Chapter 02: Tenrou Island
Fanfic by: Geraint
(3rd Person POV)
On a quiet, secluded island far removed from the mainland, a strange sight greeted the moonlit night: a small girl sat cross-legged on a tombstone, smiling softly. She had extraordinarily long, wavy, pastel yellow-blonde hair that reached down to her feet, a single ahoge swaying with the breeze. Her wide, green eyes glowed faintly—striking in their lack of visible pupils. Despite her youthful appearance, her serene expression hinted at an old soul.
She let out a wistful sigh.
"I'm bored... I wonder if something interesting will happen."
As if answering her boredom, the night wind shifted.
BOOOOM!!
A powerful explosion ripped through the island, shaking the ground and sending birds fluttering from the trees.
"What was that?!"
The girl stood up, eyes wide with curiosity, and turned toward the direction of the blast.
"Well… let's go find out."
Without hesitation, she leapt from the tomb and dashed barefoot through the forest, her golden hair fluttering behind her like a streamer of light.
She arrived at the scene to find a large crater, smoke curling from the edges. At its center lay a young boy—blue-haired, unconscious, and marked with a peculiar red tattoo above and beneath his right eye.
She approached him slowly, knelt, and placed her hand gently on his forehead.
"Hmm… He's not hurt. Just asleep. But… he won't be able to see me. Not without the Fairy Tail guild insignia."
(Not Jellal's POV)
"Ugh…"
I groaned, groggily returning to consciousness. My body ached. I slowly opened my eyes.
"Where… am I?"
As I sat up, I realized I was lying in the center of a massive crater, surrounded by trees and scorched earth. And there—standing before me—was a petite, blonde girl with sparkling green eyes.
She stared at me. I stared back.
"…Do you need something?" I asked cautiously.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait… you can see me?" she said in surprise.
"Yes… is that a problem?"
"No, not at all! It's just… unusual." Her expression quickly softened into a curious smile. "What's your name, little boy?"
To think the legendary Mavis Vermillion looked like a child.
"I'd rather not be called a 'little boy' by a little girl," I replied, frowning.
"Hmph! I may look like this, but I'm much older than I seem!" she huffed, puffing her cheeks indignantly.
Honestly, with this body, I didn't want to use the name Jellal. Nor did I want to use the name from my previous life. I wanted a new identity—a cool one. Maybe I was being a little chunni, but so what?
"Actually, I don't have a name—"
"Liar!" she snapped, squinting at me. "Just by watching your expression, I can tell you're lying."
As expected of the Fairy Tactician. Her intuition was razor sharp.
But something about her presence felt comforting. Trustworthy. I could be honest.
And if she's alone here… then this really must be Tenrou Island.
"Alright. My name isn't Jellal Fernandes."
"Eh? What kind of answer is that?"
"This body is a copy of someone I knew. But the soul inside… is me. I'm different."
"So you're saying your body belongs to someone else, but the soul—the consciousness—is someone else entirely?"
"Exactly."
"So who are you?"
"I told you. I don't have a name."
I took a step toward her.
"Ugh! Don't come near me!" she shouted, covering her nose. "You stink! Go take a bath or something! Since you don't have a name, I'll give you one. From now on, you're Nero! Because you smell when you come 'near' me."
"What kind of logic is that?! Nero sounds cool, but that's an awful reason!" I snapped back.
"Don't call me Lolibaba. My name is Mavis Vermillion—founder of Fairy Tail and the only resident of this island."
And just like that… I became Nero.
I decided to live with Mavis for the time being. After all, I had nowhere else to go, and my body was only about eight years old. I was far too young to survive on my own in this world.
A Few Months Later – Tenrou Island's Forest
I stood alone in a clearing, training under the midday sun. Sweat dripped down my brow as I steadied my breath and raised my hand.
"Almighty Push!"
FWOOOM! — BOOM! — RUMBLE!
A wave of force exploded outward from me, pushing dirt, rocks, and trees several meters back. But the area of effect was still small. Only a shallow crater had formed.
"Still not enough power…"
"What a strange magic you've been practicing," said Mavis, perched casually on a tree branch above me. "What was that just now?"
I grinned.
"It's called Deva Path Magic. It lets me manipulate attractive and repulsive forces—on objects and people."
"Wow! Can you show me again?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Sure." I raised my hand toward her.
"Wait—what are you doing?!"
"Universal Pull!"
FWOOOM!
She flew toward me, and I caught her in my arms like a ragdoll.
"Pretty cool, right?"
"You ungrateful brat!" she shrieked, flailing her arms and pummeling me.
"Hahaha! I just wanted to let you feel it!"
After she calmed down, she asked curiously,
"So, do you have any other magics?"
"Two more. One's Counter Magic—it reflects any incoming attack back at the opponent, but with more than double the original power. The stronger the attack, the stronger the rebound. The other is Steal Magic—it lets me steal an item from my opponent. The rarer the item, the higher the luck needed."
"Hmm… Counter sounds great in battle. But Steal sounds kind of… shady."
"It depends on the user. Want me to show you?"
"Alright, go ahead."
I raised my palm toward her.
"Steal!"
I clenched my hand—and felt something soft.
Mavis's expression froze. Slowly, her cheeks turned pink.
She clutched her skirt.
I opened my hand… and saw a small white cloth with pink frills.
Panties.
My eye twitched.
"Wh-What kind of perverted magic is that?! Now give me back my underwear!" she cried.
"…It really does steal things. Guess my luck's high… but if that's the case, why did I die so easily in my last life?"
I handed her panties back sheepishly.
From that day onward, I continued living on the island with Mavis—my "Lolibaba." My life became a balance of training my abilities and spending my free time playing with her like a child. To survive on Tenrou Island, I had to improvise, adapt, and overcome everything that came my way.
Over time, our bond grew. She treated me like a grandson, and I didn't mind it. After all… I had no family. I was alone in this world.
Eventually, Mavis began teaching me the Three Great Magics of Fairy Tail: Fairy Law, Fairy Glitter, and Fairy Sphere. It took over two and a half years of rigorous study and practice to master them. She taught me Fairy Law with great caution—it could be deadly if misused.
She was utterly shocked when I managed to cast all three successfully after two years of hard work.
Three Years Later – Tenrou Island
Mavis and I sat on the same tombstone where we'd first met, sharing a meal. I had grilled some meat and fish over an open flame.
"Lolibaba, do you have any more magic you can teach me?" I asked between bites of grilled fish.
Munch. Munch.
"You greedy boy," she said, laughing as she munched on grilled meat. "You already learned my strongest spells. You should be satisfied by now."
"Not bad," I replied, licking my fingers.
And so, life on Tenrou Island continued—peaceful, warm, and oddly fulfilling.
(To Be Continued)