AN: I am so sorry for not updating in years. I haven't given up on this story nor do I plan to give up on it since I have huge plans for it. For past few years this story has undergone revision and rewrites on my computer, massive changes have been made for the outline and I've basically spent years trying to find the perfect writing style for this fic because I genuinely love it.

If you guys didn't know, the title of this chapter is inspired by the song Prelude to Tristan and Isolde by Wagner. If you have any music suggestions (and I mean any cause I listen to all genres) drop it in a review and tell me what you think about this chapter.

So, after years of waiting, here is the first official chapter of Queen Mother.

Queen Mother

Chapter 1: Prelude to Isolde

July 7, X777

Summer is about to end, Vaati will make sure of that.

Trees will shrivel and die, leaves will fall in shades of orange and red, lakes and rivers will freeze over. The Jaws will be frozen and barren and no man shall reach their fortress and no man shall leave their forsaken valley lest they be dead men buried six feed under.

Vaati stood in a clearing in the bowels of The Jaw. The grass was still green and the leaves of the trees were still aplenty. It was still and quiet, but Vaati knew otherwise.

Beneath his feet was ruin and death. Beneath his feet was once a jeweled fortress no man, no dragon, and no god can penetrate. Beneath his feet was grass and dirt, and beneath the grass and dirt was history. History that his queen was a part of.

Three people stood before him. Belfurion, Andaris, and Olucia; loyal servants to the Queen Mother just as he. In their hands were lacrimas, glowing dim and bright and yet so dark.

Standing in front of the three, Vaati opened the palms of his hands and shot orbs of pure and unadulterated magic into the skies. A magic circle appeared above them, a color unlike any other magic circle there ever was. It was dark, light voided, light swallowed. In its' eye were the stars that pierced through the blue of the sky and painted the circle. Beneath their feet was a similar magic circle.

"Names are meant to be lost to the annals of time."

Vaati's low and deep voice pierced through the clearing as the magic circles grew brighter. He closed his hands and clasped them tightly together, not unlike a sinner on the steps of the church begging for forgiveness and a chance of redemption. Not unlike the clergy who stood above the crowd and uttered words and blessings and guidance for them all.

His overcoat colored in a deep crimson began fluttering as the wind around them blew stronger.

"They are meant to fade when those who know you whisper your name for only oblivion to hear. They are meant to be there when you live and breathe. They are meant to be there when nothing of you is left but your memory."

The winds grew stronger and stronger, his deep golden hair now flying in the wind as if it were the tamer and they were the snakes that followed his tune. Despite this, his orange eyes looked forward.

"But names fade. Names are forgotten. Names end."

Belfurion, Andaris, and Olucia closed their eyes. Upon seeing this Vaati closed his eyes as well, feeling the magic hum around them. The center of the circle where he stood began glowing green, an essence of life that no man or dragon or god could recreate. Slowly, the glow spread outwards.

"But not you, My Queen. Your name will live and breathe for as long as there is life that roams this earth. When your name is no longer heard, time no longer letting it spill through its' lips, then your name will be read. In ancient letters, ancient carvings, ancient characters."

Andaris opened his eyes, revealing bright yellow orbs. "When mortal eyes forget the meaning of your name as they forget the very blood you have spilled for them..."

Olucia opened hers, red glowing eyes filled with faith and loyalty. "When they forget the stone it is carved upon, once written in epics and poetry and prayers..."

Belfurion opened her eyes, dark and black and a stark contrast to the others. "Then let your name be a whisper in their dreams, a feeling in their hearts, and a home for their spirit..."

Vaati opened his orange eyes, uttering the last words of their words of praise.

"Let your being live forever, let your soul linger longer than the earth, and let your touch brand them as your own for only your name shall be eternal..."

Snow began to fall.

"For you are the Eternal Queen."

X791

Doranbolt was loyal. He was hardworking and he persevered through all the challenges he's ever faced. When he fell down, he got back up again. But something was wrong.

Seven years ago the members of Fairy Tail disappeared. Seven years ago he was on that island when that...that monster attacked. Seven years ago he pledged that he would bring Fairy Tail down from the inside.

Now it's been seven years since and he had allowed himself to be swallowed by his guilt and grief.

His mind tried to wrap itself around the situation countless of times. He tried to find solutions, to find ways to save them even though he was now seven years too late. Maybe if he did something it wouldn't have happened. Grimoire Heart wouldn't have attacked Tenrou Island, that dragon wouldn't have attacked Tenrou Island, the members of Fairy Tail would have been alive.

What if he did this? What if he did that? What if, what if, what if...

His mind had been filled with what ifs for too long. His maps and diagrams and notes were filled from corner to corner with what ifs. Seven years filled with what ifs, guilt, regret, self-loathing...and he wasn't even close to atoning for his sins.

Why was he like this? He had no right to feel this way. No right to feel guilt and regret. He wanted Fairy Tail to go down, and it did. Though the guild stayed open it was now a shadow of its' former glory. It was in shambles and the only thread it was hanging on to was their hope that one day their lost members would return.

And like Fairy Tail, Doranbolt was a shadow of his old self.

Seven years after it all happened they finally returned. But they weren't Fairy Tail. Or so that's what he tried to convince himself.

Those members lost on the island were dead. The people who were picked up by Blue Pegasis were ghosts. They aren't real. They can't be real. If they aren't real then his guilt and regret weren't real. That his endless grind to make up for his sins weren't real.

Or maybe they were real. But then everything he has ever done would have been for nothing.

Now Doranbolt lived in his office, slept on the tiny couch in the corner of it with nothing but a cot and a single pillow. His desk was covered in paperwork that seemed to have piled up over the years, despite his best attempts to be on top of it. This was home. Or, well, as much of a home as he allowed it to be for himself. Despite his short time with Fairy Tail, he believed that it was home. But he didn't have the right to call it home. Not after what he did.

Sighing, Doranbolt rose from his bed/couch and groaned. Another day, another pile of reports to read.

"Oh the gods have favored me," he smiled sarcastically at himself as he picked up the nearest file by the couch and dropped it unceremoniously on the small clear space on his desk.

And so began his day.

He slowly made a small dent in his paperwork doing what he did best. Or so the Magic Council said; it was clear as daylight to him that they wanted him off the field due to his current mental state and the events that happened on Tenrou Island. They didn't trust him and they believed he didn't trust them. Whatever they're reasoning, Doranbolt would still do his job with little to no complaint.

He cleared missions, read reports, read complaints regarding those under the employ of the Magic Council, read mission requests. If this were a guild (Doranbolt almost barked out laughing at the thought; despite the Magic Council's blatant distrust of guilds, they ran their organization like one) he was sure he'd be the guild leader. Or close to it. Of course the reality was much more boring: he was a glorified clerk they called a knight.

Sighing, Doranbolt tossed another finished file to the side.

"Working hard I see."

It was Lahar. The Captain was halfway through the doorway of his office, his eyes and face as stiff and professional as always despite the humorous tone in his voice.

"Well, I don't really have a life outside this tiny office so yes!" Doranbolt clapped his hands lightly before leaning back in his chair. "I'm always working hard."

Lahar nodded his head and completely entered his office, closing the door behind him. "That's good to hear."

Doranbolt narrowed his eyes at Lahar's figure as he moved through his office. He walked languidly, slow, almost torturous. He wanted something from him, he knew.

"So what brings you to my lair, Oh Captain My Captain?" Doranbolt asked.

Lahar's face melted into a small smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Ah well, you've never really been one for subtlety." Doranbolt gave his captain a smirk.

"So they say." Lahar sighed and sat down on the chair facing Doranbolt's desk. His elbows sat on his leg and his face was hidden in his hands.

"What's going on?" Doranbolt asked, his eyebrows widening at the sight of Lahar's seemingly defeated self.

"The council's putting you back on the field." Lahar said, pulling his face away from his hands.

Doranbolt jumped forward.

"Are you...are you serious?" Disbelief laced his words as the question left his lips.

Lahar nodded and smiled at him. Without needing to say anything, Doranbolt knew he had Lahar to thank for this.

It's been five years since he's last been on a field mission. After Fairy Tail's disappearance Doranbolt threw himself into his work. He survived on the bare minimum; barely sleeping, barely eating, barely away from his job which he thought was repentance for his sins. He thought his job was a way to distract him from everything that happened and make him believe that he was forgiven for it. But it wasn't.

The council didn't care about him. Didn't care if he nearly collapsed from exhaustion or from starvation. But they did care about their reputation. After the incident and while Doranbolt forced himself to work to the brink of collapse, he made rash decisions. Decisions that almost cost lives and cost the council money and loss of respect from the common folk. After a particularly disastrous mission in Magnolia where Doranbolt walked on a wire as he faced the surviving members of Fairy Tail once more, the council finally decided to bench him. Bar him from any field work until they saw him fit enough to carry their name once more.

"It was a lot of back and forth, but I managed to convince them to put you back in the field."

Doranbolt saw the look on Lahar's face and knew there was more to it than just that.

"But...?"

"But," Lahar sighed once more. "Your first mission back is a dangerous one."

"I'm more than capable of handling it," Doranbolt said with full confidence.

"I know. I trust you and your skills, but this is more than you or me. Or even the council."

Lahar tossed a thin folder on his desk and bit his lip. Noticing the worry and, much to Doranbolt's disbelief, fear that rolled off of Lahar the former under cover agent quickly opened the file.

It wasn't like any of the files that managed to make it way to his office. All of the files he received were enclosed in a manila envelope, their purpose and level of priority was symbolized with colors on the top two corners of the envelop. Out of all the files he's received from years of working as a goddamn bureaucrat this was Doranbolt's first time seeing a double black folder.

He opened the envelop, pulled out the file and began to read.

"For the past 14 years a mountain range to the west of Fiore has been undergoing strange magical phenomenons. On page 3 you will see two graphs. The one on top is the magical residue over time, the bottom one is magical resonance over time," Lahar said as Doranbolt quickly flipped through the file to follow along with Lahar's words.

"As you know, the council doesn't really care about high magical residue so long as no anomalies occur because of it. This is mostly because magical residue is usually caused by magical rituals in the area years before and nature will run its' course over time and the residue will lessen."

Doranbolt knew all of this. He's spent years as a Rune Knight and monitoring magical residue is one of the first missions one would encounter upon completion of training.

"But the magical residue on that graph has not lessened in 14 years. In fact, 14 years ago it spiked up. Along with the magical residue is the magical resonance which, unlike magical residue, is active magic that can affect nature on a lower potency than magical residue. Aside from it spiking 14 years ago, the magical resonance has only been growing stronger."

"If this series of events happened 14 years ago then why the hell is this file here now?" Doranbolt scoffed as he scanned through the pages. "The council should've done something about this years ago."

"It was a clerical error. A clerical error that cost Fiore one of its' most profitable logging industry." Lahar scowled. "The surveyor that sent in the report of the readings died shortly after submitting it to one of our offices, thus the lack of an update on the situation. Since then, this file has been stuck in circulation and has only been pulled out recently."

Lahar stood up, grabbing a map that Doranbolt pinned to the wall and laying it on his desk. He moved around the desk, hovering over Doranbolt as his eyes scanned the map.

"Here," he pointed to a mountain range that formed a ring around what looked to be flat lands. "This mountain range is called The Jaws, the plains within it is called the bowels by natives. This area is has a heavy population of trees in its' forest, making the town dead center of the bowels a large supplier of lumber to the kingdom. But after the magic spikes 14 years ago, Fiore hasn't heard anything from the town. They have been trying to make contact with it for years, but the forests there are dangerous."

Doranbolt frowned. "Let me guess, disappearances?"

Lahar nodded in confirmation. "Yes. As well as disorientation. There have been multiple cases where parties sent to make contact with the town find themselves lost in the forest for weeks, only to find themselves at one of the exits. Those who manage to find the exits also have encountered strange phenomenons."

"Phenomenons like...?" Doranbolt gestured for the captain to go on.

"They encountered mirages in the forests. As well as snow. Non-stop snow." Lahar flipped the file to page 7. "The Jaws and the bowels haven't stopped snowing in 14 years. And with it's geographic location it shouldn't even encounter snow until winter."

Doranbolt nodded.

"Do we have a lead?"

"One."

"Where is it?"

"Not a where, but a who..."

Fairy Tail hasn't been the same since Tenrou Island disappeared, and with it its' members. Even when they returned a few short weeks ago Fairy Tail still wasn't the same.

To the lost members maybe it was the same. But they weren't there when Kinana, Laki, Max, Bisca, Alzack, Macao...all of those left. They weren't there when they all had to bury their friends and family for some semblance of closure even though deep within their hearts they believed they were still alive.

The guild crumbled after they went missing. Members left to deal with their grief, some leaving due to the lack of missions coming in after the public was notified of the events (though a lot of it was censored and all the important details left out). Fairy Tail had a fraction of the numbers they once had. And with few guild members, few quests, they eventually lost their home and was forced to continue living their grief-filled lives in an old and worn down windmill.

Even though they were back, their presence couldn't erase the years of grieving they went through. The scars they've earned in order to keep their family together and to keep their home. Or the loss they felt as another member left their doors.

Kinana sighed.

There was no use to holding on to the past, she knew that. She was happy that everyone was alive and that they found their way back home once again. But it still hurt.

Ignoring her thoughts, she quickly opened the doors of their 'new' guild hall. She had been the first to arrive and last to leave the guild for seven years. Ever since Mirajane disappeared with the others she took up the title as Fairy Tail's barmaid and she did her job damn well.

"Pardon me."

Kinana was pulled away from her thoughts by the voice. She turned around and a man dressed in foreign ensemble stood before her. His hair was a deep golden blond, his skin an olive tone, and shocking orange eyes. To Kinana's eyes, he looked like some sort of noble or priest from a distant land.

"Are you here to join the guild?" Kinana asked.

The question wasn't outside the realm of possibility. Surely people would have heard of Fairy Tail's return by now.

The man shook his head. "No. I'm here seeking to employ your mages for a mission."

"Oh, well, come in!" Kinana said, opening the door for their guest. "I'm Kinana by the way."

The man nodded. "Vaati."

It took a few minutes for Kinana to clear the bar of the tarps she used to cover them to protect them from dust and water damage over the night. It took another few minutes for her to jump start the old and barely functioning generate outside the guild hall to turn on their electricity. By the time the purple-haired barmaid returned, she found Vaati sitting on a bar stool. His hands were firmly planted on his lap and his head seemed to be looking forwards.

"I'm sorry that took a while, Mr. Vaati." Kinana apologized, moving to stand in her rightful place behind the bar.

"Please call me Vaati."

Kinana smiled. "Alright then, Vaati. So, tell me about the mission you want us to do." She pulled out a small notebook and pen.

"There has been a...increase," Vaati thought for a second, "of the monster population around my town of residence. I require the assistance of mages to preferable thin out the population."

"Alright then..." Kinana quickly wrote the information down. "I just need to know the location, the reward, and if you have any other requests then I'd love to take note of them."

"The town is called Iseult in the west of Fiore. Your mages will find the town in a valley known as The Jaws. As for the reward," he paused. "Would a hundred million jewels be enough?"

Kinana's eyes widened in shock. "Uh, yes! More than enough, actually."

"Then so be it." Vaati stood up and began making his way to the door. "Tell your mages to be discreet about this mission."

"Why is that, sir?" Kinana asked, watching as Vaati turned around to face her one last time.

"There are some people who wish to take advantage of our town and I would prefer it if they did not."

"Any other requests, sir?"

"Yes." He turned around once more and continued to make his way to the door. "They have less than a week to reach Iseult. It's a race against time."

And with that, he left.

Kinana bit her lip. She had a bad feeling about this, but she couldn't do anything about it. Sighing, she ripped out the page of her notes and pinned it to their mission board. Now all she can do is hope and pray that this mission is exactly what Vaati said: a simple extermination of monsters.

AN: Hefty chapter innit? But I am sooooo happy with it. Honestly though, I'm gonna need to make my chapters longer or else we'll have too many chapters.

So I know this is a bit of a filler, but I needed to build up the suspense. Next chapter is gonna be fun for you guys to read, but a pain for me to write. But please tell me what you think of this chapter. I am so in love with the way I characterized Doranbolt as a guilt-driven man who tries his best to make up for everything, but it just shatters in front of him when Fairy Tail comes back alive. And Kinana...I know her part is short, but I do believe that the remaining members of fairy tail who didn't disappear would be happy to see the lost ones return, but at the same time a bit resentful I guess. I mean, they had to BURY them just to get some sort of closure and they lost so much after they went missing. Resentment is bound to be there, even if it is a small feeling. Maybe I'll play on that idea later on.

Anyways please fav, follow, and review this story! Your support helps me put out chapters faster *heart*