Of their own accord

by TempestGhostCL

A mage returns to the Fairy Tail guild after years of absence. Five years of training seemed enough to believe he was up to his friends' standards; five years without communication he believed was enough for them not to worry; five years living in the shadows made him believe he was ready to face his greatest challenges in life. AU.

2. Between meetings and promises

Derek was born on April 10, X765. He was raised by his father, Marcus Wallcroft, and his mother, Nina Riley. His father was a renowned swordsman and skilled earth mage, channeling his magic through his sword where he executed magical movements during the battle. This ability gained him a reputation as a lethal fighter, known for the ease with which he adapted to combat. His mother, on the other hand, was never able to exploit her magical power, but this deficiency was composed with a mastery of infiltration and stealth, which made her a remarkable spy.

Fate brought them together in the year X757. At first they were enemies, belonging to opposing factions. But as their encounters increased and they were forced to collaborate on a common goal, their relationship evolved. From enemies to acquaintances, then to allies, friends, and finally, lovers. Their love story reached its peak while they were both pursuing a fugitive dark wizard. The shared struggle against a common enemy brought them closer in ways they never anticipated, marking the beginning of a love that would last for many years.

From their union was born the greatest pride of their lives:
Derek Simon Wallcroft Riley.

However, their happiness was short-lived. The dark wizard they had captured was a high-ranking commander of an infamous but respected guild of assassins. This wizard revealed sensitive information that led to the dismantling of the guild, resulting in the arrest and sentencing of many of its members. Nevertheless, the mages who escaped from justice vowed revenge, not only against the traitor who revealed everything, but also against Marcus and Nina for what they had done.

This is how the couple's nomadic life with their son began. Whatever they could call "home" never lasted more than a few months before they had to flee again. However, the luck they had in always avoiding danger vanished on a sunny day in the year X771. Several wizards ambushed the family, unleashing a fierce battle. Marcus, seeing an opportunity for his family to escape, stayed behind so that his wife and son could leave. But not before handing his sword to his beloved wife and offering his son some final words. Words that would stay with him forever, especially after witnessing his father's death from a distance, a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

From that day on, Nina and her young son faced the world alone, traveling across the entire continent of Ishgar to evade their pursuers. Despite the hardships, Nina made sure that Derek lacked nothing: food, unconditional love and education. She was able to avoid her pursuers thanks to her mastery of survival, though luck was also on her side. But that luck would eventually run out, and it happened in the year X772, on a cold morning with the promise of a storm.

While Derek was sleeping peacefully in a makeshift bed in the middle of a dense forest, his sleep was abruptly interrupted by his mother, who, with a panicked expression, ordered him to hide in the woods. Derek, not understanding what was happening, decided to obey his mother because of the urgency in her voice.

Before he could leave. Nina, distraught and fearful of what was coming, couldn't help but hug her son tightly and remind him how much she loved him and how proud she was of his bravery over the years. She promised to see him later, but for now, he had to hide away from the camp.

What Derek didn't know was that she would keep that promise, but not in the way he expected. He ran away from the camp and hid in a hollow tree four kilometers away.

From there, he could hear the cries of struggle and pain coming from the camp. Fear flooded his body and he hugged his legs, trying to imitate his mother's hugs, struggling to hold back tears. He spent four hours hiding in that tree until dawn, when rain began to invade the atmosphere.

Worried and terrified by the silence that fell over the place, Derek mustered enough courage to leave and return to the camp. Every step he took reflected his fear and dread of what he would find. When he arrived, he came upon a scene that would haunt him forever in his nightmares; the place lay engulfed in a sea of blood, with burned grass and five bodies he convinced himself were just unconscious, but in the midst of it all, he saw his mother leaning against a nearby tree, her chest badly wounded, struggling for every breath.

Derek ran to her with tears in his eyes, desperate to stop his mother's wounds, even though he knew nothing about medicine. Nina, knowing that her fate was already sealed, stopped her son's actions by gently cupping his face with one of her hands. In a soft voice, she told him that from now on, he must face his path alone. She was sure that he would achieve great things with his father's sword, the same sword that had lived so many adventures with him, now passed on to his son. She made him swear that he would use that weapon to protect his loved ones and face challenges bravely. Derek, tearful, promised that he would. His mother, relieved to know that her son would keep that promise, reminded him once again how much she loved him and how proud she was of him. With that, Derek was left alone in the world.

Before leaving, he took his mother's necklace and his diary. The journal was a way to remember her voice and hugs, while the necklace symbolized the promise he had made. The sword, meanwhile, was a constant reminder of his father and his bravery.

Derek spent four weeks wandering aimlessly through Fiore. Hunger, thirst and pain in his feet and soul were constant companions. But fate smiled on him when he reached the outskirts of Magnolia. He didn't have time to read the sign when he collapsed at the entrance to the town, overwhelmed by hunger and thirst. Luckly, he was found a few minutes later by Makarov Dreyar, the master of the Fairy Tail guild, who was returning from a meeting with the magical council. Seeing the poor boy passed out, Makarov didn't hesitate to help him and took him to the guild infirmary.

Derek woke up six hours after losing consciousness, puzzled to find himself in a room with food and water next to him. Before he could do anything, he noticed the presence of someone else. That's how he met Master Makarov.

With a relaxed, paternal attitude, Makarov asked Derek what a boy of his age was doing there, wounded and alone, and carrying a sword that seemed too heavy for him. Despite not knowing the old man, something about him inspired confidence in Derek. Without realizing it, he told him everything and how long he had been traveling aimlessly. Upon learning that the boy had no place to call home. Makarov decided to invite him to the guild and train him as well.

From that moment, Derek's life changed for better. Under the care and training of both Makarov and other mages, he discovered that his magic was very similar to his father's, in the sense that he needed to use the sword to channel it. However, unlike his father, his magic was electric, probably inherited from his mother.

With the necklace that reminded him of his mother, the sword that evoked the memory of his father, and the diary of life that told his family's story, Derek vowed to train to the best of his ability to become a worthy successor to that weapon. He was determined to honor the memory of his parents in a great way.

---

The sun was emerging after the heavy rain that had fallen on Magnolia, bringing serenity and renewal to all who began a new day. Derek was no the exception to the rule; every step that brought him closer to the guild filled him with many feelings: Hope, because he anticipated that his friends would welcome him with open arms, something normal in Fairy Tail; fear, because his mind also told him that the opposite would happen, that his friends would rejecting him for not sending a single letter in five years; worry, because he thought that his friends might not recognize him; and finally, anxiety, because of what was going to happen.

-"Whatever happens, I must face it like a real man, as Elfman would say"-Derek laughed lightly at the memory of the white-haired mage.

Finally, his footsteps stopped at the entrance to the guild. Since there was no rain, many mages and civilians had gathered in the on-site café or were shopping for gifts in the souvenir store.

-"Well, it seems that our reputation as city destroyers is put aside when it comes to buying something"-He thought as he checked his accessories one last time. With everything ready, he entered the place.

---

Fairy Tail Guild.

---

The aura of the place hadn't changed at all, even though there were more mages. They were chatting or laughing amongst themselves while eating or drinking something. Derek, knowing that he would find some familiar faces now, began to look around as he made his way to the bar.

-"Elfman, wow, you've grown up a lot in a couple of years, and you're still the same mage who says the same phrase every chance you get. Nab, are you really still looking for a job even five years later? Some things don't seem to change at all. Wakaba, I'm really surprised you're not clouding up the whole city with your cigarettes. Levy, it seems like you're still the library rat, but you wouldn't be the Levy I know if you weren't so….Damn, a lots of familiar faces, I really hope I can catch up with all of you sooner or later!"-Derek thought as nervousness invaded him. However, he managed to partly control it when he arrived at the bar and sat down. A few chairs away, he noticed Cana drinking a big barrel of beer-"Cana, it seems that you even drink the water from a vase of flowers"-

Derek laughed lightly. Then he focused his gaze forward, just in time to notice Mirajane approaching him. She leaned a little closer to him so that Cana wouldn't overhear their conversation.

-What can I do for you today?-She asked with a sincere smile.

-What's for breakfast?-Asked Derek.

-Eggs with bacon and orange juice-

-Perfect, if it's not too much trouble, serve me that along with a toast, please-Said Derek. Mirajane nodded and went to prepare the order. The swordsman, taking advantage of the fact that he was alone again, began to look around, trying to locate his close friends, but he did not spot them anywhere.

-"Looks like they're not here yet. I'd better ask Mira if they'll be back soon-He thought as he settled into the chair and waited for his order, which didn't take long to arrive.

-Here you go, enjoy-Said Mirajane kindly, serving him breakfast with a smile.

-Thank you for everything, Mirajane. Before you go, can I ask you something?-

-Of course, with pleasure-

-Do you know when Natsu and the others are coming back?-Derek asked curiously. Something that made Mirajane think for a moment before answering.

-From what I understand, they should be back later today. There's a party planned to celebrate the opening of the place-

-"A party? Excellent, that means fights and things being thrown randomly"-Derek thought sarcastically-Thanks for the answer-

With that, he started to eat.

---

Meanwhile, Magnolia train station.

---

-Damn it, Natsu, didn't you ever think of going to the doctor to see that problem?-Gray asked to his friend who was struggling to get off the train due to the dizziness he was feeling.

-It's my stomach….It's not something that can be cured….-Natsu muttered as he dropped to the ground and tried to recover. Gray just shook his head at him. Meanwhile, Happy left along with Lucy and Erza, the group was ready to head back to the guild.

Erza stared ahead, her expression serious and distant, something that was noticed by Gray and Lucy. They could tell she was struggling with something deep inside her. But could they blame her? Of course not. What was supposed to be a simple vacation at a resort, turned into a battle where she lost two friends.

Both Gray and Lucy understood that Erza needed time to process everything, so they decided to give her the space she deserved.

-Come on. The master surely knows what happened and will be worried about us-Erza said, prompting the group to move forward in a heavy uncomfortable silence as each one processed the events in their own way.

Natsu walked alongside them, glancing to his right, consumed by the weight of his failure to save Erza's friend. He had promised her that all of them would make it out of that place together, but he had failed. All because of Jellal, who didn't even hesitate to eliminate one of his own like a piece of garbage to complete his plans. Even so, the sight of Erza crying over the blue-haired wizard made Natsu question everything. Why would she be sad for someone who caused so much suffering? He wished he had the answer for that right now, but for now, as Gray and Lucy had advised him before boarding the train back to Magnolia, it was best to give her his space, even if it took years.

Lucy, for her part, could only look at her friend with sadness. Titania, the ever confident, fearsome Erza. Shown vulnerability, fear and terror in that place tied to her past. Seeing her like that made her respect her even more, because despite everything, Erza had fought to the very end, even "Sacrificed" herself so her friends could escape. Lucy already knew Erza was an incredible friend, but witnessing this only confirmed it.

Gray had his own thoughts about Erza. From the moment he learned about her past, he didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid of how she would handle it, especially in combat. When she insisted on going alone to face his best friend in the tower, Gray had almost go with her. But he knew that Natsu and Simon, the other friend of hers in the tower, would be by her side. He just wanted everyone to return safely. When Gray heard that Simon had not made it, that he had sacrificed himself for his friends, he could only shake his head and regret for not having known him better. He seemed to be a nice guy. Still, Gray decided to support Erza in any way he could after what had happened. He knew that she needed time to process everything. So he didn't push her to talk or act before she was ready.

The group continued walking in silence until the sight of the guild came into view in the distance. They all stopped, staring at the building in awe, marveling at its new shape and impressive size.

-Wow-Was the collective gasp.

-This is surprising-Said Erza.

-Did they finish it?-Asked Natsu in amazement.

-Our new Fairy Tail-Gray commented proudly as he admired the building. The group approached the entrance and noticed that, to the right, a group of civilians were eating and drinking various beverages-Is it an outdoor café?-

Gray was surprised by that, while Natsu stood frozen. Erza, still in shock, continued to admire the building, while Lucy's attention was drawn to the souvenir store on the left. Various items featuring the guild's logo were on display.

-Welcome! Oh, it's you guys, welcome back!-A cheerful voice greeted them. The group turned to see a blond mage in a blue shirt behind the table.

-You look like a real businessman now, Max-Happy said excitedly, though a trace of curiosity lingered in his mind-Wait, since when?-

-"Max? Why does that name sound familiar?"-Lucy wondered in his mind, trying to remember as she approached the shop with the rest of her friends.

-It was the master's orders. I've been studying negotiation to attend this….in part-Max replied. At that moment, Lucy recognized the guy's hairstyle and face and quickly approached him.

-Max Alors? Now I recognize you! You've been in the sorcerer Magazine-Lucy said excitedly.

-Since we've met now, I'm happy to serve you, Lucy-Max replied with a smile.

-I don't even want to imagine what you've heard about me…-Lucy said nervously, though her tone showed that she hoped that it was comments about her beauty.

Happy, ignoring her, went straight to the point.

-So, what are you selling?-

-T-shirts, bracelets, mugs, towels, anything that can have the guild logo printed on it. But the most popular item right now is…-Max handed Happy a small figurine.

-It's a Lucy figure-Happy excitedly, playing with it.

-Why are you doing this things without my permission?!-Lucy demanded, stunned.

-Oh, and isn't that the best part, the clothes are interchangeable-Max said with a smirk. Happy, curiously, pressed a button in the back and the figure clothes disappeared, leaving her underwear.

Happy laughed at that while Lucy screamed in horror, she returned the clothes to the figure before handing it to Max.

-H..how lovely, can we go inside?-Lucy asked, pushing her friends towards the inside of the guild to escape from his embarrassment.

---

Derek sat at one of the tables in the corner of the hall room with his orange juice in front of him, enjoying the relative quiet in the guild as he got lost in his thoughts.

-"Should I wait for the others to come back to introduce myself, or should I go talk to someone directly? If I don't talk to anyone, I'll be bored out of my mind, but it would be rude not to say hello to Natsu first"-Derek pondered, flicking the orange juice back and forth with the straw-"I've faced much bigger creatures and fought wizards who just wanted to kill me. How come I never got as nervous as I am now? What the hell is wrong with me?"-

Derek sighed heavily before looking up at the ceiling and grunting in boredom.

-How beautiful!-He could hear two voices speaking in unison. One female and the other sounded like a little kid. Curious, he turned to see a blonde girl wearing a white shirt with blue details and a blue skirt. Next to her was a small blue cat who was floating.

-"Must be a new mage who joined the place"-He thought, until he realized the obvious. He looked with attention to the blue cat, and even though he saw it from the side, it wasn't hard to recognize who he was-"Wait….Is that Happy?-

-Yes, it's wonderful-Said Erza with a small smile.

Gray was also watching the place, until he noticed that Natsu wasn't saying anything. He looked to his right and saw his friend with a frown on his face.

-What's wrong with you, flamehead?-

-It's different than it was before-Natsu replied simply.

-Lucy, Welcome back!-A blue-haired woman, with a yellow bandana in her hair and wearing a one-piece orange dress, approached the group and greeted them warmly.

-Levy!-Lucy said excitedly and hugged her friend.

-The place looks great, doesn't it? Let me give you a tour-Levy offered, and the group nodded, following her.

Derek, watching from a distance, observed his friends for the first time after all those years apart.

Natsu had grown quite a bit compared to the last time he saw him. At first glance, he appeared to be the tallest of the group. However, despite the years, he still hadn't taken off his scarf or changed his clothes he wore since he left five years ago.

Gray was also much taller; his hair had grown longer, and his expression showed more seriousness, denoting his maturity over the time. He was wearing green pants and a white shirt, a simple outfit.

Erza was what caught his attention most. She had undergone many physical changes over the last five years. She was taller, her face was more defined, and she was even more beautiful. But what caught Derek's attention was that she no longer wore her typical armor. Instead, she was dressed in a dark blue skirt and a white shirt, with several bandages on her body.

-"What in the….didn't Mirajane say they were on vacation?"-Derek thought in confusion. He was about to get up to greet his friend when he noticed Levy leading them to the back of the guild to begin his tour. He decided it was best to let his friends get to know the guild before talking to them again, so he sat back down.

But before the group could leave, Natsu began to sniff the air, picking up three familiar scents, which caught the group's attention.

-Something wrong, Natsu?-Lucy asked, looking at him with confusion for his action.

-It's nothing….I just thought I smelled something-Natsu said, still scanning the area.

And then, happened.

Derek and Natsu exchanged glances, but to Derek's luck, Natsu didn't recognize him and chose to focus on the tour instead.

-"Natsu…it's good to see you again"-Derek thought with a smile, watching the group head to the back of the guild.

---

-Here is the swimming pool-Said Levy, presenting the area where several wizards were enjoying the place.

-Hey! Welcome back!-Said a little kid with black hair who was in the pool. The group returned Romeo's greeting.

-Why a swimming pool?-Lucy asked.

-This is totally different-Said Natsu, in a grumpy mood.

-"Party-pooper"-Gray thought, observing his friend's attitude, before Levy led them to the guild's base, where they found several table games, such as pool, darts and a table exclusively for poker.

-The guild has everything now-Lucy said, amazed.

-It's different-Natsu repeated without changing his attitude. After the whole group greeted those at the base, they went back up to the first floor, and Levy pointed to the second floor.

-The biggest change is the second floor, now anyone can go upstairs-

-Hey!-Elfman, who had recently come up, greeted the group, and they returned his greeting.

-Of course, you still have to be an S-class mage to make an S-class request, but now you can walk around the place without a problem-Levy said.

-So, you're back, you bunch of fools-Master Makarov's voice caught everyone's attention as he walked with someone at his side.

-Master-Erza said when she saw him with another person. Everyone was surprised to see that it was Juvia, the water mage who had helped them in their battle in the tower of heaven.

-I present you our new member, Juvia, isn't she cute?-Asked master Makarov with a smile. Juvia, with a slight smile, showed her new appearance: A white one-piece dress with blue details, a hat similar to a ushanka of the same color, the guilds logo was on her tie around her neck.

-Juvia is happy to be of service-She said, bowing slightly with her dress, the whole group gave her a sincere smile, except Natsu. Gray just laughed at the girl's attitude.

-So you really joined?-He asked.

-Juvia, you helped us a lot in Akane, we are grateful for that-Said Erza.

-It's all thanks to you that I was able to join! Juvia will work hard-She said with a smile.

-I'm so glad to have you with us!-Said Lucy cheerfully, but her expression quickly changed to a frightened one as she noticed Juvia was staring at her with murderous intent.

-Love rival!-Said Juvia angrily.

-In fact….I'm not-Lucy said with fear in her voice, taking a step back.

-Well….aside from that, we also have another member with us. Come on, say hello to everyone-Said Master Makarov, looking at someone behind the group.

The group turned their gazes and saw Gajeel sitting there, watching them indifferently. Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy were surprised to see him.

-This must be a joke!-Gray said, quickly moving into an attack position.

-Gajeel!-Natsu shooted, changing his attitude to a more threatening one as he glared at the metal Dragon Slayer. This caused the whole guild to focus on the tension in the place.

-"Juvia and Gajeel? Weren't they members of Phantom Lord?"-Derek wondered as he watched the scene unfold, his left hand went straight for his dagger, in case he needed to intervene.

-Wait! Juvia recommended him!-Said Juvia, stepping between Gray and Natsu to calm them down.

-Juvia is a case apart, but Gajeel, the person who destroyed our guild….-Erza clenched his fists angrily, ready to summon her magic. Despite this, Master Makarov remained calm.

-Come on, calm down. It's well said that yesterday's enemy is tomorrow's friend, isn't it?-

-M…master's right. I don't mind him being here-Levy said, hiding behind a table as a shield in case tempers flared even more. Jet and Droy, who were further from the center of the guild, observed Gajeel seriously.

Natsu, unable to believe what he was hearing, approached Gajeels table and put his left hand on it with great force, even splintering the table.

-This had got to be a joke! You don't expect me to work with this guy, do you, Master?-

-Don't worry, I won't share any work with you either. I'm going to work alone and nothing else-Gajeel said coldly, standing up and matching Natsu's gaze-Although, I could have chosen a better guild…ending up in the most irritating one…-

-I dare you to say it again, I double dare you!-Natsu growled, clenching his fists.

-Gajeel was alone, and Juvia couldn't leave him like that-Said Juvia, but she rewound her words when she noticed Gray was in front of her. Although he just kept looking at Gajeel, alert for any movement-It's not that kind of relationship! I swear!-

-The role of the older ones is to guide the younger ones away from the wrong path, and besides, everyone deserves a second chance, right Natsu?-Asked master Makarov. This made Natsu react and a memory flashed through his mind.

-You're right, old man…-Natsu said, then turned and walked away from Gajeel. Something that surprised the metal Dragon Slayer, Juvia, Lucy and Happy. Less than a second ago, he was ready to hit him. But Gray and Erza knew exactly why he'd calmed down. Either way, once the group finished the tour, they went to sit at a table to talk.

-Come on, Natsu-Said Happy.

Derek had a small smile on his face.

-"Looks like you're still the same old idiot, Natsu"-He thought as he noticed Mirajane making her way to the stage with a guitar in her hands-"And since when does Mirajane play instruments? As far as I remember, she always made our lives miserable if we were bored rehearsing with an instrument. I really don't recognize this place anymore"-

The lights went out before the curtain opened. Soon after, a pair of spotlights illuminated Mirajane, who was sitting with her guitar resting on her legs.

-Hey, Mira, we're back, just like we promised-Natsu shouted, which made Mirajane smile.

-Welcome back. Natsu, Gray, Happy, Lucy and Erza. We're glad to hear you're back safely. To celebrate, not only the opening of the new guild, but also the return of an old friend after five years, I'm going to sing. I hope all of you like this song-Mirajane said, prompting some murmurs due to her last comment.

-"An old friend? Could it be Gildarts? I'm finally going to face him again and defeat him once for all!"-Natsu thought excitedly.

The murmurs were silenced when Mirajane began with the first notes of the guitar. A soft rhythm that conveyed a feeling of nostalgia and peace.

I brush the desk when you go

The drops of the shadows

Alone again. Today…

Looking up at the sky I say a prayer..

Now you are under the same sky…

Even when you're shaking with tears..

Even when you seem to be lost in the dark.

Dont forget, you will always, you will always have a place to come back to.

As the guild listened to the melody in a respectful silence, many of them reflected on their own battles.

Natsu thought about how the guild had become the family he never had, how he appreciated and fought for all of them in every battle. But what he remembered most was the memory of an old friend, wishing he would come back soon.

Gray thought about how coming to Fairy Tail was the best thing he could have done. After losing her parents and his teacher, being in this place gave her a new purpose in life, something he deeply appreciated.

Erza thought about Rob and all her friends in the tower. Even if she couldn't save them all, especially Rob, Simon and Jellal. She knew they were at peace now and had a well-deserved rest. She would fight not only to honor their memories, but also to prevent such events from happening again.

Lucy, for her part, could only be happy to belong to the guild. For many years, she had imagined being in their ranks, and now that she was here, the fight, battles, and injuries she had suffered in her short but intense stay reminded her that it was the best decision she could have made.

-"The Fairy Tail kids have grown up a lot in all these years. It seems it's time for me to think about retirement and who will be the next master"-Master Makarov thought with a slight smile, looking around as everyone enjoyed the song.

Derek was no stranger to this. Melancholy filled his body as he remembered all the moments he lived in the guild, the place that had saved his life and for which he would die if necessary. This song only reminded him of one important thing: He would always be welcome in this magical place, even if years passed.

-"Whoever led me to this place, I will always be grateful for that"-He thought, watching with a smile as Mirajane left the stage. He began to applaud along with the others as the white-haired magic disappeared from the place.

-Who's next?-Macao asked excitedly, looking forward to the next performer. However, that excitement quickly disappeared when the light came back on, revealing Gajeel on the stage, dressed in a white suit and a white hat, holding an electric guitar with various accessories.

-"Why did everyone shut up so quickly? And why is everyone looking at this guy as if Erza found out someone ate his strawberry cake?"-Derek wondered.

-I wrote this song myself, it's called "Best friend". I hope you like it-Said Gajeel. The guild didn't take too long to show their dissatisfaction by throwing things onto the stage to prevent Gajeel from singing, but it was useless.

Colorful, colorful.

Shooby doo bop.

Tremble before the metallic gray steel!.

Many mages covered their ears in pain at the song, while others just opened their mouths in disbelief at how bad and horrible it sounded. The most amazing thing of all was that Juvia, Elfman, Macao, Jet and Max seemed to be enjoying the song.

-I've never heard such a bad song in my life, or such horrible singing! And that's saying a lot considering that I sing karaoke with Derek-Natsu shouted while he has his ears covered from the pain. That comment made many who knew the context laugh.

However, the comment was not overlooked by Gajeel, who, quite angrily, threw his guitar at Natsu with all his strength, hitting him in the face and making him scream in pain.

-That means war in my language!-Natsu shouted, rubbing his nose in pain before launching himself at Gajeel. A fight broke out immediately. The rest of the guild just slapped their face with their hands at this, knowing what was coming.

-N…no, stop!-Said master Makarov, aware that his newly inaugurated guild was about to experience its first major brawl.

Natsu was about to hit Gajeel with his fist, but was interrupted when Gray, tired of his friend's attitude, grabbed the closest thing he had-Derek's glass of juice-and threw it in his face.

-Hey!-Derek shouted angrily, but no one paid any attention.

The glass ended up landing on Natsu's nose, who groaned in pain.

-Who threw that?-Natsu shouted angrily.

-Damn it, Natsu! You're overdoing it!-Gray shouted as held out his hands to emphasize his point, not realizing that he knocked over the cake Erza had brought only seconds ago. She watched this with tears streaming from her good eye.

-My…my dear….strawberry…cake…ruined-She said sadly, something that turned to anger as Elfman came and stomped on the rest of the cake with force.

-Listen up, everyone! A real men don't..-He didn't finish speaking when Erza, in her anger, kicked him with all his strength and sent him to the second floor of the guild. That was when the real battle began.

-"We can never have anything nice here because they ruin it immediately!"-Derek thought, quickly leaving the place and heading to the second floor in search of safety. Once upstairs, he saw Elfman go down to the first floor, but it didn't take more than two seconds before he was sent back up-"Despite everything. I missed seeing this"-

He approached the railing and watched the battle. Several wizards fighting each other, master Makarov crying in a comical way because everyone was ruining the new place, Mirajane cleaning the bar as if nothing was happening, and so on. A sincere smile formed on his face as he took it all in.

-Well, well, well. Look who's back-A mocking voice sounded behind Derek. Surprised, he turned his whole body to find himself face to face with a blond wizard who has headphones in his ears and was wearing a purple shirt, black pants with gray details and a black winter jacket-If it isn't Natsu's weak "Brother"-

-Laxus-Said Derek with venom in his voice, crossing his arms and looking coldly at the electric wizard-What the fuck do you want?-

-Oh, come on, is this how you greet your guild mates after so many years away?-Laxus asked in a sarcastic tone of sadness.

-Fuck you and you sarcastic voice. Tell me the real reason why you're talking to me right now-Derek replied.

Laxus just laughed with superiority before approaching Derek and placing his left hand on his chest. Derek feels the electricity coursing through his body, denoting that Laxus had no wasted time in becoming stronger over the years.

-It was a mistake for you to come back here, you low-tier magician. It seems that after all these years, you still cannot generate magic without the aid of you sword. Pathetic. You have no place in the new guild I have planned. Consider my words a warning-Laxus said, removing his hand from Derek's chest.

-You've been telling the same story for years and you're still in the same position you've always been in. If you think you can scare me, you are very wrong, Makarov's grandson-Derek knew that saying those words would hurt Laxus' pride.

Laxus looked at him with anger before summoning lightning and hurling them against Derek, who received it and ended up crashing into a nearby wall.

Derek grabbed his chest in pain and noticed how his clothes were burned from the attack.

-Be thankful I only used a fraction of my magic. Anyway, I won't waste any more time with a weakling like you, I have better things to do-With that, Laxus left the place going down the stairs. Derek lay on the ground, holding his wound in pain. Gradually, the pain began to fade and he could stand up, looking in the direction the mage had gone.

-"You're still the same asshole you've always been"-Derek shook his head before turning back to the railing, he watched as nobody had paid any attention to him, calmed him down a bit-"A drink wouldn't hurt to forget about this. Damn it, Gray! I'll make you pay for my juice!"-

Derek walked down the stairs and headed for the bar, occasionally, dodging wizards fighting among themselves. It didn't take him long to reach the place and sit down on a stool. He waited until he saw Mirajane approach with a smile.

-What can I do for you?-

-Serve me the special one, please, I need to ignore the fact that Gray ruined my juice-Derek spitting out those words. Mirajane just chuckled slightly.

-I thought that glass looks familiar. A special one it is then-With that, Mirajane began to prepare the special drink while Derek just stood with his head resting on one of his arms, killing time.

-That's cheating!-Natsu's voice caught Derek's attention, who turned to his right and saw him and Gray butting heads, snarling like rabid dogs.

-Why are you getting into my fight, you deformed flamethrower!-Gray shouted.

-I didn't jump in on purpose, I was thrown in!-Natsu replied.

-Bullshit!-

Derek just shook his head for that, noticing how Mirajane returned and set her glass down in front of him.

-Thank you, Mirajane-Said Derek, but before he could take a sip, the waitress positioned herself in a more comfortable position, indicating that she wanted to talk about something.

-So, what do you think after witnessing all this mess again?-She asked with a smile, starting the conversation.

-It feels…good. You can tell Fairy Tail is still the same old circus-Derek joked, making Mirajane laugh slightly-But what surprises me most is watching you sing and play an instrument. You do it well, Mirajane, since when?-

-Oh, thank you for that. Well, it all started a few years after you left, Erza gave me the guitar…..to practice, since then, I've grown fond of it-She response, this made Derek look at her with surprise.

-Erza give it to you? Just like that?-Derek asked, which received an affirmative answer from Mirajane-Well, speaking of surprising things, I'm surprised not to see you fighting Erza right now-

-We stopped having that rivalry a long time ago. Now we are good friends, although there are some occasions when our old rivalry resurfaces, but more from her-She said.

-And to think that I was collateral damage when I had to separate both of you, and now you're fine….-Derek murmured before taking a sip of his drink-Anyway, you have a natural talent for singing and music. Haven't you thought about making it more professional?-

-I have thought about it, but I still prefer the photos and helping the guild in any way I can-Mirajane replied with a smile.

-I hope that means I can finally practice an instrument in peace, without you coming to bully me-Derek chuckled a little at that, but noticed Mirajane's expression, one that indicated sadness-Hey, what's wrong?-

-Derek…About that, or rather, about the past. This is a good time to apologize for how I treated you. I didn't know what my comments did to you, and now that I think about it, I can see it better. I'm really sorry-Mirajane apologized sincerely.

Derek was shocked by this. Never, in all his years, did he ever expect Mirajane to apologize to him. It seemed so surreal that he pinched his arm to make sure he was awake.

-"Well, this confirms this is not a dream"-He thought, shaking his right arm in pain before looking at Mirajane-Mirajane, come on, that was years ago. Besides, seeing how you act now and noting how you asked for forgiveness, it's obvious that I will forgive you. The past is in the past, and you should leave it there because, after all, we're guild mates-Said Derek, making Mirajane smile sweetly at him.

-Thank you, Derek. I hope we can be friends now-She said. Derek nodded at that idea.

-Friends….sure, why not?-He simply said, before taking another sip-A friendship, with you, it's a scenario I never guessed even in a million years. Although I'm glad I don't have to split up your fights with Erza anymore. I think some of my bones still hurt because of it-

-It's your fault for getting in the way-Said Mirajane, chuckling slightly.

-Ah, our star guest. So, flirting with our favorite waitress-Master Makarov's voice sounded one side of them. When they both looked, they found him sitting at the bar table with a beer in his side.

-W…what? Master, it's not what you think! We were just talking, nothing more-Said Derek nervously, while Mirajane only laughed lightly, knowing the swordsman's attitude when someone bothered him about that.

-I know, brat, it's funny to see that some things are still present in you-Said master Makarov before getting serious-But that's not why I came here. I was coming to tell you to get ready to present yourself to the guild again-

Derek just stared at the master, confused.

-What?-

-Exactly, boy. Many wizards, especially your old friends, deserve to know that you're back. And what better occasion than to introduce you to the guild in front of everyone?-Said master Makarov's with a smile, although he had double intentions behind it.

-Can't be in any other way?-Asked Derek in desperation.

-No-Master Makarov replied.

-Do I have a word in this?-

-No-

-Can I refuse even though I'm nervous?-

-No-

-Nothing prevents me from escaping right now, right?-

-No-

-But if I do, you'll send Erza to look for me, even in the farthest corner of the city, won't you?-

-Exactly-

-I hate you both-Derek shook his head at that, but his eyes denote a palpable stress.

-Derek, come on. Your old friends have been missing you all these years. You'll see how happy they'll be to see you again. Trust me-Mirajane's voice sounded sincere, and somehow, this managed to calm Derek's anxiety in a big way.

He sighed before looking decisively at the master.

-I guess I don't have any other choice. I hope your plan works, old man-Said Derek, standing next to the master. But before leaving, he looked at Mirajane-Thanks for everything, Mirajane. I'll talk to you later-

-Sure, good luck-She said, picking up the glass and carrying it along with the rest of the dirty glasses.

Derek and the master walked around the place. No one was paying attention to them because the battle was still going on in the guild. Incredibly, both Derek and the master walked naturally while dodging all the objects flying around them. Derek was overcome by the memory of the first time he witnessed this kind of fight in the guild: He went from being under a table to avoid being hit to joining in many of them. A smile formed behind his mask for that.

-What's wrong, brat?-Asked master Makarov, seeing Derek lost in his thoughts.

-Nothing, master. It's just….I remembered the first time I saw a fight like this. I guess nostalgia hits hard when I relive that moment-Said Derek, sincerely.

-You can leave Fairy Tail, but the spirit never leaves you-Said Master, making Derek look at him.

-Yes….I think that makes more sense now…-Derek said smiling behind his mask. He remembered hearing that phrase during his first mission as a mage. A mission that seemed simple but became complicate by one single factor:

Being part of the guild.

The smile didn't leave Derek's face until he reached the stage entrance. The master took the first step.

-Wait here. I will signal you to come in-Said master Makarov, serenely and confidently.

-Roger that, master-Derek replied.

Master Makarov climbed the stairs and walked to the center of the stage. He observed the chaos of the fight one last time before turning serious.

-Listen here, you brats! Stop right now! I have an important announcement to make!-

All the wizards stopped fighting and, in a blink of an eye, gathered around the stage, giving all their attention to the master. Even their torn clothes and wounds they had obtained during this skirmish had disappeared as if nothing had happened.

The light of the place illuminated master Makarov-Surely all of you are waiting for a party to celebrate the new guild, I am right?!-

With that question, all the wizards let out a shout of confirmation, excited by that idea.

-But before that, I need you to listen-The wizards gave all their attention to the master, expectant for his words-Yesterday, we received a visit of a wizard who was away on a personal journey for five years. He reunited with the guild and has decided that he is ready to be one of us again, a wizard who….-

Master Makarov had not finished speaking when Natsu interrupted him, excited to think that it was Gildarts, who had paid a surprise visit.

-I know you're here, Gildarts! Show yourself and fight me at once!-Natsu shouted and scanned the crowd. The rest of the guild just looked at him with the urge to hit their own faces with their hands for their stupidity.

-"Natsu, you're a fucking idiot"-Derek thought, smacking his forehead.

-Derek, your helmet, please-Master Makarov murmured. Derek unbuckled his accessory and threw it to the master. Makarov caught it in his hands, took aim and threw the helmet at Natsu, hitting him perfectly in the face.

-Augh! Is it punching me in the nose day or what?-Natsu complained as he grabbed his nose in pain. The helmet made a bounce that ended up going back to master Makarov, who gave it back to Derek.

-"I'm not even going to ask how that was possible. I'm just glad Natsu deserved that hit"-Derek thought as he put his helmet back on.

-...As I was saying, a wizard who is known by many, but he'd better introduce himself-Master Makarov waved his hands and Derek stepped onto the stage. The light shone on him as he walked to the center.

As he stood there, he saw how everyone was paying attention to him. With a deep breath to calm his nerves, he faced the guild.

-Fairy Tail! I can tell that these years outside you haven't changed a bit! A brand new guild and you already had to destroy it with your typical fights! But I expected nothing less. That's what makes this guild as famous as it is!-Derek shouted, his voice filled with conviction and no trace of nervousness. The tone of his voice caught the attention of the older wizards, who began to murmur among themselves.

-That voice….sound like a real man to me, although it sounds familiar-Said Elfman.

-I'm sober enough to remember that voice…but whose is it?-Said Cana.

-That voice, I'm sure it's someone I know….but I don't remember who it is-Said Levy.

-I see some people are starting to remember my voice! But I'd better take these accessories off so they can see who I am!-With that, Derek removed his helmet, revealing his hair. Then, he pulled down his mouth cover, revealing his mouth and neck. So far, nothing recognizable. But that changed when he removed his mask, revealing the rest of his face.

The guild fell silent. As the seconds passed, several wizards began to recognize him.

-It can't be…-Levy gasped, her voice rising with excitement.

-Is he alive?-A mage with dark blue hair said in a shock voice.

-Son of a bitch, so it was okay-A mage with brown hair and a curios hair style said with a tone of surprise in his voice.

Slowly, murmurs began to echo in the air, but everyone fell silent when Natsu, with a face full of shock, jumped onto the stage and slowly approached his friend. Both mages stood looking at each other in silence as the same memory invaded their minds.

---

Natsu was taken to the back of the guild by master Makarov to show him the training yard, something the boy immediately wanted to know as soon as possible when the master mentioned it.

Natsu, an eleven-year-old boy, had been invited by master Makarov to join the guild in order to become strong and, with that, find his father, the Dragon Igneel, who had disappeared only a few hours ago, leaving with no trace.

-...and this is the training field, here you can exercise without any problem-Said the Master, showing the courtyard to Natsu, who was amazed to see different objects for training: Mannequins, an obstacle course, and gym equipment for free use. However, something else caught his attention. He noticed in the distance a boy, a year older than, him trying to lift a sword. Every time he succeeded, the boy ended up falling backwards. Natsu couldn't help but laugh at that and looked at the master with curiosity.

-And who is that?-He asked, pointing to the boy.

-Oh….that's Derek, a mage who has been here for a couple of years. Although he looks…or is-That last words was muttered by master Makarov before continuing-A bit clumsy, he has potential to become an excellent swordsman-

Those words of master Makarov thrilling Natsu to be able to face someone with so much potential.

-Can I go and say hello to him?-Asked Natsu.

-Of course, but be careful with scar….-Master did not finish speaking when he saw Natsu running towards the swordsman. He only sighed for what was coming-"This boy seems very reckless, hopefully, being here, he will start to be more cautious if he really starts to take missions"-

For his part, Derek got up from the floor and grabbed the sword by the handle again with both hands. With more force, he raised the sword and set his sight on the target: a can of the head of a mannequin.

-"I won't fail this time"-The boy thought, filled with determination as he raised his sword, ready to bring it down with all his strength towards the dummy.

-Hi!-A scream from behind him startled him.

Derek let out a cry of fear and quickly spun around, making a horizontal cut with his weapon. Luckily for Natsu, Derek raised the blade of the weapon too high and it brushed his hair, cutting off some hair strands that fell to the ground. Natsu just froze in fear as he felt how close he was to receiving an attack on his head.

Once Derek saw what he had done, he let out a cry of surprise and quickly dropped his sword.

-Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry-Derek apologized incessantly. With his hands, he tried to put back the hair that Natsu had lost, something that evidently didn't work-W…wait, there might be some glue around here-

Natsu looked at the boy with fear, but when he saw him trying to fix his hair in a funny way, he couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, something that confused Derek.

-You're weird…but funny-Said Natsu, breaking the tension in the place. Then, he extended his hand towards the boy-I'm Natsu-

-N…nice to meet you, Natsu…I'm Derek-Said Derek nervously, something typical of him when he met new people and even more, when he was about to hurt him by accident.

-Oh come on, don't be shy, not long ago you almost cut my head off with your weapon like it was nothing-Said Natsu to try to take away the boy's nervousness, something that worked.

-I guess you're right, you're new here?-Asked Derek, chuckling slightly

-Exactly, I just joined today, look!-Natsu showed his red guild mark on his right shoulder.

-That's great, then welcome to the guild, Natsu! I hope we can be friends!-Said Derek , excited about the idea.

-There's only one way for that to happen-Natsu's face lit up with a knowing smile.

-Which one?-Asked Derek curiously.

-Let's have a friendly fight every once in a while. I want to see the potential you have with that sword-Natsu answered cheerfully. This surprised Derek, but he couldn't help but be infected by the pink-haired boy's excitement.

-Something tells me, Natsu, that you and I are going to be great friends, don't you think?-

-I think the same, Davinson-

-Davinson? It's Derek-

-Whatever you say, Dominic-

Derek could only grunt in impatience at that, while Natsu just gave him an innocent smile.

---

Back to the present, both wizards remained silent, separated by a meter of distance, until Natsu decided to take a step toward his friend.

-D…Derek, is that really you?-Asked the Dragon Slayer with surprise in his voice.

-Natsu…it's good to see you again, you haven't changed a bit-Said Derek nervously, waiting for his friend's reaction

After hearing these words, Natsu did not hesitate for a second to hug his friend. Although surprised, Derek was quick to return the gesture.

-Derek! Brother! I can't believe you're here! Where have you been all this time?!-Natsu's shout was enough to trigger a round of applause and whistling from the veteran mages in the guild. The never ones, however, looked on with curiosity.

-We knew you weren't dead!-Levy shouted excitedly.

-I hope you come back as a real man-Elfman Exclaimed.

-I hope you've improved your resistance to alcohol, kid-Said Cana, lifting a mug of beer.

-Derek!-Happy shouted, flying toward his friend who quickly hugged him.

-Happy! Little mouse with wings, look how you've grown!-Derek said as he returned the hug. Words of excitement continued to fill the air as everyone welcomed back one of their own.

Master Makarov and Mirajane watched all this with a smile. This was the spirit of Fairy Tail-a big family that never forgets its members, even if years pass without any sign of them. If they decided to come back, it was celebrated with a big party.

Lucy watched everything with great curiosity. Hearing Natsu call that person "Brother", even though they had no physical similarity, made her wonder if they were adopted or if they simply had a very close friendship.

Although he didn't show it, Gray was excited about his friend's return. He just waited for Natsu to end his embrace and greet him. Knowing that one of his closest friends was returned safe cheered him greatly, although he never doubted him.

However, the most conflicted about all of this, was Erza. Although she was happy and relieved that her friend was back, she couldn't help but feel angry that Derek never sent a letter to report his condition, even when he promised he would do it without fail. This fact not only worried the whole team for thinking that something had happened to him, but also made them fear the worst for five years.

-"Derek…you and I are going to have a very serious talk"-Erza thought. She decided to wait for him to finish greeting everyone.

-You're really gonna stay now?-Natsu asked with excitement in his voice.

-Exactly, Natsu. So, the guild must be ready again for the karaoke nights-Derek joked, causing Natsu to laugh while some veteran wizards feel a shiver down their spine, still, they joined in the joke.

---

An hour later, Derek had already greeted many familiar wizards and now, he was sitting on a table with their close friends. Everyone had a juice or something to eat, celebrating a long-awaited reunion.

-Happy, I owe it to you to transcribe from my journal the best fish I've tasted on my journey. I promise to do it once I have time, but believe me, there are some very exquisite fish out there that you can easily catch-Derek said, passing the diary of his trip to Happy so he could see the drawings of the fish. Happy immediately started to drool when he saw the different tips of fish-Stop fantasizing and wait until we catch one of them-

-Derek, I can't believe you came back yesterday. This is such a huge surprise-Natsu said, tapping his friend's shoulder, still in disbelief.

-What better than not telling them anything until the last moment? But, the whole show of introducing me to the guild was the master's idea-Derek replied as he took a sip of his vanilla and chocolate beer, a gift from Cana that he couldn't refuse.

-Likewise, Derek. So many years without hearing from you made many in the guild fear the worst. But we never lost hope that you are ok, and sooner or later, you were going to send a signal-Natsu said, looking at his friend with a sincere smile.

Derek was surprised by that. He knew his lack of communication was a mistake, but knowing that his friends never stopped trusting him and were waiting for a sign from him made him feel bad.

-Hey, what's on your mind?-Natsu asked as he noticed the look on his friend's face, which indicated that he was struggling internally with something.

Derek looked at his friend's faces. Natsu and Happy looked at him worriedly, Gray was also looking at him in his own way waiting for an answer. But Derek didn't want to talk, at least not yet. He didn't want to worry his friends just a few hours after rejoining them.

-It's….nothing, I was just thinking…about things-Derek said, making it clear that he didn't want to talk about it, something his friends respected-Anyway, I know you have doubts because of all my years outside. I'll try to answer some questions….So, what do you want to know first?-

-We could start by explaining what kept you from sending a single letter during those five years outside-A very serious female voice was heard behind Derek. He opened his eyes in surprise, a cold sweat ran down his back. Natsu, Happy and Gray looked in terror behind their friend.

Nervously, Derek turned his head and body 180° to meet Erza's brown eyes that regarded him quite seriously. Her expression indicated that she would scold him in any moment.

-E….Erza…my friend, how have you been? How's your armor?-Derek let out a nervous laugh at the look on his friend's face.

-How's…your armor?-Erza was confused by that question and her tone of voice indicated it. However, she shook his head slightly and returned to his serious tone-Don't "How are you" me, Derek, you have things to answer for-

She held his anger and took a chair next to him, sitting down in it and then looked at his eyes, which were filled with terror.

-Five years…five dawn years in which you didn't say a single word and you didn't give any sign of life either. Do you know how worried I was….I mean, the guild was about it? How were we about it?-

-I…I can't imagine that, but I know it must not have been pleasant-Derek looked down at that, but his head was lifted by his friend's hand.

-You're not going to avoid my stare, Derek. I want the truth. Why on earthland didn't you send any letters in your years outside?-Titania's intense stare pierced Derek's soul. The rest of his friends, despite Erza's intimidating stare, awaited the answer with great interest.

Derek, still nervous about the situation, noticed how many wizards who knew him lined up nearby to hear his answer. He had three options at this point, and all of them were bad.

Option 1: He could lie, but Erza would find the truth sooner or later and the result of that is with him running for his life all over the town while she chased him with her sword.

Option 2: He could run away now without explanation, but that would end with Erza chasing him immediately and once she caught him, she would scold him for the truth. That would result in public embarrassment that would make him wish the earth would swallow him up.

Option 3: Admit the truth and be the mockery of the guilds for days, weeks and months.

After considering his options, Derek decided to go for the most wise thing to do.

-You see….I haven't sent you a letter in all these years…because…-Derek sighed heavily-Because I lost the paper with the guild's address on my first train ride out of Magnolia. I was playing with it when it slipped out the window and I couldn't get it back. I was so embarrassed to go back to the guild just for that, and besides, I was confident that I would meet one of you during my trip-

Erza, with wide eyes in surprise, removed her hand from her friend's face. Natsu, Gray and Happy gawked, and the rest of the wizards slapped their faces.

Derek covered his face with his hands, unable to bear the embarrassment of the moment. After what seemed like hours of silence, Natsu and Happy were the first to break it by starting to laugh. At first, it was a light laugh, but then it turned into laughter that echoed all over the place.

-Always so clueless, Derek! I don't understand how you survived all these years alone-Said Natsu, laughing with tears in his eyes, as well as Happy.

-It looks like we're going to have to put a balloon on you so you don't get lost again-Said the Exceed, laughing so hard with his stomach hurt.

Gray looked away to prevent the other wizards from seeing that he was also holding back laughter. Erza, for her part, watched her friend in shock, analyzing his words over and over again.

-Eh…well…thats it…well…-She murmured before her face showed anger-You're a fucking idiot!-

With that, Erza hit Derek in the back of the head, although her face showed that she was holding a laugh.

Derek accepted the blow and kept his face on the table for a long time, listening to the laughter of Natsu and Happy. After many minutes, the laughter stopped, and he looked up and saw his friends watching him with slight smiles.

-Derek, you are a mess! But you're our beloved mess!-Said Natsu, tapping his friend's shoulder with glee. Derek responded with a slight smile but with a blush on his face

-Yeah…guess some things never change-

-If that weren't so, we wouldn't recognize you-Said Gray.

-Like you and your habit of taking your clothes off, right?-Asked Derek, noticing that Gray was shirtless. The ice mage, confused, looked down at his chest and realized he was naked.

-Gah! When?-He wondered, quickly reaching for his shirt.

-Still, it's good to have you back-Erza said with a sincere smile, approaching her friend and stroking his head as if he were a small kid.

-Thank you for the welcome. Now I intend to stay and take missions with all of you-Said Derek, making the rest of his friends nod at the idea-But….there is still something missing to finish this welcome-

-Oh, yeah? What's that?-Asked Natsu, curiously.

-Don't you remember what you told me before my trip, Natsu?-Asked Derek with a faint smile. Natsu thought for a moment until he raised his shoulders, having no idea what he was talking about-Why I am not surprised, bird-brain-

-Hey!-Natsu shouted, offended.

-Anyway, you told me that when I came back, you wanted to have a fight with me. I think it's a good opportunity to show how much I've improved over the years-Said Derek, making Natsu get excited.

-Great! Then let's go! Let's see if I can finally get the balance in my favor after so many years-Shouted Natsu excitedly, heading towards the guild's exit. Many wizards, curious about this fact, also began to come out to witness the battle was coming.

Before Derek could leave, he was stopped by Erza.

-Don't destroy anything, Wallcroft. The guild is new-Erza said, Derek just looked at his friend in disbelief.

-Not long ago, all of you were having a massive fight on the site, Erza. You even broke a pillar-Derek point out, signaling a pillar broken in half.

Erza, blushing slightly with embarrassment for that, hit her friend on the head.

-Just obey!-

-All right, all right. I promise to be careful-Derek said with pain in his voice.

Still, he couldn't help but give her friend a smile for that. The Erza he always knew was still there.

---

Outside the guild, all the wizards had gathered near the entrance, anxious to witness the fight that was about to begin between two old members. For the older mages, it was to see how much Derek had improved; for the newcomers, it was the thrill of enjoying Salamander's power again.

Cana, as always, took advantage of the occasion to organize a small place where wizards can place their bets on who was going to win. The vast majority of the money was in Natsu's favor, foreseeing an easy victory for the Dragon Slayer. Even Cana thought so.

-This is going to be great! What better way to reunite!-Shouted Natsu visibly excited, which got a genuine laugh out of Derek.

-I hope you give me your best shot, Natsu. Because I will do it, just like in old days-Said Derek, wearing all his accessories and drawing his sword. He made a few motions with it before pointing the blade at his friend, who moved into an attack position.

The tension between them was palpable, but it was not a serious tension, but rather one of amusement and fellowship. From the audience came master Makarov, who stood between the two friends.

-The rules are simple, brats: The last one standing wins. Defeat is only admitted with surrender and, most importantly, don't break anything!-With that, the master raised his right hand and quickly lowered it-Fight!-

As soon as the order was given, Natsu quickly lunged towards Derek with his fists on fire. Derek, anticipating the attack as he noticed that Natsu was still as impulsive as ever, blocked the fists with his sword.

-You're still impulsive, Natsu. That will cost you, electric vortex!-Derek's sword glowed in yellow and spun around its axis, catching Natsu in an electric shock that also made him spin very fast, something that made him very dizzy. After a few seconds, with the strength he had grabbed, he flew several meters to the north of the battlefield. But instead of getting up, Natsu grabbed his stomach from the pain-Really Natsu?! Do you still suffer from dizziness?!-

-S…shut up, it's not something I can avoid…-Said Natsu. The rest of the mages only facepalm for that.

Still, seeing his friend's vulnerable state, Derek waited patiently for him to recover, which he did after two minutes.

-You'll pay for that, Derek! Fire Dragon's iron fist!-Natsu approached his friend at an incredible speed.

Derek did not expect that, he barely had time to crouch to dodge the blow. This left Natsu vulnerable and Derek quickly drew a hidden dagger to attack him towards his friend's stomach, but Natsu stopped him with one hand.

-Grave mistake! Fierce thunder!-An electric draft coursed through Natsu's body from the dagger. The power of the electric shock was so strong that it, again, threw Natsu away, though this time his hair was in the form of spikes due to the attack. He quickly fixed his hair and looked at his friend with a smile.

-It looks like you have some new tricks-Said Natsu, signaling with his hand that Derek could take the lead.

-That wasn't the only thing I learned during my time outside, and now you'll see-Said the swordsman, lunging at Natsu with his sword and dagger ready to strike. He used both weapons strategically, using his dagger as a support to try to inflict annoying damage to different parts of his body or use it as a claw in the ground to gain firmness and thus, spin on its axis stronger and faster so that his sword would gain attack power. The constant harassment of his weapon made it impossible for Natsu to find any opportunity to counterattack.

-"When did it become so fast?!"-Natsu thought, trying to block the attacks, but it was useless because he was getting scratches that began to bother him. He couldn't take the initiative until Derek made a vertical attack and ended up stabbing his sword into the ground, valuable seconds that he used to kick his friend in the chest and move him a few centimeters away from him.

-Fire dragon's…roar!-Natsu accumulated a large amount of fire in his mouth and threw it at Derek.

Derek quickly put away his dagger and with both hands, grabbed the grip of his sword, raising the blade to the sky.

-Slash blade!-With that, he lowered his sword and Natsu's attack was split in half like a hot knife through butter, while a vertical trail ran through the entire attack, surprising everyone with the ease with which he did it. Once the trail reached Natsu, it didn't cause him any damage, something that made him wonder what happened-Don't get distracted, Natsu! Powered: Flechette!-

Derek quickly drew his dagger and threw it against Natsu, hitting him in the chest. The dagger split into eight fragments that caused great damage, knocking the Dragon Slayer back.

-Now a long-range attack? That's not fair!-Complained Natsu.

-I told you I had more tricks-Said Derek with a smile, looking at this friend defiantly. Natsu responded in the same way.

Erza watched the battle with great interest. Not only did she notice how fast and agile Derek had become compared to the last time he fought with Natsu, but she also recognized some moves that she herself had taught him before their journey.

-"Looks like that journey did a lot for you"-She thought to herself, feeling a mixture of joy and frustration. On one hand, she was glad to see that his friend had fulfilled the purpose of his trip, but on the other hand, she still found it hard to forgive him for taking so long to return.

-But enough talk, time to get back to the fight!-Said Derek, rushing again at Natsu, who knew how to avoid getting cough in his chains of attacks.

Once Derek was close enough to Natsu. Natsu jumped over him and pointed his right leg towards his friend's back.

-Fire dragon's claw!-With that, Natsu's foot was surrounded by flames and struck his friend in the back, sending him flying a few inches and burying his face in the ground.

Derek didn't take long to get up, using his sword for support. He turned around and saw Natsu heading towards him.

-Fire dragon's fist!-Natsu's fists were surrounded by fire and he tried to hit Derek in the chest, but Derek parried the attack with his sword and then followed a series of attacks from Natsu with his fists that Derek parried with his sword at an impressive speed.

The newcomer wizards noticed that the fighting style of the two were very similar. Both of them attacked quickly, trying to hit different sides of their opponent, creating a scene in which the metallic sound of the sword parrying attacks resonates constantly. A fighting style that could parry each other's quick attacks.

That changed when Natsu grabbed Derek's sword by the blade and, with a quick movement, knocked it out of his hand and threw it away. Derek, seeing this, focused on where his dagger was and realized it was lying nearby. He quickly went to pick it up, and Natsu didn't have time to recover when Derek started his series of fast strikes because of the lightness of the weapon allowed. Still, Natsu had no problems in parrying those occasionally. But a wrong move allowed Derek to put his two hands on the grip of the dagger and try to attack his friend's chest, although he stopped it with his hands.

-I got you! Fierce thunder!-With that, electricity coursed through Natsu's body, who tried not to give in to the attack. The adrenaline in his body allowed him to try to trip him up to knock Derek down. Derek jumped and was in the air for a couple of seconds, but Natsu took the opportunity to hit him in the chest, sending him flying several meters.

Both friends began to breathing heavily. While Natsu showed signs of fatigue due to the blows, Derek felt pain, Natsu's strength was so powerful that his armor didn't cushion the blows.

-"His punches are like a war hammer, fucking hell"-He thought in pain before noticing how his sword was a few meters away from him. Natsu took advantage of that second of distraction and tried to attack Derek with his fists on fire.

Derek, seeing that he didn't have time to parry the attack with his dagger, did the most logical thing at the moment: He lowered his head slightly.

This caused Natsu to hit his friend's helmet with all his strength. The sound of bone cracking was loud enough for all to hear and a collective cry of "Oh!" was audible as many wizards held their own hands, as if that blow had affected them as well.

-Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!-Natsu moaned from the intense pain, moving his right hand rapidly as he blew on it to soothe the pain.

-Sorry!-Derek shouted in embarrassment. He quickly removed his helmet and noticed the mark of Natsu's fist there, though without denting the paint or making any relief from the blow; At least this confirmed that his helmet was of good quality and that the price he paid for it was worth it. He took advantage of those moments of calm to pick up his sword.

After a few moments, Natsu managed to calm his pain by stretching his fingers of his injured hand, then looked at his friend angrily.

-That's twice now!-The Dragon Slayer shouted before charging at his friend. Derek just stood there and waited.

Then, the quick blows returned to the scene. Both attacked and defended each other skillfully, in a duel that only made the people around them excited. They noticed that it was a battle in which the slightest mistake could decide the outcome. It was not a slow battle in which they waited for the first one to attack. No, it was an offensive battle where a slightly mistake could come because the other forced him to commit some reckless action.

-You're a disgrace to the Dragon Slayers if you fight like that, Salamander!-Shouted Gajeel, who was watching the fight a little further away.

-This is a real fight between two men!-Elfman shouted.

-Master, it seems that you are not very interested in the fight-Said Mirajane, seeing how master Makarov was meditating with his eyes closed.

-It's not that. There's a noticeable improvement in both of them, but neither of them are fighting to their full potential-Said master Makarov, causing Mirajane to look at him in confusion before returning to watch their fight.

-Years pass and you still can't defeat Derek, what a shame, Firebird!-Shouted Gray, causing Natsu to look at him.

-Shut up, Gray!-That second of distraction was seized by Derek, who, using the grip of his sword, dizzied Natsu with a blow to his chest. Then, he used his dagger to slash his leg and kicked him with all his strength into that wound, causing Natsu to recoil quite painfully from it. However, he easily recovered from the blow and they both looked at each other defiantly.

-What do you say we take this to a new level?-Derek asked, getting Natsu's attention.

-What do you mean?-

-Natsu, you will have the honor of being the first one to fight with something I recently discovered-With that, Derek put away his dagger and stuck his sword into the ground, then put his hands together at the base of the weapon-Blitzkrieg mode!-

Derek's body was surrounded by a yellow glow that blinded everyone for a few seconds. When the intensity of the light disappeared, the wizards were surprised to see the changes the swordsman underwent.

Derek was wrapped in a silver armor, the same color as the edge of his sword. He wore a black cloak on his back and a helmet with a T-shaped visor that exposed his eyes and part of his mouth, although with the mouth cover, that was hard to see. Finally, he had two swords that were identical, one in each hand.

-"Re-equip?"-They all thought in unison.

-Lets see how you do against this!-With that shout, Derek charged at his friend, attacking at an unusually high speed. Natsu tried to parry the attacks, but was incapable of this, as the blows were directed towards different parts of his body-Lightning strike!-

With his left sword pointing to the sky and his right sword to the ground, he struck Natsu with both swords vertically and horizontally quickly. A great shock coursed through Natsu's body, paralyzing him.

Derek stepped back a meter, put away his left sword and pointed the edge of the right weapon towards the sky. The mages could see the blade of the sword fill with a yellow glow.

-Zero Strike!-

Derek lowered the sword, and a large yellow trail went against Natsu, who received the full force of the attack on his body, raising a large amount of smoke around, causing the mages to start coughing.

Derek was on guard looking around. He knew that one blow would not be enough to finish Natsu off, so he drew his other sword and began looking for any suspicious movements.

-Flamethrower!-Natsus voice came from his left. Derek quickly jabbed both weapons into the ground.

-Electric dome!-From his blades came a dome that covered Derek for a meter around him, containing the attack and beginning to analyze his options. However, he couldn't think much when he saw that the dome was beginning to show cracks-W…what?!-

The dome shattered shortly after, and Derek was hit by all of Natsu's fire, knocking him back from the pain and away from his blades.

-"Damn it, I'm pinned down"-He thought, putting his hand in front of him to try to reduce the pain somehow, but it was useless.

-Fire dragon's jaws!-Natsu's voice sounded only centimeters away. As soon as the flamethrower stopped attacking him, Derek looked ahead and saw a Dragon's fangs coming at him.

The attacks pierced Derek back and forth. Tired from the pain, he fell to his knees and his armor disappeared. He was breathing heavily, feeling his exhaustion.

-I...I surrender-Derek shouted, raising his hands in defeat. That was enough for all the wizards to celebrate Natsu's victory.

-And the winner is Natsu-Announced master Makarov, as the guild repeated his name in admiration.

Natsu, once he finished the attack, looked for Derek's sword with his eyes, approached it and pulled it out of the ground. Then, he turned to his friend.

-It was a good fight, just like old times-Natsu said, extending his hand towards his friend. Derek just looked at him with a smile behind his mask and accepted his friend's gesture.

-At least I'm still in the lead of duels won-He said mockingly, making Natsu chuckle slightly.

-When you least expect it, those numbers will be closer than you think-Natsu replied.

-I know, but in the meantime, I can keep bothering you with it-Once Derek was on his feet, Natsu passed him his sword by the grip, which he accepted and put it away.

-It's good to have you back, brother-With that, Natsu helps his friend walk toward the guild.

-And I'm happy to be here and see you-Derek replied, starting to talk about different topics with Natsu.

Master Makarov, for his part, watched the interaction with a small smile

-At least they didn't destroy anything serious-He said, but Mirajane called his attention to look behind him. The master, confused, saw what the waitress was aiming at: Two fruit stands destroyed in half and the owners terrified, because the attack of Derek cut the front part of their hair-Damn it, Derek! Get back here!-

Mirajane could only laugh at her master's attitude as she watched him rush into the guild to find the swordsman and complain about the damage.

---

-Augh, augh, augh-Derek complained as he tried to get up, but the pain of his wounds wouldn't let him

-Why do we always end up like this every time we fight?-Asked Natsu, finishing being attended by Happy, who put the last bandages on his leg.

-Where would the fun be if it was just a friendly duel?-Asked Derek, laughed lightly, but had to stop due to the pain.

-Sometimes I wonder if you really aren't related, you two are equally stupid-Said Erza, observing everything from a chair in the infirmary.

-I think lava brain passed his idiocy to Derek-Gray said, causing Natsu to stand up and bump his head against him.

-Do you want to repeat that, Jack Frost?!-

-With pleasure, cheap Ghost Ryder!-

-Stop fighting!-Erza interrupted the argument with a single blow, sending both friends' faces to the floor.

-Erza, Natsu just got out of the infirmary, show him some mercy-Said Derek, holding back the urge to laugh.

-What about me?-Gray asked, lifting his face off the ground.

-She can hit you as much as she wants-Derek said with a smirk, before helping Natsu to stand up.

-Thanks for your concern-Gray said sarcastically and stood up on his own.

-Anytime-Derek just raised his thumb, causing Gray to just shake his head.

-So, anything you want to do?-Derek asked, walking out of the room and standing next to his friends.

-How about we just sitting and talking for a while? A break never hurts-Erza proposed, getting the other to nod and head down to the first floor of the guild. Once they were settled at the bar, the chatter began.

-So, has anything interesting happened in my years outside?-Asked Derek as he sipped some of the beer had ordered.

-Well, you've missed a lot, and I think it would be a good time for you to find out everything-Said Gray, making Derek anxious about what he was about to hear-The guild? It was totally remodeled because we had some trouble with a certain guild..-

-Let me guess, Phantom lord, right?-Asked Derek with a heavy sigh, something that caught the group's attention.

-How do you know?-Asked Erza.

-Well, during my travels, I met several of it's members and they didn't treat me very friendly. Besides, the news that the guild was demised spread like wildfire everywhere, although I am thankful that I never met any of the "Element four"-Derek answered, drinking some more beer.

-Speaking of that, did you know that two Phantom Lord members just joined?-Asked Natsu, causing Derek to choke on his beer due to the shocking news. Natsu quickly slapped his back so that he could spit out the liquid.

-So…sorry about that, but is that true? Who?-Asked Derek, surprised.

-"Black Steel" Gajeel and Juvia Lockster-Gray replied, causing Derek to think of those names.

-Gajeel isn't the guy who sang that awful song on stage after Mirajane? And Juvia isn't that wizard who wore a white suit blue on it?-Derek's question was answered by an affirmative nod for everyone at the table-The old man never seems to have lost his habit of recruiting the strongest guys he can, does he? Well, one of these days Ill say hello to them, although the first one looked grumpy-He muttered the last sentence to himself.

-We also have a new addition to the team, Lucy-Said Natsu, looking for her friend with his eyes, but she was nowhere to be found-Happy, have you seen her? I haven't seen her since the afternoon-

-I saw her leaving the guild shortly after the fight. I heard Mirajane say she was tired and was going home early-Happy replied, causing Natsu to scratch his head in confusion.

-Well….we'll introduce you to her some other day then-Said Natsu, resuming the conversation as if nothing had happened.

-She's a rookie who hasn't been in the guild for more than a couple of months, but she's a good friend and has quickly adapted…to our particular dynamic-Erza said with a small smile as she spoke of her friend.

-Well, that's a surprise, considering she doesn't want to leave the team if she already knows the havoc Natsu causes on every mission-Derek joked.

-Hey!-

-That's just the true-Gray said, taking advantage of the moment to tease Natsu.

-Ironic coming from you, your perverted cold chest, considering you take your clothes off all the time-Natsu countered, but quickly averted his gaze to the swordsman-That reminds me! We should go back to taking missions like before-

-I agree, but unfortunately, we have the harvest festival coming up-Said Erza, drawing the group's attention.

-Right, well…we could do a mission after the festival, although I hope the rewards have improved, I don't want to spend another month praying to pay rent-Derek mentioned.

-We could take an S-class mission, otherwise, Lucy will be telling us all the time that she has to pay rent-Gray proposed, something that made the group nod. This was something that caught Derek's attention.

-Wait, S-Class? Congratulations, Erza! I knew you were going to make it-The whole group was surprised by that.

-How did you know that Erza was the one who got the rank?-Asked Natsu.

-Because she's the only one with any sense in this group, the day you or Gray get S-rank, I swear I'll be dancing in the middle of the stage in a pink skirt. What I mean is, that'll never happen-Derek said, confident in his words.

-Hey! I can easily be S-rank! It's just that the tests are so unfair!-Natsu protested, causing all his friends to look at him with a blank stare-What?-

-Nothing…nothing-Derek just shook his head at that before looking at Erza-Then, when did it happen?-

-It was a year after you left. Although the irony was that I had to go to a forest to defeat a Wyvern on my own-Said Erza, remembering how difficult that test was. Still, the support of Natsu, Gray and Happy in a moral way gave her strength to overcome the test.

-The irony….It was in the Ardeness forest, wasn't it? I heard the master mention that forest a couple of times-Derek asked, and Erza nodded-I knew it. So, since youre an S-class mage, is it true that the missions consist of eliminating monster out of a horror story?-

That question made everyone look at Derek, not quite sure how to react to that. However, Erza just slapped her face.

-"He seems to still believe that, but let's see…"-Natsu chuckled internally at that as Erza finally answered her friend's question.

-You still believe in that?-Erza's tone indicated her despair for her friend, even years later, he still believed that nonsense.

-Hey! Natsu told me it was true! Just like the fish in the frozen lakes or the frozen ones that can fly! Although this last, even raw, I don't recommend them at all-Said Derek, with a disgusted expression as he remembered the taste.

-Aye, I wouldn't try those fish, even though they were the last fish on earth-Said Happy, supporting his friend's point.

-F…frozen fish in frozen lakes?-Erza muttered those words in disbelief, before smacking his friend on the back of his head-Are you hearing what you're saying, idiot?!-

-Augh! Why?!-Asked Derek, groaning in pain. Natsu and Happy could only laugh at that, Gray had a slight smile at that as did Erza.

The group was silent for a moment before Erza stood up.

-Even I would like to keep talking, we have to leave early. Tomorrow we have to help prepare for the festival, and the master called us all early for that-Said Erza, causing the group to nod regretfully, but they knew they could talk more tomorrow.

-I understand. I'll be in early tomorrow and we can talk more and help decorate the place-Said Derek, getting up as well as the rest of his friend-However, I hope it will be better than the last one I was in…Natsu!, I will not trust you again in the activities of the place!-

-Oh come on, are you still upset about that!-Natsu asked laughing, but was silenced by a blow to the side of his head for his friend-It was the best festival we've had in years, you can't be mad about that-

-I swear Ill get my revenge for that one day, Natsu-Derek crossed his arms seriously, but he couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face as he spoke to his friend again.

-Yes, yes, keep telling yourself that-Said Natsu, approaching his friend and placing his right hand on his friend's right shoulder-I feel, from now on, working with you will be more exciting than before-

-What can I say? What better experience than getting lost in a forest under my guidance?-Asked Derek with a smile, laughing as he remembered that adventure. The others only gave smiles as they remembered that day as well.

The group left the guild and noticed that the night had already invaded the place.

-It was good to see all of you again-Said Derek, as he said goodbye to each of his friends-See you tomorrow morning-

-See you-

With that, the whole group slit up and went straight to their homes, ready to rest and start a new day.

But even the simplest and easiest things could become very complicated when one belonged to Fairy Tail.

---

Author's notes in English:

I'm going to be honest, I had this chapter ready to edit since December 3, but between the release of "Delta force", the event of "Hunt begin" in "Escape from tarkov" and looking for a part-time job, time has flown away from me. One might think that this is just a matter of translating and that's all, but it is not like that, there are jokes that don't work when you translate them from one language to another, such as "cold chest".

Cold chest is a literal translation of "Pecho frio" in Spanish, but the meaning is the problem.

"Pecho frio" in Spanish means someone who always loses at decisive moments even when they have everything to win easily (like England in the Euro 2020 final or PSG in the champions league every damn year). The more accurate translation into English would be "Choker".

And that is just one example of many that I have had to translate and adapt from Spanish to English in all that I have been writing. Don't make me mention what will be the songs, jokes in Spanish or anything else related.

And for the vanilla and chocolate beer, that doesn't exist, or at least, something that contains both flavors, but chocolate beer does exist and I don't know if in the United States or wherever you read this they have it, but at least here in South America we have a chocolate and orange one. I tried it and although it was a curious experience, it's not something I would drink every day.

I will try to upload the next chapter in the middle of January, but no promises.