Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Part 1: The Beginning

Chapter 1

Irina blinks, her coffee-brown hues taking in all the sights of the port-side town of Hargeon.

It’s so beautiful, she thought absently to herself, passing by many other residents, travellers, and stall owners as she made her way down the cobblestone path.

A small tug on her hand directed her attention to the tiny figure next to her.

He was rather small and had white shoulder-length hair, two large clumps taking the same shape on either side of his face that curled at the tips and straight bangs that covered just above his large, sparkling, cool grey eyes. The most notable feature was the pair of fluffy, light grey, V-shaped puppy ears.

He was dressed in a large pale blue loose lantern sleeve sweater, a lavender scarf wrapped around his neck snuggly, and black leggings underneath a pair of dark chestnut boots.

"What is it, Yule?"

"Over there," Yule pointed towards a large crowd of women in the distance, "I detect malicious magic being used."

Irina looked in the direction of the crowd. Lips pursued as she contemplated whether or not to investigate. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out, right? With the tiniest quirk of her lips, Irina reached out a hand and gently patted Yule’s head, making sure not to mess up his hair too much. Yule welcomed this by nuzzling closer to her hand. "I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out."

Irina could see his tiny tail wagging happily from behind him.

For whatever reason, Yule seemed particularly eager as he dragged Irina towards the large crowd of women. As they got closer, Irina could make out the variant squeals of:  

"Mr. Salamander!"

"He’s so charming!"

"Handsome, you mean!"    

There stood a tall and slim man, surrounded by many young women. He had short, dark, spiky hair jutting outward, with a long fringe hanging over the left part of his forehead. Another tug at her hand made Irina look down at Yule. Yule was staring straight at this salamander, and Irina immediately caught on.

So this was the malicious magic user?

Sensing a hard stare directed at him, Bora turned around to lay his gaze on a beautiful young woman with neck-length pale blonde hair that hung on the right side of her face. Bora shook off the foreboding feeling before turning on the charm and sending a wink her way.

Nothing happened.

Bora raised a brow before flinching at the accusatory stare she was sending him. Why did he feel like he had done something wrong, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar?

He continued to stare as the beauty turned her attention back to the child next to her. They seemed to be conversing, but before he could approach the young woman, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd.

"Igneel!" A slender, muscular young man of average height with lightly tanned skin and spiky salmon-pink hair stumbled out, pushing the women swarming about Bora to the side. "Igneel! It's me!"

There was a tense air as the two males stared at each other, everyone in the vicinity holding their breath as they watched to see what would happen next. "Who the heck are you?" He asked, stupefied.

Bora reeled back in shock as his complexion turned pale. Irina and Yule quietly snickered at each other.

"Who am I?" He inquired angrily. "I am Salamander, of course! Surely you've heard of me before?" smirking as he raised his hand, showing off his rings.

The boy simply turned around and began walking away; prompting Bora to yell at him to come back, but the pink haired man ignored him and kept on his way. Apparently, the surrounding women took great offense to this as they tackled the boy to the ground, all of them shouting abuse at him. "At ease, my lovelies, let the poor boy go! I'm sure he didn't mean anything malicious!"

This piqued their interest, and they all turned to Bora with hearty eyes, still on top of the boy. "Now," He began writing something on the placard before shoving it into the boy’s face. "Here's my autograph, kid; now you can brag to all your friends!"

"No thanks-" The salmon-haired male muttered, only to be beaten up again by the females, while a blue cat stood and smiled to the side.

Wait… Blue cat?

Irina did a double take as she examined the blue cat, which was wearing a light green bandana around its neck. Adorable!

Completely ignoring the ruckus going on behind her, Irina made her way towards the cat, with Yule hot on her heels. Once she was close enough, Irina crouched down next to the cat, with Yule mimicking her actions.

Her voice was soft as she spoke up, "Hello there."

This seemed to have startled the cat, as he shot his head in her direction. The cat looks at the young woman with his big black eyes widening in surprise, clearly surprised by the look in her eyes. During the five seconds that their eyes were connected, the creep took the opportunity to leave. What broke the connection was the unanimous sound of a pair of stomachs growling. The young blonde couldn't help the amused huff that escaped her, asking in a soft and enchanting voice.     "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but we're out of money."

"Aye…" Irina paused for a moment, glancing down at their both downcast expressions, before making up her mind.

Two sheets of pale beige paper were extracted from Irina's bag after she dragged it in front of her and dug around in it. With a little smile on her face, she held out two pieces of paper in front of them. "I only have 2000 Jewels on me right now. It might not be much, but it should help for a meal."

Natsu and Happy handled the two pieces of paper with care and then looked up at the blonde in astonishment, their eyes sparkling.

As she got to her feet and dusted her skirt, Irina smiled down at the two. The two males immediately got on their knees and started bowing and loudly thanking her for the money, startling both Irina and Yule.

Taking hold of Yule's hand, Irina waved at them as she began walking away. "It was lovely meeting the two of you. Enjoy our meal."

"Aye! We will!" Natsu watched as the two disappeared down the cobblestone path, a curious expression on his face, while Happy waved his tiny paw in the air.

Irina was having a problem. No, make that a very large and inconvenient problem. She should have been at the inn by now, getting ready for tomorrow. Instead, here she was, sitting on a very expensive-looking couch in a glittery black cami, draped Criss-Cross dress on some guy’s yacht—who just so happened to be the one and only Bora. The two of them were currently going back and forth between flirting and flattery. Okay, let's rewind back a bit and see how Irina found herself in this situation.   

.

.

.

.

.

.

Irina was simply trying to relax on a bench in front of a fountain, Yule to her left licking an ice cream. Irina relished the warm rays thrown their way by the midday sun.

Irina's head jerked to the right as a movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The man himself, ‘Salamander’, was seated next to her without a care in the world. Yule appeared to be bothered by his presence and indicated as much by the scowl he was sending the pretender. When he sat so close to her and grinned seductively at her, Irina couldn't avoid feeling uncomfortable. She never really has the aptitude to interact with men like him.

Irina could also now see his more subtle traits, such as his acute rectangular facial structure, dark eyes, and thin dark brows, because he was closer. Just over his right eyebrow, she could make out a black tattoo that was stylised as a narrow pair of tongs set horizontally with the handles pointing in the direction of his right.

Although Irina might acknowledge that he was attractive, the arrogant atmosphere around him overshadowed it.

"Mr. Salamander, is there something you need assistance with?" She was concise and to the point.

"My gorgeous maiden, I've been hunting all over for them; I wanted to specifically invite you to attend my soiree this evening!" Bora posed, as though the response was already obvious.

"Honestly, I'm not much of a party person, so I'll have to decline. Sorry." She politely declined, but as the man settled himself next to her, she became uncomfortable and her stomach began to turn. When she refused, he initially appeared surprised but quickly recovered his composure.  

"The opportunity to spend the night with yours truly would be eagerly accepted by a large number of ladies, who would be overjoyed to have the opportunity."

"How lovely to know you group every woman into the same box," She huffed. "Now, would you mind leaving? I want some privacy." 

Bora gaped, unable to bear such rough treatment from a woman.

"Okay, OK. I must say, however," He leaned in very close, placing his arm behind her on the bench as a last-ditch effort. "The amount of magic power emanating from you is truly astonishing, if I may say so myself." The two stared at each other for a silent second-

 "You're being quite strange, particularly when you approach me out of the blue and speak to me as if we are old friends. Are you a stalker?"

"Of course not!" His ego was greatly hurt by it for some reason. Being referred to as a ‘stalker’ felt like a stab to the heart. "J- Just think about it! I guarantee it will be a night you won't forget."

Irina paused for a second to mull it over. Why was he trying so hard to persuade her to go? What's his objective?

She glanced down at Yule; their eyes met, and a silent message passed through them. Irina hesitantly glanced back at the eager looking man beside her, avoiding direct eye contact.

"...I'll think about it."  

____________________________________________

It wasn't long after that Irina and Yule arrive back at the inn to discuss whether or not she should go.

Irina rummaged through her handbag once more before drawing out a silver key the size of a teaspoon and holding it out in front of her.

"Open Gate of the Southern Cross. I invite you to my side: Crux."

A doorbell rang first, followed by a big blast of smoke that momentarily obscured the person before it was softly revealed by the clearing of the smoke.

An elderly man with a grey-haired moustache protruding from his nose could be seen hovering in front of Irina. He had closed eyelids, and his head was fashioned like a great metal cross with golden floral patterns all over it. He has thin, orange-looking tanned arms and legs with blue-coloured knobs on his wrists and elbows. His attire was otherwise medieval-inspired, complete with green leggings and pointed wooden shoes.

Irina addressed the old spirit as "Grandpa Crux," but received nothing but stillness in return. She persisted, undeterred. "Please try looking up any information on an individual who is identifying himself as ‘Salamander’."

The silence rang in the room for a moment before being broken by snoring, originating from Crux, with a silly look on his face as he ‘slept’. Irina and Yule patiently observed the levitating man, unperturbed by his actions.

After a little while of more snoring and waiting, his eyes shot open wide and he let out a loud "Yahoo!"

The other two flinched at the volume but didn’t say anything about it. Irina stepped a little closer as she addressed Crux again. "Did you find anything?"

"Hmmm…" Crux rubbed his chin between his thumb and index-finger, humming. "I couldn’t find much, but…"

.

.

.

.

Irina ultimately made the decision to attend the party after consulting with Yule.

She arrived and boarded, and as soon as she did, Bora placed his arm around her waist and guided her to a 'private room' while he left the other girls to mingle.

"I must confess," Bora began, swirling his wine glass as he gazed at the blonde next to him. "I’m surprised you decided to come. What changed your mind?"

"There’s no harm in partaking in a party once in a while, right?" She inquired with a flirtatious smile on her lips. "It’s been a while since the last time I’ve been to one."

"Is that so?" Salamander purred, placing his palms on her thighs and leaning against them. "That’s all the more reason to make this night special. Wouldn't you agree?" Irina felt sick to her stomach as the man next to her spoke and touched her. "Before that," Bora grinned, holding his glass to her lips. "Irina, let me raise a glass to your beauty."

Having finally had enough, Irina abruptly stood up, catching Bora off guard and causing him to collapse onto the couch.  

Bora raised an eyebrow at her, staring down the barrel of the tiny white calibre pistol.

"Bora of Prominence. Former Titan Nose Guild member," Irina spoke as panic shot across the man's face. "He now works as a female slave dealer and illicit magic user."

He scrambled to his feet, gritting his teeth while glaring at the blonde, who was still aiming the pistol at him. That instantly gave way to annoyance.

With a quick flick of his finger, the curtains behind him parted, exposing a group of burly men holding passed out women over their shoulders. "Before we reach the port of Bosco, sweetheart, you'd be wise to behave yourself." Bora remarked with a cruel grin. "If not, I'll have to punish you."

Bora raised his right palm to cast magic, but he was confusedly forced to turn around by the loud thuds and groans that he heard coming from behind. Bora stiffened when he fully turned, and in place of his bulky troops stood a lean young man with short, messy black hair, silver eyes, and a pair of feather-wings around his ears. He was dressed in a dark grey yukata, worn so that his arm only goes through the left sleeve and the right half droops down over his black obi. Underneath, he wears a black, skin tight jumpsuit and black pants. He also wears knee-high black heeled boots, which appear to make him a little taller than he actually is.

"Miss Irina, I took care of these dubious men." He spoke to Irina in a blunt, quiet tone.

"Corvus, will you kindly detain Mr. Salamander?" With a honeyed voice that gave the impression that her request was completely natural. 

"As you wish, ma’am." Bora sensed himself descending before he could respond, the ground becoming increasingly closer. Before anything else, he got a short peek at the blonde before the light in his world entirely went dark.

"Well done, Corvus!" Irina grinned smugly at Bora as she praised the dark haired male. She returned the pistol to her night bag before clipping it shut. "As for now, we should find a way to get back to the dock-"

She was cut off by the sound of the ceiling collapsing; dust was flying everywhere and making her cough. Corvus had taken a station in front of her to shield Irina from any stray debris. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a familiar salmon-haired boy. He jumped to his feet quickly, not bothering to dust himself off.

Surprise took over her expression as she looked on when Natsu suddenly turned green in the face once he stood to his feet.

"Sea sickness?"

"Actually," A familiar voice sounded from above her, making Irina glance up curiously, and she was greeted by the sight of Happy floating above her with a pair of white wings on his back. "Natsu gets motion sickness from all types of vehicles."

"Is that so?" Irina muttered as she looked down at the groaning man.

Happy glanced around the room and took notice of the knocked out men. "Wow! Did you take down these big guys on your own?"

"Well, Corvus did most of the brunt work, so it’s mostly thanks to him." Irina gestured to the man next to her.

"You flatter me, ma’am." He bowed slightly in her direction before raising his head to look up at her; despite his blank expression, his tone was very eager. "If that’s all, may I take my leave now?"

"Of course," Irina said, lightly waving her hand at him. "Thank you again, Corvus." With a nod, a wave of ebony feathers surrounded him before erupting outwards, revealing he had vanished.

The young woman turned to Happy."I take it you don't know how to pilot a boat?"

"I am a cat," the small child replied, his tone bordering on condescending. "Do you really believe that I am capable of piloting a boat?"

Irina looked at the cat with exasperation. "That was a rhetorical question. Now if you don't mind, I'm bringing this boat back to port. I just hope I'm not interfering with his date."

"Who's date?" The young woman didn't bother answering and left the cabin where they were to go to the swimming pool of the yacht. Along the way, she had to step over several other passed out women and henchmen. When Irina arrived at the back of the Yacht where the swimming pool was, she took out a golden key from her pocket. Without wasting a moment, Irina plunged the key into the water.

"Open Gate of the Water Bearer Palace. I invite you to my side: Aquarius."

Once the incantation was said, a bright blue magic circle with gold flecks appeared on the waters' surface. The water in the pool sparkled with a thousand fires and rose into the air. The liquid coalesced to form a sphere that gave way to a magnificent silver urn. From the urn poured out a great quantity of water, which then took the form of a fish-tailed figure.

A bell rang in the air signalling the arrival of a Celestial Spirit. Irina looked up at the spirit she had summoned.

He was overall muscular, with his lower half being that of a cobalt fishtail and long watery hair that reached down to his waist, gently moving up and down like the waves of the ocean. A pair of dark blue eyes, like a raging ocean, accompanied with white pupils. On each arm, he wears golden armlets and bracelets, a golden belt around his waist, and light blue crystal earrings. His broad chest bare, with only a dark blue tattoo resembling the corresponding zodiac symbol resting under his collarbone. A silver-patterned urn rests between his hip and left arm, while his right is sternly situated on his other hip.

The spirit's voice had a sharp edge to it when he addressed his key-holder. The same tone used on children when being scolded by an adult."What on earth is that ridiculous outfit you're wearing?" A glare accompanied his stern lecturing.

"My wardrobe choice isn’t the pressing issue here. I really need your help getting this boat back to port. Long story short: this boat was being used for human smuggling; Corvus already took care of the crew."

"Of course it had to fall on me,” Aquarius' glare intensified at Irina's words, a vein appearing on his temple. A moment passed of irate mumbling of inaudible curses under his breath. "I'm bringing this stupid boat back to port and then you're going to have a long talk with Galatea about the importance of your personal safety. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir…" Irina slumped down sadly, not at all looking forward to that. “Could you try to not to be too rough, please. There are still people on board.”

"No promises.” Aquarius only looked on smugly as he made his way to the edge of the ship. “I suggest you all hold on to something." The spirit raised his urn which began to absorb a huge amount of water before throwing it violently while shouting.

"Oceanic Break!"

A huge tidal wave roared to life and surfed the yacht towards land at high speed. The wave crashed with a roar on the beach of Hargeon, rough enough to shake the nearby pier and bars.

It wasn’t long after that the Ruin Knights appeared at the scene.

The Rune Knights are the primary military force of the Magic Council, and are labelled as one of, if not the most powerful military organization within the magic world. Their influence spreads across the entirety of the continent, and their authority goes unquestioned among all Legal Guilds.

The Leader of this particular brigade made a bee-line and approached a shaken up Irina and a smirking Aquarius, who disappeared in a shower of golden stardust as soon as the leader made a move towards their direction.

"Are you alright ma’am?"

"I’m fine, Officer..."

"Captain Edwards.” He said curtly. “Chief of the Royal Brigade stationed at Hargeon Port. Who might you be?"

"I am Irina Evans. Independent Celestial Wizard.”

“Could please elaborate on what just transpired with that tidal wave?"

“The tidal wave was caused by one of my Celestial Spirits at my request when I discovered that I was on an illegal vessel. The boat belongs to Bora of Prominence; it not only used forbidden Charm spells and seemed to have also fabricated himself as a member from Fairy Tail."

"I see…” Irina took a moment to catch her breath before looking up at Captain Edwards.

He was reasonably tall and maybe around his late-twenties; it wasn’t hard to tell even with those robes on. He radiated masculinity, the sharp features only added to his allure. The young woman was immediately drawn to his beautiful vivid red eyes.

“Miss Evans,” Irina quickly snapped back to attention at the call for her name. “I'm going to have to ask you to follow me to fill out an incident form, as well as the bounty for stopping and obtaining Bora."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Happy pick up a stunned Natsu and fly off into the sky away from the guards. The blonde let out a small sigh before giving an affirmative nod, following the captain to the guard station.

Irina carefully observed the man in front of her; he gave off a remarkable aura of charisma, but what was most intriguing was his magical aura. The captain seemed to have noticed her observing him, raising an eyebrow and letting a sly smile appear on his face.

"I see I'm not dealing with an incompetent Wizard. As you may have guessed, Miss Evans, I too am a Wizard. More specifically, a former general of the Runic Knights of the Magic Council. A fine bunch of incompetents that they are, as well as being corrupt. A council young lady never accepts work for the Council."

Irina knew very well what he meant. Her father, like many other nobles, had taken advantage of the ease with which the Council could be corrupted to get away with things. Of the entire population of Fiore only 10% were able to use magic and only 5% of the users work for the Council. At the same time, the horrible hours and lack of respect for labour rights do not help in getting people to agree to work for them.

After a good half hour of filling in the paperwork for Bora's capture, the young woman was able to leave with 100,000 Jewels.

No sooner had Irina left the guardhouse than she saw a tuft of salmon pink hair hidden behind a wall. "You two should learn to hide better. And try to not whisper so loudly."

The pink-haired young man turned to her with a big grin, showing off his sharp canines. Him and Happy came out of their ‘hiding’ space and approached her like they were old friends. "Just wanted to thank you for getting that stupid Salamander poser.”

“Aye!” Happy’s wings sprouted before hovering in front of Irina.

“We also wanted to invite you to join Fairy Tail,” Natsu continued.

Irina could only stare at the grinning male blankly. “I was actually planning on joining Fairy Tail on my own. That’s where I was planning on heading tomorrow."

Happy shook his head at Irina's words. "Unfortunately you won't be able to on your own.”

Irina was genuinely curious at this reveal. “Why would that be?”

“In order to join, you need a recommendation from a current or former guild member. It was put in place to prevent espionage by our current Master."

"That's understandable, but why offer me to join?”

“You stopped that punk from making a fool of us.” Natsu elaborated, hands on his hips. So, how about it?"

The blonde stared at the eager looking males, contemplating their offer. Well, she was planning on joining anyway, why look a gift horse in the mouth?

“I accept your offer,” Irina held out her hand. “I hope to get along with both you and the rest of the guild.”

Chapter Text

Part 1 : The Beginning

Chapter 2

"What do have to say for yourself?"

After a moment of silence, Irina smiled awkwardly.

"Uh, situation under control...?"

"You-"  The blonde flinched at the woman’s sudden, stern voice. "I don’t know what’s going on with you, but fighting so recklessly is unacceptable. You’re lucky it’s me and not him, or else you probably wouldn’t be going to join a guild anytime soon."

"Galatea..." The blonde finally found the courage to look up at the woman currently scolding her. Yang is a tall, fair-skinned young woman with lilac eyes and long, straight platinum blonde hair. Atop her head sat a pair of long pointed ears with black tips.

Her heated glare didn’t waver in the slightest bit.

"I’m sorry!"     Irina said, bowing her head to the floor.

Galatea, who had her arms crossed and a hard look in her eyes, stared down at the younger girl before finally relaxing her posture. He could tell Irina had the right intentions and was now reflecting on her actions, but that didn’t mean she would excuse her recklessness.

"Well, what’s done is done. Just think and consult with me before you decide to do something on your own again! I’ve always given you the answers that you needed because I know you need support."

"Yes ma’am…"

Irina had anticipated that the train ride to Magnolia would go more smoothly than it did. It appears that Natsu experienced motion sickness on all types of transportation, not just ships.

Irina was understandably concerned for the unfortunate Dragon-Slayer because there was nothing she could do to make him feel better. With him having just sat next to her as they both merely continued to look at the suffering man on the sofa across from them, Happy was of no assistance either.

Natsu nearly threw himself out the carriage window when they arrived and hugged the ground like a long-lost friend.

"Weirdo…"

"Aye…"

Irina couldn’t help but admire the bustling townspeople going through their daily routines. The ambience was so welcoming.

Lost in her thoughts, the young blonde hadn’t noticed that Natsu had stopped and consequently collided with the dragon slayer. "Hey-"

Irina looked towards the male to question him when she was cut off, her breath hitching as she gazed up at the large building in front of her. From behind the building, the afternoon sun cast a shadow on the trio.

Above the large arch entrance to the building was the name of the guild, surmounted by a stylized projecting heart and flanked by a pair of carved fairies. The same heart shapes were visible on the frames of the many large pentagonal windows on each floor, with smaller arched windows on the top floor partially covered with banners.

The Fairy Tail headquarters consisted of three floors, each smaller than the one below and sitting on top of the roof of the latter. The middle roof housed a large banner with the Fairy Tail insignia, supported by a pair of vertical poles.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy was introduced at the same time Natsu kicked open the double doors.

Irina was taken aback by the guild hall's appearance, and despite the fact that it appeared quaint at first glance, the blonde could sense the building's powerful aura, having always been good at detecting magic.

We're back!" Natsu laughed as he and Happy walked proudly inside the building.

Irina could not help but suddenly feel embarrassed at all the attention Natsu had garnered with his dramatic entrance.

"Heard what you did at Hargeon, Natsu! You just had to go start trouble," a male with crooked teeth slurred, but he was violently cut off by the mentioned slayer, who kicked him across the hall and sent him crashing into a wooden table.

"You lied about that salamander!" I'm going to kick your ass!" Natsu growled before jumping on his fellow guildmate.

In the instant that followed, a full-scale fight broke out. The room was filled with tables, beer mugs, and chairs, and even people in general were flying around.

Irina groaned at what was happening and then diverted her attention to her keys when a tiny chime went off. The chime that informed its owner when a celestial spirit was close

"How noisy." A young man with short orange hair addressed the two women on his lap. His hair had a spiky cut, with spiky strands covering his forehead and other, longer ones jutting upwards from the top of his head. He was dressed in a green coat with a wide collar, complete with prominent, spiky, brownish-white fur trimming lining the hood, over a light red shirt covered in many flower-like motifs, black pants, and white sneakers.

Irina's eyes narrowed at the man. His aura feels weird; it feels like-

"Hello! Are you new here?"

Irina came out of her thoughts with a gasp when someone suddenly appeared in front of her, obstructing her view of the man. Looking up, Irina gaped in awe.

Standing in front of her was a slim young woman with long, white hair, with two bangs framing her face and reaching down to her chest. Her most distinguishing feature is a short, upward ponytail created by the gathering and tying of hair that would have covered her forehead.

She was wearing a sleeveless maroon dress with a pleated skirt. A huge pink bow adorns the chest, while similarly colored trimmings frame the very ample neckline, act as straps, and circle around the waist. There in front of her stood Mirajane Strauss, the most beautiful mage in all of Fairy Tail.

"Y-Yes... Do you think maybe we should break up before the master notices?" Irina questioned the white-haired mage, who only answered with a polite smile.

"It's always like that around here! I would usually leave them alone, and besides..." Mirajane was then struck by a portly man with white, tanned hair as they both slammed against a few abandoned tables.

"Whew! Irina was suddenly thrown to the ground when Natsu landed on her. Undetired, he quickly stood back up as he twirled a pair of boxers in the air, giggling the whole time.

"Give me back my underwear!" a raven-haired man demanded as he walked towards the dragon slayer dressed only in his birthday suit.

Irina let out a small squeak, which drew the attention of the naked men. Irina was crouching on the ground with her back to the man and covering her eyes with both hands to avoid seeing the naked man.

She was taught that a man's body should only be seen on his wedding night!

"Hey, can I borrow-?"

Irina heard him get cut off, followed by a thud. She made to turn around to see what had happened, but before she could, she got picked up in bridal style. When she looked up, she identified the ginger from a few moments earlier. He also looked down at her with a curious glint in his eyes, only to be hit by the large male who crushed Mirajane earlier, who was then hit by Natsu.

Irina found herself huddled under one of the tables still standing, preparing to escape the fight, but a tall figure appeared, casting a large shadow over the guild. Irina froze in place, her hue periwinkle.

"Will you brats stop bickering like children?" The giant yelled in a deep voice that caused the entire guild to fall silent.

"I'm sorry, master!" Mirajane smiled at the giant, seemingly indifferent to his presence. "I didn't know you were still here."

"M-master?" She stammered, squeaking. Irina took on an air of realization as she slowly stood up after crawling under the table, dusting off her black skirt as she looked at the giant.

The giant's foot had crushed Natsu to hold him back. Irina noticed this and slowly walked towards him with concern. The giant turned to watch the movement from below.

"Looks like we have a new recruit?" the giant asked as he stared at the blonde, who had looked up at him when she had been called. The giant then began to shrink and shrink until there was a very small old man. "Nice to meet you'!" He greeted her with a friendly gesture.

Mirajane came up behind the small master with her usual smile: "Let me introduce you to the master of the Fairy Tail guild, Master Makarov Dreyar."

"The pleasures are mine." Irina let out a shudder, shaken by the master's revelation.

The old man then jumped to the second-floor railing, almost falling in the process.

"You all went and did it again!" He looked down at the guild with what seemed like disappointment: "You clods, just take a look at the amount of paperwork the council sent me this time!" As if making a statement, Makarov pointed to the endless paperwork in the palm of his hand, saying, "This is the biggest pile of complaints yet!"

"The magic council..." The celestial wizard pondered, "They're keeping tabs on all the different guilds, and I guess with Fairy Tails' numbers, they're not too happy about it."

"Have you lost your mind?" asked Makarov as his body shook slightly. "All you kids are doing is getting mad at me."

At this point, everyone in the guild started muttering to each other; Irina even heard someone scoff at the mention of the magic council.

"However..." The guild master interrupted the mumbling, the papers in his hand ablaze. "I say to hell with the magic council!" He tossed them toward Natsu, who nibbled happily at the flames.

"Now, listen up! Any power beyond reason always comes from reason, doesn't it? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power; it's a grip that only works when the energy flow inside us and the natural world are in perfect sync. Makarov began to observe the guild members with a knowing glow.

"To do magic, you must have a strong mind, and the ability to focus must take control of your being and come out of your soul! If all we do is worry about following the rules, our magic will never progress! Don't let these council blowhards scare you away from following the path you believe in!" Irina turned to Mirajane, both girls sending each other a smile with their eyes closed, agreeing with Makarov's wise words.

"And that's what makes Fairy Tail the number one guild!"

Later on...

After the master's speech, Irina was brought to the bar once more by Mirajane, who had asked her where she wanted her guild mark. The blonde-haired girl decided to have it colored strawberry pink and placed on her right wrist.

"Thank you, Mirajane..." Irina looked at her new guild mark with a sense of accomplishment and warmth.

"Looks good on you!" A grin stretched onto Natsu’s lips as he gave a thumbs-up. Irina couldn't help but blush at the compliment.

There was some conversation between the three to discuss some final details about how the mission assignments worked.

"How come my father hasn't come back yet?" A childish voice suddenly rose loudly, which caught Irina's attention as she turned to see a small blue-haired boy. His question was directed at Makarov, who stopped drinking his beer to answer the little boy's question.

"You're starting to piss me off, Romeo." The guild master grunted as he took a sip from his cup of beer. "You’re the son of a wizard; trust your father and wait patiently for him. 

"But he told me he'd be back in three days!" "And he's been gone for over a week now!" shouted Romeo.

"If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mount Hakobe." Makarov paused, closing his eyes in thought.

"That's right! And it's not that far from here!" Romeo said as desperate tears welled up in his eyes, "Why doesn't anyone go looking for him?"

"Listen kid! Your old man is a wizard, and like all wizards in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, get some milk and biscuits, and wait. Makarov said firmly:

Irina had to cover her mouth in shock as Romeo punched the guild master in the face before running off, calling the little man an "asshole" on his way out.

There was a second of silence before a loud "Crack!" was heard. Natsu had tapped the request board and quickly left the guild. Irina decided to follow the male to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

Knowing Natsu's motion sickness, Irina had gently placed his head in her lap, gently running her fingers through his salmon hair as she hummed a little tune.

His hair is surprisingly soft.

"Why do you want to come? To help save Macao?" Natsu growled. He had turned so that his body was facing up, his onyx eyes staring at the blonde girl with confusion, as best he could anyway.

"Romeo is just a young boy who wants his father back home safely," she replied in a soft tone. "I'd hate to see a child suffer the loss of a parent."

"Igneel left me in the mountains." Natsu spoke suddenly. Irina looked down at Natsu, slightly shocked. "I thought he'd gone hunting, so I waited and waited, but Igneel never came back," he explained. "I see myself in Romeo, you know; he's like a little brother to me."

Irina smiled down at Natsu before continuing to slowly pat his hair.

The cart had suddenly stopped, and the two more Happys, who had been watching them with a playful smile, got out of the car. Hakabe Mountain was known to have frequent snowstorms, so Irina had dressed accordingly for their journey into the cold: a pink puffer jacket with long black pants and a pair of black snow boots.

Irina looked in amazement at the large mountain. She had never explored a mountain before.

"Macao!" Natsu shouted as the three of them searched high and low for the man, but to no avail; it didn't stop them from giving up. "Where are you?"

The three continued up the mountain, and just as Natsu was about to shout again, something huge landed in front of the trio. The impact created by the object caused a large cloud of snow to surround the group. As the snow settled, it revealed a large Vulcan.

Irina was standing behind Natsu after the male placed the girl behind him when the Vulcan first hit the ground. The appearance of the large magical creature startled Natsu and Happy as Irina stood there with wide, fearful eyes.

"That's a big Vulcan! Happy exclaimed, and the trio cautiously watched the creature as it sniffed the air. Its eyes practically turned to hearts when it caught Irina's scent.

"I like women!" He clapped happily, quickly jumping up behind the trio, lifting her up and placing her on his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes, before leaping towards his cave.

"Natsu!" She shouted, her periwinkle hues turning to Natsu for help. A gasp escaped her lips as the Vulcan slapped her chest vulgarly, which only increased her fear as he took her to a cave at the highest point of the mountain.

As soon as the Vulcan set her down, Irina quickly ran to the corner of the cave, pulling her hood over her head to try and hide. She may have defeated Bora's men not too long ago, but never in her life had she been physically assaulted by anyone, especially by a Vulcan!

"Hey! You big ape!" Irina's head snapped up at the sound of Natsu, who had appeared out of nowhere and was rushing towards the Vulcan. "Where is Macao?! Tell me!" he demanded before slipping to the icy floor.

"And you say I'm overdressed... You have the wrong footwear," Irina muttered to herself with a pout, ignoring the love-struck monkey dancing in front of her.

"Spit it out, you monkey!" Natsu yelled indignantly, causing the Vulcans' attention to travel to the dragon-slayer. "Where’s my friend?" He asked. The primate looked at the little rose with confusion. "Do you understand me? He’s a human; now tell me where he is." Natsu shouted

"Human?" The Vulcan questioned him before his face seemingly lit up with recognition at the word. "Man!" he pointed outside the cave; Natsu immediately ran but was sent falling downwards by a snickering Vulcan.

"That's the oldest trick in the book." Irina sighed, her breath coming out misty. "I guess it can't be helped." Pulling out one of her golden keys from inside her jacket, Irina pointed it directly at the smitten Vulcan.

"Open the Gate of the Golden Bull." "I invite you to my side, Taurus!"

The familiar sound of a bell rang before the ground began to shake violently, knocking the Vulcan flat on his back. Over three meters long and exceptionally muscular stood the celestial spirit, Taurus. The spirit took on the appearance of an anthropomorphic bull, dressed in a black gladiator skirt, black leather armbands, tight golden armor with golden epaulets, and black combat boots. The massive gold double-bitted axe he carried on one shoulder was the most noticeable feature.

"You summoned me, love?" Taurus asked, looking down at his ‘lover’, and placed the pointed end of the labrys on the ice floor, causing the floor to again shake violently and sending the Vulcan flying into one of the cave walls.

"Yes! We have a perverted monkey to sort Taurus!" Irina puffed her cheeks in anger, pointing at the now upset Vulcan. "And he slapped my butt after he forcibly picked me up!"

"You dare place your filthy hands on my mistress?" Taurus roared, causing the ape to glare back at him, and the two began to bicker about Irina being theirs.

Steam blew from Taurus' nostrils. Picking up his labrys, the celestial spirit leapt into the air before slamming his labrys into the ground, causing the ground to split in two. The Vulcan was not fast enough and was eventually caught in the attack. "Over my dead body!"

"Good job, Taurus! One more time: Taurus received a kick from Natsu that sent him crashing to the other side of the cave. The spirit grunted as he fell to the icy ground in a heap.

"That's weird; how come there are more monsters than before?" Natsu questioned, scratching the back of his head as he pointed to both the Vulcan and a recovering Taurus.

"That ‘monster’ is one of my spirits, Natsu!" Irina growled out through a strained smile as she struck the salmon-haired male with the handle of Taurus' labrys, an impressive feat since the weapon was three times her own size and weight.

"Oh, he's quite buff, isn't he?" The duo watched as said spirit sat up while soothing his jaw before facing them with a cocky smirk.

"All that my love wishes me to be! Now, are we going to keep talking, or are we sending this monkey all the way to Tartarus?" said Taurus, sending a wink to the blonde girl, who simply nodded her head in approval.

"My wife!" The Vulcan roared as he charged and swung his fist, which Natsu stopped.

The salmon-haired boy slammed his fist into the Vulcan's stomach. "I'm not leaving without Macao!" The Vulcan then flew across the room.

"Listen up! I consider everyone in the Fairy Tail guild my friend!" Natsu kicked the Vulcan in the gut, and the Vulcan slid backwards from the force. "Be it Gramps, Mira, or even those annoying jerks Gray and Elfman!" Natsu's body lit a flame. "Happy and Irina... they're both my friends, even that bully over there, that's why!"

"All right, bull-man! Hurry before he uses those ice cubes!" Taurus slammed his fist against the floor, sending the icicles towards the Vulcan, who tried to dodge the sudden attack, but Taurus' labrys was tossed in the process, and the Vulcan caught it, much to Irina's surprise and the annoyance of the celestial spirit.

"Is it really that bad?" Happy turned to the blonde questioningly.

"Without his weapon, Taurus wouldn’t be able to return the Spirit World, forcing him to stay here until he can get it back." Irina explained as they watched Taurus glare up at the smug Vulcan while scuffing his feet against the ground. Irina smirked knowingly.

"But I wouldn’t worry too much."

"Horn Slash!"        Taurus lunged at the Vulcan, his horns gleaming gold as they made

contact with the ape's chest, prompting it to drop the labrys.

"Have you got any fire left in you, dragon slayer? His head is his head." Taurus inquired of the wizard, who shook his head. The celestial spirit took his axe and handed it to the salmon-haired man, who started melting it with flames trickling into his mouth.

‘Awe! 'My young bull is thinking beyond the box!' Irina wiped an imaginary tear away before acknowledging a perplexed Happy. "Taurus' labrys is mainly made of steel, and Natsu, being a fire-based wizard, can smelt and then consume the steel."

Happy nodded in understanding. "What if there was a fire setting on the axe? Natsu couldn't vaporize it, could he?" The blonde nodded in accordance with the blue cat's question before turning to observe the man and spirit at work.

With fire engulfing him once more, Natsu jumped through the flames. "Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!"

His fist collided with the Vulcan; the impact sent the monkey towards the walls of the cave, knocking the primate out cold.

"We beat him!" Irina cheered.

Not long after Taurus bid his farewell to the three as he returned to the spirit realm, but not without casting a wink at Irina, to which she just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Didn't you want to ask where Macao was?" Irina questioned Natsu, who became irritated with "forgetting." A magical glow encircled the Vulcan's form before it vanished, revealing an older-looking man asleep.

"Macao! Don't die on me!" Natsu pleaded. "Romeo is waiting for you! Open your eyes!" Macao's eyes slowly opened, scanning the area around him before turning back to the salmon-haired boy.

"It looks like he put up a good fight before the Vulcan finally got to him." Happy stated this as the three of them stood around the unconscious man.

"I understand now. Vulcans use possession magic to take over a human's body so they can survive and mate with other Vulcans." Irina helped place Macao on a blanket Natsu had brought with him.

"Natsu," he coughed weakly, "I'm so pathetic... I defeated nineteen of those bastards, but the last one got to me." He admitted. "I'm so angry with myself. I'm too embarrassed to go home and face Romeo."

A man and his pride Irina smiled helplessly. Nevertheless, defeating nineteen monsters is still really impressive.

"Come on, man, don't be like that! You managed to beat nineteen Vulcans!" Natsu held out his hand, which Macao gratefully accepted as the salmon-haired boy pulled him to his feet.

"Let's go home." His voice echoed through the cave, drawing their attention. Macao's eyes widened as Natsu's smile widened. "Romeo’s worried about you; a week is a long time to wait, after all."

It didn’t take long after that for the party to make their way back to town. The sun was setting, casting a beautiful light on the father-son reunion. The two were hugging tightly and crying their eyes out.

Irina watched with a bittersweet smile; she couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy in her chest. How united they seemed to be. The way they held and smiled at each other, and how willing Macao was to fight monsters for his son.

They really are a happy family.

On July 5, 784, a snowstorm darkened the sky, but the sun soon returned. The mages of the Fairy Tail Guild may be a bit extravagant, but they are also very cheerful, very warm, and very kind. Compared to them, I am only a magician with little experience, but I already know that I love this guild.

-Your daughter