Author's Note: To me,this chapter felt REALLY rushed for some reason. The chapter might seem near pointless, but I encourage you all to read the second Author's Note towards the end as it gives you a hint to what the reason is for me including it. Just remember, if it's in this story; it has purpose. If you want to figure the reason out for yourself, then don't read the second Author's Note. It doesn't have any direct spoilers, but it might spoil the foreshadowing (if that even makes sense).
Lastly, this is finals week for college which means that there won't be an update for a fair amount of days. However, I look forward to posting new chapters over my Christmas Break once I've completed my courses! Regardless, next chapter is going to be much more entertaining in terms of plot progression (and hopefully a helluva lot longer considering what goes down in this chapter). Hope to see you then!
During Those 7 Years
Chapter three: Fate of the Tenrou group
As Porlyusica expected, Natsu was making a remarkable recovery ever since he fractured his leg. Natsu rarely used the Lacrima that Master Makarov gave him which surprised those who volunteered to help him. It was even more ironic that night time was the time of day that Natsu had yet to use the Lacrima considering everyone left the guild at that time. Porlyusica still checked up on the young Dragon Slayer every morning to ensure that his leg continued to make a steady recovery.
"Hey Porlyusica? Why aren't you a member of Fairy Tail anymore?" Natsu sat up from his bed to speak to the woman sitting in the chair beside him. The pink haired woman began to rewrap Natsu's leg in a new layer of bandages as she just completed his first physical therapy session.
"What makes you think I'm not?" The pink haired elder sighed at Natsu as she finished rewrapping his bandages only to fiddle with a metallic object besides her.
"I mean, you never stop by to visit. Did gramps break up with you or something?"
"WHAT!" The woman shrieked causing the young Dragon Slayer to reflexively cover his sensitive ears. "LIKE HELL I DATED THAT OLD PERVERT!"
"Alright I get it! Sheesh!" He responded.
Porlyusica began to calm herself down before speaking to Natsu again. "Let me ask you this boy, is Gildarts apart of your guild?"
"Well of course he is!" Natsu defended the S-Class mage.
"Then just because some of your members rarely visit doesn't make them less important than the ones you see on an everyday basis. Master Makarov tells me that Gildarts rarely stops by so does that not make him a Fairy Tail member?" Porlyusica stated bluntly.
"I guess you're right…" Natsu responded before thinking to himself. "Just because some of your members rarely visit doesn't make them less important than the ones you see on an everyday basis." He recited in his mind. His thoughts were interrupted as Porlyusica continued tending to the metallic object in her hand. "What are you doing anyways? You finished checking up on me for the day so I thought you planned on going home since you hate being around humans."
"That's true, but if that old coot taught me anything while I was on his team when we were younger, it's that guild mates don't abandon each other in need." She smiled softly. "You've also proven to me over the past few days that you're beginning to get over not going on the S-Class exams. So, I'm making you a pair of crutches so that you can go visit your friends upstairs."
Natsu immediately threw the covers off his body. "Really?! I can go up to the guild?!" He spoke in awe.
"Only under a few conditions. I'm going to tell your friends that if they see you so much as tap the ground with the toe of your injured foot, you're coming right back down here. Second, if you feel even the slightest bit of fatigue, I'm going to leave a wheel chair upstairs for you to sit on. Other than that, you'll be able to see your friends when I'm done making these."
"Porlyusica thank you so much!" Natsu began to bow repeatedly from his bed. "But… Didn't you say I could walk in a few days?" He slowly began to frown.
"That's one of the reason I'm giving you these crutches. I did promise you that you could walk on your leg in a few days. The truth is, I don't want you thinking that you're able to walk on it and end up causing any reversible damage. I want to make sure your leg is fully healed before you end up putting any sort of stress on it. All the same rules apply for now. Absolutely no walking on that injured leg of yours. Think of it as being cautious." She stated as she continued to work on the crutches. "Makarov said he would be back in a few days. Did he ever give you a specific day?" The old woman digressed from the topic at hand.
"Gramps left three days ago. He said it would take the group going on the S-Class exams the entire day to travel to Tenrou Island. They're supposed to set up camp before nighttime and work on setting up the tasks the next day: that's two days… So that means… the exam started yesterday at this same time!" Natsu exclaimed in awe at how fast time has flown by.
"If that's the case then the soonest I would expect them to return is the day after tomorrow." Porlyusica said as she finished finalizing Natsu's crutches.
"That's no time at all! Anyways, are those crutches ready yet?" Natsu asked.
"They should be. But before you use them, I have a question for you boy."
"Yeah what is it?" Natsu frowned as he just wanted to be able to actively move again.
"Aren't you angry that I'm still not letting you walk?" Porlyusica asked the pink haired Dragon Slayer as she tested both the crutches to see if they would support her weight.
"I'm angry that you're not letting me use those crutches!" Natsu joked before continuing. "In all seriousness, I would be angry. But I'm starting to get over not being able to go on the S-Class exams. The thing is, I was mad that I couldn't walk at first when I realized my fracture would prevent me from becoming an S-Class mage. Now that I know for certain that there's no way can participate because gramps left me here, there's no point in me walking any sooner. I mean, I still want to walk at some point, but I'd be happy to just get out of this infirmary." Natsu finished by flashing Porlyusica a toothy grin.
"If that's the case, sit up at the edge of the bed." Porlyusica instructed as she confirmed that Natsu was being sincere.
"Alright now what?" Natsu asked as he swung his legs off the bed.
"Place your left foot on the ground and shift your weight to it." Porlyusica said as she gave Natsu the crutch for this right arm.
"Okay?"
"Here's the crutch for your left arm. Do both of them fit you?"
"Like a glove."
"Then try standing up using your left leg. You should be able to use the crutches to support your weight and swing your body. Try walking to the door." Porlyusica concluded.
Natsu stood on his left leg and used the crutches to support his body. He slowly did as Porlyusica instructed and got into a rhythm of using the crutches to move his body while his left leg anchored him to the ground. As he approached the infirmary's door, he turned around to be met with the elderly woman approaching him.
"There should be some wheelchairs just below the infirmary staircase. We can fetch one on the way up to the guild hall." Porlyusica offered.
"Aww man! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu yelled out inside the infirmary.
Back up with the normal guild hall, things couldn't have been blander. Since the Tenrou group departed, there were only 11 active Fairy Tail members still at the guild.
"Who knew how dead this place could be without the Tenrou group here." A blue haired mage sighed from Fairy Tail's bar. He was currently wearing a long white jacket with a black t-shirt underneath.
"Yeah I here yah Macao. They left three days ago and I'm already bored out of my mind." Wakaba said as he scratched his bald spot. He was currently wearing a green t-shirt, orange shorts, and was talking to Macao from the seat beside him all the while smoking a pipe.
Kinana, who was currently serving them, decided to chip in. "Don't be like that! We just opened the guild an hour ago. Maybe we could find something to do later on. We rarely get to see each other because of how big and busy the guild usually is."
"Yeah! And maybe we can ask Porlyusica when she's done if Natsu can come up here with us! Didn't she say that Natsu would be able to walk by now?" Romeo shouted from besides his father.
"That sounds like a great idea Romeo. I really want to know if he's doing alright and if his leg hasn't gotten worse." Kinana smiled with hope.
Before anyone could respond, footsteps coming from the infirmary staircase resounded throughout the guild hall. The guild members present at the time all turned towards the location of the footsteps in silence to see Porlyusica emerging from the staircase with another figure next to her.
"Hey Guys! Guess who it is?!" An energetic voice called from besides her.
"NATSU!" The guild members present at the time yelled simultaneously before bolting towards the Dragon Slayer.
"Guess what? Porlyusica is letting me use crutches now so I can leave the infirmary whenever I want. Now I don't have to bother you with that Lacrima anymore!" He responded.
"Thank Edolas for that!" Macao chuckled before being interrupted by his son.
"Hey Natsu! I thought Porlyusica said that you should be able to walk right now!" Romeo called out as he gave Natsu a fist bump before hugging the Dragon Slayer's waist.
"I didn't want your Dragon Slayer to take any chances. I don't want him to walk on his leg and accidentally cause any irreversible damage. I'm just being cautious until I know for sure that his fracture has healed enough for him to walk on his leg again." Porlyusica answered for Natsu as she set his wheelchair besides the staircase. "I told him that he's free to come and go out of the infirmary as he wishes. I also wanted to instruct you to send Natsu right back down to the infirmary if he so much as touches the toe of his injured foot against the floor. If he gets the slightest bit of fatigue, I'm leaving this wheelchair by the staircase for him so sit in." Porlyusica concluded.
"Thank you for your help today Porlyusica." Macao spoke sincerely to her.
"I'll be back tomorrow the same time as today. If Natsu is lucky, he might be able to walk on his leg by then depending on how well he treats it until I return. If you need anything, you know where to find me." She nodded before taking her leave.
The remaining Fairy Tail members watched as Porlyusica made her way out of the guild. Their stares were interrupted by a purple haired barmaid breaking their concentration. "You heard her Natsu! No walking on your leg!" Kinana chanted from the bar.
"YeahYeahYeah." He muttered causing her to giggle.
"Typical men." Laki shook her head from the outside of the group.
"Anyways Natsu. Now that you're here how about joining me, Macao, Bisca, and Alzack here for a couple drinks at the bar?" Wakaba suggested as he nudged Natus's ribs with his elbow.
"But I want Natsu to tell me about his Dragon Slayer magic!" Romeo argued with.
"Natsu you should help me decide a quest that I can take from the Job Board! You're really strong so you should know the best one for me to go on!" Nab called out from the other side of him.
"Hey Natsu! It's been a while. Show me some of those sick dance moves of yours." Vijeeter politely asked.
"What the hell is wrong with you? He can't even walk on his leg you dumbass!" Max laughed at Vijeeter's stupidity. "Now what he can do is help me run the Fairy Tail Goods Shop. Come on Natsu! It's just the right job for you since you can't stand on your leg. Not to mention the free 'Salamander Advertisement' would be perfect for business." Max finished as his eyes began to glisten.
"Pardon, I suggest drawing a painting so we can remember this moment forever. Oui?" Reedus questioned with a smile on his face.
"Like hell that's happening. He's going to substitute for Levy and become a part time member of Team Shadow Gear!" Jet and Droy announced together.
"Don't forget about me!" Warren shouted. "What Natsu needs right now is to vent some of his recent frustrations using telepathy!"
The guild's calm atmosphere from when Porlyusica was there moments ago turned into a seemingly endless frenzy as everyone began to argue over what they should do with Natsu now that he was able to visit the guild. The helpless Dragon Slayer simply cowered in fear behind his wheelchair off to the corner of the staircase.
One guild member, however, noticed this and took control of the situation before it got too out of hand. "ENOUGH!" Macao boomed causing everyone to instantly calm down. "Let's not forget who's in charge here." He stated before focusing his attention towards Natsu hiding behind his wheelchair. "Sorry if we're making you feel uncomfortable Natsu. We're all bored out of our minds and I'm sure everyone just wants to spend some time with you before the Tenrou group returns considering the only time some of us get to visit the infirmary is when you use your Lacrima." Macao frowned as the pink haired Dragon Slayer slowly started to emerge from his hiding place.
The guild members took notice of this and felt guilty for their actions. "Sorry Natsu!" They chanted in unison.
"It's alright guys! I've been wanting to see you guys just as much. Just try to go easy on me. Hopefully by tomorrow, I'll be out of this cast and able to walk again." Natsu finished as he remembered what Porlyusica told him about the guildmates he rarely saw.
"Umm… Natsu? Are you feeling better since you can't go on the S-Class exam?" Romeo asked.
"Romeo!" Macao hissed towards his son across from him before apologizing to Natsu. "Natsu I'm sorry about his outburst. The night we learned that you wouldn't be going on the S-Class exams, Romeo was sleeping. He's wanted to see you ever since but I said he couldn't since Porlyusica didn't want us to visit unless you used your Lacrima. Even still, only those who Master Makarov instructed were able to visit." He finished by frowning.
Natsu simply laughed at Romeo's lack of a mouth filter. "Don't worry about it old man! Erza was able to make me feel better the day before she left for Tenrou Island. Long story short, you don't have to worry about me staying mad over not having the chance to become an S-Class mage." He reassured the guild by smiling warmly.
"Well that's great to hear." Macao sighed in relief as he was glad that his son didn't ruin the Dragon Slayer's mood.
"I've actually been wondering what Gramps is doing now. I mean, the exam should have started yesterday." Natsu pondered to his guildmates.
"I'm sure they're doing fine… Unless they have to fight against Gildarts, Erza, or Mirajane." Kinana winked.
Romeo then blurted out to idolize his role model. "Nuh-uh! If Natsu was there he could take all three of them on at the same time!"
"Of course I would buddy!" Natsu flared up his magic slightly causing the group to back up.
"Let's not get carried away. Don't forget that I'm still in charge Natsu. Master Makarov told me to look after you and that includes you making a safe recovery." Macao warned slightly.
"Whatever you say old man." Natsu groaned.
"So what do you plan on doing while you're up here"
"I actually plan on going to pick up a job from the board. Not for now though. I want to be able to get back to my regular routine once Gramps and the rest of the S-Class participants return from Tenrou Island which is when my leg should be better."
This time, Bisca decided to chip in. "Natsu's planning ahead?" She stated in awe.
"It's like he's a whole 'nother person!" Alzack agreed besides his crush.
"Honestly, I'm trying to do anything at this point to keep me busy." Natsu sighed.
"Same…" The entire guild groaned in unison.
"If that's the case, how about Romeo, Nab, Jet, and Droy come with me to the Job Board? I can give Nab and Team Shadow Gear some tips on picking a job and tell Romeo about my magic! Then we can talk at the bar if anyone wants to. Plus, we'll have tomorrow to do whatever you want since I'll most likely be able to walk again!" Natsu offered.
"Sure thing. We can just get drinks later on so you don't have to walk around drunk." Macao laughed.
"Alright it's settled then. C'mon Romeo we're going to go help these guys get a job!" Natsu gestured towards Nab, Jet, and Droy before moving from the infirmary's staircase to the Job Board. The group surrounding Natsu slowly dissolved and resumed their normal activities. As the small group approached the Job Board, the pink haired Dragon Slayer turned around to face the three mages in front of him. "So all you really need to know is the basics. Start by telling me your strengths Jet and Droy."
Without hesitation, Jet responded. "We work really great as a team. When Levy is with us, the three of us rarely get into arguments and we can get jobs done fast, clean, and easy." He smirked with confidence.
"Is that true Droy?" Natsu questioned.
Droy nodded in response. "Every bit of it. The problem is that Levy isn't with us right now so it's really tough for the two of us to go on jobs." Droy finished by frowning.
Natsu responded with a sizeable amount of feedback that wasn't expected from either of them. "That's good and bad. It's good that your team values its members and can't function to its full potential without one of your members, but your strengths shouldn't rely solely on one mage. What I'm trying to say is that you should still be an efficient team without one of your members. Should you be at your highest potential? Absolutely not, otherwise you would be carrying around dead weight. I would recommend improving your overall qualities that support Levy so that when she isn't with you guys, you can at least coordinate those strengths to your advantages with each other." Natsu finished with confidence. "Does that make sense?"
The look on Jet and Droy's faces were of complete shock as if they received some revolutionary advice. If they knew Natsu was this gifted in team based knowledge, they would have come to him a long time ago for help when Levy wasn't around.
"Yuh-Yeah Natsu. Thanks." The duo managed to stutter before going blank again.
Natsu smiled before directing his attention towards Nab. "Anyways, what seems to be your problem Nab?"
"I just can't choose the right job! They all look tempting and I don't want to choose one that I goof up on and end up wasting my time. That's why I need to find a job only I can do."
Natsu sighed before answering Nab. "All I can say is that you can't be worried about goofing up. How many times do I return to the guild with my team only for them to blame me for the majority of their loss in Jewel shares? Hell, even Gildarts goofs up. I mean, Magnolia Town needed to be reconstructed just so he can walk through the city without destroying it!" He finished which caused a wave of confidence to wash over Nab.
"Yah know what…? You're right Natsu! I'm going to pick this job that I had my eye on for a while!" Nab told the Dragon Slayer as he ripped a flier off the Job Board and showed him.
Natsu scanned the print before responding. "This is perfect for you Nab! The reward is enough to live on comfortably for a couple of days. Not only that, but the client needs the bandits brought to him without any major injuries. Your large body would be perfect for 'persuading' those thugs to follow along with your orders." Natsu finished as he nudged Nab towards the end.
"I'll be sure to go on it right when the Tenrou group gets back. Master Makarov isn't going to believe it when he sees I finally accepted a job request!"
Natsu shot Nab a toothy grin before turning to Romeo who was standing off to the side. "Alright guys. If you need anything else, I'm going to take Romeo to the bar and talk with his father for a little bit." The Dragon Slayer then waved to the trio which snapped Jet and Droy out of their dazed states as they quickly waved back. "Sorry for the wait buddy. Now that I helped these fellows out, ask me anything about my magic! I can just pick a job later." Natsu offered as he began to lead Romeo to the bar.
Romeo was simply gaping in awe at the recent conversations. "You've already taught me so much stuff about teams and jobs! I want to think about what you taught me before I learn about your magic." Romeo finished by jumping up and down in excitement.
"That's great Romeo! But are you sure you don't want to learn about my magic?"
"We can do it later when your leg gets better. That way you can give me a demonstration!" The child anxiously suggested.
"No problem!" The pink haired Dragon Slayer nodded in affirmation as he continued to lead the young boy along with him,
As Natsu began to approach the bar with Romeo, he began to tune into the conversation that Macao and Wakaba were having with Alzack, Bisca, and Kinana thanks to his enhanced hearing. The conversation Natsu picked up ushered a wave of fear, anxiousness, and even betrayal over him even though he didn't know the what the group was talking about.
"Macao! How can you say that?! He's always been there for us when we needed him!" Bisca hissed towards the blue haired mage.
"I'm not saying that he hasn't been there for us when we needed him. We're all Nakama, and it's best that you remember that damn well Bisca." Macao argued beneath his voice.
"Then I don't see what the problem is. Everything is fine the way it is." Alzack responded as he continued to lean in towards the center of the group and sip his ale.
"Wakaba agrees with me. Don't yah?" Macao turned to his left for support from his lifelong friend.
"Hold up! I never said I didn't agree with you, I'm just saying that you can't tell Natsu of all people about this. He wouldn't understand!" Bisca corrected the blue haired mage.
"Sorry Macao, but I'm with Bisca on this one. You can't just tell Natsu about this. He'll be heartbroken. Who knows how he'll react." Wakaba stated before the group heard a sound.
"Click… Click… Click…"
"Is that what I think it is?" Wakaba hurriedly questioned.
"Natsu's coming. Please don't bring this up with him." Kinana warned as she had a frontal view of the Dragon Slayer since she was working the bar's counter.
"Listen to Kinana. The girl has more of a brain than you." Bisca jokingly spat with slight malice.
"I'm sorry Kinana, but this is something Natsu should hear for himself." Macao apologized to the preteen before sitting upright awaiting the young Dragon Slayer's arrival.
Natsu quickly diverted his attention back to Romeo before speaking. "You know what Romeo? You should go look for Laki or Warren and hang out with them since you haven't spoke to them today. Tell them that I said hi." Natsu finished as he ruffled the young boy's hair.
"Okay Natsu! Don't forget that you promised to show me some of your magic when your leg gets better!" Romeo said before skipping off in the other direction.
As the small child turned around, Natsu sighed in relief. "Whatever they're talking about at the bar, it's best if Romeo doesn't get caught up in the middle of it." With that, he slowly transversed the remainder on the distance between him and the bar. After walking the entire length of the guild, he attempted to make his entrance as obvious as possible in order to not make it seem as though he was eavesdropping. Natsu began to make the sound caused from his crutches hitting the guild floors surface more obvious which caused the group sitting at the bar to slowly move back into their upright positions.
Natsu was now standing directly behind the group sitting in a line at the bar as he made his entrance. "Hey guys! What are you talking about?" Natsu asked with slight worry in his voice fearing that his Nakama were talking behind his back similar to how Gray did.
"Natsu! Come and sit down in the middle of us. We've got something we want to talk to you about." Macao smiled as he offered Natsu his seat by standing up from his barstool and moving to the one on the other side of Wakaba. All the while Bisca snuck him a dirty glare at what he just suggested before smiling towards the Dragon Slayer.
Natsu began to slowly ease into the conversation as he sat down and placed his crutches off to the side. "Can you believe it's already evening? It's probably night time at Tenrou Island. I bet you all that Freed is our new S-Class mage. The guy is a lot stronger than he looks." Natsu shared his opinion while putting a fake smile on his face.
"My Jewels are on Juvia. Apparently she gave Gray a run for his money when she was still apart of the Element 4." Bisca chimed in as she tried to take Macao's mind off their original conversation. To her dismay, Macao wasn't the one she had to worry about anymore.
"I get what you're saying but Juvia's still pretty new to the guild. There's still a ton she doesn't know about our magic, strengths, and weaknesses so that might end up costing her the exam." Natsu offered the group his opinion before continuing. "So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Natsu reluctantly questioned which instantly drained the smile from Bisca's face.
"Natsu, we wanted to talk to you about something that's been on our minds lately." Macao stated as he looked into Natsu's eyes.
"Alright that's enough Macao, don't make a scene right now. I already told you not to tell Natsu about this." Bisca gather the courage and scolded him in front of the Dragon Slayer.
"Bisca, stop making him think this is bigger than it is." Macao sighed.
"He's right Bisca. Let the guy share his opinion if he wants. You even said that you agreed with him to a degree." Alzack said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"That's not the point. Remember what I told you I was worried about in our conversation? He won't understand." Bisca momentarily directed her attention towards Alzack.
"Macao, listen to Bisca. Think about this before you tell him." Wakaba warned.
At this point, Natsu was beyond scared. What was so important that they couldn't tell him or even understand for that matter? They were Nakama after all. The only thing that they couldn't tell him was if it had to do with him himself.
"Tell me." Natsu stated with a startling calm tone. "I can handle going on the S-Class exams as of now, so I can handle whatever it is you have to say to me. It's not like you can back out at this point either. I've already heard too much."
"There's your answer, Bisca." Macao said as he focused his attention back to Natsu causing Bisca to rub her temples as she anticipated the worst. "Natsu, we were all thinking the same thing for some time now but were debating on telling you since we didn't know how you would react or even understand what we're talking about. Don't worry, you're absolutely entitled to your own beliefs. I just wanted to see if you could relate to the 5 of us."
"Go on…" Natsu encouraged Macao as he anxiously fiddled with his fingers expecting the worst.
"Natsu, it has to do with how the Tenrou group and Master Makarov view-"
Before Macao could continue though, the entrance to the Fairy Tail Guild hall burst open which instantly interrupted him mid sentence.
"Shh- DOOM!" The doors made as they were flung open. The group at the bar as well as every other Fairy Tail member immediately diverted their attention to see who made the outlandish entrance as a deathly silence fell between them. Once their eyes slowly began to adjust to the glare coming form the evening's sun, they were able to identify two men slowly walking into the guild hall.
"I apologize for the unorthodox entrance, but this is a state of emergency." One of them bowed and broke the silence. "My name is Lahar. I serve under the-"
"Magic Council." Macao completed the sentence as he took into account the attire the men were wearing. They were both wearing the same long blue jacket that went past their wastes. Their shoulders and parts of their sides were covered by a white garment that was fastened just below their collarbones.
"Precisely." Lahar responded before directing his attention to the man next to him. "This is my subordinate,-" Before he could continue, he was once again interrupted by one of the guild members.
"Mest?!" Natsu exclaimed as he leaped out of his barstool and supported himself with his crutches. "What are you doing dressed up as the Magic Council? Aren't you a participant in the S-Class exam?"
"Yes." He briskly answered as he avoided eye contact with the guild members. "Please give my superior and I a chance to explain ourselves before you react. My real name isn't Mest, it's Doranbolt and I am a member of the Magic Council. I was operating under the alias of 'Mest' and a member of Fairy Tail in order to infiltrate Tenrou Island. Our superior, Gran Doma, entrusted me with this so he could find some reason on Tenrou Island to disband Fairy Tail."
The entire guild roared in response. "WHAT!?"
"I'm sorry, but Lahar and I were following orders." Doranbolt stated. "We have no intentions on being your enemies."
"So I guess you're here to disband us because you found a reason to?!" Macao spat as he began to clench his fists in anger as he felt betrayal wash over him.
"We are not here for that reason." Lahar interrupted. "As I said before we are here because there is a state of emergency. Have any of you heard of both Zeref and Grimoire Heart before?" Lahar finished speaking which caused Doranbolt to tense up as he knew what was to come.
"Yeah Master Makarov mentioned them a couple of times. Zeref is considered the most evil mage of all time and Grimoire Heart is a Dark Guild apart of the Balam Alliance. The only thing I know about them is that their Guild Master is some guy by the name of Master Hades and their strongest team is the 7 Kin of Purgatory. What about them?" Wakaba growled.
"Grimoire Heart led an attack on Tenrou Island at 1200 yesterday: shortly after the annual S-Class exam began. Their motives were to use Tenrou Island to resurrect Zeref as well as eliminate the most powerful Fairy Tail mages once their presence was discovered on the island." Lahar continued which only caused Doranbolt's chest to tighten.
The guild hall was in a state of shock to say the least. Romeo, who long made his way from where Warren and Laki were standing towards the Magic Council representatives, was able to speak out as he had full confidence in the Tenrou group's safety. "If that's the case… Fairy Tail had to win! Nothing can take them down… Right?" Romeo slowed down his speech as he slowly lost confidence.
Natsu was able to gain his composure and yell: completely ignoring the fact that Romeo was present. "BULLSHIT! Only Gramps knows where Tenrou Island is. How was Grimoire Heart supposed to find out where it is?"
Macao supported Natsu with hope. He didn't care that they were cursing in front of Romeo. At this point, very little was making sense. "Yeah! How do we know this isn't just so we react in a way that gets us disbanded?"
Lahar answered Macao by responding to the Romeo's question. "Because the Tenrou Group was able to prevent Hades from resurrecting Zeref. It was a close battle, but they were able to prevail and remain victorious over Grimoire Heart. As farfetched as this sounds, it was revealed by Master Makarov that Hades was the second Fairy Tail Guild Master.
"I KNEW THAT FAIRY TAIL WON!" Romeo shouted as he punched the air in excitement.
"I guess we have to believe him if the Tenrou Group won. Right?" Wakaba questioned.
The next part Lahar stated shocked them all again into a state of awe. "I wasn't finished yet. This is where Zeref comes in… Zeref himself couldn't have been resurrected… Because he was already living on Tenrou Island at the time of the S-Class exams. Doranbolt overheard Zeref saying that he thought that Fairy Tail wouldn't be able to win against Grimoire Heart so he said one word… 'Acnologia.' I'm assuming you've all heard the name Acnologia before?" Lahar paused to survey the guild's reactions. However, the majority still had emotions of betrayal and anger written on their facial expressions from Mest's previous confession.
Natsu, on the other hand, was able to keep up with the two Magic Council representatives and slowly began to realize the situation at hand. "Acnologia? You mean that black dragon that stopped Gildarts from completing his Century Quest?"
Lahar took this as his cue to continue. "Precisely. Zeref knew how power hungry Acnologia was. The dragon would have stopped at nothing to claim Zeref's life for his own ego. If it meant that the Tenrou group could possibly die in the process just so Zeref's power could be sealed away, he was ready to take those chances. A day after Fairy Tail's victory over Grimoire Heart, Acnologia appeared on Tenrou Island to kill Zeref by destroying Tenrou Island all together for good measure. By that time, it was too late, Grimoire Heart was already defeated and had fled. There was no need for Zeref to have summoned the black dragon. Acnologia was ready to destroy Tenrou Island if it meant he gained reputation and power."
Natsu froze as he heard Lahar claim why Acnologia appeared on Tenrou Island. Before someone could call Lahar out, the Dragon Slayer stated in a low voice. "He's not lying. Remember when Gildarts returned from his Century Quest to help with the S-Class exam? He said that he was forced to return because a black dragon critically injured him which prevented him from completing it."
Romeo on the other hand was too short minded to come to the same conclusions as Natsu. "Natsu! this is your chance to find Igneel again! Maybe the black dragon knows where he is!" He bounced in joy of possibly meeting a dragon.
"Romeo… Gildarts told me that this black dragon was different. The dragon's eyes were cold and he had no intention on talking to him. The only thing the black dragon told Gildarts was his name… Acnologia." He began to shudder and lose his composure at the thought of such a monster.
"So then what's the problem if Grimoire Heart was already defeated?" Wakaba sighed in annoyance.
"Wuh- Wakaba… Why do you think Lahar and Doranbolt came to tell us about Acnologia if Gramps could have done it once he got home or over Lacrima?" Natsu rhetorically asked as tears slowly began to run down his face as he feared the worst.
"Natsu… Natsu seems to be catching on to the outcome of Acnologia appearing. I tried… I tried convincing them that they were outmatched. I told them that- that they had to retreat with us before Acnologia came. But they… They wanted to stay and fight for the rest of Fairy Tail and protect Tenrou Island." Doranbolt slightly gasped for air for he was unable to continue as his time as a Fairy Tail mage made him emotionally attached to the guild.
Instead, Lahar continued for his subordinate. The next words that came out of his mouth changed the magical world forever which caused Natsu to completely fall onto the guild's floor. "In order to ensure that Grimoire Heart couldn't resurrect Zeref, Zeref ordered Acnologia to destroy the entirety of Tenrou Island to confirm that there was absolutely no possibility of a successor who would take advantage of his powers. The Tenrou Group fought valiantly against Acnologia after Grimoire Heart was defeated to fend off from their new enemy, but inevitably fell to his strength in the end. I am sorry to inform you that Tenrou Island, as well as you closest friends and family, no longer exist."
Thank you for your time!
Author's Note: Something that Porlyusica told Natsu is going to directly tie into what Macao was discussing at the bar and that's going to shape the outcome of a pivotal decision (see if you can figure out what Porlyusica was talking about). So what was Macao talking about at the bar? Was it about Natsu? Is there going to be a repeat with what happened with Gray? Stick around to find out!