The following day, Rue along with Lucy, Natsu and Happy gathered their belongings and boarded a train to Magnolia, the home of Fairy Tail. During the journey, Lucy and Happy recounted the events that had led up to their meeting with the amber-eyed wizard. In exchange, Rue provided information to Lucy about what she could do in regards to living arrangements. Overall, the journey itself was a peaceful one, aside from Natsu's agonised groaning brought on by his motion sickness. These same groans miraculously disappeared the moment the train came to a stop. Stepping off, Lucy was barely able to contain her excitement as the group made their way through the bustling town towards their destination.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Happy announced when the group came to a stop outside the guildhall.

For Natsu, Happy and Rue it was home. It felt good to be back For Lucy, a dream come true. The blonde stood mouth agape, a mix of shock and awe directed at the three-story building before them. She had heard Fairy Tail had an impressive guild hall but this almost took her breath away. Growing impatient, Natsu kicked down the door and stormed inside leaving the others to trail behind.

"We made it back alive!" he announced and was welcomed back by the members who had heard him.

"So I heard you went all out in Hargeon, Natsu. Had to go starting tr-" a bucktoothed wizard began to laugh only to be sent hurtling into a table on the far side of the building.

"Why did he do that?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.

"He's done worse," Rue dismissed her concerns and Happy nodded in agreement and went to keep an eye on his pink-haired friend.

Taking a breath, the amber-eyed wizard inhaled the all too familiar and welcoming scent of sweat and booze that flowed through the building's interior. He had missed this smell. Facing forward and rucksack slung over his shoulder, the amber-eyed wizard gestured Lucy to follow him as he moved towards the bar whilst keeping an eye on his surroundings, mostly on Natsu. The pair had barely made it halfway before the bucktooth wizard was once again sent hurtling, this time into a table of drinking wizards. This marked the start of yet another infamously pointless Fairy Tail brawl. Food was crushed, drinks were spilled and glasses were shattered as furniture was upturned or was completely demolished. It was only mere seconds before almost every wizard in the building had leapt into the fray.

Lucy dreamily observed her surroundings as she followed Rue, "I can't believe I'm standing in the Fairy Tail guildhall. If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me."

"You aren't dreaming," the amber-eyed wizard commented, catching wooden stool as it flew towards him. Taking a few steps forward, the amber-eyed wizard sidestepped as he flipped the seat around and hurled it back the direction it came before continuing onwards.

"What was that for!?" Lucy's eyes widened as she watched the seat crash into a drunken wizard.

"I don't feel like getting involved today," Rue stood to the side as the duo were passed by a male wizard wearing nothing except for his briefs.

"Time to settle things once and for all!" he declared stomping towards Natsu.

"Gray, your clothes!" A young woman called from her seat at the bar.

"I don't have time for that right now!" Gray shot back.

The woman, Cana, muttered something under her breath and effortlessly hoisted a barrel over her head, beginning to down the liquor inside. Lucy had stopped in her tracks, bewildered at Gray's lack of modesty. Looking over his shoulder and taking notice, Rue shook his head in amusement and took a seat down the far end of the bar. His rucksack hit the timber floor with a gentle thud as he let it down.

"Hey Mira. I'm back," the amber-eyed male softly called, catching the attention of a beautiful young woman before he turned his head back towards the fight.

"Welcome home. It's great to see you made it back safely," Mira smiled. "How was your trip?" she asked, keeping an eye on the brawl. The last thing either of them wanted was for the roof to come crashing down, something both knew to be a very real possibility.

"Fine I guess. I made it back unscathed at least," Rue answered. "How has everything been here?"

Mira's smile briefly softened into one of concern as the white-haired woman looked towards her friend. "Everything has been good here, a bit busy as you can see," she said before her attention was drawn towards the unfamiliar face. "Did you bring her with you?"

"Bring who?" he blinked. Turning his head towards the white-haired woman's smile, he then followed her line of sight. "Oh, Lucy. No, I ran into her, Natsu and Happy in Hargeon. She was coming here with them." He watched on as the blonde girl seemed to have her attention on the guild's bachelor; Loke, as she scribbled something in a magazine. "She said that she was interested in joining."

"It's been a little while since we've had a new member," Mira said thoughtfully and poured a drink.

"It has," Rue agreed. "Although it seems she has gotten distracted by the brawl."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Mira giggled as she set the beverage next to the amber-eyed wizard before stepping away from the bar and moving towards the blonde.

The amber-eyed wizard gave Mira a thankful nod before lifting the tankard. He swished it around with a content sigh and took a sip. After bearing witness to Lucy fangirling over Fairy Tail's resident model, Rue turned his attention back towards the brawl only to catch Gray removing his briefs. That was a common sight. Natsu tearing them off instead and shoving the ice-mage towards a now frantic Lucy was not a common sight. The fire-wizard swung them around and cackled as Lucy smacked Gray away only to find herself in Loke's arms. Blinking and scanning the fight as he drank, the amber-eye wizard spotted the white-haired woman laying dazed on the wooden floor. Standing up, Rue went to help the barmaid to her feet.

"Enjoying the welcome party?" Mira joked and patted down her dress.

"Definitely," Rue agreed, looking past her towards the brawl. "No place I'd rather be."

"Still having trouble looking at people?" Mira asked softly.

"Y-Yeah…" Rue admitted, scratching his gloved arm. "It's a really bad ha-"

"That's enough you guys, I suggest you knock it off!" Cana yelled over the brawling wizards and brandished a card.

"Oh yeah. Says who?" Gray retorted after fixing his briefs and took a stance; his fist resting in the palm of his hand as the surrounding air began to cool.

Rue took a couple of steps back as a goliath of a man roared, his arm dematerialising and instantly being replaced by one made of stone.

"You punks can be such a nuisance" Loke muttered, fiddling with a ring on his finger, the jewel embedded shining brightly.

"I'm ready for ya," Natsu grinned as his hands became engulfed in flames.

Being left to fend for herself, Lucy Happy up to serve as her shield against the impending clash.

"Would you fools stop bickering like children?" A deep booming voice yelled as a giant materialised, seemingly from thin air.

The giant towered over each and every wizard present and his sudden appearance brought an abrupt end to the violence as all eyes fell on him.

"He's huge!" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.

"I didn't realise you were still here, Master," Mirajane walked over to greet the giant.

"Did you say Master?!" Lucy's eyes widened in horror.

"Man talk about a bunch of babies, looks like I win this time!" the pink-haired boy laughed as everyone lost the nerve to fight only to cry out upon being pinned beneath the Master's boot.

The giant's gaze then fell on Lucy. "Seems we have a new recruit."

"Yes sir!" the blonde replied, her body trembling in fear.

Letting out a bellow, the giant shrunk rapidly until all that remained was an old man who's height barely reached the blonde's knee.

"Nice to meet ya," he greeted and waved.

"He's tiny. This little guy is really in charge here?" Lucy looked at the man bewilderedly.

"Of course he is," Mira chimed in, "Allow me to introduce the Fairy Tail guild master, Makarov."

Rue was relieved to see the Master had been well during his absence. Without hesitation, Makarov jumped back into the air, crashing into a railing that sat above the bar. He gasped as he caught himself and heaved himself up to stand and address his children.

"You've gone and done it again, you bunch of clods!" he yelled and produced a stack of papers. "Take a look at the amount of paperwork the magic council sent me this time, this is the biggest pile of complaints yet. Have you lost your minds?! All you kids are good for is getting the higher ups mad at me!"

Makarov allowed the guild to stew on his words. Each and every wizard present held their heads in shame. As rambunctious and prone to causing trouble as they were, the old man's collective scolding's were a rarity. As a collective, they knew they had messed up.

"However," Master Makarov began once more as the papers burst into flames. "I say to heck with the magic council," he tossed the burning heap towards the guild's pink-haired troublemaker before facing the guild. "Now listen up, any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronisation. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul. If all we do is follow rules then our magic will never progress. Don't let those blowhards on the council scare you, follow the path you believe in. Cause that's what makes the Fairy Tail guild number one!" he finished, pointing his index finger towards the ceiling in a symbol that every member recognised.

A symbol that conveyed their collective bonds. Fairy Tail followed suit, erupting into cheers at their master's speech.

Little under an hour passed before the furniture had been completely replaced and the guildhall had been repaired allowing for members to return to their business prior to the brawl's commencement. With nothing further needing to be done, Rue returned to his seat and Mira to serving her fellow members after stamping Lucy with the guild's emblem, thus making her an official member of Fairy Tail.

"Can I get you anything?" the white-haired woman asked as she finished wiping down the bar.

"Just the usual, please," Rue briefly faced her.

"Of course," she smiled. "It won't take too long."

"I'll have the same, thank you, Mira," Makarov said, setting a nearly-empty tankard down before taking a nearby seat.

Rue took a tired breath as the old man joined him. "Busy day, Master?"

"Actually today's been quieter than usual," Makarov contently replied as a young boy, no older than six years of age, wandered towards them.

"Excuse, me, Sir? How come my dad hasn't come back yet?" the boy questioned worriedly as tears began to well up.

Makarov took a swig of his drink before looking towards the boy, "You're starting to work my nerves, Romeo. You're a wizard's son, have faith in your father and wait patiently for him."

"But, Sir, he told me he'd only be gone three days. And he's been gone for over a week now," Romeo rose his voice and nearby wizards turned their heads to watch.

"If I recall, he took the job on Mount Hakobe," Makarov said thoughtfully.

"That's right and it's not far from here, so why won't anyone go and look for him?" Romeo pleaded.

"Listen kid, your old man's a wizard and like every other wizard in this guild, he can take care of himself," the Master tried to reassure. "Now go home, have some milk and cookies and wait."

"Jerk!" Romeo cried and socked the old man in the jaw. "I hate you all!" he yelled and ran out of the hall.

Rue breathed heavily as he watched Romeo leave. He wished there was something he could do to help the boy. Whilst Romeo's father, Maccao, was indeed a capable wizard, the news that he had not returned was indeed worrying. He knew it would be disastrous if he were to go up there. Wizards who had watched the scene unfold lowered their heads, praying for Maccao's safe return.

CRACK!

Looking towards the sound's origin, many observed as Natsu turned away from a broken request board and moved towards the exit, Happy following close behind. The guild watched on solemnly.

"What do you think you're doing!? You almost broke the board, Natsu!" a tall man wearing a skull necklace yelled at him and moved towards the old man. "This doesn't look good, Master. You know how stubborn he can be. I bet he's going up Mount Hakobe to save Maccao."

"Remember, Nab, we can't choose another's path so leave him be," Makarov said, taking another swig of his drink and turned towards the amber-eyed wizard. "Rue, would you come to my office?" he hopped down, heading towards a door behind the bar.

Rue's glance fixated on the old man and he stood up to follow after grabbing his bag, "Of course, Master." Passing by the amber-eyed wizard found his gaze meeting Elfman's and he gave a brief nod.

Stepping into his office, the Master sat at his desk and set some papers aside in a neat stack. "Please, take a seat," he smiled at Rue. "How was your trip to Bosco?"

Rue obliged, taking a seat across from the old man. "As well as expected I guess. Source led me to the capital which.. on the surface looks like a nice place. Underneath," he wavered a little at the memory. "… I'm sure you can imagine."

"I see… that is unfortunate," Makarov frowned in sympathy. "Did you find any news of them whilst you were there?"

Rue shook his head, "Nothing. Spent a week sneaking around and found nothing. The few willing to speak with me didn't know them."

Makarov nodded slowly, clasping his hands together in thought. "I truly am sorry to hear that this was the case. Do you know what your next move will be?"

Rue shook his head slowly. "I guess start saving again and go back in a month or two. If Banta doesn't have any new information there are still a few remote towns I have not visited. From there, I'm not sure." He breathed out. "With the expanding slave trade, the chances are getting slimmer each time," he mentally recalled what Lucy and Happy had said on their way here.

"The path ahead is filled with uncertainty but I have faith that you will find the answers you are looking for," Makarov began. "Just because you're a powerful wizard doesn't mean you have to face this alone. Rue, you have a loving family who care about you and would jump to help you if only you would ask."

"I know. However Bosco is… confronting."

"I wasn't just talking about Bosco," the Master replied firmly and looked him over before their eyes met. "I'll say nothing more but, I do think you should at least consider taking working with your brethren again. You would feel at ease if you were not insistent on hiding what you are."

Rue's gaze fell to a cabinet behind the old man and he scratched his covered arm. "With all due respect, Master. I would rat-"

Knock, knock.

"Master?" a familiar voice called from the other side of the door, interrupting the conversation and drawing both men's attention.

"Yes, Mira. Please come in,' Makarov replied.

The door opened slowly as Mira walked in carrying a large tray, on top of which sat a couple of freshly cooked meals accompanied by a pair of empty tankards. "Sorry for intruding but I thought you both would be hungry," she set everything down in the middle of the desk.

"No, don't apologise," Makarov returned her smiled with one of his own. "It smells delicious."

"It does. Thank you, Mira," Rue gave a quick glance towards the barmaid.

"You're both welcome," the white-haired woman replied with her own smile. "I'll leave you to it, call if you need anything," she turned to leave.

Rue's eyes turned towards the tankards and then to Mira as she left, making a mental note to thank the eldest Strauss again later. Opening his rucksack, the amber-eyed wizard produced a pair of enormous glass bottles and set them down on the table. Taking a bite of his meal, he let out a content sigh. Mirajane's cooking was amongst the best he had tasted from his guildmate's and arguably better than the restaurants around Magnolia. The Master savoured his own initial bite before he examined the bottle labels.

"Bosconian Tom. I do not believe that I have sampled this brew."

"I thought that was the case." Rue replied after swallowing a mouthful. "Have there been any requests come in since I have been gone?" He set his cutlery down to pour them both a glass.

"A couple, but I was able to pass them onto capable wizards. There is nothing to worry about," the old man reassured before savouring another bite.

"That is relieving," Rue gave a small smile and slid a glass towards the old man. "It's very strong alcohol. There are restrictions on exporting it."

"Well then, we'll savour this now and you can bring some back with you."

"I'll be sure to," Rue said taking a sip before letting out a content sigh.

The Master took a sip before his eyes widened and he coughed hard. "That is strong. Must have been expensive."

"Very expensive," Rue nodded in affirmation.

"Probably too expensive to sell here, not that we'll have a lasting supply."

"Because Cana will drink it all," the amber-eyed wizard stated.

The old man laughed heartily at the unexpected quip before coughing heavily. Rue to stand and walk around to pat the old man's back. "I wasn't going to name names."

Once the young wizard was sure the guild master was okay, Rue took his seat once again and resumed eating.

"That reminds me," the Master began again after a moment. "There'll be a master's conference in Clover in a couple of days. Mira will be handling paperwork and contacting clients in my absence."

Rue nodded in understanding. "I do hope that the meeting runs smoothly."

"Just a bunch of us old dogs catching up and talking bureaucracy," Makarov dismissed. "Nothing you need to trouble yourself with. Although I will keep an ear out in the event I hear something," Makarov took another sip of his drink.

"Thank you, Master," Rue gave a small yet grateful smile to the old man.

"Of course," the old man nodded in response. "So… how is the garden these days?"

The pair continued to converse until parting ways just after the sky began to turn orange. Departing from the old man's office, the amber-eyed male took the dishes out to the washup behind the bar and thanked Mira before heading on his way. Taking a quick detour to the nearest grocery store Rue then headed for his place of dwelling; Fairy Heights, located only a few minutes walk from the Fairy Tail's guildhall. Arriving, the amber-eyed male headed for his room and spent the evening recuperating from his travels and noting down a some tasks that needed completion over the next several days before he got back to work.

"I hope mom and dad are out there somewhere, Severam," the amber-eyed wizard yawned and closed a tattered journal.'

_
Hello readers. Thank you for reading Chapter 2 of my fic, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. It took me a bit longer to get the chapter out on Fanfic than I would have liked however it has finally been done. Updating Chapter 3 has been going slowly although it may take a bit with classes still ongoing. Hope you all have a good day :)
- Quil