July 7, X777
The morning sun spilled lazily through the thin curtains of Lucky's apartment, painting the room in hues of soft gold. Dust motes danced in the slanted rays, and his alarm rune flickered gently on the nightstand, chiming a smooth, melodic tune that was more a suggestion than a demand.
A breeze carried the scent of bread from the morning market.
Inside his small apartment, Lucky stirred.
Lucky groaned, a sound that was more habit than necessity, and rolled onto his side. His body thrummed with a vitality so potent that true exhaustion was a distant memory. Nine months of relentless, agonizing evolution had seen to that. His Life Force-tempered body, infused with mana, Ethernano, and soul power, made rest a formality, a nostalgic ritual he clung to rather than a biological need. His regeneration outpaced fatigue before it could even take root.
He stretched, and his joints released a series of cracks that echoed in the quiet room like snapping branches. A slow, deliberate yawn escaped him.
"Another day," he muttered to the empty room, his voice still rough with sleep. "And today is the day."
Today was different.
He could feel it.
With a sigh, he sat up, cracked his back, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
He pushed himself upright and padded into the washroom. The face that stared back from the mirror was not his own from a year ago. It was sharper, the features more defined, the skin carrying a faint, almost imperceptible luminescence of abundant health that could unnerve those who looked too closely. His eyes, once just clever and observant, now held a weight, a depth of knowing that made his usual easy smile seem layered, often tinged with a pity he couldn't quite hide for the world barreling blindly towards its fate.
He brushed his teeth, ran a hand through his hair with half-hearted effort, and dressed in simple, practical clothes: a durable travel tunic, well-worn boots. Even though Lucky was still a child, anyone can see that in the future, he will be a handsome and heroic man when he grows up. He didn't need armor; his body, after all this training, was his strongest defense.
Still looking in the mirror.
He smiled.
"Today's the day," he muttered. "The world's protagonist arrives."
——————————————————————————
He stepped outside.
The morning air was crisp.
Stepping out into the Magnolia morning, he was greeted by the lively sounds of a city waking up. Merchants shouted their early specials, children chased each other down cobbled streets, and the irresistible scent of freshly baked bread wafted from a nearby bakery. He walked with a leisurely, unhurried pace, a quiet island of calm in the bustling stream of life. People recognized him with a nod from a shopkeeper, a whispered, "That's the Portal Master!" from a group of kids. He acknowledged them with a small wave, his mind already elsewhere, ticking through the day's inevitable events.
Lucky didn't rush. He never rushed after all, with the portal, he can go and come anywhere. The walk to Fairy Tail's guild hall was slow, steady, unhurried, a quiet stroll while Magnolia was alive with merchants shouting, children playing, and smells of baked bread wafting through the streets.
But the moment he reached the great wooden double doors of the guild, a different kind of chaos met him.
Before Lucky could even step inside, his hand was just hovering above the door. A voice, young and blazing with unchecked passion, cut through the noise like a hot knife.
"DROOPY-EYES PERVERT!!"
Lucky's lips quirked into an amused smirk. 'So, it begins.'
He pushed the door open.
The scene inside was pure, distilled Fairy Tail. The guild members had formed a loose circle around the central spectacle. In the middle stood Gray Fullbuster, shirtless as was his default state, fists clenched and glaring with icy intensity at a boy Lucky had never seen in person but knew intimately from a hundred clone reports.
The boy had spiky pink hair like a flame, a white scaly scarf, and eyes that burned with a fierce, uncomplicated joy for conflict.
"FLAME BRAIN!! IDIOT!" Gray barked back, already falling into a combat stance.
Lucky leaned casually against the doorway, crossing his arms. His smirk widened. This was more entertaining than he'd anticipated.
"Who's the new kid?" someone in the crowd, Macao, asked, sipping his drink.
"Looks like he came with Master," Wakaba muttered around his pipe.
"Why is the kids count in this guild keep increasing?" Macao added with a sigh.
Natsu Dragneel didn't care for commentary. With a wordless roar of excitement, he lunged. Gray met him head-on. Their clash was a tangle of flying fists, wild swings, and loud, creative insults. A table splintered under a stray kick. Tankards of drinks sloshed their contents onto the floor.
The guild cheered them on, a roaring audience to the new daily drama.
A blur of scarlet and silver slammed between them.
Erza stood there, one hand on Natsu's forehead, the other on Gray's chest, holding them apart like unruly children.
"ENOUGH."
Natsu struggled. "You think you can stop me?!"
Gray scoffed. "Idiot..."
CRACK!
Erza punched the wall, both of them which caused them to slam towards the guild walls.
The entire guild hall trembled.
A massive dent appeared in the stone.
Silence.
"No fighting"
Gray, sliding off the wall, said with fear in his tone, "AYE!"
Natsu, while rubbing his head, murmured. "…Erza is scary."
Gray, still on the ground, nodded slowly. "Right."
They looked at each other.
And for a brief second, a grin passed between them.
Like old friends.
Then reality hit.
They both crossed their arms and turned away with a synchronized "Hmph!"
Lucky, still at the door, sighed.
Lucky finally moved from his spot, making his way calmly to where Master Makarov sat on his usual barrel, the old man already nursing a mug of ale far too large for the morning. The Master's face was a mixture of amusement and profound resignation.
Lucky leaned down, his voice low enough for only Makarov to hear. His expression wasn't amused now; it was deeply, profoundly pitying.
Makarov caught the look and scowled. 'Why does this Brat give me... this... look?'
Wordlessly, Lucky handed him a card with a picture of a rune-bound book into the old man's hands.
Makarov frowned, then looked at the description:
Item Acquired: Mending Enchantment Book
Tier: 5
Type: Item (Consumable)
Use: 1
Description: A magic book that enchants objects or structures, reversing their time to restore them to an undamaged state by consuming energy (Mana, Life, SP, etc.).
Performance:
Material Complexity: 6/10
The greater the damage, the higher the energy cost.
Can enchant 30 objects at once.
Makarov's eyes widened comically. He looked from the book to the dented walls, then back to Lucky. "Boy… what's this for?"
Lucky's expression softened, that same unnerving pity returning. "You'll see."
"Bah! Don't look at me like that!" Makarov snapped, his ears turning red. "It's unsettling. Scram, before I smack you."
Lucky shrugged. "Just thought you'd appreciate not having to rebuild the guild every week."
Makarov stared at the card. Then at the dented wall. Then at Erza, then at Natsu.
Lucky chuckled, snagging a glass of fruit juice from a passing clone, and settled in beside him to watch the show.
——————————————————————————
Erza turned to Natsu. "Everyone who comes to Fairy Tail… is like a family. And this guild… is our home. So you don't fight. And you don't destroy it."
Natsu blinked. "But… you just punched a hole in the wall."
Erza didn't flinch. "That was for discipline."
The guild snickered.
Even Gray smirked.
Natsu looked around. The guild was loud. The air was thick with joy. The smell of wood, fire, and people filled his nose.
And that time…
He smiled since he lost his father.
"Yeah," he whispered. "I can see that."
Then he turned to Gray. "You're still a pervert."
Gray: "And you're still an idiot."
But this time, they said it with a grin.
——————————————————————————
Seizing the moment, Natsu puffed out his chest and addressed the whole hall. "By the way, name's Natsu Dragneel!" he shouted, loud and proud. "And I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer!"
A wave of gasps and murmurs swept through the room.
"Dragon Slayer?!"
"Isn't that Lost Magic?"
"No way!"
Macao blinked, raising a brow. "Where'd you learn a lost magic like that, kid?"
"My father taught me!" Natsu declared, climbing onto a table for better effect. "The fire dragon, Igneel!"
The guild hall went utterly silent.
Eyes darted. Whispers died. The air grew heavy with a mix of doubt and profound pity. A few older mages shook their heads sadly.
"Dragons have been extinct for ages, lad…" someone muttered.
Makarov hopped down from his barrel and laid a gentle hand on Natsu's shoulder. "It's not that we don't believe you, boy. But dragons are near-mythical. The only remnants are their bloodlines in creatures like wyverns and drakes."
Natsu's stubborn expression didn't falter, though a shadow of frustration crossed his face. "Igneel's real. You'll see."
Makarov smiled. "Then one day, you'll prove it to us."
Natsu grinned. "I will!"
Natsu's attention, ever fleeting, was instantly captured by the five glowing roulette wheels spinning lazily near the bar.
His head tilted. "What's that?"
Gray, smirking like he'd just won the lottery, said, "That's Lucky's business. You spin it, you get a good item. Sometimes really good."
Natsu didn't hesitate.
He rushed over.
"Let me try!"
He spun.
Click. Click. Click.
Nothing.
No light.
No item.
Natsu blinked. "…Huh?"
Gray laughed. "You've got to pay, idiot."
Natsu slumped. "I… don't have money."
The guild erupted.
"HA!"
"Of course not!"
"First time in Fairy Tail and already broke!"
Natsu ignored them because in front of him appeared 5 identical figures.
His jaw dropped. "Five brothers?!"
The guild burst into fresh laughter. Cana, leaning against the bar, slammed her mug down. "Not brothers, new guy. Clones. They belong to Lucky."
"Clones?" Natsu blinked, utterly confused.
"Yep," Cana explained. "Owner of the roulette. He can make… well, a lot of them."
Stars lit in Natsu's eyes. "That's so COOL!!"
The real Lucky chose that moment to step forward, setting down his juice. "That would be me," he said with a small, amused nod.
Natsu's grin was blinding. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Natsu Dragneel!"
"Lucky," he replied simply. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Natsu ."
Meanwhile, Makarov, curiosity getting the better of him, had quietly opened the Mending Book. Channeling a trickle of mana into it, he aimed it at the fresh dent Erza had made. The pages glowed, and a soft golden light enveloped the damaged wall. The stone shimmered, the cracks sealing themselves, the dent smoothing out until the wall was perfectly restored.
The old master exhaled a sigh of pure relief. "Oh, this will come in handy…"
But Natsu wasn't done being Natsu. His nose twitched. He sniffed the air once, twice, his focus narrowing like a bloodhound on a scent. He completely ignored the real Lucky and zeroed in on the nearest clone.
Before anyone could react, he lunged at the clone, sniffing its shoulder, its hair, its arm with intense concentration.
The clone stood rigid, a look of utter disgust and violation on its face. The entire guild watched in stunned, silent horror.
"You all…" Natsu muttered, serious as a heart attack. "You smell the same."
The guild erupted into howls of cackling laughter.
The violated clone shuddered in revulsion. Its fist cocked back on pure instinct, mana flaring around it, ready to smash this weird, sniffing pink-haired menace into the floor.
The poor clone, who had been violated, however, shivered in disgust and just as his fist was about to smash into Natsu's face, the clone caught itself, lowering the strike with a grimace.
Lucky pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. "Don't sniff my clones."
Natsu, completely oblivious to the near-death experience, just smirked. "Let's fight! You and me!"
The guild gasped, then leaned in with collective glee. This was getting good.
Lucky's grin returned, wider and more predatory this time. "Fine. But you'll have to get through one of them first." He jerked a thumb at the clone Natsu had just assaulted.
Natsu's grin matched his, all fiery excitement. "No problem!"
Makarov's eyes gleamed with mischief. He held up the Mending Book. "A fight, eh? Hah! With this little gift, I'm not worried about the damage! Let's see it!"
The guild roared in approval, a chant rising from the crowd.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Natsu didn't need telling twice. He crouched, fire igniting around his fists. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he bellowed and charged.
The clone didn't move. It simply raised a hand. A shimmering, silent portal opened directly beneath Natsu's feet.
Natsu dropped through it and immediately tumbled out of another portal that opened five feet above the first one.
And as he fell, he appeared above.
Then fell again.
Then appeared above.
Then fell.
Then appeared.
And so on.
Over and over, Natsu fell in a silent, endless loop, flailing and yelling comically.
"This… is… not… fair!!" he screamed between falls, his voice warping as he dropped.
The guild was doubled over, tears streaming down their faces as they laughed. Even the usually stoic Laxus Dreyar, watching from the shadows of the second floor, let out a sharp chuckle.
Finally, the clone snapped its fingers. The portals winked out, and Natsu crashed face-first onto the wooden floor with a solid thud.
But the Dragon Slayer was nothing if not persistent. He pushed himself up, shook his head to clear it, and inhaled a massive breath, his chest expanding and His stomach inflating.
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!!"
A torrent of devastating flame erupted from his mouth, roaring across the room toward the clone, hot enough to make the air shimmer.
The clone didn't dodge. It didn't summon a portal. It simply muttered a few words.
The clone only muttered calmly: [NO FIRE IN AROUND ME].
The words glowed in midair, hanging like a law of reality.
And the roaring flame was instantly snuffed out.
The fire sputtered and vanished into nothingness without a sound, leaving behind only a wave of heat and the stunned silence of everyone present.
The words glowed in midair, slightly dimmed, but it is still floating in the air.
Not blocked.
Not reflected.
As if.... Erased.
The guild froze.
Makarov's jaw dropped.
Laxus, leaning against the wall, spat out his drink.
"WHAT?!"
Even Erza looked stunned.
Even Makarov's pipe nearly fell from his lips.
"…that… was solid script? " he whispered, stunned. "That brat really might make S-Class this year…"
Natsu's jaw hung open. "WHAT?! How did you...?!"
The clone, now looking thoroughly bored, waved a hand dismissively. Another portal opened behind Natsu. From it, glowing chains shot out like serpents.
[FIRE IMMUNITY AUTO IRON RESTRAINTS]
(AN: just saying it is not truly immune to fire, but it is more like magic with special properties, where Natsu's fire is stronger, he can completely ignore this effect)
The script-enhanced words acted as chains wrapped around Natsu in an instant, binding his arms to his sides and his legs together. He wobbled for a moment before tipping over, landing on the floor like a sack of potatoes, struggling and squirming impotently.
"LET ME GO! THIS IS CHEATING!" he yelled, his voice muffled by the floor.
But the restraints didn't budge.
He looked like a worm in a jar.
The guild howled with renewed laughter.
"And the winner," Makarov declared, his booming laugh filling the hall, "is Lucky's clone!"
The guild cheered, mugs slamming against tables, the very walls shaking with their merriment.
Lucky just sipped his juice, his smirk unchanging.
The guild cheered.
"LUCKY! LUCKY! LUCKY!"
Natsu, still bound, pouted. "…This is cheating."
The clone leaned down. "No. It's a strategy."
Then he released the restraints.
Natsu stood, dusted himself off, and grinned.
"…You're strong."
Lucky finished his juice. "And you're loud."
Natsu's laugh was bright and unburdened. "Yeah!" He then looked around the guild hall, at the laughing, cheering faces of his new family, at the chaos and the warmth. His smile softened into something genuine and content.
"I think I'm going to like it here."
Which caused everyone to smile happily