Tato, and everyone that were at Clover Town, finally made it back to Fairy Tail.
Everyone was shocked to see that Tato had returned. They all started cheering and celebrating his return. But the one who was the most excited to see him was Mira.
She was carrying drinks to a couple of the guild members who had order them, and when the doors of the guild slammed open and she saw Tato standing there, she dropped the drinks in shock.
She began to cry, trying to wipe the tears away, but they kept flowing.
Mira runs and falls into Tato's arms and cries into his chest. Tato is taken aback for a moment, and stands there awkwardly, but finally puts his hand on her head gently petting her.
"I've missed you too," he says.
He looks up and sees Elfman nearby, who smiles and gives Tato a nod of his head. Tato returns the gesture.
Mira finally gets her cry out. Sniffing, she looks up at him and he at her.
'She's grown and she is even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.'
'He's so handsome now. Just him holding me, I can feel the strides that he's achieved over these last few years.'
Makarov clears his throat, causing the trance that the two seemed to be in to be broken. They seperated quickly.
Tato laughs awkwardly, averts his eyes, and rubs the back of his head.
Mira also laughs awkwardly and dusts off her dress and retreats back to the bar.
"Go ahead and get settled in. Once you're done come find me and we can eat and drink ourselves away my boy!"
Makarov smiles widely at Tato, then quickly scurries off to the bar.
Tato smiles as he takes in the sights and smells once again, he's happy to be home.
...
A few days pass and Tato is found enjoying a cup of liquor with his friends Gray and Erza.
Everyone can be seen having loads of fun in the guild. Merry songs being sung, an occasional fight breaking out, someone passing out from losing a drinking contest with Cana.
This peace doesn't last long though, as everyone finds themselves passing out due to an incredibly powerful sleep spell that was casted.
Tato struggled to stay awake, but his vision was blurry and he couldn't see.
Just as it was started, it ended just as quickly and everyone shot awake.
"That jerk."
"Yeah why does he always have to put us to sleep every time he comes to get a job?"
"Damn that Mystogan."
Lucy, who had fallen asleep next to Erza, rubs the sleep out of her eyes.
"Who's this Mystogan guy?"
Elfman, who was beside Gray, looks at her and responds.
"He's one of the top contenders for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard."
Gray growls.
"Yeah and he seems to not want anyone to see what he looks like, so when he comes here to get a job, he puts everyone asleep."
"That's creepy," Lucy responds.
"Master Makarov is the only one who has seen his face before."
"That isn't true at all. I've seen his face before."
A voice is heard from the 2nd floor of the guild.
A tall young man in yellow stands there, smirking at everyone.
"Laxus?"
"Talk about rare."
Gray leans on his hand, nonchalantly, and speaks to Lucy.
"And here's another contender for Fairy Tail's strongest."
Natsu shoots awake at the sound of Laxus's voice.
"Alright Laxus! You and me! Right here, right now!"
Laxus laughs Natsu's challenge off.
"Yeah right, if you can't even the red head, you ain't got a chance in hell to beat me."
Erza trembles with anger.
"What's that supposed to mean."
He smiles mischievously. His eyes, though, catch Tato.
He leans up of the railing, which he was leaning on.
"Who would've guess you'd come running back, guess you couldn't stay away from that bitch in heat. To bad though, she isn't what you remember."
Lucy gapsed at what she just heard and Mira averted her eyes from everyone.
"That is too far Laxus!"
Erza stands in Mira's defense.
Tato was holding a drink in his hand, but when he heard those words, he shatters the cup from rage and liquor spills out over the table.
He turns and gets up from the table, pure hate in his eyes.
Laxus laughs and locks eyes with Tato, having blood lust in his eyes.
"Ouuu, you and the pink haired brat going to fight me?"
"That is enough Laxus!"
Makarov screams at him, his voice growing angrier by the second.
"I am Fairy Tail's strongest wizard," Laxus says with arrogance.
"Then why don't you come down here and fight me like a man," Natsu growls.
"You come to me little man."
"With pleasure!"
Natsu charges towards the 2nd floor staircase.
Makarov reacts with a large fist and he pummels Natsu into the ground.
Everyone is shocked and is silent.
Tato was fixing to join in on the fight, but after seeing what happened to Natsu, he thought better.
"You're not allowed on the 2nd floor, Natsu."
Laxus smirks. Things start to de-escalate from there.
…
A few hours pass and Tato and Lucy are seated at the bar talking with Mira.
"Mira, I wanted to know, why isn't Natsu allowed up on the 2nd floor," Lucy asks her.
"It's because only S class wizards are allowed up there."
Tato takes a drink from the cup he has.
"Powerful jobs are up there," he says.
Mira nods her head in agreement.
"See there are some powerful, dangerous jobs that any normal wizard can't go on, so these jobs are classified as S class. Only S ranked wizards are allowed to take these jobs and they are hand picked by the master."
Tato turns in his seat to face Lucy and hold up a finger like he's educating her.
"Big rewards equal big risks."
Lucy nods her head in understanding. She then gets a curious thought.
"Who all are S ranked?"
"There are only 5 total, but Laxus, Erza, and Mira are 3 of them."
Lucy seems to be lost in thought but she bids them goodnight and heads home.
…
The next day and Erza, Gray, and Tato are at a table enjoying a meal. Tato had plate upon plate stacked as he gorges on his food.
The other two can't get over how much this guy can eat, he's like a bottomless pit.
"Master! Master!"
Mira comes rushing down the stairs from the 2nd floor.
"One of the S class jobs is missing!"
Makarov had been enjoying a nice cup of booze, but spits it out when he hears this.
Erza drops her fork in shock from the news as well.
They frantically discuss what could have happened and Laxus laughs.
"I saw a blue cat try to be sneaky and snatched the quest."
Makarov was angry at Laxus for not stopping Happy.
"Erza go get Natsu and bring him back. By force if you have too."
Gray stands up.
"Master, let me and Tato do it."
He nods his head and allows them to go after Natsu.
Hours pass and the two finally track Natsu down in the port of Hargeon.
Gray sneaks up behind Natsu and Lucy.
"We found you."
"Ah!"
Natsu jumps back.
Gray and Tato prepare to take all of them by force when the man in the fisherman's boat, that Natsu and Lucy had been talking too, interrupts them.
"Wait! Are all of you wizards?"
Natsu turns and smiles.
"Yes!"
The man grows excited and starts babbling about how he can take them and lifting the curse.
"We're not going."
Gray stands his ground but Natsu waited for the perfect time for Gray to not be paying attention and hits him over the head, knocking him out.
Tato gets ready for a fight, but Natsu walks over and whispers in his ear.
"If you come with us, I'll buy you all you can eat when we get back."
Tato's eyes widen and his mouth begins to water.
He knows this is against his better judgment but he can't say no to food, and especially all you can eat, he'd be crazy to turn it down.
"You got a deal!"
He clenches his fist and does a 'Yes!' gesture, as he grows more excited about eating.
He gladly enters the boat with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, with a knocked out Gray in tow, and the set sail for Galuna Island.