Return

~A/N: Drake is the same age as Mira this time around.~

"I'm on my way Granny." Drake said as the communication lacrima's feed stopped, "Reckless we're going home buddy."

"Good you took a really long time training!" Reckless yelled as they both flew into the air, "I can't believe we've been gone for five years!"

~Flashback~

"So you're really leaving after all?" Lisanna asked Drake as he walked out of the guild with his bag packed and a young Reckless on his shoulder. Mira opened her mouth to say something but couldn't bring herself to do so.

"I won't be gone forever." Drake told her as he walked passed them. Drake and Mira locked eyes and gave each other a small smile before Drake left.

Magnolia:

"Dammit!" Erza yelled as the Jupiter Cannon charged another shot. Just before it fired a red streak rocketed along the top of the water and straight into the Phantom Lord's base hard enough for the cannon to tilt upwards, causing the shot to barely miss Magnolia. Reckless came out of nowhere and brought Erza back to the ruined guildhall.

"Wait if you're here the Drake must be as well!" Erza said as the red streak spiraled up the base and the screeching of metal could be heard. As Drake was tearing the base to shreds he saw Elfman protecting Mira from two men in white clothes and, faster than any of them could react, the men were sent over the edge and into the water. Drake was looking at the men in the water as the Strauss siblings examined the man in front of them.

"Drake!" Mira yelled in surprise as she processed who she was seeing. He gave her a smile before he saw Natsu fighting with another Dragon Slayer above them.

"It's been a while." Drake said as he helped Mira up and she gave him a big smile, "Let's get out of here. Natsu can handle the rest."

"Yeah." Mira agreed and Elfman grinned at them. They hadn't changed at all over the four years they were apart and he was glad. When they reached the ruins of their guuldhall everyone swarmed Drake and started asking him questions. He saw a blonde girl with Natsu and Happy walking towards him.

"Who are you?" Drake asked her as he pushed the swarm away from him and Mira.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia and you must be Drake." Lucy explained as she held her hand out, "Natsu always talked about fighting you when you got back."

"That sounds like him." Drake told her as Natsu lunged towards him. In the blink of an eye he was face down and unconscious on the ground. Lucy shook her head at him as Happy picked him up and they walked away. He took Mira's hand and they quickly escaped his interrogation. They stopped once they reached the center of Magnolia where he knew no one from the guild would bother them.

"How's it been Mira?" Drake asked her as he sat on a nearby bench. She teared up and hugged him tightly.

"Why did you just leave without giving us a warning before it was too late?!" Mira asked as she hugged him tighter. He took a deep breath as he put a hand on her back.

"I couldn't let you be the one protecting me all the time and I didn't want you to leave the others behind." Drake explained as he thought back to four years ago.

~Flashback~

"Drake!" Mira yelled as a bandit swung his blade at the young Dragon Slayer. She quickly knocked the man out before Drake was stabbed. He stood up and she hugged him tightly.

"Please start paying attention!" Mira said as she let him go. Elfman and Lisanna looked at the two and wondered why their sister always acted differently around Drake. Drake clenched his fists as the Strauss siblings walked ahead of him.

'I will get stronger!' He thought with determination burning in his heart, 'I want to protect everyone not be protected!'

End Of Flashback:

"I could have helped you get stronger. Why didn't you just ask me?" Mira asked him as she wiped her face. Drake shook his head at her with a smile.

"It was something I needed to do myself. I wanted to prove to everyone I could be strong on my own." Drake explained as he looked up at the blue sky. That's when they heard the sound of glass breaking.

"Where's a Fairy Tail mage when you need them?!" A shop owner asked as two men were running away with, what Drake assumed, was the store's money. Drake stood up and the men were on the ground and the money was back in the owner's hands before another word could be said. He looked around and saw Drake and Mira walking away and he thanked them.

"I'm really sorry about leaving on such short notice Mira." Drake told her as they walked through the town. Elfman was hiding as he followed the two as they happily talked. He was glad that Mira was happy again. With Drake leaving and Lisanna's death she wasn't the same. She hid her pain but she didn't fool him. Elfman remembered how they met the Dragon Slayer all those years ago.

~Flashback~

"Mira!" Lisanna yelled as she fought against the group of dark mages that attacked them. She was failing quickly as more of them came after them. Drake could hear the commotion from where he was in the forest and made his way over to investigate. He saw a beaten up girl with white hair protecting two younger children. Drake's eyes began to glow and he charged the man about to hit the girl. He punched the man in the face and knocked him unconscious but another man kicked him in the ribs. The three white haired children watched in awe as the boy took the beating meant for them. No matter how many times he was hit he kept getting back up and standing between them and the dark mages. That's when the shine of metal flew passed them and took out the men.

"Erza!" Lisanna yelled as the red hair girl took down the men with the help of Drake. Once the fight was done they were going to ask him who he was but he was unconscious and face down on the ground. He woke up a few hours later with a short old man and taller old woman talking next to him. He was in a room he didn't recognize and was extremely confused.

"Oh you're awake my boy!" The old man told him as he walked over, "Mira and Erza told me how you put your life on the line to save people you didn't know. That takes a lot of courage."

"Who are you and where am I?" Drake asked as he examined the short man, "I don't recognize you or this place."

"This is the guildhall of Fairy Tail and I'm its master Makarov." Makarov explained to a now shocked Drake, "Four of our members brought you here after you helped them."

"I wouldn't say I helped them. I was pretty much just a punching bag." Drake told him as he examined the taller old lady look at a clip board.

"Quite the contrary my boy! If you hadn't shown up then Erza would have been too late to save them!" Makarov told him happily, "Are you a mage by chance?"

"Yeah. I'm a Blood Dragon Slayer." Drake told him with a curious tone, "Why?"

"Would you like to join Fairy Tail?" Makarov asked him with his hand out.