"Child, are you alright? Wake up, child."
A young boy slowly awoke to the sound of a kind, gentle voice. The moment he came to, a wave of soreness washed over his entire body. He struggled to open his eyes, and when he finally did, the first thing he saw was a pair of brown shoes right in front of him.
The boy realized he was lying on the ground. He pushed himself up, finding that he was at the bottom of a large crater. Standing before him was a short, elderly man, who must have been the one to wake him.
The old man had kind black eyes, white hair at his temples, and a thick mustache. He wore a striped orange and blue jester-like hat, an orange tunic over a white shirt, and matching orange shorts. In the center of the shirt was a symbol the boy found strangely familiar.
"What... what happened to me? Why am I on the ground?" the boy's voice was a mere whisper, almost too faint to hear.
"I heard a tremendous crash nearby, so I rushed over to investigate. When I arrived, I found you lying unconscious in this crater. Do you remember what happened?"
"I don't know... ugh..."
A groan escaped the boy's lips as his body ached.
"I'll take you to get checked out right away!"
Hearing the boy's pained sound, the old man didn't hesitate. He helped the boy to his feet and began walking him forward.
The boy didn't refuse the old man's kindness. For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity from him.
Only then did the boy have a chance to look at his surroundings. He was in a forest, surrounded by tall, dense trees. But... wasn't I just hit by a truck?
He didn't recognize any of the scenery. If this wasn't some elaborate prank, then there was only one other possibility: he had been transported to another world.
As this thought struck him, the boy quickly asked the old man, "Where is this place? What year is it?"
"This is Magnolia, and the year is X769," Makarov said in a gentle tone. "Does that help you remember anything?"
"Magnolia? That sounds... really familiar."
The boy thought hard. Suddenly, it clicked. That was the name of a town from the anime Fairy Tail. He hurriedly asked, "Is there a Kingdom of Fiore here, with a guild called Fairy Tail?"
"Yes, this is part of the Kingdom of Fiore, and there is indeed a guild called Fairy Tail. Do you remember anything else?"
"No, that's all I can recall."
"I see. Do you remember your name? How old you are?"
The boy paused. He must have been reborn into the world of Fairy Tail. He had no idea how he was able to communicate with people here, but if something as impossible as being reborn in another world could happen, this was a minor detail he wouldn't dwell on.
Before this, his parents were gone, and he had few relatives or friends to speak of. His old life had been plain and uneventful. Now, in a new world filled with magic, he naturally wanted a more exciting life. Using his old name in this world would feel strange. It was better to choose a new name and start a new life.
"My name... My name is Noah Flair. I'm five years old. I only remember the name 'Fairy Tail' and nothing else."
He chose 'Noah' from the story of Noah's Ark; he had been hit by a truck but survived by coming here, much like Noah survived the great disaster. 'Flair' meant natural talent and aptitude, hoping he would have enough of it to see the wider skies in this new world of magic.
As for his age, he looked down at his small, childish hands. Yep, five years old seems right.
Amnesia? Makarov thought to himself.
"Noah Flair, is it? Well, I am the Guild Master of the Fairy Tail you remember. My name is Makarov Dreyar. Since you know of us, would you like to join? It might be a good way to try and recover your lost memories."
Noah looked at the old man beside him again, comparing him to the image in his memories. It was true. This was the third Guild Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar. No wonder he had seemed so familiar from the very beginning.
With the shock of everything that had happened, and the strange disconnect of seeing a cartoon character in real life, he hadn't recognized him at all.
"That's right. So, do you want to join? Fairy Tail is a wonderful guild, you know!"
"Yes! I want to join!"
"Then it's settled. But first things first, we need to get you looked at and see what's wrong with your body."
Makarov helped Noah walk to the home of Porlyusica, who lived deep within the forest. It was then Noah realized he'd been transported directly into the woods just outside Magnolia.
Porlyusica examined him and found no serious injuries, just some bruising that would heal quickly. Then, in a fit of annoyance, she angrily shooed both Noah and Makarov out of her house with a broom.
"Porlyusica is a very kind person," Makarov explained. "She just has a strange dislike for humans for some reason. Please don't misunderstand her."
"I won't. I'm very grateful that she checked on me."
"That's good. Now then, I'll take you to Fairy Tail."
With that, Makarov led Noah out of the forest and into the town of Magnolia.
Along the way, Makarov greeted many townspeople, who all chatted with him warmly. They would ask if the small boy beside him was a new member, and Makarov would always reply with a cheerful "Yes!"
They walked to the far end of town, where a large, three-story building stood at the end of the road. A sign above the door read "FAIRY TAIL," and a flag bearing the guild's emblem—a stylized fairy in flight—hung from the third floor. The entire structure was grand and impressive.
"So this is Fairy Tail? It's amazing!" Noah exclaimed, his heart filled with awe. This was the place where the story of Fairy Tail began, the epicenter of most of the world's major events. It was a guild filled with family and friendship.
Even before he arrived here, Noah had yearned for this kind of atmosphere, having watched the anime and read the manga many times. To finally be here in person filled him with pure joy.
"That's right, this is Fairy Tail! Do fairies have tails? Do they even exist? No one knows for sure. And that's why it's an eternal mystery, and an eternal adventure. That's the meaning hidden in our guild's name!"
Makarov finished his explanation, then stood at the guild's entrance, turning back to Noah with a grand smile.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
Makarov pushed open the massive doors, and a wave of noise washed over them. The scene that greeted Noah's eyes was one of lively chaos: people were chatting, drinking, brawling, and others stood seriously studying a large wooden board covered in paper requests. The hall was loud and bustling with energy.
Someone spotted Makarov at the door and yelled out.
"Master, welcome back! Hey, who's the kid behind you? Is that your long-lost grandson?"
Makarov rolled his eyes. "No. This is our newest member. His name is Noah Flair."
He then turned back to Noah. "Come on, let's get you registered."