Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, Daisuke Ikari is Centurious the Azure's, and James Stormfire is Storm Wolf77415's.

Dark Lineage

By Storm Wolf77415 and Centurious the Azure

Chapter One: A Fairy's Inquisition

It was just one of those days. More like a week. Maybe he shouldn't have taken on this job. It paid well, but the trouble had to more than it was worth. Daisuke had been looking for the past several days for a certain person. Some people considered him a person of mass destruction, literally. Why even say certain people? He had to be the number one most destructive guy in the country. Well, besides Gildarts. That was mostly unintentional. When was the last time he saw Gildarts? Who knows, that guy came, and went he pleased. What was important here was finding the Salamander. He did feel bad about bringing in a fellow guild mate… This was kind of an order from somebody who was at the top. It wasn't exactly like he could say no. He could, but it just wasn't doable. Not to a man like him.

The train came to screeching a halt. The attendant train called out his destination. "Port Hargeon! I repeat we have arrived at Port Hargeon!" he shouted, marching down the aisle. "If this is your stop, please exit the train in an orderly fashion. Thank you for using Heartfilia Railways! Have a nice day!"

Daisuke hefted his messenger bag, and possibly did the exact opposite. He vanished in a flash of movement. A wink of red was all that was seen in the wake of a small pop. The train attendant's eyes bulged out of his head. He took a step back…It wasn't often you saw someone vanish like a ghost.

Daisuke ended up on a rooftop, gracefully landing on the tippy top of the grandiose station building. He grinned slightly at the sight of the vast stretching port town of Prominence. It was one of the biggest ports in Fiore. The salty sea air hit his nose pleasantly on the nice ocean breeze. Ahead he could see a clear blue sea going as far as the human eye could see. Many ships went to, and from the port. Venturing to strange and fantastic lands he'd possibly never see in his lifetime. The seagulls crowed happily, telling stories about the richness of the sea.

"I see why they call this place Prominence…" He whispered in awe. Wind blew through his dark shaggy hair, little wild curly tufts here and there frazzled all the more. Daisuke was average in height, not really anything in comparison to his other monstrously tall guild mates. Bright powdery red eyes gazed at the city below, sparkling like twin jewels with childlike fascination. A lot of people called it his most defining characteristic.

Daisuke Ikari didn't argue with it… Especially when Cana, or Mirajane complimented him. He frowned a little, reminding himself why he was here. This was a job, and not a pleasure cruise. He concentrated power into his right hand. Something underneath some carefully wrapped white bandages glowed dull gold. Holding his outward, he changed position until he got the right feeling. It was that burning sensation reinforcing his sharp intuition.

"That's where you are…" He said sharply, eyes narrowing on his distant prey like a hawk. "Natsu, you don't know the crap I had to go through just to find you. You're not getting away this time."

Daisuke stepped forward, dropping down from the height of the building. Midair, he flickered out of place. He appeared once again on the ground in less than a moment. No harm done. It was a perfect landing. Except for the blonde girl he frightened with his sudden appearance. She let out a tiny surprised squeak, falling down on her butt. Poor thing was white as a sheet. He blinked. He'd done it again. Daisuke guessed the nature of his magic was a little uncommon.

He smiled apologetically, leaning over to offer his hand out. "Sorry about scaring you, ma'am," he apologized soberly. "Kinda an undesired effect of my magic, I guess."

The girl frowned, muddy brown eyes looking over him carefully. A complete stranger appearing out of nowhere had to be a scare of maybe a lifetime. Maybe she might have lost a few years off of her life. For being someone who might have lost a bit of her lifespan, Daisuke had to admit she was cute. Long golden blonde hair fell just a little bit below her shoulders, with a ponytail off to the right side.

"W-who are you?" The girl asked nervously, still trying to get over the shock of him appearing right in front of her. He flashed what he considered a dashing smile, before suddenly kissing her hand, causing her to blush slightly. He helped the blonde girl to her feet. Lucy dusted herself off, wondering what kind of day she was having. Lucky Lucy was getting bad signals from Lady Luck all day.

"The name is Daisuke Ikari. Can I get your name? I'll admit I don't usually get the names of people I accidentally scare when I blink in and out like that." He continued on jokingly. Lucy thought he might have been sincere about the admittance. "They usually run off screaming I'm a ghost or something like that. But I can assure you I'm very much alive. I'd like the pleasure of knowing your name. Just for the sake of not scaring you. Maybe we can become friends?"

"Lucy." She said softly, her cheeks still red. "What kind of magic did you just use anyway?"

"Teleportation magic, very rare, it's hard to learn, and even harder to master." He answered casually, pride welling up his voice. However, his expression soon turned thoughtful. He frowned deeply. "Tell me, do you think you can help me find a friend of mine?" He pulled out a picture of a young man the same age as them with brilliant pink hair, wearing a white scaly-looking scarf with a huge cheesy grin on his face. "His name is Natsu Dragneel. It's important I find him as quickly as possible."

Lucy's jaw dropped at the sight of the young she had just parted ways with, "I just left him about ten minutes ago! That guy is your friend? He just emptied my wallet when we had lunch!" She muttered under her breath.

"You did? Where did he go?" Daisuke asked nervously. "Please for the love of God don't let him get into a fight. The entire town would be leveled if Natsu had his way!" He muttered under his breath, biting on his thumb. He hoped nothing had sparked Natsu's fire yet.

"I really don't know, but he was heading for the port. He said he was looking for a Dragon or something like that." Lucy said, still having difficulty believing his story. But Daisuke would believe it in a second.

"Yeah that's Natsu, No doubt about it at all! So he's looking for Igneel, huh? I wonder if it dawned on him there's no way a Fire Dragon would be in a port town on the ocean." The young mage muttered, "Of course, he was never the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with, provided it didn't involve fighting or food. Thanks for the tip, Lucy." He said the last part gratefully. A cheesy, bright grin came up onto his face.

He was about to leave when he looked over his shoulder, "Oh…a word of caution to you, Lucy." He started solemnly, honest concern shown in his red eyes. "If you plan on staying in this town for any extended period of time, you should be on your guard. There's been a spate of disappearances involving girls around your age. Keep your eyes open, okay?"

Lucy felt uneasy at Daisuke's warning, but decided better safe than sorry. Seeing the genuine worry in his eyes seemed to cement that this was real. "Sure, thanks for the warning!" She said, watching as he turned to leave, that big, cheesy grin still replaying in her head. "Hey, do you want to hang out later?" She asked, just to hear a pop, and all she found was empty air. He had already left. She huffed, "Wow Lucy, your luck with men is just fantastic! So many guys want to date you!" She sighed, before making for the train station.

(Prominence Waterfront)

It hadn't taken Daisuke long to track down Natsu. He was currently suspended almost forty feet in the hair, thanks to Happy's wings, frantically scanning every inch of the port with a pair of binoculars. He rolled his eyes, outside of eating or trying to beat in the skulls of everyone that pissed him off. The impulsive pyromaniac was pretty much hopeless. "Natsu! Get your scaly ass down here right now!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Hey it's Daisuke!" Happy said.

"What is he doing here?" Natsu whined, noting Daisuke point to the ground in front of him. "Come on, Happy. We don't want him using that teleportation trick of his to knock us out of the sky like last time!" With a sigh, the two of them landed in front of their guild mate.

"What do you want, man? Can't you see I'm trying to look for Igneel?" Natsu pouted. Daisuke growled, whapping the Dragon Slayer upside the head. "Hey, what was that for?" He snapped rubbing the sore spot. Daisuke just folded his arms, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Natsu, I know how important Igneel is to you, and how you just want to find your adoptive father. But seriously man, did you really think you were going to find a fire dragon near the ocean? The guys back home were jerking your chain…again! You don't know how worried I was, you dummy!" Daisuke scolded him seriously, he watched Natsu's shoulders slump. He opened up his mouth. Daisuke lifted up a hand, thin smirk coming onto his lips. Natsu was silenced, knowing he had something in mind. "The Master ordered me to drag your ass back home, but as long as you're here. I could probably use the help." He pulled out a smooth looking crystal ball from his bag. "I'll let my dad explain, he's the one who gave me the assignment."

The Lacrima crystal flared to life, revealing a stern-faced older man. Yukimura Ikaruga was a prominent member of the Magic Council, and one of the Ten Wizarding Saints. He was someone who demanded immediate respect. Yukimura was a man of sharp features, dark features. In comparison Daisuke, seemed like a softer looking younger image of the man. Yukimura had darker skin, and thick black beard covering his face. His eyes were unlike Daisuke's in their cold blue dark grey color. Their color reminded him of a severe over cast sky. He spoke, and his deep voice in a casual manner seemed to hold commanding power. "Ah, good job, son. I see you found our errant Dragon Slayer.

"Grand Inquisitor, would you mind telling Natsu what you had in mind?" Daisuke asked politely, carefully throwing Natsu a look. His sharp look told him to pay attention.

Yukimura's eyes narrowed just slightly, a subtle gesture, but even then a tingle went down the Fire Dragon Slayer's spine. His grey blue eyes held cold intensity he'd only seen in Makarov during the most serious moments. "Mr. Dragneel…your reputation precedes you." Yukimura said coolly, fingers weaved together before his face. "I can't say I approve of your methods. Whole villages laid to waste and all. But perhaps you can help my son with a little job of his. In return, I'll see to it any fines that would result from property damage will be waived."

"What's the job?" Natsu asked curiously, interest showing in his voice.

"I was on my way to Hargeon Town, it seems there's reports of a slave trafficking ring working out of there. My orders are to shut it down." Daisuke informed Natsu, "You interested?"

"I might be…" Natsu replied easily, cracking his knuckles.

"Something else that might interest you, Mr. Dragneel. According to my sources, the leader of this slave ring likes to pretend he's a member of Fairy Tail." Yukimura smirked a little behind his carefully placed fingers when noticed the slight flicker in the Dragon Slayer's eye after mentioning how he was an impersonator. He knew right then and there the younger man was hooked. Daisuke couldn't see that smile, but he could easily imagine that superior leer on his father's face.

"Tell me everything you know about him!" His voice became very low, a fist smacking into his hand. The young Dragon Slayer could be hotheaded and prone to irritated outbursts all the time. But if one wanted to make Natsu Dragneel truly angry, with a white-hot fury that would have made his adoptive father proud…try implying you're a member of the Fairy Tail Magic Guild while being a criminal. It was a guaranteed way to get a flaming fist to the jaw.

"He's known as Bora the Prominence, and he was formerly a member of the Titan Nose Guild before he was kicked out due to committing thefts on the west side of the kingdom. He's known to make use of Fire Magic, so he shouldn't be too hard for someone with your unique skills." Daisuke explained, "He's also been reported of using forbidden Charm magic. Bora uses it to lure the girls onto his ship for a party, where he sets sail and then sells them off to the highest bidder."

"Oh don't worry…he won't be causing any trouble when I'm done with him!" Natsu said. "Let's get going, Daisuke. We have a party to crash!" He stalked off with Happy floating behind him.

Daisuke quirked an eyebrow at his father, "You did that intentionally…didn't you pop." He observed cuttingly. Daisuke knew the answer straightaway. Cunning manipulation was the hallmark of his father's political career.

"You just need to give people the right motivation, Son. Then, they will follow accordingly." Yukimura drawled, gesturing airily. He cast a distant look at Natsu's distant with an air of caution. "Do your best to try and limit the damage done to the town, at least make sure nobody gets killed. Businesses and homes can be rebuilt, but lives can't."

"Will do, Boss man!" Daisuke saluted his father crisply, and the crystal went blank.

(Hargeon Park)

Lucy was sitting on a bench reading the latest issue of Sorcerer's Weekly. "Wow, it looks Fairy Tail is at it again! Demon Bandit Clan wiped out, but they leveled an entire village this time! If they're not careful, the Magic Council is going to come down on them hard." She almost jumped when a long, lean arm draped around her shoulders. To her dismay she saw it was the Fire Mage from earlier. "What do you want?"

"I couldn't help but overhear…you want join Fairy Tail, huh? You're in luck, my dear! You see. I happen to be a member in good standing of that guild. I'm certain I could get you in." Bora drawled. His charm magic would no longer affect the feisty blonde, but when he had played on Lucy's desire to join the strongest guild in Fiore, he had her hooked. "I'm having a party on my personal yacht tonight. Why don't you show up? I can take you straight to the Guild Hall after it's done."

"I am so there!" Lucy swooned. Bora flashed a dashing if creepy smile to her, taking her by the arm and leading her to the boat. It worked like a charm. Lucy felt like she should have remembered something important from the dark haired boy's counsel earlier. It was lost in the stream of excited glee.

Bora's boat wasn't hard to find, it was the largest, gaudiest ship in the harbor. Several giggling young ladies were seen coming up the gangway, all of them esteemed 'guests' of the so-called Salamander's fancy soiree he was hosting.

Lucy was in her guest quarters, admiring herself in the mirror. She had been given a very sexy maroon halter neck evening gown to wear. It was cut low, revealing a generous amount of cleavage, the slit up to her hips, revealing a toned leg in red high heels. "Lucy, you're looking simply gorgeous!" She smiled, giving her reflection a wink and a blown kiss, before coming out on deck. A slight breeze blew in from the ocean.

She stopped to look out at the ocean, admiring the clear night sky overhead. "It won't be long now…" Lucy mused. "Just a little bit longer and I'll be part of Fairy Tail!" Having lived in such a sheltered environment, the young Celestial Mage had yearned for a life of adventure beyond being a pampered heiress.

"Well now, are you enjoying yourself?" Bora said slowly, coming alongside Lucy. "Come with me to my cabin, so we can have a drink to celebrate." As they walked off, he looked over to his shoulder to one of his crew, giving a slight nod. The crewman leered perversely. He loved his job at times!

(Bora's Cabin)

"Wow, this guy must be loaded!" Lucy said to herself, examining the lavish furnishings The Salamander had in his quarters. The mahogany paneling was on the walls. A very expensive rug, the silk sheets on his very large bed also decorated. But, only her family's own mansion was fancier. Bora took out a bottle of equally expensive wine, pouring a couple of glasses, handing one for Lucy. "Oh, I'm not sure if I should have this." She blushed, feeling the warmth on her cheeks when she touched them.

He just flashed another grin. "One glass of wine isn't going to kill you. Go ahead and drink it. It will help you to relax." Bora replied slowly. Lucy took the offered glass, contemplating the dark red liquid for a few seconds. The liquid then suddenly levitated out, forming several small droplets. "Open your mouth and savor each drop!" He grinned.

A hazy feeling started to fall over Lucy, it made her eyes heavy, as her vision began to darken. A quick jolt shot through her as she realized what was going on. She batted the floating drops aside, bolting up to her feet from her seat. She sneered at the man, narrowing her eyes at him accusingly. "What are you doing? You're trying to use sleep magic on me! Listen, I want to join Fairy Tail, but I'm not going to date you to do it!" It was then she felt a slight lurch, "Hey! This ship is moving!"

It was then Bora's face went from creepily pleasant to outright evil, lashing out to grab Lucy by the arm. "Well, it seems you're quite the feisty one. I guess I'll need to get a little more aggressive from here on out." The curtains peeled back, revealing all of Bora's crew, laughing as they held the unconscious women over the shoulders.

"What have you done to them?" Lucy cried out in horror.

"I suggest you do what you're told, little girl!" Bora sneered. "I really don't want to harm the merchandise before we reach Bosco Town. Cuts down on the price I get from the slave masters, and you would fetch top price, but I won't hesitate to knock you on your stupid ass if you don't shut up!" His other hand whipped out like a viper, grabbing at the keys hanging at Lucy's side. "Ah, Celestial Gate Keys, a rare kind of magic indeed. Sadly, since they only work for the wizard the spirits are contracted to, that makes them totally worthless, oops!" A single, careless toss sent them soaring toward the window.

"You bastard! Those were my mother's!" Lucy screeched, reaching out for thin air. Bora stood prevented her from chasing after them. Bora leered at Lucy, pushing her down. He bent over, eyes large with lascivious intent. "Now, then…" He mused, reaching down to touch her tender lips. "Where were we?"

Lucy whimpered, looking away. She trembled fearfully. This was how things ended up.

"I believe she was in the middle of looking for these?" A little musical jangle rang out. Out of nowhere, a bemused voice spoke. Everyone in the room turned to see Daisuke standing there, spinning the key ring on his finger. "Good evening, Lucy. I thought I warned you about not talking to strangers. I guess empty promises won out over candy." He smiled thinly, letting smooth out a chuckle. "Next time, perhaps I'll try cookies, you like chocolate chip?"

"D-Dasuke?!" Lucy cried out in surprise. "Why are you here!? Not that I'm not thankful for the help!"

"How did you even get in here?!" Bora snapped worriedly, shocked that this kid even got in here. Bora spun on his heel, doing a 180. Lucy scrambled to Daisuke's side, putting distance between herself and the creep. She felt all of her prior defiance coming back. Lucy stuck out her tongue at Bora, pulling down her eyelid low enough to see the flesh reddish insides. Bora growled underneath his breath, "You little bitch…"

"Oh, it's just a little trick of mine; Hardly worth taking the time to explain it. Let's just say a wizard did it." Daisuke cut in condescendingly, tossing Lucy back her keys. She caught them deftly. Lucy couldn't hide her surprised glee. For a moment, Lucy thought she was doomed. He fixed his ruby gaze on Bora. "So…you're the legendary Salamander of the Fairy Tail Magic Guild, huh? I expected more."

"That's right, what's it to you?" Bora took a step back, snapping commanding looks to his men. They all stepped forward, unsheathing their swords. Some of them cocked their guns, there had to be at least eight of them in this room alone. Daisuke didn't flinch. He didn't seem to treat them with more than nonchalant boredom. His gaze swept over them, he put a hand on the long dagger hanging from his belt. He didn't take it out, it was an easy going gesture. His finger drifted over the hilt, its cold feel was a gladly familiar feeling. Suddenly, he was in front of Bora. A slight pop only heralded his unexpected movement. Five of his men thudded to the ground. Blood flew, and his dagger glinted cold silver. His dagger came back into its sheath with a click. The remaining men's mouths hung open. They stayed rooted to where they stood in fear of where the mage might move next. Lucy didn't even see him move. Lucy immediately muttered, "Teleportation magic. A broken sword, and a bandaged right hand." Something clicked into her mind. An article from Sorcerer Weekly popped into her mind from months. Lucy gasped, hands coming to her mouth. "You're from…"

"It's nothing much, but I think I would recall seeing you around the hall…what with us being part of the same guild and all." He grinned as he pulled up his sleeve, revealing an obsidian black mark on his left bicep, it resembled a stylized fairy dancing on the wind. "Allow me to introduce myself properly, the name is Daisuke Ikari, a true member of Fairy Tail, you lying sack of shit!"

"Shit, he's the genuine article, Bora! And that kid's a magic council agent, too! I recognize him from a raid on of one our safe houses! Oh, no! The Inquisition is onto us!" One of the crewmembers exclaimed in outright terror. The guild symbol for Fairy Tail was well known throughout the land, equally respected…and …so was the name of the Magic Council's Inquisition Agency.

Bora hissed, glaring daggers at Daisuke. "Shit…" He cursed foully. "You're one of those Inquisitors!"

"That's right! I represent what you fear most!" Suddenly, his dagger cut the air once more. Its broken, jagged point pressed on Bora's chin. Bora broke out into an ice-cold sweat. Crimson red dripped from a small cut he received. A small flick of Daisuke's wrist could have turned it into more than a passing shave with its razor's edge. His red gaze chilled Bora to the core. They almost seemed to glow with detached fury in the light. He was detached from considering Bora human. Right now, he was little more than a monster wearing human skin. "I've heard all about you…Bora the Prominence! I'm here to shut down your little slaving operation and permanently! I gotta say, it's bad enough you're capturing young woman like Lucy here for your own greed, but going so far as to selling them for virgin sacrifices to summon demons?" Lucy shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. She suddenly felt fortunate for the intervention. Maybe she'd thank him with a meal later. Then again, she wasn't sure how to thank someone for something that major. "That's just not kosher, dude! So that's strike one, buddy!"

"Strike two against you…is using the Fairy Tail name to lure those girls here in the first place! You really don't know what you've done by doing that! We don't like having our name associated with common thugs after all. And lastly." A truly evil smirk formed on his face, "Is using my guildmate's title for your own fame! The TRUE Salamander really hates that, and he's going to prove it to you, right now!"

The skylight shattered, as a dark form dropped down. "Strike Three!" Daisuke declared, glad to finally have some back up, but his smirk vanished when he saw the Dragon Slayer hunched over on the floor, puking all over the carpet. "Wow Natsu, you really know how to ruin a moment! I gave you a great, badass opening, and you tanked it!"

"Someone please make the world stop…I want to get off!" Natsu heaved. Happy floated down next to him, patting his friend on the back.

"You really need to do something about that motion sickness!" The cat answered kindly. "Perhaps some fish will help."

"Happy, take Lucy and get her to safety! Natsu and I will handle things from here…once he's quit throwing up!" Lucy didn't have time to protest as Happy wrapped his tail around her waist, taking off through the hole Natsu had left in the roof thanks to his dynamic entry.

Daisuke came to Natsu's side, grabbing the woozy Salamander by the collar of his long red coat, whapping him across the face. "Wake up, pal! I can't do this by myself! Get your shit together!"

"Quit it man! You sure as hell could have beat these guys by now!" Natsu whined, directing an eye to Bora. His focus on something else besides the rocking of the boat, he snapped to his feet, a fiery gleam in his eye. Daisuke flipped his dagger into a reverse grip. More of Bora's men burst into the room. They were armed to the teeth, and carried harmful intent as their side arm. They encircled the two. Neither of the boys looked threated. They only shared a similar carefree grin.

"Let's go, you phonies!" Daisuke called. "We're gonna show you what the real deal can do! Come on, Natsu!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Natsu replied happily, cracking his knuckles. If there was anything that made the Fire Dragon Slayer happy, the promise of a good fight always did the trick. Bora regained his composure.

"All right you little punks, have a taste of my flames! Prominence Whip!" Long tendrils of pinkish-red fire flew from the magic glyph that formed in front of Bora, both Daisuke and Natsu scattered to avoid getting burned. The fight spilled out onto the deck, both Daisuke and Natsu stood back to back, surrounded by the entirety of Bora's gang. Broken bodies already lined the deck when they had to fight their way out. It was surely a scene where more casualties would happen.

Silence hung in the air, and then just as everyone was ready to throw down, a massive tidal wave roared out from sea. "What in the hell?" Was all everyone could say as the wave smashed into the ship, flinging it all the way back to the harbor where it crashed onto the sand. Daisuke pulled himself out of the sand. He blinked away the woozy feeling he had, feeling as if he should he had been seeing things. "Did I get a concussion?" He muttered, bemused by the scene he was watching. "Because I think mermaids are real, and having it out with Lucy."

He found Lucy on the beach not too far away, minus her shoes, arguing with what appeared to be a mermaid with blue hair and a blue fish tail holding a jug. "What's the big idea, Aquarius? Think you could try getting the ship without sweeping me away along with it?" She snapped at her Water Celestial Spirit.

Aquarius just flipped her hair as she gave a condescending look to her master. "Oh that was an accident. I wasn't aiming at the ship."

"That means you were aiming at me the entire time!" Lucy barked.

The water spirit just turned her back. "I wouldn't suggest summoning me for a while. I'm going on a weeklong vacation with my boyfriend, and he's hot!" She turned into a shimmering mass of water before vanishing. Happy pulled his head out of the sand.

"You don't have to rub it in!" Lucy cried. She could never understand why Aquarius always treated her with such contempt. She remembered how close the Water Bearer had been to her mother, Layla, and after her death, Lucy had inherited Aquarius's gate key, but every time she was summoned, it was nothing but attitude.

"I've got an idea! If the fish lady gives you any more trouble, you can call me to take care of her!" Happy said cheerfully.

"Ugh, I don't think I can take much more of this stupid cat!" Lucy groaned. She saw Daisuke run up to her, he helped her up to her feet. "Thanks for that. I ended up falling into the water, so I tried to summon one of my Celestial Spirits to help, and she did this!"

The townspeople were now starting to flock to where the crashed remains of Bora's ship lay. They were all in wonder of seeing that it managed to get flung all way back from where it was. Bora and his men staggered out. Daisuke and Lucy looked to see Natsu emerge, standing on the side of the ruined vessel. "Oh good, he made it out. Get ready for a show, Lucy. I don't think things are going to end well for that guy."

"So…you say you're a member of Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked, his voice neutral.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Bora said, letting out a snort. He lashed out a commanding gesture. "Get him, boys!" The thugs rushed at Natsu, who tossed off his coat, revealing his well-muscled arms. He dispatched each of them with a single blow. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, I'm a wizard of the Fairy Tail Magic Guild! You're not anyone I've ever seen before!" He turned slightly, letting everyone see the same mark as Daisuke had, but in a deep red color.

Those words floored everyone, especially Lucy. She had met two members of her favorite guild in just one day. "He's part of Fairy Tail too?" She asked Daisuke.

"Yeah, pretty much. Now if you'll excuse me, dear. My friend and I have some business to tend to!" He popped out of existence, appearing next to his fellow mage, "Hey Natsu! Don't hog all the fun! Let me get in on this!" He pulled out his jagged point dagger. "It's time to quit yapping and raise some hell!"

"Get ready for some pain, pal! You don't ever dirty our guild's name!" Natsu said.

Bora just leered at him, "Are you going to stop me? Prominence Typhoon!" A massive wave of flames bore down on the two boys. Daisuke took cover behind Natsu as the flames erupted in a massive explosion.

"Daisuke! Natsu!" Lucy cried, wanting to go help, but she was stopped by Happy. The sleeping spell used on the other captured girls finally wore of, and they all ran away to safety, screaming. Bora and his gang just watched as their hapless foes burned.

"That's the way it goes, boys. The bigger the talk, the weaker the man." Bora quipped. It was then a contingent of armed soldiers wearing the livery of the Hargeon City Guard appeared, "Oh no, it's the city guard! Whatever will we do?" He said in a bored sounding voice. The captain, his face obscured by the steel helm, stepped forward, sword aimed right at Bora's neck.

"Bora the Prominence, formerly of the Titan Nose Magic Guild, you and your gang are under arrest for human trafficking! I'm taking you in!" The captain ordered, about ready to slap the cuffs on him, when he suddenly found a jagged dagger at his throat. Daisuke was standing there; ready to cut open his jugular. "What is the meaning of this? You want to be arrested too? This is obstruction of justice!"

"Obstruction of justice, my ass! I'm the one who represents righteousness!" Daisuke barked, lips twisting into a dark sneer. He pressed the blade against the man's neck threateningly. "Don't think I'm ignorant to you who you are…Boran! This piece of lowlife trash is your younger brother, and partner in this little business endeavor of yours. He takes the girls to be sold, and you get a cut of the profit for keeping the Magic Council in the dark. Too bad you didn't count on them sending an agent to investigate it! Not to mention there's my friend to contend with!"

Bora began laughing, "What are you on? My Prominence Typhoon roasted him. He's nothing but ashes scattered on the wind now!" Daisuke just smirked, listening for familiar voice coming from the still dancing flames.

"Man this is so gross! Are you sure you're a fire wizard?" Standing in the middle of it all was Natsu, seemingly unaffected by the flames. His was not even scorched, or burnt. It seemed impossible by all real possibilities. Natsu's shadow danced within the flames, casting a menacing shadow. "Because these are the nastiest flames I've ever tasted!" Bora let out a decidedly girlish scream. No one could believe their eyes. The fires began swirling into Natsu's mouth, before they finally vanished entirely. "Thanks for the grub, poser!" He grinned, showing his sharp dragon like teeth. They gleamed like knives, giving off threatening intent to devour further.

"What's going on here? Who is this kid?" Bora exclaimed, not believing his eyes.

"I should let you know…Fire Magic doesn't exactly work on Natsu." Happy explained, shrugging slightly. "But, I think it's already too late for you."

Lucy was dumbstruck. "I've never seen anything like it before in my life!"

"Natsu, take care of the flaming wannabe, I'll deal with his brother!" Daisuke shouted, brandishing his silvery dagger. "Okay tough guy…" Daisuke turned his attention to Boran, shrewdly speaking up. "How about we just cut to the chase? I know you have the same power as your brother, so go ahead and conjure up those flames of yours? Because I know you're not coming quietly!" Boran just grunted, yanking his helmet off. Despite the close-cropped hair, the family resemblance was a dead giveaway.

"Kid, you're going to wish you never messed with us! Taste the Cerulean Prominence!" A blue magic glyph blinked to life in front of him, and equally blue flames rushed out toward Daisuke. But he just smirked, vanishing in a flash, before reappearing behind him, slashing with his dagger. Boran brought his sword up to block. "Cerulean Typhoon!" A blue version of his brother's signature spell rushed out at the other mage.

Another blue glyph formed, releasing a torrent of water, snuffing out the flames, to create a massive cloud of steam. Daisuke cut right through it, he spun the broken blade in his hand, "Say hi to Talion!" Silver runes of power gleamed along the jagged point blade. Talion clashed with it, shattering Boran's sword to pieces. Shards flew through the air, clattering to the ground. "Apparently you didn't pay attention in Magic 101! Water cancels out Fire!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Boran sneered, small arcs of electricity dancing along his hand. He cast aside the useless weapon, leaving it to bounce uselessly on the sand. "Water may cancel out Fire, but it does shit against Lightning! Try some of my Cerulean Thunder!" Two massive bolts of lightning the same color as Boran's fire leapt out of his hand, cracking with ill intent. They arced outward, striking the place where Daisuke stood. He jumped back, landing to the side unharmed.

"Wow, nice little light show. One of my guildmates would eat that for lunch…and I mean that quite literally!" Daisuke smirked, whistling in faux amazement. He raised his empty hand to his side. "Now it's my turn! And unlike with your pitiful little spark, I'm going to show you some real lightning!" A blue and yellow magic sigil formed in his hands, it almost looked like two magic circles combined together. From it a ball of water manifested, his hand pawed it, and a massive spark of electricity formed within, it spun inside the sphere. The water sphere shimmered with electrical fury. "You're going down!"

"We'll see about that!" Boran's eyes bulged out, showing his eye veins in all their bloodshot, veiny glory. Massive amounts of lightning began arcing between my hands. "Get ready for my ultimate attack you little punk! Cerulean Electrical Mayhem!" He ran at Daisuke, planning on turning him into so much ash, but the young mage just vanished. He was suddenly in front of him!

"You really are a colossal idiot! Shock Sphere!" He rammed the electrically charged sphere of water into his foe's abdomen; there was a huge flash, as several things happened all at once. The water construct collapsed, soaking the corrupt City Guard and releasing the lightning spell contained within it. It also consumed Boran's own spell, intensifying the effect. Which gave him a firsthand experience of what nearly a million and a half volts of electricity felt like!

Finally due to the explosive swirling nature of the Shock Sphere, it also sent Boran spiraling up into the sky, spinning head over heels. Daisuke teleported one more time, popping into existence above Boran's spinning figure, raising his leg up, Daisuke delivered a killer dropkick into the rogue Captain's skull, sending him crashing to the ground, causing a massive crater. "Take a nap!" The elder of the Prominence brothers was a crispy black, whimpering in pain. His twitched, and sputtered from the very shock from moments ago. Daisuke landed at his side, casting Lucy a winning smile. He rose up two fingers to signal his victory. Lucy giggled, returning his smile. "I'll give that a nine point five!"

Daisuke pouted, walking over to Lucy and his favorite blue cat. He petted Happy, rubbing his behind his blue ear. The cat purred favorably. Daisuke knew Happy's weak spot. "I thought I'd earned a perfect ten." He said playfully. "Oh, well. I'll accept the almost perfect score from a pretty lady." Lucy flushed, chuckling a bit. "You better," she answered back humorously. "I'm not often that generous."

The guards stood there dumbfounded, not believing their eyes. Daisuke sheathed Talion, putting a hand on its long black hit. He looked pointedly at the guards, challenging them to step forward. Daisuke reached into his shirt, bringing out a golden badge etched with the grand sigil of the Inquisition Agency. An eye in the center of a golden sun was run through vertically by a broadsword. It seemed watch them with naturally accusing stare. "Now, then." He said plainly, neutral voice traced with authority. "I'm arresting your corrupt captain by the power of the Grand Magic Council's Inquisition Agency. There will be a pending investigation into the rest of you. I hope the rest of you will cooperate…" He gestured to the broken, charred body of Boran dismissively. "You saw what happened to him when the former captain failed to comply."

The guards sweated, and all stammered out their surrender. All of their weapons clattered to the ground. They threw their hands up into the air collectively. Daisuke smiled contently, shoving the necklace back under his shirt's collar. "It's nice when they realize they're only wasting their time by resisting."

Lucy chuckled nervously. Happy joyfully noshed on a hapless fish, lost to the world in bliss. "You're a bit more authoritative than Sorcerer described you, Daisuke. Then again, I've never seen an Inquisitor in action before."

Daisuke shrugged carelessly, "It comes with the job, Lucy. Admittedly, I don't like collateral damage; or meaningless fighting, for that matter. I like to be one, and done on these cases. Unlike someone the chief temporarily granted deputyship to…"

They ignored Bora's bloodshot glare. Forgetting he was even a threat for a moment.

Bora growled in frustration when he saw his brother fall, "That's what I get for working with family! It's so hard to find good help these days!" He was about to prattle more before Natsu slugged him in the jaw, "Hey, what's that for?"

"Enough yakking! I've got a fire in my belly that's just raging to get out!" Natsu slammed his fist together, creating a magic glyph with a dragon's head in the middle. He took a deep breath. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" A huge stream of flames that made anything Bora was capable of look like a tiny ember shot out of Natsu's mouth, blowing through thug and guardsman alike. The phony Salamander managed to survive by using his Red Carpet to hover above the ground.

One of the thugs staggered to his feet, "Hey Bora, I swear I've seen this guy before! The pink hair and the scaly looking scarf…it has to be the real one!"

"You mean… Salamander?" Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. The loud-mouthed obnoxious brat in front of her was the true master of fire magic?

Flames circled into existence around the young mage's fists as his hair whipped in the night breeze. "I hope you're paying attention you fake! Because this is what a REAL Fairy Tail wizard can do!" Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander of the Fairy Tail Magic Guild declared, lunging forward to lay some hurt on the pretender who'd dare try to steal his thunder. "Here I come!"

"Red Shower!" The glyph came to life, firing out a series of small purplish-red flames that targeted a wide area. But to Natsu they have well been spitwads. He charged forward, forming a magic circle underneath him to use as a platform to jump up toward Bora, he wound, decking the wannabe fire mage with a flaming punch that sent him flying deep into the heart of downtown Hargeon.

Lucy was trying to make sense of everything playing out in front of her. "So he eats fire and attacks with it? How does he do it? Is it some kind of spell?" She asked Happy. She caught sight of Natsu, who had an eager grin on his face. He was totally into the battle, enjoying every minute of it!

"Natsu has dragon lungs that allow him to breathe fire, dragon scales to help dissolve the fire, and dragon claws to let him attack with fire! This brand of Fire Magic allows his body to take on the qualities of a dragon! It's an ancient kind of magic that's rarely used anymore."

"It's called Dragon Slayer Magic," Daisuke cut in, dumping an unconscious and bound Boran on the ground. Lucy winced at the smell. He wasn't dead, but Boran certainly was cooked. "Igneel taught it to Natsu a long time ago. It's kind of ironic, since it was made to deal with Dragons." He winced as he watched Natsu once again punted Bora across the town, watching as another home was reduced to rubble. "It fits our Salamander quite well, being that he's such a hot head!"

"HELL PROMINENCE!" Bora screamed, firing off his most powerful spell, a giant rolling ball of flame that resembled a skull on some levels, intending to roast his enemy alive, but against Natsu, it was practically an all you can eat buffet. The Dragon Slayer caught the massive fireball, downing it in one gulp.

"Now that's a hefty meal!" He quipped. "You're not doing too bad, but it's time for this to end! I'm going to cook you like a smoked fish!"

"You're going to do what to me? I don't want to be roasted!" Bora squealed. Natsu slammed his fists together one last time.

"Get ready! FIRE DRAGON! IRON FIST!" Natsu leapt up, streaking through the air like the massive beast his magic derived from, Lucy could almost imagine the dragon behind him. He flew straight and true, flaming fist cocked back, delivering a fiery haymaker that caused Bora to bounce like a ping-pong ball off the chimneys and rooftops before slamming into a bell."

"And you're out!" Daisuke shouted, flapping his arms animatedly like an umpire.

"Don't be silly Natsu, everyone knows you smoke food with smoke, not fire!" Happy cheerfully said, munching on a fish. Lucy was taken aback at the display of power she had just witnessed.

"That was amazing!" She said in awe, but it turned to dismay when she saw the destruction the battle had caused, numerous houses and business had been trashed, and their flaming remains spouted smoke into the otherwise clear night sky. "But they overdid it!" She heard footsteps, watching as a massive contingent of soldiers ran toward them, bearing the symbol of the Magic Council on their shields. "It's the army!" She hollered.

Lucy felt someone grab her by the wrist and take off running. "Oh crap! We need to get out of here!" Natsu cried in a panic stricken voice, Lucy flapped in the breeze.

"Hey, where are you taking me?!" She yelped shrilly.

"Natsu! Wait a second! They're not going to arrest you! Remember what my dad said?" Daisuke called out, he sighed, "Oh…what an idiot!" He exclaimed, before taking off after them.

"Where are we going?" Lucy yelled again, watching Happy soar overhead.

"Just come on! You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail right?" Natsu gave his trademark grin, "Well come on! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone. You're going to love it!" That made the Celestial Mage's day. It took a little doing, but Lucy Heartfilia was finally going to join her dream guild! In doing so she'd make many new and cherished friends, not to mention earn a young man's love.

Daisuke ran up beside them, flashing her that signature boyish smile. She smiled back dazzlingly. Lucy thought maybe she had a good hand after all…