Chapter 13: New Faces

'Thinking' – thoughts

"Speaking" – speech

'Thinking' – Dragon/God/Beast thinking

"Speaking" - Dragon/God/Beast speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters they are property of Hiro Masima.

Kriim-Sauce786: I like the idea you suggested and I might bring it in during the next arc as a flashback.

zzdragon: I took inspiration from you OC in one I added, hope you enjoy him. The relationship between the other members of Griffin's Haven and Natsu during this first skip will be explored a bit next chapter and for the skip after that, there will be quite a few developments that you will have to wait for.

kush1995b: Thank you for the input, I took kind of a middle path but leaning towards skipping the 7 years, just want to have a chapter dedicated to the introductions so as to not spew them over the story and other events. Glad you love the story :).

NightSlayer04: Hope the way I plan to have the OC members part of this story will be to your liking. I plan o have them akin to the involvement of Laxus or Gajeel, more like supporting characters and not background characters.

luckoftheirish2015: Hope you enjoy this chapter.

skyblue454: Thank you for the high praise, glad you re enjoying the fic.

-Griffin's Haven guildhall-

Lisanna and Mira shared another concerned look as they sat at a table in the guildhall. It has been two days since Natsu left to check up on Fairy Tail and the two Strauss sisters were worried that he might lose control again.

"I'm sure he will be fine, and if something does feel off to him he will definitely try and isolate himself in a forest or something," Mira tried to comfort Lisanna, though it was clear that she didn't fully believe in her own words.

"He does always prioritise the safety of innocents," Lisanna replied with a small smile, happy to deviate her attention from her worries.

"I heard he played the villain in Edolas so that Mystogan would be seen as the hero of his people," Mira said, sharing her sister's appreciation for a distraction.

"Yes, he dressed up and called himself 'Demon Lord Dragneel'. He brought the scorn of an entire universe upon himself, just so that one of his friends, even if it was one he barely knew, would be better off. He is such a kind-hearted man," Lisanna replied with a giggle before her smile grew at the end.

"Before you returned, Natsu was on a quest where they had to face a powerful foe. When they had to split up to complete a given task, one of the locations was guarded by a powerful dark mage. Natsu volunteered to go to a location where he definitely knew the foe was due to his enhanced senses. He always strives to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders so that those close to him can live their lives without worry," Mira said, remembering the conversations she had with Erza after the Oracion Seis debacle.

"He really is a great guy," Lisanna smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks, one Mira instantly saw.

"And you managed to wrap him around your finger," Mira teases, causing Lisanna's slight blush to redden and spread across her face, quickly rendering the youngest Strauss a mumbling mess.

The lighter atmosphere continued on, filled with idle chatter until the slow creaking of the guild's front doors drew the attention of the two sisters. Slumping through the door was a broken man. A gasp escaped from Mira while Lisanna shot up from her seat and rocketed towards the doors.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Lisanna shouted in distress as she wrapped her slim arms around him as soon as she reached him.

"They're gone," Natsu whispered as he lifted his hollow eyes to meet her concerned blue orbs. Lisanna felt his weight increase in her arms as Natsu slumped down as if for the first time since he heard whatever left him in this situation, he was able to process the information clearly.

"Who's gone Natsu?" Mira asked as she neared them while Lisanna helped Natsu to a nearby bench. Natsu let out a deep sigh as he gave Lisanna a very small and fleeting thankful smile as he felt that his weight is supported by the bench.

"When I arrived at Fairy Tail, the Council was there, but they didn't seem angry, they kind of seemed sombre. Then I heard what they said," Natsu said. Lisanna and Mira could see that whatever the Council said was hard for Natsu to repeat. Lisanna took one of his hands in both of her and gave it a light squeeze while Mira laid a supporting hand on his shoulder, both giving him silent support and waiting for him to tell them at his own pace.

After another sigh and a squeeze of Lisanna's hand, Natsu steeled his resolve.

"All the members who went to Tenrou Island for the S-Class trial were killed by Acnologia," Natsu chocked out. An all-encompassing silence dominated the atmosphere as the Strauss sister processed the news.

Mira was the first one to react as her eyes widened.

"Oh Natsu," Mira breathed out with a voice filled with pain.

"No…" Lisanna silently plead as her eyes shot to Natsu, hoping, begging that her line of thought was wrong.

"Makarov, Erza, Gray, they are all dead. G-Gildarts and the Thunder Legion. And- and…" Natsu tried to continue but the emotions that he had tried to suppress failed. Tears flowed from his hollow eyes, unable to form words to finish his heart-breaking statement.

Lisanna's heart shattered as she realised exactly what Natsu couldn't put to words. Mira's mind rushed back to the horrible day when they thought Lisanna died, knowing how shattering it is to lose someone close to you, losing a sister.

"The Council must have made a mistake. There's no way they can all be dead," Mira tried to refuse, trying to find any semblance of hope to cling to.

"I went to where Tenrou should be… The magic power that still remained there… It was terrifying," Natsu said through sobs, his eyes livening up at the end, fear dominating his dilated pupils as he recalled the terrifying magical power. Lisanna focused all her attention to comfort her love while Mira processed the gravity of the situation.

The silent and heavy atmosphere that enveloped the cosy hall hung for a prolonged time, only to eventually be disrupted by the doors bursting open, revealing a massive man.

"Mira, I just heard from the lumberjacks that a large forest near Magnolia was burnt to the ground by an unnatural inferno, maybe it could have been Natsu…" Elfman shouted, happy to give his sisters some information about the pink-haired S-Class mage. His voice trailed into silence however once his eyes fell on the very man he was talking about.

Mira slowly stood up and beckoned Elfman to her office, not wanting Natsu to relive the horrible experience, rather she would deliver the news to Elfman in private. Picking up that something was wrong and Mira didn't want to aggravate the obvious wound, Elfman quickly followed his sister, leaving Natsu and Lisanna alone.

"Want to talk about it?" Lisanna tenderly asked as she held Natsu in her arms.

"If only I was stronger I could have done something to keep her safe… I should have known what that feeling, what my instincts were trying to tell me. But now I've failed her… just like I failed you back then when I was also too weak," Natsu said in a sombre and self-loathing tone, his head hung low and his eyes glued to his open palms. He was jerked upright when he felt a dainty hand make contact with his cheek and he was greeted with a furious expression mixed with tears of sorrow from Lisanna.

"I never want to hear you say something like that again. You never failed us and you certainly aren't weak. Listen Natsu, no matter how good your sense or instincts are, in both our cases, you couldn't do anything, you simply weren't close enough and by no fault of your own," Lisanna scolded, her tone softening near the end.

"And look at what happened to me, I came back to you. So maybe there is a chance that she will return as well," Lisanna continued with a kind and hopeful smile.

"You were always the one who could get me hopeful again even in my darkest hours," Natsu replied, mimicking the hopeful smile, though it was smaller. Straightening up Natsu took a breath as his eyes became focused.

"This new power, I can barely summon it, and when I can do that my control over it is laughable at best. I'll have to train, not only for myself and my control over it but also for you, for the guild, and for her, once she returns," Natsu said as he clenched his fist, a dark crimson veil of flames lightly covering his fist before it was extinguished.

"Now there's the Natsu I know and love," Lisanna smiled, happy to have been able to raise him from his uncharacteristic sombre mood. A loving smile grew on Natsu's face as he embraced Lisanna and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"So when will we start?" Lisanna asked after a prolonged loving embrace.

"I'm sorry Lisanna, but I plan on going alone, I don't want to possibly put anyone in danger so I will be travelling deep into the mountains, somewhere where no one will be hurt by me. There is also a rumour I want to investigate and if it is true, it would be better if I was there alone," Natsu said in a serious tone. Natsu flinched as a fleeting look of hurt rushed across Lisanna's face but before he could react she spoke.

"I understand, but I will only let you go alone if you agree to a few conditions," Lisanna said as an understanding expression rested in her eyes.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked, happy that she understood and glad that he didn't hurt her feelings too much.

"I want you to at least send us letters, preferably once a month, but I can understand if you would miss one. I want you to promise me that you won't put yourself in serious danger if it can be avoided. And finally, I want you to promise me that you will come back to me," Lisanna said. Natsu could clearly hear the hurt in her voice at the prospect of not seeing him for an unknown period of time.

"I promise you I will be back, and once I am we are going to go on a date," Natsu said, a serious expression on his face before it morphed into his iconic grin at the end.

"You better not break that promise," Lisanna threatened, though the threat was greatly diminished by the large smile she had on her face. She was pleasantly surprised when Natsu planted a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away and looking into her eyes filled with love.

"I'll have to go tell Mira about my plans, and then tomorrow I'll leave," Natsu said. Just as he finished Mira's office door opened up.

"Natsu, I'm sorry…" Elfman said, unable to truly convey his feelings in words and rather just walked up to him and enveloped him in a hug.

"They'll return, just like Lisanna did, and when that happens, let's show them just how manly we are," Natsu said with a grin, quickly mimicked by Elfman as his mind became determined to grow in strength. Mira smiled once she heard what Natsu said, shooting a grateful look at Lisanna, knowing she was behind his new hope.

"Mira, I need to discuss something," Natsu said as Elfman released him. With a nod, Mira returned to her office.

That night, the hall embedded in the mountainside was filled with conversation between the four. Plans of training, new abilities and the future of their small guild. Determination surrounded the hall as the lights stayed on till the early morning hours.

-Four years later-

The air was brought alive by the cheering of the crowd as the contestants of the third annual Grand Magic Games fought for their respective guild's glory. Mira was standing with a proud expression on her face as she looked down over her guild. They weren't in any position to claim victory but to her and her guild that wasn't something they hoped for.

-Flashback-

"Master," a young male voice called out as Mira heard rapid knocking on the door to her office, instantly knowing who it was behind the door.

"You can come in, Maz," Mira replied. Just as the words left her mouth a young boy with shoulder-length spiky blond hair ran into the office. He wore a long yellow blazer that he left open with no shirt underneath, he wore a beige pair of pants with light coloured combat boots. Mira smiled at the hyperactive young mage as he struggled to stand still in front of her, remembering the timid and scared boy who arrived in their town two years ago. His family was cast out of their rural village after an incident that resulted in Maz seriously arming and almost killing other locals in the village. Mira had tried to figure out what happened that day, but Maz would clamp up as the memories of that day and the following weeks wherein he lost the rest of his small family through various means that could have been avoided had they lived in a community.

"Master, have you heard about the Grand Magic Games? They sound so fun. It's a competition between guilds that decide who's the best by fighting and playing fun games," Maz rapidly beamed as he started jumping up and down.

"Like every time you asked Maz, I know about the games," Mira sighed. Maz wasn't dumb by any means, but he had a bad habit of acting before even considering thinking when he got excited. It was only by some miracle that this hadn't caused an injury or a failure on a request the young mage took.

"Oh, yeah," Maz said in embarrassment while scratching the back of his head.

"Is that all you wanted to say Maz?" Mira asked with a kind smile, showing she wasn't bothered by his forgetfulness.

"Well, actually, last year you said we still didn't have enough members here since you couldn't participate, but now that Izayoi joined we can form a five mage team," Maz said as his face lit up again, the embarrassment completely gone.

Izayoi Coattue was the newest member of the guild. Nine months prior a farmer that Elfman had helped out quite a few times since the creation of Griffin's Haven had one day asked Elfman if he could talk to Mira. When she met with the old farmer, he asked her if she could look after a boy he found hiding in a barn on his land.

Mira had gone to investigate and found a young boy with dark brown hair and very light, almost white eyes. At first, he was very shy and kept trying to hide away until Mira managed to gain some of his trust by offering him the fresh bread the farmer gave her. From the conversation she managed to have with him she learned that he was abandoned by his parental figure, a strange being that had human features who had taken the young boy in after he was abandoned by his parents as an infant.

His story was similar to Natsu's origins, meaning that Mira had a decent idea as to how to get through to him. Not long after he was part of the guild. His introverted nature meant that it took some time for him to get comfortable with the other members, but he was someone they could rely on to keep a level head. This was the main reason Mira was happy that he formed a team with Maz.

"That is true. Fine, I'll ask the other members what they think of your idea," Mira agreed.

-Flashback End-

And that is how they came to be in this situation with the team of Maz, Izayoi, Elfman, Lisanna and Yuihara Fox, representing Griffin's Haven in the third Grand Magic Games. The tournament this year consisted of a massive battle across a magically created city between the representative teams. It started with twenty guilds but during the events, that number has dwindled down to six with the remaining teams consisting of Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, Mermaid Heel, and Griffin's Haven.

"And now we will see how Griffin's Haven's Yuihara Fox deals with the Ace of Mermaid Heel, Kagura Mikazuchi," the announcer for the event, Chapati Lola called out.

"This will be a clash between two different fighting styles," Yajima commented, as the lacrima vision focused on the two female mages. Kagura was standing with her eyes closed, a neutral expression, wearing her white blazer with gold trimmings that fit her figure perfectly and her knee-high boots sitting under her white skirt. In her hand was her iconic wrapped sword 'Archenemy', holding the sword by its sheath just below the guard.

Across from her stood Yuihara, she was wearing a tight leather corset top that covered her moderate figure, a long light brown cloak with a hood, thigh-high boots and a dark brown skirt. Beneath the hood, her light brown hair was tied in a braid, falling down the front of her left shoulder, her piercing blue eyes analysing her opponent. On her back sat an ancient-looking wooden bow and a green leather quill that was strangely always empty. The only odd trinket she had was half of a broken animalistic skull on her left shoulder.

"Well, this blows. I would have liked to face some of your other guildmates before you stood across from me," Yuihara said with a sigh as she held a hand outstretched as if she was holding something.

"If that was what happened, I am sure it would have been interesting fights, but I am your opponent, and your run end here," Kagura said as she moved her sword to a quick draw position.

"I won't go out until I give you a little something to remember me by," Yuihara said before her outstretched hand was engulfed in a bright light. "Archer's Call: Swift Bow" Yuihara called out as the bright light morphed into the form of a short bow.

A tense atmosphere descended on the area as Kagura and Yuihara kept their gaze on their opponents. Without warning, Yuihara jumped high into the air before calling out "Blacked the Sky: Swift Bolts", she rapidly drew her bow and released it. With each time she let the string of the bow go, a new arrow formed in the air. Within a few seconds, the sky was filled with dark arrows.

Yuihara landed on a low roof and drew her bow a final time, this time a dark arrow formed in the bow. As she released the arrow, the rest quickly followed and closed in on Kagura.

"Archenemy: Flying Form" Kagura said in a controlled voice before disappearing from view in a burst of speed. The arrows that were flying towards her were cut down one by one. Moments later, Kagura reappeared at her original location as the broken arrows rained down around her.

Yuihara cursed under her breath as she saw her attack being rendered utterly useless. Listening to her instincts that suddenly shouted out in panic, Yuihara barely managed to evade the devastating shockwave that came from Kagura's attack.

"Your trust in your instincts is well-founded, now let us see how long that will keep you in this fight," Kagura said before she started running forward and shifting her grip on her sword so that it was extended behind her.

"Archer's Call: Striking Bow" Yuihara called out. The short bow morphed and grew longer curling at the ends, and finally setting in the form of a longbow. "One True Shot: True Flight Bolt" Yuihara called out as she gathered magical power in the drawn bow before releasing a devastating arrow that ripped the grounds around it up as it honed in on Kagura.

"One arrow, when hundreds have failed?" Kagura asked in a disappointed tone as she sidestepped the arrow. A frown formed on her face when she saw Yuihara smirk, only to suddenly spin around when she felt an approaching magical signature.

Kagura's eyes widened when she saw the arrow rushing towards her, clearly having changed its trajectory. Kagura rolled out of the way moments before the bolt pierced her skin, this time tracking the magic from the arrow while keeping her eyes on Yuihara so as to not leave an opening for another attack.

"Archenemy: Crawler Form" Kagura called out once the arrow neared her again, slipping below the arrow and bringing her sheathed sword upwards, hoping to snap the arrow and nullify the attack. Much to her surprise, the only thing she managed to do was change its trajectory upwards. Or at least that was what she first thought until she saw a tiny detail that gave her an idea.

"You won't be able to destroy that arrow, it will only stop once it hits its mark," Yuihara said with a smirk.

"Kagura is in a tight pinch, how will she react to an indestructible attack?" Chapati asked to build suspense.

"For any normal mage it would be a definite defeat, but Kagura is not only in one of Fiore's top guilds, but she is also an S-Class mage. Let's see what approach she will take to deal with this attack," Yajima commented.

"Nothing is indestructible, and I will be the one to teach you that lesson," Kagura said in her neutral tone as she tightened her grip on her sword. As the arrow neared her once more her eyes snapped open and she shifted into a stabbing stance and called out "Archenemy: Strong Form", thrusting her sword into the arrow, shattering the ground beneath her and destroying the arrow into specks of dust and magic.

"Amazing, Kagura completely obliterated the attack," Chapati cheered, followed by a roar from the crowd.

"No, that's not possible," Yuihara shouted, a bit of fear entering her mind as a moment from her past she buried deep in her mind started to rear its ugly head. "One True Shot: True Flight Bolt" Yuihara called out, releasing another powerful arrow. Unfortunately with Kagura now having an adequate way of dealing with the attack, it was rendered dust and magic particles at a single moment.

"Please tell me you have something else because I truly expected more from you," Kagura said in a disappointed tone. Yuihara began to panic as her past started to overtake her mind.

"No, that won't happen again. It will never happen again," Yuihara said, whispering to herself at the start before shouting at the end. A wild look overtook her as she dispelled the longbow and removed the ancient bow from her back.

From the stands, an uneasy and concerned look came to Mira's eyes.

"An Arrow from Artemis: Master of the Hunt" Yuihara called out as a green glow came from inside the quill on her back. She slowly removed the arrow as her eyes dulled as if she was facing something from within her mind. She slowly drew the bow with the arrow nocked.

-Yuihara's mind-

The city square where she was facing Kagura disappeared as it was replaced by a blurred lush forest. A loud, clear and angered roar shook the trees as Yuihara heard a muffled shout to her side. Her body moved on its own as she moved behind a blurred figure and took an arrow from another blurred figure.

More hushed and muffled voices sounded around her as she felt herself draw a bow and nocked the arrow the second figure had given her. She heard the clear sounds of trees breaking and falling, she could even feel the tremors of the falling trees and the approaching danger.

The blur of trees gained detail just as it cracked. The tree exploded to the side, sending splinters and broken wooden shards into the blur of a forest, keeping its details. From behind the now broken tree, a massive bear-like creature with a skeletal head burst through the undergrowth. Yuihara could see every terrifying detail of the monster. From the glowing red orbs that shone through the eyeholes on the bear-like skull it had for a head, the razor-sharp claws that were carving trenches through the forest floor, the dark brown fur that covered its broad shoulders and ran down its body and its powerful feet that would allow it to jump on its prey from a considerable distance.

Time slowed down as the roar of the beast assaulted Yuihara's ears. A blurred figure moved in front of Yuihara followed by a shout that had the tone of an order, though the words were lost to her. She felt her muscles tense up, her inability to control her movements caused panic to invade her heart. The blurred forest was splattered with blood, the individual blades of grass becoming identifiable as the blood, soaked them.

A horrified scream came from the other figure before it moved forward, finding itself in the same situation as the first, blood rushing from a horrific open wound, this time spraying the beast.

Finally, the beast turned its glowing orbs or Yuihara. The white canvas that was its head was soiled by the red of the figure's blood, forever ingrained in Yuihara's very being. She lost all strength in her body as her mind resigned itself to the same fate as those before her. This was a blessing in disguise, as the bow's string was released, the tension it had built up caused it to launch the arrow. The beast had no time to react as the arrow pierced its head, breaking the skull in half.

The beast fell forward, its raised claws finding their way to Yuihara's shoulder and clawing a chunk out. She didn't scream in pain, she barely even felt the lumping weight spraining her ankle as her mind was overtaken by fear and grief.

-Back in the real world-

"Iokheira" Yuihara shouted with her clouded eyes as the green glow brightened up as the arrow started to fly through the air. Kagura saw the arrow fly towards her and attempted to move out of the way, but she was surprised to feel that she was locked in place.

"Gravity Magic: Earth" Kagura shouted as she exerted her magical power on the arrow. Unfortunately, that only lowered the arrow's path to where it would not hit her in the chest instead of the head. "Gravity Magic: Western Winds" Kagura shouted, causing the arrow to shift its path yet again.

A cry in pain came from Kagura as the arrow pierced her shoulder. "Archenemy: Slashing Form" Kagura called out as she disappear from view, reappearing behind Yuihara with her sword in both hands in front of her and level with the ground. Kagura grit her teeth as she pulled the arrow out and proceeded to drop it on the ground. As the arrow reached the ground, Yuihara fell as well, unconscious and defeated, a look of fear etched on her face.

'Poor thing, she still has trouble of that day,' Mira though sadly even though she still felt pride in the impressive performance her guild is showing.

"And Kagura has come out victorious," Chapati shouted followed by a cheer from the crowd.

"We will see how this battle will ultimately affect Kagura in later fights, a shoulder wound on a swordswoman can be troublesome," Yajima commented.

As the competition continued Mira watched as her members encountered well known and powerful mages from other guilds. Lisanna had a tough battle with Jenny Realight, defeated due to their difference in experience in magical battles. Elfman had been brought down by Bacchus from Quatro Cerberus and Maz and Izayoi met their match when they encountered the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.

Griffin's Haven ended up being sixth among the twelve guilds who were allowed to join the main event. The guild returned back to Kodokuna Yama where they held a celebratory feast in their guildhall.

"I'm so proud of you all. Each one of you managed to show the world what you can do. This guild is one where those who were cast aside by the world can come together, a place that will aid those who need it, a home to those who had lost theirs, and a family to those who had theirs ripped from them," Mira said as she raised her glass in a toast. 'Now we only need Natsu to return,' Mira thought as she watched over the gathering with a smile.

-An unknown mountain range-

A lone traveller trekked through the dark mountains, the eternal clouds hovering above forever robbing the cold stone of the sun's gentle warmth. The traveller's eyes fell on a cave opening not too far from them. As the traveller entered the cave they saw two distinct paths, one leading deeper into the mountain, shrouded in darkness, while another seemed to lead to a shallow cavern with the orange glow of a fire illuminating the entrance. The traveller's mind returned once again to the conversation he had after his day's activities.

-Flashback-

"You have done well young one. You have absorbed all I can teach you and so much more," a powerful voice said.

"I can never repay you Skotadi, not only did you help me control my own darkness, but you also graciously gave me the knowledge to use yours," a mature voice replied as the man looked up to the jet black Dragon named Skotadi.

Skotadi was a massive Dragon, towering above the few trees that could be found in the mountains drenched in darkness. He walked on four legs with massive bat-like wings, a long neck and a triangular head, his tail stretched out behind him with fins at the end. The most captivating part of him though was his eyes. They looked like the night sky with little stars twinkling in the darkness of space.

"As I have said before, Natsu, it was your unique circumstances that made it possible. What sort of King would I be if I did not take the opportunity to continue my lineage when it is presented? That and the power of your own darkness would not have been illuminated by Igneel's flame alone," Skotadi rumbled with a humorous tone, his one turning sombre at the mention of his fellow King who had disappeared from the world hundreds of years ago.

"A few years ago that fact would have blown my ego sky high, but now… The power of two Dragon Kings flows through me, all to balance my being. I can never thank you enough, now I can go back to the rest of my family," Natsu said with a small but genuine smile.

"I will leave you with my last words as your mentor. Remember its name, remember its title and you will not be consumed by the essence of hatred it was ingrained with," Skotadi said as he stood up and stretched his wings.

"Will we meet again?" Natsu asked, he had come to love the dragon as an uncle who watched over him for four long years, three of which it was just the two of them.

"That will be for the will of Fate to decide, but knowing you it would be hard to avoid and I look forward to it either way," Skotadi rumbled with kindness in his eyes. Natsu lowered his head in respect as Skotadi spread his wings and lifted himself into the dark sky.

-Flashback end-

Natsu smiled once more, a mixture of sorrow and joy in his smile, sorrow for the time with Skotadi coming to an end, and joy for the upcoming reunion with his family.

"Welcome home Natsu, I'll have dinner ready in a moment," A female voice called out from beside the fire that flickered in the centre of the cave.

"I hope you didn't spend the entire day inside Samantha, you need to keep your strength up even if we are basically alone here," Natsu said as he looked at the woman with long light-blue hair and pale skin. Her blue eyes fell on Natsu as she turned to look at him.

"You should know that will never let my strength go missing, it's the last thing I have left of my clan," Samantha said as she stood up, revealing her slender yet generous figure. She was wearing a plain white shirt with green trimmings and a pair of simple black pants, finalizing her outfit with a pair of black boots and a black headband.

"I already told you, Samantha, true strength only comes to those who have something or someone to protect and return to. The way your clan saw strength was selfish and thus meaning that it has a limit," Natsu lectured.

"You made that abundantly clear, that is why I found the one I wish to stand beside, the one I want to grow strong for," Samantha said with a slight blush as she peaked up at Natsu's face. A slight grimace emerged on Natsu's face though as he remembered exactly what he did to show her what true strength is.

-Flashback-

Natsu was standing in front of a camp. This was the base of operation for a dark guild known as Ravaging Titans. He wouldn't have found them if they didn't find him first. Natsu had found them during his time training with Skotadi. The Dragon was resting in his cave while Natsu opted to move far away to truly test the limits of his newfound power. He had mastered the power Skotadi had taught him and he managed to gain basic control over his crimson flames. Natsu started the day out by running through his spells, it was during this that he noticed the presence of multiple mages, drenched in the stench of blood and death.

The dark mages had sneaked up on him when they felt a magical output and the first thing Natsu managed to hear when he noticed them near him was that they were contemplating whether they should capture him for their entertainment or if they should sacrifice him to try and summon something terrible.

It didn't take Natsu long to eliminate the dark mages, they were all underestimating his strength and overestimating their own, a common trait among dark mages. One managed to run, but unfortunately for them, in the past three years, Natsu had changed or changed back to be more precise.

Living with a Dragon your entire childhood, learning the harsh truth about the world isn't hard. It's kill or be killed, but with Igneel's wisdom Natsu had learned that the strong shouldn't eradicate the weak, that was not what strength was. In his time as a young boy in Fairy Tail, this truth was shunned and ultimately led to him suppressing it in his mind. But now, after his time Skotadi that truth had returned. And when he is wielding his dark power, that truth becomes harsh and Igneel's teachings take a back seat.

Death was inevitable, especially with the power he now wielded. Skotadi helped Natsu realise that always sparing one's enemy isn't always the correct answer. That is why these irredeemable dark mages would never see the light of day again.

Natsu eventually found their camp where he was standing now. Staring back at him was the rest of the dark guild.

"Mages of the Ravaging Titans guild, I am your reckoning," Natsu declared as his eyes started glowing a deep crimson and a dark power started to flood out of him. Pillars of dark crimson flames rose from the ground at his side. 'Skotadi said that the darkness in me cannot be controlled through magic. It was something he remembered about an age forgotten when I first showed him these dark flames and explained what happened when I summoned it so far,' Natsu thought.

"Take the fool out," a large man ordered, he was the master of the guild. A barrage of magical weapons and basic attacks rushed him, though none were able to withstand or pierce the dark crimson wall of flames that formed between the pillars.

"Pathetic, this is what I get to test my power out on?" a dark voice asked, laced with malice. From the wall of crimson flames, Natsu emerged, his physical form altered from the man the mages previously saw. Natsu had two pitch-black wings on his back with a blood-red bone-like structure, two horns protruding from his head and black scales covering his arms and face. His blood-red eyes peered through the silent atmosphere with the only disturbance being the swishing of his spiked tail.

A malicious grin formed on his face, revealing his razor-sharp fangs, as the lower mages were consumed by fear while the higher level mages were furious with his defiance and insult.

"Let's clear out the trash and then we can see how the rest of you measure up," Natsu growled as he swiped his and across his chest. A sea of crimson flames washed over the camp. As expected the higher level mages quickly jumped to safety while the lower tier mages succumbed to the flames, some might be able to live on, others not.

"Impressive, I might even consider allowing you to join me, depending on how you fare against the mages who can actually pull their weight unlike the worthless scum you so kindly took care of," the guild master laughed before motioning with his hand for his mages to attack again.

Five of the remaining ten mages attacked Natsu at once. Three ranged attacks provided cover for the other two mages to close in. From the ocean of flames, three fountains erupted and consumed the range attacks while Natsu easily blocked the other two mages' attacks.

"You are too weak," Natsu growled as he easily flung them towards the guild master before sending a blast of fire towards the other three, effortlessly defeating them.

"I knew there was something about you after your first attack. You understand what power is and that the weak should just die," The guild master cheered as he caught both mages that were flung towards him in his hands and snapped their necks with a gleeful smile.

"Your definition is different from mine, but for now I think I will test your theory out," Natsu said with a grin. The next moment he was in front of the guild master and landed a devastating blow to his face, sending him tumbling away before turning to the remaining mages.

"I'll deal with him later, but for now I will have some fun with you lot," Natsu said as he watched the five remaining mages shudder. The four males in the group roared out in defiance and charged. It wasn't long before Natsu had them on their knees, burns covering their forms.

"I think you need to be taught a lesson, not that you will be able to sue it later," Natsu growled as his crimson eyes glowed. Their cries filled the night sky they were consumed by flames.

"H-How?" that one terrified voice broke through the screams. Something in Natsu calmed down. His murderous darkness seemed to have been sated and his rational thought and the teaching of Igneel on mercy returned to his mind.

Natsu met the terrified blue eyes of a light-blue-haired girl.

"I'm strong, and they are weak," Natsu said. Even though he just killed almost the entire guild, he didn't react as he would have three years ago. His view on life was harsher.

"How can someone be this strong? How can I become this strong?" the girl asked.

"What do you see as being strong?" Natsu asked as he approached her with an intimidating aura consuming him. Natsu's bloodlust from his darkness had subsided and now he was more curious as to her answer since she didn't even attempt to attack him.

"My father always said that the strong survive and the weak die. You can't show weakness in the face of an adversary or you will be case aside and die," the girl replied, unable to move due to the fear she had.

"From your definition, you will die right here then," Natsu commented. This caused the girl's eyes to widen and her fear and terror caused her to start shaking.

'Is this what father felt before he was killed?' she thought, unable to take her eyes off of Natsu.

"I'll show you what true power is if you are willing to cast your darkness aside," Natsu said as he placed a hand on her shoulder while slowly walking past her in the direction of her guild master. This snapped her out of her stupefying fear, a bit of confusion entering her mind and allowing her to turn to him.

"Why?" the girl asked. She only got a smirk from Natsu as he cast her a glance over his shoulder before he continued on his path to the guild master. Once he reached the man he crouched down and started a conversation. The girl couldn't hear what Natsu was saying with her mind in turmoil about why Natsu didn't kill her like the rest of the guild, like she would have died back in her village when it was still standing.

Her mind was cleared of those questions when she saw a pillar of flames exploding from her guild master, not even a scream could be heard before the fire disappeared and nothing remained. Fear caused her to forget about his previous statement of not killing her as his imposing figure approached.

"Come, I'll explain later," Natsu said in a much softer and kinder tone as the horns and wings he had retreated into his figure while his scales peeled off and disintegrated, leaving only the pink-haired man who first arrived.

-End of Flashback-

"We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Please don't do anything rash when we get to the guild, I know how you were raised, but remember that different people share different views on life," Natsu said after a while of silence between the two.

"I'll try and play nice," Samantha sarcastically retorted, earning a grunt of amusement from Natsu.

'Well, it's time to see how they have grown in my absence. I wonder if our little family has grown,' Natsu pondered.

Hey guys, here you have it. So this chapter was more just for introductions of the new members. I don't plan to bring in more OCs, maybe one or two as a villain for an arc but no more recurring characters. The next chapter will be the Griffin's Haven guild reuniting and then the final time skip to catch up to the 7 year time skip from the anime and the return of the main Fairy Tail members. Please let me know what you thought of the OCs and their introductions, I will be delving into some specifics on each character to explain certain events as the need arises. Leave a review with your thoughts and I will see you all next time.