Another day, another mess with Fairy Tail. Why does everything always go so wrong?!
"You're the ones who took down our boss, Erigor! Unforgivable! I'll start with you!" Kageyama snarled, his voice dripping with venom.
"Uh… h-how about… you listen to me play a little tune?" Kageyama flashed a practiced fake smile, trying to smooth things over.
Makarov raised his head, squinting suspiciously at Kageyama and the flute in his hand. "That flute gives off bad vibes. You sure you want to play it?"
Kageyama's heart raced with nerves, but he forced a grin. "Don't judge it by its looks! Just listen to the melody, okay?"
Makarov sighed. "I'm busy, so make it quick. One song."
"Alright… listen closely!"
Kageyama caressed the wooden flute, his anxiety melting into a strange calm. Once I play this, everything changes… No more skulking in the shadows as a dark guild, no more hiding in the Iron Forest like sewer rats. He'd live proudly, freely, under the sun. Everything would be different!
"Nothing's going to change!"
Kageyama's head snapped up, meeting Makarov's stern, resolute gaze.
"Weak people stay weak," Makarov said, his voice steady. "But weakness isn't always a bad thing. Humans are inherently fragile creatures."
And so began one of Makarov's signature speeches—whether inherited from some wise predecessor or honed over his long years, it was old-fashioned but carried weight.
"No one survives alone. That's why we have magic guilds, why we have comrades. To live stronger, we lean on each other. Those who struggle to express themselves stumble more, take longer paths. But if you believe in tomorrow and keep moving forward, strength comes naturally, and you can walk on with a smile."
"So, you don't need to rely on some flute, do you?" Makarov's words were warm, like sunlight cutting through the night, a plea for these young souls to find their way to a brighter tomorrow.
It was a nice sentiment, but things didn't go as optimistically as he hoped…
"Damn it! What do you know, you old geezer?!" Kageyama's forehead glistened with sweat, his voice cracking with desperation. His words spilled out, raw and unfiltered, logic thrown to the wind as he vented a lifetime of bitterness. "Comrades? Guilds? All that fancy talk! What good are friends? What good is a guild? Keep going and you'll succeed? Believe in tomorrow and you'll get stronger? I've tried that over and over, and it's gotten me nothing!"
Kageyama's fists clenched as he roared, while Makarov listened quietly.
"This world's just like that! The weak get trampled, and the strong do whatever they want! Magic gives people unimaginable power, but it devours their hearts! Regular guilds, dark guilds—it's all just defined by those with the most power!"
"Why should we be the ones everyone hates, forced to hide like rats in the dark?! I'm done with it!"
Kageyama raised the flute to his lips, channeling all his resentment into a single breath, and blew into Lullaby with everything he had!
Makarov closed his eyes, a trace of regret on his face. Maybe he hadn't expected his tried-and-true speech to fall flat.
But no song rang out. No soul-devouring demon appeared. Instead, the quiet night air was filled with… a series of suggestive moans.
"Ah… ah… yamete…"
Even Makarov, who was no stranger to flirting with the guild's young women, blushed deeply. "…??"
Kageyama's face turned crimson, a mix of shame and fury. "What the hell is going on?!"
He'd poured his heart into that moment, his emotions, his actions, his words—everything set for a grand summoning of a demon to wreak havoc! But this sound?
This was Lullaby?! This was the Curse Song?! Was this how Zeref's creation devoured souls?!
What a joke!
"Looks like you couldn't talk him down, Master," Kira said, stepping out from behind a tree. "Not everyone in this world can see their mistakes and turn things around."
In the original story, Kageyama had faced Natsu, Gray, and the others, and after their fight, he chose to abandon the flute. But this time, without that battle or Natsu's influence, he hadn't turned back.
Not my fault, though.
Makarov's voice trembled slightly. "Kira… that sound…"
"What's that, Master? Don't tell me at your age you're still…" Kira shot him a sly, knowing look. "Guess you really live up to Fairy Tail's reputation, huh?"
"Ahem! That's enough!" Makarov cut him off, flustered. What's this kid getting at? 'Living up to Fairy Tail'? Is that appropriate right now?
Utterly ridiculous!
"You!" Kageyama's eyes locked onto Kira, realization dawning. "It was you! You swapped out Lullaby back then! You played me!"
"Hey, hey, let's not jump to conclusions," Kira said, waving a hand dismissively. "I distinctly remember apologizing to you, and you forgave me!"
Kageyama was speechless. So, from yesterday until now, I've been carrying around… this?!
As the flute's incessant "melody" droned on, Kageyama, overcome with frustration, slammed it to the ground and stomped it to pieces. The night fell silent.
In the distance, Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Lucy stood frozen, cheeks flushed, hands fidgeting, too embarrassed to meet each other's eyes.
Kira, sensing their reactions, chuckled to himself. Just a bunch of hormonal teenagers. Totally normal.
---
Magic Council, ERA
Ten councilors sat around a table, discussing the Iron Forest incident, focusing on the punishment for its members and Fairy Tail's reparations.
Oge, addressing his colleagues, said, "Even if we dealt with Iron Forest, it doesn't solve the root issue. There are still plenty of dark guilds out there. We should wipe them all out!"
"How do we even start?" another councilor asked.
"And what if Zeref's magic pops up again? It's unbearable to think about," another added.
Siegrain, sitting with arms crossed and a calm demeanor, spoke up. "But Fairy Tail, always stirring up trouble, actually did something good this time."
Ultear chimed in, "Taking down an entire dark guild single-handedly? That's impressive!"
The councilors fell silent, some lost in thought, others muttering among themselves.
"I know you don't want to admit it," Siegrain continued, "but it's true. If Lullaby's Curse Song had killed the guild masters, the situation would've been unsalvageable. Some of us here might've lost our heads—literally."
The councilors erupted. "What are you saying? Trying to pin this on us?"
"Outrageous! Those Fairy Tail brats are giving us headaches again!"
Siegrain smirked, unfazed by the old-timers. "Let's face it and give them some credit."
"That Fire Dragon kid, huh? Talented, sure, but his knack for destruction is top-tier," one councilor said.
Oge slapped a damage report from the train station onto the table. "Lucky there weren't many casualties, or this wouldn't be settled so easily."
Another councilor added, "Complaints about Fairy Tail have been piling up from cities everywhere. If we don't rein them in, they'll become as big a problem as a dark guild!"
"And most importantly, they still haven't handed over Lullaby! That thing can't stay in a magic guild's hands—it's too dangerous!"
"Fairy Tail's not exactly the 'responsible storage' type!"
"Send someone to Fairy Tail and make them turn it over!"
One councilor spoke up. "Makarov's a bit of a lecherous old man, but that Kira kid? He's reliable."
"That 'Sage' guy? Yeah, he's a talented wizard. Still young, though—got a long way to go before he's ready to take over from Makarov."
"His reputation's a bit inflated, but give him time, and he might live up to it. Out of all of Fairy Tail, I've got my eye on him."
For some reason, Kira had left a great impression on the council. They couldn't stop singing his praises—an almost unbelievable feat!
The only one not thrilled was Ultear, still smarting from that punch on Galuna Island.