It was only about an hour after Natsu and his new red-headed companion had left to complete their job. Natsu thought it was just a simple spar, little did he know, however, that he had just left behind one hell of a shit storm back at the guild.

As soon as the fight ended, people practically ran each other over in an attempt to get to Makarov. Well, that was after they had gotten over the initial shock of Erza being beaten as if she were no more than a minor annoyance. On top of that, the person who defeated her was a member of the guild for no less than twenty minutes, and two years younger than her! ninety percent of the guild couldn't even make her break a sweat, and even fewer could come close, let alone beat her. So when Erza got knocked out, it's safe to say that quite a few people had numerous amounts of questions for poor old Makarov.

Makarov got over his shock pretty quickly, as was to be expected by someone of his experience. After you live for over eighty years, you tend to stop judging people by age or appearance. His age couldn't stop his mind racing though.

That boy is no ordinary mage... To be able to control sand like that is beyond any sand mage I've ever heard of! On top of this, he also showed fire dragon slaying magic... very rare indeed. I assume he also has other abilities, as well as some swordsmanship, if that blade on his back is anything to go by. Makarov thought to himself.

I still can't get over how he acts, however. It seems as if he has given up all hope in the world, and locked all of his emotions away. Normally, I'd be able to see something in anybody's eyes, but all I can see is his eyes... eye... is a whole bunch of nothing!

There's also the matter of these 'shinobi villages'. If what he says is true about them, I find it hard to believe we have never heard of such a place. Could he be from Edolas?...

It was at this moment that the crowd finally reached Makarov. He sighed in annoyance at how many questions he was being asked, all at the same time. Most of them were repeat questions for god's sake!

"Master, what was that fire magic he was using?! It's like nothing I've ever seen!" Shouted Macao.

"I WANNA FIGHT HIM! SAND MAGIC VS SAND MAGIC!" Screamed Max.

"What else do you think he can do Master?" Asked Wakaba, and the majority of the other spectators.

Makarov closed his eyes and raised one hand, to get them to stop speaking. Clearing his throat, he began to address their questions one at a time.

"Macao, what you just saw there, was fire dragon slaying magic." Makarov answered.

Macao grew wide eyed. The others just sort of looked at Makarov with confused expressions. "But Master," Macao began, "how could he have learned dragon slayer magic?! It's a lost magic that nobody has learned for hundreds of years without a lacrima!"

Makarov sweat dropped and sighed. "Macao, do you not recall Natsu stating earlier that he lived with a dragon for three years, and was taught the magic by that dragon?"

Macao rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh yeah..." He said with a sheepish grin.

Everyone else was still confused, until someone decided to speak up. "Master, I don't get it. What the hell is dragon slayer magic?!"

Makarov took a deep breath, preparing to give a detailed explanation of dragon slaying magic. "Dragon slayer magic, is a lost magic known to very few. It was originally taught to people by dragons, although nobody knows why. The reason it is so special, is because it allows total invulnerability to the user's own element. In fact, it is rumored that dragon slayers are able to eat their own element to replenish strength, though this is still unconfirmed. The reason it is dubbed 'Dragon Slayer Magic', is because it is the only known magic to be able to harm a dragon. Natsu would most definetely be able to give a better description of it than I would, if you could get him to, that is..." Makarov explained thoroughly.

Makarov continued. "As to what else I think he can do... I have no idea. But given his display in the earlier fight, I would assume he can do more. Also, I'm fairly certain that he is a swordsman, given the large sword on his back. Probably a good swordsman, too, if it keeps up to the rest of his skills."

Everyone just nodded dumbly at his explanation, and started slowly trickling back inside the guild hall. After all, it's not like they knew what the hell that was, all they knew was this it's powerful. Powerful enough to knock out Erza, in fact.

AN HOUR LATER

Things had just settled down in the guild. People were back to their brawls, drinks, and more. Just when everyone thought it was fine though, two people thought it would be a great time to return to the guild, in a pretty flashy manner if I may add...

Everyone just stared in shock at the middle of their guild where space itself seemed to be warping. All of a sudden, two figures could be made out in the middle of the warp, one with red hair and armour, and the other with spiky pink hair and a headband. Most people calmed back down at this, but the more experienced members of the guild were confused even further.

Incredible! Makarov thought. Space-time magic so advanced at this level! I must ask this boy where and by whom he was trained.

The warp slowly fizzled out, and Natsu walked out of it, Erza following behind him looking like she was lost in the woods. Natsu promptly strided over to Makarov.

He bowed his head. "Greetings, master. All three missions were completed efficiently, and without complications, we were paid in full." He told Makarov.

Makarov smiled. "Well done, my boy! Now go enjoy yourself, you sure do deserve it after doing three missions!" He said as he clapped Natsu on the back. Natsu nodded his head and walked towards the bar.

The whole guild was silent watching the exchange of words. They were once again stunned by their newest member because of his militaristic attitude and speech pattern. Why would an eight year old speak as if he had just returned from a job with the rune knights?

Makarov sighed as Natsu walked away. Someone needs to lighten that boy up. He thought. Scanning the rest of the room, he remembered Natsu's partner for the mission. He called Erza over to him. He raised an eyebrow and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought about the new member. He decided he would ask about it when they talked.

"Master, I believe it would be better for us to speak privately." Erza said, looking at the floor nervously.

Makarov frowned at her strange behavior. "Very well, follow me.' He said as he led her towards his office. What could the boy have done to cause Erza to act like this? She's usually very headstrong and stern, but right now she seems timid, and unsure of herself!

Reaching the door to his office, he reached for the handle, and opened the door. The office itself was in fairly good condition. There were bookshelves, cabinets, and chairs along the walls, as well as a desk in the middle of the room with a swivel chair behind it.

Makarov walked over to his chair, and sat down. He motioned for Erza to grab one of the chairs. When she finally sat down in front of the desk, he looked her straight in the eyes and asked.

"So what happened?"

Erza squirmed nervously. "Well, you see, it's not about what actually happened, it's more about how he acted and what he said..."

Makarov narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Erza sighed. "Well, the first thing that seemed strange to me was actually in the guild hall before we even left. It was after we had just finished sparring, and I heard his story about the dragon. I ran inside to try and make him feel more at home, and tell him that Fairy Tail was like a family. When I told him, though, he just gave me his weird blank face and told me that... family is something he's not meant to have..." She finished in a sad tone.

Makarov frowned. Very strange indeed. I doubt this was just caused by his dragon disappearing though. "I agree, that is indeed strange. Somehow we will need to convince him that family is something that everybody needs... Anyways, continue."

"All three missions were bandit clearing, so we decided to go see all three people who requested the jobs before clearing the bandits. Nothing interesting happened at this point, so I'm going to just tell you about our fights with the bandits."

Makarov nodded.

"When we got to the first camp, we hid in some trees nearby to assess the situation. Natsu seems to be extremely good at this. He was able to tell exactly how many bandits there were in the camp, and which ones were mages. I don't know how he was able to do this, as he didn't tell me."

Makarov was shocked. So he's also a sensor eh? And a good one from what Erza's describing.

"After that, he told me to just stay there for a minute, so I did. If he told me what he was going to do though, I would've come with him."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, Natsu just ran up and jumped right in front of the camp. Then he put his palms together in front of him in some sort of hand sign. All of a sudden, an impossible amount of sand came out of that container on his back and covered the entire camp. Nothing was visible underneath the sand."

Makarov was stunned into silence for a minute, then spoke. "Just how much sand are we talking about here, Erza?"

Erza took a deep breath before answering. "The amount of sand he pulled out must have been enough to bury the guild hall completely. And I'm not exaggerating one bit."

Makarov stroked his beard, deep in thought. "Do you think his container could be some sort of magical item?"

"It has to be, there's no possible way for something that size to contain that much sand normally."

"I agree. Anyways, continue on with the story."

"After he covered the camp with sand, he seemed to be thinking about something. About a minute later, he appeared to have come to a decision. He put both his hands on the ground, and yelled something that I couldn't hear since I was too far away. But when used whatever spell it was, it seemed like huge ripples of energy were going through the sand, although I have no idea what the spell actually did. As soon as he was done, he just appeared next to me somehow, and told me that the mission was completed. It's basically the same story for the other two camps."

Makarov frowned. "I'm going to call Natsu, stay here please." Makarov took a deep breath before yelling. "NATS-"

Natsu suddenly appeared in front of him. One knee was on the ground, as well as one fist. (The position ANBU take when the hokage summons them)
"Yes, Master." Natsu said in his monotone.

Makarov took a second to get over his shock. "You don't need to kneel Natsu. Anyways, I just wanted to ask you about the job requests you just completed."

Natsu stood up. "What would you like to know?"

"Two things. First, how do you keep so much sand in the container on your back? Second, what were the two spells Erza saw you use on your jobs?" He asked. Better not push him too far about this whole 'no family' thing.

Telling them the truth here won't hurt me at all, so I'd might as well. Natsu thought. "The container on my back is called a gourd, a typical container for holding basic objects where I come from. It can hold such incredible amounts of sand because there are seals inside of it that connect it to a desert."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "What are seals? A type of rune magic?" He asked.

Natsu pondered this for a moment. "No, however they are similar. As to the other question. The first spell is called Quicksand Waterfall Flow. It's purpose is to create large waves of sand, in order to 'drown' the opponent. It can cover large areas, making it very useful for mass destruction, or capturing a quick moving target. The second spell is called Sand Waterfall Imperial Funeral. It creates waves of energy that run through the sand and compresses it, instantly crushing anything caught in the sand." Natsu explained.

It seems he has no qualms about killing people, leading me to believe he has done it in the past. I need to know where he grew up. I guess I'll ask once he gets better acquainted with the guild.

Makarov sighed. "Alright that's all, Natsu you may go. But please refrain from killing people in the future."

Natsu nodded. "Very well, Master." And silently walked out of the office.

Makarov turned to Erza. "You may also leave, I need to think over a few things."

GUILD HALL

Natsu and Erza got back into the guild hall just in time to see the doors burst wide open to reveal three silhouettes. Two of them appeared to be around the same height, and the third was at least a foot shorter.

When they stepped into the light of the guild hall, it was quite easy for Natsu to determine some of their personality traits just by looking at them. The shortest one wears a zip-up pink jacket that goes about half way down her thighs, she has an ear-length bowl cut, and pink slippers. She seems to be very cheerful, with a bright smile. Like Naruto... he thinks. The one in the middle sports a very revealing tank-top, leaving her stomach exposed. Most of her hair is pulled back in a pony tail. She wears short-shorts, a belt with skulls, thigh high stockings, and has a sneer on her face. She looks like she's trying to intimidate everyone in the guild... and it's working. Pathetic. Natsu thinks, inwardly sneering. The last one is the only guy in the group, and for some seems timid, and unsure of himself. He wears a blue tuxedo with a red bowtie, and has short, messy hair. All three have ivory white hair, leading Natsu to believe that they are related somehow.

Natsu decided to ignore the new arrivals, and go back to the request board for a new job. Things don't always go planned, however. Just as he was about to reach the request board, the goth looking one decides to call him out.

"OI! WE'RE BACK LOSERS! HOW'D THE GUILD DO WITH ONL- Who the hell are you?!" She asks/yells at Natsu.

Natsu stops, and turns around to look at her. "I'm new." He simply says, turning back around.

The mystery girl gains a huge tick mark on her forehead and yells at him again. "OBVIOUSLY! WHAT'S YOUR NAME MORON?!"

Natsu doesn't even turn around this time, and keeps walking. "Don't you know it's rude to ask someone's name without giving your own first?" He asks, perfectly calm.

The guild didn't really know what to think at this point. Normally, they would've already warned the guy and tried to make him shut up, but then again, this was the guy who beat Erza without trying...

The girl gains a predatory smirk. "It seems you don't know who I am... Well maybe you've heard about DEMON MIRAJANE?!" She asked while laughing maniacally. This stopped abruptly, however, when Natsu gave his response.

"No, I haven't heard about 'Demon Mirajane'. But I assume your name is Mirajane. And believe me, you're no demon." He says, finally at the request board.

"WELL YOU'LL CERTAINLY KNOW WHY I'M CALLED DEMON MIRAJANE AFTER I WIPE THE FLOOR WITH YOU!" She screamed at him.

"You want to fight me? Very well, I accept. However, if I am victorious, you are never to bother me with your 'demon' talk." Natsu said.

Mirajane smiled cruelly. "Let's head to the back then, eh?"

Now, Erza could of stopped this whole thing. She could've told Mirajane about how strong Natsu is. She could have warned her. But she didn't. Why? Well, two reasons. First of all, she wanted to see Mirajane get beat up, pretty good reason to be honest. Second reason, she wanted to see more of Natsu's abilities. This is gonna be good. She thought, smirking evilly.

THE TRAINING FIELD

Mirajane and Natsu stood opposite each other on the arena. Makarov wouldn't be taking bets this time around becuase he was still in his office. Erza, along with the rest of the guild watched in a big group, wondering if this newcomer could defeat two of the strongest mages in their guild one his first day. Erza just wanted to see Mirajane get beaten.

Natsu had come to the decision that he would reveal some of his true power this match. Hopefully even if Mirajane didn't honor their deal, she still wouldn't bother him if he spooked her good enough.

Natsu eyed her suspiciously. "You use Satan Soul Takeover Magic, correct?" He asked.

Mirajane looked shocked for a second before answering. "Yeah, I do. How did you know?"

"I can sense the demonic presence inside of you." He said, as if stating an obvious fact.

Mirajane just shrugged. "Never seen anyone who could do that, but I don't care. Still gonna kick your ass with it." Mirajane said as a magic circle appeared over her, transforming her into her demon form.

"Well why don't I show you a real demon?"

Mirajane, Erza, and everyone in the crowd went dead silent at his statement. What did it even mean? Does he also use Satan Soul?

"Ready to go, Shukaku? I'm givin you control for this one. Don't cause too much damage or kill anyone."

"Fiiiiiiine, I won't."

"Have fun..."

Everyone watched in silence as Natsu began to transform into a fully sized Shukaku. Right there, on the middle of the field. Everybody's jaws hit the floor. Most people were paralyzed with fear from it's pure killing intent.

"Hey brat, heard you were callin yourself a demon. Well it's me! The Almighty Shukaku! A real demon, might I add." The giant tanuki said with a grin. "Unlike that dumb idiot Kurama, that stupid fox can go chase a chakra pointer." He mumbled out afterwards.

Then everyone heard Natsu's voice in the background somehow. "Shukaku, they don't know who Kurama is."

"Oh... right." Shukaku said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

Everyone let out a collective sweat drop. What a weird demon... They all thought.

Eventually, Mirajane came out of her shock. "LET'S FIGHT ALREADY!" She screamed at the tanuki. She raised her arms above her head, and purple energy started building into a ball in her hands.

SATANIC BLAST!

She yelled, and fired the purple energy from her hand straight towards Shukaku at great speeds. Shukaku just raised an eyebrow at the spell and let it hit him. A huge purple pillar of magic covered the entire beast.

"Heh, some 'demon' that turned out to be." She said with a smirk. Which promptly disappeared when she heard said demon laughing.

"HAHHAHAHAHA, THAT WAS TOO CUTE! DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! Pleeeeaaaaase?! THE BEST PART WAS WHEN YOU WENT ALL LIKE: SAAAATAAANIIIC! IT WAS SO CUTE! PLEASE DO IT AGAIN!"

Mirajane huffed in embarrassment. The spectators just face faulted. Suddenly, the giant tanuki adopted a serious expression. It's star-shaped eyes looking straight at Mirajane.

"Natsu I have a big problem here buddy." Everyone heard it say.

"What's the problem?"

"I don't know how I can beat her without killing her."

"Oh. Yeah you're right I guess, wanna switch back?"

"Fine, but next fight against an actual enemy I get to come out."

"Deal"

Everyone just looked at the big raccoon in confusion as it began to shrink back down into Natsu.

"Well, now you all have met Shukaku." He said, as if nothing important had happened.

Everyone sweat dropped. Mirajane just looked at him and yelled. "YOU SHOULD'VE KEPT THAT BIG GUY AROUND, BECAUSE NOW I'M GONNA WHOOP YOUR ASS!"

Natsu just extended an arm forward, and made the universal motion for: Bring it.

Mirajane let out a roar of frustration and charged at Natsu.

"I'LL FINISH THIS IN ONE PUNCH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHHHH!" She yelled as she ran straight at Natsu.

Erza winced as she watched the fight, it reminded her about how their fight went down, ending in her brutal defeat.

The crowd watched in fascination as Natsu got into a strange low stance, and said in a calm voice.

ELEVEN TRIGRAMS: FOURTY-FOUR PALMS!

Natsu suddenly exploded into action, jumping straight at the charging Mirajane with open palms.

"Eleven Palms!" He called out, hitting her eleven times in various points on her stomach.

"Twenty-two Palms!"

"Thirty-three Palms!"

"FOURTY-FOUR PALMS!" Taking one big step forward at the end of the barrage and hitting her with one final palm thrust in the middle of her chest.

Mirajane flew backwards, landing on her back. She groaned. What the hell did he do to me? It's as if I can't use magic at all! And I can barely move!

Natsu turned to the crowd and addressed their confusion.

"This fight is over. I have completely blocked her magical container, so she will be unable to utilize magic for the next few hours."

15 MINUTES LATER IN MAKAROV'S OFFICE

Makarov rubbed his temples. "So what you're saying is that Natsu transformed into a one hundred foot tall monster, took two of Mira's attacks as if they were nothing, and then shrunk back down, all before sealing her magic container with two finger punches."

Erza didn't blink. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Makarov sighed. I'm too old for this shit.