Naruto x Fairy Tail: Fairy's Shadow

Bonus Chapters every 100 Power Stones

"Normal Dialogue"

'Inner thoughts'

[Year X790]

~ With Macao ~

The Fairy Tail guildhall looked the same as it always had. Same wooden tables, same request board covered in mission flyers, same bar where members gathered to share stories and drinks. Members still came and went. Missions still got completed. Laughter still echoed through the halls, but it felt forced now, like everyone was trying a little too hard to pretend everything was normal. The reason for this was simple.

Shisui had been gone for six months.

The mission had been marked as "minimum six months" when he'd taken it, so technically he wasn't overdue. But six months without a single word, without any communication at all, had everyone on edge. Especially since no one knew where he'd gone or what the mission actually involved.

"We should organize a search party. Six months without a single word is too long. Something's wrong." Jet said, his voice low but insistent as he leaned across a table toward Max.

Max shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "You heard Macao. The mission parameters said minimum six months. We can't just—"

"Forget the parameters," Jet interrupted. "When's the last time Shisui went more than a week without checking in? Even on long missions, he always sent word."

From across the room, Bisca watched them argue while carefully avoiding looking at the empty stool at the bar. That had been Shisui's usual spot. Close enough to hear conversations, far enough to observe without being the centre of attention. Now it just sat there, unused. Even Kinana had stopped wiping down that section of the bar as frequently.

"He'll come back. He's stronger than anyone we know. Whatever mission he's on, he can handle it." Alzack said quietly, settling beside his wife.

Bisca nodded, but her grip on her coffee cup was tighter than usual. "I know. It's just... the not knowing again. That's what makes it hard."

Near the training area in the back, Romeo was going through his rainbow fire techniques for the third time that day. 

"He's pushing himself too hard. Kid thinks if he gets strong enough, Shisui will come back." Wakaba muttered, cigarette smoke curling around his words as he watched the young mage. 

"Can't really blame him. We're all dealing with this differently." Warren replied, not looking up from the communication crystal he was maintaining. This was the crystal for the Guild Master of Fairy Tail. If Shisui were to ever contact them, it was highly likely it would have been through this very crystal.

Macao emerged from his office, looking older than he had six months ago. The stress of running the guild during their recovery was hard enough without their strongest member being missing. He walked to the bar, nodding to Kinana for his usual drink, and tried to project confidence he didn't feel.

"Any word from the Council?" Bisca asked.

Macao's expression darkened. "Same as always. 'We're looking into it.' 'These things take time.' 'S-class missions are inherently dangerous.'"

He took a long sip of coffee.

"Bunch of bureaucrats who care more about paperwork than people."

The truth was, Macao had spent the morning on another fruitless call with the Magic Council. They'd been dismissive, offering vague reassurances about investigating Shisui's status while clearly having no intention of doing anything concrete. When he'd pressed for details about the mission itself, they'd cited confidentiality protocols and ended the call.

"Master Macao, There's an incoming communication. It's... unusual." Warren called out, the communication crystal glowing softly.

"Unusual how?"

"It's coming through on a sealed channel. High-level encryption. The sender is identifying himself as Warrod Sequen."

The guildhall fell silent. One of the Four Gods of Ishgar wanting to speak with them directly was unprecedented.

Macao hurried over to the crystal, Warren handing him the communication device. The image that appeared was fuzzy but unmistakably the legendary mage.

"Master Macao," Warrod's voice was warm but carried an undertone Macao couldn't quite identify. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Not at all, Warrod-san. To what do we owe the honour?"

"I heard about you've been asking around about your missing member. Shisui, correct? I wanted to offer some reassurance."

The guild members gathered around the crystal, hope flickering in their eyes.

"Shisui is not someone who fades in the dark," Warrod continued, his voice taking on an almost poetic quality. "He is also one of the strongest mages I have had the pleasure of knowing. He shall return in due time."

"Have you heard from him directly?" Macao pressed, leaning closer to the crystal.

There was a pause, and Warrod's expression seemed to shift slightly. "The winds carry many messages, Master Macao. Some are clear, others are whispers. But I have faith that those with strong roots weather even the darkest storms."

"That's not really an answer," Jet muttered under his breath.

"His mission. Do you know anything about where he might have gone?" Macao tried again.

"The paths of the strong often lead to unexpected places. But I assure you, Shisui carries with him the strength to face whatever he may encounter." Warrod replied.

Max frowned. "Warrod-san, with respect, you're being very—"

"Cryptic?" Warrod's eyes seemed to twinkle with something that might have been amusement. "Perhaps. But some truths are better kept secret, young mage."

The conversation continued for several more minutes, but every direct question was met with another metaphorical response. Warrod spoke of seasons changing, of trees bending but not breaking, of shadows that eventually give way to light. His words were beautiful and comforting, but they offered no real information.

"I must go," Warrod said finally. "But remember. Hope is like a seed. It requires patience to grow, but when it does, it can become something magnificent."

The crystal went dark, leaving the guild in contemplative silence.

"Well," Wakaba said, lighting another cigarette. "That was completely useless..."

Macao handed the crystal back to Warren and walked outside without a word. The late afternoon sun was starting to set, casting long shadows across Magnolia's streets. He found himself looking up at the sky, watching the first stars appear.

The conversation with Warrod had been... strange. The Wizard Saint had clearly known more than he was saying, but whether that was good news or bad was impossible to tell. His words had been carefully chosen, dancing around direct answers while offering comfort that felt increasingly hollow the more Macao thought about it.

A breeze rustled through the trees, and Macao pulled his coat tighter. The logical part of his mind kept repeating the same facts: Shisui was strong, the mission had a six-month minimum, and he'd completed impossible tasks before. But logic didn't explain the growing knot in his stomach or the way Warrod's eyes had seemed to hold secrets he wasn't willing to share.

He remained there for a long time, watching the moon rise over Magnolia. Inside the guildhall, he could hear the muted sounds of evening conversation, members trying to maintain their routines despite the uncertainty hanging over them all.

"We have not lost hope..." he whispered to the night air.

"But it certainly feels like something else is being lost the longer we wait."

~ End of Chapter 69 ~

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