Gray's expression turned deadly serious as he nodded vigorously. "Exactly! You're so right! I need to get myself some armor like that to make me even stronger!!"
Cana strutted forward, clapping Gray hard on the shoulder and pointing dramatically to the sky with a bold grin. "Well said! Only by arming yourself to the teeth can you, in those critical moments—"
She swung her fist with a flourish, "—deliver a crushing blow to your enemies!"
"So!" Her voice boomed with infectious enthusiasm, "Take on every quest you can! Whether it's slaying monsters, escorting VIPs, or finding lost cats! Do enough, stack up that experience, and the future you—"
She paused for effect, her tone growing even more intense, "—will become unstoppable! The brightest, most badass mage in the guild!"
(Heh, once Gray tackles all those random quests, the guild's rep will skyrocket. Then the big-time slaying missions will roll in, and I'll get to ride his coattails to greatness!)
Gray was practically buzzing with motivation, the words "get stronger" flashing in his mind like a neon sign. He nodded fiercely, ready to storm the quest board and dive into action—
"This is Fairy Tail!"
A familiar, warm voice rang out from the guild's entrance.
"Strawberry cake! Wait, no—the guild master!!" Cana's eyes sparkled as she whipped around to face the door.
There stood Master Makarov, his short frame unmistakable, accompanied by an unfamiliar boy.
The boy had a wild mop of cherry-pink hair and a loosely wrapped white checkered scarf around his neck. His sharp, slightly upturned eyes darted around, taking in the guild with a mix of excitement and a subtle urgency.
"Gramps, this is the guild?" the boy asked, his voice bright and friendly. "Where's that Roger guy? Can he help me find Igneel?"
"It's Roger!" Kagura corrected loudly, her tone protective. "Roger's at the training grounds out back right now. He'll be here later. Are you looking for someone too?"
"Not a person," the boy shook his head, dead serious. "Igneel's a dragon! He raised me! But he just… vanished a while ago." His face fell, a mix of sadness and confusion.
The area near the guild entrance went silent for a few seconds. Cana dug a finger in her ear, thinking she'd misheard. "Uh… did I hear that right? You said you were raised by… a dragon?!"
"Yup!" The boy puffed out his chest, beaming with pride. "Igneel's not just any dragon—he's a super awesome fire dragon!"
"His flames can wipe out a whole mountain in a second, and I learned his magic—Fire Dragon Slayer Magic!" He waved a small fist, brimming with confidence.
"Dragon Slayer Magic!" Cana and Kagura gasped in unison. The same kind of magic as Laxus! But this kid's magic power… it felt so weak! A thought flashed through Cana's mind: Maybe he learned some trick from the dragon to hide his magic power, and he's actually crazy strong!
"Pfft, yeah right," Gray scoffed, hands in his pockets, clearly unimpressed. "A dragon? Those are just legends. Nobody's seen one in forever, and one raising a kid? Come on, at least make your story believable."
He sized up the boy. "And with that level of magic power? Tsk, doesn't exactly scream 'Dragon Slayer' to me."
"What'd you say?!" The boy's temper flared instantly. His clenched fists burst into orange-red flames, roaring to life.
He glared at the black-haired boy in front of him like an enraged cub. "You're mocking the magic Igneel taught me?!"
"Let's see how you like this!"
"Oh yeah?" Gray smirked, goading him with a taunting wave of his fingers. Wisps of icy mist swirled from his palm, the air around them dropping a few degrees. "Bring it on, hotshot. Let's see what you've got!"
Thwack! Thwack!
Two sharp knuckle-raps landed simultaneously on Gray and the boy's heads.
"Ow!!" Both clutched the instant lumps on their skulls, tears welling up as they spun to face the culprit.
"What was that for?!"
"Erza, why'd you hit me?!"
Erza stood with her hands on her hips, her stern face radiating authority. "No fighting inside the guild! You want to brawl? Take it to the training grounds out back!"
The boy's anger shifted to Erza, his flaming fists now aimed at her. "Hmph! Fine! I'll take you down first, then deal with that droopy-eyed jerk!"
Cana and Kagura gasped, covering their mouths in unison. Is this guy nuts?! Challenging Erza?!
Just as the boy's hotheadedness propelled him toward Erza, Makarov's voice cut through. "Alright, alright, settle down."
He stepped up beside the boy, patting his back. "He's telling the truth—he uses a lost magic, Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. Natsu, why don't you introduce yourself to everyone?"
Hearing the guild master vouch for his magic, the boy's anger melted into smug pride. He threw his head back, flashing a wide, slightly goofy grin, and declared loudly:
"I'm Natsu! Natsu Dragneel! Trained by Igneel himself, I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer… uh… mage!"
He faltered briefly on the term, but to regain his momentum, he jabbed a finger at Gray, the guy who'd ticked him off the most. "Hmph! A droopy-eyed guy like you? Igneel's magic could take down a dozen of you, no sweat!"
">=<# Oh, really?" Gray's temper flared right back.
He flashed a mocking grin, not backing down. "Big talk for a guy with those squinty eyes! Let's see if you can back it up!"
His thumb jerked toward the training grounds. "You game to settle this right now? Let's let our strength do the talking!"
Natsu slammed his left fist into his right palm with a loud smack, his face alight with battle-hungry excitement. "You're on! Don't come crying when you lose!"
"Big words. Let's see you try!" Gray snorted, turning and stalking toward the back.
Natsu charged after him, the two marching side by side like rival roosters, neither giving an inch as they stormed out the back door.
"Whoa! A fight! A fight!"
"The new guy's challenging Gray!"
"Let's go watch!"
The other guild members perked up, buzzing with excitement as they flooded toward the training grounds.
Erza stepped up beside Makarov, watching Natsu's fearless back with a hint of concern. "Master, letting Gray fight him… won't that crush Natsu's confidence?"
Makarov clasped his hands behind his back, his wrinkled face breaking into a kind yet mischievous smile as he strolled after them. "Don't worry, Erza. That kid, Natsu… he's not so easily broken."
"Sometimes, when fire meets ice, it burns even brighter."