groaned, "Just let me finish cooking it and I'll-YEEOWCH"!
Natsu was interrupted as the beast suddenly picked him up by the head with its' beak and lifted him off the ground. The others were quick to start laughing at Natsu's rather humorous predicament.
"Lemme go, ya overgrown turkey! This hurts"! Natsu demanded, struggling to get out of its' grip.
In compliance with his wishes, Puu released Natsu by tossing him away. He screamed as he flew through the air and landed behind his friends with a loud thud. His friends looked at him with blank stares, unsure of what to say. The young wizard then got to his feet as he dusted himself off.
"Need a hand"? Happy asked as Natsu headed back towards the bird.
"Don't worry, I got this", Natsu said crossly.
"Will you still be able to say that when it knocks you on your ass again"? Gray asked jokingly.
"One more crack like that and you ain't getting ANY of it"! Natsu threatened.
"Guys, should we really let him go through with his"? Lucy asked nervously, "I mean, we've never really seen any other creature like this, what if it's endangered? And besides, it's...kinda cute in a way".
"You think that thing is cute"? Happy asked incredulously, "You've got strange tastes, Lucy".
"Oh, shut up cat", Lucy replied, slightly offended.
None of them noticed Yusuke hiding in the brush. He had managed to locate Puu by the stream before Natsu came charging at him with his attack from earlier. The young Spirit Detective had hoped that Puu would be able to fend for himself, but after seeing the skills displayed by the young Dragon Slayer, he knew he had to step in.
"Try and make a meal of my friend, will ya"? Yusuke muttered as the tip of right index finger began to glow, "Let's see you take a bite out of this, Pinky".
Yusuke grasped his wrist with his left hand as he aimed his right index finger at Natsu.
"Alright, dinner's served", Natsu said eagerly as he cocked his flaming fist back and leapt toward the immobilized Spirit Beast, "Fire Dragon-"!
"Spirit Gun"!
All of the wizards' attention, save Natsu's, was diverted as a large, bright blast of blue energy came from the left and impacted Natsu. The pink haired wizard shouted out of both surprise and pain as the beam knocked him back and sent him flying into the stream with a loud splash.
"Natsu"! Happy shouted in concern for his partner as he ran towards the stream.
"What the hell"?! Gray exclaimed.
"What was that"? Lucy asked worriedly.
"It came from that direction"! Erza said, pointing to the left.
Each of them prepared themselves as they heard footsteps coming from the wooded area. Gray placed his fist on his palm, Erza summoned a broadsword, and Lucy quickly took out one of her keys, all of them were prepared to counterattack whoever it was that fired that blast at Natsu. Slowly, Yusuke emerged from the trees, still grasping his wrist. To say that the other wizards were surprised to see him would have been an understatement. They had never seen an attack quite as unique or as powerful as that before, and to think that someone as young as Yusuke was able to pull it off? It was almost cause for alarm.
"I'm only going to say this once", Yusuke growled as placed both his hands into his jacket pockets, "If any of you bastards want to have my friend for lunch, it'll be the last thing you ever eat! So I'd suggest you consider your next move very carefully".
A sudden feeling of surprise and guilt suddenly washed over the three wizards as they each turned pale. The fact that Natsu attacked this man's animal companion was bad enough, but the fact that they all wanted in on eating it afterwards made it even worse. Awkward silence filled the air as each of them were just too embarrassed to speak.
"Hey pal", Yusuke said, inspecting his Spirit Beast for any injuries, "They didn't hurt ya too bad, did they? You alright"?
"Puu"! Puu replied, happy to see his master had returned.
Yusuke then turned his attention to the trio of wizards, his smile quickly morphing into a scowl as he eyed each of them.
"Alright, now which one of you punks thought it'd be fun to make a meal out of my friend"?! He exclaimed hotly.
"It was him"! The three of them said, pointing to Natsu who had just gotten up out of the stream with Happy's help.
Yusuke turned his attention to the pink haired wizard and stomped towards him. As the young dragon slayer finally got on the dry ground, he was suddenly yanked forward by the front of his jacket and found himself face to face with the Spirit Detective.
"What's your damage"? Natsu growled, instantly disliking the way that Yusuke looked at him, "You got a problem, bub"?
"As a matter of fact, I do", Yusuke replied, gritting his teeth, "I don't exactly appreciate it when someone goes and tries to serve my friend for dinner".
"Your friend? What are you-"?
Natsu stopped himself as he looked back over at the large, blue feathered beast. Soon enough, all the pieces came together and then it hit him.
"Wait, that thing is your pet"?! Natsu said, pointing to Puu.
"More or less", Yusuke replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh man! And you were gonna roast it like a turkey"! Happy exclaimed worriedly, "Bad luck for you, pal".
"Don't play innocent! You wanted to eat it just as much as I did"! Natsu shouted, irritated by his friends' eagerness to throw him under the bus.
"That's enough"! Erza shouted, gaining everyone's attention.
Erza sighed before shutting her eyes and bowing her head in shame. Yusuke's thirst for a beatdown was suddenly put on hold.
"On behalf of me and my friends, I sincerely apologize for this misunderstanding", she said humbly, "We were under the impression that this beast was a wild animal and had no idea that it belonged to somebody. Please, forgive us for our ignorance".
"Yeah, we didn't know it was your pet, honest"! Lucy said earnestly.
"What they said", Gray added.
"We're really sorry", Happy said, walking up to Yusuke.
Yusuke examined each of the wizards' faces and could tell from their expressions that the regret they conveyed was genuine. Even Natsu, who turned away from the Spirit Detective's gaze. Even though he didn't say it, Yusuke could detect a slight feeling of guilt in Natsu's eyes. As Yusuke walked back over to Puu, he looked him over once more to see if there were any injuries. After seeing that he was fine, he let out a long sigh.
"Well, I guess since you didn't rough him up too bad, I can let this slide", Yusuke said shrugging his shoulders.
"Thank you", Erza said with a smile walking over to joining Yusuke next to the Spirit Beast, "Incidentally, might I ask what his name is"?
"His name's Puu", Yusuke said, petting his soft, feather side, "Mainly cause...that's the only other noise he makes".
"Puu"! The large Spirit Beast cooed in reply as he casted his gaze at the scarlet haired wizard in armor.
Puu then proceeded to nuzzle Erza's head affectionately. The young redheaded woman laughed as Puu's soft feathers tickled her cheek.
"Seems he likes you", Yusuke observed, "That's weird, Puu's never really taken to strangers before. Especially one that wanted to eat him".
Yusuke chuckled at his own joke, while the others sweatdropped, save for Erza, still reeling from the embarrassing blunder that took place just minutes ago.
"Hahaha, my, you certainly are an affectionate one, aren't you, Puu"? Erza noted in a warm friendly tone.
She then proceeded to pet Puu under his chin, which the Spirit Beast seemed to like as he made a low "cooing" noise.
"He's never done that before either", Yusuke said in astonishment, "Guess you managed to find his sweet spot".
"Indeed", Erza said as she continued to pet Puu, "Anyway, we were never properly introduced. I'm Erza Scarlet".
"My name's Lucy", the blonde celestial wizard said, stepping forward, "Sorry about before".
Gray was next to introduce himself.
"Name's Gray", he said, waving his hand.
"My name's Happy", The little blue cat said walking up to Yusuke, "And the guy you sent flying into the stream is my partner, Natsu".
"Tch, whatever, it was a lucky shot", Natsu huffed, crossing his arms.
"Face it man, he nailed you", Gray said with a smirk.
"HE GOT ME WHEN MY GUARD WAS DOWN SO IT DOESN'T COUNT"! Natsu exclaimed hotly.
"You'll have to excuse him, he doesn't take losses very well", Happy said, looking up at Yusuke.
"Oh COME ON, NOT YOU TOO, LITTLE BUDDY"! Natsu shouted in disbelief, "THAT'S IT! I WANT A REMATCH"!
"Dream on, loser", Yusuke said rolling his eyes.
"What'd you say"?! Natsu growled turning his attention to Yusuke.
"Alright, settle down Natsu"! Erza said in her usual, authoritative tone, "Now, if you don't mind, we've given you our names, so it's only fair you return the favor".
"The name's Yusuke Urameshi", Yusuke said, motioning towards himself with his thumb, "And I'm looking for some information".
"Regarding what, exactly"? Erza asked.
"Well", Yusuke began, scratching the back of his head, "Any of you guys know where I can find a place called "Fairy Tail" by any chance"?
A/N: For those of you following, you're probably wondering why the sudden change. Well, it just occurred to me that I originally planned to set this story near the start of the Phantom Lord Arc. Reason being is because there are a few original chapters I wanted to work in, but there were parts in the storyline that I found difficult to try and work around. No matter what approach I used, nothing sat right with me. So again, sorry for the inconvenience and sudden chapter retconn, but I want a chance for Yusuke to settle into things and get a feel for his new surroundings and guildmates.
(Coming up next: Yusuke finally arrives at the Fairy Tail Guildhall (Or at least what will soon be the Fairy Tail Guildhall), and hat Fairy Tail welcome is complete without a challenge issued by our favorite pink haired Dragon Slayer? Can Yusuke manage to defeat Natsu? Or has the former Spirit Detective of Earth gotten too old to hold it down in a fight? Find out next time!)