Author's Note: Sorry…It's been a while. Thank you for all your support and patience :,)

Fairy Tail: New Era

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Soooo, a lot's happened...too much to say on this chapter right now. But, I would like to thank you all for supporting this fanfic I wrote. This may or may not be the last chapter of the Prologue arc...no guarantees. I have so much planned that I can't wait to type it all out for you all to see. On the downside, I have very little time to anything fun these days. Wish me luck! Now I shall proceed with the story...(BTW feel free to critique/comment just know your limits).

BTW, since it's past X792, let's go with the X792 looks (or assume it's so unless I apply a description regarding appearance), except for Romeo and Wendy, since I will give them new clothing designs in this chapter. This chappy begins with a flashback of Shinji and Aria joining the guild.

Chapter 4- GUILD

Laughing, drinking, and smiling; an overall jolly ambiance. Natsu and Gray just received punishment from Erza. They lay on the floor, with gigantic bumps on their heads. Lisanna, Lucy, Laki, and Kinana were browsing the pages of Sorcerer Weekly. Elfman and Gajeel were having an arm-wrestling match, only they seemed to be locked in a fierce tie. Jet and Droy gazed at their strength in awe. Reedus was painting another scenic picture of the Fairy Tail mages up to their shenanigans to document these memories in another artistic creation. Mirajane was bringing drinks for Wakaba and an anxious Macao, who was gripping his pocket watch as the seconds ticked by. Wakaba stifled a laugh, "Cheer up man, Romeo is a fine mage in the making. You don't need to worry so much or else your hair will grey out completely."

A small vein popped on Macao's forehead, "Excuse you oldie! He's my only son!"

"Oi, take a chill pill! Don't forget that Wendy and Carla are accompanying him. Wendy is a promising mage among Fairy Tail's younger generation."

"And that's another reason why I worry," he bangs is fists on the wooden table,"He's with a girl!"

Wakaba smirked, "He's been on quests with her for weeks. Yet, you chose to worry now?"

'Well, none of them would last until this late!" the other elderly mage argued back, butting heads with the Smoke Mage.

Mirajane arrived with two mugs of beer on a tray. She couldn't help but interrupt, "Um...Excuse me, but your drinks are ready."

In the midst of their heated debate, the two adults turned to Mira with childish smiles on their faces, "Why thank you Mira-chan."

Mirajane sweatdropped, " I see you two were having an argument..." she muttered, trying to change the subject.

Macao nodded, "Romeo and Wendy haven't returned from their quest yet."

"I see. I can understand why you'd be worried," Mira sympathized, "But, it's not like this is his first quest..."

"Exactly!" Wakaba slapped his palms onto the table.

"Exactly what?!" Macao barked back.

Mira sweatdropped again, "oh what have I done..." she almost inaudibly muttered to herself.

The two elderly mages went back to butting heads, with their veins throbbing on their heads.

"Why you..."

Suddenly the guild doors opened with a large bang. Everyone turned their heads to the opened door, which presented Romeo, Wendy, Carla, a raven-haired boy, and a pink-haired girl with blood red eyes. Romeo grinned, "Hey everyone! We came back with some new friends!"

Wakaba smirked at Macao," See...I told you"

"Tsk...Shut up..." Macao replied.

Mirajane sighed in relief. She noticed the two unfamiliar figures in the guild building. She sensed they did not mean any harm. So, she set the empty tray down next to the sink and walked up to them. Amicably, she held out her hand and gave them a sweet smile, "I'm Mirajane. It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you mind telling me your names?"

Aria's eyes sparkled at the white-haired beauty, "Um-uh, I'm Aria. Nice to meet you-too" the pink-haired mage stuttered.

When the older mage offered a hand-shake to Shinji, he blushed a tiny bit. Having the privilege to shake hands with such a gorgeous girl was too good to be true. With a sprinkle of hesitation, he shook her hand, "Shinji. It's a pleasure to be acquainted with you."

Romeo sneered Shinji's rosy cheeks, "Fallen for Mira-nee? You're five years too young."

The tint of red vanished from Shinji's cheeks as he playfully punched Romeo's shoulder, "You were staring at her two you know."

Mira, Wendy, Carla, and Aria giggled. "So, I take it these two want to join the guild?" Mira asked Romeo and Wendy.

"Mhmm." Wendy confirmed.

Mirajane clasped her hands together, "That's great! It's not that often we get new members! Come with me to the bar." she beckoned.

As they made their way to the bar, the other mages began to resume with their activities. Though there were occasional glances at the new members, which made Shinji and Aria feel a little uncomfortable. Mira noticed the sliver of unease that the two new mages felt. "Don't worry, you two. They just can't wait to meet you." she kindly reassured them, cleansing all traces of disturbance.

When they made it to the bar-area, Mira pulled something from behind the counter-a stamp. She turned to the two newbies with a sweet smile, "This stamp will bestow you with the guild's emblem. Once the process is over, you two can become official members of Fairy Tail. Are you ready?"

Shinji and Aria exchanged glances at each other and looked at Mira, "I thought to join a guild you would be required to take some sort of magic-related challenge...this seems to simple to be real..." Shinji stated.

"There may be some guilds out there which require that sort of stuff since they want only strong members. But, here at Fairy Tail, we're all about camaraderie, not strength." she paused a bit, then a lightbulb popped overhead, "the real question I should be asking is...where would you like your stamp?"

Aria stepped towards Mira and held out her right hand, " May I have the mark place here?"

"Sure," the older mage replied. Upon lifting the stamp, there was a pink Fairy Tail emblem on her porcelain skin. Aria's eyes sparkled in fascination as she held the insignia a few inches from her eyes. "Woah...so this is a guild mark..."

Shinji, slightly nervous stepped forward. He gulped. Without hesitation, he lifted his black shirt, just enough to show his abs. A couple of hoots and whistles were heard from the girls in the audience. Aria blushed deeply. With the best of his might, Shinji ignored them. "Um...here would be nice..."

"On the left or the right, "Mira innocently replied.

"Um..left please..." Shinji mumbled.

"Okee..." she stamped the left side quickly, revealing a black Fairy Tail insignia. Next, she stared into Shinji's sapphire eyes with another angelic smile, "For a teenager, you're pretty fit. I'm sure the girls will be running after you as soon as possible."

On cue, Shinji's face turned red...redder than Aria's eyes and Erza's hair. The entire guild was filled with laughter at that moment. Mira apologetically winked at Shinji. Next, she addressed a special message for the two new mages, "Welcome to Fairy Tail! From this day, and hopefully from this day forth, I hope we can get along as a family!"

Aria and Shinji smiled and nodded, "We hope so too..."

Mira then spoke to Romeo and Wendy, "Can you two introduce them to the other members of the guild?"

"Leave it to us! Right Romeo-kun?" Wendy addressed her partner.

"Of course! And what's up with the change in honorifics?"

"You're only a year older than me. Didn't you say so yourself?"

"Well...yeah..." the latter put his hands behind his head.

Carla flew over to Shinji and Aria, "Don't mind them. Those two idiots get distracted over small things...Allow me to show you two around."

Carla was leading (with her Aera still active) the two to the bar when suddenly, Natsu's body whizzed across the room and missed the white Exceed an inch.

"That...was scary..." Carla fainted after that. Shinji and Aria quickly kneeled beside her,"Uh, Carla? Are you okay?" Aria panicked.

Wendy and Romeo rushed to their Exceed friend. "Carla! Stay with us!" Wendy dramatically cried out to her friend, holding her delicate paw with three of her fingers.

Romeo and Shinji sweatdropped, though they were equally concerned. Romeo looked out towards the culprit and noticed Gray..."Good grief," the Fire Mage mumbled,"They're at it again."

He turned to the conscious three. "Hey..I think we'll need to take some cover before a riot breaks out..."

Meanwhile...

"It's your fault that we got into trouble with Erza, Flame Brain!" Gray yelled out, clad only in a pair of boxers.

Juvia blushed, "Ummmm...Gray-sama, your clothes..."

The Ice-Make mage looked down, "Uwaaah! When the hell did that happen?!" He frantically shifted his gaze at the floor, searching for his clothes. Then, Juvia came up to him and held out her arms. They presented his clothes neatly folded. The Water Mage gave him a sweet smile, "Don't worry, I have them folded right here. But you need to stop stripping so much, silly."

Gray gladly took the clothes from Juvia. "Thanks, I knew I could count on you for things like this..." he grinned with humility as he put on his pants and boots. When he dawned his dark-colored coat (Author's Note: His attire is like the one in the Avatar arc), he smiled and put a hand on the Water Mage's shoulder, "Thanks again. How about I make it up to you tonight?"

Juvia's entire face suddenly reddened at that possible innuendo, "Eh?! W-w-what do you mean by that?"

Gray, realizing that Juvia misinterpreted it, began to clarify his offer,"Oh crap, uh, I meant that I wanted to-"

"Oi Ice Princess! I'll get you for that!" Natsu was hopping table to table towards Gray and Juvia. His fists were clenched. Natsu then sprung another table and soared in the vicinity of the two mages. However, Gray and Juvia moved right out of the way when Natsu leapt from the chair. "Wha? GRAYYYYY!" The wide-eyed Fire Dragon Slayer was left flailing his arms in the air.

Gray snickered at Natsu's failure while Juvia waved the Dragon Slayer a little goodbye. Natsu, on the other hand, waved back at the Water Mage, but crashed head-first into the table which Gajeel, Elfman, and the Shadow Gear sat at, sending Droy's food and a a few half-filled beer mugs into the air and splat onto the floor.

"MY FOOOD!" Droy wailed, mourning over his mushed buffalo wings and mashed potatoes.

"There there," Levy consoled him, patting his shoulder.

"Cheer up man, we can always get more, "Jet reminded the Plant Mage, "but, judging on the size of your belly, it won't be doing you any wonders..."

Droy then but heads with Jet, "Are you implying something?"

Jet countered, locking arms with his partner, "You know what I mean. Start exercising more!"

Levy sweatdropped, "Ummm...guys, can't we just settle things peacefully?" Noticing that her teammates were too sidetracked, Levy turned to a real guy she could depend on, "Um...Gajeel?"

Unfortunately, the bluenette saw a sight which further disappointed her. Levy sighed and walked away before the fight would commence. The veins on Gajeel's and Elfman's heads throbbed angrily when their intense wrestling match was ruined. Gajeel held Natsu up by the collar of his vest. "Damn you Salamander! I was having worthwhile match but you just had to pipe in!"

"B-but, it's not my fault! Blame Gray and his girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend?!" Juvia's cheeks were suddenly rosy.

At that line, Gray blushed slightly, "Oi idiot! She's not my girlfriend."

Juvia puffed her cheeks at the Ice Mage which she had ever-so-much affection for, "Oh...I see how it is..." She then turned before she trudged off toward the girls reading the Sorcerer magazine. Gray, dumbfounded by his words tried to apologize, "Juvia, wait! I didn't mean it like that!" He fast-walked after her.

"Interfering with arm-wrestling matches is not manly ya bastard!" Elfman roared.

"Your gonna pay, Salamander," Gajeel growled, holding Natsu up by his scarf. The Iron Dragon Slayer then tossed his fellow Dragon Slayer across the guild in Gray and Juvia's direction. Back to the not-so-couple-like-couple...

"I know we've been through a lot...but, ya know...we aren't like that." Gray desperately attempted to clear things with Juvia.

Juvia turned around with a less pouty expression on her face,"Um...Gray-sama...," then as fast as lightning a new one was plastered on her face. Stepping out of the way, the blue-haired Water Mage, pointed behind Gray,"...look behind you!"

The raven-haired mage swiveled his neck to catch a glimpse of what lay behind him. He saw a flurry a pink before he was sent sprawling across the guild with it...From there, the mayhem just worsened. Natsu and Gray landed on the table where the four girls were reading Sorcerer Weekly; or in the girls' cases, they were interrupted. Lucy's and Laki's veins popped out of their foreheads. Lucy stared at the two trouble-making knuckleheads as they got up,"If you're going to cause a ruckus, start it elsewhere!"

"Gajeel was the one who tossed me here! It was Gajeel's fault!" Natsu defended.

Gray butted heads with Natsu, "Oi! You freakin' bumped into me!"

"Again, it was Gajeel who threw me." Natsu stated, "But he wouldn't have thrown me in the first place if it weren't for you starting the whole thing!"

"Now don't just go blaming things on me Flame Brain!"

"You started it Ice Princess!"

The two were locked in another tense argument. Natsu's fiery magic aura collided with Gray's cold aura.

Lucy sweatdropped, "I feel ignored now..."

"Maybe it's best we don't interfere..." Lisanna suggested.

"Master will mad again if they don't stop this nonsense." Laki sighed.

"But, it's not our problem." Kinana pointed out.

"Oh it will be if they destroy the guild." Lucy clenched her fists. The Celestial Spirit Mage was going to follow in Erza's footsteps and take a stand against those two. When the blonde was about to project her voice, her glossy, pink lips were suddenly stopped by a gentle finger. She gasped at the familiar, charming figure before her, "Loki?!"

Lucy's loyal spirit gazed into his master's eyes intently. Taking her hand, he spoke a vow,"My bride, it is unacceptable for a fine goddess such as you to take on the burden of dealing with fools like them. Allow me to take your place, my sweet." he finished by placing a kiss on Lucy's hand and started trudging towards the troublesome mages whilst the light of Regulus began to intensify.

The Stellar Spirit Mage was too awestruck by Loki's actions to even pay an ounce of attention to the two idiots brawling in front of her. Everything felt so hazy until the fantasy was disturbed by some consistent giggling.

"Aww...they truly are star-crossed lovers"Kinana's eyes were flooded with sparkles,"I wish I could have a dashing boyfriend."

Lisanna snickered,"Shippable. Absolutely shippable. I must spill the beans to Mira-nee."

Laki's glasses beamed,"Teeheehee, it seems another ship has set sail! I wonder what kind of course it will take?"

Lucy glowered at the three teasing twits, "Loki is a spirit. Spirits and their owner's cannot have relationships. That defies the laws of nature in too many ways to count."

"Darn." the three girls sighed.

Meanwhile, the brawl in the guild began to get...out of hand. What started with just Natsu and Gray morphed into a something similar to an elementary school playground filled with rabid kindergarteners. Plates, cups, chairs, tables, and food were flying everywhere. Suddenly there was a blackout in the room; all the lights simultaneously switched off. It was nighttime outside,. The individuals who participated in the brawl immediately halted, intimidated by the grand entrance.

Without a knock, the guild doors opened with a thundering boom that silenced all the ruckus and violence inside the guild. All eyes fell onto the four silhouettes standing at the entrance.

One of them cackled, "Man you guys are always up to trouble whenever Master isn't around!"

Another one retorted,"Everyone is lively as usual."

The third figure's arms were crossed, "Some things cannot be helped these days. More importantly..." he turned to the figure standing behind them; a taller figure. The tall man scanned the room with fierce eyes, paying extra attention to the turned-over chairs, flipped tables, broken cups, mugs, food, and drink spilled. He next locked his eyes upon the guild-members who were fighting. Natsu, Gray, Loke, Gajeel, Elfman, and the other troublemakers were immobilized by his hostile glare. "You..." his voice resounded as the boom of thunder caused the wrongdoers to jolt in surprise,"I know lot caused this to happen! Now if you dimwits don't clean up the mess you made, you will face a punishment far worse than death...Understood?"

"Aye sir!" the mischievous children shivered in fear.

"Oi-are you just gonna stand there or get to work?"

"Aye!" the troublemakers dashed straight for the cleaning supplies.

Aria and Shinji gazed in awe at the mage's display, "His magic power level is incredibly high..."

"I would hate to fight against someone like him.."

Romeo and Wendy smiled at their guild's valiant "savior". At that moment Carla began to stir, "Ughh..I have had it with being unconscious for the day...what's happening...?"

Wendy picked up her Exceed pal, "How about we let you see for yourself..."

Calming himself, the intimidating mage sighed deeply, "Geez, these guys must've given Gramps a run for his money. Can't believe I have to deal with their crap now..."

Slowly, the intense electricity subsided, further darkening the room. Once every spark died out, the room was pitch-black for a moment. Then the lights in the guildhall blinked a couple times before they turned on again. Unveiled for all to see was Laxus and his entourage, the Thunder God Tribe. Laxus sighed once more, "I come back from a conference in Clover to see this mess..." he chuckled before giving his black coat to Freed, "Can you believe it?"

"Master, you should calm yourself down with a drink or two." Freed suggested.

Laxus grimaced at his teammate, "I thought I told you to continue to address me as 'Laxus', not 'Master' after the inauguration. If everyone calls me 'Master' all the time, I'll start to feel old."

"Sorry, Laxus."

Bickslow cackled, "Freed, you're no fun! That was your cue to call him Master again!"

The Seith Mage's wooden dolls floated out of nowhere and chanted, "No fun! No fun!"

"You are quite the jester, Bickslow." Evergreen jeered.

The four of them laughed, but they noticed that everyone else was looking at them. Laxus gave them a slight grin, "What are you guys staring at?The night is young, so let's have a party!"

Everyone cheered and continued with whatever they were doing with greater cheer now that their master had returned. Under Laxus's watchful eye, the troublemaker's thoroughly cleaned the floors and reassembled the plethora of broken furniture. Everyone else enjoyed the celebration, not even knowing what they were commemorating this party to.

The newly-formed team sat along the bar-stools (Carla sat in Wendy's lap), waiting for Mirajane to serve them the drinks they ordered.

Coincidentally, Laxus sat next to Wendy and Carla, sipping some cold, refreshing beer from a translucent, glass cup.

I believe there was a significant detail I did not tell you at the beginning of the tale. Following the tragedies which transpired in Fairy Tail's war with Tartarus, Ishgar was rendered without a Magic Council because the former members were massacred in the explosions at Era. However, I did mention that a new Magic Council consisted of the Ten Wizard Saints. Makarov Dreyar, being among those ten individuals, was obliged to join for the sake of his family at Fairy Tail. Before parting ways, he nominated his grandson, the powerful and intimidating Laxus Dreyar, to be the seventh guildmaster of Fairy Tail. In all of Fairy Tail history, this was the first time that the title of guildmaster was passed down from relative to relative. Laxus himself, was honored to receive this position (yet at the same time, he worried about the many burdens he would endure due to his fellow guildmates' havoc-wreaking tendencies).

"I wonder how Gramps is doing right now? Probably going to hit the roof one of these days.." the young master almost inaudibly chuckled at his thoughts.

"Something funny Laxus?" A familiar voice broke his deep concentration. His shoulder's tensed up as he straightened his back. He unwrapped his hands around this drink; palms lay flat on the polished counter. A thick, golden ring occupied the ring-finger of his left-hand. The interrogator was none other than Mirajane, who was setting some drinks onto a serving dish. He sighed a little, knowing that it was her, after all.

"Just wondering was Gramps was doing at this time of night."

"Maybe you should call him sometime. He would appreciate it."

"Not so sure about that." the Lighting Dragon Slayer sighed, "He'd probably bombard me with a million questions about the guild. And if I tell him that everything is going swell, then he'd assume I'm lying. Giving him a call would be a death wish..."

The white-haired beauty lifted her head so that her cerulean eyes cough meet his dark-brown ones. She brushed away the wavy, snowy locks from her face, unveiling the tender smile plastered onto her face. She leaned closer to him, gently sliding her delicate, porcelain hands onto his. The ring-finger of her left-hand, too, bore a thin, silver ring with a diamond that glistened in the light, "How about we call him together? He won't doubt you if I'm there to confirm that everything in the guild is stable."

Laxus, a little flushed, slowly closed the distance between them, "When you say it like that, I wonder what could possibly go wrong...He's always liked you. That old man..." Their foreheads made contact."I wonder if he'll be able to see his great grandchildren.." Laxus whispered huskily. His hot breath touched Mira's cheeks like a warm, summer breeze. Her face changed into a hue of pink, then it reddened so much that it looked like her face was about to explode.

Laxus laughed a little, "Are you serious? I haven't seen you blush like this in a long time. I can't believe that you'd get so worked up over something like this. The last you made THAT face was that time when we were in that ho-"

The wide-eyed, white-haired barmaid sealed his mouth shut with one of her hands and turned his head to the right catch a glimpse of four teenage wizards (and cat) with blushes plastered on their faces. All five jolted back in surprise now that they've been caught red-handed for eavesdropping on a lover's quarrel. Now it was Laxus's turn to be humiliated.

Wendy and Romeo dismissed what happened with fake-laughter and switched glances to their new nakama. "How can I explain this without making this sound awkward?" Romeo nervously clarified,"Mira-nee was affianced to Laxus-nii last February."

"Since Laxus-san is really busy with his duties as guildmaster, the wedding has been postponed sometime next year." Wendy leaned into Aria's ear, "Don't you just think they're a fantastic couple?"

Aria giggled,"They're so cute together."

"Oi! I can hear you gossipy, little runts from over here," Laxus growled. The Lighting Dragon Slayer clenched his fist.

Before further actions were taken, Mirajane clasped his tightened fist between her gentle hands, "There, there Master. There, there. You mustn't scare away the new members who joined the guild today."

"I already noticed them, to be honest." Laxus responded. Then, frowning at his beloved, "And you, especially, cannot call me Master."

The white-haired beauty grinned teasingly. She then noticed all four mages stood behind Laxus. "Um, Laxus, I think some people would like to speak with you. And don't you dare try to make an excuse."

The guildmaster sighed, "You really are the She-Devil."

"Yes, yes I am." Mira smiled at him before wiping the counter.

Laxus turned around to see the four runts who were spying on a precious conversation between him and Mira. He knew Wendy fairly well because she too is a Dragon Slayer. The white cat (a.k.a. Carla) followed the bluenette everywhere she went. He was never acquainted with Romeo, but remembered that the young Fire Mage joined the guild during the seven-year timeskip. The other two (the pink-haired chic with the red eyes and the black haired guy with the blue eyes), were clearly the foreigners among the lot.

He stood up from his stool and straightened his back, so that he could look down upon the guild's future generation. He spoke sternly with proper annunciation, "You two, "his eyes fixed on Shinji and Aria, " State your identity and business here."

Waterfalls of sweat poured down from the two recruits.

"U-u-uhhh.." Aria looked down at the wooden floor as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"..." Shinji on the other hand was as still as a statue. Almost as if Evergreen herself turned him into stone.

Romeo, Wendy, Carla, and Mirajane sweatdropped. Laxus stifled a snicker. Later, he burst into jubilant laughter, "You two are hilarious! Did you seriously think I'd introduce myself like that?"

"You just did..." Mira, Romeo, Wendy, and Carla murmured in the background.

"Screw all of you." Laxus barked before continuing with the new guildmembers, "I am Laxus Dreyar, the current guildmaster of Fairy Tail. And you two are...?"

Alt last, the stone statue was liberated from it's stagnancy, for it offered its hand to the less-intimidating figure before it,"Shinji Tsukiya, sir!"

Laxus firmly shook Shinji's hand, "So the statue speaks after all-eh. You seem to be like one of those mature, obedient types. That's a relief because we have a ton of troublemakers in this place. Funny thing is that they're in their twenties." the man turned to Aria, "And what about you, young lady?"

The pinkette stopped twiddling her thumbs and stretched out her palm, "My name is Aria. Nice to meet you."

Laxus took her hand and gave it a gentle shake, "Polite young girl, aren't you?"

"Um-not always." The pinkette blushed.

"Very modest too."

"Um-thank you." A small smile formed on her face.

The seventh master of Fairy Tail then turned to the rest of the guild, who were in the middle of a celebration. "FAIRY TAIL! I DON'T CARE IF YOU GUYS REALLY WANT TO DRINK YOUR HEARTS OUT NOW. JUST LISTEN FOR A GODDAMN MOMENT!" his shout boomed throughout every crook and nanny within the building, louder than thunder.

All eyes were on Laxus in a split-second. "Ahem. Thank you all for your attention. I would like to make a toast," he held up his half-empty beer mug in the air for everyone to see, "A toast to honor the new members of our family! CHEERS!"

"CHEERS!"

Everyone cheered, clapped, and whistled for Aria and Shinji. The two were a tad overwhelmed by the formal toast. Yet, it seemed very impromptu. But, it was still overwhelming because of the sheer number of people. Either way, they wore cheery smiles on their faces as they were about to meet the rest of the Fairy Tail family. The atmosphere was festive, everyone was happy, and the night was still young...

Another photo in the scrapbook called "Memories"...

Three Months Later (June X793)~Morning in Magnolia~Romeo's House

A new morning dawned upon Magnolia. Golden rays of sunshine caressed the still-somber streets of Magnolia. Such light shone through the glass window in Romeo Conbolt's room, but was obstructed by a pair of oxblood curtains. Speaking of the young lad, he lay snug in his bed. His head rested comfortably on a soft, white pillow, fixated away from the window. The rest of him was covered by maroon sheets. The young mage shuffled in his sheets, causing them to ruffle and crease. He turned his head in the window's direction. Just then, the morning's light found an opening through the curtains. Light streaked across the Fire Mage's dim room and glinted on Romeo's shut eyelids. Irritated by the sudden disturbance, Romeo jerked his head away. But, he moved without caution of his surroundings. His head bumped into the wooden bedpost.

"Ack! Ouch...my head," Romeo grazed the hurting spot with his fingers, he then frowned, "Now I'm fully awake..."

Slowly, the city came to life. One by one, the people began to follow their routine lives, their footsteps and words become more audible as the time ticks away. The sound of water flowing through the canals could be heard more clearly. Outside, the birds chirps echo into the house. Romeo stretched his arms up and yawned. He wore a white, cotton T-shirt and black and green checked pajama pants. Thereafter, he jumped out of bed and pulled the curtains to their respectable sides, unleashing a full blast of sunshine. Romeo was blinded by the morning's radiance at first, but quickly adjusted after wiping his eyes with the back of his knuckles. "Another day in Magnolia, I guess," he smiled.

Indeed, it was just 'another' ordinary day in Magnolia, the shops were starting to open, the residents were taking a morning stroll, a few fishing boats occupied the canals; Romeo recklessly slid open the window, just so he could take in some of that fresh morning air. Upon poking his head outside, there was a sudden ruffling in a nearby tree. Out came a flock of pure-white doves, flapping their wings in unison as they begin their tasks for the new day. They flew off into the distant, blue yonder, a few white feathers left in their wake. Like snowflakes, they turned, pirouetted, and glided through the air.

Romeo sniffed the cold, fresh morning air. Suddenly the alarm-clock in his room went off. "Damn clock..." Romeo cursed under his breath.

Before Mavis knew it, the young man shut the window and bolted into his room to get bathed and dressed for the day.

Five minutes later, Romeo was out of shower with a fluffy, white towel securely wrapped around his waist. He rummaged through his closet for certain clothing items. Including the necessary article(s), the Fire Mage tossed out the following onto his bed: olive-green cargo pants (which reach below the knee caps), navy blue socks, brown hiking shoes, and a short-sleeved, mahogany button-up that has white coloring the edge of the sleeves and collar. Romeo received this shirt as a gift from Wendy and Aria. Over the last few months, those two got very social. They would sometimes go shopping together; checking out the clothing boutiques and dessert shops. Carla would tag along too, but she wasn't as avid a shopper as those two were. Romeo, almost dressed, only needed to button up his shirt before putting on his shoes. As his hands made their way up to the collar, Romeo looked at a few things on his oak-wood nightstand; a photograph. The Fire Mage smiled, for he was fond of the memories inscribed within the picture. Not even a thousand words could encompass everything which lead to that moment, nor could they capture the emotions, scenery, and importance of it in the same manner as a single picture could. A picture is worth more than a thousand words for it will preserve memories that even people forget as the passage of time flows ceaselessly.

Following hurried footsteps, the shadow which covered the picture slid off. Exposed to the light, the glass which shielded the photo from the elements gave off a glare. If one inspects the picture from a different angle, they would see the memory stored; four ambitious teenagers (and cat) who would become promising mages in the years to come. The five stand behind a vermilion sky with the top half of the the orange, setting sun peaking out of the surface. The quiet shutting of the door could be heard from the room...

"Bye Dad! See you at the guild!" Romeo waved to his father who was peering out the window.

"Don't do anything stupid Romeo! And say hi to Wendy for me!" Macao smiled, whilst waving back to his one and only son.

Romeo sighed and ran to the guild. He rushed past the residents and food carts, past the food stalls and shops. Often, he would greet familiar faces with a bright smile and add a few "Pardons" or "Excuse me" s. Every morning since then was like this, Romeo couldn't contain his excitement. Coming to Fairy Tail was always a blessing for Romeo. It got better when he, Wendy, and Carla formed a team. When he thought things couldn't get any better, Shinji and Aria joined their team! Everyone in the guild believes that their team will be as powerful as Fairy Tail's Strongest Team was. But, those were incredibly high expectations. None of them were S-Class Mages like Erza. Neither were they all as intellectual or resourceful like Gray or Lucy. Plus, Romeo had a long way to go if he wanted to be on par with Natsu. Great expectations often shatter, but making tough goals would encourage them to give it their all. With those thoughts in mind, Romeo developed a new-found sense of determination.

"Just up this curved path and then I'll be there!" the young mage picked up speed every foot he passed. The headquarter's roof could be seen from were he kept running. He put in a final sprint and made it! The guild was within reach, but the entrance was crowded by a circle of people. Romeo fell to his knees, panting, "Are you kidding me?"

He pushed himself off the ground using his hands and then walked to the blob to see what the commotion was all about. After pushing and squeezing through a few people, he finally caught a glimpse of blue hair and quickly maneuvered his way around the people to get to her.

"Wendy!"

The bluenette turned her head in his direction, "Romeo-san?"

Once he reached her, he noticed that she wore the same top she had on their first quest together (the one she wore at first in the Edolas arc; the one with the green triangle pattern-it was "altered" so that it could look more like a top), a frilled, navy blue mini-skirt, dark blue stockings, and light brown boots that covered just a little over the ankles. He noticed Aria and Carla were with her too. Aria wore a cream-colored cardigan over a magenta tank-top, a black mini-skirt, gray knee-socks, and black, leather combat boots. (Above I have described Romeo's, Aria's, and Wendy's normal outfits. Just assume that is what they wear unless context clues say otherwise). "Salutations," Carla smiled. The Exceed wore a red, sleeveless top with a yellow tie which had a paw insignia on it, and a pink skirt.

"Good morning Romeo-san," Aria amicably greeted, "I see you picked out the button-up Wendy and I found at one of the clothing boutiques. You look so cool wearing it. What do you think Wendy?"

The Sky Dragon Slayer was taken aback by how Aria put her on the spot there, "Uh-me? Well..um," Wendy's eyes wandered off to the side. She shuffled her feet a little before looking at Romeo straight in the eyes, "I think you look nice."

"Uh-thanks." Romeo sweatdropped, "By the way, where's Shinji?"

All three girls just smiled in response. "I think you know exactly where he is." Carla confidently replied.

A lightbulb flashed above Romeo's head, "No way!"

He turned around pushed through the horde. Midway, he turned to the three, "Aren't you guys going to see this? Cause I wouldn't miss it for the world. "

"Um..isn't it rude to just push the people?" Wendy spoke.

"But he's our nakama and he's been training like crazy."

"They spar every month." Carla pointed out.

"Once a month, that is." Romeo corrected.

"I'll go," Aria teleported so that she could get behind Romeo.

"You coming Wendy?" Romeo asked.

"Well don't leave me behind!" Wendy called out, struggling as she navigated past the mass of people.

"Ugh...Here we go again..." Carla groaned, getting squished as she made her way.

Finally the four made it to the innermost circumference. There, they saw Erza and Shinji. As always, Erza was geared with her armor. Shinji, on the other hand, wore his regular attire;a pitch-black half-zip jacket, a dark-brown, leather belt, dark-blue jeans, and ebony boots. Compared to Erza, Shinji scarcely wore armor unless he equipped it via magic. The only armoring articles he had on were gauntlets and wrist-guards for his hands. His icy, blue eyes glared into those of the queen of fairies herself. Both swordsmen had their blades drawn and were locked in an offensive stance. Judging by the ferocity in their eyes, either seemed bloodthirsty enough to pounce on the other. Carnage and bloodlust permeated the air, causing the viewers to become more engaged. Romeo couldn't even blink, that was how glued he was to the sparring match which was yet to start. He only snapped out of his senses when a certain someone whispered his name.

"Yo Romeo!"

"Huh?" the Fire Mage instantly noticed who it was, "Natsu-nii!"

Next to the pink-haired mage was a winged, blue cat, and a blond woman.

"I'm here too!" Happy exclaimed.

"Hi Romeo! Are you doing well this morning?" Lucy asked.

"Thank you, Lucy-nee. I'm excited to watch Shinji and Erza duel again."

At this point in the conversation, the three laggers came into the scene, panting a little. "Romeo-san *pant* *pant* you need to learn how to wait..." Wendy complained.

"It's rude to keep a lady waiting-hmph!" Carla scolded.

Aria sighed, "You're never going to get a girlfriend if you don't wait for her. Oh! Hi Lucy-san! Natsu-san! and Happy!"

"Good morning, Aria and Wendy!" Lucy greeted.

"What up?" Natsu casually addressed, "You guys here to root for the final member of your quintet?"

"Quintet? Natsu, am I mishearing things? Did you actually use the word 'quintet' in a sentence?" Lucy interjected.

"I'm just as shocked as you are, but I heard him clearly." Wendy added.

"Sometimes when Natsu and I sneak into Lucy's room, Natsu reads some of the books Lucy has on her shelf." Happy mentioned.

Lucy glared at Natsu with a raging fire in her eyes, "Natsu..."

Natsu swiftly took a step back, raising his hands in surrender, "Woah, no need to give me the death-look. You look just as scary as Erza over there..."

Lucy's death-glare did not flatter within the following seconds. Natsu gulped, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry Lucy. It's just boring when you're not around in your place, so I gotta wander around or do something. I don't want to get bor-Puggohh!"

Although the blond Celestial Mage did not look like the fighter type, she packed a damn powerful punch (and a badass kick). Her next (unlucky) victim was Natsu Dragneel. He got it straight to the stomach. The poor Dragon Slayer toppled over to the side, "Uguguguguh...Lucy...you don't need to..punch so hard...my breakfast...*bleh*"

"That's what you get for all those times you've gone inside my room without my permission. You creep..." she folded her arms over her chest.

"Now that's someone you don't want to mess with." Romeo commented.

"Is Lucy-san walking in Erza-san's footsteps?" Wendy asked.

"Well, Erza and Mira are my top two role-models," Lucy stated, "Also, someone needs to keep this Dragon Slayer on a leash. And Happy couldn't do it even if you bribed him with all the fish in the world."

Speaking of the blue-furred Exceed...

"Salutations my fair feline friend! Care for some fish?" Happy walked over to Carla with a fish in his hands.

"I prefer darjeeling tea, not raw, worm-infested fish." the white Exceed harshly denied his offer. Happy slumped over dolefully...

Locked in battle stance, stiller than stone, killer eyes, the two sword-fighters were only fighting time. Patience is a virtue, as many elderly people have told the youths of later generations. However, patience is considered such a valued characteristic because it is finite. There comes a point when people lose their patience based on the circumstances they are placed in. Diligence and discipline were extensively drilled into their training. Shinji noticed a glint in one of Erza's eyes, marking the duel's onset. He wasn't the only one who noticed the signal.

Aria squatted down so she could level with the knocked out Dragon Slayer.

"Wake up Natsu-san, the duel is going to start." Aria whispered into his ear.

Those words instantly woke Natsu from his OHKO'd episode, saluting to his fellow pink-haired guildmate,"Aye sir! Wait a minute? How do you know the match will start?"

"Woman's intuition." Lucy butted in, for she, too, caught the flash in Erza's eye, "Aria is a sharp one."

Aria flashed Natsu a sweet smile and the older mage patted her head to accolade her.

"Romeo, Wendy, Carla, Happy, the sparring match is about to start." Lucy said.

That perked their attention. "Alright!" Romeo clenched a fist in excitement.

"Gotta keep your eyes peeled," Happy reminded him.

"I wouldn't miss a second," Wendy confidently replied.

"Try not to blink then, if you can," Carla mocked.

For a moment, there was absolute silence betwixt the entire congregation. With the spectators' attention fully concentrated on the attraction, the performers seized the opportunity to grasp it and keep it under their control. Meteors bound to collide, Erza and Shinji glided towards one another. There blades clashed, unleashing a deafening, bell-like chime. The crowd went into ecstasy; they roared, cheered, and whistled.

"Haaaah!" Erza pushed using extra might on this first collision.

"Nnngh!" Shinji was blown back.

Maintaining his composure, the younger fighter momentarily lifted a foot from the ground and kicked off of Erza's left shoulder-plate to complete a backward somersault. He landed on his feet, earning him applause. Subsequently, Erza swung her blade at Shinji. He barely blocked it in time. Erza quickly withdrew her weapon and repeatedly swung her blade at Shinji, aiming at his vital spots. Shinji immediately took note of the S-Class mage's attack patterns. In defense, he would pivot or change his position to dodge the assault.

" This looks risky for Shinji-san," Wendy murmured to her friends.

"You haven't seen everything yet." Natsu told her.

"Remember, Shinji won the second duel." Lucy reminded her younger nakama,"Do you know why?"

Wendy shook her head.

"Shinji is a far more agile than Erza. Plus, Erza's armor slows her down a bit. Even without it, she still lacks the speed to catch up to him. However, she compensates for her lack of speed with brute force and endurance."

"So, exhausting her would be a difficult task," Romeo concluded.

Lucy nodded, confirming his summary.

Aria, who was quietly rooting for Shinji, acquiesced the situation and kept her fingers crossed.

The audience was filled with suspense as Shinji barely evades Erza's consecutive strikes.

On one corner of the innermost circle, Cana was hosting a betting poll; a few more people were betting that Erza would win the duel. For the sake of their money, those fans were cheering for their scarlet-haired queen the loudest.

Shinji kept dodging Erza's blade in the nick of time. After getting him to pivot so that his back was facing one side, Erza brought the tip of her blade toward his vital point without hesitation. Noticing he wouldn't avoid this attack on time, Shinji whirled his sword around quarter-way...

Another collision filled the air with a deep ring. Shinji parried Erza's stab. The S-Class Mage lost her footing for a moment because she put her weight into the forward momentum of the stab. By parrying, Shinji redirected the blade's course. In those seconds, the spectators were starting to grow wild with excitement.

Aria smiled, "Shin-kun. Show them what you've got!"

"Looks like the tables are about to turn," Romeo nudged Natsu.

Shinji rushed around his opponent to face Erza straight on. Once Titania regained her footing, she was met by a glinting blade. Erza blocked the strike, but that wasn't the end of it. Shinji unleashed a full-onslaught; executing multiple slashes at a quick tempo with his katana. The scarlet-haired mage kept blocking the series of attacks. She found herself being pushed back but, she would not go down that easily. Erza began to swing her sword in order to counteract her opponent's.

Blades glinted in the morning sunlight. The shrill staccatos of the clashing blades evolved into a metallic symphony. Beads of sweat formed on the combatants' foreheads as the minutes flew by. Spectators grew excited as the climax of the showdown was approaching. The fight was so exhilarating; like the dance of the fairies. Both battlers began to advance at one another and try to knock each other back with all the strength they could muster into their weapons. Their swords clashed once more; the crash of metal was earsplitting.

There was a flash of silver, the silver-color of a sword that flipped up into the air. The crowd watched the blade swirl like a ferris wheel at godspeed, and pierce the cobblestone road. There Shinji was, with the sword of his teacher pointed at his throat.

The black-haired mage smiled, "Erza-sensei, you are just too strong."

The scarlet-haired mage withdrew her weapon, "Shinji. You, too, are a formidable opponent. Good sparring today."

She extended out her hand towards him. He took it and they shook hands. The audience cheered at another satisfying match, except for the people who placed bets on Shinji. They were sulking as they gave up their money.

"Oi Erza! Shinji!" Natsu dashed straight to them, fists clenched in excitement, "Fight me! Both of you against me!"

"Oh Natsu, have some patience will you?" Erza chuckled.

"But you guys put up one hell of a show today. After that, I feel so fired up to kick some ass." Natsu put some punches into the air.

"Then use that motivation for quests." Erza pointed out.

"Awww, but I wanna fight someone so badly.." Natsu pouted.

Lucy and the others arrived shortly after the rambunctious Dragon Slayer. "Natsu, don't just run off like that." Lucy scolded him.

"Erza-nee, that was amazing!" Romeo exclaimed.

"You and Shinji were so cool!" Wendy squealed.

Shinji ruffled the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Erza grabbed Wendy's face and pulled her into a violent hug, squishing the small bluenette against her armor. "Such a sweetheart Wendy. I hope you will always stay the same."

"Erza...you're squishing...me..."

Titania could not hear her subject's pleas.

"With the match finished, I presume we should get started with work today," Lucy said.

"I'm all fired up!" embers of determination were emanating from Natsu's eyes, literally.

The Fairy Tail Guild- Interior

Romeo, Wendy, and the others found themselves staring at a board filled with a plethora of papers. "Holy cow..." Romeo muttered to his teammates.

"Looks like these next few days will be exhausting," Shinji stated, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know where to start looking. There's just so many..." Wendy stood there, awestruck.

"We could always split up into fives. Each of us could look at a different section of the request bulletin." Aria suggested.

While the other four were quibbling over a job selection, Carla was already looking for a task for her comrades to take on.

"Catch flying fish at Web Valley for 500 Jewel...not worth it. Night watch at the cemetery...750 Jewel per night...Wendy will be scared. Janitor duty...what does this imbecile think we are?...!" at that moment, a particular request caught her attention. Carla grabbed the paper and left.

"I have to tell Happy and Lily."

Meanwhile...

"...A maid cafe? Some of these people have really creepy tastes..." Wendy shuddered.

"That client is a disgusting pervert. We should report him to Mirajane before he makes more lewd demands of the guild." A jagged, crystal knife materialized into her hand.

"By the way, have you figured out what kind of magic you got there?" Romeo asked the pinkette.

"Gray says it's a lot like his Ice-Make Magic but the substance itself has different properties. Molding Magic is a possibility, but it doesn't guarantee anything." Aria sighed.

Shinji noticed Carla was flying towards them, "Carla..." he then saw that Happy and Pantherlily were behind her.

"You guys..." Carla firmly spoke, holding out a paper, "This quest..."

Pantherlily tried to maintain his composure, but there was a look of rage in his eyes. On the contrary, Happy looked as if he saw a ghost.

Wendy took the paper Carla held out. She scanned the contents of the request...her eyes widened in shock. "This..."

Romeo, Shinji, and Aria all flocked around Wendy to examine the request details. All of their eyes widened in shock too.

The request said these very words:

REWARD: 5,000,000 JEWEL

INFILTRATE THE FLYING-CAT VILLAGE

CAPTURE ALL OF THEM.

BRING THEM BACK ALIVE .

TO THIS LOCATION: FREESIA HEIGHTS.

To be continued...

Thank you all for reading! Clearly, I am not an active writer because I'm busy everyday. The next arc (as you can see is about the Exceeds). I'm sorry this chapter isn't as action filled as the others, but the primary objective was to find a legit transition to the next arc. Please feel free to comment or give constructive criticism.

Another thing: This fanfic is definitely an alternate timeline from the problems of Zeref and Acnologia will not be in this fanfic, since I don't know how I can tie those guys with this story. Basically the five MCs get their own arcs. Dragons can be tied in because of Wendy.

I have concrete ideas about Romeo'd and Aria's arcs. I don't have a clue about Shinji's nor Wendy's. Once again, please feel free to comment or critique (I would like to know which words I repeat most throughout my stories so that way I don't use them all the time, though some cannot be helped).

Until next time! :)