"Hey Maria, what's the difference between a house and a home?" a young boy asked while reading a book, glancing curiously at his elder sister.
The older girl tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
"Hmm… if someone says they have a house to go back to, it means they have a place to stay. But if someone says they have a home to go back to, it doesn't necessarily mean a house. It means they have a place they absolutely love to stay." She grinned as she finished.
The younger boy blinked, tilting his head in confusion, not quite grasping the meaning. His sister just laughed
"You will understand when you are older, you little brat."
She said while rubbing his hair roughly until it stuck up in all directions. The boy pouted in annoyance, unable to fight this evil demoness, but that only made the older girl laugh harder.
Astro felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him from the dream. He opened his eyes to see Erza sitting beside him in the train cabin.
"We're almost at Magnolia," she said quietly.
Astro nodded, pushing the dream to the back of his mind as he straightened up, getting ready to leave the train. The trip from the port to Magnolia had taken quite a while, so when they finally reached Fairy Tail's guild hall, the whole group let out a collective sigh of relief.
"I'm so tired. I don't want to do another S-Class mission—I want to stay in my lane for now," Levy groaned, stretching her arms above her head.
Carrying a massive cart loaded with luggage, Erza nodded. "They're definitely tricky missions. You never know what could happen."
Astro glanced at Shawn, who looked nervous but was trying to keep his face calm and adult-like. Astro chuckled softly.
"Don't worry. Fairy Tail members can get a bit loud, but they're all really nice. They'll accept you—no need to be nervous." Astro reached out and rubbed Shawn's head again.
Shawn looked up speechlessly at the guy who never seemed to miss a chance to mess up his hair. He had just fixed it, too. Still, he didn't push Astro away, just sighed and followed along with Erza and Levy.
Just as Erza was about to open the guild doors, they suddenly burst open from the inside. A pink-haired figure flew out like a cannonball, colliding with Erza and sending her crashing into a nearby wall, where she stuck fast.
"This scene feels familiar," Astro muttered, eyeing the poor house she had smashed into. Judging by the number of repairs on its walls, Astro doubted anyone actually lived there anymore—the owner probably got paid enough in compensation to buy a second house by now.
Shawn stared wide-eyed. Their leader—Erza—had been taken out in an instant. His gaze snapped to the pink-haired man climbing out of the rubble, casually sniffing the air.
"Oh, it's Levy and Astro! You guys are back from the mission. How'd it go?" Natsu asked cheerfully.
Levy still looked frozen in shock at the sight of Erza downed so easily. Astro scratched his head, stepping in to answer.
"We completed it… kind of…"
"Well, that's great! But it's weird—didn't Erza come back with you? Hm… but I smell her scent somewhere…" Natsu tilted his head, crossing his arms in confusion.
Levy and Shawn exchanged a horrified glance. Levy's eyes in particular screamed you're a dead man walking. Astro caught her look and silently agreed.
"Why are you two looking at me like that?" Natsu asked, frowning.
"Nat… su…" a demonic voice rumbled.
Natsu froze, his body flinching on instinct. Slowly, he turned toward the sound, his legs already stepping backward.
In his vision, a red-haired demon emerged, aura blazing, scaring the soul out of him.
"I'm sorry, ma'am! I don't know what I did, but I apologize!" Natsu's survival instincts kicked in, but Erza wasn't buying it.
Her fist came down hard on his head, knocking him out cold. She grabbed him by the leg and began dragging him toward the forest.
"You wanted to fight me a few days ago, right? I'll grant your wish now."
The demonic voice faded, but the three left behind—Astro, Levy, and Shawn—watched in stunned silence, convinced they had just witnessed a live murder.
"Is… is that big brother going to be okay?" Shawn asked nervously, pointing toward the trail Erza had taken.
Levy leaned in front of him with a serious face.
"Listen, Shawn. The guild has an unwritten rule: if you see Erza murdering someone, you look the other way." She nodded firmly, like she was passing down a sacred piece of wisdom.
Astro covered his face with one hand. He was the one who had suggested bringing Shawn here in Fairy tail first, but now he wondered if it had been the right choice. Could this kid really survive in such a wild guild?
Astro's worries turned out to be unnecessary. Everyone in Fairy Tail accepted Shawn almost instantly. Before long, Cana had already pulled him over to a large table, laughing and chatting as if he'd always been part of the guild. Astro kept an eye on them, ready to step in if needed—but he relaxed a little when he saw that Cana wasn't forcing Shawn to drink.
Sitting at the bar, Astro gave Master Makarov a rundown of how the mission had gone, all the while glancing at Shawn from time to time to make sure the boy was doing fine.
Makarov listened quietly, his face thoughtful. When Astro finished, the old master leaned back and crossed his arms.
"I didn't expect this mission to have so many ups and downs… And the fact that there's a dark guild with members strong enough to defeat both you and Erza so easily—that is… troubling."
His voice was calm, but the weight of his words lingered.
"Master…" Astro asked carefully, "do you think they'll come here? To attack Fairy Tail?" He still wasn't certain whether Abyss Hall even knew he and the others had survived the island. But one thing was clear—that guild's name was now in the Council's hands, and that meant sooner or later, they'd be forced out of the shadows.
Astro wanted to warn Makarov, to impress on him just how dangerous Abyss Hall was. But the master didn't look concerned at all. He just waved a hand dismissively, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Let them come, if they want to. I'm not worried." He lifted a heavy mug and downed it in one go before setting it back on the counter with a thud. "I might be old now, but I'm still strong enough to protect all of my children."
Astro looked him for a moment. Makarov's words weren't just bravado—they carried a quiet, immovable strength. For the first time in years, Astro felt something strange deep in his chest, something he hadn't realized he was missing.
Safety. Belonging.
He smiled faintly, the tension in his shoulders easing.
' So this is what a guild feels like… what a home feels like, sis.'
Mira appeared on the other side of the bar, sliding a steaming cup of tea toward him.
"Well, it's good that you all made it back safely at least," she said, her voice laced with subtle worry.
Astro gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "Thanks to Erza. Without her, who knows what would've happened." He didn't bother taking credit for saving the children; in his mind, it was Erza who had saved them all in the end.
Mira paused for just a fraction of a second, her eyes lingering on him, but her smile never wavered. She smoothly shifted the subject.
"By the way… that cloak the kid's wearing—it looks cut and uneven. Is that your old cloak?"
Astro glanced at Shawn across the room, the boy still wearing the rough-cut garment he had given him. Astro himself was now without one, dressed in a fitted purple shirt and black pants instead. The shirt's color drew out the striking shade of his eyes, making him look both more imposing and, more handsome than usual.
Before Astro looked like a mysterious traveller, with the cloak. He is now looking like a young adult that would be popular with girls.
"Yeah, that cloak does suit the kid, doesn't it?" Astro said, showing no regret over losing it—though in truth, he had always been fond of that cloak. His gaze drifted toward Shawn, who was now sitting at a large table beside… a man wearing nothing but underwear.
Astro choked on his tea. He was certain the black-haired wizard had been fully dressed a moment ago.
He blinked, waiting for someone—anyone—to react. But no one even batted an eye. Maybe it's some kind of swimsuit? Like Cana's? Instead of jumping to conclusions, Astro leaned toward Mira.
"Hey… is that black-haired guy okay? Why did he strip down to a swimsuit all of a sudden?"
Mira followed his pointing finger, instantly realizing who he meant.
"Oh, that's Gray. He just got back from a mission a little while before you did. He and Natsu had another fight, so maybe he's cooling down?" she said with casual ease, scanning the room for Natsu.
"Wait—what happened to Natsu?" she asked curiously, tilting her head.
Astro remembered the live kidnapping and near-murder he'd witnessed earlier and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it. But still—isn't it inappropriate to strip down to underw—"
He froze mid-sentence, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Gray was no longer in underwear—he was completely naked.
And still, no one seemed the least bit concerned.
Astro muttered under his breath, "Although Shawn is a boy too, he's still too young to be exposed to this kind of… public indecency." He was already getting ready to storm across the guild hall and drag Shawn away from the disaster.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Mira chuckled, entirely unbothered. She raised her voice. "Gray, your clothes!"
Gray blinked, confused. Then he looked down, let out a horrified yelp, and scrambled to pull his pants back on. "Wait—when did I—?!"
Astro just stared, stunned. This is one of the five protagonists? And he didn't even realize he was naked?! He turned slowly toward Mira, still in disbelief.
"Are you telling me… he didn't even notice?"
"Yup." Mira's smile was almost too cheerful. "That's Gray for you. He's always been like that. You'll get used to it soon."
Astro pinched the bridge of his nose. 'The first protagonist promotes violence, another promotes murder in broad daylight, now this one promotes public indecency… Please, let the other two be normal.'
"I don't want to get used to this," he muttered darkly.
Before he could spiral further, Shawn came bounding over, encouraged by both Cana and the newly re-dressed Gray.
"Shawn is still young, and I have to make sure he doesn't pick up weird habits like that," Astro thought grimly, recalling Gray's earlier… display. He already felt responsible for suggesting Shawn join Fairy Tail. If the boy grew up crooked under his watch, Astro knew he'd never be able to sleep with the guilt.
Shawn, meanwhile, gathered his courage and walked up to the small, old man sitting at the bar table..
"I heard that you are the master. I am Shawn Blendy. I use Ash-Make magic. Can I join the guild?" Shawn asked politely, his voice carrying both nerves and determination.
Master Makarov didn't answer right away. He studied the boy in silence, his sharp eyes softening. Then a grin broke across his face.
"I heard how you went and saved Levy. Why would I refuse you? Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
Raising his mug high, Makarov shouted, "Listen up, everyone! From today, we have a new member—Shawn Blendy! Be sure to welcome him properly!"
The entire guild hall erupted in cheers.
Astro also cheered along with the others, watching Shawn's eyes widen with wonder. For the first time in so long, the boy's gaze shone bright. As the guild swarmed him with welcomes, Astro and a beautiful white-haired lady at the bar motioned for him to come over.
When Shawn sat down on the stool, Astro reached over to ruffle his hair.
"See? Wasn't so hard," Astro said with a smile.
Shawn nodded, still beaming. Mira slid the guild stamp across the counter, her voice gentle.
"I'm Mira. If you ever need help or have questions, you can always come to me. Now… where do you want your guild mark, and which color?"
Shawn froze for a moment, caught off guard. As he was thinking hard, his mind went back to when Astro had shown him his guild mark at the island.
"I want it just below my elbow, on my right arm. Ash color," he said with a grin.
Astro paused mid-sip of his drink, a smile tugging at his lips before he quietly went back to drinking. Mira pressed the stamp down, and just like that, Shawn's new identity as a Fairy Tail wizard was sealed.
Before long, Cana dragged Shawn off for another toast. Astro didn't stop her. It's better if the kid's depression gets drowned out by laughter and noise for now.
From his seat, Master Makarov leaned toward Astro.
"Astro, you're the more reliable one, so I'm asking you to look after the boy until he can look after himself."
Astro looked at him with a raised brow.
"You want me to be his guardian?"
"Exactly. Take care of his basic needs for now. He's still too young. And I don't want him to grow crooked like some other members." Makarov's gaze shifted to Shawn, who was now laughing loudly from Elfman's lap.
Mira, listening from the counter, quietly shuddered. In her mind, she pictured Shawn growing up with Gray's stripping habit, Elfman's endless chants of "man," and Cana's drinking capacity. The thought of the innocent looking boy earlier chugging barrels of alcohol while half-naked and screaming "MAN!" made her break into a cold sweat.
Astro, oblivious to Mira's nightmare scenario, chuckled at the master.
"So you also know those guys aren't exactly… reliable." His voice carried a teasing edge, but he didn't refuse. In truth, he already liked Shawn. He'd always wished for a younger sibling—and now, it felt like he finally had one.
"Well then, that's settled." Makarov lifted his mug again, grinning as he took another swig. Around them, the guild's chaos roared on—laughter, brawls, singing, and the sound of mugs clinking together.
For Shawn, Fairy Tail had just become his new home, although Shawn is still too young to understand the meaning of home.
Astro glanced around at the cheering, drunken chaos of the guild. Everyone was celebrating, but he wasn't in the mood to throw himself into the noise. Quietly, he turned toward the library—maybe he could borrow a book and escape into silence.
But before he could reach the library, Mira stopped him.
"What's your plan for the next few days?" she asked sweetly, her hands folded behind her back.
Astro tilted his head, puzzled by the sudden question. Still, he answered honestly.
"...I'm going to rest for a few days."
Mira's smile widened. "That's perfect. As a thank you for helping me with those numbers last time, tomorrow I'll take you shopping. You need new clothes, and so does Shawn."
Astro blinked at her. Shopping? That was the last thing he wanted to do. He rubbed the back of his neck and replied quietly, "Umm…as I said, I was kind of hoping to just rest for a bit… Miss Mira."
For a moment she said nothing. Then her expression shifted. The smile faded. Her lips trembled. Her eyes shimmered with tears that hadn't even fallen yet, but threatened to at any moment.
Astro nearly dropped his composure right there.
"I—I'll be glad for your help tomorrow," he blurted out, hands raised as if he could ward off her sorrow. "Really, Mira. I'd appreciate it."
The change was instantaneous. Her tears vanished as quickly as they appeared, replaced by a radiant smile.
"Great! Then it's settled. Meet me at the church's door tomorrow morning, nine sharp. Don't forget, Astro." She turned back to her work without so much as a backward glance, leaving him standing in stunned silence.
Astro watched her retreating figure, speechless. His shoulders sagged as realization hit him.
' I remember she pulled the same trick on Loke back then, didn't she? The tearful eyes, the helpless act… and now me too. Unbelievable. How did I fall for that?'
He rubbed his temples and sighed deeply before heading toward the library. "It was too hard to say no to a face like that," he muttered, resigned to his fate.