"In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fire, a small, peaceful nation of seventeen million, and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name... is Fairy Tail."
A loud roar echoed across the sky as a massive explosion shook the Earth, shattering the once peaceful little town off the coast. Debris rained down as people screamed in fear, scattering like ants. Terror swept through as the people looked up to see a giant black dragon that nearly blocked the sun. The dragon watched the chaos before it landed heavily on the ground, the earth itself caving under its weight. It flapped its mighty wings and windows shattered under the gale.
After the initial shock, a few stood and fought desperately, trying to buy time for the fleeing civilians. The mighty beast seemed to laugh and quickly decimated the little defense they could muster.
Bodies and rubble littered the street, a once thriving town reduced to nothing more than death and destruction. Stalls and shops lay shattered and broken, their only customers the numerous bodies scattered around. Neighborhoods were broken, kids and parents screaming. The survivors rushed to help the hurt or wounded, some going back for family heirlooms.
The remains of a church sat in the middle of town, the roof mostly missing. The few people left fighting made their last stands there, only to be swiftly crushed. A boy just recently entering adulthood struggled to rise, blood dripping from a cut on the head. His clothes were ripped and covered and dirt, his body a mix of bruises and scratches. He watched the men be slaughtered before he staggered to his feet and smacked his hands together.
"Wi-wind magic cyclone!" he yelled in a feeble voice. He almost fell as a massive cyclone of air flew from his hands and smashed into the mighty beast's chest.
It blinked and turned to regard him silently, tilting its head inquisitively. The boy shook in fear before he sunk to a knee. "W-wind magic cyclone!" he yelled once more, a much weaker spiral of air hitting the dragon in the same spot. Neither attack scratched it, merely dusted off its chest.
The dragon paused for a moment, surveying the town and the boy that dared to defy him. It took a deep breath, clouds forcibly sucked into its maw. For a moment it was silent and still before a thunderous roar that shook the heavens erupted from his mouth. The roar was followed by a beam of pure magic energy, strong enough to block out the sun. It filled the air with an ear piercing hum as it crashed into the ground.
The town was hidden for a moment and the dragon held back, not wanting to accidentally destroy the planet. It surveyed it's work and was quite pleased; nothing was left except a massive crater, bodies and roads vaporized. Dust settled as it grew quiet once more, a gentle breeze flowing through what was once a town.
The remains would be eaten by birds and the land would reclaim what humans took. The dragon, satisfied, unfurled its wings and launched itself into the sky, disappearing once more.
The sun over Mangolia was high in the sky as a group of wizards left the city. The five wizards and two flying Exceeds were happy to be home to Fairy Tail, having been lost for seven years. After the return of the Tenrou Island group, Fairy Tail was back at full power.
One wizard wore a black vest trimmed with gold. His poofy white pants were held up by a black belt. What set him apart was his scarf and pink spiky hair. "Finally! A mission where I can go all out!" Natsu yelled, grinning ear to ear.
"Don't you always go all out?" Lucy muttered, shaking her head. She had flowing blonde hair, tied in ponytails. Her light blue outfit graciously outlined her assets and showed her midriff, a blue short skirt completing it. She wore long black socks with sky blue boots that went up to her knees.
"That's why we never get paid!" Happy agreed, floating next to Natsu. The small blue cat with wings was an Exceed, a race of magical talking cats from the alternate dimension Edolas. Natsu glared at his flying friend, who shrugged. "What, just telling the truth."
"It's just good to be back." Wendy laughed. The petite girl wore a emerald dress, almost looking like dragon scales. It was held together by a gold ring at the top with trims of yellow, baby blue, and lime green on the chest. Her long blue hair was split into ponytails, held together with red ribbon, her brown eyes glinted in the morning sun.
Lucy surveyed the city. "Yeah, looks like a lot's changed since we've been gone." The city seemingly doubled in size and a lot more guilds were around. Their old guild building was closed and boarded up, a shell of its former self. Their new guild hall was embarrassing to say the least, at least a third of the original guild hall. It was far away from the city, held together with the hopes and dreams of its inhabitants.
"Just means we have to work extra hard to get jobs!"
"Which reminds me, why did everyone come on this job?" Lucy asked, turning around to look at Gray and Erza.
A stern looking woman, Erza "Titania" Scarlet, known for her fiery long hair and brash personality. She wasn't that tall in stature but easily made up for it with a glare that caused many people to surrender without a fight. She wore her standard chestplate, the metal glinting in the sun. A golden cross was in the middle, followed by a blue skirt and brown boots. A pair of gauntlets covered up her hands, which were holding a trolley full of suitcases and what appeared to be a large carcass of a dead animal. "We're a team, we don't leave anyone behind."
The other, Gray Fullbuster, was once again without his shirt, revealing pale skin and a tone body. His blue emblem of Fairy Tail was on his right pectoral, a silver cross necklace hanging down. He had spiky dark blue hair, with black eyes. He wore baggy black pants, with a pair of black boots to finish his ensemble. "And someone has to make sure Natsu doesn't go all out."
Before Lucy could reply, she collided with a frozen Natsu, who stared off into the sun. "Ow, why'd you stop?" she muttered underneath her hand, rubbing her throbbing noise.
"You see that?" he asked, staring at something. Everyone stopped and looked, a figure was slowly approaching them. The figure was hunched and blocked out by the morning sun.
"I smell blood and lots of it," Natsu said, unnaturally calm. He leaned forward a little, his eyes squinting against the morning sun. Wendy closed her eyes and tried to smell as well, she could faintly pick up the smell of blood.
"Who do you think it is?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't like it." A sword appeared in Erza's hand as she flicked it a few times.
The figure shambled closer, Natsu's eyes going large and he took off, leaving everyone behind.
"Natsu!" Everyone chased after him, before they stopped in horror. It was just a boy, no older than Wendy. He looked barely alive, covered in blood and his clothes were shredded. His body was skinny as he looked up, his vacant sea green eyes stared at them.
His mouth worked silently as Natsu got him. "Hey kid, you alright?" The boy stumbled and fell, Natsu just catching him.
He stared vacantly at Natsu before looking at his shoulder. "F-fairy…" He murmured in a dry voice before his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he went limp.
"Hey!" Natsu asked, holding the boy. "Wendy! See if you can heal him!"
"I-I'll try!" She rushed over as the others circled around. He laid the boy on the ground as she took a deep breath and placed her hands on his chest. Her hands glowed faint blue as her magic rushed to save him.
"What do you think happened?"
"Not sure, but look at those wounds." Erza pointed to a few of them. "Those are friction wounds, nearly burned through the skin." She turned to Lucy. "Go tell Porlyusica we're bringing her an injured child."
"Right!" Lucy turned and ran back into the forest as Wendy's magic puttered to stop and she gasped for air.
"T-That's all I can do for him… There's too many wounds…" She forced her eyes closed. "I'm sorry…"
"Hey don't sweat it, he looks better already." Natsu rubbed her head a little as he gingerly lifted up the boy and put him over his shoulder. "Come on, we better get him to the old lady."
Wendy wiped her eyes and nodded. "But shouldn't he go to the hospital!?" Gray questioned as the group rushed into the forest, the boy struggling to live.