Year X777 — Early Spring
Location: Magnolia Town, Lake Shore District
Age: Ren (12) | Erza (12)
---
Fame arrived quietly at first.
It came in whispers—names spoken a little softer, eyes lingering a little longer. It came in the way job requests were angled just slightly toward two figures on the board, and in how tavern brawls stopped before they ever began.
By the time spring returned in X777, the whispers had become certainty.
The Fairy Queen.
The Sun Swordsman.
Ren didn't like the titles.
Erza pretended not to notice them—though the way her shoulders squared whenever someone bowed too deeply said otherwise.
They stood on the grassy slope overlooking Magnolia Lake, sunlight scattering across the water like broken glass.
"…It's quiet," Erza said, hands on her hips.
Ren nodded, breathing steady.
In.
Out.
> Sun Breathing—Complete. Always.
"…Too quiet?" she added.
"…Comfortably," he replied.
The house behind them was modest—wood and stone, two floors, wide windows facing the lake. Nothing ornate. Nothing that screamed legend.
That was why Ren had chosen it.
The realtor—a trembling man who'd recognized them instantly—had tried to offer a discount.
Ren had politely refused.
> Power shouldn't bend ordinary life, he'd thought.
Erza turned, eyes scanning the house again. "…So. This is really ours."
Ren smiled faintly. "…Yes."
She crossed her arms, pretending to be stern. "…You picked it without asking me."
"…You said you wanted somewhere quiet. With space to train. And water nearby."
Her expression softened.
"…I did say that."
They stood together for a moment, the wind tugging at Erza's hair, the lake breathing gently below.
Ren felt it—something unfamiliar.
Not tension.
Not anticipation.
> Stability.
---
The guild's reaction had been… explosive.
"A HOUSE?!"
"BY THE LAKE?!"
"YOU'RE TWELVE!"
Makarov had laughed until tears formed in his eyes. "…At least it's close enough I can drag you back if you forget where you belong."
Erza had bowed. "…We won't."
Ren had added quietly, "…This is just a place to sleep."
That had earned him a look.
---
They moved in over the course of a week.
Furniture arrived slowly—simple beds, a long table, shelves that Erza immediately began filling with swords and armor components. Ren claimed the smaller room facing east, where morning sunlight spilled in without asking permission.
Their first night there was… strange.
No guild noise.
No drunken laughter.
No sudden explosions.
Just frogs by the lake. Wind through trees.
Erza sat cross-legged on the floor, polishing a blade. "…I keep thinking something's wrong."
Ren lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. "…Nothing is attacking us."
"…That's what worries me."
He chuckled softly.
> The Fairy Queen, anxious about peace.
"…Do you miss it?" she asked suddenly.
"…The noise?"
"…The chaos."
Ren thought carefully.
"…I miss knowing it's there," he said. "…But not needing it all the time."
She nodded slowly. "…Me too."
She set the blade aside and lay down beside him, arms folded beneath her head.
"…Do you remember Rosemary Village?" she asked.
Ren's chest tightened—just slightly.
"…Every day."
"…It feels far away."
"…It is," he agreed. "…And it isn't."
They fell silent.
---
Training didn't stop.
It changed.
Mornings by the lake—Ren practicing sword forms under the rising sun, blade glowing faintly as enchantments layered themselves naturally. His movements were no longer explosive; they were inevitable.
> [Great Sage: Observation — User's combat efficiency approaches ideal equilibrium.]
Ren ignored the notification, as he often did now.
Erza trained nearby, armor shifting like thought itself. She tested combinations—offense into defense, defense into control. Not domination.
Command.
The title Fairy Queen had stuck for a reason.
Villagers sometimes gathered at a distance, pretending not to watch.
Children whispered.
"…That's her."
"…The queen."
"…And him—the sun one."
Ren pretended not to hear.
Erza pretended harder.
---
One afternoon, as clouds rolled lazily across the sky, Erza sat on the dock, feet dangling above the water.
"…Do you think we're too strong?" she asked suddenly.
Ren paused mid-form.
"…Why."
"…Because people don't look at us the same anymore."
He sheathed his sword and joined her.
"…Strength changes perspective," he said. "…It doesn't have to change us."
She glanced at him. "…You're still strange."
He smiled. "…And you're still stubborn."
She laughed—light, genuine.
"…Ren."
"…Yes?"
"…If things had gone differently back then… do you think we'd still be here?"
He followed her gaze across the lake.
> Chains of fate. Broken. Reforged.
"…I think," he said slowly, "…we'd still choose each other."
Her breath caught.
She didn't answer—but she didn't look away either.
---
That evening, Fairy Tail members visited.
Not all at once—just a few at a time.
Old friends. New faces. Stories shared over simple meals.
Natsu hadn't joined yet. Neither had many who would one day shake the world.
But that was fine.
The future could wait.
Makarov stopped by last, standing at the edge of the dock with his hands behind his back.
"…You've grown," he said quietly.
Erza nodded. Ren bowed.
"…Just remember," the Master continued, "…legends don't come from titles."
Ren met his gaze. "…They come from choices."
Makarov smiled.
---
That night, Ren stood at the window, moonlight tracing the lake's surface.
> Fairy Queen. Sun Swordsman.
Titles given by others.
He exhaled slowly.
In.
Out.
> I'll carry them. But I won't live for them.
Behind him, Erza slept peacefully, sword within reach, dreams untroubled.
Ren closed the window and turned away.
Tomorrow would bring missions. Rumors. Challenges worthy of their names.
But tonight—
Tonight, they were just two children who had survived fate.
And chosen something better.
---
End of Chapter 35 🌊☀️👑