Pollux watched as Izzy left the guild hall, sighing. He supposed that he couldn't help it. The Master felt it wasn't his place to question the attitudes of his guild members, as he respected their decisions and supported them. He turned towards Haust and smiled, his grey whiskerys bouncing up with his cheeks.
"Well then, as I was saying," He handed Haust the Fairy Tail stamp. "Feel free to use it as you please. You're one of us now." He placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, radiating a warm and welcoming aura. Before the new recruit had any time to respond Pollux was assaulted by various guild members asking about the Haven quest. He wasn't surprised to see Ben and Mary, even Sanguin to an extent, and the only way Chloe would have missed out on this opportunity was if she was dead. The Master laughed, twirling his fingers around his long, wirey beard.
"It's good to see such eagerness amongst such young members." The Master took a seat at a bar stool, sighing with relief as soon as he sat into a comfortable position. "Now regarding the matter, I believe Reaper is already headed towards Haven; so I won't be sending you Mary. Chloe is also staying here, because I need to satisfy my granddaughter by punishing you for breaking our floors, again." He awaited the inevitable complaints, waving his hand towards Chloe as if to silence her before she could speak.
"I have an announcement to make, so I would appreciate a little space from everyone." He waved his hands, ushering the wizards to back away. With a swift motion, he placed two fingers on his throat and created an orb of magical light inside of his neck. Opening his mouth, the orb floated quickly up into the air and expanded to triple the size.
"Attention Fairy Tail!" The Master's voice boomed out from the orb of magic, even though his lips were not moving. "I have two important announcements to make. One of them you will like, the other you may not." By this point everyone's attention was fixated on the Master, who stared out over them.
"First of all, we have two new members who are joining out family. Yukiko Kaname and Haust Fildrek. Be sure to make them feel right at home." Yukiko blushed, bringing her wing up in front of her to cover her face from view. She didn't enjoy being publicly announced. There was a series of clapping and shouting in celebration of the new members. When they settled down, the Master continued to speak.
"Now for some sad news. I've talked with Alicia and a few old friends recently and have decided in all my wisdom that it is time for me to name a successor and step down as Guild Master." The silence that followed was haunting; the entire guild in shock. The guild went into an uproar, Zy included, as everyone protested the master's decision.
"What?! No way! Come on gramps you gotta be joking!" Zy yelled, standing up from his chair in a panic. He'd always known that Pollux was getting on in years, but he never thought he'd back down.
"Who's good enough to replace you, Gramps?!" Another member bellowed,
"No one! We need you Master Pollux!" The Master watched with a calm expression, before holding up his hand to silence everyone. Yukiko was glad that the yelling was over.
"I am not retiring just yet, I still need to find a successor. I have thought about this for many months and I've come to the decision that despite the incredible power and talent amongst our S Class members; none of them have the experience or wisdom that comes through age and time to run the guild. The replacement I have in mind will arrive in Fiore in exactly one month, so I will ask them then if they wish to take the position. If not, then I will remain Master until I feel one of you has matured enough to take the role." The orb of light shrunk back to normal size, floating back through Pollux's mouth and into his throat before disappearing.
Meanwhile, outside of the Guild Hall, an elderly lady with a black parasol and matching lace dress slowly trudged through the streets of Magnolia. Two frightened looking men in armour followed her while she cursed the hot weather under her breath.
"M'lady, would you like me to hold the umbrella?" One asked, but was immedietly struck across the face by the woman's wrinkled hand.
"I'd rather a wild monkey helped me, thank you very much. Now shut up. I am not in the mood for noise." She continued to walk, the man hanging his head and muttering an apology. Along the trip up towards the Guild Hall, the lady would encounter a young lady briskly leaving the hall. Not paying attention, she barely had enough time to react before she hopped out of the way; quite agile for an old woman.
"Watch where you're going missy, some of us aren't getting any younger."