Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X791]

~ With Makarov ~

A week after his visit with Warrod, Makarov walked through Magnolia's streets toward the guild hall, his mind still processing everything he'd learned about Shisui. The weight of that knowledge sat heavy on his shoulders as the loss of someone so powerful, so integral to his guild's survival, felt even more profound now.

However, as he neared his guildhall, the sight that greeted him stopped him cold. Scorch marks decorated the guild hall's exterior walls. Several windows had been boarded up with hastily nailed planks and the stone steps bore cracks that spoke of combat.

Panic seized his chest as he rushed through the damaged entrance. His eyes swept the interior, taking in the signs of battle. But it was the expressions on his guild members' faces that worried him most.

"Macao!" He called out, spotting the previous guild master near the bar. "What happened here?"

"The guild was attacked yesterday. Most of our S-class mages were out on missions, so we had to handle it with whoever was available." Macao responded dejectedly.

"Is everyone all right?" Makarov worriedly asked.

"Everyone's fine…" Macao replied, but the way he said it made Makarov's stomach clench. There was something else, something worse than property damage or injuries.

"What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?" Makarov pressed. 

Macao's expression grew even more grave. "Lucy and a distant relative of hers were the targets. They're missing."

Veins bulged in Makarov's forehead as rage coursed through his system. His voice echoed through the damaged guild hall and through the nearby civilian homes.

"WHO DARES HARM MY CHILDREN!"

~ With Fairy Tail ~

One month later, the entirety of Fairy Tail had gathered in the guild hall. The damage from the second attack since their return had been repaired, and the atmosphere was different now. More serious, more focused.

The main doors opened with a creak, and the remaining Fairy Tail mages walked in. Laxus led the group, his imposing presence immediately drawing the attention of every guild member. Behind him, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed followed in their usual formation, their expressions ranging from bored to mildly amused.

The reaction was immediate with Natsu's head snapping up from his conversation with Happy, his eyes lighting up with the kind of excitement that usually preceded property damage.

"Laxus!" He shouted, launching himself from his seat with reckless abandon. "Fight me!"

The Dragon Slayer's trajectory was perfect, his fist drawn back for what would have been an impressive opening strike. Unfortunately for him, Laxus was entirely unimpressed by the display. Without even looking up, the Lightning Dragon Slayer raised his fist and punched Natsu directly into the ceiling.

Natsu's body embedded itself in the wooden beams with a crash that shook dust from the rafters. He remained there, twitching slightly, while the rest of the guild went about their business as if nothing had happened.

"Some things never change…" Gray muttered, not even bothering to look up from his drink.

Laxus surveyed the room with calculating eyes. His gaze eventually settled on Lucy, who was sitting at one of the tables with Levy and Wendy. The recent happenings to the guild which centred around Lucy herself had made him start walking toward her.

Lucy noticed his approach and tensed slightly. Laxus had never been particularly friendly toward her, and his current intense stare was making her uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat, wondering if she'd somehow offended him.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked nervously as he stopped in front of her table.

The question seemed to catch Laxus off guard. His stern expression flickered for just a moment, revealing something that might have been surprise. When he heard about the attack, about Lucy being targeted and kidnapped, he'd sent the Thunder God Tribe to help while he finished their S-rank mission alone. His team had briefed him on the events when they returned, and what he'd heard had impressed him.

Without warning, Laxus placed a large hand on Lucy's head. His touch was surprisingly gentle, completely at odds with his intimidating appearance. Lucy froze, unsure of what was happening.

"You should be proud of the mage you've become." He said quietly, his voice carrying none of its usual harsh edge.

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lucy staring after him in complete bewilderment. The entire guild had fallen silent, witnessing what was likely the first time Laxus had publicly shown approval for the Celestial Spirit Mage.

"Did that really just happen?" Wendy whispered.

"I think so…" Levy replied, equally stunned.

Makarov cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention to the front of the hall. "Now that the Thunder God Tribe has arrived, all of Fairy Tail is here for this important announcement."

"Wait, where's Gildarts? Our Ace should be here for something this significant." Erza interjected, scanning the crowd with her usual attention to detail.

She turned to Cana, who was nursing a barrel of alcohol at the bar. "Where is your father?"

Cana shrugged, her expression unconcerned. "Don't ask me. I don't keep track of the old man's wandering."

"No need to worry. I've sent Gildarts on an important errand. He won't be returning anytime soon." Makarov explained.

The announcement drew curious murmurs from the crowd, but Makarov continued before anyone could ask questions.

"While most of us were gone for seven years, the magical world developed a new ranking system." He said, his voice carrying to every corner of the hall.

"The Grand Magic Games have become the primary method for determining which guilds are the strongest in Fiore, and likely all of Ishgar."

The guild members leaned forward, sensing the importance of what their master was about to reveal.

"If this had happened before Tenrou Island, I would have had no doubt that Fairy Tail would reign supreme."

A chorus of cheers and agreements rose from the crowd. Pride swelled in their chests as they remembered their former glory, their reputation as the strongest guild in Fiore.

"However," Makarov's voice grew sombre, "because we were gone, Fairy Tail lost most of its fighting power and fell down the rankings. At one point, we were even considered the weakest major legal guild in the kingdom."

The cheers died instantly. The Tenrou survivors had guilt written across their faces as they realized the cost of their absence. Several of them turned to the guild members who had remained, offering quiet words of comfort and apology.

"HOWEVER!" Makarov's voice boomed again, recapturing their attention. "Team Fairy Tail!"

He gestured toward the group, and Max, Bisca, Alzack, Jet, Droy, and Romeo stood up and joined him on the makeshift stage. They looked uncomfortable with the attention, but their pride was evident.

"This team had restored faith in Fairy Tail's strength! They placed eighth in the X789 Games and eleventh in X790. They proved that even without our full power, a Fairy's tail still had fire in it." Makarov announced.

The guild erupted in applause, the returned members rising to their feet to show their appreciation. The team members shuffled awkwardly, clearly not used to such recognition.

Max stepped forward slightly. "We need to mention our seventh member. Shisui. None of this would have happened without him."

The name hung in the air like a prayer as the guild members who had known Shisui bowed their heads in respect, while those who hadn't could only offer silent acknowledgment of someone who had clearly meant everything to their family.

"Now then." Makarov continued, "I want to ask if this team would like to represent Fairy Tail in the X791 Games. You've held the line for two years. You've earned the right to represent us again."

Bisca laughed, though there was no humour in it. "If we participated, we wouldn't make the top ten again. We know our limits."

"That's not true! You've all grown stronger." Erza protested.

"We appreciate that. But we know where we stand. We've done our part. Now it's time for the real powerhouses to restore our past glory." Max said gently but firm.

The selflessness of the statement brought tears to Makarov's eyes. He activated his giant magic partially, growing large enough to wrap all six team members in a massive embrace as the guild laughed at the sight.

"The registration deadline isn't for another three months. I'll give everyone time to prove they deserve to represent Fairy Tail at the X791 Grand Magic Games." Makarov announced as he returned to normal size. 

Laxus and Erza exchanged confident smirks, both assured of their own strength and their guild's capabilities.

"I'm all fired up now!" Natsu's voice called out from the ceiling, where he'd finally regained consciousness.

Unfortunately, he'd forgotten he was still embedded in the wooden beams. His enthusiastic movement caused him to fall directly onto Gray, who had been standing below with his arms crossed.

"You flame-brained idiot!" Gray shouted as they crashed to the ground.

"Who are you calling flame-brain you ice princess!" Natsu shot back, immediately swinging a flaming fist.

Within seconds, the entire guild had devolved into their traditional brawl. Chairs flew through the air, magic crackled against one another, and the recently repaired guild hall began accumulating new damage.

Makarov watched the chaos with a mixture of exasperation and profound love. This was his family. Chaotic, destructive, impossible to control, but united by bonds that could never be broken.

~ End of Chapter 83 ~

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

I know I said the Bonus Chapter will come tomorrow, but seeing as how we just hit 200 power stones, thought I'd release it today and another for tomorrow. 200 Power stones on a Tuesday is unprecedented for me, so I'll have to rework the Bonus Chapter starting next week onwards. I'll also have to put myself in a cage so I can build up the chapters incase there are multiple Bonus Chapters a week starting next week. 

In other news... SHISUI RETURNS TOMORROW! FINALLY AFTER LIKE 20 CHAPTERS, OUR TITULAR CHARACTER IS BACK FOR GOOD!