Chapter 4: A New Fairy

So Chapter 4 is a shorter arc. Think of this as the Arrival Arc. Ichigo's arrival at the Fairy Tail Guild is only one of the reasons for the arc title. Try and work out the other reason.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Bleach. Shame, it would be great if I did.

Protector Of The Fairies

A New Fairy

Ichigo looked around the city in front of him as he approached it wearily. Magnolia Town. It had taken him days to finally manage to get here and it made him wish he had taken the train when he spotted the railway.

For now though, he decided to simply take in the sights. It wasn't anything special most would say compared with other cities yet there was this friendly atmosphere about it that you could feel even from the city edge.

It did look wonderful as well. Water ran through the city in canals before linking up to the edge of Lake Scilliora. From a distance, he could see some of the city's greatest features. There was a magnificent cathedral almost in the centre of the town and over by the shore of the lake, he could see his objective. Fairy Tail.

Kisuke had taught him for two years. He had taught him how to use his Zanpaktou efficiently, how to cast some Kidou, and how to survive in the world. He owed the man so much yet he hadn't asked for anything in return.

Of course, Kisuke couldn't teach him forever. He told him two weeks ago that their training was almost at an end. Protesting hadn't changed the man's mind. Kisuke had told him that if he stayed any longer, he would begin to learn less on how to use his Magic himself and more on how to use his Magic as Kisuke would.

He could see now how that could be a bad thing. He didn't want to be a copy of someone else. If you couldn't get strong on your own strength, you shouldn't try to copy others to do what they did. There was no meaning in it otherwise.

Still, he hadn't expected Kisuke to recommend that he should join a guild. It was a weird sentiment for him to suggest and he couldn't deny that he had always wanted to join one, but it still seemed weird coming from Kisuke. Kisuke even said that he had once joined the same guild once upon a time when he was younger which again didn't completely add up. Kisuke seemed to be too much of a recluse to have ever been a part of one.

Kisuke had no reason to lie though so he trusted in the man's words. It would definitely be good to see if he could meet people closer to his age. The one person he had interacted with over the two years was Kisuke, and the man only ever left the house to get supplies too.

Fairy Tail. It was an… interesting guild to say the least. Kisuke had given him some info about them along with a magazine or two about what people thought about it. It was growing in popularity slowly and was known for its eccentric Mages along with the damage they caused.

He had an inkling of why Kisuke recommended the guild after hearing that. He could be a bit destructive from time to time so Kisuke had probably believed he would feel right at home.

Would he be accepted though? The Guild Master was supposedly a man called Makarov Dreyar, who had been the Master of the guild for years. The third if he had checked correctly. Did the man have a certain test to find out if a Mage should be accepted or not?

If there was a test, he hoped it wouldn't be too bad. What if he had to name a load of facts about Fairy Tail's history or if he had to fight one of their members to prove their worth? He could do the first option to an extent, mostly due to the info Kisuke gave him, but there was no guarantee he could win in the fight. Sure, he could believe he could but he had only ever fought Kisuke. Other Mages wouldn't fight the same and if he was caught off guard or the Mage was too strong, he would lose, no matter how hard he tried to fight.

It was the big thing he was missing. Experience. It made all the different and the only way to get it was to fight many different opponents and learn how to adapt to unknown abilities.

If he was lucky, it would just be a Magical Power test or something. If you had a certain amount, you could join. In a way, that would make the most sense as you wouldn't want anyone joining if they hadn't developed the Magical Power yet. It would be like signing a death warrant for the kid.

He wouldn't have to worry with that test. Kisuke had said that most children didn't have nearly as much Magical Power as he did so he should be able to join easily if this was the test.

He couldn't wait around at the edge of town forever though. It must have looked strange to people to see an eleven year old kid standing and staring down at them.

The town looked even friendlier as he passed through it. Residents of the town were chatting amongst themselves and shopping around in stalls and shops. People would greet each other as friends, showing a rich community within the place itself.

He had a few odd glances as he passed people though. He guessed it was to be expected though. What he was wearing wasn't exactly normal for kids his age.

Kisuke had given him some money for the journey, along with enough to allow him to buy some new clothes and get started. He had just grabbed some simple clothes mostly. Black pants with a white top, the sleeves going down to between his wrists and his elbows. Over one shoulder though, he was carrying the top of a Shihakushou. It had proven quite good at protecting him from the cold weather on the journey despite it seeming to be a thin material.

Kisuke had given him one before he had left, saying it was a farewell present from him. If it got damaged or he outgrew it, he would need to find a replacement but for now, it was still in good condition.

Over his other shoulder though was his Zanpaktou, his hand holding the chain to keep it from falling. He must have looked strange to people. How often do you see a kid carrying around a sword like his?

A few towns back, some thugs had actually tried to take it from him, saying little kids like himself shouldn't have dangerous things like that. They were probably still in hospital or in jail now. He hadn't liked their attempts at trying to steal from him.

He was cut short from his thoughts as he approached the guild itself. The building was definitely good to look at.

There seemed to be three floors to it from the outside, each floor smaller than the last as it went up. The roofs sloped upwards on the building at and the top, there was a round and pointed dome of some kind.

The roof that the dome was on connected to had three flags, the length of the wall of the third floor. While he didn't know what the two flags at the side represented, he was sure he knew what the first was. The Fairy Tail logo was imprinted straight in the middle of it, there for all to see.

Above the entrance was a sign with the guild's name, a fairy on each side of the sign with a heart above it.

Once thing that he noticed was that there were a few signs of damage around the building. A few windows must have been replaced because of damage though he wondered why some of the walls looked like they had been destroyed. The guild already seemed to be living up to its reputation.

It was strange. Now that he was outside the guild, he actually felt nervous. That was new. When was the last time he had felt that? With Kisuke, you didn't have time to be nervous as that was an opportunity waiting to be exploited.

Steadying his nerves, he marched up to the door and opened it.

The guild was much louder close up. He had heard sounds from outside but it was much rowdier inside. There were Mages all over the place, talking, fighting, even showing off a new trick they had learned recently. Some were boasting about their latest mission while some talked about their families to one another.

The guild's interior was far less as extravagant as the outside, instead built for comfort rather than appearance. The main hall itself was basically a giant lunch hall with benches and tables all over the place. Over at one side, there was a small bar serving drinks to the guild members. By that same bar, a large board was placed, filled to the brim with requests. Some of the Mages of the guild were grabbed some at random while some were taking way too long at picking a job.

Over at the other side, you could see a stairway, leading up to the second floor. He wasn't sure what was up there but it looked closed off to most as no one in the guild was making any moves to move up there at any point.

A sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't just stand here at the entrance examining the place. He came to join the guild and that wasn't going to happen if he kept getting distracted.

A few of the members around him would glance from time to time at him as he walked past, obviously curious who the kid with the sword was. He ignored them, making a beeline for the bar. Hopefully someone there would be able to direct him towards the Master.

"Excuse me." The bartender looked down at Ichigo, pausing in his job for a moment. "Do you know where the Guild Master is?"

The bartender made to answer when one of the people sitting at the bar called out to him.

"Another round here!"

"Right away Sir."

Ichigo watched the man go back to his job quickly before he pulled himself up onto one of the seats in the bar. He'd just wait for the man to finish his jobs and for it to calm down slightly and then he would try again.

"You're new here?"

Ichigo looked at the man next to him, the same one who had ordered the round moments ago. The man's height was shocking. He was smaller than he was and he was eleven.

The man raised an eyebrow at Ichigo, making the orange haired boy realised he hadn't even answered the question yet. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I don't know yet." Ichigo slowly took off the sword from his shoulder and rested it against the wall next to him, the Shihakushou top resting on top of it. "I need to meet the Master first and ask."

"You'll love it here," the man said, taking a big sip from his drink. "Fairy Tail is a place full of fun."

It did look to be true. So far, the guild had been interesting, despite some of the eccentric attitudes they were showing. Everyone seemed to care for one another and no one was left out.

"Is there a test of some kind?" Ichigo couldn't believe he just asked that. Yet if Kisuke had taught him anything, it was that it was better to get information when you can. You never knew when it would come in handy.

"A test?" The man looked completely confused at such a statement. "Why would we need a test for our members?"

"You mean-"

"Of course not my boy." The man let a large smile appear on his face as he stood up onto his chair. "We're Fairy Tail. We accept anyone as long as they are willing to accept us. All you have to do is ask."

Some subtle glances around the room showed everyone there agreed with the drunken man. Some raised their own glasses in toast to his words while some just cheered loudly.

"I'll do that as soon as I meet the Master."

"Okay. Let's hear it then."

"I told you. I need to wait until I meet the Mas…" Ichigo stopped talking as the man's previous words appeared in his head. "You're him aren't you?"

The man gave him another smile. "Makarov Dreyar. The Third Master of Fairy Tail."

"I see."

Makarov kept staring at the boy. "I'm still waiting."

Ichigo looked at him in shock. "Why the hell do I need to say it? I told you just a minute ago that I wanted to join."

"Come on." Ichigo couldn't believe the Master was actually whining. "Humour an old man."

"Fine then." Ichigo resisted the urge to scowl. It wouldn't make for a good impression. "My name is Ichigo. Please may I join the guild?"

"That's more like it." If the Master noticed his lack of surname, he didn't say anything. Instead, he leaped over the bar and rummaged around under the table for something.

"What are you doing?"

"Just stay there." The Master seemed more frantic now. "Hey Macao. Where did the guild mark stamp go?"

"I thought Reedus had it," shouted back a blue haired man, purple flames dancing around him. "Try him."

"Sorry Master." The man in question held up the stamp for the Master to see before throwing it over. "I needed a closer look at the mark for my painting."

Makarov caught the stamp before it even got close, extending out his arm to grab it. Ichigo looked at him curiously, trying to work out what his Magic was. The kid was a strange one, but when had a Fairy Tail Mage ever not been strange.

"Okay then." Makarov held out the stamp. "Where do you want your guild mark and what colour?"

Ichigo held out his left hand and showed the man his palm. "Here. Black if you can."

"Here we go." Makarov placed the stamp on Ichigo palm and pressed down, a faint flow illuminating under the edge of it. When he removed it, the Fairy Tail emblem was now on Ichigo's palm. "Now you are an official member of Fairy Tail."

"Thank-"

"And you know what that means?" Makarov turned to face the entire guild, raising his glass to the sky. "It's time to party!"

"YEAH!" Ichigo could only watch as the chaos was unleashed. Sure, it all started off fine. People were raising the glasses and dancing when suddenly someone bumped into someone else.

Of course, that guy had to go and punch the other guy in retaliation and he would fight back and it all went downhill from there. If one attack missed someone, it hit someone else and drew them into the fight too. It only took a minute for the entire guild to break out into an all out brawl.

None of them truly seemed angry at each other though. They were enjoying fighting one another. It was like when he fought with Kisuke. It was fun, though theirs had less training and near death experiences.

The Master was just sitting there next to him, watching the fights with a laugh. It was obviously an everyday occurrence around here since he wasn't worried in the slightest.

"Say," said the Master, drawing Ichigo's attention back to him. "What kind of Mage are you anyway?"

"I use Sword Magic." It wasn't exactly a lie. Zanpaktou were swords first and foremost and they did make up most of his Magic.

He wasn't sure why he was telling half truths though. It seemed Kisuke had more influence on him than he had though.

Makarov accepted the answer regardless though. Not everyone trusts someone moments after meeting them and not everyone was comfortable announcing to everyone what Magic they used. Besides, it was be clearer anyway once he did a few jobs. People talked and word travelled.

"I'll be taking a request of the board if you don't mind."

The Master gave a swift nod to the boy as he grabbed his stuff and wondered over to the request board.

A stream of doubts filled the Master's head as he watched Ichigo head over to the request board. Ichigo's abilities were unknown to him which made it harder to judge what missions he would be capable of. The boy's Magical Power was massive, greater than his own grandson's was, and Laxus was three years older than the orange haired boy.

Magical Power didn't always equal strength though. Could he use it effectively? Did he use lots of it at once or did he try and outlast his opponents.

It wouldn't be safe for him to judge straight away and the boy didn't seem to want to get involved in the bar fights. If he had done so, he could have gotten a glimpse of his ability to judge what missions he could take safely.

Someone would need to accompany the boy. Make sure he was okay and help if necessary. If Ichigo was a bit older, this wouldn't be necessary, but sending a kid somewhere alone didn't sit right with him until he knew the kid could defend himself.

The older members of the guild were out though. He couldn't send one of them along as they were too older. It was better to stick with people nearer your age group so you could relate to them easier.

Cana wasn't a good choice though. While one of their only young members currently, she was only nine and her Magic hadn't developed enough to go on the kind of missions Ichigo would probably want to go on. She still had to rely on the guild for most of her money at the moment since most of her jobs were cheap one from Magnolia itself.

That left Laxus. He was a bit older but he would have to do. And Laxus could at least help out well enough if things went bad.

"Laxus."

His grandson turned from what he was doing nearby at one of the tables to hear him. "What is it Gramps?"

Makarov pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards Ichigo. "I need you to keep an eye on the boy while he's on a mission. Make sure he can handle whatever ones he takes."

Laxus sighed before getting out of his seat. "Can't someone else do it?"

"No," came the reply. Laxus already knew the answer as he hadn't even bothered waiting to hear him. Hopefully the two would get alone well. If not, well… He kind of hoped Ichigo wouldn't be able to use all that Magical Power of his. Fairy Tail was getting more and more destructive over time.

Ichigo was halfway looking through the list of requests when he noticed the present of the guy beside him. It took him a second longer to take in the person.

His hair was completely blonde and spiked upwards. A lightning bolt scar went down his face across his right eye while a pair of headphones was currently around his neck. It was the Sound Pod model if he was not mistaken. You could never tell if it had been labelled correctly in one of the stores he had gone into.

"You want something?"

Laxus raised an eyebrow at him. "That's the first thing you say when you greet someone?"

Ichigo ignored him and went back to choosing a mission request. Before he could make up his mind, Laxus grabbed one of the board and showed it to him.

"Can you handle this kind of job?"

Ichigo read the request carefully. "Probably. Bandits aren't too hard to deal with unless in numbers from what I heard."

"Good. I was hoping you would be strong enough for at least that. I'm accompanying you for it."

Ichigo frowned. "I wasn't under the impression that I needed a babysitter."

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do but Gramps over there wants to make sure you can handle the missions you choose. Else, you could wind up dead because you thought you were strong enough for a job that you actually weren't. As long as Gramps knows you know how to choose wisely, you will be free for any mission you want."

"Gramps? Are you the Master's grandson or something?"

Laxus growled. "Yeah. Got a problem with it or something?"

Ichigo held up his hands in surrender. "None at all."

"Good." Laxus took the request before heading over to show it to the Master. The Master seemed to accept it from what Ichigo could see before he slung his sword over his shoulder and held onto his Shihakushou. If they were lucky, they could grab the train straight to where they needed to go. He definitely didn't feel like walking again.

Protector Of The Fairies

Laxus silently swore. The silence was unbearable.

The two Mages had been travelling for a few hours now, taking the train to shorten the journey considerably. At this point, they had almost reached the camp of the Bandits.

Over those hours however, the kid hadn't spoken once. It was driving him mad.

He wasn't sure whether to be glad he wasn't being annoying or angry that he wasn't saying anything. It just seemed so awkward all the time.

Maybe he should have interacted with people nearer his age a bit more. Cana was the closest though as many of the kids his age in Magnolia either didn't have any Magic or had so little that they didn't bother with it much or wanted to use it to be a soldier of the army.

He never got why people who could use Magic wanted to join the army instead of a guild where they could hone their powers, though with Fairy Tail nearby, it wasn't the greatest for inspiration. They were fairly strong but most of the members sat around the guild all day doing nothing more than drinking and partying.

Still, this kid was just so hard to talk to. He could relate slightly at least since he was clearly focused on the task ahead. It would be interesting to see how strong the kid actually was.

"You proficient with that sword?"

Ichigo looked at Laxus. "Yes."

"I see."

Again, silence. He had hoped that could have started a longer conversation than that but it seems he was wrong. Was the kid doing this on purpose or something?

"We're here."

Laxus looked in the direct the boy was walking in. He was definitely correct. You could see the signs of early defences around the camp. Traps had been placed around the area including some that seemed to be magical in origin. It meant there was a Mage here of some kind.

Going further in, they could see the beginnings of a wooden wall. The bandits must have been there for some time before hand as they had made themselves a nice little home for their camp. It explained why the request had advised caution. The bandits had a decent defendable position to hide in.

They were careful to dodge the traps as they went. Neither one of them knew what would happen if the traps went off but even if they weren't that dangerous to them, it would still put the camp on alert. Surprise was the best weapon they could use to approach the camp.

Eventually, they managed to reach one of the walls. Ichigo drew his sword and quickly cut a small hole into the wood, just enough for them to peek into the camp.

There must have been about twenty of them, all of them armed. They were laughing around by camp fires and tents, eating a feast. It must have been all stolen from the town nearby and their numbers explained why they had been so effective. They purposely choose a time where the city would be at its weakest and did a hit and run.

After seeing the defences, the town must have sent the request then or had lost some men while trying to storm the place. Superior numbers wouldn't have helped them much here if they lost a load of their troops before even reaching the walls.

"You up for this?" Laxus asked quietly.

Ichigo nodded before he pulled on the Shihakushou and securing the sword around his back. "Stay back remember. This is my mission. You're the babysitter. Just stand back."

Laxus scowled but accepted the boy's words. He was just meant to watch after all and only interfere if necessary.

"No seriously. Stand back from the wall."

Laxus looked at him in confusion before letting the kid lead him back a few steps. What was he planning to do?

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man!"

What kind of phrase was this? It was rare to see Magic that required a long incantation.

"Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!"

Ichigo raised his left palm ready and aimed at the wall. "Hadou Number 31: Shakkahou."

Laxus watched as an orb of crimson energy formed in front of Ichigo's palm before it was launched straight at the wall before detonating. When the blast cleared, you could see that it had torn a huge hole in the wall.

Ichigo looked at it in disappointment before walking in. Had he wanted the attack to be bigger or something?

The bandits froze as they turned towards Ichigo. An eleven year old kid had just torn through their defences like it was nothing and was now strolling into the place like he owned it.

A few were already going for their weapons. They weren't going to accept this easy. They would show the kid who was in charge here.

Ichigo watched the bandits prepare themselves as he walked towards the centre of the camp. His right hand went for the sword on his back and drew it in one swift motion. And then he waited, his sword ready.

One of the bandits couldn't take it any longer and charged straight in, aimed a club straight at Ichigo's head.

Ichigo didn't even bother looking at the man's surprise attack, instead swiping with his sword and shattering the club with one swing. Before the man could react, he found Ichigo's free hand appearing in front of his face.

"Shibireyubi."

The man saw a flash of white in front of his eyes before his body froze up and he collapsed to the floor. He could still see and hear everything around him, yet he just couldn't move.

"He took down Ray."

"Get him."

As if a switch had been flicked, suddenly every bandit was charging at him. Some were armed with spears, some had clubs, some had axes, and some had swords. It seemed like they had just grabbed any weapon they could find and were now throwing themselves at him, trying to avenge their fallen friend.

Ichigo looked at the bandits, shaking his head at them as they approached. They were too slow.

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hadou Number 33: Soukatsui."

Ichigo already had his palm aimed at the largest group of bandits and they were too late to move. A torrent of blue energy fired from his palm, blasting all the enemies in front of him away.

The bandits froze as they saw the destruction the wave of energy had caused. They had lost a third of their numbers in a single attack and it had gone on to tear another large hole in their walls.

The bandits hit by the attack weren't going to get up anytime soon. Their groans of pain could just about be heard but they were too weak to move.

"Is that it?"

The bandits felt a chill go down their spins as they turned towards the orange haired boy.

"Is that really all you've got?"

Powerful or not, the bandits continued their charge. In the end, the boy was simply that. A boy. They would crush him with numbers when they got to him.

Laxus just stood there and watched as the kid dispatched one after the other. Their numbers weren't doing anything. The kid was simply too strong for them. If he couldn't block the attack without getting hit, he would instead just dodge all the attacks and strike down the bandits one at a time.

The kid was even managing to keep them all alive. No slash wounds were appearing on the bodies of the bandits which meant the kid was using a layer of Magic on the blade to dull the edge. It wouldn't kill the bandits but it did nothing to stop the pain the sword would inflict as it hit them.

And what were those Spells he used earlier? Shakkahou? Soukatsui? He had never heard of such a thing.

Those two Spells looked like they had traces of fire in them but then what was that Spell he used to take down the first bandit? That kind of proficiency came from dedication to one Magic only. It clearly wasn't a Fire Spell so what was it?

Then there was the damage those Spells caused. It was much more than he had expected the kid could do. The boy hadn't lied either when he said he could use that sword of his. He was taking them down with ease, and nothing they did to stop him was working.

It was impressive. The boy was no pushover that was for sure. He was almost at his own level if this demonstration was anything to go by. Hell, he probably could equal him. The kid was holding back, he could tell from the ease he was having.

It looked like Gramps wouldn't need to worry about the kid getting himself killed. If anything, he would end up taking quests that were too easy for him and would get bored instead.

He himself was getting bored. There weren't many bandits left but he couldn't resist. He jumped straight into the fight, taking down one of the bandits as he entered in one hit.

"What are you doing?"

Laxus glanced at the kid. "I'm bored, so I'm joining in."

He only got a nod in return. "Suit yourself."

Laxus didn't waste a moment. A flick of his wrist was all it took to fire off a bolt of lightning at the enemy, taking down an extra two who had stood too close to his target. One bandit made to attack him but before he even reacted to stop him, Ichigo was already there, the bandit falling.

"Thanks," Laxus replied gruffly. He quickly returned the favour by taking out a few going for Ichigo. The fight barely lasted much longer as the last few bandits tried to run instead of fight, all being taken down by the two Mages in a swift manner.

"So you're a Lightning Mage?"

Laxus looked down at the kid. "Yeah. And I guess you're not just any Sword Mage are you?"

He got a smile of acknowledgment in response. He must have passed a test of some kind. "I'm a Shinigami. That's my Magic."

Laxus whistled. Shinigami Mages were rare. He had only heard of them in rumours and the ones you heard about were normally much older or even dead. To see a practitioner of that kind of Magic here was incredible.

"WHAT HAVE YOU TWO DONE?"

The two Mages looked towards the sound of the voice, seeing an angry looking man at the gate. He must have been the leader of the camp, and going by the fact that none of the others used Magic, he must have been the Mage of the group.

"We just dealt with some trash," said Laxus, giving the man a sneer. "There's nothing wrong with that is there?"

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS YOU BRATS!"

"Do you want to deal with him?"

Ichigo shook his head. "He's all yours."

Laxus smiled before he charged straight at the Mage, his body covered in lightning. The Mage had barely begun to form the start of an Earth Spell when he was hit dead on by Laxus's fist, falling to the floor. He twitched a bit before falling unconscious like the rest of the camp.

"You know," said Laxus. "We make a good team, you and I."

"We do," Ichigo gave the older Mage a smile. "I'm Ichigo."

Laxus returned the smile. "I'm Laxus."

Protector Of The Fairies

They had gotten a hefty sum for their work. After the Rune Knights had turned up to arrest the bandits, they had picked up their reward from the town and it had added up to just short of two hundred thousand Jewels. It had increased a few times they were told since the bandits had made a few more raids in the time between them sending out the original request.

Now though, the two were sitting on the train back to Magnolia, arguing about that very reward.

"I told you, you're getting half of it. You did some of the work after all."

"And I told you, I was only here to keep an eye on you. Didn't you say yourself that I was nothing more than your babysitter?"

"You didn't need to help unless I was in trouble. You choose to get involved."

"You did need my help. You were getting bored."

"How does that translate to you being forced to help me?"

Eventually, Laxus found himself holding a quarter of the share of the reward. It was less than Ichigo had wanted to give him. The kid would have split the reward in half with him if he hadn't protested.

Besides, not only did he not help that much, but he had his own money. Ichigo was new to the guild and would need that money to get himself started. Still, one hundred and fifty thousand was still a lot and should be able to find him somewhere nice in Magnolia.

The journey back was a lot more fun than the one there. This time, the silence was gone as they finally had something to break the ice. Magic.

"So you've been training since you were seven?"

Laxus nodded at Ichigo's question. "Yeah. I pestered Gramps for months before he relented. My dad was… Well he wasn't originally supportive. My body was weaker then and it looked like I wouldn't be able to get very strong so he didn't want me to be upset later on I think."

"Something must have happened. You're not weak after all."

"Yeah." Laxus looked out the window. "Dad did something to help me. I'm not sure what he did but the next day, I felt stronger than I had ever felt."

"At least you got to start Magic younger than me. I wasn't allowed till I was nine."

"Yeah, that would-"

Laxus blinked before his eyes began to bulge out of their sockets in shock.

"Wait a minute, just hold on… Are you saying that you've only been using Magic for two years?"

Ichigo tilted his head curiously. "Yeah. I thought I did quite well though some things were slow to learn. I still have a lot left too."

Laxus just stared at him in shock. He had to be messing with him. When nothing like that happened, he just couldn't believe it. Two years? He was practically at his own level and he had been training for seven years. It was almost impossible to believe.

"Did I say something wrong?"

That was the scary thing. Ichigo didn't even realise how unnatural that kind of strength was. Two years and he was this powerful? What would he be like in a few more? He'd be a monster.

But, that could be a good thing too. Even if he became a monster, he'd be a Fairy Tail monster.

"Say, what do you think of Fairy Tail?"

"Fairy Tail?" Ichigo thought about that for a moment. He had been in the guild for less than an hour so he couldn't give it the best judgement. The members fought, they were destructive, they didn't seem too fussed with the Magic Council, and half of them were completely mad.

Yet, they all radiated something. It was like an invisible bond was between them all, uniting them despite their differences. They laughed when they fought, they welcomed newcomers with open arms, and they seemed to simple love being together.

It was different from being with Kisuke. With Kisuke, he had always felt this underlying feeling of respect and thankfulness for him. He had been his teacher and he had always been seen as the one to turn to for help, but Kisuke wasn't a family kind of guy. He hadn't felt the same he had felt when he had been with his mother and father and the twins.

Fairy Tail had that feeling. It felt like everyone around you was your brother or sister, your uncle or aunt, you grandfather or grandmother. And he missed that feeling. It felt like a home.

"It's wonderful."

"It is, isn't it." Laxus stared off into space, almost lost to the world. "The first time I walked through those doors, I knew there would never be another guild for me. Fairy Tail… it's both amazing and wonderful and more all at once."

"You know," said Laxus, cutting off anything Ichigo had been about to say, "I want to be the Guild Master one day."

"Really?"

Laxus looked at Ichigo, observing his reactions. Most people laughed him off when he said that or said maybe he would as his grandfather was the Guild Master. Yet Ichigo wasn't doing either. He was looking at him, as if he really could do it one day, and on his own power too.

How long had he wanted to see someone show that belief in his dream? Too long. Far too long. They all never saw him, just the Third's grandson. Finally, someone saw his own strength and acknowledged him for it.

"Hey Ichigo. Fairy Tail… I want to make it great. How about you?"

Ichigo smiled. "Aim for the top, or why try at all."

Laxus returned the smile. "Let's form a team. Me and you, let's change the Magical World. Let's take Fairy Tail straight to the top, and nothing less."

"As long as you make me our Ace when you become the Guild Master."

"Deal. We'll need a team name though."

Ichigo gave his head a scratch as he thought. "Team… Mage?"

"Seriously? That's the best you can come up with?"

"Let's see you come up with one then?"

Laxus accepted the challenge readily. "Team Laxus!"

"How big is your ego?"

"Fine then. How about Team Ichigo?"

"Don't compare our egos.

The two ran through name after name, neither coming up with one they could agree with.

"This sucks," muttered Ichigo. "How about we just call ourselves Team Fairy?"

"Team Fairy?" Laxus raised a hand to his chin in thought. "We do want to become the strongest and make Fairy Tail Fiore's top guild. Let's go with it."

"Are you serious? I just thought of the simplest thing I could."

"It's fine. Just go with it."

"Fine then." Ichigo pulled himself further into his seat as he watched the countryside slip by as saw Magnolia approaching in the distance. "Could be worse."

Protector Of The Fairies

There we go. Chapter 4. We go for another time skip next chapter which takes us two years into the future. That Arc will last for three chapters before we go for another time skip.

Shibireyubi. That isn't an original spell. It is the one Kisuke used on Rukia when Ichigo fought that Menos in the first story arc in the manga. It's a low level spell in my opinion and is most effective on those without Magic. The stronger you are, the weaker the effects.

I hope you were all satisfied with the chapter. Now I've finished this one, I need to get started on chapter 8. I have more arcs to write and it's so much better when I get the whole arc done at once before releasing it later on. Shouldn't be too hard. I've got three weeks for it. Also, do you know how many times I have to ignore what word thought was an error? Fairy Tail is Fairy Tail, not Fairy Tale.

Let me know what you think and make sure to review. I love every comment and if you have an questions, feel free to ask.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.