Anti-Mage

by LoserFinn

Naruto Uzumaki, an S-Ranked Bounty Hunter, is brought to the Ten Wizard Saints to replace the vacant seat of Jellal Fernandes. However, before he is allowed the honor, he is contacted by Fairy Tail to fulfill a must-needed job at the request of Makarov Dreyar. How will Fairy Tail's demise form a unsuspecting path for the mage? What is his purpose? Starts just before Time Skip.

3. Chapter 3

Hey Everybody!

It's been a long time. College has been terrible and I lost a lot of motivation because of the workload. Hope everyone is doing well! Not sure how long it will be before I upload again, but I will eventually.

Right now, the Poll Leaders for the Pairing are: (From Most to Least) - Top 10

Erza Scarlet

Hisui E Fiore

Minerva Orland

Mirajane Strauss

Meredy

Dimaria

Ultear Milkovich

Cana Alberona

Irene Belserion

Seilah

Anyways, the next chapter will probably be the GMG.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Making Friends

5 Months Before the Return of Fairy Tail

A roguish blonde tipped backwards in a wooden-stool, its hinges creaking at the weight. Raising a glass to his parted lips, the man sipped the cool drink in hand. Lips smacked together with a grimace… hard liquor never really tasted any better, even with as much practice as he got.

And with the way his body was, there wasn't much for a chance of riding a buzz either. What's the point of drinking if you can't get shitfaced, right?

The man set the glass down, rubbing a hand down his stubbled chin. Days like today were times he'd looked forward to his entire childhood. Having the freedom to do absolutely nothing, drinking like a normal person in a normal town with normal occupants.

"WIILLDDDOH!" A black-haired man slapped him over the back while draining his own glass of its contents.

If he could tell his younger self that drinking was overrated, then he probably would've saved a bunch of time for more important things. Then again, drinking heavily was considered normal around these parts.

Naruto groaned at Bacchus Groh acting as his current drinking buddy. "Four." He responded lamely, allowing the man to wrap his metal arm around his shoulder.

Bacchus was a tall, muscular, fair-skinned man with straight black hair, which was slicked back and gathered on the back of his head. It was kept in a bun, hidden away by a white cloth with ruffled edges secured by a similarly colored strip. He has slanted eyes marked by dark lines. Bacchus wore a strange armor set that only covered his shoulder and upper back with very baggy, dark colored pants.

The martial art specialist smiled drunkily, his breath reaching the blonde's nostrils. "As I wa sayin, Erza Scar-hic-let wa one fine piez of ass." He grinned, taking his arm back. "Too ba ya joined Fairy Tail so late -hic-, we coulda been eskimo bros." He laughed while slapping his hand on the bar.

The bartender grimaced as wood caved around the mage's fingers. But, obliging the silent request, the man shook his head as he began to fill yet another glass of well vodka. He'd add it to the man's tab, S-Rank Mages had plenty of money to cover the cost anyway.

"You and Titania were a thing?" Naruto asked amusedly.

Bacchus smirked slyly, raising his newly replenished glass to his lips, titling his head back and downing it in one go. "Nah, I jus provoked her into fights -hic-, she acted like she aint love it. But, I know she wanted me." His tinted cheeks never lost their smugness.

The blonde swordsman shook his head with mirth. Groh probably just wanted to see the former Fairy Tail member in those revealing armors. Hell, a part of him was jealous of the Quatro Cerberus Ace for that.

Meeting up with Bacchus was all by chance. He just happened to see the mage hand-picked the same exact S-Ranked mission as him. Of course, as soon as he found this out, he was ready to leave town and grant the job to the Palm Magic user, but the man pulled him into bar with promises of a 'WILDOH' night…

He couldn't find a reason not to, he supposed. It'd been awhile since he last drank, and he'd been traveling non-stop these days. The sapphire eyed Fairy had been crossing Fiore from sea-to-shining-sea trying to find S-Ranked jobs, seeing as how the missions from Fairy Tail and the council became quite scarce.

In a time of relative peace, S-Ranks didn't replenish as fast as lower ranking jobs did. And considering he'd already finished everything that had been available over the last six-and-a-half years, there couldn't have been much left. Even contacting God Serena and the Wizard Saints for council missions had become a dry and unproductive source of income. Not that he needed the money right now… His pockets couldn't have been heavier actually.

He'd been near the former Phantom Lord Guild's territory, chasing some leads on Ultear and her band of former criminals. Naruto promised to keep his distance as always, but it never hurt to check. It's not like he had anything better to do right now.

She seemed better, guilty as all hell, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but if she continued on the way she was, the guilt would undoubtedly catch up to her. Maybe the guilt was brought about by not being able to right-her-wrongs with Fairy Tail's core members. They weren't exactly alive for her to do so…

Anyways, he'd set pace for Fairy Tail by nightfall, hoping to talk with the Fourth Master. He could've just wrung the man up on his Communication Lacrima, but the man had been quite prickly lately. He continually danced around the S-Rank missions topic, and the farce had long since been entertaining.

Perhaps he'd have to remind the man of his position in their business deal…

"I'd like to avoid your sloppy seconds brother." Naruto closed his eyes lazily. "Although, I bet Erza would've fallen for my charm if she wasn't ash at the bottom of the sea." He grinned thinly.

"Charm?" Bacchus scoffed. "Ya couldn't bag a real woman without havin to pay for it."

The blonde's head shook, laughing good naturedly.

"The loss of Fairy Tail was shitty." The red-eyed man sobered briefly. "…all their women were tens. The loss of strong, hot women kills me everyday." Naruto quirked an eyebrow, seeing the man actually downcast about Fairy Tail's demise, whether sarcastic or not.

Naruto laid a roll of bills on the bar, easily eclipsing that of his bar tab. Standing from his seat, the blonde slapped a hand on the Drunk-Chop Master's armored shoulder. "There's still a lot of pretty one's around. What about that Mikazuchi girl from Mermaid Heel?"

"Kagura Mikazuchi?" His head raised, forgetting his depressive mood instantly. "She does have some big ol' knockers too, don't she?" He grinned.

"Maybe she could be your new Erza?" Naruto suggested in amusement.

Bacchus knocked back his stool, staggering to his feet. Many of the bar's occupants ignored his outburst as if it were a usual occurrence. "Not a bad idea, I could give 'er a test run." He wrapped Naruto up into a hug, patting the blonde's pauldron. "Good man, good man… Let me get you another drink -hic- nah, two drinks." He turned away from the Fairy Ace, raising his hand for the bartender's attention.

"I'm good man." Naruto immediately snatched his hand. "I got to go, I'll catch you later… hopefully much later…"

"Wuh?" He groaned, throwing his hands up. "But we ain't even hit the strip club yet?"

The blonde pushed past him, not bothering to respond as Bacchus's eyes followed him to the door. He waved over his shoulder before grabbing his Broadsword and his traveling pack. Slinging both over his shoulder, Naruto pushed through the front door into the radiant burst of dawn sky.

His eyes focused on the horizon to the east, narrowing towards the Magnolian Mountain Range.

Ever since the day he left the guild after Fairy Tail's demise, Naruto hadn't even stepped foot in Magnolia unless it was to retrieve a job. In fact, he wasn't even quite sure who was a part of the guild anymore.

A Day Later

Kinana rinsed a few dirtied plates with a small dish towel, humming a simple tune to herself. Emerald eyes silently observed her fellow Guild members in their daily routine. Today was a bit on the quieter end given that their monthly payment had been dealt to Twilight Ogre a few days ago. Thankfully, they'd be able to rest for a bit of time before returning to their frequent missions.

Master was dealing with a stack of paperwork he'd been putting off involving the estates and owner's permits of their fallen members. A stein of a misted ale sat at the corner of his makeshift desk, precipitating its chill nectar upon the surface. His face was set into a perpetual frown, which had become a pretty common sight as of late.

A childish giggle filled the usual silent Guild. Bisca sat with her husband, Alzack, tickling the stomach of their five-year-old daughter, Asuka. The waitress smiled warmly at the sight, blessed to see a steady stream of happiness returning to Fairy Tail. Asuka had become a beacon of hope for their future, with her innocent and naive smile stretched across her face.

That was a smile worth fighting for…

The door to their guild opened gently, rays of light snuck in, leaving her to hold a hand above her eyes to peer at the newcomer. A masculine frame greeted her sight, one she wasn't entirely sure she was familiar with. The man was tall, definitely taller than anyone currently in the Guild, leaving her a bit nervous at his stature.

As the door the Guild closed, many of their members raised their heads curiously.

Kinana lowered her hand, drinking in the sight of the broad-shouldered man lazily strutting in her direction. Wavy golden hair etched across his scalp, which was held backwards by a violet bandanna that draped over the man's left eye. An earring draped down his right ear, clanging softly with each step he took.

She smiled politely, immediately registering the figure as one of their own. Although it had been quite some time, she never forgot a face, and this handsome face was definitely one she would be a fool to forget.

Kinana waved at him as he inched closer, "Hello Naruto!" She smiled, seeing him nod towards her with a cigarette hung out the edge of his lips.

The Fairy Tail ace grasped his Broadsword from his shoulder and set it against the dark-oaken ridge of the bar. A travel bag soon followed as he dropped it towards his feet. His eyes trailed towards the Fourth Master with a frown, causing the older man to grimace.

Fairy Tail's members paused in their admiration of the figure. Max slapped a sleeping Wakaba upside the head, pointing in Naruto's direction. The forty-two year old man immediately choked on his cigar, seeing the blonde S-Rank in the Guild for the first time since the Tenroujima incident.

Macao stood from his desk, heaving a heavy sigh as a burst of nervousness shot through his chest. It seemed the day he had been dreading had finally arrived…

"Naruto." The man walked towards the much taller mage. "It's good to see you again. You've grown a bit since we last met." He chuckled nervously.

The blonde eyes narrowed, scanning the interim Master up-and-down. "You look like shit as usual." He scoffed indignantly.

"My wife would agree with you on that."

Naruto ignored the response in favor of inspecting the guild and its members silently. "Quite the charming place you've got here." His visible eyebrow raised as he zeroed in on Romeo and Asuka.

Following his line-of-sight, Macao stepped in front of the twenty-year-old S-Rank to shield his son from view. "I'd agree, it's done well for us over the years." He responded simply.

"It's unfortunate I haven't been able to help much with the rent for this place. S-Ranks have been hard to come by this past year, as I'm sure you already know…" Naruto sidestepped the man, walking past Macao towards the young purple-haired boy.

Romeo eyed his dad in confusion. He often heard his dad talking about the Guild's Number One Ranked Mage, someone who'd joined when the Tenroujima massacre happened. His dad had also said that Naruto Uzumaki, the Ace, was the reason the Guild remained open to this day.

The Purple Flare Magic user met the man's eyes confidently as he stood below the man's chestline. By the gods, he hadn't remembered being around anyone this massive since Elfman! He'd be lying to himself if he didn't feel a bit frightened at the moment…

"What's your name?" The slightly raspy voice questioned stoically.

"Romeo Conbolt." He responded in kind.

The man's eyes roamed down his attire, peering at his Guild stamp and finally stopping at his scarf that he'd made reminiscent of Natsu's. "Fan of Natsu Dragneel?" He flicked the material wrapped around his neck with a smirk.

"Yeah, he was my Hero." Romeo admitted shamelessly, eyes faintly holding an intense sadness.

Naruto's visible eye wheeled to the left, taking in Macao's attentive nerves. "Not your old man?" He asked amusingly.

The black-eyed boy's head turned towards his dad and smiled before returning his gaze towards the Guild's Ace. "Well him too I guess." He scratched his cheek.

Macao deflated, getting a laugh out of Wakaba.

"Never got a chance to properly meet Natsu, but I'm sure he was one hell of a character." Naruto chuckled, facing the boy below him with a small grin.

Romeo nodded, smiling. "Yeah. He was the best."

"Well it's good to see some new faces. It was nice to meet you, Romeo." Naruto ruffled the boy's hair.

Romeo bowed his head pleasantly as the man brought the hand back to his side, "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Uzumaki."

The blonde gaze turned towards the five-year-old, Asuka sitting in between Bisca and Alzack. The little girl had an innocent curiosity sprung forth in the form of wide-beady violet eyes.

Kinana watched their Master follow the blonde patiently towards the girl's parents. A small grin sprouted on the blonde's face as he neared the little girl. An emotion she couldn't quite place shone through his lone blue eye.

"What's your name, little miss?" He asked playfully, lowering his intimidating stature to the girl's height. The cigarette in his mouth returned to his pocket.

His sudden gentle demeanor encouraged the upbeat girl to charge forward and out of the tense reach of her parents. "Hello big blonde man! My name is Asuka Connell!" She rocked on her feet, causing her dress to sway with her movements.

Naruto chuckled at her enthusiasm, smiling warmly at the young girl. "What a pretty name!" He responded, getting the girl to giggle happily. "How old are you?" He asked in his squatted position.

"I'm five-and-a-half, which is a lot!" Bisca and Alzack looked at each other, before turning their loving eyes onto their daughter's interaction with the usual stoic S-Rank Mage.

"Woah, that is a lot!"

"How old are you, big blond man?" She asked giddily, stepping closer to Naruto.

He laughed, "I'm twenty, but I wish I could be five-in-a-half too! Being five is way cooler than being an old man like me." Naruto looked up at Bisca and Alzack, hoping that he wasn't overstepping his bounds with the girl. When he received pleased nods back, Naruto returned his gaze to little Asuka.

Kinana left her place behind the bar to witness the conversation between the dangerous S-Rank and the little girl. She hadn't expected this behavior is she was being honest with herself. The blonde seemed like the off-standish type… not someone who'd interact so well with kids.

It was an interesting surprise. The previous tense atmosphere completely evaporated as Naruto continued small-talk with the little girl. As she peered around the room, the surprise etched on her fellow members face wasn't too far off of her own reaction.

Macao had often related his boogeyman stories— or brief calls with their S-Rank Ace. Naruto Uzumaki would ask for a mission, Macao would give it to him… no small talk, no joking, no hint of emotion, and no pleasantries. Just straight business…

She had just assumed that his stoic behavior was his personality. A boy who got lost in the world, much like herself with Eric, and only found comfort in the absolute power of Jewels. Then again, perhaps she prematurely judged him seeing as how this was one of the few times he'd stepped foot in the guild. It had been quite some time since they'd last seen him. Maybe time had changed him, as it often did for most people.

"I want to use magic too! Mommy and Daddy use their magic all the time, it's so cool! After I go to bed, I always hear Mommy saying 'Do that again! Harder!' They really train hard to use magic, even when they're sleepy!" She jumped up and down, flashing a smile at her parents.

Naruto laughed as Bisca and Alzack immediately brightened and turned their faces towards the ground. "I'm sure they do." He added with a smile.

The S-Ranked mage stood to his full height, patting the girl on the head, or in this case, the cowgirl hat on her head. Asuka's head tilted upwards, nearly falling backwards dramatically at how far she had to look up.

"It was nice to meet you, Asuka. Maybe after my next mission I'll bring you back a present… how does that sound?" He offered, smirking at how the girl's face brightened even further.

"Yay! Present! I love presents!"

He stepped back, nodding towards her parents recovering from the embarrassment. Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto eyed Macao pointedly. It was time to get down to the real business.

The barmaid watched the Fourth Master nod his head towards his makeshift office, motioning for the Ace to follow. He paused, taking a few steps back to pick up his belongings before making his way towards Macao. The eyes of her guildmates watched him all the way, ignoring the chants of Asuka chanting 'Present!' over and over again.

Naruto's face reset to his usual stoicism, almost as if he flipped a switch. At least, Kinana got to see an absolutely new side to her fellow Fairy, a very intriguing side.

20 Minutes Later

"Bye bye, Big Blonde Man!" Asuka stood on one of the guild tables, waving excitedly at their S-Rank members exit. He waved back, smiling at the little cowgirl one final time before stepping out the door.

Naruto made his way onto the cliffside overlooking Magnolia Town. The sun began to set over the harbor, glistening the streets with a ethereal embrace. His senses focused upon the former Fairy Tail Headquarters, standing tall above many of the buildings in town.

His intuition had been correct upon his return to the guild. There weren't any S-Ranked missions he could be assigned right now, absolutely nothing. At first, it seemed almost nice to have somewhat of a vacation over the past couple of weeks. With his current bank holdings, he could be drowning in women and booze, or maybe even gambling his riches away at some High-End resort, but he had no such desire to do so.

Maybe there was something wrong with him. Even with all of this money, he didn't feel the urge to spend it on anything other than rudimentary needs. When he began his journey all those years ago, after those agonizing years envisioning freedom… he thought all humans sought the same thing— fame, fortune, and fun.

Well, he didn't have much fame yet. No reason to be famous right now. Fun, was, well, considering woman, gambling and boozing for men. Woman were great, but gambling and boozing was just eh. Fortune… he definitely had attained a fortune, but it hadn't seemed to cure that feeling inside of him…

It did in a sense. Just having money to spend when he felt like it was helpful. Especially since he could get a cute, little five-year-old girl a present that'd definitely cost more than some house payments.

Was that what money was? To bring happiness by just having possession of it? Naruto wasn't sure.

Maybe he just hadn't waited long enough for the money to bring him happiness…

Macao seemed to have prepared for his arrival though, having already come up with a solution to his problem. Although S-Ranks were 'officially' off the board of all guilds, Makarov had set aside S-Ranks that only Gildarts would be able to complete. Missions that were sent to Makarov straight from the top brass, and he was talking BIG Missions.

Five Year, Ten Year, Twenty Year, A Hundred Year Missions— all sitting in an abandoned basement locked away under the Twilight Ogre's borrowed Guild. Macao hadn't been sure where the missions actually were, but he'd known that Makarov kept such things under lock-and-key. Real hush-hush stuff, that even the Fourth Master didn't know about until he had to shuffle through Makarov's uncompleted paperwork.

So, it seemed that he'd be sneaking into Twilight Ogre and taking the missions for himself. Missions assigned for the now deceased Gildarts, a once extremely powerful mage. Should he be worried?

Nah. Gildarts died to weaklings, not saying Acnologia was weak, but personally— Naruto wouldn't have died.

Disappearing from the cliffside, Naruto barreled towards Magnolia with immense speed, shattering the air currents around him.

Twilight Ogre

Infiltrating the weak Guild was easy enough. Sentries had been patrolling the upper levels, not really expecting anyone to attack the 'Top Guild' in Magnolia Town. What a joke. These bums couldn't defend an obese child mistaking this place for a chocolate factory.

Macao had assured him that Makarov's belongings would be untouched, or majorly untouched. Supposedly there was a 'secret passage' behind the bar, one in which was used as a secondary storing unit for the kitchen, as well as an entrance to the Guild's 'Master's Library'. There had been an initiation of sorts when a new Master took over. The previous master would pass on his legacy and secrets of the guild to his successor through a magical trial. In this case, the Fourth Master never had the chance to actually get the official archival tour, given that Makarov was, well, dead and gone. In fact, Macao would have never known about it if he hadn't filed through the previous Wizard Saint's paperwork. It seemed that Naruto would be breaking tradition of sorts… literally.

The blonde extended his magical sense, taking in the quantities of magic in the area. Tiny arrays of magic containers in the Guild were undoubtedly the mages of Twilight Ogre. Nothing noteworthy of course. That being said, a trail of magic, unlike he'd ever seen, trailed from a dead-spot in the wall behind a refrigerator. It was almost gold-like, as it flaked Ethernanos around the edges of the refrigerator like ash.

Stepping forward, Naruto pushed the metallic container aside. A wooden door was revealed, not atypical for the guild's numerous similar ones. Warm air met his face, like that of a gentle breeze from the oceanside. He pressed upon the door, only to be met with resistance. Unsurprisingly, it was locked, not that it mattered much.

The blonde's skin burst open at the tip of his index finger. Pale bone escaped, creaking and shrilling together to form a small rod. Not knowing the shape of the lock, he inserted it slowly, allowing the blonde to feel for the indentations within the mechanism. His Bone-Make magic did the rest, forging the key to be a perfect replica of the original.

Turning his hand to the left, Naruto heard the lock click. With a push, the blonde shouldered through the door carefully to avoid the hinges on the door from groaning too loudly. He stepped into the corridor, pulling the refrigerator back to its usual position and then shut the door once more.

A long-winding staircase fronted his vision as the damp cobblestone walls were lined with magic-torches, meant to be activated by command. The cool, frigid air was offset by the continual leakage of the golden Ethernano draping around his stature. The blonde raised his hand to one of the torches while focusing magic into his fingertips.

As if flipping a light switch, the entirety of torches lit sequentially on both walls. The light formed a path to what he could only assume was the Library or Master Archives. He began walking with the clicking of his heels to the ground being the few sounds that echoed throughout the hallway. Beyond his footsteps, only the gravelly-static of the golden magic hummed soullessly in the air.

With each step, the magic grew denser and more potent while leading him pointedly through the corridor like a stream of gold-thread. Even without sensing abilities, any mage would've been able to feel the absolute weight of the force surrounding him.

Whatever was hidden down here was kept purposefully from the Guild. Only the Masters knew about it, but what could it have been? He seriously doubted that it was anything of maliciousness given Fairy Tail's reputation. This place was only kept under lock and key, stored behind a refrigerator, so how important could it have really been?

Any retard with a Master Key could come down here, in fact any person with the ability to destroy a wooden door would…

Eventually, Naruto reached what he could assume was the Archives. Massive cases of books, scrolls, and anything scholarly arrayed three, twenty foot shelves. In the center of the room was a wide set table, completely blank except for a few papers scattered about. The floor transitioned from stone to a white and black marble with a glazed surface that seemed almost icy at the first glance.

If he were Makarov Dreyar, where would he hide his S-Rank missions in all of this…?

Walking to the middle of the room, the golden thread of magic veered towards the desk. Naruto supposed that searching there first would help, especially since the guidance of light was directing him there.

However as he inched closer to his destination, the blonde noticed that the Ethernano didn't end at the desk, no, it swayed downwards, into the marbled floor. It was peculiar, but the blonde ignored the magic for a chance to peek inside the drawer of Makarov's station.

Porn Magazines, Bathing-suit Shoots, Old Pictures of Makarov and what looked to be his son, some more Old Pictures of Makarov shaking hands with a tall and white-bearded man— must have been the Second Master. But to no avail, nothing related to Gildarts' S-Ranked missions. Which probably shouldn't have been surprising, considering that this looked to be more of Fairy Tail's deceased Master's personal belongings and old memoirs.

Important things, such as official documents, would probably be stored elsewhere. Oh, and wait, was that Mirajane Strauss in a bikini…? No, he had to stay on track— As the blonde raised his head, he was met with the sight of a young girl, dressed in a frilly, pink layered robe with a red ribbon tied in a bow. Emerald orbs roamed his body as if searching for something on his form, eventually her eyes set on his right shoulder. Did he mention she was shoeless…?

"Hello." The little girl waved, smiling brightly. "You can see me right?"

Naruto's eyebrows raised. 'Am I tweaking?' He thought.

She moved closer, leaning forward on her tippy toes while putting a finger to her chin. "You are a Fairy Tail member right?" The girl asked with a bit of uncertainty.

Naruto kept his gaze forward, choosing to ignore the little girl in favor of his continued search for Gildarts' S-Ranked jobs. He rummaged through the top drawer of the desk and continually found nothing. Without hesitation, he walked to the first bookcase along the wall, parallel to the corridor he came from.

However, the creepy girl merely pouted and shuffled along beside him. With each step he took, she followed in stride, looking up at him with curious eyes. She had a contemplative expression on her pale face as she circled him when he came to a stop.

Could this have been one of the defense mechanisms for intruders that weren't the Fairy Tail Master? Maybe getting in was easy because this little girl would rip you apart once you actually got to the Archives! Yet, at the same time, what would a girl be doing down here in the first place?

Her body was magically constructed from what the mage could tell. In fact, her constitution was similar to that of a Thought Projection, and not a low-end illusionist one, but a clone that held a fraction of magic… And this girl's fraction of magic was impressive, not nearly as large as his own, yet was still measurable to about a tenth of his reserves.

Suddenly, a sharp burn erupted from his right shoulder. "The fuck…" His Fairy Tail stamp was practically glowing in a violet array. It stung briefly before coming to stop when the set of frighteningly green eyes of the clone-girl looked up at him from below.

"So you can see me!" She glared while pouting mournfully.

The blonde sighed, "Should I?"

"Yes, you're a Fairy Tail member, so you should!" She smiled radiantly, diminishing her formerly childish expression.

He touched his shoulder, feeling the tingling sensation upon his guild mark. Had she'd done something to him? His Guild Mark was just a stamp… How the hell did she make it glow?

Staring down at her, the six-foot-four man's emotionless gaze was met with a cheeky grin.

"Who are you?" He asked, towering over the girl.

"A friend of Fairy Tail."

"For a place that only the Fairy Tail Masters should know about, you must be a rather good friend."

"Yep. You must be a rather good friend as well, seeing as how you aren't one of the Masters either." Her emerald eyes held a dangerous glint. A glint that didn't belong to a child's face…

'That look in her eyes and that magic… this isn't a child, maybe an overgrown midget?' Scoffing, Naruto felt unimpressed by her glare. "Me? A friend of Fairy Tail?" He shook his head, cringing all the while.

"Are you not?"

He dismissed the clone. "No."

The blonde peered over the girl easily, passively searching for the missions again. She raised her arms, trying to stop him from searching. He sidestepped past her and she followed by latching onto his arm. Naruto shook the girl off and strolled to the book shelf across the room.

She followed and latched onto his leg.

He kicked her off and walked back.

She sprinted after him again, leaping nearly ten feet to drape across his shoulders.

Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the ankle to dangle the clone in front of him. "Listen cute Fairy Tail guard dog, I get that I'm trespassing, so if it's a fight you're looking for, then let's get it over with." He tossed the Thought Projection to the side, making her land on her backside with a girly yelp.

"I don't want to fight a member of Fairy Tail." She said while rubbing her behind. The gesture was amusing given that a thought projection couldn't feel pain. "Fairy Tail is my family."

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the girl. "Then why are you here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She giggled.

"I'm here because Makarov has something I need. And of course, he went and bit the dust, so he can't exactly lead me to it." The sapphired eyed man stated without remorse.

"What do you need? I probably know where it is, I mean I've read everything in here multiple times." The Thought Projection circled him again, poking his abs like they were a playtoy.

The blonde's eyes widened. She'd read everything in here? His eyes trailed the thousands of books lining the walls, before focusing back on the short girl. "I doubt that." He stared back stoically.

"Well, it's true." Her smile never receded as she stopped her pestering to look up.

Naruto could feel it. This clone girl wasn't lying. "Okay, then… show me a book on Fairy Tail's Three Magics." The blonde added, still skeptical.

Her eyes lost a bit of their mirth, almost as if that question immediately set her on guard. "Why are you looking for that?" She interrogated slyly.

"I'm not." She didn't look appeased, even as she kept up the innocent girl act. "You said you knew where everything was in here, so prove it, little girl."

"How about, 'Can you please show me where the book on Fairy Tail's Three Magics is? Thank you, you're so kind'." The clone huffed, eyes thinning. "Didn't your mother show you any manners growing up?"

"…Could you please show me. Thank you, little girl." He ignored the Mother jib.

"…" Huffing, the girl looked him up and down before staring at his face as if to garner his thought process. "Fine. I'll get it for you, but only if you stop calling me little girl. My name is Mavis, not 'little girl'." She relented, stalking towards the shelf behind him.

The stepping ladder in the corner rolled over to her position. "I'm only doing this because you remind me of someone I used to know." She said over her shoulder, a hint of sadness etched into her pre-pubescent voice. "We used to have verbal battles like this all the time, although he was much nicer."

A few seconds later, she returned to his side, handing him his requested book. It read, The Three Great Fairy Magics by the First Master. Definitely would be interesting to learn, given how powerful Makarov had become in his old age… Even so, the knowledge was utterly useless to someone like him. He popped open the novel, scanning some of the pages before snapping it shut. Her eyes inspected him the entire time, obviously looking for any ill-intent towards the book or its usage.

"Isn't it dangerous to keep books like this in such an obvious place?" He questioned. 'Imagine someone getting their hands on this because, and all because they could break down a wooden door.' This book had a step-by-step analysis of each magic and its individual properties.

She shook her head. "No. Only Fairy Tail members can read these. This entire place is under an enchantment. Any non-member would only see blankness and an empty store room."

"So you're a Fairy Tail member then?" He asked, puzzled as to why he hadn't seen or heard her mentioned before.

"In a way." She said simply, tilting her head to the side.

"Alright." He handed her the book, while patting her on the head. "I believe you." She pouted at his head pats. Nevertheless, a hint of smugness seemed to overpower his belittling.

"Now, could you be so kind as to direct me to Gildarts' S-Rank jobs, o'great Mavis." He teased, flashing his cerulean orb at her. She stood on tippy toes again to get closer to his face, although it didn't do much for the height gap.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because Gildarts is dead. I'm his replacement…"

He felt a foreign presence try to invade his magic capacity. Without hesitation, he dispelled the mage's attempt at measuring his power. For a person to initially bypass his sensing abilities… she was strong, or her original body was strong in any case.

He couldn't let her see what was inside him…

"You do look strong…" Her eyes widened minisculely. The girl hadn't expected him to be able to wipe away her presence, it was clearly written on her face. "Gildarts missions are very dangerous, I wouldn't want a friend of mine to get hurt." She quickly added, her magic weaving around him tensely.

'I only got a superficial view of his Magical Capacity.' Mavis thought, treading carefully around the handsome blonde boy now. 'His levels are inhuman… they exceed nearly every person I've met, including Gildarts… This child is dangerous.' And what exactly were his intentions? Did he just want to do missions… or was he here for something more… Her emerald eyes drifted to what the marble floor hid beneath their feet.

He chuckled. "Oh, we're friends now?"

"Of course." She grinned cutely.

'I need to know who this boy is… If he's dangerous, there is no way I can stop him here. Makarov and his children won't wake for another six months.' She contemplated. 'Then again, without proper initiation, it's not possible to bypass the magical barriers unless you possess one of the Three Great Fairy Magics, and in this case, he doesn't have any of them thankfully.'

Taking a step closer to Mavis, the S-Class Ace noticed a small trail of the golden Ethernano following her. It seemed almost sentient as it encircled the shoeless mage, yet it never touched.

Mavis stood her ground, keeping her calm in the presence of the towering man. "Would you help your fellow comrade find Gildarts' missions then?" He said sarcastically. "Hopefully after that little charade you just pulled, you've come to the conclusion that Gildarts is no longer the strongest mage in Fairy Tail…"

He attempted to touch the ash-like magic around her, but it flattened in front of his hand, coiling and pushing his limb away as if protecting the little girl. Leaning back, Naruto watched in confusion as the magic reverted back to its protective form and continued to enrapture her form.

She inclined her head, staring into the handsome partially covered by a black bandanna. "Is that all you want?" Mavis questioned politely.

Naruto nodded. What else could he have wanted in a place like this? Old photographs, magic scrolls, porn magazines… He didn't necessarily need any of that kind of stuff. Outside of Gildarts' missions that the man technically didn't need anymore— cause he's dead— he was feeling quite kind in quelling the urge to steal precious artifacts from his own Guild.

And, if the girl wouldn't give him the one thing he came for because of some sense of duty towards her 'friends' then he'd just take it forcefully. He'd leave the woman's real body alone. She was obviously a current member of the guild. Wouldn't want those guys breathing down his neck for beating up his own guildmate.

"Are you sure…?" She blushed a bit in her cheeks. "I saw you looking at that spread of Mira…"

The tall swordsman laughed awkwardly, a bit of heat rushing to his cheeks. "No, I'm sure. I like my women a bit more, you know, alive…" He wafted his hand. 'Although, Makarov is a bit of a creep for keeping pictures like that of his so-called 'children' now that I think about it.' He added as an afterthought.

"Understood." She giggled into her hand. "Follow me."

Mavis walked towards one of the adjacent shelves to the corridor's entrance. The second row up had a complete section of manilla folders kept labeled with names of Fairy Tail members. Standing over her shoulder, Naruto was able to piece together a few names, Gray Fullbuster, Wendy Marvell, Lisanna Strauss, before finally landing on the folder labeled Gildarts Clive. Whether intentional or not, his section was about twice as large as any of the other ones.

"Master Makarov kept records on everyone, although a bit sloppy, things from previous missions to collateral damage bills to the council were stored for each individual member." Mavis stated. "Gildarts is massive because of many different causalities unfortunately…" She turned, handing the manilla folder over to him.

Naruto opened it up and thumbed through the documents. At first, he was met with unpaid Bar Tabs, love letters from his many women, mission completions, and even a receipt for strippers meant for Natsu Dragneel the week after Fairy Tail's core members left for Tenroujima. Finally, towards the end, he spotted the first of a dozen S-Ranked missions assigned to the Fairy Tail Ace. Ten One-Year jobs priced around 5 Million Jewels a piece, One Five-Year job for 25 Million Jewels, and One Hundred-Year job for 210 Million Jewels.

Of course, jobs labeled with a 'year' passage didn't actually mean they'd take that amount of time, it was more classified for the difficulty than the tenured time span. No wonder Gildarts had never been around Fairy Tail before their demise… the Crash Magic user never had any time to do anything besides the jobs required of him.

His lone cerulean orb widened at the figures. Plus, Gildarts was getting paid insanely well, perhaps better than anyone in the country of Fiore! How the fuck did he have unpaid Bar Tabs! No wonder he never came back, he was basically living life to the fullest on the road with absolutely zero shits given.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Mavis questioned, glancing at his widened blue eye.

The Bounty Hunter pulled out the twelve missions before stashing them in the pouch on his left hip. He snapped the manilla folder closed, shaking his head at his good fortune. Macao Conbolt had gotten a huge point in his book for this one. With these, Naruto wouldn't have to return to the guild for years— well, at least after he got little Asuka a gift. He could just imagine her teary-eyed face if he didn't come back with a gift. He wasn't so heartless as to make a little girl cry…

A hand began to pat her pale blonde hair. "Yes, thanks for the help, little girl." He said appreciatively.

He patted away, knowing full well that the 'little girl' bit would probably make her pout. But, as he glanced down, the childish expression from before was vacant. Instead, the tall blonde received a pointed glare for his gesture. If Naruto read between the lines, it probably meant, 'Fuck you, you know what you did'.

"Glad I could help." She brushed his hand off his head. "Now, I kind of have somewhere I need to be so…" Mavis' eyes rolled towards the entrance of the hallway.

The swordsman chuckled, seeing a bit of impatience leak through the otherwise well placed facade. He could take a hint. Although, he didn't want to leave quite yet, given that the golden Ethernano seemed to be receding with each second, leaving the Thought Projection allegedly defenseless as it returned to the trail of thread that led to the space beneath Makarov's desk.

His eyes regarded the position, ignoring the shoeless mage in favor of trying to sense magical energy beneath the marble floor. And as he extended his senses beneath, he was met with a protective barrier of sorts, something blocking his otherwise perfect sensing capabilities.

Naruto could sense everything within the area, including the girl next to him, but the ash-like trail of golden particles seemed to desist after passing through the floor. A darkened area, completely rid of any magical presence as provided to him by the barrier. Fairy Tail was hiding something… something big.

The blonde's eyes narrowed in thought. Initiation for new Masters wasn't meant for the Archives… all of this knowledge around him was just a front! No wonder it was so easy to get in… this place was the locked doorway for the real passage beneath.

'That energy from below was protecting this… Mavis.' He peered at the girl from the corner of his eye. She was entirely focused on him. Completely tense, although hiding it well. 'Whatever is doing there must be related to Fairy Tail's Masters in some way… or even the Three Great Fairy Magics…' Naruto pondered.

"My bad." His hands found their way into his pockets. "Thanks for the help. I'll put these missions to good use." He winked at the long-dressed mage.

Naruto gave the plethora of energy one last glance before casually sauntering towards the hallway from which he entered. He glanced over his shoulder at the girl standing stagnant, watching him through baited emerald eyes. The change in expression from innocent child to suspicious mage drifted dramatically after his blatant interaction with the energy around her.

Additionally, given her impressive display of magical sense, Naruto was sure that little Mavis was aware of his focus the entire time…

Who the hell was this Mavis, and what the hell was her relation to Fairy Tail and Makarov?

Inside Fairy Sphere

Mavis sat cross-legged at her gravesite, deep under the sea. Light from the surface barely passed here as Fairy Tail's core members restored Tenroujima back to its original state through the strength of their bonds. Over the years, she had much time to reflect on the choices in her life that brought her to this point.

Leaving Tenroujima with Yuri, Warrord, and Precht— and Zera…

Forming Fairy Tail with said friends…

Gaining the Curse of Ankhseram as Punishment for using untested Black Magic…

The Three Great Fairy Magics that followed…

Zeref…

She couldn't but feel that everything she'd involved herself in failed traumatically. Mavis Vermillion was a failure, Mavis Vermillion lost her way, Mavis Vermillion was a fool.

However, that day when Yuri's son, Makarov Dreyar, linked hands with his 'children', the pride she felt was exponentially greater than any pain she'd been dealt. The strength in their life, in themselves and in the love they shared and bonded over saved them. Although Fairy Sphere was designed as the medium for their love, nothing could've ever made her predict what Fairy Tail had become under Makarov's tenure.

Fairy Tail was beautiful, as was the love between comrades. It was everything she could have ever hoped for.

However, the memories she received from her split presence in response to someone breaking into her actual resting place. It set her on edge. That boy she met, the self-granted Fairy Tail Ace, was not someone that shared that sentiment. Mavis could see it in his eyes, in the way he walked and carried himself, he did not care for Fairy Tail nor its practices. Naruto Uzumaki was unlike the Fairies asleep below, he was an anomaly.

That didn't necessarily mean he was an enemy. Laxus, from what little she'd seen, was once like that. People change, she's seen it numerous time.

However, the new Fairy Tail mage was dangerous, exceedingly so. His control over raw Ethernano was frightening, so frightening that he was able to sense the enthralls of Fairy Heart from outside the containment zone underneath Fairy Tail's Guild. She could feel him interacting with Fairy Heart's barrier, even without knowledge of one of the Three Great Magics.

Mavis wasn't sure if Uzumaki knew who she was, but she was absolutely sure he knew Fairy Tail was hiding something…

In her split state, her power wouldn't have been able to overcome the boy. Perhaps she had enough magic for a single Fairy Law, and one was all she needed in the grand scheme. But, he had left, even after his discovery. Whether it was out of respect or lack of care, or maybe even to regroup at a later time, Mavis was determined to deter him if he was there for malicious means.

Fairy Heart was an infinite source of power, and if that power fell into the wrong hands, she believed that Makarov would be able to stop it. However, at the current moment, it wasn't possible. Just a bit longer and she wouldn't have to worry so much.

In the end, she utterly hoped that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't a malevolent person. And from what she could tell— superficially— he was just a curious boy, searching for his way. Not a cruel child, no, just a child burdened with something.

2 Months Before Fairy Tail's Return

Gildarts' missions ended up being a bit easier than Naruto first assumed. If anything, these jobs seemed more like a conspiracy to keep the destructive womanizer away from major cities than actual dire S-Rank situations.

Eliminate the Gay Goblins in the Crocus Mountains. Eliminate the Vulcan Clan dressed as lady-boys in the Waas Forest. Destroy dark-magic syringes capable of turning Humans into Giant-Humanoids in Matza Valley…

Naruto did all of them without hesitation. Gay Goblins and Lady-Boys deserved elimination, no doubt. But, what was the deal with the odd jobs. Weren't S-Ranks supposed to be somewhat serious? He would've thought that little blonde girl back at Fairy Tail's archives falsified the documents if he hadn't already had his fair share of questionable missions.

These made Bounty Hunter jobs look like the most sane thing in the world…

"Where the hell am I going…?" Naruto scratched his head, looking out towards the sea on the Western side of Fiore.

The parchment in his hand read, 'S-Rank (Retrieval)', which was listed by God Serena himself. His reward would be 6 Million Jewels upon the retrieval of a gift he'd been offered by some distant land. It seemed like foreign dignitaries playing to God Serena's favor in fear of his power.

The only problem was the destination of this particular mission. The Eight-Lacrima Dragon Slayer had set the meeting point of this 'gift retrieval' in the middle of the goddamn ocean. His exact words were, 'Gildarts, go 126 Miles Northwest from Gallowstown. An island will be halfway in between Alakistia and Fiore, you can't miss it.'

Simple directions for a simple man, he supposed.

The job didn't seem anything too strenuous besides the need for travel. Although, S-Ranked pay for going over 200 miles, presumably by boat, would definitely adhere to the annoyance of sea travel rather than difficulty by an S-Rank definition of risk.

However, that wasn't what Naruto was worried about… Why would Serena specifically need Gildarts to get something on an island in the middle of buttfuck-nowhere, especially since he had a bunch of half-wit Council Mages at his disposal.

If there wasn't any risk, Naruto doubted that Gildarts would've been given the job. It was in International Waters near the Alvarez Empire just by direction alone, so the risk was probably above the average tenured S-Rank.

Naruto had also checked the job listings and saw that the job hadn't been waived yet… Why would a foreign nation wait six years to give a gift? Something definitely wasn't right about all this. He was somewhat tempted to ask God Serena himself…

'Nah, fuck that.' He shot forward into the harbor, looking for a charter to… Caracole Island. He was willing to take the risk, he wasn't a bitch. Maybe he'd find an exotic island woman to bring home to the folks…

Alvarez Empire: A Couple Days Later

August, the head of the Spriggan Twelve looked between the youngest member of the honored unit and a message from their Emperor about a Mage under God Serena's employ in Fiore.

"Brandish, I understand your irritation. However, I believe you should refrain from shrinking your soldiers, I assure you that they are already beyond frightened of you as it is." Less than a week ago, she'd shrunk her Captain, Marin Hallo, and made him swim for his life in a 'Toilet Whirlpool' for exceeding his amount of allocated A+ for the day.

The bikini-clad unit leader rolled her eyes. "Marin knew the rules and he broke them. The Toilet was the best of the punishments I gave him."

Sighing, August placed the report to the side. He made to grab his staff and take a short walk to the Gardens, but was stopped in stride as a soldier burst through the arched doorway of the Spriggan Palace room. "Lord August, there's a matter that needs your attention." August, the Wizard King, craned his elderly neck to the side, holding his hand out expectantly.

To his side, the Nation Destroyer, Brandish stood with her hands on her curvy hips. A hint of annoyance showed in her face at the interruption.

The tall, gray-bearded mage accepted the magical device held out towards him. Upon the device was a Sensor Map for the Empire's boundary lines and its monitoring of Magic Signatures. Evidently, the eight current members of the Spriggan Twelve were situated around the Capital, easily seen by the incredibly large magic containers.

However, upon their allied Island of Caracole, another red dot easily eclipsed the Spriggan Twelve's members in-house. "Report." He raised his stern visage to the saluting soldier.

Clicking his heels, the soldier also bowed to the voluptuous green-haired women before reporting. "Approximately 36 minutes ago, our sensors gathered a Magical Signature originating from Caracole Island 43 Clicks Southeast." August nodded his head sagely, motioning for the man to continue. "Known Magic Capacities of our Lords and Ladys do not match any data currently on file. Corporal Pinkman believes it to be a foreign magical guild." The soldier confirmed with the report, ignoring the small brew of sweat gathering on his forehead.

'Foreign Guilds know that Caracole is in International Waters, there is no legal offense in their designation… However, Caracole is independent of magical interference, instead relying on a local militia force.' August's eyes narrowed towards the screen once more. 'Magic of this caliber could be a number of things, even so, this level of Ethernano is equal to three members of his Majesty's Shield.' The elderly Wizard King thumbed the screen.

"Have there been any distress calls from Caracole?" His black-gray eyes questioned his subordinate.

"No, my Lord."

It was a concerning matter. A Magic of that size near his Majesty's Empire made him weary. Even God Serena in his frequent visits to the island never registered at this level, and that buffoon was still playing Wizard Saint in Ishgar. That being said, if the magic hadn't shown on their radar since the barrier entry, then it must've originated from the east. Meaning the group of foreign mages came from the east, leaving either Bosco or Fiore as the most realistic possibility.

August handed the device back to his bannerman, "Which Spriggan unit is closest to the Island?"

The Soldier fiddled with the screen, rapidly shuffling his fingers. "That would be Lady Brandish's Captain

Marin's subsquad. Their ships are a couple hours out on Patrol of the Eastern Seaboard." Brandish's eyebrows perked at the mention of the Space Magic user.

August turned towards the twenty-four year old mage, muttering a 'troublesome' under her breath. "Brandish." He said simply.

As if reading his expression, the broad bosomed woman huffed, extending her lower lip into a fierce pout. "August…" His eyes softened a bit at her expression.

"We can continue our discussion later." He smiled shortly. "I'm confident the situation will be resolved quickly with your presence."

The praise went to the Mage's head instantly. A pleasant smile replaced her irritable pout as she reluctantly nodded. "Mmm, fine… I guess it's been a while since I've had that gelato…" She pressed a finger to her lips, humming to herself.

August sent the soldier away with a nod of his head. "Be cautious. Call for reinforcement should you need it." He lectured wisely.

"As you say." Although it seemed as if she ignored the older man, Brandish listened intently.

He waved her off, causing the woman to make her way for the exit to the Great Hall of the Emperor Spriggan. Her hand already clung to a Lacrima, gathering it towards her ear and speaking lowly over the transmission.

As the distance between them began to extend, August could make out the loud exclamations of 'A+ A+!' in what could only be the ever faithful Captain of Brandish Squad.

A Couple Hours Later: Caracole Island

Naruto strolled through the hutted streets of the tropical island. Numerous vendors and shops lined his vision, much like the streets of Magnolia. Smells of fried squid, tteokbokki, sushi—amongst others, filled his senses, causing his stomach to rumble.

The sand-crusted road kicked up dust around his feet, leaving the scuffs of his sandals to be covered in tan-grains of earth. Children bustled, weaving in and out of passing adults, chasing a kite drifting in the wind. With each gust of the pleasant ocean breeze, the string raised out of their reach, causing some of the younger ones to tear up, yelling after it.

Smiling in mirth at their heart-stricken faces, Naruto easily snatched the green spool handle of the red and yellow kite. The children watched with surprise as he lowered their toy down to one of the younger kids of the group. A little girl with auburn hair, curled around her colic, grasped the spool from the impressively tall mage, gripping it to her chest in fear that it would fly away once more.

"Woah!" A black-haired boy pointed up at him. "You're huge!"

Naruto smiled at the blunt observation. "You're tiny." He replied good-naturedly.

"Am not! I've been drinking my milk and eating those disgusting green mini-trees! I'll be bigger than you in a year!" The boy walked closer to him, standing on his tiptoes while puffing out his chest.

The blonde swordsman poked the boy on the forehead, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the balms of his feet. "I think you'll need more than a year for that." He chuckled, seeing the angry glare of the boy.

"Takeru! Look, he's got a sword!" Another black-haired kid revolved to his left, peeking his head around his form to spot the large Broadsword draped along his spine.

The supposed 'Takeru's' glare remained static on his face. "What do I care about a stupid sword, I've seen way cooler things!" He responded stubbornly while leaning to the side trying to sneak a glance of Naruto's weapon.

"Like what?!" An older girl shouted, pushing his shoulder teasingly.

Takeru shoved back. "I…I've seen one of the Spriggan Twelve!" His face went red, obviously fibbing.

"You're so stupid, Takeru! Stop lying!"

"You shut up, Misa! A stupid girl like you should be washing dishes in a kitchen somewhere!"

'Misa's' face contorted murderously. "…what did you just say?" She spoke eerily as a couple of the other kids backed away from her.

"You heard wha—" Takeru's friend put a hand over his mouth before he could utter his death sentence.

Naruto observed their tenacity with a smile, laughing silently to himself. As he made to leave the children and continue his search for God Serena's 'gift', his pant leg was tugged on by the little girl with the kite. The sapphire eyed man glanced down, seeing her bright emerald eyes shine gleefully.

"Are you a magic person?" She bounced in step, rocking on her heels.

Seeing the others still neck-deep in their argument, Naruto lowered himself to the girl's height. "What says I'm a 'magic person'." He smirked.

"You have that big sword and you caught my kite!" She smiled with a wide set of pearly whites. "If you aren't a magic person then… then you are a superhero!" The little auburn haired girl exclaimed, gripping his forearm to test his 'magic strength'.

"A superhero?!" He asked in fake shock. "How did you know?!" His face leaned in closer as he put a hand to his chest.

The girl's eyes widened in astonishment. "Because mommy says that I'm super smart, she says that girls are never wrong!" She nodded to herself, remembering her mother's advice.

"Well, that is true. Moms are always right!"

"Yup…" She poked his cheek, continuing to test his 'superheroness' "Can you do a superhero thingy?" The little girl asked, demanding more of him if her stern face was anything to judge by.

"Hmm, I don't know…" He poked his chin in false thought, watching the girl squirm impatiently. "Maybe if you tell me your name first, then I'll think about it." Naruto noticed Takeru getting put into a chokehold by Misa, tears threatening to escape his eyes.

"Ok!" She clapped cheerfully, "I'm Ember, my papa calls me 'Em', but I don't like that. Big girls go by their big girl names." The auburn haired girl, now Ember, off-tracked slightly.

Naruto couldn't resist patting the cute little munchkin on her head. "Well, Ember, you said you wanted to see my superhero trick, right?" He asked, standing to his full height.

"Mmhmm." She nodded giddily, eyes shining brightly.

To his left, a smaller booth stood off a patch of overturned rocks. It was held together by wood and straw with a sign that read 'Star-Mango Gelato'. An average man sat on a stool, waving at people as they passed.

"You see that booth over there?" He pointed towards the man, watching the little emerald eyed girl follow his gaze. "Do you want some?"

"Mm, yeah…" She admitted with a pout. "But, mommy didn't give me any money, so I can't get any."

He laughed, "No worries, Ember. One of my superhero thingys is that I can get you all of the sweets you want!" Naruto planted his hands on his hips like a cliche superhero.

"Really?! But, but mommy and papa say I can only have a sweet once per week…" The auburn haired girl asked in bewilderment.

"Well, this will be our little secret then." He responded kindly. The blonde walked towards the booth, wafting his hand for the girl to follow. She smiled happily, practically running after him. Ember, to his surprise, grabbed his extended hand and swung his arm back and forth rapidly.

Naruto grinned at her enthusiasm, allowing her to guide him along. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" She raced forward, trying to drag him along to no avail.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" He sighed with a small smile. As they closed in on the stall, the man greeted them jovially.

"Two Gelatos, please." The ex-Bounty Hunter took some bills from his wallet and laid them out on the counter.

"Coming up!"

Ember shook in place, hopping from one foot to the other as the maestro handed one yellow and purple cup to the girl. Her awestruck face took the cup in, looking it over while licking her lips in anticipation.

"Enjoy." He said as he delivered the other serving to the tall blonde.

Naruto dipped his head in thanks. "Now, let's go fin—"

"GUYSSS, THE SUPERHERO GUY IS BUYING ALL OF US SWEETS!" Ember interrupted, shouting at the bickering group with her gelato raised high in the air.

"Wuh—" So much for their little secret…

Takeru and Misa's heads shot in their direction instantly, as did the rest of the children. Her serving was met with looks of excitement, some nearly frothing at the mouth. The fighting pair then glanced at each other, wolfshire grins spread with equal tenacity.

"GELATOOO!" They charged towards the booth, pushing several people out of the way in their wake.

The Gelato Maestro grinned, whooping at the children grouping around his stand. "More of my famous Gelato then?" He laughed, eyeing the towering Mage.

Naruto laughed genuinely, even as his eyes swayed downcastedly for a moment. Something about the expressions on their faces brought him instantaneous jealousy… What was it like to be a normal kid like this…?He never even had the chance to experience it…

"Yes, make that…" Naruto counted heads, 5…9…16… "17 Bowls, please." He took another stack of bills out onto the table.

Wasn't like it was anything drastic in cost. He could afford a billion servings of gelato, maybe even more. 'I guess having money is worth it if I could. I always use it like this.' Glancing down to his side, Ember raised the spoon to her mouth, humming in satisfaction.

But then, like a sudden drop of rain on a clear day, a massive Magic Signature entered his sensory zone. Naruto briefly closed his eyes, stepping in between the kids and the source of power.

'From the… West side of the Island. 75 Individuals, 1 A-Rank, 1 S-Ranked level Mage. S-Rank might not even be scalable for this one signature… a woman, easily on the level of the Four Gods of Ishgar…' That could only mean one thing. 'Someone from the Alvarez Empire is here. Likely one of these Spriggan Twelve I keep hearing about…'

He felt the woman spread her senses as well, she zeroed in on his location practically immediately. However, her pace was not one of urgence as she began making her way towards him.

"ANOTHER!" Ember demanded, pointing a finger at him with a tone befitting someone thrice her age.

'Could this somehow be related to the mission?' Naruto wondered, absently placing more of his money into the girl's hand. 'I didn't really expect to come across anyone. I mean, it's been almost seven years! How would they know someone came to gather the gift? Some kind of sensory magic maybe? This is getting more fishy by the second…' Perhaps he was overthinking it. Naruto turned back to the kids as he waited for the foreign Mage to approach.

From the Western Shores

"Lady Brandish, let me come with you. You are the fairest in the land. An A+, in fact!" Marin walked slightly behind her, expressing his concern over their CO.

Brandish waved him off, finding the utterance of her Captain annoying as she sensed the Magical Signature. 'This Magic… it's coming from a single person.' Her emerald eyes narrowed tensely. She wasn't the best at garnering Magic Capacities, yet— this Magic was powerful beyond anything. So incredibly potent and refined, thrice her own levels.

Her own Magic Level was incomprehensible to 99.99% of the Mages worldwide. It seems like this would be the extremely rare occasion in which she was the one that'd gape in awe.

The person was in the middle of the food market, surrounded by a couple civilians with Magic Capability, but otherwise alone. She flipped out her communication device, sending a brief note to August about the situation.

"Stop your yelling Marin." She groaned, feeling the urge to flick him into miniature sized again. "How troublesome, I won't even be able to enjoy my Gelato." Finishing her message, she returned her device to her pocket.

Even in her irritable attitude, Brandish began her trek to the market, which wouldn't take her but a couple minutes. Marin cowed near the ship, wisely shutting his mouth for the first time since she made contact with her unit.

'Maybe I could get some Star-Mango Gelato before I find the mage.' She thought, walking briskly ignoring the wide depths passerbys shuffled away from her. She stepped into her usual routine path towards her favorite snack stand. Unfortunately, Brandish soon realized, though, that the person she sensed was standing amongst a pack of children in front of 'her' gelato.

The tall, broad-shouldered blonde man sat in the middle of all the kids eating out of the bowls of gelato with gusto. His left-eye was covered by a black bandanna that wrapped under the parts of wavy locks draping over his forehead.

'He's good-looking if nothing else.' She appreciated the eye-candy in front of her, seemingly unaware of her presence. The Command T user sauntered towards the source of power, observing how his lone sapphire eye suddenly scrutinized her approach. 'Nevermind, definitely aware, how tiresome…' She moaned glumly, nothing was ever easy anymore.

"I have a friend coming to visit me." He spoke in a slightly raspy manner. Poking his head down the road of stalls, the blonde pointed an outstretched finger, "Go get some tteokbokki, I'll be down there in a couple minutes." He fished a roll of money from his pocket, handing it over to an auburn-haired girl with gelato all over her lips.

Her eyes never left the curious blonde hunk as the children stampeded through the stands, causing many civilians to cry out in surprise. A cry of 'Thanks Superhero Sword Guy!' sounded over the crowd of tourists and locals.

Brandish sat down in the stool on the far left of the stand, leaving a seat in between them. She ordered her usual, eyeing him the entire time. He merely smiled in return, a cocky willful expression not quite on the level of the fool Ajeel, creeped onto his face.

As she went to fish her money in her top, the blonde gently placed some bills onto the countertop. "I've got her too." He smirked to the man who gladly scooped up the Fiore currency.

"Good on you for feeding those kids." The man placed a bowl on the counter. "You're a good man. Ain't enough kindness in this world no more… this next one's on me." He grinned balefully, pushing the bills back to the Mage. The maestro went back to working on what could only be her deluxe special. It had been quite some time, but it seemed like the old man remembered her preferences.

"Here you go Lady Brandish." A large bowl with ten jumbo scoops and a purple spoon was laid in front of her. "Enjoy." He butted out of the ensuing conversation, waddling over to his gelato machines.

The Cyclops Swordsmen continued to grin, observing her as she scooped the first bite into her mouth. "Fine day isn't it?" He asked, gesturing to the plethora of life around them.

"Mmm." She responded with a mouthful of greatness.

"Places like these, untouched by the cruelty of the mainland, it really is something else." He sighed, looking towards the peak of the Caracole Volcano. "A place where people can live normal and carefree lives, HA, must be nice." He chuckled mirthlessly.

"You have no idea." She responded lazily.

He sat up straighter in his seat, face evaporating into a lazy mask. "Makes me wonder why someone of your stature is here."

The Command T Mage peered over her shoulder, meeting his rogue expression stoically. "You know who I am then?" She asked curiously.

He inspected her face, then to her bosom. "No, sorry I don't." A violet diamond-shaped earring jingled as he turned his body towards her. "Although, considering the nice maestro called you Lady, I'd assume your royalty or something. You look important at least, got the whole Mage outfit down to the T."

"How about me? Do I look important?" He finished.

Brandish eyes narrowed, drawing down his body as he did to her. "No." She scooped another piece of gelato into her mouth. "I don't really care for the Lady thing. But, I guess me having some importance is kinda true." She said, keeping her intentions folded for the moment.

"Are you a Mage then?" He asked curiously.

Brandish raised an eyebrow. "Are you a Mage?" She questioned stoically.

The blonde thumbed the stubble on his chin. "Depends on the day really." He concluded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, your turn."

"No thanks." She ignored him, hoping to get a rise out of the blonde.

He laughed. "Why'd I even ask that, what else could you be?" The muscled Mage/Not-Mage smirked in amusement. "Your Magic Power is incredible after all."

'So he can sense me after all.' Brandish didn't react outwardly. 'He says my power is 'incredible', yet shows no fear or concern. That at least confirms his Magic Power isn't for show… he's not worried whatsoever.' Brandish felt herself shiver, whether it was because she realized something or the gelato, she didn't want to think about it.

"Who are you?" She glanced at him, completely relaxed, even slouching in his stool. 'I have a feeling this is going to get annoying.'

His icy blue eyes met her, shining with mirth. Along with that borderline smug smirk, that smirk was disgusting. "Me? I'm no one really, at least not yet." He gripped the pouch at his side, taking out a flier vaguely reminiscent of Fiore's Guild forms.

'So, he's a Mage from Fiore.' He placed the mission on the table, reading 'S-Rank Retrieval' signed off by… 'Ugh, foul, disgusting… God Serena.' Her lip twitched at that hideous, overly dramatic cunt. The current inside man for the Spriggan Twelve soon turncoat-traitor of Fiore.

'Is this guy a Wizard God or whatever those losers call themselves?' She thought, trying to piece together his motives. However, as her eyes trailed down the paper, the mission had been assigned to 'Gildarts Clive of Fairy Tail'. 'Gildarts Clive… as the once strongest man in Ishgar? The very dead Gildarts Clive… or supposedly dead, August had been cryptic about the whole Fairy Tail conspiracy.'

"Butttt, this guy was someone. Someone very famous and this mission was my inheritance from him, as you can see." The increasingly annoying, but still hot guy, tapped the job flier before sliding it over towards her. "This job should've been void when he died, seeing as how he was acting as a Foreign Dignitary for a meeting between Alakistia and Fiore. As you can see, he was supposed to pick up a 'gift'. So could you perhaps, tell me where I can find someone from Alakistia to see why the job is still up. Because, you know, if it isn't I just wasted a week of my life coming to an island in the middle of nowhere." He laid it out on the table, being thoroughly honest if she was judging his expression correctly.

'No I think I'm the one wasting my time.' She thought with a scowl. 'This mission was from when God Serena was meant to prove his loyalties by having a High-Ranking Mage from Fiore killed off. It was rather basic of a plan, but something that could've worked some time ago. Though that was before Acnologia obliterated that Guild, Fairy Tail. I refuse to believe that scumbag, God Serena, forgot to finalize the paperwork.' She slid the mission back over to him, trying to hide her displeasure.

"Why are you taking a mission meant for a dead guy anyway? All of this sounds way too complex… I say, you walk over to that bin over there." The voluptuous woman pointed to a trash can a few booths down. "And just throw the whole troublesome thing away."

The blonde nodded at her advice. "That probably would be the smart thing to do here…" He paused,

"This thing is just a piece of paper, it's not like the mission will just disappear because I want it to. Plus, a lot of money is on the line for something that should be pretty simple."

"Isn't it weird though." She tried to reason. "Why is your God Serena still waiting on a 'gift' six years later?" Brandish tilted her head, acting innocent upon the Wizard Saint's motives.

'Even if I only met that idiot a handful of times, he wasn't entirely stupid. Incredibly overdramatic, but not forgetful or negligent. If Gildarts Clive was meant to be put down here on this island by our forces, then is God Serena wishing for the same here? Is that why he gave this mission to him? Is this a way of saying that this boy is the new Gildarts Clive?' She wondered, trying to come to a conclusion. So many questions, questions that made her want to quit and just tell August she accomplished her task.

"Well, God Serena is a weird man. I'm not sure what goes through his head. Maybe he is a patient man." The blonde deadpanned, leaving her to assume he'd met the Second Generation Dragon Slayer. "Actually I take that back, God Serena would have invaded a foreign country for this gift ages ago."

Brandish wanted to nod her head in agreement, but refrained. "…I'll have to take your word for it. As annoying as this whole thing, I don't really know how to help you or why you asked me in the first place." She replied flippantly. Of course, this man didn't appear to be ignorant, her attire and her magic should have been enough to tell that she came from Alakistia.

The blonde stared at her in amusement. His lone blue orb pierced a hole through the side of her emerald tresses. Suddenly, as if surrounded by a bombardment of ebony clouds, her stomach shot up to her chest. Raw Ethernano overtook her form, drilling through her container at the speed of a hidden dagger.

Before she had time to react, the presence vanished, leaving her skin crawling and swelling with icy sweat. Her tan skin began to gain strength in color, a gradual difference from her pale visage from barely a moment before. She shot from her stool, forcing herself not to exude her magic due to the amount of civilians nearby. Brandish felt her fingers fret, absolutely ready to reduce this man to the size of an atom.

"What did you do?" She snarled, chest heaving in short breaths.

In response, the blonde man smiled guiltlessly. "Oops, did I scare you? Sorry, my magic tends to slip out a lot."

Her face tightened further, a vicious scowl aimed directly at him. "That was magic?" It was so vile and overwhelming…

"Yeah, I've got so much that my body can't hold it all in. So, from time to time, I get the occasional slip." He said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Think of it like a bad stomach ache, sometime you just gotta… toot it out."

Her face stretched in disgust at the analogy before Brandish took a couple steps forward, closing the distance between the pair of Mages. He remained seated, which left him nearly on the same height as her. Magic tensed in her container… The Spriggan Twelve member's communication Lacrima buzzed in her pocket, halting her in step. A message popped onto the screen from August that made her heart sink…

You need to withdraw immediately. Emperor Spriggan commands it.

Emperor Spriggan?! 'His Majesty is never involved in menial tasks like this. His Majesty hasn't even returned to the Empire for over Seven Years… Unless, this man is somehow important enough for the Emperor to involve himself in all this… Nope, I don't want to think about it, this is beyond troublesome.' A situation where His Majesty belied a command through August was very rare. Rare enough, that brought a sense of dread along with it.

Was the Emperor trying to protect her? Or, was this Mage apart of something she couldn't see? Brandish scoffed. 'What do I care? This doesn't really have anything to do with me.' The blonde looked puzzled as she stuffed her device back into the pocket of her coat.

She put one of her hands on her curvaceous hips, while her other point at his stomach. "Whatever, I'll forgive you." The Command T user rolled her shoulders lazily, "I just want to go home, so good luck with your dumb job." She wheeled around, beginning to walk in the direction of Marin and her soldiers.

"You're leaving?" He sounded from behind her. "C'mon now, we just started our conversation. Let's bond over an impossible mission and find this gift together." Brandish didn't want to turn around to discover whether he said that sarcastically or not.

She continued to strut away, obeying the order of his Majesty. The emerald eyed Mage finally got to go home, she should feel enthralled to no longer have to put up with a troublesome person like him.

But, as she left… for some terrifying reason, all she could feel was trepidation…

"I'm sure we'll see each other again." He whispered in a voice, only a Mage like her would be able to hear.

2 Months Later

Fairy Tail had woken from their seven year slumber. Tenroujima resurfaced and the Blue Pegasus shipped had discovered Fairy Sphere's remnants of Ethernano over the ocean. Upon their arrival with the members of Fairy Tail under Macao's reign, every single member thought to be dead was found alive and not having aged a single day.

They rejoiced in the miracle as tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and the accustomization to finding out the world outside had passed them by for over seven years core members of Fairy Tail lived in a new age of magic in Fiore, one that was no longer led by the rowdy gang of Fairies. However, in their celebration, Makarov stepped aside to talk with the First Master. Her serious expression in such a tender moment alerted distress far more than he realized. In what should have been a time to appreciate his life and the life of his guild members, it seemed that they were going to be thrown into danger quicker than he thought.

"Makarov, the Guild has become better than I could've ever hoped." She smiled in pride, "I know Yuri would have been so proud of the man you'd become."

The former fifth-ranked Wizard Saint accepted the praise with teary eyes. "Thank you, Master Mavis. Fairy Tail has become what it is, because of you. And the lives of the people I care for are safe, because of you. Thank you, so so much." He bowed at the waist, eyes dripping to the cool earth below.

"I only helped with the Fairy Sphere." She accepted humbly. "The bonds you created with your members did the rest. Fairy Tail is truly wonderful!" The shoeless Mage smiled beautifully with her hands linked in front of her dress.

"However…" Her expression sobered, worry seeping into her tone. "Fairy Tail struggled with you all gone. And with that struggle, a person joined your Guild, the only one within the Seven Years of Fairy Sphere," she said.

Makarov listened intently, more than a little hurt at leaving members of his Guild behind to struggle. Seven Years by themself with only a single member joining must've been heartbreaking. "I'm guessing this person is important." He assumed.

Nodding, Mavis continued, "Given that my conscience was within Fairy Sphere most of the time, I was unable to actually discover much of anything about this Mage. I only met him on one occasion and…" She sighed, "Makarov, the boy knows about Fairy Sphere." The First Master stated bluntly.

Makarov's eyes widened, "W-What? How is that possible?" He bombarded the blonde woman in alarm.

Accepting his shock, Mavis pressed on. "Macao told him of the Master's Archive and the Archive is known only by the Guild Masters. Not only this, but I can confirm Macao never actually discovered the chamber where Fairy Heart lays." Makarov nodded, assuming as such, knowing that he wasn't able to give his 'successor' the official right of passage.

"How could this new member have known about Fairy Heart then?" Makarov questioned, humming in distress.

"When I discovered him in the archives, he could sense the ethereal Ethernano connection from my body to this Thought Projection. The only way any Mage would be able to do such a thing was if they had incredible control over Raw Ethernano itself, much like myself or you." Mavis saw the realization hit the Third Master.

"So the new mage is a High-Rank then." He finalized. "Did he give a reason why he was there?" The old man asked.

"Yes, S-Rank without a doubt. From what I could tell, all he seemed interested in was attaining Gildarts' S-Rank missions from the Council. At least, until he discovered I was protecting something," she said.

Makarov rubbed his beard in thought, perplexed with such a character. "Gildarts' jobs are beyond the normal S-Rank… if this boy was looking for them, either he's arrogant or those missions actual befit his station."

Mavis nodded, coming to the same consensus. "That is what I too believed at the moment. Therefore, when I used my Magic to sense his Container's presence, he immediately canceled my ability, but not before I was able to get a read on his capacity." She glanced at Gildarts through the clearing in the forest, doting over his new befound daughter. "This boy must've been in pain for all of the magic he had… he was leaking his presence constantly, and its level was twice that of Gildarts current container." Makarov felt his stomach sink.

Twice the magic power of Gildarts?! Gildarts was one of the strongest men on the continent of Ishgar!

Mavis' face darkened, her eyes unfocused. "That is not the worst part, Makarov. The only person who's Magic Container I've been unable to sense was the Dark Wizard, Zeref…" She uttered, clearly shaken by the prospect of this boy.

Makarov couldn't believe what he was hearing. A man supposedly strong enough to take on Gildarts' Missions, with Sensing Abilities similar to Zeref, and was a part of the Guild he had left behind?!

"Did he give you a name?" Makarov felt his old chest tighten anxiously as Mavis shook her head. "Or could you describe him to me?"

The First Master nodded. "Yes. He was blonde, a shade similar to Laxus, in fact he had a build similar to Laxus'. He wore a bandanna over his left eye, covering one of blue eyes, real cunning and icy. Wore a lot of black, had open toes sandals with purple-colored nails, and a massive Broadsword on his back…" The more she described the character, the more Makarov was able to visualize this person in head. The Third Master had an idea of who it was… it would have made perfect sense, but he couldn't be sure.

"Did he have an earring or a scratchy sounding voice?" Makarov questioned all too quickly.

Mavis stared blankly for a second. "…Yes to the earring, a violet-diamond, and… yes to the voice as well."

'It has to be…' Makarov thought to the boy he left with his Guild a week ago, no, seven years ago… It was nearly an exact description of what the boy looked like back then.

That boy, Naruto Uzumaki, who was probably around twenty now, knew things he shouldn't. He needed to get back to the Guild right now and confront his new mage! He'd have to ask Blue Pegasus about him as well, surely they knew about him.

Makarov said his goodbyes to Mavis, letting her go on her way to settle at her 'resting place'. The First Master was adamant on setting things straight with his new mage, hoping that someone who joined her Guild would not have such nefarious means with Fairy Heart. But, as a Thought Projection, there was only so much she could hope for, and in the end, she left it to Makarov and the next generation to steer through the coming times.

As Makarov returned to the ground before Blue Pegasus' flying fortress, he bellowed. "FAIRY TAIL, LET'S GO HOME."

He received a collection of whoops and hollers in return, showing their enthusiasm by rushing to the shape erratically.

End

That's it folks. Hope you liked the set-up for Fairy Tail's return. Plus, Naruto is good with children? What's up with that? Zeref has taken an interest in Naruto? And what's with Naruto unleashing his magic next to these strong mages?

Hope you enjoyed it, please Review and let me know your thoughts!

Bye Bye