So before you start reading my story, this is something you have to know. When I finalized a lot of the major plot points for this story, Tartarus had just ended in the manga. Anything huge that contradicts a decision I've made cannot be changed. So please, if anything in this story contradicts canon, keep that in mind. This story was started with completed Tartarus, pre-Alvarez in mind.

Enjoy!

Nashi was having a bad day before she got to the guild, and even then she knew it would go downhill anyway, after all, most of the younger members of Fairy Tail always laughed at her for not knowing how to use her magic very well. It wasn't her fault her scum bag father left before she was even born. She sighed at the thought. Her father, the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail, had run off before she got to know him what so ever. Not that she cared anyway. From what Gray and the others told her, her father was an irrational, arrogant asshole who couldn't hold a civilized conversation for the life of him. Her mother always tried to tell her that they were joking, but she didn't really listen.

Speaking of her mother, she had woken Nashi up about an hour ago, but Nashi couldn't stop pondering what the others would bully her about today. Maybe it would be how she could barely produce embers despite being "Natsu Dragneel's" daughter, or maybe how she, despite that, was crap with her moms celestial keys. Who knows she wondered. She heard her door open and her mothers head appeared in the door frame.

"Why aren't you up yet?" She asked, standing in the doorway. Nashi shrugged under her covers. "Well get up, we gotta get to the guild." Nashi managed to clamor out of bed and stagger to go get dressed, the dead weight of her insecurities as heavy as a rock. She absentmindedly brushed her pink locks, deep in thought. The pink hair of hers was another burden from her father, a trait they both shared. Mom had always told her their tempers and patience for nonsense were similar as well, and that she didn't like either. She wished she could some how distance herself from her fathers legacy, but that seemed as far fetched as her winning the Grand Magic Games for Fairy Tail. Like that'll ever happen. she growled to herself. She dragged her feet out into the kitchen were her mother, Lucy, was already gone. She sighed as she left the house and walked alongside the river in the direction of the guild house.

"Why the long face, Nashi?" The passing boatmen asked.

"No particular reason" She lied.

"Well, cheer up, it's a beautiful day!"

"Yeah Yeah" She rounded the corner towards the guild house and sighed. She remembered how happy she'd been when she first got her guild mark. Now she considered more of a red blemish on the back of her left hand than anything. Don't get her wrong, Nashi had a few Friends in Fairy Tail. There was Drake, Kinana's son. Almost as if it was a cruel joke, Drake was a dragon slayer as well, but, unlike her, Drake could use his quite effectively. He said his father had taught him up until he was 8, then vanished. Perhaps that's was what the two had bonded over, the similar reasoning of never/barely knowing your father. Then there were most of the adults in the guild, they were rather kind and accepting, unlike their children. Elise, Gajeel and Levy's daughter, who was also a dragon slayer, but her father actually existed in her life. 'Black steel' Gajeel had trained his daughter well, and , honestly, She really didn't think Elise considered her a friend anymore. For the past few years, Elise had been rather cold and unloving, to the point where she would often times join in on teasing her. She had a few friends who were currently on the road, Like Gray and Juvia's daughter, Erza's son, and Master Laxus and Mira's son.

"Is it me, or did the temperature in here go up?" a voice asked. Nashi looked to her left to find Drake standing there, grinning widely.

"That isn't funny" She replied wearily. Drake frowned.

"Who pissed in your corn flakes?" He demanded, as if he seriously thought some one had.

"I didn't sleep well" She murmured. Drake sighed as he followed her to a table.

"You never sleep well" He said, watching her with careful eyes. "Who said something this time? Was it Rocky? Samuel?" Elise?" She shook her head.

"It's nothing" Nashi cursed herself immediately for shifting uncomfortably.

" I heard that" He said frankly, glaring at her. "I'll beat them up, seriously"

" I know you will" Nashi said with a small grin. "But I'll never make more friends if you keep beating everyone up for me" Drake smirked and leaned back.

"Yeah, but I hate seeing you walk in every morning looking like you'd rather be picking up horse crap. Your my best friend, I hate seeing you like this. Remember when we were kids and you actually smiled?" She grinned at his attempted at a joke. "Yeah, like that"

"Don't you have work to do?" I demanded. Drake sighed.

"Nah, I've already payed this months rent. The daughter of that last client had a crush on me, and insisted her father double my pay. I'm good for a while" I nodded, honestly not paying much attention at all. Drake frowned again.

"Look, if your magical capacity is what's keeping you up, I could train you. I'm a dragon slayer too." I turned to face him irritably.

" Your element is poison" I said sternly. " Mine is fire. You can't train me to use magic I can't use."

"I can try" I sighed. Just as Drake was about to say something else, Romeo ran in.

"Mails here" He said. Everyone flocked him to see if they had any letters.

"Got one here for you, Gray. Looks like it's from your little girl" I saw Gray take it from Romeo and eagerly open it. He smiled.

" Looks like she's on her way home!" He proclaimed, Only really Juvia, Drake, and I heard him.

"Got one for you Erza. Say, that handwriting looks familiar..." Erza glared at Romeo who smirked. I wonder who was writing to Erza, Simon wasn't really known to do that unless he was in trouble, which, still, rarely happened. Everyone broke away when they realized the last letter wasn't for them.

"Got one for you Lucy... Holy shit Lucy I got one for you!" Everyone turned as my mother got up to meet Romeo in the middle of the Hall. Everyone was dead silent, even the small children. I saw my mothers eyes widen when she opened it.

" Who's it from?" Levy asked. She got up and peered over Mom's shoulder. Her eyes widened as well.

"Holy fuck..." Levy whispered, just barely audible. She turned to Gajeel, who understood immediately.

"Gihi, so old flame face is comin' home huh?" He laughed. Flame Face...? Gray laughed.

" Well, well, isn't this a surprise. Never though we'd get that letter"

"Yes" Erza agreed. "Surely this is a good sign." Whispers flew around, so many Nashi couldn't keep track. The only thing she heard was one word , one word that had haunted her for years

Salamander