The next morning, Shun woke in his guest room to the unexpected weight of a naked Ur draped over him.
'What a view…' he thought, taking a moment to appreciate the scene before carefully extracting himself without waking Ur
In a buoyant mood, he decided to make an elaborate breakfast. He woke Ur first, who slipped away for a bath. "Alright, time to wake up," Shun said, gently shaking Mavis who was sleeping on the sofa.
She awoke with pronounced dark circles under her eyes.
"Rough night?" Shun asked, feigning ignorance. With his advanced Haki, her late-night peeking had been impossible to miss.
"Hmph!" Mavis turned away, refusing to answer. 'Guess I have to pull out the big guns,' Shun thought. He retrieved a perfect strawberry cake from the kitchen. To his surprise, Mavis's eyes only flickered with brief interest. She didn't immediately devour it as she usually would. 'That serious, huh?'
"Wash up and let's eat. I went all out," Shun said, heading to the table. Once out of sight, he smiled hearing the distinct sound of cake being hastily consumed. Soon, the three were seated. A quiet, awkward breakfast ensued, dominated by one sulking fairy. Shun broke the silence. "Let's go look at houses today."
"Ah, I should meet with Ultear. Another time," Ur declined, feeling an unspoken guilt toward Mavis.
"So, just the two of us then," Shun said. Mavis secretly perked up, her eating speed increasing slightly, a faint curve at her lips betraying her angry facade.
"Thanks for the meal," they said in unison. Despite her act, Mavis had cleaned her plate as thoroughly as ever. After a light dessert, Ur prepared to leave.
"I'll walk you to the station," Shun offered, planning to teleport her once they were alone.
Mavis said nothing, because she intended to follow them! Shun noticed but gave no sign. Once they had walked a distance, Shun guided Ur into a nearby public restroom, checking it was empty first. Mavis, horrified, hurried after them but was a few seconds too late. From inside, she heard Ur's desperate whisper.
"N-No…"
"If you don't want your daughter to know, just do what I told you." Shun's voice was unnervingly villainous. Mavis was stunned.
"What happened in those two months he was gone?! The Shun I know would never…' Unbidden tears welled in her eyes. She flung the door open, ready to be a hero, only to find a fully clothed Ur and Shun staring back with identical, teasing smiles.
"Oh? We have a little detective on our hands?" Shun asked, barely containing his laughter. "Fufu, a very adorable one," Ur added. Mavis's face flushed crimson.
"I-I was just worried! You two went into a men's room…" Her weak lie was utterly unbefitting the Fairy Tactician.
"Your tailing skills need work," Shun remarked cruelly.
"I really must go, or I'll miss my train," Ur said, leaving with a chuckle.
"Come on," Shun said, taking Mavis's hand. "Let's go find that house." Mavis didn't resist, simply following along. At the real estate agency, they were greeted by an eager, energetic agent who recognized Shun immediately, not just as an S-Class Mage, but as the owner of SHFC.
'A guaranteed sale!' the man thought.
"Show us properties with plenty of rooms," Shun instructed. The agent, named Marco, produced several portfolios.
"What do you think?" Shun asked Mavis.
"I don't know…" she mumbled, still preoccupied with the "dark side" of Shun she thought she'd discovered. '
'As his… guardian, I have to steer him right.' Shun sighed and selected a manor close to the guild to view in person.
Upon arrival, Marco quickly opened the grand front gate with an elegant gesture, a complex magic circle activating with a soft chime. "Welcome! To what we in the business call 'Magnolia's Crown Jewel.'"
"First, the approach. Beyond aesthetics, note the strategic layout. A single, controlled entrance. Elevated with a commanding 270-degree view. The cobblestones have a subtle alert enchantment. No one approaches unannounced."
"Practical," Shun nodded. His eyes analytically scanned the perimeter.
"Oh, it's like a storybook castle!" Mavis exclaimed, finally emerging from her thoughts. "Look at the glowing moss!"
"You have a keen eye! A multi-layered defense, absolutely," Marco beamed. "That moss is a bioluminescent variant from the Forests of Sin. It charges by day and provides gentle, magical lighting at night."
They entered a vast, circular foyer. A chandelier of intertwined crystal and floating fire lacrimas drifted in the center.
"It's like a captured constellation," Mavis said, spinning slowly. "You could plot star maps here!"
The tour revealed a 7-bedroom, 5-bathroom cliffside manor. It perfectly blended luxury with magical convenience, complete with lacrima-powered self-cleaning tools in every room.
Shun's standards weren't exorbitant. While it wasn't on the level of Jude Heartfilia's estate, it was more than sufficient.
"It's good. What do you think?" Shun asked. Marco nearly vibrated with excitement.
"I'll follow your choice," Mavis nodded with a small smile.
"Alright, we'll take it."
The ensuing paperwork was tedious. To Shun's surprise, he was short on funds. He had to call Jude for the remainder.
Jude was more than happy to oblige. His business was booming, and Shun had, after all, cured his wife.
---
Shun and Mavis returned to the guild. Moving from his old home was trivial with his storage ring.
"Oh, the brat finally graces us with his presence?" Makarov grumbled over his beer.
Gildarts was still at the guild, which was unusual. Normally he'd be on a quest. Having just discovered he had a daughter, he was trying to stay close, though Shun suspected Cana would soon tell him to get lost.
"You recruited someone new?" Shun asked. He observed a pink-haired boy arguing fiercely with Gray.
"Yes, that's Natsu. Apparently, he was raised by a dragon," Makarov explained.
'So Layla used the Eclipse Gate and summoned the Dragon Slayers,' Shun mused. 'And Makarov recruited one almost immediately.'
"Hey! You're Shun! I challenge you to a duel!" Natsu shouted, marching over. A chorus of facepalms echoed through the hall.
As Shun prepared to decline with a sigh, an energetic voice cut in.
"A duel with Shun? You can only do that if you beat me first!"
It was Elfman, who was originally supposed to be a timid kid. He gave Shun a confident grin before leading a yelling Natsu away.
'The guild has definitely gotten more chaotic,' Shun thought, amused.
His original plan to become Guild Master to legally steal Fairy Heart was now obsolete. He'd already taken it for himself.
Noticing Mirajane stealing glances his way, Shun approached.
"Hey, I'm having a housewarming party. Want to come?" he asked quietly.
"A party?" Mira's surprised exclamation was a bit too loud.
Shun hurriedly covered her mouth. "Shhh! I don't want the old-timers inviting themselves!"
"We heard that, you brat!" Makarov roared. He attempted to bop him on the head, but was stopped, as always, by Mavis's pointed cough.
"Cough! Cough!"
Seeing this, Shun grinned triumphantly at the fuming Guild Master.
Afterward, Shun invited the younger generation. He included the new member Natsu and Erza, whom he'd never properly spoken to. Then, he teleported to the Magic Council area to find Ultear and Ur having lunch.
"A party? A new house?" Ultear asked.
"Yeah. I bought a big place, thinking more people might live with us," Shun said. He glanced at Ur, who seemed more at ease. It appeared she and Ultear had already talked.
"About Ur…" Shun began.
Ultear's gaze turned frosty. "I was allowing you two to fix your relationship. You seemed to be avoiding each other. But you used me as an excuse to go further?!" Her fury was palpable.
'It wasn't that serious!' Shun thought. It only took an hour for her to calm down.
He and Ur sat with their heads bowed, though Ultear caught the faint smirk on Shun's face. She grew even angrier.
---
That night, the future pillars of Fairy Tail gathered in Shun's new home. The only adults present were Mavis and Ur. A large banquet table was laden with food catered by SHFC.
Shun stood, raising a glass of juice.
"When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the guild, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew," he declared, half-joking.
The reaction was unexpectedly profound.
Elfman burst into tears. "This speech… is a MAN!"
"I didn't understand a thing, but I agree!" Natsu shouted
"Renewal through hardship…" Mirajane and Erza murmured, visibly moved.
The party carried on in high spirits.
---
As the event wound down, Shun spoke again, seriously this time.
"I'll be taking on quests again soon, but I'll return whenever I can via teleportation. You're all welcome here, but if you destroy the place, you're banned."
"You're leaving again?" Sorano and the others looked crestfallen. His last absence had been two months!
"Don't worry. I'll return at night, even if I haven't finished a quest," Shun assured them. The time difference between worlds meant one day in the One Piece world was four days in Fairy Tail world. He could return to sleep every night.
The most extreme reaction came, once again, from Elfman. He looked at Shun with sudden, intense emotion.
'Does this guy have some forbidden feelings for me?!' Shun thought.
Just then, Shun felt true fear for the first time.