Chapter 2: Live for the Future

Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based story. Naruto, Naruto: Shippūden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations are all owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail Zero are all owned by Hiro Mashima.

Mirajane looked over the twisted and mangled fields that served as the Beast's playground the previous day. The fires had burned away the homes and foliage around the area, and what used to be beautiful farmlands would need rehabilitation to return to normal.

"We should have been here," she said to herself, "We could have stopped this, if not, at least we could have evacuated the residents."

Her inner musings died down when a quick flash of yellow alerted her to the presence of her group's latest companions. A frown came to her face when she remembered the reason they weren't here the night before.

A groan came from Naruto's mouth as he delicately grabbed a corpse from the floor and moved it over to the ditch Lisanna and Elfman were digging. The two siblings requested they make graves for the deceased, it wouldn't feel right to leave without laying their bodies to rest. Naruto had agreed, and they spent the rest of their afternoon searching the area for corpses. While searching, she found various family treasures: Tattered photos of the families and remnants of the stuffed animals the children used to help them fall asleep at night, were littered among the village.

"Mira-nee, can you help me with this?"

Mirajane turned to see Lisanna struggling to remove a collapsed roof. As she approached, she noticed Naruto make his way over to the site as well and couldn't help but growl in annoyance. It was irrational, but a part of her felt like it was his fault she had not been here to help. If they hadn't have come across the blond, then the group would have been able to save the villagers. She was certain of that.

"Thank you, Naruto." Lisanna smiled while Naruto reached out and gave her a pat on the back to comfort her.

Mirajane let out a sigh and ran her hand through her soft, ivory locks. 'He's only trying to help. I should look to do the same.' When she reached the scene, she hesitated briefly and asked, "Are you okay?"

He nodded before handing her a canteen filled with water. Thankful, she took the canteen in her hand and drank down its contents, the refreshing liquid eased away from the searing pain clawing at her throat. Once parched, she returned the item but quickly turned around when she heard Lisanna's gasp.

Her eyes widened, and she felt the tightening of her chest and the loss of breath at the sight before her. It was the body of a mother holding on to her daughter in their dying moments. Their skin had been seared off, possibly due to their inability to escape the fires started when the beast rampaged. She heard Lisanna weep and watched as Elfman enveloped her in his arms and tried his best to console the teen by stroking her scuffed face.

"Mira-nee, I-I can't handle this pain." Mirajane could feel the tears pooling in her eyes at her sister's words. She left her spot next to Naruto and moved to her family. "I don't ever want this to happen again, Mira-nee." Lisanna cried into her sister's chest.

Mirajane bit her lip. She felt useless, what could she say? Everything is going to be alright Lisanna. No, that was useless. It wasn't going to be alright, not for a while, at least.

"We made a promise to protect them!" Lisanna wailed into her sister as she gripped the hem of her shirt. "All the family's that died today, we failed them. We let all of their dreams die!"

The tears burst forth like water from a dam as they spilled down Lisanna's face. She could feel her own chin tremble while she caressed her sister's cheek. She heard her sister's wails and watched as Elfman held them in silence, rocking them, trying his best to burden their pain, but she felt cold. Numb to the world.

'We let their dreams die.'

It wasn't fair.

XxX

"You always get in the way, Naruto. It never fails."

"Ah, you beat him Sasuke!" Naruto's bloodied face broke into a grin, relieved to be done with the battle.

'Huh?' Naruto noticed Sasuke's back riddled with the needles their attacker used throughout the fight. Sasuke's stance felt loose and Naruto could tell he was getting ready to drop from exhaustion. He could feel the sweat roll down his skin, the throbbing of his eyes, and the thumping of his heart against his chest.

"You should see the look on your face." Sasuke gasped out, blood running down his chin. "You look like an idiot."

…

"Sasuke!" Naruto cradled the young Uchiha in his arms, watching with wide, blue eyes, as the light left Sasuke's eyes.

"He's still out there, my brother," Sasuke groaned, "I promised myself I'd stay alive until I killed him."

Sasuke reached up, using the last of his energy to grasp Naruto's hand in his. He remembered the moments they shared while training to grow stronger and he couldn't help but feel like he was leaving a member of his family. With his dying breath, he said, "Naruto, don't let your dream die."

…

"Hello, Earthland to Naruto."

Naruto blinked, "I'm sorry?"

Lisanna gave a small smile, "We thought you'd like to pay your respects." His eyes peeked at Mirajane and noticed that she was kneeling in front of the graves with her eyes closed, silently reciting a prayer for the deceased. Elfman stood over his sister, a silent protector.

"Oh," He murmured, noting that Lisanna was eyeing him expectantly.

He moved closer to the graves and sat next to Mirajane, quietly contemplating his words. Once Mirajane finished her prayer, she stood next to her brother and allowed Naruto a moment alone.

"I keep your memory near my heart," He whispered, reaching out to the wooden cross in front of him. "And pray to remember that our pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses our understanding, it is the bitter potion by which the physician within, heals our sick self. Therefore, we trust the physician and drink this remedy, in silence and tranquility."

He nodded before standing and dusting the dirt off his sleeves.

"That was poetic Whiskers," Mirajane offered a small smile.

Naruto returned the smile.

Elfman and Lisanna were back on their feet and their fatigue from the arduous day had subsided as they moved over to the pair.

"So," Naruto said, in a firmer voice than anyone would have expected from him, "How do you guys feel?"

They paused, they weren't sure how to feel. This was their first interaction with death. They felt horrible, like a gnawing feeling in their head that just wouldn't go away. Still, Lisanna couldn't help but feel relieved, and she felt guilty for feeling that way.

Naruto noticed the apprehension in the young mage's eyes and raised a golden eyebrow, urging her to speak. She hesitated and looked at her siblings. "I feel horrible for saying this, but I'm thankful we stopped to rest last night.".

Naruto raised an eyebrow. It took courage to confess something like that. "Go on," He encouraged.

It felt like a good idea to let Lisanna speak her peace. These were feelings that had festered in her heart over the course of the day. It was easy to see that the poor girl, the entire family, had been shaken to the core by the events; which is why he felt it was important to discuss the matter now, while the feelings were still fresh in their hearts and mind—They needed to talk about this. If not, the emotions would fester until they found other outlets to vent their frustrations on. He doubted sweet, innocent Lisanna would go on a warpath to avenge the fallen villagers. But there were other paths of self-destruction that she could find.

"I didn't want to say anything because I felt like a horrible person for thinking it, but," she bit her lip and he could see a small drop of blood from her having cut too deep into them, "We were tired last night. If we had kept going—we would have died." She could hear Mirajane's gasp, and her heart instantly plummeted in shame. I'm a horrible person.

Naruto looked over to see Mirajane's hands covering her mouth as he took a moment to absorb the young woman's words. Elfman just remained quiet, clearly uncomfortable with Lisanna's statement. From what he had deduced of Elfman's character, he would have hastily jumped into the fray once shit hit the fan, possibly placing himself and the others in danger; and with the way he was rubbing his hands, a nervous habit, he knew that Elfman realized that as well.

"I'm assuming you both agree with Lisanna's statement?"

The silence spoke volumes.

A grimace pulled on Naruto's pursed lips. "No one is blaming you guys for this. Like it or not, Lisanna is right." Mirajane looked like she wanted to comment on that, but Naruto sharply turned and glanced over the mangled fields. "Look what that monster did to this village." They turned, analyzing the wreckage and torn foliage. The fires that raged earlier were long gone, but the scars left on the earth remained.

"Regardless of how powerful you guys think you are, one, if not all of you would have died last night." Naruto turned to face the three and he could see the storm brewing in Mirajane's sapphire eyes.

"How can you say such a thing, even if it were true?"

"Because it is a truth you have to accept."

"We're mages! When I took that job I knew there were risks involved. I—"

"You were arrogant."

She felt the painful knot in her stomach twist tighter. No, she knew what she was doing. She had been on hundreds of jobs like this before, which is why she felt comfortable bringing her family along. This job was within her capabilities.

"No, we were ready."

"You were selfish."

Elfman growled, "Who do you think you are, talking to her that way?!"

"She was ready to walk out into rain last night, and she only stopped to consider you two after Lisanna mentioned that it was raining." Naruto spat.

Mirajane froze, he was right. She was reckless, in her haste to make it to the village on time, she had ignored her siblings. She was used to the arduous pace that she kept, but they weren't.

They weren't anywhere near her level, and in her arrogance, she assumed she would be more than enough to keep them safe. Hell, Elfman couldn't even properly control his Take-Over Magic and they were going up against the King of Beasts, what was she thinking?

"No, you're wrong," Mirajane looks towards Elfman. "Mira-nee has always protected us," His eyes shined with resolved, "we live and fight for her, no matter the situation!" He stood confidently next to his sister with a firm grip on her shoulder.

"We made a promise to always be together," Lisanna stood next to her siblings. "She believed in us, and we believe in her strength!"

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Rain.

The first droplets of water splash against her face, and she closes her eyes.

Shaking?

It takes her a moment to realize that she is crying.

XxX

"It's my job to save Sasuke!" He snarled at the older man, "He's my friend!"

"Can you honestly call him a friend after what he did to you?" Jiraiya snarled. "Dismiss him from your mind and move on. To be a ninja you need more than strength and jutsu. If you want to live as a ninja, you must become smarter. This world is no place for a fool."

"I understand," Jiraiya looked back at Naruto. "If being smarter means what you say it does, I'll remain a fool my entire life!"

…

I didn't understand what you meant long ago, but now, it weighs heavy in my heart. To see these young adults suffer like this hurts. I can only imagine what you went through, Master. I guess I'm still a fool, Ero-Sennin.

He snapped out of his daze at the sound of wood hitting the floor.

"You're not doing a very manly job."

"What?"

"The way you're cutting the wood, it's atrocious."

Naruto dropped the ax and stared at the giant man in front of him. How do you cut wood wrong?

"A real man doesn't need some flimsy tool," He grabbed a large stump from his pile, "A real man uses his fists!" In one fell swoop, Elfman ripped the large stump and held two perfectly cut pieces in his hands.

Naruto remained silent.

"Nothing huh?" The giant scoffed. "I didn't take you for a scaredy-cat."

Naruto Uzumaki was called many things. A show-off, the Child of Prophecy, Savior of the World, Lord Seventh, and to his very beautiful wife, he was a very passionate lover. To call him a scaredy-cat, was just sad. In his heyday, he faced off against monsters that could tumble mountains in one swoop of their tails. He ended a war in three days! Yes, it took some help, but let's not act like he wasn't doing most of the legwork.

He was the living embodiment of manliness and this… amateur, was doubting, him?

But still, it made sense that people would doubt him. He's been doubted his entire life, well, maybe not the latter portion of his life. But, he was used to the underdog role. If this poser wanted a shot at the manliest man to ever grace the face of this planet, then he'd acquiesce.

Nobody fucked with Naruto Uzumaki.

He smirked and Elfman raised an eyebrow. Elfman coiled his impressive biceps and flexed. Naruto was not impressed.

"Hmm, so Hotshot, you want to challenge the Great Elfman?"

"Challenge you? No. I'm going to destroy you." Naruto smirked.

…

Elfman was panting, hard. It had been three minutes into his impromptu contest that he learned how outclassed he was, it took five minutes to learn that Naruto Uzumaki was a monster. His fingers were raw from the constant ripping of the log, but Naruto was tearing through them like paper, with no intention of stopping.

"What's wrong? You were pretty talkative earlier, cat got your tongue?"

Elfman growled and returned to his pile. In his anger, he regained some of the energy he had lost and quickly began to catch up for lost ground.

"You were wrong," Elfman said.

Naruto blinked, what was he talking about?

"When you said that Mira-nee was arrogant," Elfman commented, the sound of lumber being ripped in half droning out the sounds of the night.

Naruto was silent for a moment.

"No," The blond grabbed another log and easily ripped into the lumber, "I am right."

"Who are you to judge other people?" Another log was haphazardly ripped in two.

"A man who has seen a lot more than you."

Elfman shook his head, "You don't know us, you don't know what we're capable of."

Naruto grabbed two logs in each hand, eyes burning with fury as he crushed the logs in his hands.

Elfman hesitated.

"I know a fool when I see one."

Elfman blinked, dumbstruck.

"Have you ever fought against a monster the size of a mountain?"

Elfman shook his head.

Naruto nodded, "You can barely keep up with me in a wood-chopping competition," motioning to the flimsy hill of logs at Elfman's feet, compared to his mountain of logs, "And you expect to be powerful enough to defeat a monster that can decimate an entire forest in one swing?"

A beat.

Elfman hung his head and fell silent. This was a test.

"Ah, so you finally understand what I'm trying to tell you." Naruto sighed and rubbed the dirt off on his pants. Briefly, he wondered if he was doing the right thing, antagonizing this man. He was right, who was he to judge them… But, he had seen fools rush to their death in the past. He was once foolish enough to rush into battle with no regard for his safety.

"Mira-nee would—"

"Mirajane would have died to protect you." Elfman flinched.

"I'm sorry," Elfman said while looking to see Naruto getting closer. The blond placed a hand on his shoulder and even though the blond was wary of any sudden movements, he could tell he was only trying to comfort him.

Elfman was suddenly very tired. The idea of his sister dying to protect them had never crossed his mind. To him, his sister was indestructible, would she have really fallen if she had faced against such a beast?

He shook his head. No, not if she was on her own. But with Elfman and Lisanna tagging along, they would have burdened her and at that moment, he realized how weak he truly was.

His shoulders shook, and his heart clenched as the full weight of Naruto's words crashed down on him.

XxX

Lisanna felt in dire need to hug something.

There was a shuffling sound in the darkness and she looked over her shoulder to see Naruto near the campfire, cutting firewood to feed the simmering flames. He felt her eyes on him and turned to meet her gaze until she blushed and quickly turned back around to stare at the forest.

"Lisanna," Mirajane said softly, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I see them when I close my eyes."

Mirajane sighed and took her sister into her arms. At first, she thought the commotion from Elfman and Naruto's competition was keeping her awake, but she didn't realize how much of an impact today's events had on her younger sister. It was their first time dealing with death.

She hoped that the day would never come when they would have to bury innocent people.

Today, she failed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into Lisanna's ear, "If I hadn't brought you guys along, you wouldn't have seen these things." Lisanna felt Mirajane's shoulders tremble. "This is all my fault."

"None of this is your fault." Mirajane fell silent as Lisanna turned to glare at Mirajane. "You blamed yourself when the villagers tormented us, you're not allowed to blame yourself for this."

Lisanna caressed her sister's cheek and broke out into tears. "We're a family, we face our problems together."

Lisanna's touch lingered for a moment until she decided her sister was stable. "You don't have to shoulder your burdens alone, not when you have us."

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane poked her sister in the forehead, "When did you go and grow up. I'm supposed to be the Big Sister here."

Lisanna giggled, "I've had practice."

XxX

Naruto watched, only mildly amused, as the younger members of the group huddled together in their sleeping bags. Elfman and Lisanna were close. They were probably closer to each other than they were to Mirajane. Now, don't get me wrong. Mirajane was their anchor, their motivation. They ate, slept, and breathed Mirajane, but they saw her as the absolute. The most powerful woman in their life and their caretaker. There would always be a barrier between the trio because of those titles.

Still, they were impressive. It was like watching a grandfather clock in motion. No one moved without purpose, and every step they took carried each member forward. They were a great team due to the years they've had in relying on one another.

By this point, Naruto was not surprised at the group dynamic. But he could tell that it took its toll on the eldest of the group. From their brief experience together, he noticed the little things. Mirajane never ate until her siblings had already eaten first, she never slept until she knew the area was clear of any immediate danger. To say Mirajane loved her siblings, would be an understatement. He wholly believed that if Mirajane ever lost either Elfman or Lisanna, she would not be able to move forward.

He chuckled, who was he to talk about moving forward?

"What's so funny?"

Speak of the devil.

He shook his head, "Don't pay attention to a codger like me."

Shaking her head in amusement, Mirajane briefly wondered if this guy was insane.

"How old are you?"

"It's rude to ask a gentleman how old he is."

Mirajane rolled her eyes, "You can kiss my ass, Mr. Gentleman."

Naruto blinked, face red similar to Hinata's.

She got him.

In his embarrassment, he didn't notice Mirajane's soft laughter at seeing him blush. She didn't notice the fear and mistakes of her past slip away from her for a slight second.

Once they settled down, she was grinning at him, indulging in his flustered face.

"It wasn't that funny."

"No, but your face was priceless."

Naruto chuckled as he realized how funny he must have looked. Turning, he took a moment to appreciate the company. The teen was obviously much easier to get along with, once you got to know her. She was high-strung and assertive, but those were just a front. Staring at her, he noticed the way she shrunk into herself, even when the fire moved to cover her with warmth. She was a troubled soul, he could relate to her.

"What are you looking at?"

"Don't know, I'm still trying to figure that ugly face out."

Mirajane grasped the ax he was using earlier and hurled it at the blond. Naruto's eyes widened as he moved out of the projectile's trajectory.

She was disappointed that the weapon didn't hit its intended target.

"That could have chopped my head off!"

"A pity it's still on your shoulders."

He placed his hands in the air, signaling his immediate surrender and looked at the spot next to her. Rolling her eyes, she moved over to the side and gave him ample room to sit. He slowly made his way over to her making sure she didn't have any weapons hidden in her person before sitting down next to her.

With a sigh, he noticed her melancholy and couldn't help but feel like this girl was cut from the same cloth as he. Her eyes screamed loneliness and he was a sucker for pretty girls and tragic backstories.

"So, what's your story?" He asked.

Mirajane pursed her lips in thought, "My parents were farmers," She grabbed a stick and began to poke the fireplace. "They liked going into the forest to gather wood."

Naruto nodded as he watched the flames dance under the night sky.

"One day, they had the misfortune of running into a pack of wild tigers." The fire reflected in her eyes, but Naruto could tell she wasn't there with him at this moment. She was reliving that day. "It was a massacre, blood, and guts all over the forest floor."

Naruto winced.

"There was nothing left of the remains, but I knew they were my parents." She looked at him, and his heart went out to the poor girl.

"I was the one to bury them, and with their remains I buried…" She stopped.

"Your innocence?" He offered, and a nod of her head confirmed his answer.

"On that day, I swore I'd never let Lisanna or Elfman face that kind of situation. I'd be their protector and as long as I lived, they would never see what I saw." She sighed. She had been carrying this story with her for most of her life, and it felt good to let it out.

"After that, the church in the village was attacked by a demon. I used my Take-Over magic to incorporate the demon into my body, but the villagers and I didn't know any better." Suddenly, her arm transformed into a leathery claw and Naruto's interest was piqued. He stared at her claw until she withdrew it from sight, feeling a tad self-conscious.

"They drove us away and we scrounged for food for months until we found Fairy Tail." At the mention of their guild, he could see Mirajane's face perk up. Naruto gazed at her with a newer understanding.

"You know," She looked over, "You remind me of me when I was younger." He chuckled. She laughed.

"My parents died protecting me from an attack and the villagers shunned me because I was different." She looked at him and recalled those wistful blue eyes from the night before. Finally, it clicked. The reason he bugged her so much, was because they were a lot alike. He was a reflection of herself. "I made it my mission to be acknowledged by those who shunned me. One day, my team and I went on our first mission outside of the village, it was supposed to be a simple escort mission, but things are never simple when dealing with me." He threw more lumber into the fire and she watched the flames roar to life once more.

"We fought against people a lot tougher than us. My teammate was trapped and I jumped into the fray to try and save him, but I was just in the way and he was cut down in front of my eyes." A sudden chill ran down Mirajane's back.

"He was only unconscious, but I didn't know better. I thought he was dead, and it felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest." He gripped his chest and tears fell from his eyes, remembering the day he almost lost Sasuke.

"I hated him, but he still jumped out to save me. He was willing to sacrifice his dream to save my pathetic self." His bangs covered his eyes.

"When I saw the mother and child today, the first thing that crossed my mind was you and Lisanna and how it could have been you two if you had continued walking last night." He turned to look at Mirajane as deep blue eyes tried to convey his sadness.

He closed his eyes.

A moment of silence rang between the two as they worked to collect themselves. After a couple of minutes, Mirajane spoke up again.

"You were right. I shouldn't have taken them on that mission." She whispered.

He looked away and spoke, "Why did you?"

"I thought I would be able to protect them, I've fought monsters my entire life," She shook her head, "I thought it'd be good combat experience for them." She turned to look at Elfman and Lisanna curled up together in their beds.

"I thought if things went sideways, I'd be powerful enough to protect them." His eyes softened, and he understood.

"To be a mage, you must acquire the judgment to make the right decisions." Naruto sighed, running his hand through his golden locks. "If you had come alone, you would have been able to face off against that monster, possibly defeat it. Who knows?" He shrugged. "But you could have also failed, one thing to take from this moving forward is to understand that there are consequences for all of our actions, and we have to live with those consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

'Mira-nee, I can't deal with this pain.' Her sister's words came to mind and Mirajane frowned. As the older sister, she was supposed to protect her siblings, not provide them with more pain. Her eyes glossed over and she realized how her actions also had a consequence on her family. She thought she was doing right by them, but she almost led them askew.

She looked up when a hand was placed on her shoulders, where she saw the blond with a smile that almost took her breath away, "Take life's experiences and build strength from them, not weakness."

He squeezed her shoulder to reassure her and she couldn't help but smile as she could feel her heart slowly mending itself. She felt better and knew that she would need to learn how to forgive herself before moving forward. If not for her, then for her loved ones.

As she looked at her siblings with a warm smile on her face, she thought one thing, 'We're going to be okay.'

XxX

They had packed up in the early morning. Naruto had sealed the mountain of the log which he and Elfman made the previous night into a small storage scroll and claimed he would sell the wood at the next village. They walked together until they were at a crossroad and the trio couldn't help but be a little sad that their adventure, however unfortunate it was, was coming to an end.

"Won't you consider joining our guild, Naruto-san?" Lisanna seemed to have developed a habit of saying what was on other's minds.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head, "No, I still have to find my friend. Besides," He placed a hand on her head and shook, tussling her silver locks, "An old man like me would only hold you back."

Lisanna's cheeks puffed in annoyance as she grabbed Naruto's hand and moved it away from her hair, but her lips were curved upward, and he knew she didn't mind. He moved to recall his hand, but she pulled on it and enveloped him in a tight hug. Her height barely reached his shoulder, so he patted her head with a laugh.

Elfman, looking slightly more upbeat, stepped up, "You are a true man. I hope for a rematch the next time we meet." He offered his hand, and Naruto heartily took it and shook. Before he let go, he lightly squeezed and Elfman's yelp made him chuckle once more.

Finally, the shinobi's attention turned to the last member of the group. She seemed to be carrying herself better, not so gloomy. Good, the last thing I need is another Sasuke running around.

"It was nice," he smiled, "meeting you guys. I hope you all take care of yourselves." He looked over each member of the group and nodded.

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane jabbed the blond on his arm and handed him a small, black ribbon. He blinked, and looked over the girl, finally noticing that she no longer had her hair tied into a ponytail; instead, it cascaded over her shoulders and down her back.

"What's this?"

"A memento," She gave him a warm smile, "to remember us."

He looked over the three and felt his heart beat slightly faster. His throat felt tight and he could feel the tears brimming in his eyes before closing his eyes. This was the sweetest thing.

"Thank you, Mirajane." He said, wrapping the ribbon around his bicep.

"Call me Mira." She smiled, and he couldn't help but blush. Giggling to herself, she said her last goodbye, "Let's agree to meet up again."

Smiling, he stretched out his curled hand, "It's a promise."

She reciprocated his smile, and she reached out, brushing her knuckles against his own and bumped fists. For an instant, she came to understand the man in front of her as he shared some of his feelings with her. His eyes shined with protectiveness and his silent message was accepted, be safe. She nodded.

"I'll hold you to that promise, Whiskers."

After a while, Naruto turned around and slowly walked away, waving his hand in the air.

They continued watching, even as his form disappeared in the horizon. Finally, they turned to start their journey back home.

They walked past people and couldn't help but wonder if they knew the inhabitants of the village they failed to save. Their failure weighed heavy on their heart, but Mira was thankful for her family's good health. Still, she gazed up at the sun and promised to grow stronger, to be a better leader for her family.

"We're going to live," She looked back at her siblings and back over the horizon to Naruto, "For the future."

"Ne, Mira-nee?" The short-haired girl sighed as her sister turned around, "Where do you think the monster that destroyed the village went?"

"Who knows, but if it comes back, we'll stop it. Together."

XxX

"Bind him, Ultear."

Chains rained down on the colossal beast's frame as its body was bound by various purple chains. The Beast continued to roar in anger, intent on freeing itself from its prison and continuing its warpath.

A man chuckled from the shadows as he looks upon his capture. He had found him parading through a desolate village and he could use its power to his advantage, it was a shame that all that power was controlled by a mindless beast. Still, this was perfect.

The King of Beasts at my disposal.

End.

I'd like to take a moment to thank each and every single one of the people that took time to review, favorite, or place my story in their alert list. I was going to upload this later on in the week, but you guys were so awesome that I'd like to share this chapter with you to share my contentment in your reception of the story.

This chapter was slightly difficult to write, but I'm pleased with it. We got plenty of emotional moments with all of our characters, we even got a couple of scenes between Mira and Lisanna. The Elfman and Naruto scene was fun to write and I think that the tension at the end was some of my best work on this story. Our characters are not okay, but they're trying to live with the consequences of their decisions. They're shaken and moving forward, every action they take will root back to this moment. Mirajane was especially fun to write because she is such a tragic character! I know Fairy Tail gets a lot of flack, but you can't tell me that Hiro Mashima doesn't know how to pull at your heartstrings!

Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think. Leave a review, send me a private message, follow the story, tell all your friends, whatever you need to do. I'd be more than happy to discuss whatever comes to mind.

Nishi no Kaze