Before we begin, I would like to point out something that I should've at the end of the previous chapter:
I WILL BE SKIPPING THE DAYBREAK ARC.
The reason why is because it doesn't really help develop Gareth's character arc nor his relationships with the other characters.
However, there will be a couple of references in this chapter and in the next few that are related to that arc, to help build up this story's narrative in the Lullaby arc.
Of which will begin in this chapter of "Titan Slayer."
Enjoy :D
It was all silent within the town of Magnolia, aside from the occasional bird chirping and bug buzzing. The morning sun was currently rising up from the horizon, slowly sending daylight upon the town.
Eventually, the sun's rays hit upon a certain apartment complex; raying down through the unblinded windows. Inside this apartment held nothing special; just the normal bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and living room. All with the appropriate furniture.
Laying on the bed, while covered in a nice warm blanket, was a young man with crew cut black hair hung down to his shoulders, along with a freshly shaved face.
The man murmured as the sun's rays hit his face, soon followed by him opening his matching star-colored eyes. The young man didn't say anything, as he slowly sat up from his bed and laid his bare feet on the cold wooden floor.
He then stared out of the window next to him, now basking the sunlight hitting his new home.
"A new day," Gareth Zillion said, as he stood up from his bed and walked towards his bathroom.
It has now been one week since the boy joined Fairy Tail; and ever since that day, Gareth had a lot to process.
It all started when he returned to the guild after he, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy rescued Macao and brought him back to his son; in which he would remember thoroughly every now and then. The day was nearing its end, and Lucy was considering at that point of where she wanted to stay. Just like all the other things he first heard of beforehand, Gareth was confused into what she was saying; and just like all the times similar to this, Lucy would go on to explain. Apparently, Gareth learned that in some cases civilization doesn't just freely stay inside these 'buildings.' There would be times where people need to rent those spaces to live. At first Gareth was even more confused, but through a more economic explanation from Lucy, he eventually understood the concept; even Mira, the barmaid from what Gareth would eventually learned the role of later on, joined in to help the blonde girl.
Speaking of her, Mira would go on to point out his attire and appearance. Gareth was again confused, but after he felt his instincts spike a bit the boy again understood why. Ever since he arrived here, the boy stood out. Plain and simple.
Looking back at it now... it was a bit embarrassing, Gareth admitted again, as he felt the warm water from the shower drain rain down his back.
After he realized his predicament, Gareth accepted Mira's request to sleep at the guild that night and to help him find an apartment the next day, along with getting supplies to settle in and a pedicure to clean up his body. That day proved to be eventful in and of itself, as Mira showed him the many attractions across the town of Magnolia. The boy found it amazing that this place he now resides in held so many interesting shops; it helped gave him a new perspective on what civilization was capable of. And after a local visit to the barber shop, gone was the rugged facial hair and long knotted hair.
He still remembers the first time he met Lucy, Natsu, and Happy with his new look; for them, it was like meeting a different person altogether. For him, it felt funny at the time.
Now that my instincts are mentioning her, wonder how Lucy is doing, Gareth thought, having exiting his shower and putting on some clothes.
Now that was another thing he learned: clothes. Apparently, that was the term used for the set of wear that would cover any part of the human body. At first he found it odd for these clothes to just cover a specific part of the body, finding the poncho he wore (which he also learned that word during his time here) at the beginning of his travel here to be more effective. But the boy quickly got used to it.
For his choice of wear, it would usually consist of a black sleeveless wool shirt, a pair of beige colored jeans, white-and-black fingerless gloves, and a pair of dark brown sandals.
He chose this set today.
Gareth then opens the door to his apartment complex and walks out into the empty hallway. After a quick use of his instincts, Gareth realized his friend was not home. Looks like Lucy is already at the guild, the boy thought, before heading out.
Yep; you thought correctly. When Gareth was out house hunting with Mira, he decided it was best to live close to the first person he officially met. Mira would go on to tease him about this, but Gareth would brush it off, fully unaware of her true intentions at that moment, and explain to her his first day in Hargeon and how he felt more comfortable being around with someone he knew. The boy may have learned a lot in the short amount of time he had, but his instincts felt there was a lot more he didn't know. It was for those reasons that the apartment he picked would be the same as hers. Lucy would nevertheless be surprised when she first learned about it, but eventually she grown comfortable in having a friend live next door.
It is an experience living in such a place different than what me is used to. It feels nice so far, Gareth thought, having now gone outside and casually making his way toward the guild. He can feel the warm gaze of the sun beaming down of them, the soft chilled wind against his skin, the sound of bugs buzzing around him and even the waves swishing around in the mote to his right. He would even catch a few other pedestrians going through their own daily routine.
This all became a common occurrence every time he woke up for a new day, and to him it was another nice thing he gotten used to.
It wasn't long before the boy reached the guild hall; he stopped and stared up at the large building, basking it all in once more. Speaking of nice things; me joining this guild. That has been an outcome me will never forget, Gareth smiled.
There was even a few other things that he learned during the past week here. You see, when he first met Lucy, Natsu, and Happy after settling in Gareth was given more information about them and the guild overall.
First off was the inner workings of Lucy's magic. Frankly, he learned that there was a catch for the summonings; in order for it to go through, there would first need to be contract formed between the bearer and the spirit, specifically when they should be summoned and when they shouldn't. Aside from that, Gareth also learned that there were two different types of spirits; the ones with the Silver keys were the most common, as they can be found literally anywhere, in addition to there being multiple sets of the same spirit. Then there are those with the Golden keys, otherwise known as the Zodiac Gold Keys; these were the most rare, with only twelve of them existing around the world. Gareth found out all of this very fascinating, even more so when he learned Lucy had three out of the twelve Zodiacs, which to him was an impressive feat. But even so, Gareth would wonder every now and then what the rest of the Zodiac spirits looked like.
Perhaps only time will tell...
The other thing he learned during his visit was the aspect of teams. He remembered Happy explaining to him that in most cases, guild members would form small groups with each other, usually to help complete quests and gain trust with one another. The boy found this system very familiar; the closest he can relate this to was a pack of animals banding together to survive in the wilderness but on a smaller scale. In a way, he can also relate this to the guild as a whole; how each member of the formed team would show the same companionship to everyone else.
When that explanation was done, Natsu went on to ask Gareth and Lucy to form a team with him and Happy. While Lucy excitedly accepted the offer, Gareth was at first hesitant. He didn't mind the idea at all, but it was a long time since he last teamed up with someone. Fortunately for him, with some guidance from his instincts, he accepted Natsu's offer as well.
And just right after he did, they went on their first quest. Originally, Gareth planned on doing something simple for his first quest; just to get an understanding of how it is done in person. But since Natsu was the one who picked it for them, and as much as knew about the boy so far, Gareth could only assume back then that the quest would be a bit wacky.
And boy it was; in the end though, he still got what he wanted.
To think all the quests we have taken so far would be easy, Gareth thought, as he continues to look on at the building. He then looks at the double doors and softly smiles, But they have all been an adventure on their own. Perhaps that is what makes Fairy Tail unique... or maybe that is just Natsu and Happy.
Either way, Gareth couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, Lets see what today brings.
With confidence in his mood and vigor in his step, Gareth pressed onward and press his hands on the double doors...
...or that's what he would've done, if he hadn't sensed the oncoming aura of Ethernano rushing straight to him.
Gareth quickly steps to the side and watched as Loke violently opens the entrance and runs away with tears in his eyes.
"HOW CAN FATE BE SO CRUEL!?!?" The young man can only stare at the shrinking figure of the visibly upset fleeing wizard screaming in the air, completely flabbergasted at the sudden turn of events.
Gareth blinks.
He then turns back at the open door and onto the crowded guild hall, the people inside only beginning to notice him.
"Um... good morning, everyone," Gareth awkwardly called out.
"Good morning, Gareth!"
"How you doing, Gareth!?"
"Good to see you again, Gareth!"
Despite the event, the mood inside the guild hadn't dropped a bit, as Gareth continued to hear many of the members greet him back in return, while others simply cast a friendly wave at him, before returning to whatever they were doing earlier.
Gareth simply smiled back in return, before finally stepping inside the guild and heading toward the bar, where he can see Lucy and Mira standing near, while off to the side noticing Natsu and Gray having another one of their feuds.
Speaking of the two boys, Gareth has since gotten used to their rivalry. As he noticed when he first arrived here, Gareth's instincts told him that Gray's attention toward Natsu wasn't anything ill-intended; and that has since not changed. Though he did felt confused on the amount of times that rivalry showed, but even that has been considered normal to him at this point. So seeing them having another one of their moments yet again, Gareth did not feel bothered by it at all.
In addition to that though, there was also the matter with Gray taking off his clothes. Now that was something that took the boy off guard when he first noticed, especially for his companion Lucy. He wasn't really sure why Gray kept doing it, but Gareth's instincts felt that it was a pattern the wizard got into a long time ago... a very odd pattern, he would admit. But nevertheless, as stated before, Gareth would eventually feel unbothered by it.
"Good morning, Gareth," Mira greeted the boy.
"Good morning, Mirajane. Good morning, Lucy," Gareth greeted the two girls, the latter smiling brightly. His smiled then wavered, as he turn toward the former, "Is everything okay with Loke?"
"He's fine. Loke just had a moment," Mira briefly explained.
This made Gareth confused, raising an eyebrow, "A moment?"
"Loke was trying to woo me just now, but he then freaked out when he noticed my keys," Lucy turned to the now closed entrance, sweatdropping at the past moment, "You pretty much saw the rest."
"Why would he act like that?" Gareth asked.
"Loke doesn't really have a good history with Celestial Spirit mages," Mira explained more openly, "Rumor has it he once dated one which ended very poorly for him."
Gareth had a difficult time understanding what she meant by that. He had been hearing those words a few times lately; date, woo, and a few other words in the romance category. For someone who grew up alone with a Titan, the boy never really gotten to understand that concept. It was still very new to him; however, judging by the state he saw the wizard in and the rumor, Gareth can only assume that it was a bad part of his life which Loke would very likely not talk freely about. "Unfortunate," Gareth frowned, following Lucy's gaze to the doors.
He then turns back to her and smiles once more; and he was about to ask how she was doing until he notice something else. Usually, whenever he arrived at the guild, Gareth would always find Master Makarov sitting on the bar counter either drinking liquid or watching over the guild hall. Today he saw neither, as he found the old man absent.
"Is Master Makarov not here too?" Gareth asked, switching his sight between the two.
"Not today. The master went out early to attend a conference, so I'm covering him until he returns," Mira explained.
This made Gareth confused again, making him lower his eyebrows this time, "Conference? Are you referring to the Magic Council? Is he visiting them today?"
Mira put a finger up to her chin, "Mmmmm, not exactly. I was actually about to explain this to Lucy before you showed up, so you just came in at the right time."
Gareth watch her walk over to a tall, round portly man with a distinct wizard hat casually drawing a painting. "Reedus, do you mind if I borrow a Light Pen?"
"Oui," that was all Reedus said before handing over said item to the barmaid.
From there, Gareth and Lucy watch Mira create a drawing out of thin air, which that itself brought wonder to the boy. However, what she was drawing brought more confusion to Gareth. In his perspective, Gareth saw her draw a symbol with three points, which was then divided into four different areas that were then filled in with words; some he immediately recognized while others he did not.
After Mira was finished drawing, Gareth went on and asked, "What is all this?"
"This is a diaphragm showcasing the levels of authority here in Fiore, or in other words the levels of leadership," Mira answered. She then started by pointing the Light Pen at the top two spaces, "You see, at the top right here, is Fiore's highest authority; the royal government. This is led by none other than King Toma E. Fiore."
"This place is also run by a king?" Gareth said, a bit surprised by the revelation.
"Yes; but he doesn't hold absolute power over his people or at every sector our nation is reliable on. The king lends the magical sector over to the Magic Council, which is run by ten official members. They are responsible for regulating magical guilds and upholding the magical rule of law that all guilds must follow in order to remain open," Mira explained more, before lowering her Light Pen to the third area below, "Below the Magic Council are the Guild Master Leagues, which are local groups who work together to debate on a regular basis, such as for example whatever ruling the Magic Council upheld or on current events their respective guilds have been involved in. This is what our Master is a part of."
"...You make it sound so simple, Mirajane," Gareth hesitantly stated, "But from what my instincts are telling me, this seems to be a lot more.. detailed."
"And they are correct, Gareth," Mira agreed, "You see, the Master's job is very important. While they are responsible for the things I listed before, they're also responsible for keeping the guilds they're in charge in from destabilizing; otherwise, things may go horribly wrong for them and for the members. It can be stressful at times."
Huh, no wonder he got that large list of paper a week ago, Gareth thought.
"I had no idea all the guilds were so connected," Lucy said in slight awe.
"Yeah," Gareth agreed with her, "It is like when my father and the other Titans watched over the balance of this world. The Masters of the guilds working together... it sounds very much like that, but on a much smaller scale."
"Huh," Mira spoken, tapping the Light Pen on her chin, "Now that you mention it Gareth, it really does sound similar to that. Perhaps this system took inspiration from the Titans."
Gareth hummed for a moment, before giving her a slight nod, "Possibly."
"I have a question, though," Lucy went on to ask, "What happens to the guilds who don't follow the rules?"
"That's when the people from the darkness get them," Lucy jumped in fright, as she turned around and saw Natsu having stopped arguing with Gray and crept up to her with a mocked-up sinister tone. Natsu then immediately laughs at the successful scare, throwing his head back as he does, "Hahahaha, you should've seen your face!"
While Lucy went on to glare at him, Gareth went on to shake his head before turning back to Mira, who just finished drawing a a round symbol next to the larger one with words written in. She then explains in a more serious tone, "But Natsu does make a good point. For the guilds who don't follow the rules, as well as disobeying the Magic Council's orders to disband because of that, are generally known as Dark Guilds. They are considered the bad apples and are involved in many terrible crimes."
This last bit of information concerned Gareth, but it ultimately made sense to him. While he had experienced many good things since coming here, there were some that put a bad taste in his mouth. From the teachings of his father, and from his own instincts, he knew civilization wasn't perfect; so based on everything he had seen so far, from his encounter with Bora to a few of the quests he took with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, he expected more to come out on his journey. The Dark Guilds just became another example of that.
"Is there any way these Dark Guilds are dealt with?" Gareth asked.
Mira wasn't caught off guard by this sudden question, and instead softly smiled, "Fortunately yes; while in some cases Dark Guilds are put down by the Rune Knights, usually it's the job of guilds like us that are responsible for handling them."
Gareth smiled back, now knowing the threat of the Dark Guilds has not been ignored, "That is good to hear."
"GUYS, WE GOT A PROBLEM!" Gareth perked up from the sudden shout and turn his attention back towards the entrance, where he saw Loke having return but with a dreadful shadow over him. However, what the boy sensed the most was the aching fear surrounding the wizard's body. "It's Erza! SHE'S BACK IN TOWN!"
As if glass had shattered, the positive mood the guild hall usually brought instantly dropped. What Gareth and Lucy saw next was a complete frenzy; many went on to clean any mess they made, some went ahead to randomly pick a quest from the board and fled outside, while others just stood or sat where they were; not wanting to catch any attention.
Gareth immediately sensed the sheer terror radiating off of Natsu and Gray behind him, and he honestly was a bit shocked by it.
But he also understood why so; this wasn't the first time he heard the name of the wizard Erza.
It was one day ago when he and his companions were returning to the guild from a quest they had completed. On their way home, they miraculously crossed paths with Gray, who told them that Erza was soon returning to the guild. Gareth was caught off guard by the reactions of the others and wondered what made this specific wizard so special. He can remember the different, odd descriptions the two boys and cat gave him, but out of all of it, there was a general consensus that stood out to him: whoever this Erza was, they were strong, capable of many things, and hold an image that was easily recognizable.
What was happening right now was only proving that.
However though, Gareth wasn't fully convinced. Hearing someone say something was one thing, but showing it is another. Before he can assume if what he learned about Erza is true or not, the boy wanted to see it personally. Now, he was about to get that wish.
It wasn't long before the entire guild heard loud footsteps approaching the building, becoming louder with every second that passed. They all can see the outline of a figure carrying a rather large object; much larger than their own body.
But what Gareth found the most striking was that it was being carried by one hand. They are strong then, Gareth acknowledged.
The boy didn't have to wait longer either to see who this person looked like.
Now walking through the double doors was a woman around the same age as him with scarlet red hair and black eyes. Her choice of wear was a full set of armor, save for her head and blue skirt, with her chest piece coated with a blue and yellow cross that stopped at her left breast. Finally, on her upper right shoulder was her guild tattoo colored in blue. But none of that can compare to the look on her face; Gareth can sense focus and determination, like she was ready for anything that brought her attention, no matter the severity of it. A fully committed wizard.
The boy silently hummed in acknowledgment, as he watched her place the large horn on the guild floor.
"I have returned," Erza announced, "Where is Master Makarov?"
"Welcome back, Erza," Mira was the first to greet her guild mate, who turned to look at her, "The Master is at a conference right now, so I'm covering him while he's away."
"I see," Erza simply responds back.
"W-what's that thing you got there Erza?" one of the guild members then asked, sounding a little curious but was hesitant.
"It is a horn of the beast I slayed of the quest I recently took. The villagers were so thankful that they decorated and gave it to me as a gift," Erza went to explain, before sending a suspicious glare at them, "Do you have a problem with that?"
The guild member fidgeted and stood up straight, "No, ma'am!"
Looks like she is also capable, Gareth acknowledged again.
"LISTEN UP!" Erza then immediately shouted, catching the attention of everyone present in the building, "While I was out, I have been hearing some incidents going around involving you all! Master may have taken this lightly, but I will not!"
With that, Gareth watched her go around the guild hall accusing certain members of miscellaneous things that they were accustomed to, including Cana, Wakaba, and even Macao; which he was surprised by the latter two since they were much older than her. Furthermore, he can sense that whatever attention she gave, it wasn't ill-intended either; it really reminded him of the time Makarov criticized the guild on his first day. The way she spoke was very similar to the Master's, but with a little more force to it. Either way, it helped him understand more what kind of person Erza was. Looks like Erza deserves that recognition, Gareth acknowledged once more, giving off a small smile to her.
"Are Natsu and Gray here?" Erza finished criticizing and mentioned the two male wizards the boy knew the most.
Gareth did wonder himself how the two were reacting, and so he turn his head back toward them. What he saw surprised him again. As if their rivalry never even happened, Natsu and Gray were seen with their arms over each other's shoulders, smiling brightly with a faux-warm aura surrounding the two. Is it like they fear punishment from Erza if they were to fight each other? Gareth thought with wide eyes.
"Oh hey there Erza! You know we; just the two of us having fun, hanging out, and doing all kinds of great things together. Hehe, isn't that right, buddy?" Gray continued smiling.
"Aye!" Natsu replied back, though his voice squeaked out a bit.
"Did Natsu turn into Happy????" Lucy whispered out, completely stupefied by the sudden switch in attitude.
...Looks like they do fear that, Gareth thought, while sweatdropping, May have happened a few too many times.
"That's good to hear. I'm glad to see you two getting along. ...It's nice to see that every once in a while," Erza smiled as she walks over to the two. She then acts serious again, "But as much as I like for us to catch up, I need your help on something urgent."
After that was said, Gareth felt some members murmur about the revelation. He wasn't really sure what was going on at this point, but that was quickly put at ease when Erza continued to speak.
"Usually I would consult with the Master, but since he is not here right now, and that time is of the essence, I am asking your assistance in dealing with this situation. You two are some of the most important people I can trust, so it is best that you come with me on this," Erza goes on to say. She then turns and walks back her prized horn and picks it back; and before she makes her way out, she turns her head back toward the duo, "Meet me at the Magnolia train station in two hours. I'll explain more over there."
Everyone watched the armored wizard leave the guild, still shaken by the event that just transpired.
Even Gareth now felt the intense atmosphere the guild was feeling; after a few moments, he turn back towards Natsu and Gray, who were now looking at each other with intense focus.
"Erza, Natsu, and Gray teaming up?" Gareth overheard Mira speak behind him in shock. He then looked at her a few moments later and saw her body tense up with her hand cupped to her chin, "This could make them the strongest team Fairy Tail has ever had."
This gave Gareth a bit of a shock, making him instantly look back at the two wizards. However, as soon as he did, Gareth noticed Natsu and Gray have begun making their way out of the guild as well, with Happy following close behind.
"...This has been... a development," Gareth finally spoke.
"No kidding," Lucy said, bearing the same reaction.
The boy was still trying to process that last bit. Frankly, he can understand Natsu's strength; he had seen what the Fire Dragon Slayer wizard was capable of many times. But to compare him with his rival and someone Gareth just met? That amazed him greatly; however, it was not only because of their strength individually. He had learned through his father that 'strength together' is much more powerful than 'strength alone,' no matter how strong you are personally. So it was pretty significant when he heard Mira say this.
Speaking of Mira, Gareth turns back toward the woman and said, "Mirajane, no doubt for you or anything, but how can you be so sure?"
Mirajane looks at him for a moment and says, "You've only been here for a week Gareth, so there's still a lot you don't know about us Fairy Tail members." She then smiles at him, "Once you see Gray and Erza's magic, then you'll know what I'm talking about."
"Still, for them to work together...," Gareth started before his voice died out; he was trying to come up with a good way to describe the relationship between Natsu and Gray.
Thankfully, Mira was able to catch on and giggled, "Your thinking about Natsu and Gray's bantering?"
Gareth sweat drops again at the assumption, "Yeah."
Mira giggled once more and began making her way behind the bar, "Knowing those two, they would rather do something dumb than work together, even if they're under the eyes of Erza. In fact, I was wondering if you and Lucy can keep an eye on them."
Said girl perked up, "Me?"
"Yes you, silly," Mira reinstated, as she grab an empty mug under the bar began washing it with a wet rag, "Erza will be able to, but it'll likely make her lose focus on whatever she has in mind for them. So if you two tag along, it'll make things much easier."
"Hmm, that is true," Gareth agreed, "Plus, me was thinking on what Erza said earlier. My instincts feel like something bad is coming, bad enough for her to seek their aid..." The boy looks down in great thought, before looking back up at the barmaid, "If it is alright with you Mirajane, would like to do that as well."
"Not at all, Gareth. I'm pretty sure Erza won't mind either. She'll need all the help she can get," Mira said, before turning to Lucy, "What about you, Lucy?"
"...I...am not sure about this," Lucy hesitantly said, looking at the floor while rubbing her arm in worry.
"Do not worry so much, Lucy," Gareth smiled, making her look at him, "Have seen you fight well. Pretty sure you can do it again."
Like every other thing he'd seen repeatedly, this wasn't the first time Gareth saw Lucy feel extremely cautious. Usually, this would happen due to oncoming threats in quests or something in general that would seem scary to her. Not that Gareth thought it was a bad thing, he knew it was normal to have fear. But he also knew that being fearful constantly does not help, so he had to help her out sometimes to overcome that. Thankfully, it would always work out.
Lucy takes a deep breath and then looks at the boy with determination, "Alright, I'll help too."
Gareth nods back at her with gratitude.
Two Hours Later...
"ARGH! THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Natsu shouted into the sky, followed by him bashing his head against his rival's glaring at him in the process, "Why the hell would I team up with you!?"
"I can say the exact same thing!" Gray shouted back, while pushing his head against Natsu's, "Erza teaming us up together was a big mistake!"
"And there they go...," Lucy deflated, as she stares at the two bantering again from a bench not too far from them, all while hugging her spirit Plue, who was sitting on her lap.
"Well..., at least we will know if they fight or not," Gareth said, trying to lift her mood.
"Mmmmm, nah. I think they will," Happy quickly states, while eating a fish.
"You are not helping," Gareth gives the cat a deadpanned look.
The two hours have already passed, and the group have settled in at the Magnolia train station... well almost everybody. Right now they, and by they it is currently Gareth, Lucy, and Happy, we're waiting on Erza to show up. They weren't really sure why she was taking so long, but they really nothing better to do either.
But one thing did caught Gareth's interest.
Assuming if it's true, it would be the first time that the boy would travel by train. When traveling through Magnolia, he would sometimes catch a view of the train arriving at or departing from the station. So for him to see it up close today, he really wondered how it would feel once he stepped inside and sense the long vehicle of transportation move as he settled in. It would be just another experience for him.
With that, Gareth couldn't help but think, What else today would bring?
"Sorry, I'm late. But I had to make sure I got everything," a certain redhead called out, catching the boy's and everyone else's attention.
Natsu and Gray immediately ended their bantering and shifted into their fun friend zone, but Lucy and Gareth were caught off guard by what they saw next to Erza.
"What's with all the luggage!?" Lucy shouted out. Indeed, with one hand grabbing the handle, Erza was pulling a trolley filled to the brim with large stacks of suitcases, bags, and even several boxes. While Lucy was dumbfounded by this, Gareth was a bit conflicted. He wasn't sure how Erza was able to bring all that stuff with her on her adventures; the only thing that he could think of at the moment was that it was related to her magic.
Whatever it was though, Gareth would think on it more later, as his companion's shout caught the armored wizard's eye. "You two, you don't look familiar. Are you both new around here?" Erza spoke, as she walks up to Gareth and Lucy.
"Yeah, they both joined Fairy Tail last week, and they've been on a roll ever since," Happy complimented the two, not bothered by what Erza was pulling, as he continued munching on his fish.
"Is that so?" Erza assumed, now stopping in front of them. Her being there was now out of her view of Natsu and Gray, which resulted in them silently bantering again. They would momentarily go back to being best buds, once Erza looked back at the two. "Well, I believe I should introduce myself then. My name's Erza Scarlet; it's nice to meet you."
"Hi, my name is Lucy," said girl greeted, still carrying Plue, as she and Gareth stood up from their bench and faced Erza, "It's nice to meet you too."
"Lucy," Erza repeated her name, then pausing for a moment, before saying, "I heard about you in my travels. You're the one who defeated a gorilla overlord with just one finger. That is pretty impressive of you."
Gareth notice his companion scrunch up by what she said; even he was taken aback by it. They weren't really sure where Erza got that information. So, he decided to correct her. "Actually, it was not a gorilla overlord; it was a maid," he started, turning Erza's attention to him, "A very... large, grotesque maid working under a corrupt rich man; and Lucy didn't defeat it with her finger. She did so with the help of her Celestial Spirit, and with my assistance of course... Oh!" Gareth then realized and reach out with his hand, "My name is Gareth Zillion, by the way."
Gareth can now sense the beam of positivity Lucy directed at him; silently thanking him for helping her out.
As for Erza, she took a moment to look at his open hand, before gladly accepting it while smiling at him in return, "Still an impressive feat, nonetheless. It is nice to meet you, Gareth."
Once she grasped his hand, Gareth suddenly felt the strong grip she was giving. His instincts told him that her attempt to crush his hand was not intentional; but seeing that she wasn't noticing, Gareth decided on one thing; to showcase a glimpse of his own strength.
Erza felt a bit surprised by the sudden increase in grip Gareth showed off. She only just met him, but she can already tell that this boy had a lot of potential. This made her smile more brightly.
"It is nice to meet you as well, Erza," Gareth greets back, before they ended their handshake, "Mirajane asked if me and Lucy can aid you on this mission. We do not know everything yet, but whatever it is we would like to help all the same. If that is all right with you, of course?"
"None at all, Gareth," Erza replied back with a nod, "If you and Lucy are capable as you say you are, then I will give you both this one chance."
Gareth nods back with a smile, "Thank you, Erza. We will make sure we do not waste it," he then pursed his lips however, as he turn to look at the trolley of supplies next to her, "Though, me do has to ask. What will you do with-"
Before Gareth can finish his question, he noticed Erza reached her hand out to her supplies and motioned it to her hip. This was instantly followed by the trolley poofing out of existence.
Gareth and Lucy stared at the now open space, before the former looks back at Erza saying, "What you just did;... did that have to do with your Ethernano?"
Erza simply nods back at him.
"Huh... interesting," Gareth then says aloud, his tone full of wonder again. He then nods at her once more, "Alright, let us move."
"Hold on," Gareth turns his head toward Natsu, who has officially stopped his bantering with Gray and is now walking up toward Erza with a smirk, "Before we go anywhere, I would like to ask you something, Erza." The armored wizard perked up, as the fire wizard continued, "After this is all settled and done, I want you to fight me!"
"Natsu, are you stupid!?" Gray criticized him.
Natsu however didn't reply and continued again with a pumped-up fist, "I know it's been a while since we last had one, but ever since then I have grown much stronger. I want to see how much I've improved, and if there's a chance where I can finally beat you, then I'll gladly take it!"
Gareth looked at the confident Natsu, then turns his head to the silent Erza, and then switching back. The boy slowly realized that this request Natsu gave was not like any of the guild brawls he had seen before. This hold more significance, though he wasn't clearly sure what it was. Still, he was curious. May ask them later, he thought.
After a few long moments, Erza smiled and nods, "Very well, I accept."
"Yes!" Natsu cheered, before shouting to the sky with fire breathing from his mouth, "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"
And that is it for chapter five. I know there was yet another long pause between chapters again, but this time was different.
Things have been going on behind the scenes these past few months; most importantly, I finally found myself a full-time job. Honestly, it was overwhelming at first, but thankfully I have since grown comfortable in my workplace and I'm able to get back into writing again.
Anyways, like I said in the beginning here, I have skipped the Daybreak arc. Even though it has been mentioned a few times here, I really hope this doesn't bother too many people.
That's everything I have to say for today. I hope you all have a good day, night, or whatever you are; and I'll see you all next time.
See ya later everyone!