Chapter 1

Igneel Dragnel sighed as he walked into the living area of the base. A few members of fairy tail were already awake, Ul and Sky, but most people were still asleep.

"Did you get any sleep Igs?" Igneel smiled as he looked over at the small blue cat following him. Dragon was his best friend as well as an exceed, a race of magical talking cats.

"I took a couple naps." Igneel opened a door. Stretched out in front of him was a long hallway where all the bedrooms were. Igneel sighed as started walking down knocking on all the doors and calling for everyone to wake up. He did stop as he reached the end of the hallway and found one of the only pictures that had all of the members of fairy tail in it. Well old fairy tail.

Nine years ago the caretakers had defeated the members of fairy tail leaving only the children behind. Every member of the new fairy tail had lost their parents on that day and had banded together to defeat the caretakers.

"Looking for advice from a picture now Igs?" The girl talking to him smirked, she was tying up some of her pink hair. That was Layla his younger sister and one of the biggest trouble makers in the guild.

"Just thinking about what things would be like if the caretakers never came to magnolia." "Probably loud and crazy." The man who walked up behind Layla had spiked white hair and was Igneel's biggest rival. Makarov Dreyer was the grandson of the former master of the guild and because of that he was constantly trying to take Igneel's position as guild leader. "Hey Layla do you know where Lily is?"

"Is she missing?!" Igneel tensed. His first thoughts were of the caretakers coming in and kidnapping one of their members.

"She said she was going to watch the sunrise this morning so she's probably outside."

Makarov seemed to be as relieved as Igneel. "She really shouldn't go outside alone."

"She's not alone she took Shagotte." Dragon said flying up into Layla's shoulder. "Shagotte told me last night that was their plan."

Shagotte was Dragon's sister and Lily's partner. "She still shouldn't go outside with just the two of them." Igneel sighed. "Especially since we have plans today."

"I think that's why she went outside." Layla shrugged. "I would have joined her but my bed was too warm." She laughed. "I'm taking Dragon so we can go get ready for tonight!" Layla didn't wait for an answer as she headed off towards the kitchen.

Igneel sighed. "I'll get her, can you make sure everyone else gets up?" He looked at Makarov waiting for a fight.

"Sure."

Lily sat looking up at the clouds in the sky. She knew she should head inside, especially since Igneel would probably be upset but it was too nice outside. It was peaceful and quiet. Lily stood up and looked out at the view. Everything around her was in ruin and covered in weeds, but it was home and if she tried to clean it up someone would notice and find them.

Heartfillia manor, once grand and perfect now seemingly abandoned. Nine years ago when the caretakers had come with the intent of killing every last member of fairy tail her parents, and all the other members, had went to meet the challenge head on. Lily could still remember her mothers voice. "We will come back after everything. You stay here with the other kids and look after your brothers. You'll be safe here." Her mom had only been right about one thing that day- she was safe.

"Are we heading inside Lily?" Shagotte flew up next to her face. "Today is a special day."

"Yeah.." Lily jumped through the hole in the roof and landed in the attic. Today was the anniversary of the former master of fairy tail's death. He had died in the beginning of the fight with the caretakers while protecting all of his guild mates. Lily had no real memories of the old man except he had done everything he could to protect the people he cared about. She wasn't like Makarov who had been related to the old master.

"The others are probably wondering where we are." Lily started walking. The old ruins were covered in dust and holes. A mouse ran into a corner, probably afraid of Shagotte.

"Like I would want to eat it." The cat shook her head.

Lily laughed lightly as she climbed down the stairs and sighed. The mansion that had once been grand still after all these years upset Lily. You couldn't even see the past beauty. "This place used to be so great... If the caretakers had never come it would still be grand."

"And we wouldn't be living here."

"I would." The two looked over to see the spiky blond walking towards them. "But since the caretakers did come you shouldn't be up here."

"I just wanted to see the sunrise." Lily shrugged. "And I was careful not to be seen. I also made sure to that there were no caretakers around."

"Still if one had come up you could have been caught." Igneel shook his head and sighed. "Come on, we have so much to do."

"I'm coming." She followed him to the basement and he opened the hidden hatch before dropping down. Lily and Shargotte followed him down into the underground hide out that was their home.

"Lily!" The moment she landed a black haired 13 year old boy called out running towards her.

"Hey Gear." Lily smiled as her little brother wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you had left me..." He buried his head in her shirt.

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you." She patted his head. "So don't worry."

"Ok." He smiled. "Come on! Let's go." He started running. "We've got kitchen duty!"

Lily laughed. "I guess that means I'd better go. See you later Igs."

"Stay out of trouble." He called after her.

"He's such a worry wort." Shagotte laughed. "This isn't the first time."

"It is the first time we've been caught." Lily laughed right as they walked into the kitchen.

"What's so funny?" A white haired girl asked from where she was cutting up potatoes.

"Igs." Lily smiled.

"What did my idiot brother do this time?" A pink haired girl asked from the sink area.

"He is just a worry wort."

"And that's funny?"A younger girl with pink hair asked from next to the fridge.

"The way he worries yes." Lily moved to her own spot chopping up some fruits. Gear was also at work moving the needed dishes to the dining area.

Lily looked over at her friends and smiled. The white haired girl was Lisa Dreyer, the younger sister of Makarov and the two pink haired girls were Igneel's sisters Layla and Pearl. At least she would have good company while cooking today.

Makarov sighed as he looked down at the picture of the first Makarov. His grandfather's smiling face made Makarov angry. Not at his grandfather, or even his father, but at the caretakers. Four years ago he had been one of the first to step forward and demanded that they started fighting against the caretakers. If Igneel hadn't actually agreed with him that one time he would have demanded his rightful place as guild leader. He brushed some of the dust off the picture and then went back to work. Because his grandfather had loved parties during his life they had all decided to every year celebrate his death with a big party. Some of the guild would set up the decorations, his group this year, and some would cook a big feast. Who ever was left over usually went into town to get supplies for after the party.

"Stop standing around and come help us out!" Wolfgang, a brown haired burly man, yelled out from where he was moving the furniture to the side of the room.

"Just leave him alone Wolf." Fate, a brown haired girl said from her spot. She was using her card magic to decide who would sit where that would cause the least amount of problems. They always put her on this crew because they couldn't have big fights start during the party. The noise would be too much if a squad of caretakers came by.

"Fate don't sit me next to Gear!" Clive, fate's twin brother, yelled from where he was helping Wolfgang. "I don't want to listen to listen to his talk about books!"

"Forget it what Fate says stays." The youngest member of Fairy tail said from where he was hanging streamers. Sky could actually teach the high spots as long as Edo was carrying him.

Edo was the third and last of the cats. Each of them had decided to follow after their parents and the other old cat Pantherlily and stick close to one of the dragon slayers... Except for Makarov. But he didn't really care too much about that. If he did he would never get a moment alone.

"I brought in the rest of the decorations from the attic." A shirtless River said walking in. Makarov couldn't understand him. The teen half the time wore nothing but his shirts and scarf. Sure the scarf was all he had left of his mom but still he could at least wear a shirt like the rest of them. At least his younger sister Ur, who followed him, didn't have that problem.

"Where do you want these Mak?" Ur called.

"Just set them down wherever and start unpacking. Makarov walked over to help. "We want to finish as soon as possible."

Milly scanned the area in front of her brushing a blue stand of hair out of her face as a squad of caretakers disappeared from her view into town. She nodded and held up her hand. A moment later the rest of her group was behind her. First was the oldest member of Fairy Tail, and the only one who remembered the old Fairy Tail, Asuka. She put away her gun and nodded. "Come on then."

Milly stayed low as she changed out of her stealth armor. It was one of the few admits that her mom had left her. Milly loved wearing her mom's armor but if she walked into town wearing anything but normal clothes the caretakers would recognize her.

"Mil you shouldn't use your magic so close to town. The caretakers could feel it." Simon, her younger red headed brother, frowned.

"I only used a little so we're fine."

"You worry too much Simon." Glitter, the third member of their team, brushed some of her white hair back behind her shoulder. "Now if I used my magic I'm sure that they would come running. After all my magic is so glamorous."

"Then don't use it." Ace, Asuka's brother, sighed. "Come on we've got a job to do."

"I'm coming." They started walking into town trying to pretend that they were normal people.

Milly felt a tug at her stomach and wanted to throw up. It was a normal feeling all of the Fairy Tail members got when they walked into a town controlled by the caretakers. The caretakers had set up a magic draining device in each town they controlled. Anyone who stepped foot into the town would then be completely drained of all their magical powers and energy. Of course the Fairy Tail members were the rare exception.

Back before the caretakers had imprisoned, because Milly knew they couldn't be dead, their parents a friend of the guild an old woman named Porlyusica had created a condition that protected their magic energy. Milly could only remember it tasted awful but even now her magic remained hers, so she was grateful for that.

Fairy Tail had tried to find her after their parents were kidnapped to ask for her help but she had disappeared after the first Makarov's death.

"Milly you and Simon get the food the rest of us will get the rest of the stuff." Asuka said as they got got to the shopping area. "Don't cause any trouble!"

"Got it." They all said before separating.

Igneel sat down and sighed. He had spent the whole day running around the base and making sure everyone was getting their tasks done. That had at one point turned into him arguing with River about setting up the tables without a shirt. River annoyed him, probably because he was fire and River was water.

"The party is going to start soon. Asuka's group is back." Dragon flew over. He had recently switched from helping Layla to him. That was a normal occurrence. Shine both Layla and Igneel were fire dragon slayers Dragon would switch between the two.

"I'll be there soon."

"Did a new report come in?" Dragon flew over.

"Yeah the caretakers are working to take over another town... I think I'll take some of the others and we can go deal with it tomorrow."

"Who are you going to take?"

"Not sure yet... But we have to keep them from taking another town as much as we can... Once they finish taking Magnolia there will be no saving Magnolia."

"Let's not think about that right now!" Dragon smiled. "We've got to go party! Old Makarov will be honored if we break something!" He laughed.

"True. And I guess I'll have to honor my dad by breaking something too."

"Oh yeah!" Igneel laughed. He got up and followed Dragon out. It was time to party and leave worrying for later.