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CHAPTER START—
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Oberon groans as he rolls over, pulling the blanket over his head.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Mmm, what?!" he rolls over, still under the blanket, and yells toward the door.
"You gonna let me in, or do I have to stand in this hallway all morning?" Gildarts asks.
Oberon sighs and lazily sits up in bed, moving the blanket to see his very, very tiny apartment.
Barely enough space for a single bed, a trunk for all of his clothes, and a chair which currently had a stack of books he was studying last night.
Beside the bed is a door leading to a cramped bathroom. And at the foot of his bed is another door to the hallway.
With a wave of his hand, the door unlocks and opens, revealing Gildarts standing behind it wearing his usual outfit.
"Morning," Gildarts says as he takes two steps forward, and is already at the foot of the bed.
"Yeah yeah," Oberon stretches as he gets out of bed and stumbles into the bathroom.
As he gets ready Gildarts sits on the bed, looking around at the dilapidated walls of the building, seeing the paint mostly stripped and chipped away, not to mention the nail holes from where previous residence likely hung pictures or other items.
He leans forward and opens the trunk, seeing it half filled with clothes, then looks at the stacks of books and takes one from the top.
"Adventure Journal?" Gildarts mutters while reading the cover, allowing curiosity to guide him as he begins reading it.
After a few minutes, Gildarts hears the shower stop, and Oberon walks out in a towel and glares at him.
With just a look to Adventure Journal floats out of his hand and neatly returns to the stack of books.
"What?" Gildarts asks as Oberon fishes through the trunk for some clothes. "Don't want me reading your diary?"
"Adventure Journal, and I don't want you touching any of my things," Oberon says as he takes the clothes and walks back into the bathroom. "You break everything you touch, remember?"
As the door closes Gildarts looks down at his hand and scoffs, "Barely even touched it," he mutters.
A few minutes later, Oberon steps out of the bathroom wearing a pair of black shorts and a light blue t-shirt.
"So, what are you doing here, waking me up at…" he looks at the clock on the wall. "Nine in the morning, seriously?"
"So, clearly you're not a morning person," Gildarts says as Oberon packs his books back into his card and gets a jacket. "I just figured I'd come check on you, since you weren't at the Guildhall last night."
"I was tired after my mission, so I came here, after buying some food," Oberon says as he finishes packing and gets his jacket. "Did I miss something at the Guild last night?"
Gildarts leans back on the bed as Oberon sits on the chair, putting on his boots. "Just my glorious return from another S-Class Job, took a few weeks but I got it done. But your client called Master Makarov, and thanked him for sending you over, he sounded impressed."
"Yeah well, it was an easy job," Oberon says.
Gildarts leans forward as Oberon is putting on the last boot, and casually lifts his shirt.
"What?"
"He said you took a Magic Gun blast to the chest that left a pretty nasty injury, just wanted to make sure you were all healed up," Gildarts says. "That Cosmic Armor must really be something special, for you to already be up and about."
"You came here to ask about that?" Oberon asks.
"I came to see how you were doing, but I saw that Spell mentioned in your Adventure Journal, and figured it must be how you did it."
"Yeah well, when I figure out how to improve it, I'll add an entry into my Magic Journal," Oberon says as he gets up. "Which is a book you're never laying a finger on, I can't let anything happen to it."
Gildarts raises his hands in surrender as he gets up, "Understood, no touching the books."
"Good," Oberon says as he leads Gildarts out of the building and down the sidestreet, moving toward the Guildhall. "Why do you live in that dump? I've seen some of the Job posters you've completed, you've been busy these past few weeks, so why not get an actually nice apartment?"
"Don't need it," Oberon says. "All I do there is sleep anyway, and it doesn't smell, or have strange women visiting randomly."
"Yeah, living with Macao probably wasn't ideal, at least not long term," Gildarts says. "But you'll have to move out of that dump if you want the girls to come over."
"Unless they're teaching me Magic, I don't need them to come over," Oberon says. "The place fits my things, a bed, and the lady downstairs does laundry for super cheap. Plus I don't need a kitchen or anything since I always eat at the Guildhall anyway."
Gildarts sighs, "You'll understand as you get older," he says. "Anyway, now that I know you're alright, I wanted to give you a heads up about something."
"Is something happening?" Oberon asks as they see the Guildhall in the distance.
"Not exactly, but the Guildhall is going to be a bit more chaotic, for the next few weeks," Gildarts says. "People will be taking Jobs non-stop so you might have trouble finding Jobs that interest you before someone else takes it."
"Why now?" Oberon asks. "Is it because New Years is next month?"
"Nope, it's because next month Master Makarov will be announcing the participants for the S-Class Promotion Trials, so everyone is trying to get his attention before that."
"Oh, so they want to impress him," Oberon says. "Well I've got enough money for now, and I have some new Spells to train anyway. It may be better to do that before I start taking Jobs again."
"Good call," Gildarts says. "It's always best to master the tools you have before adding more. That's actually why Master Makarov doesn't want you learning other Magics yet."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah," Gildarts says. "Most Wizards never fully master their Magic, much less multiple Magics. Master Makarov has multiple Magics because he is an incredible Wizard, not the other way around. Learning them too early can seriously set you back in your journey, and considering how difficult Cosmic will be to master, you can't afford that."
"Yeah," Oberon says. "I know that, which is why I haven't tried to learn any, but I did ask about Celestial Spirit Keys when I was out of town, but nowhere I go has any."
"Planning to save them up for when you become S-Class?"
"Yeah, but I haven't even seen one yet."
"Well, I'll keep an eye out while I'm traveling," Gildarts says.
"Thanks so much!"
"Don't mention it, but it's not free, so if they cost me, you'll have to pay me back."
"Of course!"
Gildarts ruffles Oberon's hair as they begin ascending the steps to the plateau where the Guildhall is.
"So, you excited for the S-Class Trials?" Gildarts asks.
Oberon looks at him confused, "Why? It's not like I'll be competing."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because I'm new and weak, Obviously."
"Well, you aren't as weak as you'd think, especially considering you're already stronger than most average Wizards," Gildarts says. "And as for being new, it really doesn't matter if you've been in Fairy Tail for a minute or a decade, everyone is family all the same."
Oberon's eyes light up, hope clear on his face.
"Don't get the wrong idea, you won't be involved this year," Gildarts quickly says before he gets the wrong idea.
"Then why'd you even ask?"
"I just wanted to see how you'd assess yourself, understanding your weaknesses and limits, along with where you stand in the world of Magic is important to staying alive and growing stronger," Gildarts says. "That understanding, along with a healthy dose of fear, the kind of fear that makes you aware of reality without controlling you, that is what will keep you alive and growing."
"I see, so what do you think?"
"I think you certainly understand your limits and weaknesses, but you lack experience, and you're a bit too young," Gildarts says. "You also need to be a bit stronger before you can compete in the S-Class Trials. But all of those things will come in time."
"Yeah, in a few years, I'll join the trials, then I'll be S-Class just like you, and get to learn more Magics," Oberon says.
"I don't doubt that," Gildarts says as they arrive at the Guildhall. "But one question," he says while placing a hand on the massive doors, not opening them yet.
"What is it?"
"That Magic Ring, are you trying to learn Caster Magic?" Gildarts asks.
"Oh no, it's actually just a basic Water Lacrima, just enough so I don't get stranded with no water," Oberon pours some Magic Energy into it, causing a small drinking fountain like stream to shoot out of it.
"Huh, smart choice then, I'm sure Master Makarov will agree," Gildarts says as he pushes open the doors.
They step inside to see over a dozen people sitting at tables or lying on the floor completely asleep from partying last night.
Enno was already clearing behind the bar while Laxus and Macao were at the counter having breakfast with Master Makarov.
"Damn, looks like I missed one hell of a party, but I was just so tired after the long trip back," Gildarts says.
"So many hungover people," Oberon smirks mischievously, looking up at Gildarts, who nods.
Then they both cup their mouths with their hands and take a deep breath.
"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" they both yell at once, causing most of the people to jolt awake with immense headaches.
A few curses are sent their way, while Laxus and Master only laugh as Enno and Macao shake their heads.
Oberon immediately begins floating, following Gildarts over to the bar where Enno hands the man a cup of coffee.
"So you ditched your own party last night," Makarov says to Gildarts. "Was she pretty?"
"They…were beautiful," Gildarts says.
"Nice," Macao says, and Enno loudly scoffs, rolling her eyes as she moves to clear the other end of the bar.
Macao facepalms, realizing how much progress he'd just undone in an instant.
"And you," Master Makarov looks at Oberon. "Finished a Job and didn't celebrate."
"I was tired, that Job took everything I had," Oberon says. "Right now I just want to head to the library and work on my new Spell."
"Not until you eat breakfast," Enno says, glaring at Oberon.
"Uh…ok," Oberon says, not meeting her gaze.
Enno sighs, "I swear it's like you think all you need in life is Magic," she mutters while moving to prepare his breakfast, scrambled eggs and toast.
"Well, Magic Energy is closely tied to life force so—" Oberon's explanation immediately dies as she spins around to glare at him. "---Never mind."
Enno disappears into the kitchen, and Oberon breathes a sigh of relief.
"If you think that's bad, you should have seen the looks my ex-wife used to give me," Gildarts chuckles, sadly. "I always deserved it though…"
"The life of a Wizard is complicated as is, but love is a challenge very few can say they conqueror," Master Makarov says.
"Enough with that useless stuff," Laxus says. "Hey Oberon, guess what I'm doing today?"
"Uh, another Job?"
"Yeah, but not just any Job, Macao and Wakaba are taking me on a Job in Crocus!" Laxus says.
"What, I wanna go to the capital too!" he turns to Macao. "Take me with you!"
"Sorry, no can do," Macao says. "We already sent the client our names and everything, and he's not the type of person we can have sudden changes in plan with."
"Ugh, can you atleast check the Magic Shop for Celestial Spirit Keys, I need to collect some so I can use them after becoming S-Class."
"If we've got the time we'll pass by," Macao says. "But the job isn't happening in Crocus, the client just lives there, so no promises."
"Thanks either way," Oberon says. "It's probably better this way anyway, I need to figure out my new Spell, it's pretty awesome."
"How awesome?" Laxus asks.
"Well, I was thinking about it on the train, and when I was in bed," Oberon says, looking to Master Makarov. "Since I can't actually sense Magic, I can't react as quickly to Spells or even regular attacks, right?"
"Yes, you're at a great disadvantage," Makarov says. "But other people also can't sense you, or your spells, not with Magic at least."
"Which is why I came up with my Cosmic Armor," Oberon says. "It's like this super cool invisible armor around my body. I had to come up with that because the person I was fighting could curve her attacks to hit me from different angles."
Makarov rubs his chin, "That does make sense, but it sounds exhausting."
"It also leaves you open to surprise attacks," Gildarts says. "You're less likely to detect Spells being launched at your back, the benefit of armor is that once it's on your defense is increased, but this Cosmic Armor clearly needs a conscious trigger."
"Why can't he just wear armor?" Macao asks.
"Because of my Magics," Oberon says. "The way my Magic works is that my body is like the wand, since its Ability Type Light Magic and Gravity Magic, as well as Cosmic."
"So if you wear armor you might either break the armor or limit your spells," Laxus says. "What if you just sensed the gravity around you all the time, just like we sense Magic?"
"Well, it takes a lot of Magic Energy to make Gravity affect Magic Energy attacks, which isn't even something I can do right now," Oberon says. "Also, gravity doesn't work like that, just because it's invisible like air doesn't mean it works like it. Gravity isn't really a physical thing that sends signals like a Magic Radar Lacrima."
"It sounds like you just need to make that Cosmic Armor spell more efficient," Enno says as she places Oberon's breakfast in front of him. "And always be on your guard when you leave the guild."
"Agreed," Makarov says. "Although I'm not sure how useful I could be with helping you, Gravity Magic is rare and not something I have, not to mention 'Cosmic' being an entirely new Magic in itself."
"It's alright, I'm sure I can figure it out," Oberon says. "But I really do need to deal with the blind spots I have. If I hadn't reacted as fast as I did on that last Job, someone would have gotten really hurt, probably died. If that attack was from behind me, I never would have known until it was too late…"
The mood shifts slightly as Oberon says that, and they can tell just how serious he is about solving this chink in his armor.
"Magic is not random," Makarov says, drawing their attention to him. "While it may often appear that way, and some believe that Magic is all 'bout the luck of the draw. It is not random.
There is obviously some luck involved, as with all aspects of life, but Magic is, simply put, fair. Those with the greatest potential often have to make the greatest sacrifice, or work the hardest to realize their potential.
While those with a lower potential often start off stronger, and more easily reach their limit. Gildarts has incredible Magic Power, and innate Crush Magic, that alone makes him more powerful than most can ever dream of being.
And because of that his potential to learn other Magics is nearly zero, and without absolutely perfect control of his Magic Energy, he destroys things around him.
Compared to that, Macao and his Purple Flare Magic are quite ordinary, while yes, with enough training they can do great things, their inherent potential is lower than Gildarts.
Yet Macao doesn't have to worry about destroying everything around him, and in fact, he is one of the few Fire Wizards capable of creating Fire Constructs that hold things and people without burning. His flame cannot be put out by raging winds, and can even exist underwater.
In exchange for the power of Gildarts, he has already achieved a level of control that most Wizards wouldn't believe possible, and Gildarts certainly can never reach."
"I didn't know you were that incredible Macao," Enno mutters, only for him to smile at her.
"I try not to brag, because I'm a gentleman."
"My point is," Makarov turns their attention back to him as he looks at Oberon. "Your Magic Power is already quite grand, and your innate Magic is also spectacular. This disability of yours, your inability to sense Magic Energy, surely you will find a way to excel despite it, I have absolute faith in you."
"Hmm, Magic is fair," Oberon mutters as he thinks over Makarov's words. "Then, I just have to use what it did give me instead of focusing on what I don't have…"
Oberon zones out for a moment, wordlessly mouthing something as he unconsciously pokes his eggs with the fork.
"Uh, I think you broke him, Master," Gildarts says.
"Maybe," Makarov says as he taps Oberon's forehead. "What were you thinking about?"
Oberon looks up at Master Makarov, "Does the Fairy Tail library have any books about Magic Containers, or how Magic Energy flows through Wizards?"
Makarov gives him a curious look, "I believe we have a few, I can show them to you, after you finish your meal…"
END CHAPTER---
Discord: discord .gg /eHuxNeZfyS [Come chat with me]
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene [Read ahead & support me]
You.tube: @KeanuEugene [Giving away all my writing knowledge]