10

Chapter Nine – A Fateful Encounter of the Third Kind

0.0

Naruto let out a contented sigh.

There was a pleasant breeze the moment he stepped onto the railway platform. Heaving his backpack higher, Naruto proceeded to help Wendy and Carla down the steps to the inbound train.

The girl beamed at him, though less from his extended courtesy and more from the lingering delight after spending a relaxing weekend at Earthland's premier tourist destination: Akane Resort. It was nice to unwind every once in a while. Even Carla had agreed to the idea when he first offered the suggestion.

Although the feline suspected his motives in doing so, she had wisely kept her mouth shut when he emerged from the resort's in-house casino with almost triple the amount they would have earned on their previous mission. The small cat had merely blinked as he pooled the Jewels in his arms, taking a furtive glance around the casino floor, before stepping in line next to him as they left.

Naruto could have earned more had his winning streak not be disrupted by that odd blob creature-thing. His newest gambling buddy had called it Griffon Kato; whatever the hell that meant. In the end, management had offered him a complimentary suite with a subtle hint not to return for the remainder of his visit.

Absently, the blistering bang of fireworks thundered above them.

"What's that?" Wendy asked.

Briefly exchanging a look with him, she rushed towards the entrance of the train station, weaving through the small crowd of passengers who were equally transfixed at the sight above them. Naruto and Carla followed a few steps behind her at a sedate pace, their focus split even between taking in the spectacle while still keeping a close eye on their charge.

"Uwah! Look, Carla!"

A blazing red light rocketed upwards. As the light reached its zenith, it exploded, showering the night sky with glittery red sparks. Several more followed afterwards, painting the skyline in a dazzling array of striking colours.

Naruto turned towards a middle-aged couple standing a few feet just to his right. "Excuse me," he said. "What's going on here?"

The man chuckled, shouting over the deafening booms, "It's the Fantasia Parade. How could you not have heard of it? It's one of the most exciting events in Fiore."

Carla hummed in understanding, signalling with her paws for Naruto to lean in closer. "I've read about this," she said into his ear. "It's the annual Magnolia Harvest Festival. This must be where Fairy Tail is based."

"That so?"

No wonder Magnolia sounded so familiar.

"Naruto!" Wendy called out, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Can we stay and watch?"

He wordlessly agreed with a nod. It wasn't like these two were willing to hoof it to Hargeon, especially at this time of night. Besides, they could always catch the next available train. At least this explained why it was impossible to book a connecting train until tomorrow. More to the point, it wasn't like they were in a hurry to get back to the guild. Requests had been drying out as of late, making the downtime between missions considerably longer.

Naruto was pulled by the wrist, as Wendy hurriedly dragged him down the steps leading to the street overlooking the parade. He shot Carla a helpless glance, who only raised a brow in response, as she trailed behind them. Soon enough, they reached a narrow alleyway, spending the better half of fifteen minutes to find the perfect spot as they took the cues of raucous and rowdy cheers as directions.

"Come on!" Wendy said, tugging at his wrist harder. "You're never this slow when it comes to the things you like."

Naruto laughed. "That's because what I like is..."

He paused, narrowing his eyes at the tall blond figure leaning against the adjacent building; the man was trying but failing to observe them inconspicuously. It didn't take a genius to figure out the man had been in a fight, judging from the numerous bandages adorning the visible parts of his body. Naruto could have easily guessed that there were more wrapped under the man's gaudy fur coat.

Naruto was instantly on his guard. Slowly, his skepticism turned into confusion.

There was a mix of regret and longing in the other man's eyes. The bandaged man smiled ruefully, deepening the lightning-shaped scar that streaked just above his right eye down to his cheek. It was barely audible above the thunderous roar of fireworks, but the man visibly sighed, moving his lips as he mumbled:

"Was I that annoying when I was young?"

Next to him, Wendy stilled. Having heard the remark, her cheeks flushed and a hint of anger glinted in her eyes. Just as Naruto was about to question the stranger, the man pushed himself off the wall, hauling his heavy sack over his shoulders and disappearing into the cheering crowd.

The duo exchanged puzzled glances with one another before Carla interrupted, having just walked into the alleyway and frowned at their frozen state.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

"Nothing, I guess."

Plastering a large smile on his face, he heaved Wendy onto his shoulders, getting a small indignant yelp from the Dragon Slayer. Wendy took a moment to right herself on his shoulders. She patted him on the head roughly, tousling up his hair much like he had done to her so many times before.

"Go!"

"All right, all right..." As they mingled with the festive crowd, Naruto turned back to Carla. "You need some help?" he asked dryly, noticing the perceptible difference in height with the man standing in front of her.

Her reply was curt, "I can fly, thank you."

"Nonsense," Naruto said, locking his hand in a half-seal. "You're just going to tire yourself out like that."

A clone came into existence behind the small cat, propping her up by the arms and placing her on top of his head. In response, Carla grimaced, stealing a nasty glance at the original before clawing away at his copy's spiky hair. His clone yelped under her ministrations.

"Stop that! You're going to destroy him."

Carla scowled at him. "It's not my fault you don't take care of your personal hygiene!"

Luckily, Wendy's giggles effectively put a stop to their impending bickering. "Come on! Stop fighting you two! You're missing the parade!"

They turned to where she was pointing—a magnificent, shimmering castle sculpted out of ice. The sudden mishmash of colourful explosions erupted around the castle, enveloping it with translucent hearts and bubbles that when touched by a member of the crowd would burst, sending sparks and glitter to fall on their heads.

The large crowd marvelled at the impressive display.

A well-suited couple stood before the grand castle. They waved pleasantly to the crowd, lapping up the attention as they performed small feats with their magic. With a mere flourish of their hands, a tall stream of water appeared from thin air, circling around the parade float in a controlled burst. As a flash of light surrounded the float, it died down as the Fairy Tail name was displayed atop the ring, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle of water and ice.

Naruto whistled lowly.

He shared an amused glance with Carla as Wendy pointed excitedly at the next float headed their way. The bipedal cat returned with a slight twitch of the lips. Naruto chuckled, immersing himself into the festivities. Things like this were few and far in between, so it was nice to have memories to cherish of his time together with his team.

Especially when it counts.

0.0

It was fortunate that they were able to procure a room in one of the inns off the fringes of Magnolia, though it had been a bit pricey considering that it was literally the last room available in town (according to the honest-looking innkeeper). It had at least given Carla a place to rest since she had opted out on following them to visit the prominent guild, feigning tiredness.

As the duo crossed the tall gate leading to the inner courtyard of the compound, Naruto would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed, and going by the look on Wendy's face, she was too.

"Now, don't be disappointed if we can't take a look around inside. They might be busy or closed for the night."

"It's okay," Wendy said. "It's not really that important."

Naruto would have believed her if it wasn't for that expectant spark in her eyes. He knocked on the tall wooden entrance to the guild, poking his head halfway in. He would have guessed that they were already closing for the night, judging from the overturned chairs in the large mess hall. He could only imagine what this place was like when it was full, but now, it was near empty. It was understandable since it was only been a few hours after the parade ended.

"Can I help you?"

The speaker peeked up from behind the bar counter to his right. What struck out the most to Naruto was her hair—long, white flowing hair. The young woman held a mop between her hands, apparently in mid-sweep. Still clad in her enchanting blue outfit from the Fantasia Parade, she smiled at them.

Wendy tugged at his poncho, leaning in as she covered her mouth with the side of her hand. "It's Mirajane!" she whispered frantically.

Naruto leaned down as if trying to whisper, instead, saying, "You don't have to whisper, she can hear you." He righted himself, dusting off an imaginary speckle of dirt off his poncho in an effort to appear more presentable. "Uh, hi?"

Mirajane shook her head, her hair swishing lightly. Her eyes crinkled in amusement. "Hello to you too," she said, leaning the handle of the mop against the counter top.

He rubbed the back of his head, sheepish. "Sorry, this is going to sound weird, but we were wondering if we could have a tour of your guild?"

Mirajane took a small glance around the empty mess hall before turning back to them with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, all of the members have turned in for the night. If it was any other day, we would be glad to do so, but... I hope you understand."

Naruto waved her off. "No, it's all right. We knew it was pretty unlikely anyway," he said, exchanging a resigned look with Wendy. "We should—"

Another voice, weary yet hospitable, called out from the steps leading to the second floor landing:

"Hello there."

The new speaker made his way down, his slippers clomping in a soft pitter-patter against the wooden boards of the staircase. A tiny elderly man stepped into view, dressed in a traditional navy hakama. He maintained an inscrutable expression as he regarded Naruto and Wendy. It didn't take much to recognise the man standing before them after hearing all of the whispers directed his way during the Fantasia Parade.

They were in the presence of Makarov Dreyar, the current Fairy Tail Guild Master.

Naruto tensed as their eyes briefly met.

"Master!" Mirajane exclaimed, frowning as she rushed to Makarov. She held her hands on her hips, looking down on him sternly. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I heard voices coming from below. Can't blame me for being curious."

The S-Class mage shook her head. "Still, you should be resting especially after—" she stopped abruptly, eyeing them, "—the parade..."

Naruto trained his attention towards the surroundings of the large hall. These two were clearly holding something back, and it didn't take much to realise that he and Wendy were intruding. Squeezing the girl's shoulders, he smiled. "Ah, sorry for disturbing you, but I think we should head back now. It's getting late anyway," he said, bowing slightly before turning to leave.

"Wait," Makarov called out to their backs. "If you have some time tomorrow, you can stop by for a visit." He looked contemplative, stroking his trimmed moustache. "But we do have that reporter from the Weekly Sorcerer coming by..."

"Thanks," Naruto said. "We'll uh, keep that in mind."

With a final nod at their gracious hosts, he guided Wendy by the shoulders as they left for the inn. The short trip back was uneventful, but even if Wendy tried to mask her disappointment by pulling him into a light conversation, the longing look in her eyes as she glanced back at the Fairy Tail guild headquarters off in the distance was unmistakable.

0.0

Makarov stood beside the unusually stoic young woman as they watched the retreating backs of their recent visitors. The guild hall had once again descended into a calm silence that neither of them were used to. Even from here, Makarov could make out the vague forms of the duo as they bickered in a manner reminiscent of a typical sibling relationship.

"I think you should head back to bed, Master," Mirajane said quietly next to him. She didn't even spare Makarov another glance as she returned to her station behind the bar, all the while, fingering the small blue pendant hanging around her neck.

He nodded absentmindedly, walking up the steps leading to the second floor.

The faint crack of splintering wood reached his ears just seconds after Makarov closed the door to his office. The elderly man sighed, closing his eyes at the thought of one of his beloved children suffering. Wearily, he leaned his head against the door, pressing the back fo his head against the polished wooden surface. It was barely audible, but the muffled sobs of the barmaid were amplified by the acoustics of the empty guild hall.

His mind was torn between rushing down to console her or to wait it out in the relative safety of the confines of his office. In response, Makarov slumped to the ground in exhaustion, finally feeling his age.

He wondered why this particular duo had dealt such an emotional blow to the barmaid; this wasn't the first time she had come across such affectionate siblings in Magnolia. Even then, when they would go out on their usual supply run together around the town, the most it had gotten out of her was a melancholy smile. Still, it was unhealthy for Mirajane to bottle up her emotions so tightly.

He supposed the timing had been a factor.

After all, the anniversary of Lisanna's death would be nearing in a few weeks. That, or even the reports he had received from the members regarding the recent sighting of 'The Demon' during the Battle of Fairy Tail, could have contributed to this sudden outburst. Perhaps a piece of her shiny façade was chipped away the moment she regained her powers.

Back then, Makarov had made the foolish decision to allow Mirajane the privacy to grieve in isolation. There were times when he considered seeking a quiet word with her, and judging by the frequent frowns whenever Erza glanced at her, the knight shared the same line of thinking.

But in the end, the redhead never did.

Neither did he.

Emotionally, Erza was akin to a rock. She was never one to be direct, instead choosing to build up her worries in the form of resentment. It wasn't like he didn't notice the numerous times Erza had snapped at Mirajane for the most trivial reasons over the years. Every time it happened, things would always blow over the next day under an empty smile and quiet apology. Ultimately, there was no one else to blame but himself for allowing such matters to continue as they did. Perhaps if he had done something then, things would have turned out differently.

Makarov stood up, gathering his determination.

One does not forget his lesson after excommunicating his own son and grandson by letting things go out of hand. He would not risk making the same mistake for the rest of his children.

0.0

"B-But what about my rent?" the blonde heiress wailed.

Lucy should have known that there was no way she could have competed against someone like Erza and emerge a winner, even if it was something that she felt that she had a real shot at. There was just no beating the cool beauty. It didn't help that she came in second, just one place above Juvia. The water mage had been giving her the creepiest, lingering stares (even more so than usual), muttering about how it was just another ploy to steal Gray away from her.

Oh God, when did it get so screwed up?

Lucy slumped in her seat, cradling her head in her arms as she rested it on the table. There were a few stray mission requests scattered in front of her.

It was useless.

There weren't any decent jobs suited to her level coming in today that could cover her rent by the end of the week. After a lengthy pause as she drowned herself in self-pity, she felt someone plop down on the empty space next to her.

"Go away, Natsu. I'm not in the mood."

The person sighed, a more feminine tone than Natsu's loud and boyish one.

"I wish I had a boyfriend..."

If she had heard the Lucy's words, she chose not to regard it.

Lucy peeked from under her arms as the pretty brunette girl came into view. She was swigging down a flask of gin like a baby to a bottle of milk. Her metallic bangles hung loosely around her forearms as she tilted the flask up higher.

"Cana? What's wrong?"

The brunette slammed the flask on the table, more from frustration than the after-effects of being intoxicated. Cana then slumped down and mimicked Lucy's actions. She had a dearth look on her youthful features. "It's men, Lucy," she said, weary. "Not having one in your life for a while and you start getting that itch, you know?"

Lucy coloured as she shirked back from the other girl. "I-Itch?"

Cana smiled, raising a delicate brow at the flush that threatened to overwhelm Lucy. "Ara, ara... what's with that look, Lucy?" she asked, dragging Lucy close to whisper into her ear, "Thinking of naughty things?"

Lucy shook her head vehemently, pulling herself away from the brunette's death-like grip. "N-No! Of course not!"

"Oh? Then how many men have you gone out with?" Cana asked. "I'm sure a pretty girl like you has plenty of male suitors just lining up around the corner."

Lucy flashed a random digit with her hands. "This many!" she half-shouted, squeezing her eyes shut as she thrust her hands in front of the compulsive alcoholic.

The older girl merely chuckled in response. "You're so dang cute!" She stood up, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Everyone, listen up!" Cana said, attracting the attention of those in the hall, and easily shrugging off the hand that was trying to pull her back into her seat. "Lucy's never had a boyfriend!"

A small spatter of laughter erupted around them before it died down, the various members once again turning their attention back to their previous activities. With another forceful tug at Cana's forearms, Lucy finally managed to get her back into her seat, a tongue-lashing already on the tip of her, well... tongue.

"Worry not," Cana said.

She stopped the blonde's tirade in her tracks. Her playful demeanour suddenly turned serious as she flashed one of her tarot cards before her.

"My cards have spoken."

"Cards?"

Lucy eyed the strange tarot card. There was a sundial hovering in the skies with creatures, ranging from mythical creatures to normal ones, supporting the structure, inexplicably surrounding the wheel in a loose formation.

Cana nodded. "This is the Wheel of Fortune. It could mean a lot of things. For one, you could have an unexpected windfall coming your way—"

"Really?!"

The brunette held her hand up. "—or it could signal the appearance of destiny and karmic changes in your life."

There was a sudden lull in the conversation as Lucy waited for Cana to continue with her explanation. It was as if she was inviting Lucy to ask the question on her mind.

"Er, so what does that mean?"

Cana smirked. "Today is the day of your fateful encounter. Who knows, the man of your dreams could be right here in this town..."

0.0

"A-Achoo!"

Naruto reached over the bed, groping at small end table for the tissue box that was just slightly out of his reach. He struggled with Carla as he placed the facial tissue under her nose. "Blow," he ordered, another twitch of irritation raking through him as the cat shrugged him off with a light scoff. She turned away, retreating deeper into the cosy comforter of the bed.

"Go 'way," Carla said, rubbing her paws at her reddish-tinged nose. "I don't need you constantly hovering over me."

Naruto groaned, not impressed by the feline's stubbornness. "I don't see why you had to hide this from Wendy." He placed a hand over her forehead which she promptly shrugged off again. "You're burning up."

Carla crinkled her nose and sniffed. "She shouldn't waste her energy on something so trivial. It's just a slight fever. I'll be fine."

Naruto exhaled slowly, wondering why she had gone to such lengths to hide her illness from Wendy the morning after the Fantasia parade. Although, this did explain why Carla wanted to have an early night in yesterday. Back then, he naturally assumed that she was just tired.

"What did I say about being stubborn? It's nice that you want her to enjoy the town, but she's a lot stronger than you give her credit for; healing something like this will be a cinch for her." He turned his back to the bed, heading towards the door to their room. "I'm going to call her back to heal you."

Carla bolted up, reaching her paws out to stop him.

"No!"

Naruto turned his head, just enough to peek at the cat from the corner of his eyes. "Look," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his eyes involuntarily closing at the touch. "There's nothing to be ashamed about. I don't know where you got this ridiculous idea that Wendy will think less of you just because you got sick."

But, it was true that this was the first time in three years that he had ever seen Carla fall sick, even Wendy got the occasional sniffles during those cold winter months.

"D-Don't tell her," Carla pleaded, grimacing. "Please...?"

Naruto blinked once, still trying to process the word that Carla had rarely uttered.

"Fine," he conceded.

Inwardly, he chastised his feeble logic at how he had roped himself into playing along with the cat's charade. It wasn't as if he didn't want to explore Magnolia too. That, and his stomach just reminded him that they still haven't had breakfast yet. "I'm still going out anyway," he said over his shoulder. "There's bound to be a decent restaurant around here somewhere. I'll go see if there's anything you like."

Carla looked hesitant to speak, her voice barely audible, "I want fish soup..." With that, she slunk even deeper under the covers until only her paws were visible above the comforter.

Naruto smiled and raised a brow, recalling several past incidents where the cat had fervently sworn off the offending dish. "I thought you didn't like fish?" He waited a moment for Carla to respond, but received none. "Fish soup it is, then," he said aloud to the silent room. "I'll be back soon."

The door closed with a soft click before he proceeded down to the lobby, briefly exchanging a polite greeting with the innkeeper. The moment he stepped outside, Naruto released a small sigh of contentment, enjoying the pleasant sensation of a warm autumn's day. He shrugged before choosing a random direction to walk in. He didn't really get a good sense of the town yesterday, and this was a good time as any to feel out Magnolia.

His feet eventually brought him closer to the centre of town, all the while taking in what Magnolia had to offer. Occasionally, he would peer into the display window of a restaurant, trying to find one that served soup.

How hard was it to find one that did?

Naruto stopped for a moment, leaning up against the wide cement railings of the bridge linking the canals together, and taking a look at his reflection in the crystal-clear water. He smiled, causing his reflection to mirror him, but being on the receiving end was more off-putting that he realised. It was as if something was lacking.

He blinked dumbly.

Why the hell was he thinking about this?

Naruto leapt onto the railings, much to the shock of a few passers-by, but instead of jumping into the canal, he plopped down on the hard stone surface, letting his legs swing freely in the air. He smiled, absorbed as he was in the memories of another life. There were times when he remembered doing the exact same thing back in Konoha.

How could three years have passed by so fast here?

He glanced back down at the water, slowly taking in his features. It was the same one that stared back at him every time he looked in the mirror; just older, taller, and as much as he would like to believe, wiser too.

His father would have been proud of how similar they looked now. However, there was something missing in his features, perhaps it was a trait he obtained from his mother. Her name and looks escaped him; something that he had always chastised himself for not asking his father about it when he had the chance all those years ago.

Exhaling deeply, Naruto pushed himself off the railing and onto the pavement, reminding himself that there was no time to drown in self-pity. Someone was depending on him now, even if it was for something as trivial as soup.

He made his way to the centre of town, finding himself in front of the Kardia Cathedral. It was glaringly obvious however, from the large amount of burn and scoff marks, not to mention the shattered remains of the stained glass and rubble of the historical building, that there had been a fight here—quite recently too.

With practised ease, he positioned himself closer to the thick of the conversation between a few of the locals. It didn't take long for him to glean that it was a bust-up involving some of the guild members of Fairy Tail. Those lingering around the front of the cathedral were grumbling about the wide-scale battle that took place just before the start of the Fantasia Parade. From the looks of it, a couple of workers were already starting to restore the building to its former glory.

Naruto frowned.

The three of them could have been stuck right in the thick of it had they arrived just a few hours earlier. He was glad that they didn't as he walked off, pulling his eyes away from the large cathedral and taking the route northwards where the headquarters of Fairy Tail towered over the town.

As it happened, it wasn't long before he met a familiar face.

"Ah, it's you."

0.0

Wendy took a small step over the threshold into the guild compound. The various members scattered around the area were indulging themselves and chatting animatedly in the open-air café. Most were oblivious to the young girl that was trying but failing to sneak inside discreetly.

Was this considered trespassing? Worse, imagine what the guild would do if they knew she was trying to sneak in.

Wendy panicked before righting herself in an instant, taking robotic steps forward as she headed towards the entrance. She didn't know why she was going so far to find him. What would she say if she did?

Hello? How are you?

She shook her head.

That was bad.

"Hey," a voice called out to her.

Her eyes darted towards the voice.

It was a man that could only be described as having the weirdest hairstyle she had ever seen yet; a centre-parted bob that ended just below his ears. He stood behind the counter to the Fairy Tail Goods Shop. There was a hotchpotch of merchandise ranging from shirts and towels to plastic figurines assorted neatly into the shelves that lined the front and sides of the booth.

The man smiled reassuringly, gesturing for Wendy to come closer.

It was understandable that she was wary. Strange smiles had gone a long way in deciding whether a mission would go according to plan or horribly wrong. It certainly didn't help his case either. Normally in these types of situation, Naruto would always tell her to hit first and ask questions later.

The broom straw brown-haired man looked at her in concern. "Are you lost, little girl? Do you know where your parents are?"

A dejected sigh escaped her lips as Wendy clenched her fists behind her back. She forced a strained smile, despite her anger.

Why?

Why were people always asking her that?

"No," Wendy said. "I'm just—" she peeked into the expansive guild hall just to her left, "—looking for someone..."

As if an imaginary light bulb appeared above his head, the man perked up. "Oh, I see. A fan of the guild, huh? Well, look no further because I, Max Alors, have just the remedy for your fan-related ailments."

Max turned his back to her as he dug around the boxes in the back of the booth. "Here!" he said, too caught up in his sales-pitch as he placed a model figurine of Mirajane on the counter. "This is a limited edition Mirajane model with posable thumbs!" He demonstrated the action for added effect. "It comes with a special hand-crafted guitar and microphone that something no Mira fan would give up! So how about it? Shall I wrap it up for you?"

Wendy shirked back, saying, "S-Sure."

He snapped his fingers in response, flashing a bright smile at her. "A most excellent choice, miss. But perhaps you would consider something from one of the display racks? An authentic Fairy Tail towel for a loved one? Or a stylish t-shirt to go with your purchase?"

"It's all right, just that."

"Okay then. With the on-going Harvest Festival discount, your total adds up to four thousand Jewels."

The girl bobbed her head, taking the exact amount from her purse before placing it on the counter. "Ah, I heard there was a Dragon Slayer in Fairy Tail," she said, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.

"Dragon Slayer? Which of the two are you referring to?"

"Two?"

Max nodded. "Well, there's Natsu for one." He looked troubled for a second. "And... Gajeel," he added begrudgingly, rolling his eyes upwards.

Wendy had never heard about anyone named Gajeel from her foster mother before. Truth be told, it was only a few months back that she recalled the obscure name that had escaped Grandine's lips.

"Ah, is Natsu here?" she asked, her bright brown eyes unable to hide her hope at meeting the other Dragon Slayer.

Max smiled sadly. "Sorry, he's run off somewhere again. He's probably somewhere in Magnolia looking for Lucy. It wouldn't be a long shot if you find Happy with him too."

"Oh..."

The sand mage tried to shake off the gloomy aura now surrounding her. "Hey now, don't be so down. If you're looking for a real, live Dragon Slayer, then look no further." He inclined his head towards someone behind her.

A surly man with long, unruly hair lazed at one of the many tables in the outdoor café. Almost every visible part of his person that was not covered by his clothes was adorned with metal piercings, causing her to wince as she remembered her own painful experience with her ears.

Imagine what he must have gone through...

A permanent scowl was set on his face as he nursed a nasty bruise, slapping the cold mug of ale against his cheeks in an attempt to ease the swelling. As if aware that he was being watched, crimson eyes narrowed at Wendy.

She took an unconscious step back from the intensity of the gaze, glancing back at the older salesman.

"Master just threw him and Natsu out of the hall when they started a fight right in front of the Weekly Sorcerer reporter," Max said. "That's why he's a bit cross right now, so don't expect too much from him." He gained a reluctant look in his eyes. "He may not be the friendliest guy around the guild, but he is one of us."

"Is that..."

"Yup, that there's the Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel Redfox."

0.0

Naruto blinked at the familiar voice.

Then, a white-haired young woman stepped up beside him. She flashed her pearly whites, blue eyes shining in recognition. No longer was she clad in her parade costume, her attire was now replaced with a simple maroon dress, embroidered with bits of lace. It ended with a pretty pink bow on her chest.

"We've met last night, remember? My name is—"

"Mirajane, right?" he cut in. Raising a hand in greeting, he gave a small nod. "Naruto Uzumaki, pleased to meet you... again."

Mirajane bowed politely before righting herself; something which he hastily returned. "Ah, we were worried that you left town when you didn't show up in the morning, Naruto-san."

"Really?"

"Of course, we didn't want to disappoint you or your little sister after you made the effort to visit our guild last night."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. His hand snaked up to the back of his head. He had honestly lost count at how often that misunderstanding had occurred in the past three years. "We're not actually related. Our guild is pretty small. Along the way, things just settled down like this after we ended up becoming a team."

"Is that so?" Mirajane murmured. There was an indiscernible look in her eyes.

He fidgeted in his place.

"Yeah."

Turning back to him, she smiled. "Sorry, I just remembered something for later. Ah! Where is your teammate now?"

"Oh, Wendy? She's probably having a shopping spree somewhere in town."

Mirajane clasped her hands together in front of her, frowning.

"Alone?"

Naruto tried his best to school his bearing. Unfortunately, his ire was still noticeable. He was never fond of such tones. "A lot of people underestimate her because she's a kid," he said. Although he shushed that small niggling voice in his mind quiet, seeing that he still did that too. "But most of them learn not to do it again."

Mirajane shrank back as if struck—her features stuck in a mixture of regret and guilt. She tried to force out another one of her smiles, but it looked more like she was gnawing the inside of her cheek.

"Ah, it wasn't my place to say."

Naruto didn't want to point out that the barmaid didn't exactly churn out an apology this time, but quickly put that aside.

"It's okay."

An uncomfortable air reigned between the two. In the ensuing silence, Naruto found himself walking beside the white-haired girl. Somehow, he wasn't sure if he was leading her or following in her footsteps.

"So," Mirajane said after a lengthy pause. "You mentioned you were from another guild?"

Naruto nodded, looking resigned. "Yeah, Cait Shelter's not that well known. It's nothing like Fairy Tail." He motioned to their headquarters. "It's a small guild. Our team is the only active one regularly taking up missions. That's kinda the reason why missions are so hard to come by for us."

Mirajane laughed, trying her best to clear the awkwardness in the air. "Is that what brought you to Magnolia?"

"Yeah, we wrapped up a mission in Era before spending a couple of days over at Akane Resort. This was just supposed to be a stop-over to Hargeon, but it was hard trying to book a connecting train until later tonight."

Mirajane made a small sound of agreement, placing the tip of her forefinger against her cheek. "The station does get exceptionally busy after the Harvest festival. But—" she stopped, finally noticing the direction they were walking in, "—does this mean you're heading to our guild now?"

Naruto was reluctant to admit that the thought had never crossed his mind, even when Makarov had mentioned it to him last night. After all, it was only at the behest of Wendy that they even visited the guild last night. "No. Actually, I was just looking around town for a restaurant. Another teammate of mine got sick, and she has a specific taste in mind when it comes to food."

"Oh? Is she all right?"

Naruto waved off her worries. "She's stubborn about getting well, but she'll be fine after some rest and a bowl of warm soup. If I do find a restaurant that serves one in this town anyway..."

Mirajane furrowed her brows, unconsciously puffing her cheeks out. "You know, I could make one for you if you'd like," she trailed off, before stamping her hand into the other. "It's the least I can do after last night."

Naruto wasn't exactly sure what she had to make up for, but he assumed it was because she was the one who had to reject their request to tour the guild. Although, he was surprised by her mannerism. He never expected someone of her stature, as Fairy Tail's cover girl, to be this nice.

"That's okay, I don't want to be a bother."

Her forehead creased as she pouted. "I insist," Mirajane said abruptly, though somehow being able to remain polite. "It won't take long to prepare the meal if that's your concern. I'm actually heading to the general store to pick up some supplies now." Her long lashes fluttered as she spoke, "Besides, I could use some help."

Naruto didn't know how or why he kept getting roped into such things, but with a soundless sigh, he nodded. He thanked her with a smile, following her lead as they walked towards the general store, trading small talk along the way. At an intersection a few metres away from their destination, a flash of blonde hair caught his attention just as it rounded the other corner. He halted in his steps, peeking around to get a better view of the somewhat familiar figure.

Mirajane blinked, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thought I saw someone I know," Naruto said.

As he caught up to her, easily falling back into the flow of their conversation, he couldn't help but wonder why that shade of blonde had seemed so familiar in his mind.

0.0

"I don't do autographs, kid. No pictures either."

His gravelly voice must have added to his intimidating visage as the girl backed off, staggering back and knocking into the opposite table. It was merely by luck that no one was sitting there. Gajeel reached his hand out, trying to stop her from running away. Unknowingly, he slammed the mug of ale that he was using as an ice-pack on the table, creating a loud clatter that only served to frighten the poor girl further.

Honestly, what was it about him that kids kept doing that?

"Oi! I didn't tell you to leave!"

His eyes darted around the open air café, already realising that they were the centre of attention. He begrudgingly nudged the wooden stool opposite him with his feet, inclining his head towards it. "Sit," he ordered gruffly, not from the irritation at being interrupted, but from the seedy and mistrustful looks he was getting from his own guild mates.

She hesitantly took a seat, all the while, her eyes shifted to his with every single movement. It was as if she was waiting for a sign of disapproval.

It was clear that she was nervous. Her back was ramrod straight, and her hands were tucked on her knees. She kept her gaze just below his eyes, just enough to not appear rude but at the same time, remaining distant. It was then he wondered why he was trying to read so much into the behaviour of a kid.

"Whadd'ya want?" Gajeel asked.

It was enough to startle his already tense acquaintance. "A-Ah, well you see... It's like this," she said, looking at her hands as if she had written notes on it.

"Just spit it out, kid. I don't have time for this."

Surprisingly, she straightened, squaring her shoulders. "I heard that you were a Dragon Slayer, and I was wondering if you've heard or know anything about your—"

Gajeel stopped her with a hand, remaining silent despite feeling a bubble of annoyance swelling at her words. He had already guessed the line of thought the girl was going at. He leaned in close, asking:

"What's your name, kid?"

Blinking, she leaned back into her seat nervously. "Wendy Marvell."

Gajeel hummed under his breath, raising a studded brow. "Wendy, was it?" he asked, causing the girl to give a tentative nod. "Good, now what I want you to do right now is leave—leave and never mention anything about this ever again."

"W-Wait! I need to know! Grand—"

Wendywas stopped by a bored sigh as Gajeel reached out, grabbing her by the front of her dress and lifting her off her feet. Soon enough, she found herself staring straight into the crimson slitted eyes of the older Dragon Slayer. His lips curled back in resentment, not caring that some of the other members had already circled around them, eyeing him warily.

"You need to know?" Gajeel asked disbelievingly.

Despite the tense atmosphere, she squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. "I need to know what happened to Grandine!"

Gajeel scoffed.

Grandine sounded vaguely familiar, and if he remembered correctly, it had been Metalicana who spoke briefly about the other dragon. "What makes you think that I know anything about her?"

A metallic glint shimmered in the corner of his eyes.

Gajeel's enhanced hearing picked up the slight whoosh of a projectile. He snapped his free hand out, barely preventing an injury worse than a small scratch on his cheeks. He grasped the offending projectile in his hand.

Slowly, he brought his gaze towards the archway to the entrance of the outdoor café, unceremoniously dumping Wendy on the ground. It elicited a small squeak from the indignant girl as she glared up at his smiling face, but it turned into a horrified wince as he slowly dragged the blade of the kunai against his tongue.

"Impressive," Gajeel complimented the blond figure in the orange poncho standing next to Mirajane, who herself looked torn between stopping him or the new entrant. "That scratched me just a little. Not enough to draw blood, but still... very impressive."

His opponent shrugged blithely. In one hand, he held a large brown paper bag brimming with supplies, and with the other, he twirled another one of those oddly-shaped knives.

"Well, I'll try not to hold back with the next one."

"Gi hi hi hi!"

It was refreshing to say the least as Gajeel laughed. It had been awhile since the last idiot tried something similar. Technically, he did just come out of a pretty nasty fight just last night. It was only at his Guild Master's behest that he removed the bandages on his body for the Weekly Sorcerer interview today. It was something about some inter-guild politics crap and trying to look good on paper; not that he gave the reasoning much thought. It was just nice to be free from being wrapped up like a mummy, is all.

It honestly didn't help that he was feeling sore all over.

Casually, Gajeel tilted his head back and dropped the kunai into his open mouth, munching on it with relish. "Quality iron," he remarked around a mouthful, shifting the remains of the knife in his mouth. "Not really my kind of thing. It's a bit bland to the taste buds. Feh, but to each his own."

It was to his opponent's credit that he stood there, watching Gajeel through half-lidded eyes. Most of the other idiots would have scrammed after his little demonstration.

Well, kudos to this guy.

"You know, those things are quite expensive," the blond commented as he stopped twirling the knife in his hand, holding it out in front of him as a bluish-green energy enveloped the blade. "Glad to know I won't have to make the same mistake twice."

Gajeel smirked as he stared down his new opponent.

For the first time in quite a while, this stranger had been able to evoke that raw, primal impulse that he had tried to suppress ever since coming here. A small shiver raced down his spine. The sheer adrenaline of the impending battle stretched the small smirk on his lips into a full-blown grin. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he fell into a loose stance, bringing his hands up in front of him and readying himself for what he knew was going to be one hell of a fight.

Again.

"Bring it."

Rewind Omake: Akane Resort and Casino

The word chaotic best described the atmosphere as he stepped inside the lush, elegant carpeting of the ritzy in-house casino. But for all its supposed exclusiveness and lavish stature, he had to wonder why there was a roller coaster track that ran just above the large casino floor.

His blond, spiky hair was slicked back—as untameable as it was—and together with the sharp suit he had to rent for the occasion, it made him look smart and classy. Both adjectives clearly did not coincide well with his character, but he accepted it with reluctance. Feeling self-conscious, he tugged at his tie, loosening it as the unnecessary accessory that Carla had done up for him felt too tightly wound around his neck, constricting his ability to breathe.

After all, there was a dress code. And in order to play, he had to abide by the dress code.

It didn't mean he had to like it.

"Welcome to Akane Casino," a charming waitress greeted as she held up a round drink tray skilfully in one hand, the half-empty drinks atop it not even wobbling a bit as she glided around the casino floor on skates. Her smile was bewitching as she asked, "Anything to drink for you, sir?"

Naruto pondered on his choice of drink for a moment. "Something fizzy." He swept his hair back and added, "Stirred, not shaken."

The pretty waitress didn't even bat an eye at his peculiar behaviour.

"Right away, sir."

It wasn't long before she came back with his order. Neither did it take him long to find a suitable table with a good vibe. The name 'roulette' was mentioned in passing. It was foreign to him, but it looked simple enough. All he had to do was pick a variety of options and the rest would be all down to luck. He wasn't aware of his inherent luck in gambling, but he knew was that he had to win and not just win, no; his money woes were weighing him down due to the financial burden of supporting himself, a young girl and her pet cat.

Naruto knew he had to win big.

He also needed a new pair of sandals, to be honest.

"Place your bets," the male croupier quipped, elongating each syllables in a rhythmic cadence.

Naruto took a moment to decide before placing about a quarter of his trade-in marker on a single number. For some reason, the number nine, marked in a deep red, called out to him.

"That's a little ambitious, don't you think?" a voice pointed out.

He turned towards the speaker, who looked to be roughly around his age, give or take a few years. She was cute—the kind of girl every guy would find ideal. Her light brown hair that reached just above her shoulders framed her features fashionably. The slimming maroon dress, a neat, cursive scrawl detailing the name 'Heart Kreuz' was designed just below the neckline that parted her cleavage, showed off her figure.

Unfortunately, he couldn't take his eyes off her chest or whatever the hell that thing was she was cradling in her arms. He couldn't quite place the species. Maybe it was a really weird hybrid of a dog spliced with a unicorn, considering its prominent drill-like nose.

The small creature was constantly shivering as if it was cold, and when it looked up to face him with those disturbing, beady eyes, it let out a pathetic ~Puun~ before slumping back down again like a lifeless doll.

"What... is that?" he asked, careful not to point.

"Huh? You mean Plue?" The brunette looked down, puzzled as she held out the creature to him. "Can't you tell? It's a bug."

Naruto didn't have time to come up with a coherent reply as the croupier grabbed his attention.

"Nine, Red!" the man declared.

With just a simple sweep of his hand over the table, the losing bets vanished without a trace as the casino's impeccable magical system tabulated the inside and outside winning bets within a matter of seconds, updating the winnings instantaneously. All in all, it was actually an impressive piece of magic. Looking down at his marker, he gawked at his sizable winnings—he had somehow been able to overcome the thirty-seven to one odds.

"Whoa!" the young woman chirped in surprise as the winnings were pushed back to him. Brown eyes gleamed in delight as Naruto pooled the considerable winnings in his arms.

"Hey, I never got your name," she said distractedly. "Mine's Elie."

"Naruto," he said, his hands shifting back and forth between twenty-four and thirty-two as he pondered which he should pick. He vaguely realised that a couple of the other gamblers around him had started to follow his lead.

His new gambling buddy had fallen silent as she watched him work his magic (not that it was allowed in the floor, only figuratively). She gasped in disbelief when he struck gold again, his winnings even higher with his improved bid. "Come on, you can't be that lucky!" she half-shouted amidst the whoops and cheers of the other gamblers who had followed his choice.

Naruto smiled widely. "Apparently, I am."

Elie shook her head. "I bet you can't do that again." She coughed into her hand. "And just to prove a point, I'll follow you and go all in on the next one."

Naruto debated as to whether he should voice out his concern. He did have his doubts as to whether he could pull a turkey with this one. True, what if the first two had been a fluke? If he'd fail this one, he'd have some girl hung up on him about losing all her money.

Eh.

He shrugged. It wasn't like he was forcing her hand.

He watched as Elie trailed after him like a lost puppy, settling her modest amount of markers just beside his on an unlikely double zero. Her features were stuck between queasy and excitement as the ball spun around the circumference of the wheel, her restlessness increasing as it started to lose its momentum.

"Elie-san! I've looked everywhere for you!"

What could only be described as a small, blue gelatinous blob—the oddest creature he had seen yet—hopped onto the roulette table, unknowingly tripping over and displacing the casino markers. It continued scuttling on its yellow feeler-like legs towards her, its long droopy nose flapping about as it did. Its beady black eyes latched onto the equally-odd bug hybrid that was pressed against Elie's chest before it let out a small shrill, drawing attention to its thick, pink lips.

"Ooh~ Plue-sama! I'm so jealous!"

Elie was torn between tearing her eyes away from the roulette wheel and her blue bug companion, but as the ball finally stopped, on double zero no less, she let loose a deafening whoop.

It died down when the croupier shook his head.

"No bet!" the man declared.

Her brown eyes widened as she slowly and rigidly turned to the blob.

"Grif-Fon. Ka-To."

It tilted its head as if confused. "Elie-san?"

"What the hell is that?!"

This time, Naruto did point a shaky finger at the horrible gelatinous blob.

Some way or another, the brunette had managed to sneak in a pair of tonfa blasters as she pulled them out of thin air. Naruto had no time to wonder as to where she was able to hide such things as she levelled the butt of the weapon at Griffon.

"It's a bug."

As the security personnel began to slowly surround their roulette table to fend off the impending destruction, Naruto had to bite back a curse. He had better damn well come up with a convenient yet believable excuse to tell Carla as to why management had, or eventually will, bar him from the premises.

0.0

Meanwhile...

"Haru Glory," the silver-haired man said, flashing a quick smile at her. Grabbing the rubber ball, he pulled his arm back before flinging it at the base of the stacked plastic bottles a few metres away, dropping them to the ground with a small clatter. "What about you?"

She blinked. "Marvell, Wendy Marvell."

As the assistant of the booth grouchily attended to him, Haru pointed to a blue-furred cat plushie that was roughly the size of his head. "You're pretty good at this too, huh, Wendy?"

She looked down at the myriad of stuffed toy animals, kitschy figurines and assorted postcards she had pooled in her arms.

"I guess..."

Side Note: Thanks for the reviews!

Naruto's Personality: It's not that he lets people walk over him, it's more like he's bottling his anger. He is stuck in what should be considered an alien universe. Even with his friends, every relationship has a give and take. Slowly, the character is trying to grow. I have tried my best to convey that... I hope.