*Hey, everyone! Although I'll still be working on my other four stories, I've recently watched all 328 episodes (plus the two movies) of Fairy Tail this year and ultimately decided to write my own crossover about it. I know it's been done plenty of times before, but I thought I could try putting my own spin on the concept. Anyway, I hope you end up enjoying the first chapter. Chapter 2 will come out shortly after this if all goes well.
Chapter 1: Baba's Proposition
Somewhere in Earth Land, circa X778
Earth Land was a vast world filled to the brim with continents and countries of various sizes. While such lands greatly differed from one another, they all shared a common element between them: magic. Magic has persisted throughout all of Earth Land's history, being utilized as either a commodity, source of fuel, or, in the case of more powerful individuals, as a form of combat. This high versatility has allowed these individuals, commonly known as Wizards, to band together and create Magic Guilds, which allow them to use their magic for both monetary gain and community service. Although there have been many guilds formed over the past few centuries, one located in the continent of Ishgar has consistently managed to stand above the rest in terms of sheer strength and skill. This guild was known to the people of its home country, Fiore, as Fairy Tail.
As one of the largest Legal Guilds within said country, Fairy Tail has developed a notable reputation and history ever since its opening in X686. And that very reputation has caused it to gather many dangerous enemies over the years, including Dark Guilds such as Phantom Lord.
However, a particular enemy stood far above the rest. Feared by many across all of Ishgar, this enemy was simply referred to by a single, foreboding moniker: the Black Wizard, Zeref.
Much of his origins remained a mystery. Many people believed he had gone missing hundreds of years ago and needed to be revived somehow. This, unfortunately, resulted in multiple cults of Dark Wizards being gathered to commit evil, unspeakable acts in their master's name. Such acts ranged from human sacrifice, child slavery, the pillaging of towns, and simply coldblooded murder. Zeref himself, on the contrary, detested these acts. What he truly wanted was his own death, not the deaths of innocent human beings.
Ironically enough, Zeref was very much still alive, unbeknownst to his so-called worshippers. He was slowly walking through a dark forest, looking down at the ground with a somber expression on his face. The eponymous Zeref looked to be a young man in his 20's that wore high-collared, black robes. His torso was wrapped around by a large, white toga, which extended down to his back like some sort of cape. He had a head of short black hair and dark, colorless eyes to match. Around his neck, there also appeared to be a small, silver pendant, which clearly held some significance to him.
Zeref continued walking in a slow, almost reluctant manner. As he shuffled forward, the trees he passed by shriveled up and died. The grassy terrain beneath his feet experienced a similar fate and became a lifeless gray with each progressive step.
He sighed. It seemed that the Curse of Contradiction, even after 400 long years since the god, Ankhseram, bestowed it upon him, hadn't gotten any better.
"Must I always cause destruction wherever I go?" Zeref asked in a hoarse whisper.
Tears building up in his eyes, Zeref stopped before a nearby cliffside. He tentatively stepped forward, looking down at the waters present below. If it weren't for his immortality, he would have likely jumped off and promptly ended his own existence. Unfortunately, life wasn't so simple for someone as powerful as him.
He shook his head and peered up at the blue sky. The warmth of this light, sunny day wasn't even enough to thaw out the cold, empty darkness that was his heart. He frowned, thinking of the girl who came closest to doing so.
Mavis Vermillion, the first Guild Master of Fairy Tail, truly understood his pain. They both went through the same curse of immortality and thus, were able to truly love one another as no else has. Unfortunately, their forbidden love was what resulted in her death; for confessing his love of Mavis was a contradiction in itself.
Then again, everything in his life was a contradiction. He didn't wish to harm humanity, yet created Etherious that would commit unspeakable acts against them. He loved his younger brother, yet brought him back as the very Etherious who would bring about his death. He wished to die, yet also wanted to destroy his main adversary, Acnologia, the Black Dragon. At least, that's what he intended with the Eclipse Project all those years ago.
However, there was an outlier to his past that he couldn't quite develop an opinion on. Back when he met Mavis and her friends in X686, there was a man of unimaginable power with them. They didn't really talk much with one another, but he did remember his name, Bardock.
It was a strange name, one which didn't seem native to Earth Land at all. His monkey tail was enough proof that he wasn't entirely human either, much to Zeref's growing intrigue. What made him even more interesting was the fact that he didn't use magic, yet still had the ability to manipulate the energy within himself and fly as a result of it. He referred it to as ki, or life energy, from what little he could recall from that day.
Although Zeref did wish that he gathered more information about Bardock, it wasn't a complete missed opportunity. He did, through Mavis more than anything else, learn that Bardock was a Saiyan who ended up here by means of travel through time and space. And as a Saiyan, Bardock was also married and had two kids before their planet was suddenly destroyed. The cause of this destruction wasn't given to Zeref, but it unnerved him, nonetheless. If there were beings truly capable of annihilating whole planets in another universe, there might be hope for his death, after all.
"I wonder if the famous witch, Baba Yaga, moved to the very same universe…" Zeref wondered. Baba, of course, was an old crone by this point, but back in her prime, she was powerful enough to rival himself in terms of sheer magical prowess. However, she had long since disappeared to start a fortunetelling business in another universe's version of Earth Land. He was curious to know what differences the two worlds truly had.
The thought of this Earth caused a sudden realization to dawn upon Zeref's mind. Even though Bardock had, supposedly, been sent back to his own universe by the end of the Second Trade War, the Black Wizard remembered Bardock offhandedly mentioning the whereabouts of his two sons. One of them, Raditz, was off-world somewhere, but the youngest one, Kakarot, was flown to the planet, Earth, as a baby. This was done to ensure that he would survive the end of Planet Vegeta and continue to grow stronger, as Bardock briefly put it.
If this Earth was indeed the one Baba Yaga traveled to all those centuries ago, then things became a whole lot more interesting. This boy, Kakarot, could have grown into a warrior in his own right and potentially, be able to use ki as well. Baba also provided him an outlet to learn about magic if they were to meet at some point in the Saiyan child's life. In that sense, Kakarot could be the best of both worlds.
Zeref grinned to a somewhat sinister degree. "It appears that I have another potential contender to oppose me. I wonder how you will fair in this little competition, dear Natsu."
He continued to stand atop the cliff with a wide grin. In the distance, black storm clouds began to entrench the once clear sky in darkness.
"If your father was so strong, I anticipate the power you will bring to the table, Kakarot." Zeref whispered to himself. "The question is, once you make your way to Earth Land, will you be powerful enough to break my curse?"
A bolt of lightning struck in the background, causing Zeref's form to be partially concealed in shadows as his eyes turned bloodred. He then immediately went back to normal as raindrops began to fall.
"I'll be waiting to see how you handle this situation…Baba." muttered Zeref, anticipating the day Baba Yaga, now known as Fortuneteller Baba, would take notice of Goku's talents. He then turned around and nonchalantly walked into the forest once more.
Baba's Palace, Age 750
Master Roshi, Baba, and the others were currently waiting for Goku to finish up his errands. After managing to reunite with his grandpa, Gohan, and gather the fifth Dragon Ball, Goku agreed to locate the other two, so he could successfully wish Upa's dad, Bora, back to life. Baba, in that moment, was positioned atop her crystal ball next to Roshi. She was a fairly short old woman with light purple hair and a black witch's outfit.
She contentedly looked around the area until a sudden chill went down her spine. Her eyes widened as she broke out into a cold sweat for seemingly no reason.
"The hell was that?" Baba thought in concern. The last time she felt this way was back in Earth Land; back when she last encountered that damned Black Wizard. Was he thinking about her or something? The mere thought of it creeped her out a bit.
Roshi quirked a brow, taking note of his sister's sudden change in mood. "You alright, Baba? You look like you just saw the Grim Reaper."
"I'm fine, idiot. I-I just remembered something I wanted to propose to Goku, is all." Baba grunted.
Roshi didn't look entirely convinced, but nodded anyways. "Goku, hm? He should be heading out to train for the next tournament fairly soon, so it better not be anything too major."
"For your information, this has everything to do with his training. It should help him grow stronger in many ways." Baba replied. Roshi stroked his beard in sudden curiosity.
"So be it then. I guess I'll find out what it is soon enough." The old master said.
With that last remark, Goku returned on the Flying Nimbus. His spiky black hair flowed in the wind as he rocketed back to the outdoor arena. Due to a prior altercation with the Pilaf Gang, Goku was now wearing a purple robe with a yellow shirt tucked in from the inside. This new outfit had a violet belt that was tied into a bow, keeping his similarly colored pants tightly bound in place. Additionally, the Power Pole was kept inside of a holster on his back.
"Hey, guys! I'm back!" Goku shouted. Goofily grinning, he parked Nimbus directly in front of Bulma, Puar, Krillin, and Yamcha.
"How'd it go? Was the Eternal Dragon able to revive Upa's dad alright?" Krillin asked. The bald monk was wearing a yellow gi with short sleeves and orange pants.
Goku grinned, giving Krillin a sign of victory with his fingers. "Yup! It was a piece of cake!"
Goku's friends all congratulated him on the good deed was able to perform. He was proving himself to be quite helpful over these past few months.
"I bet they were really happy to see each other again!" Yamcha beamed. He was wearing his typical attire as a desert bandit, but with a much shorter hairdo.
"You did good, kid." Master Roshi proudly expressed his approval. Nodding along in thanks, Goku suddenly grabbed his pants with a look of sheer panic.
"Gah! Oh no! I gotta pee!" He yelped. Goku then made a run for the corner and abruptly pulled his pants down. He then began to pee, much to Baba's horror.
"D-Don't do it there! Go find a bush somewhere, you animal!" The old witch shrieked. Sometimes she wondered if Gohan even did a good job raising him to begin with.
Goku sniggered after finishing his business. "Heh. Sorry, Baba. But, when you gotta go, you gotta go, right?"
Baba winced in disgust. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that…"
"So, what now, Goku? Isn't it going to be a whole year until you find your grandpa's keepsake again?" Bulma asked, wondering what else Goku could do after this recent search for the Dragon Balls. Goku then pulled a spherical stone out of his shirt.
"Actually, I managed to grab the Four-Star Ball before it escaped this time. Hehe." Goku chuckled.
Bulma's jaw dropped in surprise. "Wow! I didn't know you could move that fast!"
"Guess that means you won't need to search for the Dragon Balls again, huh?" Krillin questioned.
"That's right! Now, I think it's time I start training for the next World Martial Arts Tournament!" Goku stated, clenching his fists in excitement.
"Well, you and Krillin won't be the only ones because I've agreed to train under Master Roshi too! He agreed to take me as his next student!" Yamcha announced happily.
"Really?! That's so cool! We'll have so much fun together!" Goku beamed.
"Yeah. He's going to build me back up from the basics, hopefully!"
"Just don't pick up on any of his bad habits, Yamcha!" Bulma warned with a disapproving wag of her finger.
"Is it wrong to appreciate the female form in all of its glory?!" Master Roshi grumbled in defense of his pervy nature. Bulma dangerously glared at him.
"It is when you're a dirty, good-for-nothing old man!" Bulma growled.
"Hmph. Forget I asked…" Roshi scoffed.
Goku, still delighted over the prospect of training with both Yamcha and Krillin, eagerly looked at both his friends and former master.
"So, all three of us can train together, right?" Goku wondered.
"Actually, Goku, I have a different idea in mind for your training. If you're willing to accept it, that is." Baba interjected from the sidelines.
Goku tilted his head to the side curiously. "A different idea? How so?"
"What if I told you that there's another Earth entirely separate from this one? And this world has plenty of strong opponents who could give you a proper challenge?" Baba cryptically intrigued. Goku felt confused by this, but nonetheless, continued to follow along as best as he could.
"Another world, huh? You mean like the one Grandpa was brought back from?"
Baba shook her head. "Not exactly, kid. Other World is the afterlife of our universe, not a planet. I'm talking about something just like where we're standing, but completely different."
"This is the first time I'm hearing about something like this. What's this other Earth or whatever called?" Yamcha questioned in disbelief.
"It goes by a few names depending on the language, but most people there call it Earth Land." Baba responded.
Bulma blanky stared at the witch. "Earth Land? Seriously? They couldn't come up with something more creative than that?"
"Eh, I didn't come up with the names, young lady. My brother and I were just born there, believe it or not." Baba casually unveiled with a small shrug.
"HUH?!" Everyone else collectively gasped in unison.
"M-Master, you're from another world?!" Krillin stammered in befuddlement. Not used to being put on the spot like this, Roshi nervously adjusted his sunglasses.
"Not entirely, but yes. I was only just a baby when we traveled here."
"A baby? Then, how old was Baba?" Bulma gaped as she slowly darted her eyes toward the fortuneteller.
"200-years-old, give or take. Look pretty good for my age, don't I? Hehe!" Baba sniggered in response. This impressive age further bemused the entire group, apart from Goku. He was still wondering what this all had to do with him getting stronger for the tournament.
"Considering you should be a pile of dust by now, then yeah, I guess so…" Yamcha muttered under his breath. Baba, overhearing this comment, was not amused.
"Don't make me bring out Bandages again." Baba threatened sternly. Not wanting to be humiliated by that mummy again, Yamcha just stood up straight and nodded his head.
"Sorry, ma'am!" Yamcha weakly apologized.
Glaring at him one last time, Baba then cleared her throat. "Anyway, Earth Land is home to a slew of powerful magic-users such as myself. These witches and wizards typically inhabit Magic Guilds where they can partake in various job requests for profit. And most requests do require a high level of combat efficiency, much like Goku has."
She looked up, fondly remembering the moments of her youth as they took place many centuries prior. One significant positive during those days was the fact that she didn't have a pervy younger brother to take care of.
"I lived in Earth Land during a much different time than it is now. Back then, I was known as Baba Yaga and had a fearsome reputation for my magical abilities. I don't mean to brag, but I was quite talented at Divination and formed my own business here as a result of it." Baba smirked as she gestured to her entire palace.
"Very humble as always, Baba…" Master Roshi commented sarcastically.
"Hmph, whatever. Now, despite myself living on Earth, I did utilize a bit of Dimensional Magic to see how things were going back home. In my travels, I've run into one notable guild more times than I would have liked."
"And what…uh…"gill" was that?" Goku naively asked.
"The guild I'm referring to is called Fairy Tail. It's really only been around for about 92 years, but their members did leave quite a big impression on me." Baba described in what could be interpreted as fond recollection. Her expression then immediately turned sour in the next second. "Most of them were all a bunch of obnoxious morons who liked to fight each other."
Bulma grimaced at this brief assessment. That definitely sounded like a group Goku would feel right at home in.
"The name, Fairy Tail, doesn't seem to fit with that kind of crowd. Sounds more like a ballet group to me." Yamcha joked.
"It may be a silly name, but each Wizard there has been through a lot. Their unabashed loyalty and familial ties give them a particular strength most guilds seem to lack." Baba defended Fairy Tail's credibility. She then outstretched her hand and pointed at Goku.
"That's why I believe Goku's training would be in good hands there, especially during the time before this tournament begins." Baba expressed determinedly.
Goku stood there pointing at himself in uncertainty. The others stared at him, curious to find out what Goku's final decision would be.
"Well, gee, I don't know. From what you told me; they do sound pretty strong." Goku mumbled whilst scratching the back of his head.
"Not all of its members are, admittedly, but there's bound to be kids around your age there. Learning more about magic from them and more experienced Mages could help with the enhancement of your inner ki, I'm sure." Baba persuaded the boy to consider her offer.
Goku rested a hand over his chin, trying to decide what course of action was best to take. He looked up at Master Roshi for guidance.
"What do you think, gramps? Do you think this Fairy Tail place will help me out?"
"Unfortunately, my boy, I'm not the one who can make that decision for you. You're on your own now."
"On my own?" Goku repeated obliviously.
"Yes. Since you're already such a great fighter, there's nothing else left for me to teach you. From this day forth, you must discover your own path as a martial artist and continue to get even better than before." Roshi wisely advised.
"Huh. I guess you have a point. I do want to get a whole lot stronger, but…"
"Then, go out and see more of the world, Goku! This world is vast and strange! Countless adventures await you, even if they don't take place in the one you're standing in at the moment. Whether it be Earth or Earth Land, you must utilize every new part of your journey as an opportunity to learn!" The Turtle Hermit continued to motivate his former pupil. "Regardless of what decision you end up making, I'm certain you'll grow stronger and come back to amaze me!"
Baba and the others looked upon Roshi in awe, surprised he was able to concoct such a motivational speech. Smirking, he rested a hand on his hip in pride.
"Ohoho. I'm sure the boy was blown away by that incredible speech. Looks like I've still got it!" Roshi thought confidently. He looked down at Goku, who currently had his jaw agape in either admiration or ignorance. Unfortunately for his old master, it proved to be the latter.
"You lost me about halfway through, but I think I get what you're saying, Master!" Goku chirped. Surprised, Roshi fell flat on his back in considerable disappointment.
"G-Glad I could help." He grumbled. He hoped that Goku at least got the basic gist of his speech's meaning.
Goku then walked in front of Baba, smiling. "I think I'll go with your offer, Baba. Exploring a new world with these Fairy Tail guys might be pretty fun!"
"I'm glad I could be of service. Consider it an extra consolation for me bringing back your grandfather." Baba said.
"Not sure what that means, but okay!" Goku chirped obliviously. Lowly sighing in response to his severe lack of intelligence, Baba floated closer to her palace.
"We'll make the trip to Earth Land as soon as you're ready." The elderly witch informed. Nodding, Goku then took the time to bid farewell to his friends.
"Well, I guess we'll meet at the next tournament in three years, Goku. I look forward to seeing the progress you'll make with this guild." Master Roshi mused.
"Okay, Master. I'll try my best!" Goku replied with an enthusiastic, toothy smile.
Krillin dejectedly looked down at the floor. "You're going to be gone in some alternate world for three years?! That's going to be such a long time…"
Goku, detecting the hint of sadness in Krillin's voice, walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm going to miss you too, Krillin. But, I promise we'll see each other again in the future. You can count on it." The young fighter assured. These words helped the former monk cheer up a bit.
"Kinda wish I could go with you, but alright." Krillin smiled in response. "Make no mistake, though, I will be taller than you next time!"
"Hehe. I'm gonna be growing a bit too, so we'll see!" Goku lightly chuckled. He then turned his head to address Yamcha and Puar.
"Better be prepared, Goku! I'm going to squash you in this next tournament!" Yamcha stated with a challenging smirk.
"Oh, yeah?! Well, I won't go down easy during our fight, Yamcha!" Goku smirked back in a similar manner.
"Heh. I'll be counting the days til' then!" The teenage bandit remarked, pumping his fist in considerable anticipation.
Continuing to laugh along with Yamcha for a few moments, Goku finally approached his first and oldest friend. Bulma frowned, mostly uncertain of what she should feel about this situation.
"So, you're really leaving for a while, huh?" She quietly asked.
"Yeah, I will be. It's going to be hard leaving everyone behind like this." Goku muttered as he lightly stroked the side of his cheek. After all, going to another world isn't something he expected to ever do. It was exciting, yet strange at the same time.
Frowning even deeper, Bulma suddenly pulled Goku into a tight, warm embrace. His face only reached up to her stomach, thankfully.
"Promise me you won't get overly reckless then, kiddo. I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to you on some whole other planet." Bulma said worryingly. Not used to dealing with these kinds of emotions, Goku awkwardly patted her on the back.
"I'll try to be careful. Don't worry about it too much, Bulma." Goku ensured the concerned girl. "Though, will you promise to be nicer the next time we see each other?"
Bulma opened her eyes and abruptly shoved Goku away from her in rage. He just had to ruin the moment!
"Errrgh! What the heck is that supposed to mean, idiot?!" Bulma screeched angrily. Rather than explain, Goku giggled mischievously and waved at everyone from behind.
"Bye, everyone! I'll catch you all later!" Goku yelled. As he ran to catch up with Baba, each member of the Dragon Team waved back.
"Bye, Goku!" Krillin shouted.
"Good luck, man! I know you've got this training down pat!" Yamcha supportively sent out his last regards.
"Be careful!" Puar cried.
Bulma, although still peeved by Goku's comment, simply stood there in silence before smiling at his retreating form.
"Mm. He may drive me nuts sometimes, but I'm gonna really miss that goofy kid. He's grown so much since I first met him on that mountain about a year ago." Bulma recalled the events of their first adventure together. Who knew some weird kid with a monkey tail would end up becoming strong enough to save the entire world? She couldn't help, but feel a bit proud of herself for discovering him that day.
Staring at Goku one last time, Bulma held a hand over her heart and grimaced. Her once fiery blue eyes were now twinged with that of melancholy and ever-present concern.
"Please try to take care of yourself, Goku; for mine and everyone else's sakes." She mentally prayed for Goku's safety.
Nearby, Baba led the aforementioned 13-year-old back to her palace's main entrance. It was a dark room filled with various candles and skeletal guards that held tridents in their hands. Typically, this was where Baba would give out fortunes to paying customers, but her services were closed at the moment for obvious reasons.
Goku curiously moved his head around to observe the dark, spacious area. "So, uh, how do we get to this Earth Land place, exactly?"
Baba, rather than saying anything, just hopped off her crystal ball. The crystal ball floated in place, slowly moving over to a space between both Goku and Baba herself.
"Remain perfectly still and you'll find out soon enough…" The old witch murmured. Quirking a brow, Goku did as he was told and tried not to move a muscle.
Baba waved her hands in front of the ball, focusing as much magical energy into it as possible. It glowed a translucent, heavenly white as she began chanting a specific spell commonly associated with Divination.
"Oh, hoi, hoi, hoi, poi…" Baba whispered. She focused her thoughts on the image of Magnolia Town, the city where Fairy Tail's Guild Hall was first built. Before Goku's very eyes, the likeness of a place he's never seen before was projected onto the crystal ball.
"Woah…" Goku gaped in awe. He could see that it was a fairly large town with multiple shops and buildings that were separated by a river. Many people seemed to be living there, proving that Earth Land wasn't much different at first glance.
"…hoi, poi, hoi, hoi, poi!" cried Baba as she finished casting the spell.
In a bright flash of energy, the crystal ball stopped its projection of Magnolia on Fairy Tail's Guild Hall itself. It was massive, three-story building with stone walls and roofs comprised of predominantly red shingles. There was a bell tower visible on top and an orange banner depicting the guild's trademark symbol. Goku wasn't entirely sure what the symbol looked like, but in a way, it did seem to be somewhat fairy-like in nature.
Curious, Goku stretched out his finger to poke at the crystal ball. To his surprise, his touch created a ripple effect, showing that it was now mostly intangible instead of solid.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Goku questioned in puzzlement.
"Yes, Goku." Baba affirmed with a bob of her head. "Normally, I use this crystal ball to see visions of the future, but through my skills in Dimensional Magic, I'm able to create portals to alternate worlds or even timelines. The latter costs a considerable amount of magic power for me, however. I'm not as spry at this kind of stuff as I used to be."
Goku didn't exactly get the whole alternate timeline reference, but nevertheless, he could tell Baba's spell ended up working as intended. That did seem to be the Fairy Tail guild he was going to, after all.
"Hmm, I see." Goku hummed to himself. He darted his eyes from Baba to her crystal ball. "Do we just…go inside the portal, then?"
"That's the idea. Here, I'll give you a demonstration." Baba answered cryptically. Using her telekinesis, Baba lifted Goku off of the ground and pushed him directly into the crystal ball.
"Oof! Wait a minute, BABAAAAAAAGHHHH!" Goku screams of protest were interrupted by the feeling of his entire body getting sucked into the ball. In a matter of seconds, his form rippled inside the glass surface and completely vanished upon direct contact with Earth Land.
"Hehe. Gets me every time." The old crone sniggered in amusement. Afterwards, she hopped into the ball herself and teleported away. Baba also utilized her skills in Dimensional Magic to bring the crystal ball along, causing it to quickly collapse in on itself. With that last action, Goku's trip to Earth Land was officially underway.
Magnolia, X778
Despite having a sizable population of over 60,000 inhabitants, Magnolia was rather calm today. Each of its citizens were merely minding their own business and partaking in daily routines. Whether it be praying somewhere at Kardia Cathedral or buying some magical items from a local merchant, the people of Magnolia were all relatively at peace. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the birds were chirping, and everything remained perfectly calm.
The same could not be said for the members of Fairy Tail, however.
Inside their Guild Hall, chaos of all sorts, as per usual, was afoot. They were either talking amongst themselves in the guild's lunch hall or getting drunk at the nearby bar. Some members were also looking at a board filled to the brim with multiple papers, which were likely the requests Baba mentioned to Goku beforehand. While a few grabbed one of the requests and left to complete it, another person just continued to intently look at each form without moving. It was hard to tell if he would actually accept one of them or not, admittedly.
Back at the bar, a short, elderly man contentedly sat on top of its counter. He was wearing a strange hat with blue-orange stripes and two ear-like protrusions attached to it. The old man also wore a coat of the same color that was draped over a white T-shirt, which sported a black version of Fairy Tail's symbol in its center. Most noticeably, he had spiky white hair and a bushy moustache to match.
This was Makarov Dreyar, Fairy Tail's third and most recent Guild Master. And given the prominent flush of red on his cheeks, it was pretty obvious that he had far too much to drink.
"Drinks are on me, everyone! You deserve it after all the hard work you've put into making us the strongest guild in Fiore!" Makarov hiccupped as he held up a full mug of beer.
Everyone held up their own glasses in kind. "Thanks, Master!"
The old Wizard was about to take another swig of beer until someone coughed to get his attention. "Ahem."
Makarov tilted his head to see a young girl standing before him. She had red hair that was tied down into a braid and wore white dress clothes. This outfit was concealed by a plate of metal armor, which came with matching shoulder pads and a sword concealed within its black sheath. Her collared shirt was also tied down by a red bow that nicely contrasted with her hair.
"Erm, is something the matter, Erza?" Makarov asked. The newly revealed girl, Erza Scarlet, sniffed in displeasure as she jerked a thumb to another portion of the guild.
"Natsu and Gray are fighting again. You want me to stop them?" She pointed out.
Makarov tilted his head to get a better look at what was going on. As Erza described, two boys were currently butting heads with each other. One had spiky, pink hair with a white scarf and red, long-sleeved shirt. The other had short, disheveled black hair with, weirdly enough, no shirt at all and a pair of black shorts. His guild mark was dark blue and placed on his right pectoral.
"What did you just say to me, Ice Breath?!" Natsu shouted with tightly clenched teeth.
"Do you need your ears clogged out or something?! I said your dumb fire has nothing on my Maker Magic and that's just a fact!" Gray growled back.
"Oh, yeah? You wanna bet, you stripping weirdo?!" The fiery boy shouted. Gray smirked and crossed his arms.
"Heh. That's the best you got? I'm fully clothed right now, so that comeback doesn't even work!" Gray chuckled at his longtime rival's expense.
Seated at a table close by, a girl with brown hair tied down into a ponytail watched their argument take place. She was wearing an orange dress with thin, red straps that looped around her shoulders.
Known as Cana Alberona, she looked upon Natsu and Gray's altercation in relative boredom. She glanced at Gray while nonchalantly sipping some juice from a straw.
"Actually, Gray, you haven't been wearing a shirt for the past five minutes…" Cana corrected him. Gray looked upon her in shock, being none the wiser to this fact.
"Huh?" He peeked down to see that he did indeed have no shirt on. "Aw, crap! This is getting ridiculous!"
Groaning in frustration, Gray shook his head and directed all of that anger towards Natsu.
"Ergh, whatever! Let's just settle this, Pyro! I'll take you down easy!" Gray cockily grunted. He placed a fist in his open palm, causing a blue magic circle to begin forming.
"Famous last words!" Natsu spat. He slammed his fists together and engulfed them in brilliant, orange flames.
The two then dogpiled on one another, resulting in both flames and shards of ice flying about in all sorts of crazy directions. Their mobile torrent of punches and kicks eventually brought them over to nearby tables, even if other members were currently sitting in them.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, guys!" Macao Conbolt, a 30-year-old Wizard with short, blue hair, warned. Unfortunately, his warnings weren't properly headed as his table was flown up in the air by the quarreling Natsu and Gray. This both resulted in the table shattering to pieces and drinks spilling all over Macao himself.
He slumped his shoulders in dismay. "Guess I shouldn't have even bothered…"
As Natsu and Gray's fight got progressively worse, Erza squinted her eyes at Makarov and gestured to them.
"Those morons are going to wreck the whole Guild Hall at this rate! Say the word, Master, and I'll put them in their place as always." Erza sternly advised.
Makarov raised his hand up as a sign for her to stop. "Now, Erza. Those two are growing boys. Expressing their rivalry like this is perfectly normal behavior for them."
"If you say so, Master, but I strongly suggest that—"
"Just leave them alone for the time being." The old man calmly instructed. "Who knows? Maybe something else will cause themselves to stop their incessant bickering."
As if upon command, a blinding flash of light appeared in the very center of the lunch hall. Natsu and Gray, still in mid-punch, abruptly paused to see what the heck was going on. Everyone else, including Makarov, did the same and viewed this strange phenomenon in concern. They've all experienced strange magical activity, of course, but having one infiltrate the guild so easily was a much different story.
The light dispersed to reveal a larger than average crystal ball. It floated in place for a while before roughly spitting out Goku. He faceplanted straight into the wooden floorboards, much to his chagrin. Baba, in contrast, floated out of the crystal ball and sat atop it once more.
"Owww. You should have given me a warning about that, Baba." Goku whined in pain. He picked himself off the floor and brushed away excess dust from his clothes.
"Sorry, kid. I just couldn't help myself. Hoho." Baba laughed amusedly.
The Wizards of Fairy Tail looked upon the duo in relative silence. Erza, however, was especially intrigued by the spiky-haired boy who looked to be around her own age.
"A boy? Why would he come out of a crystal ball that way? It's very strange." Erza thought in bemusement. She hoped her newfound curiosities would be answered sooner than later.
Makarov, although he hadn't seen much of her since Precht was the Guild Master, instantly recognized the likeness of Baba Yaga. He crossed his arms and lightly grinned.
"Hmph. This is a nice surprise, Baba. It's been a pretty long time since you last visited." Makarov greeted the old witch.
Baba waved him off with her hand. "We'll save the reunion for later, Makarov. At the moment, I have an important proposition to discuss with you."
"A proposition, hm? And what might that be?" Makarov inquired. Normally, he would have been displeased with an unannounced meeting like this, but with such an explosive, mysterious entrance, Baba was definitely here for a good reason.
"I want you to bring this boy in as a member of Fairy Tail." Baba requested in a serious stone. She then knowingly pursed her lips. "You might find that he looks somewhat familiar, I believe. Hehe."
Makarov, at first, didn't know what Baba was implying with this, but once he got a good look at Goku's face, his eyes widened considerably. His spiked black hair had a striking resemblance to one of Fairy Tail's most widely kept secrets, apart from the infamous Lumen Histoire.
"Hey, guys! The name's Son Goku! It's nice to meet you all!" Goku kindly greeted Fairy Tail's members with a peace sign.
Just by his lighthearted greeting alone, Master Makarov could tell that this boy would make things in the guild much more interesting. His connection to the lost founder of Fairy Tail was proof enough of that fact.
*And that's a wrap for the first chapter of A Dragon's Tail! Again, this is the first time I'm really writing the Fairy Tail characters, so hopefully, I did a good enough job so far. As you can tell, this story will start off with Goku as a 13-year-old and eventually lead to him being 18-19 by the start of the canon events. This will make it so Goku is able to bond with Natsu, Gray, Erza, and the others when they're younger, so they'll have more of a bond later on. The main pairings might be a bit overused too, but in my opinion, Mirajane and Erza both work well with Goku in their own ways, especially with the direction I'm taking this story. Plus, Goku being able to interact with the meaner Mirajane could be an interesting dynamic that I haven't really seen been done before. Hope I'll be able to make those interactions interesting by the time I get there.
Another interesting change I made is having Bardock be involved in the events of Fairy Tail Zero. This will be an ongoing mystery that I'll be expanding upon in future chapters. So, Zeref will be aware of Goku in a sense, but refer to him as Kakarot since that's what Bardock knew him by. This knowledge of Goku's existence will obviously change a lot of Zeref's plans and lead to new Etherious being introduced (some of which will be based on Dragon Ball villains from the movies). I'm definitely excited for the introduction of those characters.
Also, this story won't exactly have a harem for Goku. It'll mainly be a love triangle between Mirajane and Erza (though, she'll still have feelings for Jellal at first). There will eventually be a third pairing that's introduced, but that option is still left up in the air. I do have someone in particular in mind, though, but I won't spoil anything. ;)
Anyway, please leave a favorite, follow, and/or review to tell me what you think of this new story. I'll appreciate any kind of feedback you give me, whether it be negative or positive. See you in the next chapter!
P.S. I've been reading Volumes 1-9 of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest lately and I find it pretty entertaining. It has a lot of the same flaws as the original series, but there's still plenty of cool designs and concepts. I recommend giving it a read and I'm looking forward to the anime adaptation whenever it comes out.
