A/N: My first Fairy Tail fanfic!

So, a lot of people complain that MCs like Natsu or Naruto are not really those characters when you change their personalities and abilities. And in actuality, I agree. So, I decided to play my hand at creating my own OC in the world of Fairy Tail and changing the plot to fit my own tastes.

He will be powerful and he will have two romantic interests. Pairings are already decided. And he will kill a fan favorite, although idk why people like this character.

As always, leave a comment and follow the story!

{~Dayseeker~}

•••Chapter 1: Dayseeker•••

•••

Deep within the remote forests of Fiore lies a building. Inside of it, a festering cancer grows. A dark guild, a vile one that goes by the name of Basilisk Claw. These repulsive dark mages are devout "worshippers" of the dark wizard, Zeref, and have sacrificed women and children to him. They slaughter innocents, sell captives into lives of slavery, and commit all sorts of unspeakable atrocities. They are heartless, cruel, and powerful. But one man does not give a damn about that.

"Who the fu-!"

A fist covered in lightning slams into the man's jaw. Black lightning, to be exact. The man's head snaps sideways with an audible crack, fracturing his jaw and snapping his neck in the process. His eyes only possess the sclera, no pupils nor irises. Yet they radiate with godly power. He glares at the remaining dark mages who cower under his sight.

"Sh-Shit! W-W-Wait-!"

A black colored lightning strike silences the man for good. The others turn to flee some way but they could not escape his just fury. A torrent of lightning and all goes silent until the man speaks.

"Your evil knows no bounds. For that, I must purge you from this world."

Exiting the building and turning to it one last time, he finally calls upon his true magic. Raising a black lightning coated fist to the heavens, he calls out, "Lightning God's Wrathful Smite!"

A powerful blast of god slayer lightning strikes the building that once housed the infamous dark guild. What now remains is a charred, smoking crater. The man releases a sigh of fulfillment.

"Father, I have executed your will once again."

"Indeed, you have. A job well done, I must say."

The man smiles. "I'd think so, too, Venus. Has the Grand Council called for us once again?" Although his back is to her, the young man could tell his familiar had shook her head. "Then where shall we go next, Venus?"

"The town of Magnolia. The children of Mavis will lead you to your next destination." his familiar answers.

"The Vessel's chosen?"

"Indeed."

The god slayer assumes a thinking pose. "Would I be joining Mavis' group of children? Fairy Tail, I believe they are called."

Venus shrugs. "If that is what you see fit. But let it not deter you from your quest. You must annihilate the Accursed."

The god slayer nods, and leaving behind the scene of carnage, he head towards his next destination: the beautiful town of Magnolia, where the Fairy Tail guild lies.

•••

(Meanwhile, in Era)

"Those damned brats have done it again! This time, they destroyed a whole port!"

"We must do something about them! I say we disband them once and for all!"

"We can't simply disband them for some property damage. Besides, no bystanders were hurt and they've paid for the reconstruction fees."

As the group of elderly councilmen bickered over the destruction wrought by the Fairy Tail guild, a blue haired man named Jellal Fernandez speaks up.

"I'm more concerned with the actions of this... Black Scar. Reports state that he's destroyed another dark guild. While he is doing us a favor, the method is most concerning." His words draw the attention of those in the room.

One man replies, "I personally do not see the issue. The guilds he has destroyed would have all been sentenced to death anyways. Frankly, he saved us more trouble."

Some nod in agreement, while a few frown. One adds, "Indeed. If they were captured, they'd be more trouble than they're worth. We'd have to confine them, feed them, hold a trial, and then put forward the means to execute them. He's doing us a service and we don't even have to pay him."

A few of the council members chuckle at the light humor. But one man, Yajima, disagrees. "But still, what he is doing could barely be considered more than senseless slaughter. Every guild he's attacked were all killed without mercy."

His fellow peers eye him curiously. "Yajima, you can't be serious. This matter hardly warrants any discussion. I have no clue why it was brought up in the first place."

"Indeed. I see no reason to act on this matter, therefore it is dismissed." Gran Doma, the council chairman states. "Now, onto other matters."

Jellal smirks. 'I will not have anyone interfere with them just yet. Not until I have Erza. Then they all can die.'

•••

"WE'RE BACK!"

A pink haired mage kicked the doors in as he arrived back to the Fairy Tail guild hall. He walks inside as all the mages present greet him. One in particular with buckteeth calls out to him.

"Yo, Natsu! How'd it-"

He never finished as Natsu slugged him in the face. "Igneel is a damned dragon, ya bastard! What the hell would a dragon be doing in a town like Hargeon?!"

The man jumps back to his feet yelling, "I just thought it'd be worth mentioning, you prick! I heard a rumor and thought I'd tell you about it!"

Natsu growls in response. "You wanna go, you bucktooth bastard!"

"Damn right!"

"Oi, Natsu! I'm gonna beat your ass for burning my shorts last time!"

"Ah, shut it ya damn stripper! If you were a perverted exhibitionist, you wouldn't have lost 'em in the first place!"

"Real men argue with their fists! Not their words!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP ELFMAN!"

The led to an all out brawl as a blonde haired newcomer gapes in awe at the destruction at hand. Her attention is disrupted as a voice called out to her. "Yo! You new here, blondie?"

The girl turns to see one of the most famous Fairy Tail mages there is, the Majin, Mirajane Strauss, talking to her. Clad in her trademark goth gal attire, she's outfitted with a sleeveless trench coat that covers her modesty but leaves her midriff exposed. She wears a miniskirt with a silver skull belt buckle and thigh high leather high heel boots. She finishes it all off with fingerless black leather gloves and keeps her hair in a long ponytail.

The blonde's eyes widen in shock. "Ohmygod! It's THE Mirajane!" she exclaims.

Mirajane raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's it to you, blondie? And like I asked, are you new here?"

Lucy shakes out of her stupor. "Ah, yes. I'm new here. My name is Lucy Heartfilia. I was hoping to join." she says with a slight bow.

Mirajane nods. "Right. Ya gotta wait to talk to the master first. He should be here right about..."

"YOU DAMNED BRATS! STOP WRECKING MY GUILD HALL!"

Suddenly, a gigantic shadowed figure appears with glowing yellow eyes to break up the brawl that began damaging furniture and walls.

"There he is. Hey, Master! We got a newbie here!" Mirajane shouted out to him, getting his attention.

Natsu turns his attention to Lucy and Mirajane. "That's right, Gramps! I met Lucy here in Hargeon! Saved her from that creep's ship, too!"

Makarov Dreyar eyed the girl and then spoke kindly, "Oh! So we do!" Suddenly, the giant begins to glow with yellow magic and shrinks down to reveal a diminutive elderly man. "Hello there, deary! My name is Makarov Dreyar, the third guild master of Fairy Tail."

Lucy's eyes widen in surprise. "Whoa! What kind of magic was that?!"

Mirajane smirks. "That's Master's Titan Magic. It's what makes him one of the most powerful mages in Fiore."

Makarov nods. "Indeed, deary. Now, I hear you wanted to join us in Fairy Tail?"

Lucy again needed to snap out of her dazed wonder. "Ah! Yes sir, Master Makarov. It has always been my dream to join Fairy Tail! If you approve of me, I promise I won't let you down!"

Makarov smiles at the girl's earnest drive to become a Fairy Tail mage. He says, "Very well. Now if you head over to the bar, I'll have-"

Suddenly, a magic presence puts him on edge. The power also draws the attention of Natsu, Gray, Mirajane, and Laxus Dreyar who is currently silently observing the ones he views as weaklings from the second floor of the guild hall.

They all turn their attention to the doors of the guild hall. A few others had also turned their attention to where the magic presence was approaching. The doors open to reveal a young man in his early 20s with pitch black neck length hair that hides his left eye and slightly tanned skin wearing a long black trench coat with cuffed sleaves. He wears a midnight blue long undershirt with a deep V-neck and black pants. He wears black leather western-style boots. His most distinguishing feature was the black lightning mark on his right cheek that covers his eye. And his visible eye was a solid pale white that lacked an irises and pupil, which only served to unsettle some of them even further.

Makarov eyes the man carefully. 'His magic...' he thinks. '...It's so dense. So controlled. Not as wild as Gildats' but every bit as strong.' Strong indeed, the man's magic permeated the air so densely that it was almost palpable to the more sensitive mages. But it wasn't so wild that it damaged his surroundings. It simply charged the air around him, making those around him tingle in slight discomfort. But his presence was enough to tell everyone, this man was strong. Very strong.

As he looked around, he noticed that everyone was looking at him with caution. He speaks, his tone carrying through the guild hall. "Excuse me. But I was wondering if the master of this establishment was in today?"

They all looked to Makarov who was a taken aback by his request. "Umm... I'm the guild master, if that's who you're looking for, young man. How may I help you?"

Seeing the small old man sitting atop the bar counter, he approaches him. Some of the guild members tensed, instinctively preparing for a fight in case his intentions are less than friendly. The man nears Makarov before speaking. "My name is Artim Dayseeker. I would like to join this guild. What must I do to be accepted?"

Makarov blinks owlishly, as does the rest of the guild before breaking out into murmurs. Natsu, hearing this, is anticipating the man's initiation. Makarov answers, "U-umm, well, ah..." He turns his attention to behind him. "Lisanna! We have two new members I need you to give guild marks to!"

"Hai! Coming!" Suddenly, from the kitchen emerges the youngest sibling of the Strauss family, Lisanna Strauss. She was a gorgeous teenage girl with shorter white hair. Seeing a particular face, she called out, "Natsu-kun!"

"Hey, Lis!" the pink haired mage rushes over to the bar as everyone else went back to doing their norm as they saw that nothing warranted their concern. Natsu stole a quick kiss from his girlfriend.

"When did you get back, Natsu-kun?" Lisanna asks, pouting that he didn't come to see her first.

He laughed nervously. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he answers, "A couple minutes ago, actually. Turns out that lead was a bust."

Lisanna's gaze softens as she places a palm on her beloved's cheek. "You'll find him, Natsu-kun. You just need to be patient. And don't forget, I'll be here every step of the way."

Natsu smiled warmly at his girlfriend. "Thanks, Lis. Ya know, I have no idea what I did to deserve you. But I don't know what I'd do without you." As he leaned in to kiss her on the lips, they were interrupted.

"AHEM!"

The young couple turn to see that everyone was staring at them, some, like Lisanna's sister Mirajane, were smirking at them, while others, like Lucy, were blushing as they became lost in their own little world. A nuclear blush spreads on their faces. Makarov addresses them. "As much as I enjoy watching the beauty of young love, I'd appreciate it if you gave the two newcomers their guild marks first, Lisanna."

"Real men don't get mushy with my sister in the guildhall!" Elfman declares, earning a glare from Mirajane that shuts him up immediately.

Lisanna manages to stammer out, "Oh! R-R-Right! Sorry about that, Master!" She heads to the corner of the bar as Lucy and Artim follows the white haired girl. Taking out the guild stamp, she asks them what color they'd like. Lucy got her mark in pink on her right hand while Artim's mark was black on his right pectoral.

After the two newcomers were marked, Makarov declared for a party. A few of the mages swarmed the two new members with questions. Most of the questions were of the norm.

"Where are you come from?"

"What kind of magic do you use?"

"What's your three sizes?"

"You got a girlfriend, handsome?"

...Ok, maybe not completely normal.

As soon as he received the guild mark, Artim could feel that it contained a special magic in it that he'd never felt before. His familiar felt it as well.

"Hmm. Curious. It carries a magic I'm unfamiliar with but it is not harmful." Venus says as she enters her corporeal form, observing her master's guild mark. Many of the membersjump in surprise while many of the males gape at her beauty.

Venus' corporeal form is a 5'10" buxom woman with dark green hair and warm hazel colored eyes. She is slender yet curvy, possessing a body that women would kill for. Her skin is a flawless olive tone. She wears a black flowing strapless dress that accentuates her curves and is barefoot.

"OHHH! Ar-Artim-kun! Who is this young lady you have here?" Makarov asks in excitement, barely containing a nosebleed and blushing shamelessly at the beauty.

Artim looks to Makarov. "She is Venus, my familiar."

Makarov nods in curiosity. "A familiar, you say." He rubs his chin in thought. "That's a term I haven't heard in a while. Can't say I recall where I've heard it, though."

Artim raises an eyebrow. 'Has he encountered a god slayer before?'

Suddenly, he is approached by Natsu, who is grinning and and punches his palm. "Hey, your name's Artim, right?" he asks.

Artim tilts his head curiously. "It is. How may I help you?"

Natsu's grin widens. "Whaddya say to a fight? Let's welcome ya to the guild properly, new guy!"

Mirajane smiles too. "I'd like to have a spar with you as well, new guy. You seem strong so I wanna see what you can do against Fairy Tail's strongest female mage."

Hearing that many people were interested in him, Artim thinks about it for a moment. 'Hmm... I don't like the idea of potentially showing off too much of my power... but if these people are to be my allies, I suppose I shouldn't worry about it.' He looks up to see Natsu's grinning face as well as Mirajane's beautiful smile, which was full of expectation.

'They also aren't that strong.'

Artim smirks, a gesture that causes Mirajane to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. He answers, "Ok. That sounds fine."

Natsu's grin grows into a face splitting smile. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Natsu heads out back as Mirajane gets up from her bar stool to follow them out. "I'll take you on next... that is, if you can beat Natsu first, newbie." She hears him scoff, albeit so lightly that she almost missed it. She eyes him curiously. "Did I say something funny, new guy?" Artim gives her a condescending gaze, which pisses off the Majin. She growls out, "Keep it up, newbie, and I'll have to rearrange that handsome face of yours. I'm sure that'll make a lot of girls upset."

Artim chuckles. "Good to know I have so many caring fans already." His mocking tone only serves to piss Mirajane off even further.

"Just you wait, greenhorn. You'd better hope Natsu beats you so I don't get my hands on you!" she grounds out, her magic spiking already.

Feeling an urge to retort, Artim quips back, "On the contrary, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on you, Majin." He walks away, leaving Mirajane blushing and stuttering in embarrassment and anger.

'Fufufu,' Artim hears. Venus appears in her ethereal form, which only her master can see. 'Your mischievous side is showing, Master.'

He chuckles. 'Perhaps. But you can't deny that it was worth it.' he replies. He peers over his shoulder, his pale eye catching Mirajane's blushing glare as she tries to kill him with her glare. He grins silently, speaking to Venus in his mind, 'She's a cute one.'

Venus laughs melodically again. 'Fufufu. Master's eye has been caught by yet another maiden.'

Artim sighs at his playful familiar. 'Shut up, Venus.' She giggles and fades away.

Arriving at the guild's fighting square, Natsu stands opposite of Artim with a grin on his face. His face was bright with anticipation. Artim, meanwhile, was unusually calm, standing with his arms crossed and with a relaxed posture. Many of the guild thought he was either foolish or scared, believing that Natsu would easily trounce the newbie. Makarov knew otherwise.

'He doesn't see Natsu as a challenge.'

Makarov could sense the depth of his magic. While the others could feel he was strong, they couldn't gauge it properly. Makarov could, being closer to Artim's level. 'Perhaps only me or Gildart's could push him. But I doubt any here could press this young man. But where did such a powerful mage come from without me hearing of him?'

"Bet's here! Place your bets right here!" A buxom beauty wearing only a blue bikini top and jeans goes around collecting bets. She stops in front of Makarov. "Would you like to place a bet, Master?"

"Cana, you know it's wrong for the guild master to bet against one of his children." He then looks at her. "20,000 on Artim."

"WHAT THE HELL, GRAMPS!"

"Alright! Looks like everyone else bet on Natsu except for me, Lucy, Mirajane, and Master Makarov!"

"LUCY, YOU TOO?!"

"I need to pay my rent! So lose this one for me, Natsu!"

Ignoring the irate dragon slayer, Makarov steps forward to officiate the match. "This battle will be between Natsu and Artim! Continue until one concede, is incapacitated, or until I stop the match from continuing! Are we clear?" Seeing the two mages nod, he continues. "BEGIN!"

Natsu wastes no time, charging forward with a flame covered fist. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Artim raises an eyebrow at Natsu's magic. It interests him but he does not feel threatened. Raising a hand, he catches the fist and stops it cold. Everyone is speechless. The only other one who could do that was Gildarts Clive, Fairy Tail's Ace and their undisputed strongest mage, one so powerful that many claim him to be stronger than Makarov.

"Interesting." he says flatly.

Natsu regains his composure and backs off. Leaping upwards, he says, "Take this! Fire Dragon's Tail Strike!" Flipping in the air, he brings down a flame covered foot. Artim, again, makes now attempt to dodge, catching the leg bare handed and tossing him aside.

Rolling a few feet, Natsu recovers and launches another attack. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!". With a single wave of his hand, Artim dispels the attack.

The whole guild is shocked at how effortlessly Artim is treating this fight. He is unfazed, never moving from his spot. On the sidelines, Lisanna watches her boyfriend with worried eyes, seeing his strongest attacks brushed aside so easily. She knows how hard Natsu trains and how strong he is. She worries not just for his well-being, but for his pride as well.

Natsu is getting frustrated and angry. This new guy was treating him like a parent playing with a child. Channeling all of his rage, he pours it all into one attack. Inhaling, he calls out, "Fire Dragon's ROAR!" He unleashes one of the biggest roar attacks any of the guild has ever seen. The attack contains so much power and force, it tears up the ground as it speeds towards Artim.

Makarov's eyes widen in shock. He had no idea Natsu could produce an attack of that magnitude. He's also worried that the guild hall would be damaged if the attack hits. "Dammit Natsu-!" He stops in awe when Artim finally makes his move.

Smirking, he thinks to himself, 'Not bad, dragon slayer.' Coating his hand in god slayer lightning, he catches the attack with his hand and redirects it skyward. The guild is, once again, speechless. One of the most powerful attacks Natsu has ever launched was, again, shrugged off like it was insignificant.

Artim gives a visible smirk. "That was a good attack, dragon slayer." His expression becomes a deadpan. "...but not good enough." In a burst of speed that couldn't be followed by anyone, not even Makarov, Artim appears in front of Natsu and delivers a sidekick to his midsection that sends him flying backwards towards the edge of the forest surrounding Magnolia.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouts in panic. Natsu hits the ground and tumbles and rolls, crashing into a tree. Natsu laid against the tree, not getting back to his feet. Artim retracts his leg and brings it back to the ground. Natsu is shaking from the force of the attack and the impact of the fall, grunting in pain. Several mages rush to him and hurry him to the infirmary.

Makarov eyes Natsu carefully. 'All that damage from one attack.' He then declares. "The winner is Artim!" Artim nods at in acknowledgment of the victory. He then turns his gaze to Mirajane. Catching the look, she suddenly begins to try to shrink into herself.

Artim raises an eyebrow. "Didn't you want a turn, Majin?" He smirks. "Or have you decided to run away?"

Mirajane glares at him before clearing her throat. "Ridiculous! Of course I'm not running! I just thought I'd let you off since you must be tired after that fight." She crosses her arms and turns away from him. Though, the others standing around her deadpan at her or look at her incredulously.

'Is she serious?'

Artim chuckles. "Oh, of course! In fact, my foot is a little sore from sending that buffoon flying." He smirks mischievously. "Wanna give me a massage, Majin?"

Mirajane's face erupts in another spectacular blush. Seeing this, some of the other guild members chuckle and giggle, causing her to get angry at them. She growls out, "What the hell's so funny?!"

Artim chuckles and walks past them, entering back into the guild. Arriving at the guild bar, he takes a seat and waits to order his drink. The guild clamors after witnessing such a one sided beating. Artim observes them quietly and smiles as a few pats him on the back or shoulder, congratulating him on such a flawless victory.

'An easy win, am I right, Master?' Venus asks, appearing as a specter to him.

'Indeed. He has talent for a mage but he has a ways to go.'

Venus nods. She is silent for a moment but does not fade away. She finally says, 'Master...'

'I know.'

Venus looks at him in question. 'But Master, why didn't you-'

'It's not a threat, Venus. It isn't even sentient.'

Venus frowns. 'But Master, a vessel touched by godly power needs to be addressed.'

Artim sighs. 'Venus-'

"Sorry about that." A voice interrupts his thoughts. He looks up to see Lisanna speaking to him. She has a slightly distracted look on her face. "What can I get you?" she asks.

He smiles lightly. "Whiskey highball, hold the rocks." Lisanna nods and mixes the drink quickly, giving it a light stir. She serves it to him quickly. He couldn't help but notice the trouble expression on her face though.

•••

(Moments Ago)

"Dammit!" Natsu slams his fist into the bed. "That asshole!"

Lisanna frowns in concern for her beloved. "Natsu-kun, it's fine. All you need to do is train and you'll beat him. Just-"

"It's not fine, Lisanna! That bastard toyed with me!" he yelled at his girlfriend, making her flinch slightly. "How?! How the hell am I gonna find Igneel if I can't beat someone like him?! How will I find him if I can't beat a guy like Gildarts?!"

"Natsu-kun, it'll be alright. We'll get stronger together and-"

"Lisanna, it's not alright." he says in a stern voice, making Lisanna take a step back. "He didn't just beat me, Lis. He destroyed me. He made me feel so weak. He stomped all over everything I worked so hard to earn. I just..." he sighs. "I need some time to think."

Lisanna's heart aches for the one she's loved since they were children. She tries to tell him softly, "Umm, Natsu-kun... maybe we could-"

"Not now, Lisanna. Just... leave me alone right now." He turns his back to her and lies down, facing away from her. He doesn't manage to see the lone tear fall from the corner of her eye as she leaves.

•••

As Artim sips his drink, he sees Mirajane approach the bar nearby. "What's wrong, Lis?"

Lisanna looks at her and gives a weak smile. "Nothing's wrong sis. Is there something I can get you?"

Mirajane gives her a look that says 'are you serious?' She says, "Lisanna, I'm your big sister. You can't hide when you're lying from me."

Lisanna frowns. "It's nothing, sis. Just stop worrying."

"Lis." Her tone was as serious as a heart attack. "What happened?"

Lisanna sighs before looking around. She motions towards the kitchen. Thinking they are away from gossipers and prying eyes, Lisanna explains what happened. Unbeknownst to them, Artim was using Venus' Remote Viewing to see what she was saying. By remaining in her ethereal form, she can spy while remaining invisible and Artim can see what she sees in real-time.

Artim sighs, massaging his temples. 'That kid is such a pain.'

'I agree. But he keeps mentioning this Igneel character. Could it be the Fire Dragon King, Igneel?'

Artim nods internally. 'Most likely. In some of the meetings, Fire God Magnus made mention of him.'

Venus nods. 'I thought he sounded familiar.'

Chuckling, Artim adds, 'Although, father thought of him as nothing more than an arrogant lizard, if I recall.'

'But that's how they viewed all dragons. They've only recently started to view that bastard Black Dragon as a nuisance.'

Artim's gaze turns serious. 'Because he is. Most gods do not acknowledge us humans. Even father saw me as a nuisance at times. But they are not arrogant or foolish enough to not see their role in the Balance. And an anomaly like Acnologia disrupts that balance.'

Venus nods. 'By practicing magic originating in pure Chaos, which naturally opposes the Balance.'

'And devouring the souls of those he's killed. His magic also allows him to travel through worlds. Acnologia's existence defies all that the Balance represents and what the gods wish to preserve.'

Venus hums in thought. 'So will you also need to slay the Black Dragon as well?'

Artim shakes his head. 'No. My only target is that accursed vessel. The Black Dragon is a problem for the dragon slayers.'

•••

A few days after the most memorable fight Fairy Tail had seen in a long time, Mirajane was looking to take another S-rank quest. She stuck around for the past few days to comfort her little sister since Natsu's fit of rage. She had half a mind to beat the shit out of him but Lisanna told her that it would only do more harm than good. She was right.

One ass whooping was enough for the time being.

But yesterday, Natsu cane to her to apologize. He even took her out to dinner and did his best to make it up to her. Ever the angel, Lisanna immediately forgave him. She promised she would always stand by him, no matter what. Natsu and Lisanna had had a really good time after they made up.

She also didn't come home last night. But Mirajane didn't want to think about that. The idea that her little sister might have lost her virginity before she did was both horrifying and depressing in equal measures.

As she was reaching to grab a mission that might have interested her, a voice stopped her. "Mirajane. Could you come to my office for a moment?"

Makarov's statement caused a feeling of concern to wash over her. Surely, she's not in trouble right? She hasn't destroyed anything in nearly a week. She hasn't been on a mission! Visibly nervous, she looks towards her guild master. "Umm... sure, master."

Makarov chuckles. "Relax, dear. I actually have a quest for you." This caused a sense of curiosity. As she was walking towards Makarov's office, she sees that Natsu had submitted a quest to Lisanna and was apparently taking Lucy with him.

Closing the door behind him, Makarov walks behind his desk and hops into his chair. Mirajane speaks first. "So what's the job, Master?"

Reaching into a drawer, he pulls out a scroll. "A monster extermination quest. SS-rank."

Mirajane's eyes widen. She begins to shake slightly and looks down at her lap. Shakily, she manages to speak, "I-I'm sorry, Master. But... I can't."

Makarov nods sagely. "You've grown, my dear. I'm very proud of you." Mirajane looks up in surprise. "It's been two years since that time. All of you have grown into great wizards. But you are mistaken, my dear."

Mirajane tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean, Master?"

Makarov simply answers, "I want you to take Artim with you on this quest."

Mirajane's surprise only grows. "Artim?! But Master! He's only been here for three days!"

"And he's completed 3 A-rank quests in that short time, one of which could have been easily S-rank. And on the first day, he defeated one of our strongest and most experienced mages in singles combat." Mirajane couldn't retort that. It was true, Artim easily proved himself to be one of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards.

She gulped nervously, "But still Master, an SS-rank quest?"

Makarov sighs, massaging his brow. "Mira, the reason why I want him to go on this quest with you is not for you to protect him, but the opposite." Mirajane looks at the guild master incredulously. "I want him to protect you."

Jumping to her feet, Mirajane loses all sense of honorifics. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'PROTECT ME'?!" Her magic rages out of control.

"MIRAJANE STRAUSS! CALM YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!" Makarov demands, raising his own magic to match and overtake her own.

Mirajane calms herself and retakes her seat, though her scowl didn't subside. "You can't be serious, Master. He's strong but how could he protect me?"

Makarov looks at her sternly. "Mirajane, if he wanted to, he could easily match Gildarts' full power, something I couldn't do. Gildarts could easily match the Four Gods of Ishgar. What does that say about Artim's power?"

Mirajane is stunned by Makarov's assessment of Artim's power. "But that's just speculation, right Master?"

Makarov shrugs. "Maybe I'm overstating it. But then again, maybe I'm not. This mission will be a perfect test for him. Would you please do this, Mira? For me?"

Mirajane frowns. She hates when he throws the grandfatherly act at her. She sighs in exasperation. "Fine. At least between the two of us, we probably won't die."

Makarov chuckles. "Have some faith in him, my dear. You two seem to be getting along together anyways."

Mirajane scowls at Makarov. "I'm going to pretend you did NOT just say that." Makarov just chuckles in response.

Smiling, he says. "Just be careful, Mira."

Mirajane looks contemplatively. "I will, Master." She smirks and replies cheekily, "Plus, if Artim is as strong as you say he is, he'll protect me, right?"

Makarov laughs. "Get out of here, you cheeky brat!"

•••

Approaching the bar where Artim was seated, Mira smirks and decides to tease him a bit. "Oh Arty-kun~" She holds back a laugh as Lisanna's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

Artim raises an eyebrow at Mirajane. "Arty-kun?" he asks simply.

Mirajane grins. "What? You don't like it?"

Artim smirks. "Nah. I don't mind." Knowing she was teasing hin, he decides to bite back. "So what did you need me for, Mira-chan?"

Mirajane's nuclear blush returned full force at Artim's way of addressing her. She immediately shoots a glare at Lisanna who is stifling her laugh with a hand. Behind her, Cana was openly laughing at the exchange between Artim and Mirajane. She focuses her glare on Artim for retaliating so easily. She hands him the quest scroll.

"Master wants you to join me on this one."

Artim reads the quest synopsis and raises an eyebrow. "Hunt the Hag of Dargus Bog? SS-rank?"

Lisanna gasps and the others in the guild stare at the duo wide eyed. Mirajane nods. "Master trusts you on this. Or perhaps you can't handle it, Arty-kun?"

Artim smirks. "It's not that, I just was worried that it might be too much for you, that's all."

Immediately, Mirajane's grins turns into a scowl. "Asshole." She overturns her barstool and leaves the guild without another word. Artim watches her with shock and confusion on his face.

"Mira!" He calls out to her. She slams the doors open and storms off. Artim looks at Lisanna and sees the downcast expression on her face. Looking around he sees that everyone else is staring at him with surprise. All except for one, who shared the same downcast expression that Lisanna had. Elfman.

Artim just turns back to the door that Mirajane very nearly broke down. He sighs. 'Well shit.' he says in his mind. 'What do I do now?'

•••TBC•••