Hey, everyone! First content of 2023! ...Which I am now realizing how long it has been since the last chapter.
...Welp, better late than never I suppose. XD
Don't really have much to say, but I hope this year is much, MUCH better than last year.
Anyway, here's the next chapter. :)
"*huff* *puff* *huff* *puff* *huff* *puff* I think we lost them," Natsu tiredly breathed out, as he, Happy, and Lucy all catch their breath from the long run away from Hargeon.
Evident as it is, it wasn't long ago when Natsu defeated Bora which, due to the burning charcoal smell Gareth still sensed with his nose, left much of Hargeon's harbor on fire. Because of this, the group had to run away from the approaching Rune Knights sent to investigate the incident; likely resulting in their arrest, if they hadn't.
Now they were resting on a few trees near the road next to them.
Speaking of Gareth, he was the only one not out of breath; the boy was standing and causally staring at his tired companions, all the while looking back at the barely vivid orange hue seen above the tree-line every now and then. He also couldn't hear the sound of the Rune Knights footsteps anymore, so he was certain Natsu's current statement was correct. "It seems likely," Gareth followed up.
"*huff* *puff* How come you're not tired, Gareth? We ran for like... *huff* who knows how long from the Knights," Natsu spoke, looking up at his newfound friend.
Not long after Natsu began running, he eventually decided to let go of Lucy and Gareth and allowed them to run alongside him. So for him to question Gareth's lack of stamina loss made sense.
"Training," Gareth simply answered, which cause Natsu to sweat drop...
...and for Happy to remember something important.
"Oh Natsu, I need to tell you something," Happy began, making said boy look at his best friend, "Gareth knew all along you're a Dragon Slayer."
This made Natsu widen his eyes and look back at Gareth.
As for Gareth, he hold no such reaction toward Happy revealing this to Natsu. Ever since he revealed his knowledge on Natsu, Gareth knew it was inevitable for the cat to do this, and that his instincts never gave him any negative intent toward his companions. Nevertheless, he adds, "Was possible when me figured you were raised by a dragon. It became true when me saw you fight," Gareth then grasps his hands, "Will be honest, it amazes me to meet a Slayer of that of a Dragon so early."
Momentary silence followed as Gareth watch Natsu's face shift into a serious expression. This made Gareth confused; even though his instincts still didn't sense any negative intent, the boy didn't understand why his companion was now giving him this look.
Natsu then rises from his seat and stares directly at Gareth. "Who are you?" he asks.
Gareth was now more confused, "Repeat?"
"We only just met each other, but you were able to recognize that I was raised by Igneel and trained under him. Not only that, me and Happy notice this familiar, serene smell off of you. Call us skeptical, but we don't think this is a coincidence. So who are you exactly?" Natsu explains thoroughly.
Gareth almost had the urge to smell his armpit after what Natsu told him, but his instincts gave him the realization of what the Dragon Slayer actually meant. He was referring to the boy's Ethernano. This revelation almost surprised Gareth, but he again took note of Natsu being a Dragon Slayer. Perhaps it is possible that Slayers can smell each other's Ethernano, no matter what kind they are, Gareth thought.
"I think it's best that you tell them what you told me, Gareth," Lucy open up, said boy looking down at her. Lucy was slightly taken back when Natsu started questioning Gareth so intensely. Not that it scared her, but it did made her feel a bit uneasy. She was certain that having Gareth bring up about his origins would lessen the unusual situation.
Lucy then stands up and turns to Natsu and Happy, "I'll go start a fire, because what you two are about to hear will be a long one. You are welcome to help, though."
Some Time Later...
With everyone playing a role, it didn't take long for a fire to start and for the group to find themselves surrounding it on recent chopped up logs.
Now, everyone was waiting patiently for Gareth to start. "Let me begin by talking about what you said earlier, Natsu," Gareth finally began, "What you and Happy are smelling is my Ethernano."
He notice the two perk up in interest.
"Growing up, my father gave me the Ethernano needed to fight. But due to the amount, my Ethernano constantly leaks... It is not something me is proud of, but there is nothing that can be done for that," Gareth explains.
"How so?" Lucy asks, who was learning this for the first time as well.
"My father always told me that leaking your Ethernano is susceptible to attracting your enemies. He saw the problem me had, and tried to help me in ridding it. That never came to be," Gareth explains more.
"That's.. actually pretty scary," Lucy slowly admitted, giving Gareth a concern look.
"It is," Gareth simply responds back.
"Who is your father exactly?" Happy called out.
Gareth was silent for a moment, making Lucy stare at him for a bit. When she heard what he had to say about his father and origins, he held no hesitation towards her. Yet, for some reason, he was holding some against Natsu and Happy.
Lucy was about to open up to him when Gareth finally answered, "Have you two ever heard the tale of the Titans?"
Happy lowered his eyebrows, "I don't think so; at least, I don't remember hearing it before."
"Me neither," Natsu followed up.
Gareth lets out a deep breath and begins, "Then fair warning; do not expect you to believe me, since not many know of this tale. A long, long time ago, there were beings that ruled this world. Beings that brought order to society. Beings that once walked among us, demons, dragons, and even gods. These beings were the Titans; giant monsters that oversaw development, creation, and destruction. They were the ones that decided what comes next, what can be learned, and what can be done. Especially, they were the ones who fought the infections that would plague the world; they were the cure to all problems.
However, out of all the Titans that exist, there was one that was considered to be the leader. The one that would be the ultimate decider when someone disagrees, and because of this there were those who consider this Titan to be a King of all Monsters. But to everyone,... this Titan was known as Gojira; my father.
But, just like everything, the order the Titans created ended and the Titans themselves disappeared from humanity... that is until my father found me, raised me, and even trained me. My father made the human me is today, and he would be proud of that... ...Would be... Something happen a long time ago that cause my father to disappear. Still do not know what happen to him, but me am certain that Father is still alive. So, to add on to my answer, that is why me is here."
There was a long silence that now formed within the group.
Even though this was not the first time she heard this, as stated before, Lucy was still amazed to hear Gareth speak about the Titans and his father. To have a beast, known to some as a king, raise you as your own child was just breathtaking to her. But it still was heartbreaking to hear the true reason why Gareth decided to travel to Fiore.
Natsu and Happy were simply awestruck. Ever since they first talked about Gareth, they were expecting some answers from him. They never expected a full blown story about an entirely 'new species', his father being one of them, and everything else that led to him traveling here. It was also very difficult for them to consider that Gareth was lying, especially after everything he has told them beforehand. Ultimately, they believed Gareth... but for different reasons.
"What was the day your father disappeared?" Natsu suddenly asked.
Gareth raised an eyebrow, "The day?"
"When Natsu's father vanished, the day was July 7th, X777," Happy shortly explained.
"...Me not aware of this kind of time you describe. Actually, me do not remember how long it has been since Father disappeared," Gareth responds, confused over what the cat said to him, "But, it could be possible that my father disappeared the same day as yours, Natsu."
"If so or not, what matters is that your father is gone and that you're looking for him, just like I am with Igneel," Natsu followed up. He then formed a huge grin, "I'm gonna help you."
Gareth immediately widen his eyes and looks straight at Natsu, "You would do that... for me?"
"Of course! That's what friends are for," Natsu continued, while crossing his arms.
Gareth didn't know how to feel about this. It was not common for the boy to have someone exchange their help to him, but even then he would never come to terms on if it was a bad thing. He would admit to himself, having someone help him find his father was a very good step forward. If it were different circumstances, Gareth would gladly accept Natsu's request.
But these weren't different circumstances.
As Natsu said so himself, he and Gareth barely knew each other. From what the boy has seen from his companion thus far, he was thankful for the actions he took; most significantly when he helped Gareth defeat Bora. But Gareth's instincts told him that that was not enough, and that he needed to learn more about Natsu's character.
Simply put, Gareth didn't trust Natsu, nor did he trust Happy.
As for Lucy... well, Gareth would not admit that he didn't trust her either, but he still wasn't certain on trusting her fully yet.
Besides trust, there was another problem that Gareth has in mind. "You do not know what my father looks like," Gareth finally opens up.
"Well, you said that the Titans are giant monsters. So, all we have to do is look for a giant monster, right?" Happy guessed.
Rather than give clarity, Gareth replies, "It is not that simple."
"What do you mean?" Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"The Titans do carry the same title. But the Titans are not one species. Each monster is its own breed; having their own shape and size. My father is no exception," Gareth explains
"So, what does your father look like?" Natsu asked.
"...I would.. rather not say it now. Do not take it the wrong way... Need to think on your offer first, Natsu," Gareth hesitantly answered.
There was a moment of silence on Natsu's part, but the ultimate result was him humming in understanding while nodding. He then forms a soft smile, "We understand. Right Happy?"
"Aye!" Happy responded.
While the two were coming to terms with Gareth, Lucy realized the full extent to why Gareth didn't agree right away. Unlike Natsu and Happy, she knew exactly where Gareth came from, and because of that she knew Gareth never encountered any other human before until today. This was still a new environment Gareth was in, and with it new people and new things. Lucy knew it was going to take time for him to fully recognize the people around him are intentionally good, and she hold nothing against that.
"In the time following," Gareth started, "Please take me and Lucy to the Fairy Tail guild."
A huge grin return on Natsu's face, follow up by a thumbs-up toward Gareth, "You got it!"
The Next Day...
Gareth would admit once more that he did not expect the town of Magnolia to be similar to Hargeon. While not exactly the same, Magnolia was also located near a large body of water, and there was the same atmosphere, and several structures, the boy recognize.
However, there were two additions that Gareth was not familiar with.
The first was the church; Kardia Cathedral. The design alone made Gareth feel bizarre, but he was shortly explained to by Lucy and Happy that a church was used as a ceremonial place to, in their words, 'worship gods that are seen as sacramental and holy, as well as a place to ask them for guidance on what lies ahead.' It oddly felt familiar to Gareth, as he thought back to the tale of the Titans and how they and his father oversaw the state of humanity. Seems that Titans and Gods are more alike than me thought, he thought.
The second addition was something Gareth was more familiar with.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy announced, as he and everyone else look up to gaze at the building before them.
There was no explanation needed for Gareth to listen to, as he knew already about the context of the guilds during his time in Hargeon. But even so, there was one small detail Gareth expected to see before now. "Take no harm Natsu and Happy, but me believed that a guild had a more... open atmosphere," Gareth expressed.
This only made Natsu chuckle, as he turn his head to his new friend, "Trust me; you're gonna love it once we get inside."
Just after he said that, Gareth watch the Dragon Slayer walk up to the front doors and kicked them open. Hmmm, so that is how you open a door... or at least one way?, Gareth thought, while his instincts gave him the benefit of doubt.
The boy shook his head a little, before turning his attention to what was inside the guild. From his perspective, Gareth noticed how packed it was; many people were situated near the many tables on the main floor, with people here and there talking to each other, in addition to a few serving themselves with food and drinks. Up ahead, he notice a few individuals seated next to a counter, while a little further ahead he notice three long rows of bottled liquids placed on top of each other; right next to this specific spot, Gareth notice a wide, squared piece of wood sticked in the air by two weird pieces, along with many slips of paper stuck onto the squared piece of wood. Lastly, to his right, there was a staircase that led to another floor; he notice a couple of things on this floor but he couldn't see what it was in detail from how far it was.
As he was interested in these new features, Gareth overall sensed the atmosphere as lively and approachable. This makes things a lot easier, Gareth thought.
"HEY GUYS! WE'RE BACK!" Natsu screamed.
The Dragon Slayer's abrupt entrance brought the attention of everyone inside the guildhall.
"Hey Natsu!"
"Welcome back, Natsu and Happy!"
"Did you have a good time out, you two!?"
Instead of recoiling and responding negatively, much of the members responded back friendly with waves and even their own way of words. This nevertheless caught the attention of Gareth, Looks like Natsu and Happy have been here long enough for them to be used to this.
"Oi, Natsu, I heard there was a major incident going on in Hargeon last night," one of the many members of the guild followed up, "You wouldn't happen to hear abou-"
POW
The random individual never got the chance to finish, as Natsu landed a strong right hook across the person's face, sending the member crashing through a table.
Lucy completely gawked at the sudden turn of events; not once expecting her friend to respond in such a... 'fashionable' manner. Gareth held a similar reaction, as he stared wide eyed at the commotion at the dragon slayer's back. But even though he would admit that Natsu's actions were inadequate, Gareth knew there was a reason for this.
"You liar! The Salamander wasn't even there to begin with!" Natsu barked out.
The random guild member popped out of the debris, "How was I supposed to know that, moron!? All I heard was just rumors!"
"Oh, so it's gonna be like that, huh!?"
"YOU WANNA FIGHT!?"
Natsu didn't even respond once more, as he immediately sent another punch to the guy's face. And then, through miraculous means, their little skirmish quickly evolved into a full-out brawl with almost everyone inside the guild.
Gareth looked on at the changing scenery, with members left and right jumping on to each other, battling it out with their fists and feet; tables were turn over, bottles and other objects were thrown in the air, even spit was flying out of a few people's mouths. As the boy continued watching the brawl play out, he slowly considered the events before him as reminiscent.
It is like when those girls attacked Natsu yesterday, but it is more fair this time... me thinks, Gareth thought. He would then admit that that memory wasn't the best he can think of, but his instincts couldn't bring up anything else for him to be familiar with.
Still...
"This is... sudden," Gareth finally muttered.
"Wow,.. this is amazing," Gareth turns toward Lucy, noticing the bright smile on her face, "I'm finally here! At Fairy Tail!"
"You are smiling even though there is chaos?" Gareth scrunch his eyebrows, a bit confused.
Lucy looks back at him and notices his expression. She then realized the context of his words and sweatdropped a bit, while putting a hand behind her head, "W-Well, this isn't exactly what I was predicting," she then recomposed herself and looks back at the ongoing brawl, "Still, this is a lifelong dream I finally accomplished."
Gareth thought back to the times when Lucy gushed over how cool and awesome Fairy Tail was. From how she sounded, his instincts told him that her admiration toward the guild seem to be very personal to her. Perhaps that is why she wanted me to come here, Gareth thought, looking back at the brawl as well, She does have good intentions, from what my instincts have noticed. Would be wrong if me misjudged Lucy... Will keep it that way for now.
It was then that another thought popped in his head.
Now that me is here, perhaps me should look closely at what these members are capable of. It is possible some of them can help me, maybe even the one who leads them, Gareth thought once more, ...Though doing so is difficult right now.
Thankfully, he wouldn't have to wait long.
"So Natsu's back, huh?" the voice of another male caught Gareth's attention. He turned his head to the source and saw a man with dark blue hair and black eyes. As for his choice of wear,... what caught Gareth's attention even more was the lack there of, with the exception of a pair of undergarments.
Gareth blinked, showing no visual reaction, Ok, then...
He however reacted more on the male's tone; it sounded fierce and angry, but Gareth's instincts showed him that there was no negative intent. Perhaps this man has a rivalry toward Natsu, Gareth thought.
"Time to settle our score once and for all, pink-head!" the man said, as he slowly walk towards the ongoing brawl.
"Gray; your clothes," the voice of another girl shifted Gareth's attention. Sitting near the counter was a tanned woman with auburn-colored hair and brown eyes. Her choice of wear was a pair of blue jeans and a small piece of light blue clothing that covered her breasts and tied around her back.
Gareth wasn't sure what that kind of clothing was exactly, Perhaps that is the girl undergarments... or at least part of it.
"I don't have time for that!" the man now known as Gray shouted back.
The woman just sighed reclusively, "Ridiculous. This is why no man here has any class." Right after she said this, Gareth and Lucy notice her grab a large open barrel to her right, lift it up, and drink the contents out of it.
Lucy was shocked, and possibly a bit disturbed, by the woman's actions.
Gareth simply blinked again; his lips a bit puckered, Huh... interesting.
"Looks like you two really want to start as usual, huh? That is not manly at all," the voice of another man now caught Gareth's attention. Standing tall, looking buffed, and heading towards Natsu and Gray was a man with spiky white hair and dark black eyes wearing a blue button-up jacket, tanned shorts, and a pair of beige sandals. "A real man shouldn't be whining over some rivalry. They should take those things seriously! Why don't I prove it to you right here, right now!?"
The first thing that Gareth could sense within this man was confidence mixed with pride. It felt like he was in charge here; not to the point where Gareth's instincts can conclude that this man was the guild's master, but enough to suspect that he had a reputation where some people looked up to him. Whatever that was though, Gareth was surprisingly having a hard time figuring that out.
However, before he could think any further, Gareth witness the young white hair man be punched and sent across the guild floor by both Natsu and Gray. This action taken completely stupefied Gareth and Lucy, with the former's train of thought being thrown into a small conflict. Those two did not even listen to the man, Gareth thought, Maybe his presence here is not as big as it was just a moment ago, at least for some people here. Still...
"That was..." Gareth began, but couldn't figure out how to finish his sentence with how dumbfounded he still was.
Thankfully, Lucy got to finish it for him, along with having another sweatdrop, "-anticlimactic."
"Another day, another brawl in the guild," the sarcastic voice of yet another man caught Gareth's attention, as he turn his head over to the right side of the guild. Leaning on the wall with his arms around two beautiful girls was a boy with short, spiky orange hair and hazelnut eyes wearing a pair of thin glasses, a green coat with wood-colored fur sporting as its collar, a red shirt underneath, long black pants, and white shoes. "Can't we all just have a normal, peaceful day, please?" the man spoke again, this time sounding more sincere.
Frankly, after seeing how forward the boy was to the two girls close to him, Gareth started to assume that he was someone like Bora. However, his instincts detracted that assumption, finding no negative intent within the boy.
But then Gareth noticed something more fascinating. The Ethernano within the boy; it felt pure, but different. More specifically, it felt different than all the other Ethernano he sensed from everyone else inside the guild. It was also not whole, like the Ethernano was not vastly spread throughout the boy's body than it normally is.
This definitely caught Gareth's curiosity, but it ultimately gave him a small sense of uneasiness. The young man didn't look bad, but the way his Ethernano was acting did alert Gareth. He wanted to ask the boy about it, but then he felt his instincts told him to, saying it was unwise to do so at the moment. Perhaps it is not too serious right now, Gareth thought, Should ask after me knows him more.
Just as Gareth finished his train of thought, he noticed a small glass liquid holder smash onto the boy's forehead. This didn't sit well with him, as he clicked his tongue, "Guess not then." He then retracted his arms and started walking towards the fight, but not before turning back to the girls he swoon over, "Looks like I'll be fighting in your names today, ladies. But don't worry, I'll be back real soon."
"Good luck out there, Loke!" the two cheered for him, revealing his name to Gareth.
He is staying positive. That is good, Gareth thought.
However, Lucy thought differently, as she was now crossing out Loke's name in a journal she was holding, the contents of such never got a glimpse from Gareth's eyes, as she put it back in her blouse pocket.
"What is up with this place?" Lucy said out loud, bewildered by all the various individuals she'd seen thus far.
This did brought Gareth's attention back to her, and to the overall situation at large. "Same thoughts as you, Lucy," he began, with said girl looking at him now, "This place is interesting, to say right now. Did not expect how different each person we have heard now is. Makes me curious about them. But will have to say that what is happening right now is... not normal."
"Well, every guild has their unique taste after all," the voice of a woman responded to Gareth, who he and Lucy turn to their right to look at.
Standing, smiling, and staring ahead innocently next to them was a young woman with long, white hair put into a ponytail and blue eyes wearing a sleeveless maroon dress that covered her body down to her ankles, along with a pleated maroon skirt that covered the rest, a large pink bow adorn to her chest, white heeled shoes, a golden necklace with a blue gem around her neck, and white marble bracelet strapped around her right wrist.
Gareth didn't have time to start thinking, as Lucy began to squeal, "It's Mirajane; in the flesh!"
...It sounds like Lucy is really affectionate to this Mirajane, Gareth thought, smiling as he looked at Lucy for a moment before looking back at Mirajane, Cannot deny that; she does stand out. Still curious to ask Lucy later.
"You two must be new here; I saw you were accompanied by Natsu and Happy earlier. Are you here to join the Fairy Tail guild today?" Mirajane said.
"Oh absolutely!" Lucy expressed, still starstruck by meeting one of her idols. However, that quickly faded as she turn her attention back at the continuing brawl, pointing towards it, "But uh, shouldn't we be doing something about this?"
"Don't worry. This usually happens normally. So everyone's used to it, by now," Mirajane simply explained, her smiling not wavering.
Just as she said that though, Gareth notice the body of the large white-haired man he saw earlier being flung towards Mirajane's direction. Thinking quickly, Gareth rushed in and caught him with ease, creating a mini shockwave from the impact. Gareth followed up by gently laying the man on the floor.
Lucy was yet again surprised by Gareth's reflexes, even Mirajane slightly reacted to his sudden movements with wide eyes, already giving her the impression that Gareth was possibly a capable fighter.
Gareth, after standing back up, turn to Mirajane with a concerned look. "You say this happens normally?"
"Mmhmm," Mirajane nods.
"Like... every day?" Gareth asks again.
"Mmm,.. more or less," Mirajane answered, tilting her head side to side in thought.
"...And no one gets hurt?" Gareth asks, starting to feel dumbfounded by her simple responses.
"Nope," Mirajane popped her lips at the end.
Gareth stares at her.
He blinks.
He then turns to Lucy.
Lucy, sharing his feelings, had no idea what to say and just shrugs at him.
Gareth then turns back at the brawl and looks around.
First he saw Natsu, with Happy flying over him cheering him on, flinging Gray toward a pillar, who actually was now completely naked, as Natsu took the last remaining clothing he had on him.
Next he saw the tanned woman drumming her fingers on the bar, with a barrel in hand. She was starting to share the same feelings Gareth was having, as she begrudgingly watched the brawl continue to unfold.
Finally he saw the white haired man, who had already woken up, marching over towards Loke, who was doing the same. A confrontation was likely to happen.
Gareth felt his eye twitch, a feeling of annoyance creeping up within him. Now when he first arrived, Gareth didn't really mind what was going on. But as this was slowly drawing out, especially when it attempted to impact Mirajane, who was pretty much doing absolutely nothing to affect the brawl, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Those feelings grew even more, when he began to sense the Ethernano within several guild members, including the ones he encountered, beginning to flare up.
This is not gonna end anytime soon, Gareth realized.
Gareth started to feel his Ethernano leak, the blue glow shimmering his skin. But knowing that this would not help the situation at all, Gareth suppress his Ethernano and emotions by inhaling and releasing a low growl.
The two girls definitely caught on to his act, with Lucy showing slight concern while Mirajane was caught off guard by the sounds Gareth made. From her knowledge, she had heard the sounds of many monsters during her time in Fairy Tail before, but nothing like what she heard just now.
Mira's curiosity started to form.
"You okay, Gareth?" Lucy asked.
"I am fine," Gareth answered, before turning back to Mirajane, "Where is the master?"
But before Mira can answer-
BOOOM!
-a huge, muscular silhouette of a man jumped from the top floor and landed in the middle of the brawl. The giant's dramatic entrance made Gareth jump back towards the entrance and look up, highly surprised by the sudden appearance.
"YOU BRATS! STOP THIS FIGHTING THIS INSTANT OR ELSE!" The giant man screamed, his booming voice echoing around the guildhall. Gareth noticed the members involved had all stop as told; he then noticed some looked embarrassed, some looked scared, and a few others a mix of both.
Gareth then heard Natsu laughing out loud, "Look at all of you cower in fear! Looks like I win-OOF!" His victory was short lived, as the giant stomped on his back.
"QUIET!" the giant screamed.
Gareth can clearly feel the strong fear in Lucy, as he stared intensely at the giant's head. The boy's instincts gave him no reason to speak. The Ethernano Gareth felt within the giant was tremendous, leagues above the rest of the guild members. At the same time, Gareth did not feel any negative intent within the giant, despite the actions he took to stop the brawl.
He could not deny it, for Gareth figured out who this person was.
"Oh, hello there Master!" Mirajane happily greeted.
"Master!?" Lucy jumped, shocked at the revelation.
She and Gareth then notice the master shift his head towards them. "Hmm, new guests?" he exclaimed.
What the master did next caught Lucy off guard even more. The master began to shrink gradually, with smoke fuming out of his skin; Lucy and Gareth can only watch the transformation continue.
Shrink and shrink the master did, and when it got to the point where he crossed Gareth's height, it was only then when the boy started to share Lucy's feelings.
And then shortly afterward, the transformation stopped, of which revealed the master's true form. In the young adult duo's presence was an elderly, extremely short man with aged white hair, in addition to a mustache, and dark black eyes wearing a white hoodie with an orange inner color, orange shorts, and an orange and blue striped jester hat.
They then saw the master smile, reach out his hand, and speak in a scratchy voice, "How's it going, you two? The name's Makarov Dreyar. Nice to meet ya."
For a moment, the two were amazed by the old man's appearance, neither expecting this than what they originally thought.
Lucy was the first to reply, "Woah, he's so tiny... Oh! I-I-I mean, nice to meet you too." Though a little embarrassed, she then bent down and shook his hand.
Instead of feeling insulted, Makarov gently laughed, "It's alright, young lady. I get that all the time."
Once Lucy was done shaking his hand, Makarov then turn his attention to Gareth, offering the same gesture.
Gareth stood still for a moment, before he felt his instincts flare up instantly, telling him to respond the same way Lucy had done. Kneeling down, Gareth stretched out his hand and shook gently. "Nice to meet you as well, Master Makarov," he calmly replied back.
Makarov smiled back, not irked by the boy's slow response, "Likewise, young man."
But, inwardly the master's amazement started to form and slowly grow. Unaware to Gareth, Makarov felt the Ethernano within the boy; the cleanse, pure, raw magic swirling inside him. This magic... Can it be?, Makarov began to think.
The Fairy Tail master then stopped thinking on the matter and decided to focus on it later, for he had other things to discuss with the guild first.
Pulling away from Gareth's hand, Makarov took a few steps back and jumped backward, flipping through the air as he made his way back up to the top floor, only to just be a foot short as he bang his head on the railing. Nevertheless, he finished his way up by climbing onto the railing and turning back towards his guild mates below.
All the while, Gareth was amazed by the reflexes the master gave off, even if it wasn't perfect. But then he noticed Makarov's demeanor change when he looked down at the guild members, a stern glare replacing the happy, cheerful face he just had before.
"You children just had to continue ruffing around!" Makarov started, as he pulled out a huge deck of paper, "Just look at all the complaints I have gotten from the Magic Council this time! This is likely the biggest set I have gotten yet! ..Let me go down the list here. Elfman!"
Gareth notice the tall white haired man looking down in shame.
"In your latest job, you mistakenly identified your client as one of the robbers and seriously injured them! Cana!"
Gareth then notice the tanned auburn haired woman flinch, while blushing in embarrassment.
"Your drinking has caused a alcohol shortage supply within this town! Loke!"
Gareth then noticed said boy slowly scratching the side of his head.
"In your latest job, you were caught flirting with the cilent's daughter! Gray!"
Makarov then went on addressing his complaints to the many other members, each sporting their own reaction when their name was called out.
As the names piled up, Gareth's interest grew and grew. Sure he felt disappointed towards the guild members involved in these incidents, but he was more interested in the guild members and their overall characters. Each of the incidents reported were related to a specific trait the person had, examples of which he noticed before with Gray, Elfman, Cana, and Loke. It amazed him to see how each person was unique in their own way and he wondered how it's gonna be when he interacts with them himself.
Then there was this 'Magic Council.' This was the first time he heard about this. From what he could gather from Makarov, it appears this 'Magic Council' holds some importance to civilization, mainly on the Magic side of it. What that actually entailed, Gareth wasn't sure yet. It is likely me will hear this again, Gareth thought.
"And then there is you, Natsu! I actually got this complaint just this morning. A majority of Hargeon's port burned to the ground!" Makarov fumed over the pink-haired boy, who simply blinked at his master. Makarov then groaned, "All you brats are good at is making the Council get mad at me, and in return me getting mad at you!"
What followed was a deafening silence in the guildhall.
Lucy looked nervous as the moments passed, and Gareth continued to stare at Makarov.
"However...," Makarov slowly began, before doing something that would actually surprise Gareth. Using his magic, Makarov lit the entire set of complaints into flames, "I say to heck with the Council!" He then flung the flaming paperwork over the edge, to which Natsu replied by catching the flames in the air with his mouth, and scarfing them down.
...Why did Master Makarov do that?, Gareth thought, bewildered.
"Now listen, all of you," Makarov shifted his tone and began once more, "Anything that happens in life is always done because of a reason, whether it is good or whether it is bad. In fact, anything that is unreasonable still comes from a reason, right? That also includes what we have within us all. Magic, Ethernano, whatever you want to call it, it is not some gift given to us. We are magic's gift. We are the ones that allow this flow of energy within us to blend with the energy within the natural world. We make these two forces perform a perfect synchronization. But in order to do that, we must have a strong mind, a kind heart, and the ability to focus. It should be you, and you alone, to allow this power to flow through your body and burst out of your soul; not by things that wish to control you! If all we ever do is follow the rules, then our magic will never progress! Don't let those blowhards on the Council scare you into doing so! Follow the path that you believe in! Because that's what makes the Fairy Tail guild NUMBER ONE!"
As Makarov finished off his speech pointing his finger into the air, Gareth and Lucy heard all the members of Fairy Tail cheer on and happily shout, all while following their master with the same gesture.
But not long after, Lucy join in on the cheers and happily laughed out loud. For her, this was a dream that she wished for a long time to happen, and now that she was here, after a long journey, she can finally admit that she hold no regrets.
As for Gareth, Makarov's speech meant so much more to him. With how he described Ethernano, and how it is supposed to work in society and the natural world of Earthland, it reminded Gareth of his time training under his father. He can remember the times his father talked about Ethernano; how he appreciated and respected its existence and how it helped the world grow. Gareth would agree with his father's sentiment and would follow that to this very moment. So for when he listened to Makarov's speech, Gareth would agree every single word he said.
The boy then looked at his hands, as he felt the Ethernano continue to swim throughout his body. Perhaps this place is good to be a part of after all, Gareth though, as he then cupped his hands together, Father... you will be found...
...and we will be together again.
And that is it. Finally!
If it weren't for college and the overall exhaustion I would feel after every semester, this chapter would've been published a long time ago. But at least it's here out now, and I don't have much to worry about at the moment. So hopefully, with this release into my tenth year here on this website, I can finally release stuff on a shorter basis.
Anyway, that's enough for me! I hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and I'll see you all next time!
See ya later everyone!