AUTHOR'S NOTE [7/15/2018]: Revised a couple sections, added a few extra in-between scenes and corrected a few details.

This story is a request fic I've been putting off for a long time after my love for this show nearly fizzled after that honestly stupid last arc Mashima put out (just… why?). In any case, I do hope this fanfic is enjoyable.

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[9/20/2017]: Original release date.

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PREMISE: Natsu is the Fairy Tail newbie after a chance encounter with Lucy. Levy is from Phantom Lord who crucified Gajeel, Droy, and Jet. Gray is also from Phantom Lord who falls in love with Juvia at first sight and becomes a member of Fairy Tail to obsessively stalk her. Erza became a slave of Zeref while Jellal escaped from the Tower of Heaven, etc. Original AU concept by fantothegirl.

WARNING: This fic contains crude language/humor, spoilers, graphic violence, angst, death, headcanons/fanons, and a dash of insanity.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail as it's owned by Hiro Mashima. Also, Hatsune Angelbeat (OC) is owned by Shiranai Atsune.

Chapter 1:

Routine

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."

It had been a quote by a famed philosopher that had been ingrained in her mind, thanks to a certain blonde mage, and never had she felt those words ring out clearly since the day she saw him.

Hatsune muffled her sigh as she let her emerald green eyes sweep across the guild hall, where many of the guild members see fit to do the usual ruckus, rough-housing and merrymaking. Despite the rambunctiousness, the orange-haired woman couldn't help but feel a tad bit annoyed and conscious at the intense gaze digging into her back—though it was mostly directed at the seemingly oblivious bluenette beside her.

Given, she wasn't exactly unused to being stared at thanks to her previous experience at her past guild, but this was just… strange.

It also didn't help that the person hiding—and was surprisingly adept at doing so—behind the stacks of crates in the corner was one Gray Fullbuster, who had sported the look of an eager predator stalking its prey.

Admittedly, she would've just normally brushed him off like any other, but no. The black-haired mage, new addition he may be, had unwittingly piqued her interest.

Why exactly?

As a person who loved the cold, she definitely appreciated Gray being an ice mage. Of course, beyond that cool, aloof exterior he always showed, she could see he was struggling to socialize with the others, which she could relate to. Her first few days at the guild had been painfully awkward, and she was sure she wouldn't have survived through it without the one who got her to join in the first place.

She wasn't the same person she had been. Her guildmates were more open and close to her for the past four years. She had grown, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Of course, one would ask, wouldn't that mean she should just waltz up to him and try to get him to open up? Why was she making such a big deal of it?

No, she wasn't an optimist, nothing was easy. As confident as she may be in her ability to handle these kinds of situations, she could also see that his case ran deep. It frankly both frightened and worried her, which was the ultimate reason she had idled.

The only silver lining was that he was improving day by day, however miniscule, thanks to a certain someone.

Glancing at the person the look was being directed at, she opened her mouth to make small talk. "So, Juvia, do you have any plans this weekend?" she asked, noting how Gray perked up at the topic.

Hatsune felt a sliver of amusement at that.

Love had a way of changing people. It was a fact she had witnessed firsthand in the guild (Alzack and Bisca were the primary example), so for Gray to be infatuated with Juvia was actually a thing to be celebrated. His stalking was a clear sign of interest—though she hoped it was of only the good kind. Her best friend needed someone to spice up her love life, and the male needed someone to talk to even if he was a bit of an oddball. A win-win situation, and despite her unusual gripes, she resolved to find out more about him somehow.

The water mage looked over at her with a slightly raised eyebrow, lowering the juice she was sipping at. "Hm, not really..? Juvia thinks that maybe she should actually go on a mission, seeing as Juvia is low on money after the… little accident our darling Celestial mage did."

She blinked, just as a flash of yellow bounded over in front of their table with a sharp look in her brown eyes.

"What was that?" said mage hissed, shoulder-length blonde hair swishing violently in her face at her abrupt stop.

Juvia coyly smiled. 'Oh no,' Hatsune thought, completely pushing her earlier ruminations to the back.

"Juvia said that Lucy could've maybe avoided destroying more buildings during our last mission. Hatsu agrees with Juvia, right?" At that, Lucy's head swiveled over to her and the pony-tailed girl bit back the urge to shrink into herself. Lucy's glares could be on par with Jellal's at times, and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of that either.

Hatsune gave the celestial mage the best disarming smile she could muster. "I do think that the mayor got really furious."

Lucy crinkled her nose, but didn't reply and instead frowned at the blue-haired woman. "I've already apologized for that, Aquarius admittedly went a bit overboard after my... comment."

Hatsune visibly cringed, remembering the shouting match that had ensued between the blonde and the aggressive Zodiac Spirit.

"It still doesn't solve our finance problem, does it?" Juvia retorted, a challenging look on her face.

"No but like I said, it was an accident, a one-time thing!" she barked back, arms steadily moving into a battle pose. "How many times do I have to tell you that, Soggy Tits?"

The water mage slowly got up with a mocking grin, though Hatsune spotted the twitch of her eyes at the comment. "Maybe you should learn more control then, Bratty Princess."

"Guys, relax? I thought we were over this," the orange-haired woman said tiredly, feeling the atmosphere around them grow tenser. 'Please don't, you two,' went unsaid as she watched them cautiously.

Lucy's eyes gleamed in irritation. "Oh? Funny hearing that from you, Depressing Raincloud. Didn't you blast a huge chunk of houses away with that one attack?"

"At least Juvia didn't destroy half of the city block, Dominatrix."

The blonde chuckled darkly, a hand wrapped around the whip strapped on her belt. "Aw, do you want me to punish you?" she purred, one hand placed on top of her green tank top.

"Aw," Juvia cooed with the same sickly, sweet tone, hips swaying a bit to the side and making the ends of her knee-length blue coat flutter. "Looks like a little someone's proud of that title, maybe Juvia should try taking the whip and spank you instead to teach you a lesson."

Juvia was starting to rear back, and Hatsune looked back and forth between them worriedly.

Great, Mavis knows that these two brawling would be a nightmare to stop unless Jellal got here. Honestly, pry these two apart and they're completely different people! Rivalries were weird… How these two survived being childhood friends, she had no clue.

Before the blue-haired woman could throw another barb, Hatsune pinpointed the beginnings of the sound and reduced it to nothing just as the woman's lips flapped. Nothing could be heard of whatever insult she spewed out and Juvia paused in confusion, expression mirrored by Lucy. Dark blue eyes gave the sound mage an accusatory look to which she replied with a shrug and a small sigh of relief.

Hopefully this should stop them. She didn't want a certain someone to get thrown into the mix as a meat shield like last time.

"I don't get why you two have to do this at all," she mumbled exasperatedly, hand reaching out to massage her temple. "Can you two please calm down?"

The blonde simply crossed her arms with a smug look, her keys jingling in the process. "Oh, what's this? Cat got your tongue? Too ba—"

And Lucy got socked in the face, knocking her back into the adjacent table… where she landed on top of a poker game between the older mages. Frustrated and horrified screams rang out while the celestial mage got up, black shorts peering from under her skirt.

Lucy cocked her head with a devilish grin. "You're so dead."

Eyes widening, Hatsune immediately dived away just as Lucy moved in a blur, poised to kick Juvia in the head. The sound mage started crawling the moment she hit the floor, chancing a glimpse at fight. The blue-haired woman had grabbed Lucy by her ankle, though the blonde used that as leverage to lift other foot and hit Juvia square in the face. She winced at the sound, watching in morbid fascination as Juvia fell back with a grunt, still holding on to Lucy.

Hatsune suddenly felt the back of her head bump into someone's legs. "Ah, sor—"

She looked up, and swallowed when she saw the distant look of Gray, outright ignoring her presence by his feet. She felt her cheeks burn a bit while she continued to stare, a small voice in her head giddy at the chance to be this up close to him without looking too weird and revel in the cold aura around him.

Her eyebrows creased when she noticed the way his expression would change every few seconds, and with a glance, she found that every flinch, frown, or look of awe was in response to Juvia's fighting.

There was a small pang in her chest, and with a suppressed whine, she desperately stomped the feeling away.

Why in the world was he making her feel this way?

His sad, lonely eyes were glazed over, and for a moment Hatsu stopped to stare openly in shock. He looked… lost, hands dropping to his side and body slouched over like a puppet that got half its strings cut.

"You…" She exchanged a glance with her guildmate and Juvia's eyes softened a fraction.

The deadly ice around the roof had begun to thaw, their battlefield melting like the walls the odd man put up. She'd always loved the cold, but it felt unnerving once she saw something that made her heart twinge in pain.

He was crying.

She waved the old memories away and instead looked at the growing dissent.

"—idiots are going to break everything!" she heard someone say distantly amongst the rumbling crowd, gaze landing on a upset Laxus standing behind the bar's counter, hands neatly lining up the glasses he was cleaning with a cloth.

Her face soured as well.

Maybe she should do something. She couldn't just observe them wreck the place to shreds—ah, more members are wreaking havoc, some of them are starting to use their magic as well—and she had to stop before they get badly injured. Plus the Master and Jellal would be furious when they get back, especially since it's only been a week since this place has been fully renovated from the attack by Phantom Lord two months ago.

A member sailed over her head, and she caught them by the arm to prevent them from slamming into the nearby barrels. She acknowledged the pained mumbling of gratitude with a distracted nod.

Yes, perhaps it's best to get this over with.

She got up on her feet with one swift movement, but Hatsune paused to awkwardly shift in place. She fussed with her dark silver-trimmed jacket that had ridden up during her escape, glancing a few times at the nearby black-haired mage. The weird butterflies in her stomach were back, and with it was the blood rushing to her cheeks at every micro smile he had on his good-looking face.

Alright, maybe there was a chance that she may have a crush on the guy. It was the only thing that could explain why she felt the way she did, and denying the possibility was foolish. But, he liked Juvia, and she was of the personal opinion that one should like a person by personality and not by surface-level traits.

'He's also a stripper, a stalker and aloof,' her brain reminded her.

Why was this so difficult?

Hatsune sighed as she snatched a piece of wood about to hit her forehead. She should settle the current mess before playing matchmaker.

'But what would he think if I…' The sound mage grimaced, suppressing the urge to huff. 'Gah, focus Angelbeat! You need to get this mess straight, so no gawking!'

Skulking off to where she didn't feel all mushy, Hatsune approached the bar that was kept safe from the warzone. Laxus shot her a confused look once she took a seat on one of the stools, only winking in response.

Hatsune turned around, and mumbled 'Voice Change' before yelling:

"Stop the scuffle this instant unless you want me to chase you and stab you to death!"

Her eyes surveyed the room, content at the terrified, pale faces and people who became as still as a statue. She let a tiny smirk slip unto her face. Jellal's voice was always fun to use, seeing as how it affected everyone.

One of the members whose name and face doesn't ring a bell yelled out. "Oh come on Hatsune, I almost pissed my pants! Stop it with the ventriloquism!"

Her face twitched. "How many times do i have to say it's my magic?!"

A few laughs ensued at her bruised dignity. However, before she could give them a piece of her mind, the front doors slammed open and she instinctively braced herself at the familiar magic signature.

There stood the real Jellal Fernandes in his usual combination of light weight armor and billowing robes, and his smile faltered when his gaze roamed the area.

"What the hell," he slowly punctuated every word, and the sound mage saw his face instantly morph into one of anger. "What have you deviants done?! The tables and chairs have been overturned–some destroyed alongside barrels of beer! The walls, which I remind you one of you just painted over a few days ago, got new scorch marks, and some of the support beams look ready to collapse! Whoever did this, come forward immediately!"

It had become deadly silent as Jellal spoke those final words. It was a literal death sentence for anyone who incurred the wrath of Fairy Tail's Oberon. Whispers and blames were being passed around, and eventually the majority had pointed their fingers at the two rivals.

Jellal's glare turned deadly sharp. "So, it's you two. Again."

The sound mage simply spun to face Laxus, who was giving her a funny look.

"Give me a chocolate parfait please," she said in her normal monotone voice.

The bartender blinked a few times before he shook his head and scampered off, muttering "Weird-ass guild members" under his breath. She tapped the counter as she lent half an ear to the scene behind her; heavy boots thumping over to a corner, accompanied by the drag of cloth on the wooden floor.

"You two are coming with me. The rest of you, stay here and clean up or else," Jellal said in a more controlled manner, lugging two heavy objects she deduced had to be the two cowering women.

Audible gulps were heard and the door shut again. A few broke out in relieved sighs while most went ahead to follow his orders, though not without some grumbling courtesy the older mages like Macao and Wakaba. Hatsune shook her head at their reluctance, and instead tried to catalog the damage.

With a decisive nod, she figured she should help clean up all the broken bits of wood after she finished her dessert.

She blinked when a shrill voice broke out into hysterics at the sight of the decimated beer—obviously Gildarts by that dramatic sobbing. From the corner of her eye she saw an indignant-looking Gajeel tapping his foot impatiently, holding a broom towards Levy who had her eyes glued to a thick tome.

Curiosity made her gaze linger on the odd scene, just as the tiny girl sighed and flashed him an amused look. In an act almost too fast to catch, Levy snatched the broom from Gajeel who nearly went out of balance. The tiny girl stifled a laugh, and the dragon slayer gave her an exasperated stare. Huh, when did those two become close?

"Gee, Jellal's really crazy scary." Hatsune glanced at the pink-haired mage who she only now noticed sat next to her, hiding the lower half of his face under his scarf. He was fiddling with the end of his open black vest, eyebrows scrunched up. "I wonder if he got taught by a dragon at some point, he has the lungs for it…"

She raised an eyebrow at how he was getting increasingly loud with his mumbling. "If he did, he'd be even more terrifying."

Natsu's head snapped up to her with his trademark silly grin. "Yeah, he's more of a demon."

"That sounds even worse," she quipped just as her order was placed in front of her. "Thanks Laxus."

"No problem," Laxus said before turning his attention to Natsu with a smirk on his face. "You know, I'd have thought you'd be the center of the chaos earlier."

Natsu's grin stretched even wider. "Well, it's not me this time!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just glad the old man forbade you from making a mess in the guild like last time."

This time the pink-haired mage had the decency to look sheepish. "Ahehe, I did say I was sorry."

"Ah, whatever, as long as you don't give the guild more paperwork. That shit's too tiring to deal with. And let me guess, the usual?"

The dragon slayer nodded vigorously and Laxus once again disappeared into the kitchen.

Hatsune would've been fine continuing to scrutinize the labels of the many wines and rare drinks on display while enjoying her parfait in peace, but a fidgety dragon slayer was to say the least, distracting. Not to mention the heat he was radiating was uncomfortable—for her standards anyway. Not that she could say that to his face though, since they weren't close.

Clearing her throat, the ponytailed woman inclined her head towards him. "So, uh, how'd your day go?" she asked.

Natsu straightened from his seat, clearly surprised at the casual question. "Just fine, we finished buying groceries earlier."

She hummed in acknowledgement, but something was off. "Why's Happy not with you though?"

He scratched his head with a contemplative look. "He's fishing. We didn't have enough money for more fish because of last time."

"I thought you said you got it covered?"

"Yeah, but…" he trailed off with a scowl.

The sound mage raised an eyebrow. "Did you accidentally destroy a building on another mission?"

His guilty grin said it all.

First Juvia, then Lucy and now Natsu… yeah, it looks like they needed to go on a job. While Hatsune didn't need the money urgently, she was overcome with the urge to help out.

Unbidden, memories came flooding.

That job of theirs was the first time she had joined the three of them—Jellal had been on another mission back then—and it was a disaster barely averted. She had been excited because it had been a while since she went out on a mission with Juvia, being her former partner before the formation of the 'strongest team in Fairy Tail'. However, with all the bickering Juvia and Lucy had done alongside the ambush the bandits orchestrated, not to mention Natsu's destructive tendencies, it had ended with an abysmal amount of collateral damage they had to pay for.

They were lucky no one else other than their intended targets had gotten hurt, or else those horrified looks from the villagers would've been much more potent. There was enough stigma against Fairy Tail as it was…

The sound of loud chewing had drawn her out of her thoughts and she dodged a piece of bone that nearly struck her cheek.

Hatsune gave the pink-haired mage an exasperated look. "Natsu… eat slower."

He only smiled at her with his cheeks as puffed up like a chipmunk, which she'd have deemed adorable if not for all the food particles flying towards her. She exchanged minor disgusted glances with Laxus, who was glowering at the dragon slayer.

"Natsu, if you don't slow the hell down, I'm never gonna give you food again," he growled.

"Bwut Ifmp hungweh!" he declared in between bites of the large turkey leg he was holding, and Hatsu scooted over another seat. She just narrowly avoided the rain of spit that would've stained her white pants. She'd have told him off even further, but decided against it since it was Natsu and she didn't want to come off as overbearing.

Laxus glared at him even harder. "Natsu. Slow the hell down."

Said teen continued to noisily eat.

The bartender's expression looked murderous, and Hatsune figured that he had it handled. With a shrug, she returned to idly eating her parfait until the doors opened again. A loud thud and two moans of pain tipped her off that the rivals were deposited by the entrance, and the clank of metal getting closer made Hatsu turn around.

Jellal had a serious expression on his face. "Hatsune, do you mind?"

"No. I assume this about the reason for the fight?" she asked, pushing her empty glass aside.

He sighed. "Sadly, yes. I've come to understand the situation and while things could have gone better..." He threw the disgruntled pair a glare that made them pale in fright. "… It is what it is. So, I believe that we should take a job to get the issue straight."

She reeled back a bit in realization. "Wait, you're going with us on a mission?"

"Yes, if my memory serves me right, there's a high-paying request still posted on the board. I was initially thinking of tackling it alone but I figured it'll serve us well." The tattooed mage jogged over to the board, scanning the various papers and pulling one buried under the rest before returning. "This job asks for a team to exterminate various demon-like beasts terrorizing a small settlement called Ensata."

She went over the details on the request, mildly interested in the crudely drawn horned beasts reminiscent of the ones you'd see in creepy children storybooks. What really caught her eye though, was the epically large reward.

"Hold on, one million Jewels?" she exclaimed. "With a reward this big, I'd have thought a group like the Takeover Hosts would've gone."

It's strange that she didn't see it while she was looking for any extermination missions. Was it recent? She doubted it, since it had appeared to be there for a while. If they're asking for a group of mages then…

Jellal chuckled in agreement. "Yes well, the Strauss' have been busy as of late. Also, this was sent just two weeks ago."

"I think so yeah," Laxus chimed in. He paused, disappearing under the counter to grab a logbook and leafing through it. "The demons are off guarding some prissy noble. Hmph, too bad, they're missing out on a good smack-down."

"Huh." She leaned back in her seat with a frown. "Who's going with us?"

"You and a few others," he waved off vaguely.

She crossed her arms, sending him an unimpressed look. "I know those two are coming since you're supervising them for their previous reckless behavior," she stated with a gesture towards the two rivals engaged in a glaring contest. "If that's the case, perhaps you'd like to invite the eavesdropper beside me as well."

There was a choked noise, but she paid it no mind while Jellal smiled at that. "Yes, I was considering it."

"Good to know."

This time he turned to address the mage who was trying and failing to look inconspicuous. "So Natsu, you're coming with us."

The dragon slayer grinned awkwardly, and Hatsune raised an eyebrow at the bump on his head. Laxus' handiwork, it seems.

The blue-haired mage laid the request on the counter. "If my memory is correct, the area is situated near waters of Crocus' forests so… yeah, I'm sure. Once we're all assembled on the way, I'll talk plans. We'll set out tomorrow morning if that's alright with you two?"

"I'm more than ready!" Natsu's enthusiasm made him pump a fist.

She shrugged. "Sure."

Jellal's smile widened. "Alright, pack enough for a week then. I'm expecting you guys to be early."

The sound mage really wanted to call him out for not elaborating, but she trusted Jellal enough to know he'd already had a set up in mind.