Holy shit. If the human jaw didn't have limitations, mine would have gone straight through the floor at the overwhelming response my little pet project got. In just 24 hours, I got 41 reviews, 114 favs, and 148 follows. I knew something was up when I woke up unusually early the morning after I'd posted the first chapter and couldn't go back to sleep. I thought I'd be lucky to get even 100 new messages in my inbox, but you guys completely blew me out of the water. Thank you so much!

Living Shadow

Ever since its founding, Fairy Tail has had a mysterious protector who works in the shadows and never reveals his face. Only the guild master knows his true identity. But when things begin to snowball downhill, beginning with Phantom Lord's attack, it's time for the legendary guardian to step into the limelight. AU, Naruto x Fairy Tail crossover.

Chapter One – Little Dragon, Big World

Year X736

"Makarov."

The blond man looked up as the tall, elderly figure of Fairy Tail's second guild master loomed over him, his staff firmly grasped in one hand. "Yeah? You want something, Master?"

Purehito, who had grown a fine white beard and mustache during his years as Fairy Tail's guild master, nodded. "Come with me, boy. There is someone I would like to introduce to you," he said, turning to head to the upstairs office.

"I'm not a boy," Makarov grumbled, leaving his seat to follow Purehito.

Purehito chuckled quietly, but said nothing. They entered the office and the guild master closed the door behind them. He looked at Makarov for a few moments, then turned his head to the left and spoke to thin air, "You can come out now, N."

Makarov jumped back in surprise as a man materialized out of the shadows of the room. "Good afternoon, Purehito-san. You called?" asked the strange man.

"Who is this?" Makarov demanded, glaring at the newcomer. "I've never seen him before."

Both Purehito and N laughed. "He reminds me of Yury," said N, stepping closer to the shorter man. "Man, that rude way of speech. Like father, like son, I say!"

"Indeed. Makarov, I would like to introduce you to N, Fairy Tail's official shadow guardian," Purehito said, gesturing to the masked man with his staff.

N bowed, one hand poised over the black Fairy Tail emblem on his chest. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Makarov-san," said N softly. "I hope we can have a splendid relationship."

Makarov eyed N warily. "A shadow guardian, you say? I'd heard they existed, but I never would have imagined that my own guild would have one," he said. "You say your name is N. Can you tell me your true name?"

N shook his head. "My true name must remain a secret. I have enemies far stronger than this guild who are after my head, you see. To you, I will simply be 'N'," he explained.

Makarov nodded. Then a thought struck him, and he turned a suspicious glance towards Purehito, who was trying and failing to hide a smirk. "Master… don't tell me you–" he began.

"Ah, I knew I made the right choice, boy. You caught on quickly," Purehito cut him off, giving the forty-year old man a grin. Makarov felt a chill run down his spine at the sight. "Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking. I am appointing you as the third guild master of Fairy Tail."

"You can't be serious," Makarov deadpanned, giving the elderly man a flat glare. "I'm not suited for the position. There's got to be someone else in the guild who's better at this."

"You should have more faith in yourself, Makarov-san," said N, stepping to Makarov's side and laying a steady hand on his shoulder. Makarov had to resist the urge to throw N's hand off and punch him in the face for touching him. The masked man seemed to get the hint though, and backed away with a murmured apology.

"I couldn't be more serious, boy," said Purehito, thumping the end of his staff against the wooden floor. "You hold great love for your comrades, an absolute requirement to be guild master of Fairy Tail. Your large magical capacity and successful mission record are both higher than the others in this guild. You are my final choice, boy. I will be departing on my own journey soon and I have something I need to show you before then, but I know you will lead Fairy Tail to greatness."

"But Master–" Makarov protested.

"I have faith that you can believe, Makarov. This guild doesn't need an old fossil like me as its leader. It's your turn now. With a fresh mind in charge, Fairy Tail will become number one," said Purehito firmly, tapping the head of his staff gently against Makarov's head. "Believe, boy. That's all you need to do."

"Yes, Master," Makarov acquiesced, closing his eyes. "I'll… I'll try."

"Aye, that's a good lad," chuckled Purehito. "No need to be so serious though. Lighten up, your journey has just begun!"

"Purehito-san, if you'll allow me to finalize my part now…" N said, grabbing their attention. One of his hands was poised to take off his mask and reveal his face.

The aging man nodded. "Go ahead, N."

Makarov watched as the man took off his black mask, revealing a surprisingly handsome face with eyes bluer than the sea. An untidy mop of golden-blond hair sat on the man's head, long enough to fall over his eyes. Three whisker marks graced each cheek, giving the man a more rugged, almost animalistic look, but it suited him. N smiled.

"Because you are the succeeding guild master, Purehito will pass the responsibility of maintaining my shadow guardianship contract to you," he said. He held up the triple-pronged knife that Makarov had glimpsed a few times during his trips to the Master's office. "This is the tri-prong kunai I gifted to the first guild master, Mavis. When you throw it, I will automatically appear wherever it is in a split-second. As per my own self-made tradition, I advise you not to play with it because I cannot tell the difference between when it is thrown for amusement or when it is thrown in the case of an actual emergency. This is for emergencies only. Alright?"

Makarov slowly nodded. He walked forward to accept the strange knife from N, critically examining it from base to tip. "This is the strangest knife I've ever seen. What did you call it again?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the patiently-waiting man.

"It is a kunai," replied N. "This kind in particular is a weapon from my homeland that was created for my father's signature teleportation technique. I mastered the skill many years ago."

Without saying anything, Makarov threw it towards the opposite wall as quickly as he could. N instantly appeared in the kunai's trajectory and caught it by the ring at the end of its handle. He twirled it around his finger effortlessly, giving the forty-year old man a humorous grin, "Was that really necessary, Makarov-san?"

Makarov straightened with a grin of his own. "I see your skills are exactly as you claim, N. Thank you for protecting Fairy Tail for all these years," he said, bowing.

"Sure, sure, no problem," said N, lazily waving a hand about. He handed the kunai back to Purehito, who stored it in one of the desk's drawers. "This guild has been growing on me ever since I took up shadow guardianship."

"I hope you will continue to protect this guild and its future for as long as I am guild master," said Makarov, holding out a hand.

N took it and the men shook hands. "I will protect this guild for as long as it exists, Makarov-san. I am its shadow and guardian, after all," N replied. "In fact, it is more than likely that I will continue to protect it even after you are long gone."

Makarov released his hand and took a step back. "Mind elaborating on that?" he asked, referring to N's last statement.

"If you swear on your life that what I am about to say will not leave this room," said N. The friendly grin disappeared from the man's face, replaced by a face that could have been carved from stone. It took all of Makarov's will power not to visibly flinch as the atmosphere in the office suddenly turned oppressive and suffocating from the sheer power of N's presence. Even Purehito looked slightly unnerved.

With great difficulty, Makarov took a deep breath and straightened. "I, Makarov Dreyar, hereby swear that I will listen to N's words without the intention to betray him, whether it be to an outside party or a close acquaintance. Should I speak of the matter outside of my boundaries, I shall willingly forfeit my life in exchange," he said, loudly and clearly.

The choking presence disappeared as soon as he finished. N gave him a sunny grin once again, and Makarov felt so relieved that he nearly collapsed.

"…You're terrifying," Makarov declared, once he got his breath back.

N smiled enigmatically. "Am I really?" he purred. "All part of the job description, I assure you. Now, on to the main matter. The truth is, Makarov-san, I am not human. I am… immortal."

Makarov's brow furrowed in confusion. "Immortal?" he repeated. "How so?"

"Let's see… it's the year X736 according to the Earthland calendar. That means I am roughly 886 years old at this point in time," N said, absently counting on his fingers. "Eh, math was never my strongest point. Oh, and don't tell Mavis. She's still trying to guess how old I am."

"Why make her guess when you told me upfront?" Makarov asked, crossing his arms.

"It's more fun this way," the taller blonde said, smirking. He closed his eyes. "When I say I'm immortal, I mean it, Makarov-san. Eight centuries is a long time to be alive."

"It is," Makarov agreed. "Forgive me, but I am still a bit skeptical. If you are truly as old as you say, how have you kept yourself sane for all these years?"

N's smile turned sad and wistful. "I don't know," he quietly confessed, opening his eyes. "I should have died a long time ago, but I didn't. How do you think it feels to live continuously while everyone else perishes around you? How do you think I feel knowing that I can't form permanent attachments to anyone, knowing that I'll just be left alone in the end? Bonds are naught but leaves in the wind to me. It has been a long journey and I haven't given up yet, but it does get monotonous sometimes. I'm tired, Makarov-san, yet I'm still trying to find a reason to live. I have been searching for so, so long and I just want to give up and rest, but that's not how I roll. I can't give up and let the world move forward of its own accord. If there's a reason for me to be here, I will find it. If there's a way for me to die, I will take it. Otherwise, what's the point? I've watched eras come and go, people live and die, and the world tilt on its head more times than I can count, but I'm still here." The sheer amount of bitterness reflected in N's voice startled both Makarov and Purehito.

"N…" Purehito murmured softly, reaching out to touch the man's shoulder. N shook his head and stepped back. He slid the mask back over his face so that the other two men wouldn't be able to read him.

He bowed briefly to them as he melted back into the shadows of the room. "I've said too much. I'll be going now. The next time I'm called, I expect to see you sitting behind the desk, Makarov-san." The shadows warped, and then he vanished.

Makarov turned back to his master. "He's crazy."

"But he's the good kind of crazy, don't you think?" Purehito said. "Really, it's admirable that he can still retain that 'never-give-up' mindset despite being immortal. A lesser man would have broken a long time ago. Now come. I need to show you something important."

Year X777

"Igneel! Igneeeel! Where are you?" panted a small boy with rose-pink hair as he ran around the forest where he lived, attempting to locate his draconian caretaker. "Hey, come out! This isn't funny anymore!"

The scaled scarf wrapped around his neck flapped behind him. It snagged on a low-hanging tree branch and the boy was forced to stop and untangle it before it ripped. Then he took off towards the clearing where Igneel usually napped when he wasn't teaching him the human alphabet or playing with him.

"Igneel!" the boy shouted when he burst into the clearing. The tiny seed of hope that sprouted in his heart died as he looked around the empty clearing in despair. Clear tears began to slide down his cheeks and he buried his face into the scarf to try and muffle his sobs. He fell on his knees and bawled loudly, "IGNEEL! WHERE ARE YOU?! Come back! Don't leave me alone…"

No one answered him. Igneel had well and truly disappeared, leaving him behind. The boy looked up at the sky and screamed.

Hours later, the ground had been torn asunder and scorched blacker than charcoal from the boy's furious rampage. Exhausted, he laid on his back and muttered, "Igneel, come back… You have to come back, you can't just leave me here like this… DAMN IT!" He slapped a dirty hand over his eyes, but the tears kept trickling out. "Damn it, Igneel… come back, please…"

Igneel never came.

The boy's name is Natsu Dragneel, a child raised by the fire dragon Igneel and taught how to use the lost art of Dragon Slayer magic. And on July 7th, year X777, Igneel abandoned him.

Natsu uncovered his eyes, the tear tracks making his face feel sticky and gross. "I need to find him," the pink-haired boy muttered, getting to his feet. "Igneel's waiting for me to find him. Yeah, he's just hiding somewhere and I gotta track him down." His own words seemed to fuel his new resolve, and with a determined expression on his face, the boy marched into the forest. "Here I come, Igneel. Wait for me."

He couldn't lose his father now. Igneel was all he had.

Venturing away from the verdant abode that he had shared with the fire dragon for years was a somewhat scary experience. But Natsu didn't care, his foster father was waiting for him! He walked for miles, asking anyone he came across whether they had seen Igneel. For some reason they all looked at him like he was the stupidest thing to exist on the face of the planet. Anyone who openly doubted him got a flaming fist to the face.

He soon came to a small town. Despite his lack of social interaction with other humans, he boldly marched up to a dark wooden building that had loud music blaring from it. People were drinking something and laughing themselves silly. Surely these guys would know where Igneel was, right?

"A dragon? Are you daft, boy? Dragons don't exist anymore," grunted the bartender, polishing one of the glasses behind the counter.

"Yes, they do!" Natsu growled, balling his hands into fists. This man didn't believe him either! "I was raised by one!"

The man laughed at him. The mockery snapped Natsu's already wire-thin control, and he launched himself over the counter and decked the bartender in the face. Then he ran out of the bar, shouting, "Damn it! Damn it!"

"What's got that kid all riled up?" muttered one of the patrons, stealing a glance at the bartender. "Bet you he's been readin' too many fairy tales."

"Just leave 'im alone," sighed his companion, chugging down his beer. "Kids these days, always thinkin' about fairies and dragons and jackshit about reality."

A hooded man sitting two tables away suddenly got up. "It's not nice to stomp all over a kid's dreams, you know," he said, walking up to the two patrons with a suspiciously casual air.

"Eh? Buddy, you can't be thinkin' dragons are real," the second patron laughed, slapping a hand against the wooden surface of the table. "D'you read fairy tales, too? Them's for pansies!"

The hooded man looked darkly at the partially-drunk patron. Everyone in the bar suddenly choked on their alcohol as a heavy, crushing pressure came down on their heads. The two patrons stared up at the hooded man with wide, fearful eyes, whimpering as the power of sheer rage slammed into them full force. The hooded man leaned over, hissing sharply into the second patron's ear, "You haven't seen what I've seen, you piss-poor excuse of a mortal fool."

A foul odor permeated the air as the second patron soiled his pants. The hooded man backed away in disgust. "W-w-who are you?" stammered the other man, trying to hide the growing wet spot on the front of his pants. "What are you?"

The hooded man scoffed. "Who am I? What am I? I am… your worst nightmare," he whispered sibilantly, his eyes flashing blood-red from beneath his hood. The two patrons screamed at the sight and promptly fainted, foaming at the mouth.

The others watched, scared, as the hooded man pivoted on his heel and walked out of the bar. "Wimps. If you've got nothing nice to say, just keep your damn mouths shut or I'll shut them for you," he tossed back. Then he was gone.

Once the man felt he was a sufficient distance away from the bar, he dropped the serious façade and completely cracked up, clutching his gut as wild laughter spilled from his throat. The bystanders gave him a wide berth, thinking he was some kind of crazy who lost it in the middle of the street. Oh man, the looks on their faces! Scaring the batshit out of certain people always made for some fantastic entertainment. Well, at least he thought so.

Once his chuckles subsided, he remembered what that whole deal had been about in the first place. The pink-haired boy with the white scarf had been looking for a dragon. Frankly, he hadn't realized they still existed after the whole chaotic fiasco that occurred about four hundred years ago. Children tended to be more blunt about things, and the conviction in the boy's voice convinced the man that the boy really believed he'd been raised by a dragon. He straightened and decided to track the boy down so he could speak to him.

It didn't take long to find the boy, especially when he ran around punching people who refused to believe him, accidentally destroying parts of his surroundings as well. He should take the boy and get out of here before the townspeople formed a mob and demanded monetary reparations.

"Hey kid! You with the scarf!" he called out, instantly catching the boy's attention.

"Yeah, what do you want?" the boy snarled rudely. "Are you gonna tell me dragons don't exist, too?!"

"On the contrary, I know they exist," the hooded man replied cheerfully. The kid's eyes went round with excitement.

"You know where Igneel is?!" he asked eagerly, rushing up to the hooded stranger.

"Well, not exactly–" The kid visibly deflated, but the man continued, "–however, I do know a way for you to get stronger while searching for him."

"You mean it, mister?" The enthusiasm radiating off the pink-haired boy was almost palpable. His small body was practically vibrating with anticipation. "Show me!"

The hooded man laughed. "We have to walk there, alright? Follow me," he said.

The boy fell into step beside him, giving no thought to the possibility that the man could be lying to him to lure him into a trap. He hummed noisily as he swung his arms about, "I'm gonna find Igneel~! I'm gonna find Igneel~!"

The man smiled under his hood at the boy's childishly joyful spirit. Ah, the power of youth, he thought wistfully. He couldn't quite remember who said it first, just someone from way back in his generation who had been extremely green. Wasn't his name Broccoli or something like that? Ah, well, close enough.

"What's your name, by the way? I'm Natsu!" the boy introduced himself cheerfully.

"Oh, my name isn't important," said the man brightly. "You'll find out when we get there."

"Heeeh, are you scared? Of course you are, I'm the great Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer!" Natsu loudly boasted, thumbing at his chest.

The man chortled at the boy's sheer audacity and confidence. Natsu glared at him and stomped his foot on the ground, but all that did was make the man laugh harder. "Hey, are you doubting me?" Natsu shouted, encasing one of his fists in flames. "I'll show you the power of a Dragon Slayer! Raaaah!" He leaped towards the hooded man, letting out a war cry.

Much to his shock, the man blocked him without even trying, all the while still chuckling. Natsu quickly recovered and tried to strike with his right leg. The kick impacted the man's arm, but he didn't even budge. Starting to get frustrated, Natsu dropped to the ground to see if he could deal any damage to the man's legs. He yelped when the man picked him up by the scruff of his scarf before he could attack.

"Fiery one, aren't you?" asked the hooded man, ignoring the way Natsu flailed around in his grip.

"Lemme go, you bastard! I'll kill ya!" Natsu roared, swinging his limbs wildly in an attempt to do something, anything to make the man let go of him. But his arms and legs were just too short to reach him. Curses!

"Fiesty! You know what, brat, I like you! You've got spirit," said the man, grinning. "How about you stop flailing now and let us be on our merry way? You do want to find Igneel, don't you?"

Natsu pouted, crossing his arms petulantly as he hung in the air. "Jerk," he grumbled.

"That's a good boy." The man set him down gently, readjusting the scarf around Natsu's neck. "Now let's go. I want to get there before nightfall."

The boy reluctantly followed after him, knowing that this strong stranger was currently his only lead. "Where are we going anyway? Are you gonna tell me or not?" he demanded.

"Have you ever heard of Fairy Tail, Natsu? That's where we're going," the man replied.

Natsu scrunched up his nose. "We're going to a fairy tale? What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. "I don't get it."

The man chortled again. "No, not a fairy tale, Natsu. Fairy Tail is the name of a wizards' guild in Magnolia. That's our destination," he corrected.

The Dragon Slayer's eyes began to sparkle. "A wizards' guild? How cool! You're strong, old man, so does that mean you're a mage from this Fairy Tail? If I go there, I bet I'll be as strong as you – no, I'm gonna be even stronger! Hey, hey, look out, I'm gonna surpass you one day!" Natsu declared, punching a fiery fist into the air and conveniently forgetting that he had been annoyed with his travel companion not even five minutes prior.

"That's the spirit, chibi!" the hooded man said, patting the little boy on the head.

Natsu's eyes narrowed and flames gushed out of his mouth as he yelled loudly enough to be heard from the heavens, "I'M NOT A CHIBI!"

"Whoa there, firecracker, take it easy!" the hooded man exclaimed, waving his hands around.

Natsu was literally spitting fire as he glared death at his companion. "I'm not a chibi," he ground out harshly. "I'm a Dragon Slayer. I ain't no cutesy little thing that you can play around with! I'm strong and fierce, like a dragon!"

"I'm sure you're the absolute paragon of ferocity, firecracker," the man chuckled, attempting to calm down the fuming little boy.

"Aaarrgh, stop making fun of me! Bastard!" Natsu shouted, punching the tall man in the stomach, the only spot above the man's waist that he could reach. He yelped upon impact and quickly drew his hand away, cringing. So that wasn't the brightest idea he's ever had – punching the man's stomach felt like punching a solid steel wall.

"Yeah, don't do that, okay? You're just going to hurt yourself that way," the man advised sagely.

Natsu blew him a raspberry.

The man just brushed it off with a laugh and held out his hand. "Let's go, Natsu," he said gently. "To your new home."

"I'm not a baby, you jerk," Natsu grumbled, but he took the man's hand anyway. The strength and warmth radiating from the man's hand made him feel safe and secure, sort of like how Igneel made him feel. And as they walked off in the direction where the guild waited, the pink-haired boy found that he didn't feel quite as lonely as he did before.

Year X782

"N! Come out and fight me like a man!" roared Natsu, bursting into the guild. It was a testimony to how often he did this that only one person sprayed beer out of their mouth when he charged in unexpectedly. "Unless you're too scared to face me, hahaha!"

"Aye!" chirped Happy, a flying blue cat who had hatched from an egg Natsu had found four years ago. He followed Natsu in and landed on one of the tables, his magical white wings vanishing from his back as he stopped using Aera.

"That again, Natsu?" sighed Lisanna, sliding off the barstool she had been sitting on. "Whoever you're talking to isn't here, you know."

"Then it's my win by default! Hahahahaha!" Natsu crowed, spouting a small spurt of flames out of his mouth in excitement. "But I really want to fight him! Ahhh, I'm all fired up now!"

"Shut up, flame brain, no one wants to hear your lousy boasting," groused Gray, who once again had yet to notice that he had stripped down to his boxers.

Natsu turned to his archrival with an insulted expression. "Want to say that to my face, droopy eyes?" he challenged.

"I'll say it to you however I want, charcoal boy!"

"Charcoal?! I'll show you who's charcoal, ice stripper!"

"Bring it on, baby lizard!"

"You're going down, popsicle stick!"

Lisanna giggled at her friends' antics as they started throwing punches at each other like usual, all the while exchanging insults like it was going out of style. By now it was such a common occurrence that going a day without seeing them brawling it out on the floor seemed wrong.

Of course, whenever Natsu and Gray started fighting, the other members seemed to have some sense of obligation to chime in with their own opinions, thus beginning the usual Fairy Tail all-guild fight that ended the lives of many tables, chairs, and mugs.

"Man! If you're a man, fight with your fists!" shouted Elfman, thrusting a fist up into the air. "MANNN!"

"Shut up!" Natsu and Gray simultaneously yelled, punching the muscular mage to the other side of the beer hall. Then they glared at each other and started their own personal brawl anew.

"Noisy fools! Why can't you keep quiet and let a woman drink in peace, huh?!" Cana Alberona, a teenage mage with long, wavy, brown hair, snapped, slamming her barrel of alcohol down on the table.

In another part of the hall, Erza and Mirajane were also butting heads. "You want to fight, you flat-chested hag?!" spat Mirajane, slamming her forehead against Erza's.

"Bring it, you midriff-bearing cow!" Erza shot back, equally as fierce. Both of them fired up their auras as they struggled against each other in a contest of brute strength.

"The youngsters are at it again," sighed Wakaba, puffing on the pipe in his mouth. "Must be nice to be so young."

His long-time buddy Macao laughed with him, chugging down the beer in his mug. "I sure wish we were that young again! Ah, those were the good old days, weren't they?" he said.

"Boy, were they ever! In fact, d'you remember when–" Wakaba was interrupted as an empty mug flew out of nowhere and smashed into his head, making him topple off the bench and on to the ground, dazed.

"Wakaba! Oh, you youngsters did it now. Let me give you a taste of–"

"Nobody cares!" And Macao ended up being KO'ed by a single punch. He laid on the ground, mentally berating himself for his pathetic performance.

The guild fight continued on for another two minutes, before Makarov came out and ended it by growing into his Titan form and reprimanding all of them at once. The fighting stopped immediately.

After the mess was cleaned up and new tables were brought in, Natsu bounded up to Makarov with an excited look. "Jii-chan! Where's N? I want to fight him!"

"I'm not telling you, Natsu," Makarov sighed. "He's Fairy Tail's shadow guardian, he can't–"

"Yeah, yeah, can't show his face in public, blah blah blah," Natsu grumbled. "I still want to fight him! N! Come on out! I've gotten loads stronger since last time – urk!"

Makarov had slapped him upside the head with an enlarged hand, sending Natsu face-first into the floor. "He's not going to show up and break the laws of shadow guardianship just because you asked him to," the old guild master muttered, taking a large sip of his beer. "Stop making a ruckus and go do a mission." Natsu sat up, spitting splinters from his mouth, but before he could retort, he was interrupted.

"Natsu! Let's go fishing!" Happy said, walking over to them holding a fishing pole in his paws. "I want to eat fish!" His eyes started to sparkle as he imagined a big, juicy fish being served to him on a plate. Drool began to drip from the corner of his mouth.

"Ooh, that sounds like a great idea, Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, forgetting about N for the moment. He took the fishing pole from Happy and started to march out of the guild. "Yosh, let's go!"

"Aye sir!" the blue cat cheered, following his partner out the door.

Later, as the Take-Over Trio headed out on Mirajane's next S-class mission, they came upon Natsu and Happy pointedly ignoring each other as they sat underneath the tree in Magnolia's South Gate Park.

"What are you two fighting about now?" Lisanna asked, walking up to them.

"Natsu ate all of my fish!" Happy stated angrily. "Even though I was the one who invited him to go fishing!"

Natsu harrumphed, crossing his arms. "Not my fault you're so slow," he muttered.

"Natsu, you can't be like that," Lisanna chided gently. "Happy's our child, remember? You have to be a good father and make up with him."

Natsu's cheeks turned pink and he grumbled something under his breath. "Aw, are you blushing? How cute," Mirajane crooned.

"Shut up! I-I'm not blushing!" Natsu vehemently denied.

"He liiiiikes her," Happy purred, giggling.

"No, I don't! Stop saying it that way!" Natsu sputtered.

Lisanna laughed softly and laced her fingers behind her back. "That's better! I don't like it when you two ignore each other," she said, smiling. "Well, we have to go, so I'll see you later, Natsu, Happy."

Natsu perked up. "Wait, are you going on an S-class mission? Can I come?" he asked eagerly, leaping up from his spot.

Lisanna shook her head. "Sorry, Natsu. Elf-niichan and I are just going to support Mira-nee," she apologized.

"Besides, S-class missions are too dangerous for you right now. You're not ready yet," Mirajane added.

"That's not fair, I want to go on one, too!" Natsu complained. "Why do you get to go, Lisanna?"

"Heehee, well, we are siblings after all! Don't worry about it, Natsu, you'll definitely be an S-class mage one day! Then you can do S-class missions, too," Lisanna encouraged. "Bye now. See you when we get back!" She turned around to head out of the park with her brother and sister.

"Yeah, yeah, see you," Natsu grumbled, half-heartedly waving them off. Happy flew on to Natsu's head and waved goodbye to them from there.

When the trio vanished from sight, Natsu took Happy off his head and looked at him seriously. Happy gazed back, clearly confused. Natsu looked away briefly, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, then said, "Let's go fishing again. I'll save some for you this time."

Happy lit up with pure joy and he held a paw up in agreement, "AYE!"

Natsu grinned.

But just when everything seemed right again, the world shattered under their feet. Mirajane and Elfman returned from the mission, completely distraught and missing one member. Mirajane couldn't keep herself together long enough to tell them what happened, so Elfman had to do it.

Natsu stood stock still, whispering in disbelief, "Lisanna's… dead?" That couldn't be true. She'd told them she would see them when she got back! She couldn't die yet!

The guild hall was deathly quiet for once. The only sound that could be heard was Mirajane's uncontrollable sobbing. Elfman was also crying, one hand covering his face, as he repeated, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I couldn't control it… It's all my fault..."

Numb with shock, Natsu slowly turned around and walked out of the guild, Happy stumbling behind him. It was pouring outside, like the heavens themselves were mourning Lisanna's death. He couldn't feel it, just a peculiar chill seeping into his bones that even his fire couldn't warm. Lisanna was dead. She was gone. He wouldn't see her smile at him again, wouldn't hear her voice as she scolded him and Happy for their immature behavior. He wouldn't see her ever again, because she wasn't coming back. The dead couldn't come back to life.

It was like the color had seeped out of the world. Everything was wet and gray and dull, just like his heart felt. Natsu's feet automatically took him to the hut Lisanna had built when they had been hatching Happy's egg. He gazed upon it, unable to tell whether the moisture on his face was rain or tears. Even the hut looked like it had been leeched of life. He sank to the ground, clenching fistfuls of mud.

"Lisanna…" he cried. Angrily, he slammed a fist against the ground. "Damn it! I knew I should have gone! If I'd been there… if I'd gone, maybe she'd still be alive…"

"Lisanna," sobbed Happy, his paws clamped over his eyes. "Waaaah!"

A firm hand came down on Natsu's shoulder, jerking him out of his moment of self-reproach. He furiously scrubbed at his eyes before he looked up, the familiar name falling from his lips, "N…" His voice sounded thick and hoarse from crying.

Although he couldn't see N's face from underneath the black hood he had over his head, he could feel the support that N was lending him. Natsu swiftly stood up and hugged the other man, trying his hardest to hold back his tears and failing.

"It's alright to cry, Natsu," N soothed. "Let it all out."

"I should have gone with them," he wept. "Lisanna is… Lisanna's dead now because I didn't…"

"You have no way of knowing what could have happened, Natsu," N said softly, rubbing circles on the pink-haired boy's back. "It's not your fault. Maybe she would have lived if you had gone. Maybe she still would have died. There's nothing you can do now, except to get stronger, so that you don't lose anyone again."

"I will! I'll get so strong that my name will burn the heavens down. I'll get stronger, a lot stronger, so that I don't lose anyone ever again!" Natsu howled, pulling away from N to scream his conviction aloud. "You hear that, God?! I'll make sure you don't steal anyone away from me ever again! I'll even become a God Slayer if that's what it takes to protect my friends!"

"That's the way to do it, firecracker," N said softly, placing a hand on top of Natsu's head. Natsu sniffled, tears flowing freely down his cheeks.

"But N… you're the guild's shadow guardian, aren't you?" he murmured. "You could have gone after them, couldn't you? You could've saved Lisanna, right?!" Furious eyes still trailing tears at the edges glared at N. "Answer me, N!"

N sighed. "I may be Fairy Tail's shadow guardian, but I'm not omnipotent, Natsu. I can't do everything," he answered solemnly. "I don't have the power to see into the future. Even if I did, my role is to be Fairy's Tail's protector, not its babysitter."

"Damn it…" Natsu cursed, bowing his head. "Fuck this. Fuck everything. I'm going to train so hard that my roar will be heard from the other side of the world. For Lisanna!"

"I believe you can, Natsu. Just remember that you aren't alone. Lisanna will always be here–" He took Natsu's muddy hand and placed it over the pink-haired boy's heart, "–so never allow yourself to give into the darkness, alright? Don't allow your grief to consume you. Get stronger and protect your comrades with everything you have."

He let go of Natsu's hand and stepped back.

"Wait, N!"

N vanished, his last words echoing in the rain, "Believe in yourself, firecracker, and I'll believe in you, too."

Natsu stared at the spot where N had been, no longer crying. He clenched his fists. "I'll do it, N. Just watch me. I'll make the heavens roar with my fury," he vowed.

"Natsu…"

The pink-haired boy looked down at his feet, where Happy clung to his leg. Natsu scooped his partner up and let the cat rest on his head. "What's wrong, Happy?" he asked.

"…Was that the N guy you're always looking for?" Happy questioned.

"Yeah, that was him," Natsu replied. "Pretty cool, isn't he?"

"Yeah… we're going to be okay, aren't we, Natsu?" Happy sniffled, wiping away the last traces of tears from his face.

"We will be," Natsu replied resolutely, resting a hand on Happy's head. They both looked up as the rain stopped and the first rays of sunshine began to peek through the gray clouds. "I promise."

Wow, a lot more people want me to keep NarutoxMavis than I expected. In that case, I'll change my mind and keep NarutoxMavis as an option. Keep in mind that this story is not meant to be romance-centric, so whatever fluff I put in will be small and not the main focus. Mavis doesn't appear till way later, anyways.

You guys are all wonderful, by the way. 2014 seems to be the year of fanfiction milestones for me. This is the first time I've gotten 200 follows for just the first chapter, and in only 2.5 days. Awesome-sauce.

Don't expect regular updates, I suck at that. Old readers, you know what's up. New readers, my update speed is usually crap. Seriously.

Please leave me a review on what you think! And vote, vote, vote!

...Although I am 99.9% sure that Mavis is going to win by a landslide since I'm making her available, haha. See you next time.

MangaFreak15