Fairy Tail: The Divine Soul

The first rays of dawn barely touched Magnolia when Ryuu strolled into the guild, hands in his pockets and a wide grin on his face. Although he'd dropped his "ninja" act, he still carried his boundless energy and childish demeanor.

As he pushed open Fairy Tail's large doors, he was greeted by the usual commotion of its members already in full swing: some were noisily drinking beer, others laughing uproariously, and a few were deep in animated conversations. Ryuu scanned the room and immediately made his way to the bar, where Mira stood behind the counter, wiping a tray with a pristine towel.

Plopping down heavily onto a stool, he leaned his elbows on the counter and fixed Mira with a mischievous grin. "Yo, Mira! For breakfast, I'll have some eggs and a glass of water, please!"

Mira, usually so warm and cheerful, barely glanced at him. Her expression was cold, almost indifferent. She set the tray she'd been cleaning aside and, without a word, turned her back to Ryuu to serve mugs of beer to a rowdy group at the other end of the bar.

Ryuu froze for a few seconds, his grin faltering into an expression of surprise. "What? What did I do?!" he muttered to himself, a bit offended.

After a brief moment, he turned to Laki, who was polishing silverware nearby. "Uh… Laki? Could you bring me some eggs and a glass of water? I'm starving—I can't start the day like this."

Laki, more cordial, nodded with a small smile. "Sure thing, Ryuu. I'll get that for you right away."

A few minutes later, she returned with a plate of steaming eggs and a glass of fresh water. Ryuu, his mischievous smile back, eagerly grabbed the plate and glass. "Thanks, Laki! At least someone's willing to help me," he said, casting a furtive glance toward Mira, who continued to act as though he didn't exist.

He devoured his breakfast at an impressive speed, eating as if he hadn't seen food in days. Once finished, he drained his glass of water in one gulp before standing and heading to an empty table in the center of the guild. He sat down, arms crossed behind his head, and let out a long sigh.

"Well, what should I do now...? This is boring," he mumbled, watching the other guild members bustle around him.

He was lost in thought when, suddenly, the guild doors burst open. Natsu stormed in, followed closely by Happy, who fluttered his wings cheerfully.

"Ryuu! We finally found you!" Natsu yelled, rushing toward him with his usual enthusiastic grin.

Happy, floating beside Natsu, added with a laugh, "Aye! We knew you'd show up early this morning."

Natsu plopped down noisily across from Ryuu, while Happy landed on the table, staring at Ryuu with wide, curious eyes. "So, what are you doing here all alone? Ready to have some fun?!" Natsu asked with a laugh.

Ryuu raised an eyebrow before grinning back. "Tch... You guys really don't change, do you? Always looking for trouble first thing in the morning!"

The trio erupted into laughter, drawing the attention of a few guild members, who watched them with amusement. Even though Mira continued to act as if Ryuu didn't exist, he didn't seem to care, quickly regaining his good mood thanks to Natsu and Happy.

As Ryuu, Natsu, and Happy laughed loudly around their table, the guild doors slowly opened, letting in Lucy, who looked slightly annoyed. She walked briskly toward them, dragging her handbag, and sat down beside them without even asking.

"Ugh… Do you guys have any idea how much my rent costs? I'm going to have to take jobs every single day at this rate!" she complained, crossing her arms with a pout.

Ryuu, Natsu, and Happy exchanged knowing looks before bursting into laughter. Ryuu, flashing his ever-mischievous grin, leaned slightly toward her. "Luigi, why'd you pick such an expensive apartment if you can't afford it?"

Lucy, caught off guard, straightened up abruptly. "What?! Luigi?! My name is Lucy, you idiot!"

The three of them quickly huddled together, pressing close with exaggeratedly frightened expressions. "Scary…" they said in unison before laughing even harder.

Lucy crossed her arms, clearly annoyed, and turned away. "Bunch of kids…" she muttered under her breath.

Their banter was interrupted by a commotion near the bar. A young boy, tears streaming down his face, stood in front of Makarov with a desperate expression. His trembling voice rang out across the guild. "Master Makarov! My dad's been on a mission for too long! Why hasn't he come back yet?"

Makarov, seated calmly on his stool, set his mug of beer down and responded in a soothing tone, "Romeo, Macao is an experienced mage. He'll be fine, don't worry."

But Romeo wasn't satisfied with that answer. Frustrated, he struck Makarov on the face with his small hands before running out of the guild in tears.

Silence fell across the room for a moment, broken only by the sound of Natsu slamming his fist on the table, which shattered under the impact. "That's enough! I'm going to find him myself!" he shouted, leaping to his feet and rushing toward the exit.

Ryuu, who had been watching the scene with Happy perched on his shoulder, exchanged a glance with the little Exceed. The two let out a simultaneous sigh.

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice," Ryuu said as he stood up casually, his mischievous smile resurfacing.

Happy clung to Ryuu's shoulder, laughing. "Aye, let's go!"

Without wasting a second, Ryuu and Happy darted after Natsu, leaving the guild to join him on his latest improvised mission.

The biting cold of Mount Hakobe enveloped Natsu, Ryuu, Lucy, and Happy as they climbed the snowy slopes. The snow fell in thick flakes, reducing their visibility and covering everything with a white blanket. Happy, shivering from the cold, had hidden inside Ryuu's jacket, with only his head peeking out.

"Ryuu, I'm freezing! It's not fair that I have to walk like this!" Lucy complained, crossing her arms and her teeth chattering from the icy wind.

Ryuu, still with his mischievous smile, turned his head towards her while walking. "You know, no one asked you to come. You came on your own, Luigi!" he said with a childish tone, his words emphasized by a mocking laugh.

Lucy muttered something incomprehensible, clearly annoyed, before summoning the Celestial Gate's clock. The large golden clock appeared in a flash of light, and Lucy quickly stepped inside to shield herself from the cold.

Ryuu raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "She could've done that sooner…" he murmured.

Natsu, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by the cold, but he kept his eyes focused on their path. "Hurry up, we need to find Macao before something happens to him!"

After a long walk, they finally reached the summit. It was there that a guttural roar echoed. A large Vulcan , a towering creature resembling a gorilla with thick fur, emerged from a rocky shelter. Its eyes immediately locked onto Lucy, and massive hearts lit up in its gaze.

"A woman! Finally!" the beast roared, its massive arms reaching out toward Lucy.

Before she could react, the Vulcan grabbed her and bolted toward its den.

"HEY! LET HER GO!" Natsu yelled, fury lacing his voice. He immediately launched himself in pursuit, but as soon as he started running, he slipped on a patch of ice and crashed face-first into the ground.

Ryuu, who was following behind, burst out laughing at the sight. "Nice landing, Salamander! Let me show you how it's done!" he said before throwing himself onto his stomach, sliding across the snow like a child on an impromptu sled.

Lucy, still in the Vulcan's arms, managed to grab one of her golden keys. "Taurus! I summon you!" she shouted, her voice carrying despite the wind.

In a flash of golden light, a gigantic bull wielding a massive axe appeared before them. "Miss Lucy! I am at your service!" Taurus said, his tone both deep and enthusiastic.

The Vulcan stopped abruptly, eyeing the new threat with a mixture of annoyance and defiance. Lucy, still high in its arms, looked up and shouted, "Taurus, take him down!"

The giant bull charged at the Vulcan, swinging its massive axe at the creature. The Vulcan narrowly dodged, dropping Lucy in the process. She landed heavily in the snow but quickly got back on her feet, moving away from the fight.

Meanwhile, Ryuu continued to slide on his stomach across the snow, with Happy still perched on his back like a surfer. "Woooohooo! This is so much fun!" Ryuu laughed, zigzagging and doing tricks to impress Happy.

"I think we're not here to play, Ryuu…" muttered the little Exceed, though an amused smile betrayed his words.

After several failed attempts, Natsu finally managed to get up. He immediately jumped into action, ready to fight, but in his rush, he threw a fiery punch… at Taurus.

"Oi! Why are you attacking me?! I'm an ally!" Taurus exclaimed, stepping back, surprised.

"What?! Who are you?! Just let me handle this thing!" Natsu retorted, confused and annoyed.

"IDIOT! THAT'S MY CELESTIAL SPIRIT!" Lucy screamed, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Ah… oops… Sorry…"

Taurus disappeared in a golden flash after receiving a cancellation order from Lucy, preferring to avoid another misunderstanding. Natsu, determined, turned to face the Balkan with a wild grin. "Now, it's between you and me!"

He immediately launched into a series of attacks. "Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!" he shouted, throwing a powerful fiery punch that pushed the Balkan back.

The Vulcan growled, trying to counterattack, but Natsu was too fast. "Wings of the Fire Dragon!" He swung his arms, sending two large waves of flames that struck the creature violently.

"And to finish… Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu took a deep breath before blowing out a torrent of scorching flames, making the Vulcan stagger before collapsing to the ground.

But as it fell, its body began to glow. Its massive form shrank and transformed… into Macao, weakened and covered in bruises.

"Macao!" Lucy cried, running toward him, followed by Natsu.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, crouching to help him up.

"I… I'm sorry," Macao whispered in a hoarse voice. "I managed to defeat nineteen… but the twentieth… he was stronger… He controlled me…"

"It's okay," Natsu said with a reassuring smile. "Romeo's waiting for you at the guild. We'll get you back to him."

With Natsu's help, Macao got back on his feet, slightly trembling. He turned his head and saw Ryuu, casually approaching with Happy still hanging on his shoulder.

"Ryuu… You're here too…" Macao murmured, surprised. "You haven't changed…"

Ryuu responded with his characteristic grin. "And you, you've gotten a little older, Macao."

Macao let out a small, tired laugh before turning to the others. "Let's go."

They all descended together slowly, heading back to Magnolia. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with shades of orange and purple. Upon arriving at the guild, Romeo, who had been nervously waiting outside, rushed toward his father.

"Dad!" Romeo cried, tears in his eyes.

"M-my son…" Macao opened his arms to embrace his son in a tight hug.

"Thank you… thank you for bringing him back…" Romeo sobbed, looking at Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Ryuu with immense gratitude.

Everyone then returned to the guild, exhausted but satisfied, as the night began to fall over Magnolia.