A.N. Teninishigen and I decided to improve upon chapter one of the story, and make it more hooking and interesting.

I always wondered what would happen after I died.

Would I fade away into nothingness, gone as if I were never there at all? Would there be a judgement - would I be faced with the culmination of my actions on Earth and have my fate decided that way? Would there be a Heaven? A Hell?

Thoughts like those were enough to keep me up at night, so I tried to think about other things - lively things, active things. I didn't need to spend my life scared to death, after all.

No, no one likes to think about death.

So of course, when I hit the end of the line, it was the last thing on my mind.

It was an accident - a car crash to be specific, the same event that kills thousands of people around the world each year. A death like that didn't seem quite so amusingly cliché when I looked back on it; a moment of distraction, a glance away as I was shifting lanes, then the sound of a horn an instant before the world started screaming and my senses became less than useless.

People say your life flashes before your eyes when you come close to death. Well, I don't know about that - but all I saw was a the world turned upside down, then a cloud of glass, asphalt and metal fragments.

It was almost beautiful - then all of it hit my eyes, and I lost any chance of appreciating it further.

By the time the car came to rest, I was already too far gone to feel relief. I was almost disconnected from the agony which enveloped me; blinded, with a sharp ringing in my ears and blood pooling in my throat - and the new, yet unmistakable sensation of my life flowing away.

It wasn't a quick death - neither was it peaceful, nor was there anyone with me to soothe it.

I died alone and in pain, trapped and deprived of my senses in the cage of glass and metal made by my own hand. Seventeen years of life - ended in the time it took for my body to finish turning off the lights and for my brain to lock up on its way out.

The story was written up by the next day; a picture, taken during a recent school event, depicted a young, caucasian man with blond hair and bright blue eyes, grinning at the camera.

HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CLAIMS LIFE OF YOUNG DRIVER

Late yesterday evening on the highway near ********, David Robinson (17), pictured above, was killed in a collision with another driver. David, who was set to begin his final year of education after summer break, was running an errand for his parents when the tragedy occurred…

...a great loss, and a stark reminder of the dangers involved with driving. We here at the *** Newspaper wish the Robinsons the best in these trying times.

I always believed I was set for a life of mediocrity - one more 5'11 blond with blue eyes; an 'average joe'.

Well, I never did get to living that life of mediocrity - maybe that was some kind of blessing in disguise...or maybe that was just an insult.

To myself or the living? Hell if I know.

I certainly wasn't among that number; not judging by the infinite black expanse that had replaced my reality.

I wasn't sure if my senses were working or not; there was no stimulus in the black. There was nothing grand, hellish or judgemental about it - it was actually kind of soothing; that this was a place where everyone, whether they be some great martyr or just someone like me, could be equal.

Compared to everything I had thought this place might be...this wasn't so bad.

Still, with nothing to do but think to myself, I ended up considering my surroundings more. Was this the only afterlife? Or was it maybe limbo - a space between, for people neither evil enough for Hell or good enough for Heaven?

An average space for an average person…

Maybe that was it. Maybe this was my fate; to hang here in the void, alone with my thoughts for all eternity - an existence defined by talking to myself with no voice.

'...You know what? Now that I'm getting over the whole 'dying' thing, this place fucking sucks. I already feel like I'm going crazy...fucking hell, I STARTED TALKING TO MYSELF ALREADY!'

The more my thoughts returned to their usual progression as whatever system I was running from recovered from the shock it had taken, the more of an effect I found the space around me having.

For a place with nothing in it, it was really getting to me. I don't even know how long it's been - hours, maybe? Or just minutes?

'What I'd give for something el-'

IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LIVE AGAIN...WOULD YOU TAKE IT?

'Wait...there's someone else here? I can hear them?'

YOU DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE ALONE, DID YOU?

'What the Hell reason would I have to think there was anyone else here? Besides...this place got to me.'

YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST SOUL UNSETTLED BY THIS PLACE - NOR SHALL YOU BE THE LAST.

'I suppose I should be grateful - having someone else around seems to stop me going crazy.'

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRATITUDE. HOWEVER, MY QUESTION REQUIRES AN ANSWER, IF YOU CAN EXERCISE THAT HARD-WON SANITY OF YOURS.

'A chance to live again, huh? Well of course I'd take a chance like that - I'd do it in a second, even!'

WELL IN THAT CASE, YOU FULFIL MY REQUIREMENTS.

'...So, you're going to give me another chance at life - just because I want it?'

NOT PRECISELY.

'There's always a catch, isn't there?'

ALWAYS. THERE IS BALANCE IN ALL THINGS - EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE, AS YOU KNOW IT.

'Well, let's hear it then.'

THE CONDITION OF YOUR RETURN TO THE LIVING WOULD BE A...CHANGE OF VENUE. A NEW LIFE IN A NEW WORLD, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE END OF A LIFE IN YOUR OLD WORLD.

'That's fine - send me there then.'

THIS MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU ANTI...WAIT, PARDON?

'I'm down; send me there.'

YOU ACT WITH GREAT HASTE FOR SUCH A WEIGHTY DECISION. DO YOU NOT WISH TO HEAR THE DETAILS OF THE NEW WORLD YOU WOULD INHABIT?

'Well, I'm hardly going to say no; that'd be fucking stupid.'

YOU ARE...A RATHER CONTRADICTORY PERSON.

'Sorry - that happens when I get excited.'

HM. IN ANY CASE, YOUR NEW HOME WILL BE A WORLD OF MAGIC AND-

'It's Harry Potter, isn't it?'

...NO, IT IS NOT.

'Highschool DxD?'

NO.

'Fairy Tail?'

N...YES.

'Nice! Can I get some sweet magic? Like Dragon Slayer Magic? Oh, or what about God Slayer? Even Gravity would be epic - or hell, something like Wood Magic; then I could be like Hashirama…'

TO PETITION FOR A GIFT OF SUCH POWER ATOP THAT OF A NEW LIFE WOULD BE TO OVERREACH THE BALANCE OF YOUR DEATH. YOU SHALL RECEIVE A GIFT OF MAGIC, BUT IT WILL BE UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT POWERFUL.

'Aw, c'mon man…'

ALLOW ME TO SIMPLIFY THIS - NO.

'I'd be sighing right now if I had lungs...but fine.

'Still...thank you, for this. From the bottom of my heart man, just...thank you for this chance. There's no way I could ever repay you for this.'

MAKE NO MENTION OF IT.

'Alright - but, before you do...whatever you're gonna do...just who are you, anyway?'

THERE ARE AS MANY ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION AS CAN BE CONCEIVED OF IN THE MINDS OF MAN AND AS MANY AGAIN AS THAT VALUE TO ITS OWN POWER. HOWEVER, THE SIMPLEST ANSWER WOULD BE 'GOD'.

'...Okay, in retrospect, probably should've seen that one coming. You do this for everyone who dies?'

NOT EVERY SOUL - AND NOT EVEN EVERY SOUL WHICH PASSES THROUGH THIS PLANE. HOWEVER, EVERY SOUL GETS ONE ACT OF DIVINE INTERVENTION IN YOUR LIFETIME; THIS, LATE AS IT MAY BE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, IS YOURS.

'...Wait, so where were you when I was about to die then?'

...THERE IS A SAYING AMONG HUMANS WHICH APPLIES HERE. 'FAITH CAN MAKE A SOUL IMMORTAL - BUT KEEPING A MAN ALIVE IS KEVLAR'S JOB.'

'...But how does that ap-'

LIFE

In an instant, everything that I had felt grind to a stop in myself seemed to come back online. My lungs drew in air, my heart started pumping blood, I could feel the clothes on my body and grass beneath my head and the backs of my hands.

The sound of birds and wind in plants reached my ears, along with the smell of earth and some unknown pollen.

And finally, I opened my eyes, squinting as I adjusted to the sunlight, and looked out upon my new world.

And I saw that it was good.

'Well, now I know what it's like to lose all sensation in agonizing slowness and what it's like to gain it all back in an instant. Lets hope I never have to relive either of those.'

As I sat up, I considered myself, deciding that I didn't really feel that bad for a dead man living. All of me was present and accounted for, clothes included; probably a perk of being dimensionally shuffled by God himself.

So this was the reality of being 'reborn', huh? I hadn't really been thinking about how it would work or anything - I'd just latched onto the idea of getting out of that limbo.

Christ...this had actually just happened. I died, and now I'd been reborn into fucking Fairy Tail.

...It's almost funny. I knew people who would have killed for the opportunity that had just landed in my lap, but...in some ways, now that I have it, it just doesn't quite seem worth it.

Of course it's exciting - a whole new world to explore, magic to learn, people to meet; a second chance to make something of myself...

But it had sure cost a lot.

All my friends - would any of them miss me? And my family...oh, God, my parents. How are they going to take getting a call from the police telling them I got myself killed?

Will they break down, or will they keep moving forward and get over it?

...Will they even remember me?

'Dammit, of course they will! My friends and family - they'll definitely remember me, they'll definitely miss me! I'm sure of it!

'...I'm sure…'

I grit my teeth as I drew my legs back to my chest, resting my forehead on my knees. There was a catch in my throat and a thickness in my chest that made it hard to breathe, and I had to close my eyes against the light that suddenly seemed too bright.

'Cause I couldn't even convince myself.

Who would remember me? Fucking hell, I was only seventeen when I died; I had a whole life ahead of me and so many things to accomplish and I fucking blew it.

And it wasn't just myself I'd screwed over - the guy in the car I hit; had he survived? I mean, the crash killed me, so what's to say he survived? Even if he did, what kind of shape must he be in?

Did he have a family of his own? What was his life like? Had he accomplished everything he wanted to do? Would he be able to look back on his life and say he was happy with it?

I doubted it. And because I didn't fucking look, I'd almost certainly killed a man and ruined the lives of his family - all as my last act on Earth.

'This second chance of mine...should definitely have been his.'

That was about the point where I started crying. And not those manly, stoic tears you see in action movies; I just started bawling my eyes out and wailing in the middle of a strange forest in a new world, freeing everything that had been accumulating since the moment I crashed to the open air.

'I guess it's okay for me to cry - people always say that you shouldn't bottle things up, that it's bad for you…

'But I just know that this is going to stay with me for as long as I live this time.'

Still - that was no excuse for me to stop functioning completely. I'd remember - I would always remember - but I had a second chance to make use of, and I needed to get started.

Wiping my face of the tears and other things that had coated it during my breakdown, I gathered my legs beneath me and stood up, turning in a circle to try and get my bearings.

Forest. Nothing but leafy green forest for as far as the eye could see.

Great.

This was just the perfect place for me to start my time here. All alone in an unknown forest, unknown to anyone in this world. Just myself, my wits and the magic I had been promised.

I clicked my teeth. 'How fucking cliché...this is just the type of romanticism that I'd expect from a fanfiction.'

Sighing, I stuffed my hands in my pockets, looking around again. "Dammit, where do I even start?"

Feeling frustrated, I spotted a rock in the grass near my foot and tried to kick it for some relief.

I missed - the kick whiffed completely, passing above the stone.

I glared at the rock like it had insulted me, taking another swing.

This time my strike passed within half a centimetre of its side but still missed.

"Fucking really?!" I hissed, trying to reduce the stone to dust with my eyes.

It just sat there among the grass - silent, unmoving.

Mocking me.

"Fuck you!" I declared, bringing my foot back and channelling my anger into the next kick -

There was a loud crack, a flare of blue light, and my foot connected with the stone in less time than it took me to blink, sending the stone rocketing off over the forest canopy and into the great blue yonder.

I had just enough time to register that and my subsequent surprise before all the momentum in my leg dragged it to the limit of its joint and physics dragged me off my planted foot and half a foot into the air before it dropped be down on my back with a thump.

I lay in the grass for the second time in as many minutes, blinking to myself as I processed.

'...Well, I guess that was my magic.'

I could feel something...different, after using it for the first time. Starting at my core, right below my sternum, a sensation radiated through my body. It pulsed like a heartbeat; powerful as if I'd been exercising hard, but without the fatigue - instead, it brought a sense of invigoration, a comforting energy.

Focussing on it, I felt like a million dollars.

...Or Jewels, rather.

It was odd though - instead of giving me a feeling like I could take on the world, it was actually...kind of humbling.

'Meh, screw it - it feels amazing one way or another!'

Still, how was I supposed to use it? I'd already triggered it once before, but I wasn't really sure how that had happened. I could feel it, but I didn't know how to tap into it.

'Without the knowledge to use it, power is practically useless.' I was fairly sure Darkseid was the one who said that...or, did I have the saying backward?

Fuck it, never mind, on with the practice.

I stood up, brushing myself off before starting to think.

I had seen many imaginings of how magic is accessed and used, from mental imagery triggering the power itself to stress, trauma or sheer necessity bringing it to the surface and letting the user access it from that point onward.

But there was something about my case that seemed different from the other cases I knew of. Namely, I could actually feel the magic in my body, rather than only being able to it feel when I was actively using it.

'Hmm. Some Fairy Tail fanfictions have likened magic to being a kind of organ; or at least, they've said that there's an organ-type-thing that allows people to use magic - I think the show called it a magical container… A lot of people have described it as an 'organ' that gets stronger the more it is used.'

Yeah, that sounded like the description from the show.

Still, that being said, it would be much easier to just talk about magical theory than actually put any of it to the test.

'Well - let the testing begin, I guess.'

Seven Minutes Later

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT, THIS IS BULLSHIT!"

Alright, so admittedly, testing only lasted until I got frustrated and started throwing a fit.

I'd started with the imagery idea - and I'd tried to make it work, I really had.

But you see, the problem with that is figuring out what image strikes a chord with you and the magic you happen to possess...something which made me think that learning a specific type of magic would be much easier than just trying to figure out a magic you already possessed.

'Lucky me.'

Going by what I'd read, the image that would work for you would relate in some way to the magic you possess. Unfortunately, since I didn't actually know what kind of magic I had, the process was about as difficult for me as it could be.

All I really knew about my magic was that it made my kick stronger and that it gave off light when I used it - and that was really fucking generic.

So, none of the images I tried ended up working, and when I started trying other ways to make my magic work (hopefully the pain from those contortions I did trying JoJo poses would stop hurting soon…) they all yielded similar results.

I grabbed either side of my head, letting out a keening, frustrated scream from between my teeth. 'Dammit, this is so frustrating! Why can this just be one of this clichéd fanfics where I instantly know what my magic is and how to use it perfectly?!'

I wanted to use magic, dammit…

I let out a sigh. 'Back to the imagery, I suppose.'

So far, every image I had tried would relate to a certain type of magic - trees and plants, lakes and oceans, tornados and hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes, wildfires and weapons.

But...nothing that was really focussed on the feeling of my magic.

'This actually might be a good idea.'

Closing my eyes, I focussed on what I could only assume was my magical container, and concentrated on trying to drew more of that pulsing energy from it; on filling myself from scalp to toe with magic.

There were a few seconds where nothing happened at all - then something clicked, and I could feel a strange kind of resistance.

I furrowed my brow and tried to concentrate harder on that resistance, feeling it lessen with each passing second - until I passed some kind of threshold and the glowing core I had envisioned suddenly exploded until life, filling me in moments.

My eyes snapped open, and I found that the world had taken on an electric blue tint; then, glancing downwards, I discovered it came from the flare of identically coloured light that had enveloped my body.

Just seeing it, I could feel the sensation which had been resisting me before do a complete heel-turn; rather than holding itself back, it was raring to go, almost urging me to use it.

In fact, I felt like running - standing still was getting more and more difficult.

So, I started to run forward - and in an instant, I figured out exactly what kind of magic I possessed.

Everything around me turned into blurring streaks as I pushed off, yet I could still perceive what was in front of me as the trees rushed forward, giving me time to weave in and out of them despite having reached a speed I thought a plane would be hard-pressed to match.

It was scary, just how damn fast I was travelling - too scary, since it was enough to distract me as I shot past the forest's edge only seconds after I started running, and I wasn't paying enough attention to dodge a large root.

As I hung in the air for a split second, halfway through a somersault with the ground rushing towards my face, I had just enough time for one thought. 'Oh fuck me, this is going to hurt like hell.'

The crash sound and resulting dust plume from my faceplant was probably heard upwards of a mile away - though the sound of my broken heart and shattered pride were probably adding to the decibels.

"OH COME ON! HIGH-SPEED MAGIC? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! THE LEAST POWERFUL, LEAST INTERESTING, MOST LIMITED MAGIC IN THE ENTIRE FUCKING SERIES? OF ALL THE POWERS I COULD HAVE HAD, I GOT THE SAME MAGIC AS ONE OF LEVY'S FANBOYS?!"

The sky, grass, trees and crater I was ranting to didn't seem all that interested in what I had to say, or very sympathetic - but I was pissed off beyond all imagining, and goddamn it someone was gonna listen!

Still, after five minutes of nigh-constant raging where I almost forgot to breathe a couple of times, I finally calmed down enough to start looking at the situation a little more clearly.

Going over it, it didn't really seem like I had the exact same magic as Jet - and if I what I had planned worked out, then the situation would be flipped completely on its head.

Sliding my eyes closed once more, I reached for the pulse of my magic, bringing it to the surface once more - but this time, I tried to gather it, to shepard it where I wanted it to focus...in particular, my eyes and brain.

There was a touch of resistance, but it was nearly insignificant and certainly wasn't enough to stop the magic as it flowed from my container up into my head, all the energy which had gathered below my skin pooling in the area I had been focussing on. I opened my eyes…

And in an instant, the difference between Jet's magic and mine was obvious.

The world I saw had slowed to a crawl - almost closer to stopped than to moving. The grass in the field and the leaves in the trees, which had been swaying in a light breeze, were shifting almost too slowly for me to see.

'It's just like I hoped - my magic's way better than High-Speed Magic.'

My test had proved that, rather than just making me move faster, my magic could 'speed up' any part of myself that I focussed. I could speed up my perception of time - essentially allowing myself to observe the world in slow motion - by empowering my brain and eyes with magic to increase my rate of thought and the speed of my eyes' functions.

Plus, apparently there was at least some kind of in-built safety measure, since I wasn't at all familiar with how brains or eyes functioned, and yet I hadn't managed to make either of them liquify or explode with my testing.

'It's a bit surprising that I got this power…' I thought to myself, dropping my focus and feeling my magic slow its pulsing and retreat back into my container, curling in on itself like a resting animal. 'I mean, what were the odds I'd get a magic so similar to that one shot I wrote so long ago?'

The power was that the user could control the speed of various aspects of the user's body, with the potential to later develop control of the surroundings' speed as well.

Still - there was a major difference between my power and the one I wrote about. Namely, that one was magic, and the other was a Devil Fruit.

I had no idea how the powers would translate considering the differences in the mechanics of One Piece and Fairy Tail; would I slow myself down as well as speed myself up? Could I affect things other than myself, or could I learn to?

Well, those were questions for later.

'Well, I've got at least a handle on my magic now.' I decided. 'I suppose the next thing I should do is figure out just when and where the Hell I am-'

"GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

My train of thought was violently derailed when a deafening roar echoed out from the forest I had exited minutes before - and just for the record, I definitely did not jump ten feet into the air scared out of my mind.

Definitely.

'Oh God, what the hell was that?! Was it some kind of monster? Jesus, I'm not ready to face a genuine monster straight out of Fairy Tail! I only just figured out my magic for fuck's sake!'

I wasn't some kind of absolute powerhouse like Natsu 'Plot Armor' Dragneel; Hell, I wasn't even a fighter!

But before I could sink deeper into my panic, the source of the noise made its appearance, bounding out from beneath the forest's canopy and into the sunlight.

It was massive - at least double my height when it stood up straight, with a shoulder width that probably equalled my height. It was humanoid - or, more accurately, simian, since it had a tail like a python waving behind it; with arms like tree trunks long enough to press on the ground even when it was only leaning over a little, and somewhat less developed legs that ended in five-fingered feet.

The fur covering it almost entirely save for its hands, feet, face and chest muscles was all fire-engine red, while the exposed skin was white. There were two heart shapes on the outside of each of its biceps, coloured black, while a black line bisected its face from ear to ear across the bridge of its nose.

And what a face.

Its chin was roughly the same length as its thin face, extending to a good two-thirds of the way down its pecs. The eyes were a pure white with no pupils, while it had no eyebrows but the ridges above its eyes looked closer to bone than flesh. Its ears were even longer than its chin, angling out to either side of its head in points like horns or a weird parody of an elf.

And protruding from the top of its head was a horn that looked a bit like a dunce's cap.

It was a really fucking weird thing to see - but I was focussed less on how weird it was and more on how goddamn ripped it was with pectorals and abs that looked like they wouldn't be out of place as tank armour.

Still, that kinda made sense - Forest Vulcans were noted for their exceptional strength.

Looking at it, I swallowed hard, feeling sweat beading on my forehead. WIth my newly-discovered Speed magic and little to no fighting experience, there was no way I could beat a creature like that. The best option available to me was to just run - yeah, that would be the best decision. If I activated my magic and just went, I'd be sure to lose it. Just because it was red didn't mean it was fas…

Wait - red?

'No...no, that's not right; Forest Vulcans are supposed to have green fur - so then why the hell is this one red? Did it dye its fur or something…? No, Vulcans are dumb as hell, so what the hell-?'

Something clicked in my brain. 'Oh no…'

Vulcans - a species known for their ability to possess other living creatures through the use of a natural type of Take-Over magic.

A Forest Vulcan that looked this different almost definitely must have used Take-Over on something or someone...and their host would be gone forever if the Vulcan was allowed to keep using their body.

I idly wondered if, when they disappeared after being defeated in a stolen body, Vulcans simply fled or if they died - but that was a question for later.

Right now, I needed my brain for figuring out the dilemma I found myself in.

Should I stay, and try to save the Vulcan's victim in case it was a person? Or did I run away and forget the encounter ever happened?

'...Fuck, like there was ever more than one answer to that. I already ruined a bunch of lives today, I'm not going to risk another.'

Well, if I was going to fight, the only way I was going to win would have to be cheating like hell. Throwing dirt in its eyes, kicking it in its nuts, sweepings it legs - all the good shit.

'And I'd really better get to it before I chicken out. LET'S DO THIS THING!'

The matter decided, I got ready to face the Vulcan - then blinked as I realised it hadn't even moved yet. 'What the hell? I'd have thought it would have reached me by now…'

Then I started paying attention, and felt the magic buzzing just beneath my skin. 'Huh - my magic must have started boosting me as soon as I thought about activating it to run away…'

'Well, at least it let me think. I should probably cut the flow though-'

The moment my magic stopped filling my skull, the Vulcan's second roar - which it had been caught opening its mouth to unleash when my magic sped me up - tore free and was followed quickly along its path to me by the massive animal.

Thankfully, though not for the Vulcan, I was a lot faster than it.

My magic lit me up like a christmas tree and I kicked off the ground, launching myself to the right and directly out of its path.

The Vulcan growled as it dugs its left hand into the earth, swinging around to re-orient its charge, and I mimicked the act with my right hand and a smirk, pulling a handful of soil loose from the ground.

Time to make sure this 'fight' was in my favour. Heh - this Vulcan had no idea what was coming to it.

Blue light flickered and pulsed along my arm as I reared it back, ready to throw the dirt in its face as it came close and then dodge out of the way again…

Then I recalled that the Vulcan had really fucking long arms, when one of them came swinging up instead of digging into the ground, caught fire, and then rocketed forward into my torso.

To quote Mike Tyson - 'Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.'

Well, it might not have been my mouth, but from the cracking sounds my torso let out when the punch hit and the flames which burst to life on my shirt, my plan was most definitively fucked.

The world finally stopped spinning when I came to a crashing splat of a halt several feet away from the Vulcan - then the pain hit and it was like getting punched all over again.

I couldn't breathe; my lungs were refusing to cooperate just as even trying to fill them made my chest scream, and even when I didn't try it was still agonizing.

And that was even considering the fact that I was on fire!

"FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKGETOFFGETOFFGETOFFGETOFF!"

Panic overcame pain long enough for me to rip the burnt and pulverised remains of my shirt off and throw them away, before I grabbed dirt from the ground beside me and patted my pants down with it to try and save them.

Those flames died fairly quickly - but even with the small comfort that I wouldn't be naked in this world, things weren't great.

The glob of blood, saliva and what were probably tears that I spat out in the aftermath of my momentary panic was proof of that.

As I looked up at the Vulcan, feeling the blisters rising on my devastated chest and the roaring pulse of magic running through me, I forgot all about that, though.

I forgot my panic.

I forgot the pain.

I even forgot all the feelings that the day had piled on me.

It was all eclipsed by an unfamiliar new feeling - a desperate need to survive, to live, to fight for my right to exist.

...Of course, that too was overshadowed by what I could only describe as UNYIELDING RAGE.

Human beings are a species which possess a natural, built-in response to danger, the Vulcan thought to itself as it stalked toward the downed man.

This wasn't the first time the Vulcan had seen it happen; this wasn't the first mage he had fought. The one whose body it was currently wearing, for example; he'd put up a good fight against the other Vulcans, but he'd gotten cocky after managing to fend them off without taking a scratch in return.

The look on that mage's face when the Vulcan grabbed him from behind was priceless; when it had turned the mage around, the terror and urge to flee in his eyes had been exquisite.

The same could be said of the squeaking noises he made when the Vulcan slammed him into the ground until he was unconscious and twitching.

After that, it had been a simple task to Take-Over the mage's body and gain his substantial magical power - a great victory for little effort.

This human, though...they were different.

The Vulcan had followed the commotion and the plume of dirt through the forest and come across this other human mage - much like the first he was terrified, shaking and ready to flee…

For a few seconds - before in just a moment, his whole demeanour changed and settled.

It seemed he had chosen fight over flight...though why confused the Vulcan to no end. What had changed?

Eh, it didn't really matter; the human was already on his back and almost out after jut one punch. This'd be easy.

Oh? The human was actually getting up. How cu…

Eh…what's that look on their face?

The Vulcan felt a shiver run down its spine as cold waves of killing intent started to roll off the human, coruscating blue magical power coming after and crackling across his skin.

From defeated to murderous rage in moments - what was wrong with this human?!

The Vulcan didn't know - and when its vision was suddenly eclipsed by an oncoming elbow, it had more important things to worry about.

There wasn't much rational thought in my mind as I charged the Vulcan at speeds no human being had ever achieved before. I vaguely recalled that I'd had a plan.

Well, fuck the plan.

One of the most basic ideas in physics is Newton's second law - force equals mass times acceleration. The faster something moves, the more force it exerts.

So when 150 pounds of human being gains enough speed in roughly half a second to blur in human perception, then deposits all that force in a simian humanoid's face via elbow, all the math adds up to a shattered nose.

That's a complex way of saying I broke the dumb monkey's fucking nose.

My eyes lit up blue from within, and the world around me slowed to a crawl. I hung suspended in space, seeing the crater I had made of the Vulcan's nose, the blood spurting from it, the way its eyes - which had gone wide in shock - were closing as its mouth opened for a roar.

It was tipping over backwards, not having set itself well enough to compensate for all the energy I'd just given it - at the rate at which I perceived the world, it would be minutes before the monster hit the ground.

I wouldn't give it that chance.

The really weird thing about having your perception accelerated beyond your body's reaction speed is how it feels to move. The best description I could give was that to my eyes and mind, it was like running through a swimming pool - but to my body, it was perfectly normal; none of the resistance that that kind of action would generate.

I paid vague attention to it, decided it was vaguely interesting, then ignored it in favour of hurting the Vulcan some more.

My hand reached out for the creature's shoulder and grabbed ahold of the fur there, dragging me forward through the air before either of us had fallen more than halfway. Momentum had me continue beyond the anchor point, leaving me to start rotating around where I kept my grip until I let go, leaving myself hanging in the air between the descending Vulcan and the ground.

Then I brought my legs up and mule-kicked that damn dirty ape right in its spine with all the magical power I could spare.

My legs flashed blue and moved forward at what was, to my eyes, a normal speed - which meant that in reality it was closer to something you'd see in nascar.

The reaction sent us hurtling in different directions and disrupted by concentration on my perceptions; there was a loud crack at the impact which I found rather gratifying, then a thud which was less so, since it was made by my crashing into the ground again.

Still, once I clambered back to my feet, I felt a vicious grin grace my lips as I saw the ape lying on its back, clutching its nose in pain a few feet away from me.

"You break nose...and crack back."

...Somehow, that neanderthal-esque sentence managed to sound menacing, even with a broken nose. But I was so fucking pissed off that I'd just cracked his back instead of breaking his spine that it didn't really register.

With a forward roll, the Vulcan regained its feet - and it seemed to loom over me even from as far away as it was.

"I break you."

Deciding that I'd rather not have a Vulcan re-enact any iconic Batman moments with my spine, I kicked off again, this time deciding to aim somewhere else on the damn monkey-

And, unfortunately, overlooked the Vulcan's apparent ability to use fire magic.

The moment my punch landed home in its solar plexus, I figured out it had been a trap - mostly because I was greeted with a bright-red magic circle appearing on its chest and subsequently engulfing the primate in flames.

Along with my fist.

I was too busy yanking my hand back to notice the leg which came around from my left side, and I was taken completely by surprise when the Vulcan swept my legs from under me and launched a flaming uppercut into my stomach.

And I'd thought I was hurt before - well, after that strike, I knew better.

Because that second punch was nothing like the first.

What felt like magma came to life in my stomach, a burning, melting agony that subsumed most of my organs and then spread, following the contours of the second-degree burns seared into my chest and stomach.

I didn't even notice when I came crashing down for a landing; I was beyond feeling anything right now, my nerves were either dead, dying or overloaded and I couldn't pay them any attention if I was going to stay functioning.

No - the only thing I could focus on if I wanted to win...was just how fucking angry I was.

It was harder to stand up this time; the broken ribs and burn wounds had definitely taken their toll, and even ignoring the pain my body was having difficulty functioning around them.

This fight needed to end. Now.

And as the Vulcan blew a great fireball towards me, inspiration provided me a way to do just that.

My magic came at my call, giving me the speed to shoot back from the epicenter of the blast and subsequently hide in the massive cloud of dust and debris that it raised.

I scanned the ground rapidly as the Vulcan laughed over his apparent victory, and I quickly found exactly what I needed.

I blinked. 'What were the fucking odds…?'

The Vulcan laughed to itself, hands on its hips and head thrown back. That human hadn't been so tough after all! It had only taken one fireball to take him down!

Still, the Vulcan wished his nose hadn't been broken - it kinda hurt…

The creature shrugged to itself - it would give authenticity to its story when it returned to the forest...maybe he could impress that female he'd had his eye on for a while now-

A crack; a low whistling sound; a stinging pain on the back of the Vulcan's skull...

Then, nothing.

I have no idea what the odds were of finding that same stone I'd kicked earlier just when I needed one...but I wasn't going to say anything now that it had happened.

It had done its job perfectly; flying true for the second time that day and burying itself in the back of the Vulcan's skull with a magically empowered throw.

That was just about the single most satisfying thing to have happened all day - second only to discovering my magic.

With the fighting done, I was almost high on surviving the encounter.

Almost.

The heart-stopping agony I was experiencing kinda put a damper on things.

When the pain rolled over me I almost collapsed, with only the knowledge that I might not get back up again keeping me on my feet. The consistent, fiery pain of the burns, mixed with the aching throbs of the broken bones, creating a sensation rather akin to being constantly battered with a red-hot sledgehammer.

Forget standing - breathing was a fucking chore.

Still, the Vulcan was down for the count and wasn't getting up again - the way its body had dissolved to reveal the poor guy it had taken over (and that was a relief, to know I hadn't just gotten my ass handed to me to save some kind of fire-natured animal that had gotten itself possessed) proved that.

'Thank God...at least I can get some rest no-'

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

'...So that's what a chorus of Vulcans sounds like.'

Turning back to the forest, I was in time to watch what could only be a pack of Forest Vulcans emerging from the trees. They were all the proper colour, with green fur and violet skin...but there were at least a dozen of them, all of them looking at me curiously.

'Fuck today. Just...everything about today. Fuck it.'

Still, as they looked at me their curiosity seemed to become apprehension. That should be good; if they were scared of me, they shouldn't try to kill me. Maybe I'd beaten their leader and gained some kind of immunity?

"Y-you kill leader…" One of them said, and I considered my theory confirmed.

Okay - maybe I could get out of this alive. All I needed was for them not to -

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

...Charge.

The group of Vulcans had let out a deafening collective roar, then dropped to all-fours and begun hauling ass to where I was standing. Their expressions were easily read; animal rage, which became even more apparent the closer they got to me.

So, faced with overwhelming odds and with few resources of my own, I did what any self-respecting self-insert would do.

I let out a roar of my own…

And ran the fuck away.

...Okay, so the roar was a bit more of a scream of fear - but I like to think it was also the Vulcans' fear.

At least a little bit.

Maybe.

One way or another, I filled myself up with magic and proceeded to sprint away from the oncoming pack as fast as my legs could carry me, grabbing the first Vulcan's victim and using my momentum to swing him onto my shoulder as I went.

That brought a whole new resurgence of the pain I was experiencing, but I managed not to fall down. I'd already decided I was going to make the most of this new life, and that I wouldn't make any more people suffer for my mistakes; so, I was going to get this man to a hospital, and then I was going to make sure I didn't bleed to death.

Of course, I didn't have any idea where the fuck I was or where the nearest town was...but the guy on my shoulder should.

I hoped, anyway; if he turned out to be as lost as me I was going to be supremely pissed off.

A hospital stay and a saved life ahead of me and a pack of vicious, murderous Vulcans behind me. Since being in a hospital and being murdered basically balanced themselves out, making sure the guy on my shoulder stayed alive was my motivation to keep upright and keep running.

I glanced sideways at the head of hair which was most of what I could see of the guy in question, wondering why they seemed familiar.

The hair itself was half black and half white; the clothes were red, and there was a black band across his nose just like the one that the Vulcan had sported when it was possessing him.

'Dammit, I know this guy, I'm sure of it - but I can't remember where from.'

Well, I'd just ask him who he was after he woke up...and after I got directions to the hospital.

And since he seemed to be waking up, that would be sooner than I'd worried it might be.

Totomaru hated Vulcans.

That was why he'd thought that a mission to exterminate a group of them in a nearby forest would be a good time; a perfect opportunity to kick back, cut loose and enjoy himself for once in a while.

And, at the beginning, he did. Wandering through the forest was relaxing, and burning the Vulcans to a crisp was great stress relief and quite a bit of fun. He got a chance to flex his magical power with no limits, and it felt great.

Well...until one of the Vulcans snuck up behind him, gave him just long enough to realise what had happened and then knocked him out before taking over his body.

Now there was an experience he never wanted to go through ever again. It was a violation of the highest order; a perversion the likes of which no one should ever experience and a horrendous event that Totomaru thought he'd never be able to forget.

Held prisoner in his own body; trapped where he couldn't take action, but was still able to perceive the outside world through the Vulcan's eyes as it did whatever it wanted with Totomaru's own magic…

It was disgraceful. An S-Class Phantom Lord Wizard falling victim to a dumb ape? If he survived and anyone ever heard about this...his reputation would never recover.

Then again, those odds weren't great. None of his fellow guild members would come looking for him; they'd expect him to be able to take care of himself.

Well, apparently he'd proven them all wrong.

Good for him.

Totomaru had just about lost all hope, coming close to just...not thinking any more...when the Vulcan encountered another wizard.

That had been enough to catch Totomaru's attention - after all, this could be his chance at freedom or it could be the end of this wizard's life.

Either way, he couldn't not pay attention.

At first the man looked like he was going to run away from the Vulcan - he was obviously scared, and he was leaning back and away...then, that changed.

For seemingly no reason at all, the fear was buried behind a grim determination moments before the Vulcan charged and battle was joined.

Totomaru came as close to wincing as anyone in his position could when the wizard suffered his first blow. The Vulcan had been essentially supercharged by Totomaru's own Rainbow Fire magic, placing the odds heavily in its favour; with the strength and magical power of an S-Class Wizard, it was no wonder that the Vulcan had managed to hit the speedy mage.

Then, in the aftermath of a blow that would have killed quite a lot of people, the wizard's demeanour changed once more.

The glare he levelled at the Vulcan, as well as the jerky, almost too-energetic way he dragged himself to his feet, were sinister enough; the angrily snapping magical power that responded to that obvious rage only added to it.

The mage's following two blows seemed set to turn the fight in his favour...but even though the first bore fruit, the second proved to just not be enough, and the wizard suffered a truly titanic strike for his error.

When the Vulcan drew deeply on Totomaru's magic and exhaled a massive attack toward the downed mage, Totomaru just about gave up, assuming that his would-be saviour had met his end…

Then, out of nowhere, he was free; the Vulcan was torn away into the ether, leaving only Totomaru remaining, utterly disoriented by his sudden freedom and unable to do much more than pass out.

Still, it registered with him that, somehow, the mage had killed the Vulcan. He had lulled it into assuming he was dead, then exploited the opening to gain victory.

It was an utterly dishonourable way to achieve victory - yet, it was obviously effective.

Totomaru idly hoped that the mage would be around to speak to when he woke up; depending on what he was like, he might very well be worth making an offer to.

The first sentence out of the familiar stranger's mouth was "Oh Gods my head."

I had managed to get us a fair distance away from the Vulcans - not a particularly difficult task with my speed, though my injuries did slow me down quite a bit.

Oh, and speaking of which-

OH GOD THE PAIN-!

I had no sooner managed to settle the newly freed mage down in the grass beneath the large tree I'd found for some shade when I keeled over myself, groaning as my everything protested the treatment.

A few seconds later, I had found some slight relief now that my weight was off my legs and abdomen...but still, I hurt more than enough that I knew I'd need to get myself looked at.

Grunting, I made to turn over and check on the other guy-

Then stifled a scream and gave up almost immediately. 'Note to self - don't roll with broken ribs.'

"I don't mean to interrupt your…'nap'...but might I have the name of my 'saviour'?"

Hearing the guy speak up, I managed to catch sight of him in the corner of my eye, and twisted my head a bit so I could direct my words his way. "So I get sarcasm for saving your life?"

The man snickered. "I'm told sarcasm suits me...but I would like to know your name."

I managed to crook my mouth into a grin, though I wasn't sure if he could see it. "David; David Robinson. Don't go wearing it out."

The red-clad mage sighed. "Charmed, I'm sure."

"Y'know, it'd be nice to get your name as well."

The man finally managed to shuffle himself so that his face was visible from where I was lying and vice-versa, revealing a proud, almost cocky expression. "Heh - don't you know who I am?"

'Cue deadpan.' "No, I have no idea who you are."

The mage deflated, his expression becoming depressed. "Really?" He whined, before groaning, his chin falling to his chest. "Fine…" He gathered himself, tilting his head back so he was looking down his nose at me. "My name is Totomaru; the Great Flame of the Phantom Lord Guild!"

Oooh...that's who he was.

"Oh shit!" I declared. "Dude, I've heard of you! One of the Element Four, right? You're an S-Class Wizard!"

It was a bit odd of me that I hadn't recognised Totomaru immediately; I'd always quite liked Fairy Tail's side characters, since most of them had so much personality and quite a few had realistic, human traits…

Unlike all those characters who probably slept in their plot armour, their ability to fail made them seem more real.

More human.

"Hah!" Totomaru declared, crossing his arms where he was lying and tilting his head back far enough that any more would probably start lifting him off the floor. "So you have heard of me!"

'And now he's back to being cocky and arrogant...just what was I expecting?'

"Yes yes yes, we've all heard of Phantom Lord." I interrupted him. "Now would you mind helping me out? I'm kinda dying over here."

Totomaru chuckled. "Sorry." He looked me over quickly. "Yeah, you took quite a beating from that Vulcan...alright; I'll help you get up…"

He dropped the cocky attitude quite quickly, then made to stand up and come help me-

Only to collapse the second he tried to move closer.

"Hey, David…"

"Yes Totomaru?"

"I can't move."

"Me neither."

"It seems we are at an impasse."

"Indeed."

Well, that seems about right - if my memory served me, Macao couldn't move after he was freed from that Vulcan's control.

Great.

"So, how are we going to get ourselves out of this situation?" Totomaru asked.

"I...have no idea."

Totomaru hummed, taking on a thoughtful expression and lifting his hand to his chin in a thinking pose - clearly for dramatic effect.

Then a few seconds later, he smacked his fist into his palm with a look like he'd just had an epiphany.

'Heh, leave it to one of the Element Four to think of a way out of this situation. Man, I was worried that we weren't going to get out of this! Now, what's his plan? Is he gonna communicate with his guild? Use his magic? Summon an epic mount?!'

"You can carry me back to the guild!"

...I could hear my eye twitching. Like, it had an actual sound.

"Could you repeat that…? It almost sounded like you said I could carry you...but you wouldn't be that much of an idiot. WOULD YOU?!"

I…might have put just a little too much murderous intent into that question, judging by the way Totomaru had scuttled backwards using his hands and feet, his face pale.

"W-well, you did carry me here." He pointed out. "So I was just thinking…"

"I refuse!" I replied. "I can barely move; I don't even know if I can stand up!"

Totomaru sighed, scratching his head. "Then I guess Plan B is to wait here until one of us can move or someone comes along."

"That's not gonna work either." I refuted. "Both of us need medical help."

"You're right about that…" He acknowledged, then probably caught sight of the depressed look on my face. "C'mon, don't worry! Sooner or later one of us is bound to come up with a pl-"

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Both of us paled rapidly, glancing at one another.

"They must have followed our scent." I guessed, clenching a fist to try and keep my hand still.

And I had to try, because just the thought of having to face all those Vulcans when just one had come so close to killing me was enough to set me shaking and loose a shiver down my spine.

Totomaru seemed to be in much the same state, shaking and sweating.

But our fear of getting possessed by sentient ape-men was a lot stronger than the pain we were experiencing - and that, in turn allowed us to push ourselves to our feet.

I'm not gonna lie - moving was hell. The protests my body raised, the agony that the slightest shift brought and which grew exponentially the larger the motion was...they were damn near crippling.

But when I considered the alternative, I decided that the pain was the only acceptable option.

Totomaru and I were both having trouble breathing, and we were both tottering badly...but despite that, we each stood under our own power. A mage would face impossible odds on a daily basis - with this new life of mine, I could be no different.

It was the only way to survive in this world...so I'd damn well get used to it.

"David," Totomaru gasped, "as of this moment, we've got two options."

"Well you're the brains of this operation," I pointed out, "so let's hear 'em."

"Option A," he began, "we stand and fight, almost definitely getting killed or possessed as a result."

'Not my first choice.' "What's option B then?"

"You pick me up and get us the hell out of here."

"I don't even know if I can carry us that far!" I protested. "My body'll probably give out before we even get-"

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"PLAN A OR PLAN B DAVID!" Totomaru yelled at me.

"PLAN B!" I decided. "PLAN B!"

The thundering sound of the Vulcans' feet pounding toward us let me summon the adrenaline spike I needed to gather up my magic once again. In a flare of blue light, a glowing magic circle appeared at my feet as my magical pulse sped up once more.

Snatching up Totomaru while my nerve endings were still dulled, I proceeded to gun it as fast as I could manage away from the Vulcans. Every step I took was like stepping on a spike, every movement felt like thorn bushes were growing inside me, but I forced myself to keep going and tried to ignore it as best I could.

Which, once the adrenaline wore off, was not at all.

"Keep going!" He called over the rushing wind, once more slung over my shoulder with his head forward. "You're headed right toward Oak Town!"

'Yeah yeah, shut up Totomaru, I'm getting there!'

"God!" He exclaimed, glancing around. "Just how fast can you go?!"

"Shut! Up!" I managed to growl between breaths and steps. "In. Immense. PAIN!"

Speeding along with my body flagging and held together mostly by stubborn willpower, I finally hoved into view of the - in my opinion - rather mistakenly named Oak Town.

The place looked like a castle and a city had been rolled into one; it was a massive, sprawling complex made up by layers upon layers of houses, shops and restaurants - and at the highest point of the city rested our destination.

The Phantom Lord Guild Hall...which could really only be described as an honest-to-God medieval castle.

Or a testament to Jose Porla's ego. Either description worked, really.

Approaching the building's entrance and leaving a trail of partially demolished paving stones behind us, I found the pulse of my magic - which had been growing slower and weaker ever since my fight with the first Vulcan - beginning to fade.

Running out of magical power when you're using magic to run at the speeds I was is, to put it simply, considerably worse than running out of fuel in a car. After all, I was only exempt from the laws of physics for as long as my magic was keeping me safe - it compensated for things like friction, momentum and inertia.

So, when I ran out of magical power…

Physics got even.

My magical power finally hit empty and left the barely-there blue light I had been emitting to die away in an instant, and I went to stop…

Unfortunately, the friction and braking force I could summon by digging in my heels was nowhere near enough to deal with all my momentum, and so I was sent hurtling ass over teakettle into the doors of Phantom Lord, promptly knocking said doors off their hinges as we oh-so-gracefully made our entrance.

I had just enough time to register the widespread looks of surprise on the mages' faces before our path continued through a table, some chairs and maybe a couple of people.

The last thing I saw, as I finally succumbed to the sheer amount of shit my day had put me through, was the curious face of Jose Porla staring at us.

I'd never enjoyed waking up. And as it turned out, waking up the day after getting my ass handed to me by a Vulcan was even worse.

Still, the feeling of a nice, warm bed after the day I'd had was really rather refreshing.

Opening my eyes and looking around, I found myself to be in a simple room outfitted with hospital decor. Apart from the lack of machinery, I'd almost swear it was one from back on Earth…

I sighed; just thinking about my old world ruined my mood.

So, this was it. I was in Fairy Tail...and in the space of less than an hour, I almost fucking died multiple times. It took me seventeen years to get close to death even once back home; just what the hell was with this world?

One way or another, any kind of disconnect I might have been feeling had been kicked to the curb.

This was real - and I had the injuries to damn well prove it.

"Ah - it seems you're awake."

The monotone voice broke me out of my musings, and looking toward where it had come from I found a character who I recognised instantly.

Juvia Lockser in person was nigh identical to how she had appeared in the anime - which is to say she was the most gorgeous woman I'd ever laid eyes on.

Her eyes were a deep ocean blue and her hair a lighter shade of that same colour, spun into curls on the ends that reminded me of a wave seen side-on.

Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved, dark-blue dress with a darker mantle around her neck that was trimmed with cream fur and clasped by a teru teru bōzu, as well as her trademarked blue cossack hat.

Oh - and so as to adhere to Fairy Tail's laws of 'Everyone's Drop Dead Gorgeous' and 'Fanservice For All', she had a curvaceous figure that Goddesses would be jealous of.

To my personal shame I couldn't quite stop my eyes from lingering - but being faced with a woman whose proportions were so unrealistic that one look at her could probably a cause a damn heart attack…?

Well, stronger men than me have tried and failed.

"Do your injuries hurt any more? If not, Juvia will go and get the Master. He wishes to speak with you."

That certainly let me rip my gaze away and look her in the eyes.

I opened my mouth, intending to say something along the lines of 'Yes, I am feeling better.', or 'Thank you.' Maybe even 'Are you an angel?'

What I actually said was more along the lines of "Uhhh duh huh…"

The rain woman tilted her head slightly. "Are you feeling well? Juvia can send for the doctor…"

Gathering up what was left of my self control, I managed to stutter out a "N-no, I'm okay."

Giving me a single nod, she turned to the door. "Juvia sees - she shall inform the Master that you are awake."

I'd kind of forgotten, but before she met Gray she was really repressed emotionally...actually, thinking about that time, I recalled that Juvia's entire life up the war between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail was a constant stream of depression and rejection from everyone. The only person who ever extended a hand to her was Jose Porla of all people.

She'd been alone for quite probably her entire life.

And once again, I was faced with a dilemma.

What effect would any actions I took have on the characters - nay, the entire Fairy Tail plot? Already my presence had changed things, so what would it be like if I stuck around for long enough?

Just what should I do?

Should I try to stay in the background and change as little as possible so things don't go to shit because of my interference? Or should I try to change events, hopefully for the better?

...Well, the answer was obvious.

While I'm here, I can make a difference - a real, tangible difference to this entire world. Here, I can help people and have a significant impact on history, an impact for the good of all people.

This second chance that I don't deserve...for that man I killed, I'll use it to make other people's lives better.

I'm going to atone for the lives I ruined. I will never let something like that happen to another person if I can possibly stop it.

I swear it.

A gentle rapping on the door stopped me from making any more promises, followed by a voice drifting through the closed portal. "Might I come in?"

...Well, there was only one person that could be. Now, what should I say? This was my first time interacting with this man, the first thing I said could shape the entirety of my future - and whether or not that future lasted more than the next few minutes.

"Sure!"

'...Smooth, David. Smooth.'

And with that invitation the door swung open, greeting me with the sight of the most envious and downright despicable member of the Ten Wizard Saints.

Jose 'Motherfucking' Porla.

His very presence in the room seemed to expose me to an ocean of magical power, a profound sense of presence that was made to heel only through years of experience. Jose's mere existence in the same room as me left me feeling like an ant.

'That's one hell of a way to make an entrance…' I managed to think to myself around the experience that was being faced with Jose, but that was about the limit of what I could manage.

"Juvia informed me that you'd awoken." He noted. "Are you feeling better?"

...Jose didn't really act the part of the man who started a full-on war between two Guilds. His demeanour was...gentlemanly. His tone was authoritative but still concerned; there was no real menace to him and no sign of the madness or cruelty that lay within him.

Altogether, he was vastly different from his portrayal in the anime…

Even if his presence absolutely demanded respect - a fact that both he and I were fully aware of.

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better than before." I answered. "I can move without burning pain anyway, so that's a step up."

He smiled. "That's good to hear; from what Totomaru has told me you took quite the beating on your excursion."

I blew out a long breath. "I did, didn't I? Honestly, I'm kinda surprised we even made it out of there alive…"

Jose chuckled.

Jose fucking Porla...chuckled.

'Holy shit, is this even the same guy from the show?!'

"You shouldn't be so humble!" He declared. "It's quite an accomplishment to win a battle against a Vulcan possessing an S-Class mage."

The grin he had been boasting began to grow. "Such strength is rarely seen in a user of a rather…'underwhelming' magic."

My eye twitched. At the same time, the pulse in my core started to speed up, and my fist clenched.

"Imagine my shock," Jose continued, "when I learned that a High-Speed Mage defeated-"

I snapped.

"IT'S NOT FUCKING HIGH-SPEED MAGIC! THAT EXCUSE FOR A POWER IS NOTHING BUT A THIRD-RATE DISCOUNT KNOCK-OFF OF MY MAGIC! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE LUMP ME IN WITH THAT WEAK FANBOY OF A MAGE - I WILL NOT BE COMPARED TO FUCKING JET!"

'...This is going to become a thing, isn't it?'

As I refilled my lungs after my rant, realising I had spoken it faster than I should have been capable of and that there were blue sparks in the air I subsequently blew out, I calmed down from the comparison...and realised what I'd just done.

I just yelled at Jose Porla.

The change was damn near instant. From a curious, concerned, prim and proper gentleman…

To full-on divine rage.

'FUCKFUCKFUCKSCAREDCAN'TBREATHEOHGODI'MGONNADIE!'

His presence, that indefinable weight that he had carried with him crashed down on me and crushed me into the bed. My breathe caught in my throat and began to strangle me as raw, unrestrained power overtook me and struck terror into parts of me I didn't even know existed.

"YOU DARE?" He boomed, his features concealed by a bubbling miasma of black and purple magic that had appeared around him.

I was going to die.

Not even a full day into this world and those promises I made would be worthless because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. This was the end; he was growing closer with each second, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop him.

And then, when he was only inches away from me, he began to laugh.

Pure laughter, straight from his belly and into the air, filled the room and banished the deathly feeling as the miasma dissipated into nothing. My breath came free, and I immediately blew it out to pull in a new one, filling my lungs with a gasp.

'What. The actual. FUCK?'

Jose's laughter finally died down, his grin having grown even larger than before. "Oh, I like you...few mages would dare to even think about yelling at one of the Ten Wizard Saints, let alone follow through on it. But you? You didn't even hesitate."

'Uh…'

"The second you thought that I was comparing you to that Fairy Tail mage, you got up and yelled - nay, screamed at me to defend your magic...and, from your words, your dignity as well."

'What?'

"You harbour such a venomous hatred for being compared to a mage of lesser standing than yourself that you would be willing to antagonize someone who is further beyond you than you are beyond the one you hate." Jose said, waxing lyrical with a disturbingly wide grin that kept growing. "You absolutely refuse to be considered weak - an admirable quality."

'Just what the hell is he going on about?'

"Such a trait is something I look for in mages." Jose explained. "That refusal to accept weakness, no matter what form it may take."

'...I should say something. I need to say something before this gets any crazier.'

"From Totomaru's report, your fight with the Vulcan ended rather quickly." Jose noted. "Not because you overpowered it, but because you were willing to ignore your pride and do what was needed to win."

A disturbing light - one that I couldn't recognise, but which still unsettled me, began to shine in Jose's eyes. "And from what I can sense you've only recently acquired your magic. Am I correct?"

I nodded - I still couldn't seem to unglue my tongue enough to speak.

Jose let out a bark of laughter, almost making me jump. "Such potential! To think that you could overcome such an adversary so soon after discovering your magic...that's almost unheard of, you know?"

I didn't actually know - but holy shit. Jose Porla was complimenting someone.

He was complimenting ME!

"Uh…" I managed to finally unstick my tongue, swallowing to try and clear my throat. "Thank you, sir...but...where are you going with this?"

I had to know. Jose wouldn't do something like this without an ulterior motive; he doesn't do anything if it can't benefit him. Well, him or his Gui...

...Oh no…

"Well, David Robinson, I am going to say that someone like you would thrive as a member of Phantom Lord."

...So, that's what he wanted. Jose was trying to recruit me for his Guild.

Fuck, it was kind of obvious when I thought about it; after all, so far I'd only showed him that I did have the traits of a Phantom Lord mage.

There was a rustle of fabric, and I found the he had extended a hand to me.

"David, you risked your own life to save one of my most notable wizards, and for that I am incredibly grateful." He declared. "I wish to repay that debt I owe you. Join Phantom Lord, and you will become amage of more power and renown than you could ever imagine."

...I understood now, why people joined Phantom Lord.

Jose offered them something that they couldn't refuse; whether it be a helping hand or a promise of power, I found myself wondering if anyone had ever turned down a recruitment offer he made to them personally.

Because I was having trouble doing just that.

I was indebted to Jose for taking me in and nursing me back to health; I had shown I was a strong mage who possessed a willingness to win that went beyond pride and decency.

He saw potential in me, if his words were anything to go by; a lot of potential. And in his eyes, I already shared in his dislike of Fairy Tail.

I mean, I only really had a problem with being compared to Jet, but he'd really just hit a nerve there.

...And being honest with myself, the praise he was giving me felt pretty damn good.

I couldn't find a reason to say no to his offer; a home, a job and a place to grow and develop into a powerful mage...I couldn't turn that down with him approaching me like this.

So...I didn't.

I reached out and took the hand I had been offered, clasping it as firmly as I could and finding myself pulled into an upright sitting position on the bed.

The grin splitting his face as I shook his hand sent a shiver down my spine...but still.

This is what I asked for.

"Jose...count me in."

Linebreak

"Yo, David! It's great to see you!"

Despite how loud it was in the guild hall, I was still able to recognise Totomaru's voice from across the main hall, and I oriented myself to follow it towards the red-clad arm that was waving above the other mages' heads.

I had made my way to the hall from the hospital after changing into some simple clothes Jose provided for me. They were just about the same as the ones I had been wearing originally - a white t-shirt and black sweatpants - with the exception being the purple Phantom Lord guild mark emblazoned on the chest.

It felt...oddly heavy, for ink and fabric.

But not half as heavy as the brand-new, scaled-down twin that rested on the upper part of my right bicep.

I grinned as I made my way over, calling once I was in speaking range. "Good to see you too! How long have I been out?"

"Only about a day!" He replied, gesturing to an empty seat beside him. "They didn't really want to keep you in there long. C'mon, take a seat."

I did as he'd bidden me, glancing around the table at the other people seated there -

And found myself faced with nearly half of Phantom Lord's S-Class mages.

Just as he was depicted in the anime, Aria the Great Sky was an absolute mountain of a man, his skin a shade of tan you only saw on TV and his face sculpted nearly to perfection...while his outfit was one of the strangest I'd ever seen.

It consisted of a lengthy green coat which sported a wide, high collar; a red necklace of beads and crosses with a blindfolded red skull as its centerpiece;a simple green top hat; a stole like a reverend might wear; a massive pair of dark blue pants and a plain white blindfold.

Just like in the show - but the effect it had in person was altogether more strange. It was nearly priestly...however, his looming presence was anything but.

"Oh, how sorrowful!" He bellowed in apparent greeting. "To be greeted by the mage who saved the life of my comrade! Such an occasion fills me with a phenomenal sadness!"

Water started pouring from the corners of his eyes, its volume increasing until there were twin waterfalls falling from the mage's eyes. "I am deeply touched with gratitude!"

I'm pretty sure that the sound my jaw made when it dropped was an indicator of just how disturbing I found the sight in front of me. Really though, I should get use to the…

Eh, how should I put it...Oh!

CLINICALLY INSANE personalities that characterised everyone in Fairy Tail.

As in, the world - not just the guild.

"I must repay you in full!"

'Oh, that doesn't sound good.'

"Oh no no no," I declared, shaking my hands back and forth in front of me, "it wasn't that big a deal at all! You don't owe me anythiiiiiiIIIING!"

Before I could even finish trying to refuse, I found myself swept up in an embrace that I could only describe as monstrous.

That was the day I learned that Aria was a hugger - a hugger with more than enough body-mass to suffocate me as he held me a in a grip that was closer to an industrial press than any human being I'd ever encountered.

Something with which I was not okay!

"What humility!" Aria cried. "To think that I would be graced with the presence of such a humble wizard!"

I could feel his tears on my scalp.

Yes, it was as horrifying as it sounds.

"Such a momentous event fills me with sorrow!"

"MMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

I could try and give you a direct translation - but really, I think my heartfelt attempt to escape his crushing me to death was enough to get the sentiment of that noise across.

"Oi oi, let him go Aria." A new voice intruded. "You don't want to kill the newbie on his first day."

And like that, I found myself being released from the Airspace wizard's clutches and managed to grab a lungful of air.

Replenishing my near-empty oxygen supply, I turned to thank my saviour. "God, I thought I was gonna die in there! Hey man, thanks - I appreciat…"

My words died in my throat - mostly because I'd just caught sight of who exactly had spoken.

Sitting at the other side of the table was none other than Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Dressed in a ragged, black, sleeveless tunic with studded edges and an equally studded belt around his waist and loose beige pants tucked into his black combat boots, he cut a somewhat scraggly figure - especially with his blood-red eyes and long mane of black hair.

But the way his face was twisted into a set-in-stone scowl made him seem more menacing than anything.

He clicked his teeth, turning away from me. "A real mage would've gotten himself out of that…" He glanced at the fire mage beside me. "Oi, Totomaru, are you sure this is the same guy? He looks about ready to collapse."

Rather than speak up, I decided to keep quiet - I'd already yelled at Jose Porla today; I wasn't going to push my battered, beaten luck any further.

Luckily for my ego though, Totomaru spoke up in my defense.

"Yes Gajeel, I'm certain this is the same mage who saved me. Despite his lackluster appearance now, he's rather capable when he needs to be."

"GIHIHIHIHI!" Gajeel laughed, though considering the odd syllables maybe that was the wrong word to use. "Are you serious? This is the guy who saved your ass?"

The Dragon Slayer made a point of looking back at me, giving me a once-over, then snorted again and turned back to Totomaru. "He won't last a goddamn week here! I don't know who's more pathetic; him, or you!"

Gajeel's laughter began to draw the attention of other members of Phantom - all of whom then re-focussed on me.

'Thanks for that buddy - you're a real charmer, aren't you Gajeel?'

Of course, I didn't say that out loud - I knew what'd happen if I did, and I wasn't even a day out of the hospital yet,

"Hey, don't go calling me pathetic!" Totomaru yelled, attempting to defend his wounded pride - but I was distracted from that attempt when a large shadow draped itself over me.

Turning around to find the source, I was significantly less than pleased to find myself with face with the massive form of some unnamed Phantom Lord mage.

You know the characters that never get a name, whose whole purpose for existing in the show is to be a punching bag for the main characters?

This was that guy. To a T.

"Hey, newbie...just what the hell d'you think you're doing?"

'...Wonderful.'

It figured - Gajeel's laughter had attracted some ass-kisser looking to throw his weight around and look good in front of the big boys.

Well, this one would be on me.

"Well, from what I can figure out," I began, "and let me run some numbers real quick…" I made a show of raising my hands and raising some fingers, then lowering them. "Ah yes, it appears that what I'm currently doing is sitting here."

I extended my hand to him, fixing an utterly fake smile on my face. "Hi, my name's David - it's nice to meet you! You must be the famous 'Captain Obvious' I've heard so much about. It's surreal meeting you in person."

I probably set myself a new record with the sheer amount of sarcasm I managed to fit in that sentence.

"You bastard…!" The man growled. "Stop acting like you're hot shit!"

And with that declaration, he proceeded to grab me by my outstretched arm, flip me over his shoulder, and swing me down to snap the nearest table in half.

Let me tell you, before I had magic that kind of move would have had me bedridden for a few days at least. Hell, it'd probably end up being months for all the broken bones assuming I didn't get seriously lucky.

But with the magic that lay beneath my skin, and less than a day after killing an S-Class Vulcan before carting Totomaru back to Oak Town with a pack of them on my tail?

It tickled.

"No wonder Gajeel was laughing!" The man cackled. "A weakling like you doesn't belong in Phantom Lord!"

Voice dripping with cocky bravado, the man stomped forward. "I'll pound you into the ground, you cocky little shit!"

Picking myself up from among the ruins of the table and brushing splinters from my new clothes, I shifted my head a bit so that my eyes were hidden in the shadows cast by my forehead and hair.

It wasn't that difficult in the dimly-lit guild hall, but it still had the same dramatic effect.

"Yare yare daze…" I sighed, flicking a wooden shard off my shoulder. "It's not even been a day yet and already the cannon fodder mages are trying their luck."

My magic uncurled and spread through me, tinting the world azure and causing my eyes to glow in the shadow I had cast over them. "I'm feeling pretty good right now…" I continued, "so since I'm in a generous mood, I'll give you this one chance to walk away. 'Cause otherwise…"

I fixed my gaze on the man's eyes, recalling the mindless rage that had consumed me when I was facing the Vulcan, trying to pull that same emotion into my words. "You're gonna have a bad time."

'And check the obligatory references off the list.'

Sweat began to form on the man's brow - with the low level of enhancement I was using to make my eyes glow, I could watch the droplets appear even as I tracked the motion of his trachea when he swallowed.

"O-oi, don't start acting tough!" He blustered. "I could beat a mage like you in an instant!"

I could watch clearly as his mouth formed the syllables - but his voice was perfectly comprehensible, since my ears were still functioning at normal human speeds.

What a peculiar feeling to have senses working at different speeds...still, it was almost a wasted when it was this guy I was perceiving.

With how he was speaking I could only assume a fight was inevitable...I wondered what kind of magic a nameless grunt like this would possess?

Eh, it didn't really matter to me. I'd probably just break his nose or something and let him off with a warn-

"A weak High-Speed mage couldn't dream of beating me!"

I'MMA KILL 'EM!

Before the grunt even knew what was happening, my magically empowered fist had all but made itself one with his back through the most convenient route - namely, his stomach, with the side-effect of bending him double around my fist.

Pulling my fist back from the indentation it had left, I left the grunt to drop to his knees on the floor in what I could only assume was some pretty damn incredible pain, judging by the blood erupting from his mouth.

I could track the blood as it passed through the air, and I only had to shift a little to keep the splatter off my shoes and let it dye the floor red.

As far as I'm aware, one's magical power tends to react to its user's emotional state - that was how I'd managed to first jump-start my magic, by giving it an outlet in my anger after my breakdown.

At that moment, my magical power crackled and snapped across me like blue lightning, a violent aura that lit almost the entire guild hall with its power.

Because God FUCKING dammit, I had had enough of being called a fucking High-Speed mage!

Looking up at me with an expression best described as abject terror, the grunt seemed to have realised he'd made a mistake. "W-woah woah! H-hold on a second here! I was just teasing you, heh-heh, it's something we do to all the new recruits!"

When my expression didn't change and my magical power didn't calm at all, a higher note of panic entered the grunt's voice. "H-hey, no hard feelings right? I-I'll buy you a drink later!"

'Yeah...how about no.'

"Jeez...to think that someone like you was allowed into this guild, all talk and nothing to back it up."

The grunt's eyes widened, and he swallowed once again as I glared down at him. "What did you tell me again?" I made a show of wondering aloud, before snapping my fingers. "Oh right! You were going to pound me into the ground, weren't you?"

His only response was a mute nod.

"Allow me to return the favour."

The beginning of a terrified scream he managed to get out was music to my ears - and as I filled my arms with magic, feeling the pulse beneath my skin become nearly a constant sensation as it roared for release, I cut loose.

Two magic circles, iridescent in their brightness, formed around my arms - and in true anime fashion, I proceeded to shout the name of my attack at the top of my goddamn lungs.

"OVERDRIVE!"

My arms blurred out of sight, becoming less a pair of limbs and more an unseeable flurry of enraged blows that rained down on my target like a carpet bombing. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of punches found new homes, beating the man bloody and only halting in its fury when I grabbed him by his collar, yanked him into the air and landed a devastating uppercut to his jaw.

The grunt lifted a good three feet off the air and several more backwards, eventually crashing down on a table and doing much the same to it as I had done to my own piece of furniture.

I blew out a long breath, noting the blue sparks that danced in it from the shroud surrounding me, and let the power retreat back within me.

It had felt pretty good to have something to vent on.

"You were saying, Gajeel?"

I glanced backwards, seeing the same shit-eating grin on Totomaru's face that I could hear in his voice.

And I could also see Gajeel Redfox, laughing his ass off.

"I take it back!" He laughed. "He'll fit in here juuuust fine! GIHIHIHIHIHI!"

My stomach dropped with his words. "Y'know, coming from you that just makes me feel uneasy."

Gajeel's laughter only grew louder at that.

A.N: I'll be honest, both of us just wanted to buff this and get it out of the way so we could work on a project that's been eating at us all day.

(Teninshigen): It did make the story look a bit weird, since I only ever advised on this chapter while I was given free reign to edit on...well, every other chapter. It's a pretty marked difference - though not in the story, since all I really do is say the exact same thing with more words.

I agree, hopefully this will hook people into the story much better than before.

(Teninshigen): Well, now we can get to work on something new and take a break from our main stories for a while...and you can get some payback for all the shit you suffered today.

… I plan to.