The rooftop was quiet as Vera's words echoed through the air, eliciting a near-sinister grin from Jose, who spoke with a vindictive voice, "Really? You're asking me, a wizard saint, if I'm strong?"

Vera heard Jose snicker before he was met with a boot to his gut that stole the breath from his lungs. His eyes were wide as he was kicked unceremoniously off the building, plummeting toward the ground where he would have died if Sho hadn't stuck out from his back and latched onto the passing castle walls. Sho's razor nails dug into the stone with a screech, slowing down their fall until they were a heap on the ground instead of a puddle. Vera only got a second to recover before his neck prickled, and he heard a thin whisper from above him, "Why don't I give you a demonstration?"

Jose clamped a hand over Vera's mouth, ignoring the boy's struggles and gross biting as he looked around the waking streets. Jose's eyes narrowed on the river that ran through the edge of town, nestled into the forest that surrounded the entirety of Oak Town, a few minutes downstream from where the tower collapsed only a day earlier.

"That'll do."

Vera barely had time to blink as Jose lifted him with one hand and threw him straight into the air. Vera could scarcely yell in surprise as the wind whipped at his hair, and his flight path shot him out of Oak Town until he was barreling towards the river like a falling missile.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

Vera braced himself, with Sho curling around him to help soften the blow as they splashed into the calm river. The water rushed past Vera's ears as he struggled to orient himself, his eyes open in the clear stream as he thanked every god alive that he could swim and pulled himself onto the bank, coughing the excess water out of his lungs before he heard Jose's bland voice from above him, "Do you know what Shade Magic is?"

Vera growled, his eyes flicking upwards with a glare that Jose brushed off instantly. Jose gave a small wave of his hand as a shimmer of darkness appeared in the air behind him, "It's magic that controls ghosts, but its true essence is more powerful than that," Jose snapped his fingers as a shade trooper appeared behind him, it's beady red eyes locked onto Vera, who watched it diligently as Jose continued his narration, "Shade magic has two parts. The first part affects the body of a ghost. I use these shades to bring ghosts into the physical realm..."

Jose smirked as he flicked his finger towards Vera, who stiffened as the shade flew straight at him. The boy's shadow popped out protectively in front of him, only for the shade to dodge past its aggressive swipe and pass through the boy, eliciting a disgusted shiver from him.

"On their own, however, they don't do much damage. Mere mirages of dead soldiers, only when I mold them together can they become something more powerful and deadly."

Jose grinned maliciously as the air behind him flooded with shades, tens and twenties, combining into a giant ball of murky blue above him.

"Shade Magic: Shade Balloon"

A pair of large red eyes blinked open on the ball the size of a small car, narrowing at Vera, who barely had time to dodge a giant fist that implanted itself in the ground, kicking up dirt from the shoreline as Jose laughed with an echoing delight, "Oh my, was that too much for you? Sorry, I usually only use this against cat burglars and grave robbers."

Jose waved his hand as the shades dissipated, a sneer on his face as the dust settled, revealing Vera crouching with a furious expression. His fury pointed solely at Jose, who accepted it without a hint of worry and explained the second part of his magic, "The second facet is about the magic that hangs around ghosts. The magic that lingers after death. I call it dead magic; watch closely," Jose sneered as he let a ball of purple energy flutter off his fingertips, red static kicking up as he pointed it at the boy and fired a laser of dead magic.

"Shade Magic: Dead Beam"

Sadly, the boy was prepared this time and dashed out of the way with the help of his magic. Jose watched the shadowed limbs sinking into the soles of the boy's feet as he landed on a nearby branch, and the beam destroyed a tree in his stead.

"Not bad; glad you aren't completely useless," Jose spoke sarcastically, his eyes alight with mischievous laughter as he watched the boy dig his fingers into the tree bark. Vera's words were strained as he spit through clenched teeth, "What's the point of this, Jose..."

If Jose had wanted to prove to Vera that he was powerful, he could have done it at the castle. Hell, he could have reminded Vera that he was a wizard saint, and Vera would have accepted it. He wasn't looking for proof, just assurance...

The only thing Jose was assuring Vera of was that he was an asshole.

"The point?"

Vera felt his fury spike as Jose openly laughed, his guffaws barely tapering off as he floated above the forest, wiping a stray tear from his eyes as he spoke, "Come on brat, try to use that head of yours, it's the greatest weapon at your disposal."

Jose let out a breathless chuckle as he shook his head, looking up at the sky as he spoke with a slight grin etched onto his lips, "How about we play a game..."

Vera stiffened, his heartbeat spiking as he felt the air stir, Jose's magic flaring through the forest. Looking down at Vera with a demented grin, he said, "I'll show you the third facet of my magic. The stage of Shade Magic that can be unlocked when infusing shades with dead energy."

Vera felt his nerves fire, the glimpse he had gotten of the attack that knocked him out in the tower flaring to life. His eyes were wide as he saw Jose summon more shades, melding them together in a stream of dark blue mud, before he reached a hand, bathed in purple aura, out to the snake-like creation with beady red eyes.

"Shade Magic"

Vera almost lost his footing on the branch as he saw the purple magic on Jose's hand flood the creature. Its body writhing as the murky blue skin it had flashed purple before it was set aflame like a violet torch. Its red eyes husked over into a hollow emptiness that sunk into the bluish skull that had formed at the head of the creature.

"Phantom Gorgon"

Its body was lined with bones that made it look like a snake with the head of a human, an amalgamation of ghastly magic that made Vera's hair stand on its end. The eeriness of its entire being made Vera want to turn tail and run like a rabbit, hearing the snarl of a wolf just over the hillside.

"If you can guess why I brought you here before my phantom eats you... you win."

Vera flinched as the snake turned its head toward him, its cackles haunting as it shot like a raging beast. Vera barely caught Jose's devilish laughter as he jumped to another branch and fled into the woods to buy time.

"Be careful, though..."

Vera stumbled as Jose's taunting voice rang a few meters above him. Vera glared up at the wizard saint, who waved at him mockingly. Vera growled before his shadow shoved him out of the way of another strike, red static fluttering in the air as Vera tumbled to the ground. His head rang as Jose continued explaining his magic, like a kid showing off his favorite pet, "My phantoms eat everything..."

Vera grimaced as he forced himself to his feet, his eyes wide as he caught the picture of the snake wrapped around Sho. Vera felt the strain of his connection as Sho struggled to escape before the phantom let out a piercing howl at Sho and chomped down on his head, devouring Sho like a starving dog.

"Even magic."

Before it turned its gluttonous attention to Vera.

Jose hummed as he floated over the forest, his attention split between watching the boy dodge his phantom and thinking about the paperwork he had been pushing off since yesterday.

There's so much... why is there always so much...

Jose hated paperwork more than anything, and between his duties as a Wizard Saint and a guild master, that felt like the thing he spent half his time on. The fact that he had to fill out extra in his report about the tower the brat destroyed was even worse. It just had to be him who had the misfortune of informing the magic council that he didn't let Oak Town get attacked by a dark guild; it was two runts with too much time on their hands.

How bothersome...

Jose sighed mournfully, his attention caught as he looked down and saw his phantom slam through a tree. Jose tilted his head as he saw the boy expertly goad his creation into another, dodging out of the way at the last second like a seasoned matador.

He's practiced this...

It wasn't a possibility; it was a fact. Jose had suspicions about how cleverly the boy had tried to escape, but the chase he witnessed proved it. The boy knew how to run, and he knew how to survive being chased by a stronger, faster, deadlier opponent than himself.

Half the mages that die these days only die because they fight battles they can't win...

The good news was that Jose wouldn't have to teach that basic fact to the boy when he inevitably joined Phantom Lord. It also meant he could spend more time figuring out how to improve the boy's skill set because if what Aria had seen proved true, the boy would be heavily limited by his disposition.

The boy really doesn't have a talent for other magic...

It wasn't like the boy was dumb enough not to study new magic; Jose was confident someone with that intellect would at least try, so that must mean he couldn't. In all its strangeness, the shadow that even Aria hadn't been able to see through was the boy's only source of magic. Shadows would be the boy's only weapon in the future unless he learned unconventional magic...

"What are you looking at..."

A very unconventional magic.

"Get lost!" Jose growled, turning a seething glare at the shade that had appeared behind him without his permission. The shade gave a gleeful cackle as its dark underneath parted in an evil smile before it faded out of existence. Jose's only reaction was to click his tongue as he returned to the boy at hand.

Black Voxx is a possibility...

Black Voxx held the worst prisoners in the East and had been doing so for decades. The magic tools they had collected from criminals who had used them for their greed were staggering. Jose was sure that Torch wouldn't mind lending a weapon or two, especially since he canceled his visit at the last minute and cost Jose an excuse to take a day off for 'diplomatic' reasons.

I'll check in with him later, for now...

Jose smirked as he saw the boy get clipped with the end of the phantom's tail. The boy instantly flipped to his feet and jumped to a nearby branch using his shadow. The boy's frustration was evident as he yelled at Jose between heavy breaths, "You want me to learn your magic or something!? Hate to break it to you, but that isn't work!"

Jose felt his eyes twitch as the boy continued his run, listening to Jose scoffing, "No, brat, I'm not trying to teach you my magic. The fact that a defect like you could even ask that is hilarious."

Vera growled as he dodged another attack from the snake; Vera's eyes narrowed as he pounced between branches. Sho worked overtime to give him the speed he needed to avoid the danger that crept with every cackle of the purple being's mouth.

"Is this an audition or something!?" Vera yelled, trying to chip away at all the possibilities he could while dodging the phantom. His eyes furrowed in concentration as Jose gave a sarcastic response from above him, "Sure. I'm auditioning you after I offered to let you join. I'll make sure to write intelligence on your tombstone."

Vera grit his teeth in anger as he jumped over the phantom's charge, his eyes wide as the tail flicked his foot and threw him off course. A stray tree branch snapped as he barreled into it and started his descent to the ground. His path cut before a large tree trunk as the python bolted towards his falling figure with open jaws.

Sho!

Vera grunted as he felt his fall stop mid-flight, his shadow crawling up his back and shooting a crooked arm into the trunk behind him. The bark caved as the shadowed claws yanked Vera upwards, away from the phantom that bit the tree in half.

Thanks...

Vera took a second to catch his breath as he landed on another branch. His eyes flicked a few meters above him where Jose was watching just out of reach. Jose had a shit-eating grin as he tapped his wrist, "Hurry up, would you? I don't have all day."

Vera was sure the veins in his forehead could've burst at that moment. The only thing that saved Jose from Vera's attempted homicide was the phantom that protected him. Jose knew it too because he laughed as he flew past Vera and ducked behind his snake, which took a moment to glare at Vera like a protective dog...

Wait...

Or a protective shadow.

"Our magic is similar!" Vera shouted, eyes wide as he saw the phantom shoot towards him when distracted. Vera couldn't defend himself in time, so he crossed his arms and braced himself for a painful crunch. Vera's eyes caught the molars in the back of the distorted phantom's mouth before a voice cut in with a slight hint of amusement.

"No, but close enough."

Vera watched as Jose dispelled his phantom. The hungry roars of the phantom died out as Jose floated in front of him with a slight wave of his hand.

"Since I'm generous, I'll give it to you. Congratulations on surviving, brat."

Vera shot forward instinctively, aiming a punch at Jose's smug face, which he inevitably missed. His ire burned as Jose mockingly chuckled and floated out of reach, hovering above the forest with his chin in his palm like he was sitting in a chair, "Here I am complimenting you, and you attack me; how cruel," Jose shook his head disdainfully, ignoring the boy's apparent fury as he pointed towards the shadow that was brimming with a conjoined anger, "Okay runt, here's a question to see if you were paying attention. What's the weakest part of your magic?"

Vera's eyes widened at the inquiry, turning back to Sho with a frown. The obvious answer that came to mind was range, but he didn't think that was right. Jose's magic excelled at range, so that wouldn't be the correct answer if their magic were even slightly similar.

Sho's weakness...

Vera furrowed his brows as he recalled the few fights he had been in with Sho by his side. From Ultear to Grog to the dogs and eventually to Jose. Sho had been dispatched at least once in all of them and returned quickly enough to protect Vera...

Oh...

Sho always protected Vera, no matter the cost...

It's me.

Since Vera was too weak to protect himself.

"Me. I'm the weakness," Vera said with a bitter truth, his eyes turning to Jose, who smiled. Jose's voice teetering on impressed as he played with a string of dead magic floating above his finger, "Correct. You're the weakest part of your magic. You will always be the weakest piece, no matter how strong your body becomes. All because your magic rests with that shadow of yours instead of you."

Jose spoke blandly as he molded the dead energy into the shape of a ghost, its deformed mouth wide and cackling as it bobbed back and forth, "The reason I said your answer was close is that our magic isn't similar, but the implications are. Without my ghosts, I am restricted to some mid-level magic and my mind. Nothing to scoff at, but nothing near good enough to become a wizard saint. I wouldn't even be in S class..."

Jose frowned as he snapped his finger, and the makeshift ghost dissolved, his eyes turning down to meet the boy looking at him with a newfound understanding. Jose smirked as he floated in front of Vera, his words unhindered now that the boy was listening to him, "I didn't bring you out here to show you that I am strong; I brought you out here to show you how I am strong. To show you that my type of strength is more suitable to you than anyone else."

Jose pointed at the shadow behind Vera, his words blunt and barbed but not untrue, "Your shadow is, and always will be, stronger than you. It would be best if you burned that into your brain right here and now. Running off to Fairy Tail, where they solve their problems by punching things harder than they punch back, will do nothing for you. It's not a type of strength you can achieve, nor would you want to."

Jose then put on a pleasing smile, extending his hand to the boy, who looked at it with a conflicted expression instead of a disgusted one. The gears in the boy's head turned as Jose finalized his offer with a glib tongue, "Your mind is sharp enough to understand the difference between a strong mage and someone who uses strong magic. That is why I'm willing to bend the rules to get you into my guild because out of all the idiots I've let join, you are the only one with the potential to copy my mindset. To copy my strength that utilizes magic, which is stronger than we'll ever be."

Jose watched as the boy stared holes into his outstretched hand, Jose letting his offer fall into the open air as he spoke with a final note, "If you join Phantom Lord, you will be able to learn from me, and I guarantee you will learn far more than you ever could anywhere else."

Jose then let his words simmer, his hand patiently outstretched as he watched the boy contemplate his offer. Vera took in his words with a slow breath as he stared at the outstretched hand, the reality of what taking it would mean for his future.

I won't be able to go back after this...

Vera was sure that once he joined and began learning from Jose, whether directly or indirectly, he would never be able to walk away peacefully. Jose would kill him before he let Vera join a different guild. Jose would kill him twice before he let Vera consider joining Fairy Tail.

I could wait till Phantom Lord gets disbanded...

That was always an option years down the line. He could wait until the war and let Phantom Lord disband, then take Siegrian and join Fairy Tail with Juvia and Gajeel. Jose would be too weak to stop him then, and Aria wouldn't be around. Vera would have a golden opportunity if he played his cards right and let Phantom Lord get destroyed.

But is it that bad...

Vera wasn't sure if he wanted to play his cards right.

If Phantom Lord sticks around.

Phantom Lord wasn't a weak guild; out of all the things Fairy Tail faced before Tenrou, Phantom Lord came closest to defeating them. Even if some S-class mages didn't stack up to Fairy Tail's, they were all strong. They were all-powerful, and if Vera could curb Phantom Lord away from war, maybe even into an alliance with Fairy Tail...

I could do it, couldn't I...

They would be able to help Fairy Tail through the dangers that would arise in the world.

I could change Phantom Lord.

Vera was in the position, years before the story, to change the Phantom Lord's path before they walked it. He would be learning under Jose, a wizard saint, and would have years to try and lessen Jose's hatred for Fairy Tail. He had the chance to do it, and even if he didn't want to admit it, if Jose made him stronger, he would owe the prick. He would owe the smug dickhead a lot. If Vera let Phantom Lord drown, he would repay a debt by letting everything Jose worked for burn to the ground...

'Kill me...'

He didn't want to use someone who had helped him.

'Please'

He didn't want another Brago.

If I'm strong enough...

If Vera climbed his way up to S-class, maybe even to the point beyond that, he felt like he could do it.

I'll be able to change things.

He felt like he could reach a future a little better than the one he woke up with.

"Okay..."

He felt like he could grasp that future right beyond his fingertips.

"I'll join Phantom Lord."

Vera grasped the outstretched hand, ignoring the twisted grin on Jose's face as he thought of the future, just like he always had.

I'll become S-class.

Just like he always would...

I'll stop Phantom Lord from going to war with Fairy Tail.

Vera would learn all he could from Jose until he had the strength to make choices that mattered, where he would never have to choose between his life and leaving his friend behind in the snow.

I'll change.

Vera would change his weak self.

It was noon when he began walking back to the apartment complex. Jose had taken him to sort out the paperwork and the logistics; a valid ID was the most pressing matter he addressed. One for him and another for Siegrain, first names only since they didn't technically have second names.

Once I become S Class, I'll tell Siegrain about Jellal.

Well, Vera didn't remember if he'd had one; Siegrian didn't know he already had one.

That way, if he needs my help, I'll be there.

Vera wouldn't be the weakling that let others do what he couldn't. Siegrain was stronger than him; it would most likely remain that way. However, when Siegrain learned the truth, and if he chose to find Jellal, he'd be up against a wizard saint. Once Vera was S-Class, he could help Siegrain far more than if he had told him about Jellal and left him to his devices.

Siegrain will probably hit S class in five years or less, which means I need to make it in at least six-

"Hey, who threw their trash in the road? It's blocking traffic!" Shouted a pedestrian, his angered voice drawing Vera out of his tired thoughts. Vera turned from his trail on the sidewalk towards the middle-aged man, who was fuming in front of a pile of shredded couch cushions in a horse-drawn wagon going up the Main Street that ran through Oak Town.

Wait...

It was also the street their apartment was on.

Aren't those the cushions of our couch?

Vera blinked in surprise as he saw another person yell at the man to move out of the way. The man listened just in time for an old couch, sliced into pieces, to crash into the street. It scattered even more debris into the now cluttered street from its drop from the third story of the nearby apartment complex.

"Hey, brat, quit throwing shit out your window! You're gonna hit someone!"

It only took a glance for Vera to see the window the man was talking about, the one to their room. His eyes barely caught a glimpse of blue hair before the window was forcefully slammed shut, with the curtains closed soon after. Vera then took a second to look back at the destroyed couch in the middle of the road...

Shit...

The couch Vera had been planning to sleep on.

He's pissed, isn't he...

Vera gulped, glancing at his shadow, who gave him a long, hard look before shaking his head. Vera could only watch with dread as his shadow melted back to dormancy, abandoning Vera to his grim fate with a silent parting that Vera could only interpret singly.

'It was nice knowing you'

A eulogy.

Siegrain had been having a rough day...

Stupid...

The first time, the first time in years, he had trusted someone enough to tell them his name, and they ran away. Vera ran away pale as a ghost when he heard it, diving into his shadow in a move Siegrain hadn't even known about, almost like Vera falling into an inky puddle in the ground before Sho slithered under the door. The shadow's escape was swift and unhindered, running away without looking back at Siegrain.

It was stupid to tell him...

That was fine; Siegrain didn't need them. He had been fine on his own; he could do it again. He didn't care that his name disgusted Vera so much he had to leave the room. He didn't care in the slightest...

"Hey, brat! Don't close the window! I know you heard me!? Who's going to move these!"

That's why he wasn't sitting alone in a dark room on his disgruntled bed, listening to shouts from beyond the shut window. That would mean he tore apart Vera's couch cushions and sliced the couch into pieces so he could toss them both out the window in a fit of anger...

Stupid...

He wouldn't do that because he didn't care.

Stupid Vera...

Siegrain huffed as he picked at his short hair, his eyes narrowed as he tried to remember when it was long. Back in the lab, before Seven disappeared, it had been longer, the farthest it had ever reached being halfway down his back.

I was stupid to think he'd understand...

Siegrian had cut it the day she disappeared; he had cut it the same day he stopped using his name. He missed it but kept it short, and apparently, it was a good idea because he tried using his name again, and that turned out wonderfully.

Stupid...

It would be better to keep it short.

Stupid...

Better to keep his number.

Stupid...

Better to stop using his name-

'Knock'

Siegrain flinched as he heard a knock at the locked door, his eyes flicking towards it with a glare. Siegrain refused to move an inch as Vera's muted voice came from the other side, "Hey Siegrain, are you okay? I saw the"

"Don't call me that!" Siegrain snapped, his eyes burning a hole in the door as he exited the bed and stomped to it. His words echoed in the empty room and slipped through the wooden door, where Vera listened intently, "You don't get to call me that! I was an idiot even to say it in the first place! So forget it!"

It was stupid to trust him...

Siegrain clenched his jaw as he got to the locked door, his eyes catching Vera's shoes at the bottom before he kicked the door harshly, "Just forget what I said and leave!"

It was stupid to put so much faith in someone else...

Siegrain growled in frustration as he slammed his fist against the door, the old wood creaking as he screamed in agonizing frustration, "That's what you did last time, right!?"

It was stupid to dream.

Siegrain took heavy breaths as his words were met with silence. His heartbeat was severe in his ears, and his fists were white-knuckled against the door. His eyes trembled in anger as he heard a whisper from the thin door, "I'm sorry, Siegrain."

"Stop calling me that! Just go back to Eight! You were fine with that name, right!?"

"That's not a name, Siegrain." Vera's voice echoed from the other side of the door, soft yet unbending. The conviction with which Vera said it made Siegrain pause before yelling at the thin door separating him from Vera, "You think I don't know that!?"

Such a thin door...

"I know it's not my name, but what else am I supposed to go by!"

Such a small room...

"You didn't like the name Siegrain!"

Such a quiet room...

"So don't use it! Don't use the name I love if you can't stand it! I'd rather be called eight! I'd rather be the only one who knows that name!"

It's such a lonely room.

"I'd rather it stay between me and E-" Siegrain's words caught in his horse throat, his eyes watering as he jammed his lips shut and tiredly plopped his forehead on the wall. His voice cracked as he spoke tremblingly, "I'd rather it stay between me and Seven."

Siegrain's vision blurred as tears slipped from his eyes, dropping on the floor as Siegrain's muted, frustrated cries flooded the dark room. His eyes lingered on the small crack under the door; his fists clenched by his side in a white-knuckled grip.

"I'm sorry..."

Vera's heartfelt words creaked through the locked door as a thin card slipped under the crack in the door. The surface of it stopped Siegrain's rampaging thoughts as he stared at the writing on the front of it, his shock permeating through the room as Vera spoke quietly through the door.

"I'm sorry for reacting like that; I didn't mean to hurt you..."

It was such a simple card...

"I just needed to be alone; it had nothing to do with your name..."

It was the most basic of things; there were probably hundreds of them in Oak Town alone...

"I know I messed up, and I regret it..."

It was just an I.D.

"I'll probably regret a lot of things..."

Date: February 24, Year 775

"But I'm sure..."

Residency: Oak Town

"I will never regret taking you from the lab."

Name: Siegrain

"I will never regret saving you, Siegrain."

Siegrain trembled when he heard Vera's honest words echo through the room as Siegrain bent down slowly and picked up the I.D.—glossing his fingers over the card with a feather-light touch as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes.

"Can you let me in so I can tell you how sorry I am?"

Siegrain didn't think as his hand shot to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. Surprising an exhausted-looking Vera as he tackled him in a hug, his puffy eyes buried into Vera's damp jacket as he mumbled, "Please don't go..."

It was such a lonely room Siegrain grew up in...

"Please don't leave me alone."

Siegrain never wanted to go back to such a lonely world.

"I won't, Siegrain," Vera said comfortingly as he rubbed circles on Siegrain's back. Vera let Siegrain softly calm himself down, his blue hair on Vera's shoulder, until Vera spoke with a slight chuckle, "Besides, how could I leave if we're gonna be in the same guild together?"

Vera watched with a tired, grateful grin as he saw Siegrain stiffed, the blue-haired mage shooting out of the hug to get a good look at Vera. Siegrain's eyes widened as he saw Vera hold up the back of his right palm, showcasing a pitch-black guild mark stamped bold and center for all to see.

"Apparently, instead of four-person teams, Phantom Lord has a precedent for partners..."

Siegrian blinked in surprise as he caught a small stamper that Vera tossed to him, the distress from earlier fading and slowly blossoming into ecstasy as he used his magic to shift the color to white; all the while, Vera spoke with a knowing smile, "You're gonna be my partner for missions."

Vera watched as Siegrain stamped the white guild mark onto the back of his left hand, the bold white ghost open for all to see. Siegrain turned his eyes, still a little puffy from earlier, back to Vera before giving a sly smile, his lips twitching as if trying to stop himself from jumping with joy. His voice wobbled on teasing as he spoke confidently from the assurance of a new start, "You sure you can keep up?"

The assurance of a new home.

"Of course," Vera replied, his smile burning brightly as he held out his fist, the black guild mark on the back of his hand. Siegrain doing the same as with his white guild mark bold on the back of his hand, their knuckles tapped together, their eyes wide with eagerness and excitement for the future, and their smiles stretching from ear to ear.

"Trust me..."

On February 24th, year 775, two children named Siegrain and Vera got lost on the way to Fairy Tail and joined Phantom Lord...

"We're gonna be the best damn team Phantom Lord's ever seen."

The number 1 guild in Fiore.

A/N: Welp, I said I wasn't going to do this again but this is sort of an announcement. This story is going on Hiatus! Nah, it's not really a Hiatus, I just need a month or two to plan more chapters, plus I have final exams for like the next month so this felt like a good place to stop for a little while. I'll probably be back to posting weekly in January at the earliest, February at the absolute latest.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the story so far, and let me know what you think of it in the reviews. I like reading them since it gives me ideas for the future, plus its nice to get some feedback for my writing, it helps me get better at it. Also, just as a little thank you, shout out to obliviousss who guessed Number 8 was Jellal early on. The Siegrain reveal was originally planned to be much earlier but your comment made me realize that it would be way more interesting if it was a late reveal.

P.S. I know I said this was gonna be a long story, but it should be noted that this will be a really long story. Just a warning so you know what you're getting into. I hope you enjoy :)