Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X791]

~ With Max ~

The red blur crashed into the earth like the force of a falling star, with cracks spreading outward from the impact point as chunks of stone flew in all directions. Dust clouds billowed up from the crater, obscuring everything for a moment.

When the dust settled, a figure stood at the centre of the destruction. Pink hair, a distinctive scarf, and eyes that burned with barely contained fury.

Natsu Dragneel was back.

The dark mages froze. Their leader, who had been so confident just moments before, took an involuntary step backward. His face went pale as he stared at the Dragon Slayer who had just fallen from the sky.

"What. Did. You. Say." Natsu said, his voice deadly calm.

Flames began to dance around his fists, but he made no move to attack. He didn't need to. His presence alone was enough to shift the entire dynamic of the confrontation.

"Don't move!" the leader shouted, trying to regain control of the situation. "We have hostages! One wrong move and—"

His words were cut off as two more figures dropped from the sky behind Max. Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster landed easily, their arrival providing a sense of security for the captured Fairy Tail members.

The four dark mages holding them hostage barely had time to react. Erza's sword flashed instantly after she had landed, the flat of the blade striking two of them and knocking them away in one fell swoop. Gray's ice magic formed restraints around the other two before they could even think about using their captives as shields.

"What hostages?" Erza questioned.

The remaining dark mages found themselves surrounded. Their leader spun in a circle, trying to keep track of all the threats at once. His confident demeanour had evaporated completely, replaced by the panicked expression of a man who had just realized he was way out of his depth.

A deep mechanical hum filled the air above them. Everyone looked up to see the Magic Bomber Christina descending from the clouds. The ship's magical engines glowed with steady light as it came to rest just above the rooftops.

At the bow, silhouetted against the afternoon sky, stood every surviving member of Tenrou Island. Laxus, his lightning magic crackling around him. Mirajane, her demonic aura visible even from a distance. Gajeel, iron studs gleaming as he cracked his knuckles. Wendy, small but radiating power that made the air itself seem to shimmer.

And at the centre of them all, standing amongst them was the figure that made Max's breath catch. Makarov Dreyar, Third Master of Fairy Tail. 

The old man's eyes swept across the scene below, taking in the destroyed bell, the captured guild members, the dark mages who had dared to attack his children in his absence. When he spoke, his voice carried across the square with the weight of absolute authority.

"Surrender now, and you'll live to see a trial."

The dark mages looked at each other, then at their leader, then at the overwhelming force arrayed against them. Their leader's hands were shaking as he raised them in surrender. The others followed suit immediately.

"We surrender!" The leader all but shouted. "We surrender completely!"

Erza drove her sword into the ground with enough force to crack the stone.

"Smart choice."

~ With Makarov ~

One hour later, the crisis was over. The Magic Council had arrived to arrest the imposters, their investigation confirming what everyone already knew. The dark mages had infiltrated Twilight Ogre over the course of months, using forged credentials and false identities to gain access to a legal guild's resources and reputation.

The real Twilight Ogre had been cleared of suspicion, though they remained under Council scrutiny for their failure to properly vet their recruits. Guild Master Banaboster had been humiliated by the revelation, his earlier boasting about their expanded roster now looking like dangerous incompetence.

Inside Fairy Tail's infirmary, the mood was far from celebratory. Despite the reunion, despite the return of the Tenrou Island team, the cost of the recent battle weighed heavy on everyone's hearts.

Romeo and Jet lay unconscious in adjacent beds, their injuries severe enough that even Porlyusica's considerable skill had been pushed to its limits. Romeo's chest was a mess of bruises and burn marks, his breathing shallow but steady. Jet's legs had been crushed in the fighting, the bones only now beginning to knit back together under the old woman's care.

"They're stable." Porlyusica announced, wiping her hands on a towel. "But it was close. A few more minutes and I wouldn't have been able to save them."

Levy sat at Jet's bedside, one of his hands being held gently in her own. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at her teammate, her friend.

"I just got you back..." She whispered to his unconscious form. 

Droy stood nearby, his own eyes red with tears.

"Shadow Gear isn't complete without all three of us... We need you, Jet. We need you to wake up." he said quietly.

Across the room, Macao stared at his son's battered form. The guilt was written across his face in deep lines, in the way his shoulders sagged with the weight of responsibility. He had been supposed to protect Romeo, to keep him safe while Max bought them time. Instead, his son had thrown himself into battle against impossible odds.

"I should have made him stay back," Macao said, his voice hollow. "I should have made him hide with the others."

Alzack placed a gentle hand on the older man's shoulder. "You know he wouldn't have listened. That boy has the heart of a true Fairy Tail mage. He did what he thought was right."

"And nearly died for it." Macao replied bitterly.

Bisca sat on the other side of Romeo's bed, her own guilt eating at her. "If we hadn't left to search for the island, if we'd been here..."

"This still would have happened," Max said from the doorway. "They were planning this for months. Maybe years. Our being here wouldn't have changed anything except the body count."

"If he were still around, none of this would have happened..." Max continued. "He would have seen through their infiltration. He would have stopped them before they ever got this far."

Bisca looked up, her expression softening slightly. "If he were here, they'd be healed already. With that weird healing magic of his."

The comment hung in the air like a prayer. Everyone in the room shared the same haunted expression, the same sense of loss that had been their constant companion for over a year. They had their family back, but the hole left by Shisui's absence felt more acute than ever.

Makarov looked around the room, taking in the faces of his guild members. He could see the pain in their eyes, the way they all seemed to be thinking about the same person. The way they spoke about someone who had clearly meant a great deal to them.

"Who... are you talking about?" He asked gently.

~ End of Chapter 80 ~

You can read advanced chapter on [email protected]/The_Editor982

Fairy Tail's back! Shisui comes back in five more chapters! First major fight coming up soon with Shisui vs Laxus and ???