The wooden doors of the Fairy Tail guild creaked open with a sharp bang!
Inside, laughter, clattering mugs, and the occasional explosion filled the hall. But all that came to an abrupt stop when a certain pink-haired mage, fists already blazing with fire, mistook the silhouette in the doorway.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
A blazing punch smashed into Astro's face before he even had a chance to say hello. His head jerked slightly from the impact, but he didn't budge, standing still like a statue as the flames licked harmlessly across his cheek.
The guild hall went dead quiet.
"…Huh?" Natsu blinked, pulling his hand back and sniffing the air., " You're not Gray."
Natsu sheepishly took back his hand, and said, "Sorry sorry, you have the same hair color as him, I thought he finally came back from the mission."
Astro's expression went blank. Gray? Black hair? He slowly turned to face the idiot with pink hair, fire still crackling at his knuckles.
"…Black hair is pretty common in this world, right?" Astro muttered under his breath. "Don't tell me this maniac goes around punching every black-haired guy he sees…"
He sighed, deciding not to escalate things on his first step into the guild. "I'm Astro Blackmist. I came looking for Guild Master here."
Natsu scratched his head before introducing himself. "I am Natsu Dragneel." Then, lowering his voice, he squinted at Astro nervously. "Wait… you're not… a council member, are you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire guild who were eavesdropping gasped in unison. Chairs screeched against the floor as chaos ensued, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"A… council member?!"
"Oi, oi! Why would one of them come here?!"
"But I only destroyed three buildings this time, way less than before. "
Astro blinked, utterly confused.
Just to be sure, he glanced back at the massive flag above the doorway, the words FAIRY TAIL stitched proudly across it. Nope, does not look like a dark guild.
"Oi, Natsu, you idiot!" a sharp voice boomed from inside.
An old man stomped up onto the bar counter, glaring down at the chaos with a tankard in hand. "Obviously he's too young to be a council member, you blockhead!"
The entire guild let out a collective sigh of relief.
Astro's gaze shifted to the small old man with short white hair, and eyes that twinkled with both humor and authority.
"That's him," Astro realized. So tiny… but he's definitely stronger than anyone I've ever met—other than that demon.
The old man raised his drink lazily. "I'm Makarov Dreyar. Guild master of Fairy Tail. Come in, boy."
Astro stepped forward, his boots echoing on the wooden floor until he reached the bar. He bowed slightly. "I'm Astro blackmist. I know I look young, but I'm already eighteen."
Makarov's brow twitched. "Eighteen, huh…? That's old enough to join the Magic Council. You're not secretly one of them, are you?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Astro froze, staring blankly at the old man. Does this guild have some hidden trauma related to the council?!
Astro took a deep breath, and said, "I heard about this guild from my father, Arthur Verina. He said he was a member of the guild and always spoke fondly of this place…after he and my mother passed away, I travelled through the continent and came here to join Fairy tail."
The air shifted. Makarov's eyes widened slightly, and the noise in the guild seemed to fade. For the first time since Astro had stepped through the doors, the master's usually carefree expression softened with memory.
"…So you're his son, yes you have the same eyes as him too.." Makarov murmured. He set his mug down and leaned back, eyes distant. "He was with us for a long time. A very dependable mage, always ready to throw himself into danger for his comrades. You have no idea how many times I had to scold him for his recklessness."
A ripple of whispers went through the guild. A few older members nodded, recalling the name, while the younger ones leaned in curiously wanting to learn more about an older generation member.
Makarov chuckled faintly, though his tone carried a hint of nostalgia. "But after one mission, everything changed. He met a woman from another kingdom—fell in love with her. Fool left Fairy Tail and went to her homeland, married her there."
The old man's eyes glistened as he smiled faintly. "We never saw him in person again… but he wrote letters to me every few months. Told me about the quiet life he was building, about the woman he adored… and about a boy he was raising. He even mentioned having a kid."
Silence fell over the guild. The usual raucous atmosphere was smothered in an instant.
After a long moment, Makarov started studying him, his expression unreadable. Then, suddenly, his lips broke into a grin.
"Alright I agree, From today on, you are also a member of Fairy tail."
"E-Eh?!" Astro blinked, completely baffled. "Just like that?!"
"Of course!" Makarov roared, leaping up onto the bar counter with surprising agility for his size. "If you're his son, then you're family. And if you're family, then you belong here!"
The silence shattered. The guild exploded into cheers and laughter, mugs raised high.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
"He is so handsome !"
"Shut up, you old hag.. He is too young for you."
Astro just stared, speechless. This… is the guild?
"Come here." Mira smiled, beckoning him closer with a stamp in her hand. "What color do you want your guild mark, and where?"
Astro thought for a moment before pulling up his sleeve. "Purple, just below my elbow."
She pressed the mark into his skin, the faint glow fading into a perfect symbol. She tilted her head, smiling warmly. "It suits you. It matches your eyes, too."
Astro glanced at the mark, then back at her, and offered the faintest smile. "…Thanks."
"Alright!" Makarov shouted, already tipsy. "Now, newbie! What kind of magic do you use?"
Astro blinked. "…Shouldn't you have asked that before letting me join?"
The guild laughed, but he answered anyway. "I'm a Devil Slayer. Specifically… a Sky Devil Slayer."
The hall froze.
Then chaos.
"A Devil Slayer?!"
"Oh-ho! We've got one of those now!"
"Even the Phantom Lord doesn't have a Devil Slayer, haha!"
"Wait, what's a Sky Devil Slayer? Does that mean he eats… the sky? Like Natsu eats fire?"
Astro sweatdropped, staring at the guild members in disbelief. Slowly, he turned to Natsu, who now with a weird cat-like animal beside him was munching on a piece of roasted meat. "How… do you eat sky? Do you fly there and take a bite? "
"…I eat wind," Astro replied, deciding to correct any misunderstanding, before any rumors can fly., "and it replenishes my magic and makes me more powerful.."
The cat beside Natsu blinked, and asked "…Isn't that just… breathing? Also why not just call yourself the Wind Devil Slayer."
Astro opened his mouth to retort, froze, and then shut it again. "…Well—"
He was so speechless that he did not even wonder why and how the cat was talking.
Makarov's expression on the side suddenly grew serious, his small eyes narrowing as he stroked his moustache.
"I remember Porlyusica once telling me… Sky Magic is a lost magic now. It could heal wounds, cure disease, even dispel abnormal effects."
The guild buzzed instantly.
"Wait—seriously?"
"That sounds so useful!"
"Oi, oi, d'you think it can make me thin again?"
"You're not sick," someone shot back dryly. "You're just fat."
"WHY YOU—?!"
"Shut it, idiots. Let him show us!"
All eyes turned to Astro.
He tapped his chin, considering for a moment, then his gaze wandered across the guild hall—landing on Natsu, who had just finished shoving food into his mouth. Beside him, the blue cat still nibbled happily on a fish.
Astro crouched slightly, addressing the Exceed politely.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Happy!" the cat chirped, tail wagging.
"Happy, can I borrow your friend for a bit?"
Happy paused mid-bite, narrowing his little eyes. "…Sure. But it'll cost you one fish."
Astro smirked. "Deal. You'll have it by tonight."
Before anyone could react, Astro suddenly drove his fist squarely into Natsu's face. The Dragon Slayer yelped and fell backward, clutching his cheek. The entire guild froze in shock.
"What the hell was that for?!" Natsu roared, half-rising.
But Astro calmly extended his palm, placing it just before Natsu's face. A gentle purple light bloomed from his hand, soft yet potent, wrapping around the bruise. Within seconds, the swelling vanished, the pain melted away. Natsu blinked, touching his cheek in disbelief.
"The Sky Devil's healing," Astro explained, his tone steady. "It can do everything this Porlyusica person said, and a bit more. It works like medicine, restoring the body. But just like medicine, it's no miracle. If used too often—especially the enchantment effects—people grow dependent on it. Not to mention, eventually, it stops working for them."
The guild murmured in awe.
"That's still amazing…"
"A devil slayer that can use healing magic as well? That's insane…"
Makarov nodded sagely, stroking his moustache. "Heh. Then I don't need to drag myself to Porlyusica anymore. Finally, someone actually reliable in the guild!"
He lifted his mug high. "To our new healer!"
The hall erupted into cheers. But Natsu still sat cross-legged on the floor, puffing his cheeks angrily—until Astro casually picked up a chunk of roasted meat from the bar table and shoved it into his mouth. Instantly, the boy's fury fizzled, replaced by bliss as he chewed.
Astro, ignoring the chaos, made his way over to Mira at the bar, the only person he labeled as normal in the whole guild so far.. She was smiling softly, as if watching the scene through a lens of familiarity.
"…Is it always this rowdy?" he asked, arching a brow.
Mira only smiled wider, offering no words but confirming everything with that gentle look.
"Do you want a drink too?", Mira asked back instead.
Astro sighed as he sat down. He turned his gaze back to the hall, watching the wildest, noisiest, most ridiculous guild he had ever seen in his life. For a moment, he thought about slipping out. Then… he paused.
"I guess…a little drink won't hurt."
Mira chuckled softly, the sound almost drowned by the laughter and chaos echoing through the hall. She reached for a bottle, quickly filling a glass with a practiced grace.
"Here," she said warmly, her smile as bright as the light spilling through the guild windows. "Welcome to Fairy Tail. My name's Mirajane Strauss. I work here as the barmaid and receptionist. Everyone just calls me Mira. You should too."
"Astro Blackmist," Astro replied with a faint but genuine smile. Behind him, loud voices overlapped in a mess that somehow carried a strange harmony. Bit by bit, as he drank, Astro let himself take it in—the wild, noisy heartbeat of Fairy Tail.