The morning sun was warm but gentle as it spilled across the rooftops of Magnolia, casting long, golden shadows down the cobbled streets. Birds darted between the buildings while shopkeepers opened their stores with the quiet clatter of shutters and sleepy yawns.
Shinra Satoru adjusted the black shades on his face and took a deep breath, hands tucked casually in his pockets as he strolled through the town. The townsfolk paid him curious glances—he wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Silver hair, tailored coat, strange aura. Even with his cursed energy reined in, the man still *felt* like a contradiction. Gentle and dangerous. Familiar and unknown.
He didn't mind the stares. In fact, he welcomed them. He wasn't here to hide.
He was here to begin.
And just up ahead, nestled between two tall oaks and overlooking the river… stood Fairy Tail.
It was exactly as he remembered it—more vibrant in person, somehow.
A wide wooden building, its rooftop crowned with the proud Fairy Tail emblem. From within, a mix of laughter, shouts, and the occasional *crash* echoed into the street. The air vibrated with the unique magic of the people within. It smelled like ale, magic dust, and mischief.
Shinra exhaled slowly, heart skipping just slightly.
This was it.
Inside the Guild Hall...
The front doors creaked as he stepped in, and for a moment, the entire hall froze.
Dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward him. Mages were mid-argument, mid-drink, mid-flight—literally, in Elfman's case, who had just been launched across the room by a punch from Cana. Even *he* paused midair to glance at the newcomer before crashing into a table.
Shinra stood in the doorway with a half-smile, hand raised lazily in greeting.
"Yo," he said, voice calm, light, and just a little too amused. "This the place with all the food fights and flying furniture?"
A long silence.
Then—*a crash*.
Natsu Dragneel slammed face-first into the floor, having tripped in excitement as he ran to greet the newcomer.
"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded, pointing from his sprawled position.
Shinra tilted his head. "Visitor. Tourist. Admirer. Depends on your mood, honestly."
Another pause.
Then a familiar voice called out—firm, commanding, and filled with subtle amusement. "Enough, Natsu. You're scaring the guest."
Shinra's gaze shifted… and there she was.
**Erza Scarlet.**
Red hair like silk fire. Armor gleaming even in the dust-speckled sunlight pouring through the windows. Calm eyes that weighed everyone and everything. She walked toward him with the grace of a warrior queen and the curiosity of someone used to chaos but wary of its unfamiliar shape.
Shinra straightened a little. Not because he had to—but because she deserved that.
"I'm Erza Scarlet," she said, stopping a few feet in front of him. "S-Class Mage. State your business."
Shinra's grin widened slightly, but his voice softened. "Pleasure to meet you, Erza. I'm Shinra. I came… to join the guild."
Gasps echoed. Elfman shouted something about being a *real man*. Natsu was already trying to size him up. Gray narrowed his eyes. Lucy was confused. Cana downed another drink. But Erza remained steady.
"And what qualifies you to be one of us, Shinra?" she asked, tone testing but not hostile.
He looked around slowly, soaking in the scent of sweat and magic and belonging. This was a family. Raw and chaotic. But real.
"Nothing," he said honestly. "I'm not here to prove I'm strong. I'm here to belong."
There was a silence. The kind that always comes before change.
Then, from behind the bar, another voice—smooth, teasing, warm as the morning sun—cut in.
"Well, I like his vibe," said Mirajane Strauss, smiling as she dried a glass with a towel. "Let him stay. We've had worse."
Shinra turned—and when his eyes met hers, something in him… shifted.
Time slowed just slightly. A spark of déjà vu. A flicker of something both familiar and brand new.
He smiled back, quiet and sincere.
Erza studied him for a moment longer. Then, with a nod, she stepped aside.
"Then welcome to Fairy Tail… Shinra."
Later That Day...
After meeting Makarov who was busy writing an apology letter and getting his approval. With a black fairy tail tattoo on his arm, he sat at the bar with a drink in hand—non-alcoholic, much to Cana's horror—laughing at some story Macao was telling about a botched mission involving cursed laundry. Mirajane leaned on the counter nearby, occasionally glancing his way with amusement.
"Don't mind the chaos," she said, laughing when Natsu and Gray started wrestling behind them. "You'll get used to it."
"I already love it," Shinra replied. "Feels… exactly like where I'm supposed to be."
"Where were you from?" she asked gently.
He turned to her, eyes hidden behind his shades again. "Somewhere far away. But I'm not looking back."
Mira paused, sensing something unspoken.
But she didn't pry.
Instead, she reached across the counter and offered her hand.
"To new beginnings," she said.
He took it. "To Fairy Tail."