Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.

Chapter 24: Interlude (X784)

Lucy sighed despondently as she looked around the guild hall. A malaise had befallen Fairy Tail ever since the end of that disastrous Oración Seis mission, and the sorry saga still refused to end. First was Mira getting into fisticuffs with Gray; Mira! Lucy knew of her notorious reputation from a looong time ago, but it was so startling to see the sweet and gentle Mira angry at anyone.

Then, there was the scary news that Uzumaki Naruto had escaped prison. Objectively, she knew that Naruto was probably a good guy, if so many important members of Fairy Tail all thought so highly of him. But the memories of that awful mission refuse to stay out of her head, and to hear that he managed to escape the biggest, strongest jail in all of Fiore, meant to keep even S-class mages…sweating buckets was an understatement. Natsu had quickly volunteered to create a search party to go 'find and beat up that asshole', and Lucy shrieked in terror when he raised her hand with his. Thankfully, that idea was shot down quickly by the Master, who insisted that Naruto was no longer Fairy Tail's business, since he left the guild already.

It took a lot more than words to stop Natsu though…Lucy recalled with a sympathetic wince, watching the pink-haired dragon slayer scarf down his flaming food beside her. His face was perpetually twisted in a frown these days, and the blonde girl couldn't blame him. After all, they recently had to endure a long and very thorough interrogation by several officers of the Rune Knights, who seemed pretty adamant Fairy Tail was aiding and abetting Naruto's escape.

After a very intrusive search of the guild hall (and even her apartment!), they eventually called it quits when not a speck of the rogue mage's presence was found. And right after that, Mira and Cana disappeared into the night! Gray quickly insinuated that Naruto had kidnapped his girlfriend and sister to force them to live life on the run with him. That caused quite the consternation.

Macao and Wakaba still bore the bruises from trying to stop Elfman from going on a crazy, tearful rampage. Still, the older duo tried to maintain cheerful countenances to raise flagging morale, even if it looked really awkward to keep up appearances. To top it all off, the weather was going haywire, with a weird storm that only subsided yesterday. But it didn't rain at all, so the air was muggy, making the atmosphere really heavy, metaphorically and literally.

"Hey Natsu," Lucy moaned, slumping on the wooden table. "Wanna take a mission? I can't stand this tension anymore!"

The dragon slayer paused his gorging, staring at Lucy bemusedly before a cunning smile spread across his features. "Hey…your Star Spirits can do lots of things, right?"

"Celestial Spirits, Celestial!" Lucy exclaimed, pouting at Natsu mangling the name of her chosen magic. "Each Celestial Spirit has his or her own set of skills, but whatever it is you want to do, I'm sure they can help!"

"Yea, you see…" Natsu leaned closer to her ear. "I'm thinking of sneaking off to find that guy!"

"You can't!" Lucy screamed shrilly, before waving away the curious stares with an awkward laugh as she lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "A-Are you crazy? We'll die if we fight him!"

Natsu folded his arms, huffing. "Well, maybe Gray is right and he kidnapped Cana and Mira. If that's the case, we gotta rescue them! Are ya telling me you don't wanna save Mira and Cana?"

"N-No!" Lucy denied the accusation. "B-But I'm kinda…well, scared. He kicked our butts on that mission. Even Erza! I don't think just the two of us is enough. C'mon, Natsu, Master already told us not to go after him. This isn't like the Galuna Island mission. He might actually punish us really badly for this!"

"Heh, the old man says that, but Fairy Tail is a family!" Natsu declared fiercely. "We can't let that bastard take Cana and Mira away!"

"W-Well, that's true…" Lucy hesitated. "I still don't feel safe though. Maybe we should ask Gray along?"

"Yea!" Natsu cheered. "And Wendy too!"

Lucy peered around the guild hall. "Wait…where's Wendy? Did you see her today at all?"

"No…" Natsu shook his head, before sniffing the air. "I don't smell any recent scents of her around too…"

Lucy turned to the cat seated across of them. "Happy? Have you seen Carla or Wendy around?"

"No…" Happy sighed glumly.

Before the blonde could start to panic, the town bell chimed, a tune that seemed unfamiliar only to Lucy. Everyone else in the guild perked up at the sound of the bell, despite their previous lethargy in the sweltering weather and tense atmosphere.

A bright grin dominated Natsu's face as he filled her in. "Gildarts is back!"

Spontaneous celebrations erupted in the hall, with loud hooting and cheering at the news, something that was occurring in the streets outside too, if the noise was any indication. Lucy looked bewildered and a little alarmed as everyone rushed out of the guild. As she followed the enthused guild members out, she heard the loud siren yelling for everyone to be prepared for the 'Gildarts shift'.

"W-What on earth is that?" Lucy queried aloud.

Her answer came almost immediately, as the entire town trembled, buildings and homes shifting to create a long, straight path through Magnolia to the guild hall. Lucy shrieked as the town reorganised itself for a single man. "What's happening?!"

"Gildarts is a powerful mage, but he can be…careless with his magic," Erza replied, stepping in line with Lucy. She offered the blonde a quick smile. "He has a tendency to smash everything in his path, including private homes."

"…How can someone be so stupid?!" Lucy gaped.

The small figure in the distance began to grow larger in their sights, his pace languid and unhurried. He was an orange-haired, rather unkempt man dressed in a large black cloak with metallic shoulder guards and a travelling pack slung over his shoulder. Lucy didn't think he looked like much, especially up close as he walked right up to the gathered mages. The man known as Gildarts smiled politely at Erza. "Miss, may I know what happened to the guild called Fairy Tail? I'm pretty sure it was here…"

"It is here. I'm Erza," the redhead answered pleasantly.

"Erza?" Gildarts mumbled, cocking his head to the side in confusion before recognition flashed in his eyes. "Ah, you look so mature now! And the guild's been remodelled!"

So he doesn't even recognise guild members as famous as Erza?! Lucy wondered, completely disappointed by how unreliable Gildarts seemed. To think, he's supposed to be the strongest mage in Fairy Tail! Why am I always surrounded by weirdos!

"GILDARTS! Fight me!" Natsu hollered, as he charged towards the man, a megawatt grin plastered on his face.

The powerful mage twisted his head to the source of the battlecry, grinning at the sight of the pink-haired dragon slayer running at full pelt. "Oh! Natsu! Long time no see!"

With a nonchalant grab and toss, Natsu was flung across his shoulder, bouncing off the ground a couple of times before rolling to a stop. Awe filled the fire manipulator's features. "So strong…I'll definitely beat you next time!"

"I'm sure you will," Gildarts gave him an indulgent wave, as he scanned the gathered guild members. When he spotted Lucy, he gave the Celestial Spirit mage a mischievous wink. "A couple of new faces, huh?"

"Gildarts! You gotta help us!" Elfman wailed, kneeling in front of the Crash mage. "Mira-nee disappeared two days ago!"

"Mirajane? That spitfire?" Gildarts laughed, ruffling Elfman's hair. "I'm sure she'll be fine!"

"But-"

"Gildarts," a commanding voice cut through the din. Makarov strode to the front, a welcoming smile on his aged features. "Welcome home. We have a lot to talk about."

"Oh, Master! I see you're still alive and kicking," the man replied cheekily, stroking his five o'clock shadow. "I suppose we do need to discuss the quest, huh?"

"Let's talk in my office then," the guild master said, sympathetic eyes roving over a begging Elfman.

As the two men left for the privacy of Makarov's office, Lucy watched as the mood in the guild became sombre once more. Gray dragged the taller Take Over mage to his feet, patting the distraught man on his back. "Hey, don't worry. Maybe Master is going to tell Gildarts to help find Mira and Cana."

Lucy got the sinking feeling that if the master didn't, Gray would take things into his own hands with Natsu.

Please don't make me go too!

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Gildarts sat down in the plush seat with a loud groan, thanking Makarov as the older man handed him a filled whiskey glass. The guild master settled into his chair with his own drink, grimacing at the sight of bloody bandages under his stronger member's tattered cloak. Gildarts ran a finger along the cracks on the edge of Makarov's heavy desk, looking thoughtful as he sipped his drink.

"There a story behind this table?" the orange-haired man asked casually.

Makarov sighed tiredly. "It's to do with what I need to update you on. But tell me about your mission first."

"Ah, about that…I failed!" Gildarts replied cheerfully.

"Well, that's not unexpected. No one's ever come back alive from the 100-year quest anyway," Makarov smiled. "It's good that you're still alive."

"I did lose a few body parts, but the doc said I was probably going to die of liver cirrhosis first from all my drinking," Gildarts joked, before lowering his voice. "Speaking of which, I don't see Ráfaga around. He on some Council mission again?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Makarov shook his head in exasperation. "That boy will be the death of me."

The Ace raised his eyebrow. "What's he done now?"

"He was on a long term mission for me to deal with Phantom Lord, and blew his cover in front of everyone. You can imagine the kind of fallout when it comes to our hotheaded members," the short man recalled wryly. "Then he went to join Cait Shelter to fight Oración Seis, but ended up fighting the mages in the alliance he made himself, due to the lost magic Nirvana. The Magic Council took the opportunity to arrest and execute-"

"WHAT?!" Gildarts slammed his palm on the desk, disintegrating the piece of furniture. "Erm…oops?"

Makarov brushed wood chips off his lap, clucking his tongue in annoyance. "As I was about to say before you interrupted me, he managed to escape and is now on the run. But he was dating Mira, and she came to blows with those I sent on that Oración Seis mission. The table was cracked by her a few days ago."

"Oh man, what a mess," Gildarts ran a hand through his messy hair. "Do you have any contact with him?"

"No, blasted brat seems to have dropped off the face of the earth," Makarov grumbled. "And now Cana and Mira have gone to look for him. But that's only gotten everyone on edge thinking he kidnapped them, especially after the Council sent an entire platoon of interrogators here to see if we were hiding him. Since he also decided to stupidly take the blame for Lisanna's disappearance, I'm stumped for ideas to help that idiot."

"Geez, what a silly brat," Gildarts remarked. "So he's a fugitive of Fiore, and most of the guild hates him? At least he hooked up with little Mira, that's got to be quite amusing for you!"

"Mira underwent a 180 degree personality switch after Lisanna was assumed dead," Makarov answered. "She became this sweet little lamb, and obviously couldn't rein him in. Next thing you know, we're going to see wanted posters of the three of them."

"Well, I can't say he didn't have this coming, brazenly walking the line between light and dark," Gildarts tossed his drink back, a pinched expression passing over his features momentarily. "He probably saw it coming too."

"Be that as it may, he's a part of Fairy Tail," Makarov grunted, shooting his Ace a warning glance. "Even if he doesn't think that way."

"I'm nowhere near recovered enough to go on the manhunt you're about to suggest to me, so maybe you should delegate this," Gildarts shrugged noncommittally, placing the whiskey glass delicately on the armrest of his chair. "What about that fox of his? Did it follow him, or can you use it to find Ráfaga?"

"Kurama was in Mira's care when Naruto left," Makarov replied. At Gildarts' befuddled look, he hurriedly explained. "Naruto is Ráfaga's real name. But anyway, he's been running interference by making appearances all over Fiore to distract the Rune Knights, probably on Mira's orders. Maybe the fox is also trying to track him by looking through their usual haunts or something, but I highly doubt that's going to suffice. The brat's far too wily to let Kurama find him that easily."

"Man, this is a real disaster," Gildarts commented, scratching the back of his head. "But I doubt he'll be out of sight for long. Brat's too nosey to stay out of trouble. And I doubt he'll let Cana and Mira tag along with his crazy misadventures."

"I hope so," the diminutive elder took a swig of his drink. "Also, do me a favour and go see Porlyusica. You look like you're about to keel over dead."

Gildarts laughed, accidentally breaking the seat as he stood up to leave. "I'm not that easy to get rid of, you old fart. I just need some rest at home. Call me when you need me."

As the careless man made his way out of the guild hall, casually breaking everything in his way, Makarov could only hope that there wasn't a situation where he would need to call upon the strongest mage in Fairy Tail.

Three dragon slayers in the guild…I should go see Porlyusica soon.

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"Lucy, wait," Erza called out to the blonde girl, as guild members ambled back into the hall.

The well-endowed mage gave Gray and Elfman one last worried glance before she turned her attention to Erza, attempting to smile as brightly as she could. "Yes, Erza?"

The crimson-haired swordswoman reached for Lucy's hand, grasping the petite appendage with tender care. Blood flooded Lucy's cheeks unwittingly as she adopted a coy posture that Erza remembered faintly from a theatrical play, but the S-class mage ignored the strange behaviour as she pressed a set of ornate keys into the younger girl's palm. "These are for you."

The blush quickly faded as Lucy held the keys up for further examination, eyes widening comically as she realised what they were. "These are-!"

"Celestial Spirit keys, yes," Erza smiled at Lucy's awe. "I hope you like them."

"Like them? These are three of the twelve Gold Keys!" Lucy gawked at the Requip mage. "They are completely unique, and summon the Zodiac Spirits! Where did you get these?!"

"They are from an…associate. He doesn't use any Celestial Spirit magic, and asked me to find a suitable owner after he got his hands on them," Erza replied vaguely. "And I think he'll agree with me that you're the best choice."

"This is too great a gift, Erza! I can't accept it like this!" the blonde exclaimed, turning over the keys in her palm anxiously. "Can I at least meet your friend to thank him?"

Erza chuckled softly. "He's an intensely private person, and all he asks is that you take good care of the Spirits that the keys summon. From what he told me, the former summoner of these particular Spirits isn't exactly the…nicest person around. You may want to take care when summoning them for the first time as well."

"I will!" the girl nodded quickly, before bowing at the waist. "Thank you, Erza! And thank your friend for me too!"

As Lucy pranced back into the guild hall, admiring her new keys with child-like enthusiasm, Erza cast her gaze down the streets that were rearranging themselves back to normal. Trudging down the road were two small figures, both of whom the redhead recognised immediately as Wendy and Carla. Finding their behaviours strange, she waited patiently for them to arrive at the guild's doorstep. The two of them barely registered her presence, which only served to introduce a sliver of worry.

"Good afternoon, Wendy, Carla," the armoured mage greeted jovially, startling the young girl out of her fugue state.

"Erm, yes! Good afternoon, Erza-san!" Wendy replied with her own salutations, making a sketchy bow. "M-May I ask what happened just now? There was some alarm about the 'Gildarts shift', and then the entire town started to change its layout…"

"That is due to our guild's Ace returning from a long mission," Erza answered the dragon slayer, walking with them into the guild hall. "He's a bit careless and doesn't watch his surroundings, so he often accidentally smashes through buildings with his magic."

"How amazingly stupid," Carla scorned. "But that's no surprise. Everyone in this guild acts the same."

"Carla!" Wendy scolded halfheartedly. "Sorry, Erza-san!"

Erza patted the petite girl on her head comfortingly, surreptitiously guiding the newest guild members to a more secluded area, away from potentially prying ears. "There's nothing to apologise for. But Wendy, why are you so late to the guild today? Is something the matter?"

"Erm…well…" Wendy shuffled her feet, tapping her index fingers together in front of her chest nervously. "W-We…we met Jellal again…"

"Jellal?" Erza stiffened.

Wendy nodded morosely, looking extremely downtrodden as she recounted her experience. "He appeared out of nowhere, and told us that he was going back to, erm…Edolas? And that he can't come back after this and I'll never see him again…"

Erza heaved a minute sigh of relief, watching as Gildarts' destructive path through the guild occupied Carla's inquisitive stare for the moment. "I'm sure he has his reasons. That's Gildarts, by the way."

"Humph. Looks as stupid as he sounds," Carla scoffed.

Wendy couldn't seem to muster the energy to chide the Exceed again. "Erza-san…do you think…do you think that Jellal feels that I'm too weak to help him? He…he said he was going to stop Anima. The last time he left me, he said the same things too…"

Erza quickly knelt before the girl, pulling her into a light hug. Wendy leaned into the older female, the cold metal of Erza's Heart Kreuz Amour strangely comforting to the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Hey, don't say that about yourself. You're very strong. He's just worried that you might get hurt if you follow him."

"I…missed Jellal a lot," Wendy admitted sadly. "And now he's gone forever…"

"The Jellal you know, found a home here in Fairy Tail. Did you know that?" Erza consoled.

"Mmhmm. He said he was glad I found a real guild, one he is proud to be a part of…" Wendy nodded profusely.

Carla folded her tiny arms, unable to resist inserting a snark comment. "Not sure what's there to be proud of here, but a bunch of idiots running around smashing things with wild abandon."

"That may be the case, but it's a harmonious guild, despite the recent…upheavals," Erza retorted gently, a warm smile on her lips as Wendy pulled out of the embrace. "Everyone cares for each other. We just don't always get along. Isn't that how all families are like?"

"…I like it here," Wendy declared, peering down at Carla anxiously.

"That's good," a kindly voice interjected the conversation. Makarov strolled over to them, a grandfatherly smile on his lips. "Are you feeling settled?"

"Uhm! Fairy Hills is very nice. And everyone is very nice to us too," Wendy smiled sweetly. "Right, Carla?"

The white-furred Exceed shot a distant glance at Happy, still moping about and unaware of her presence at the guild hall. "…yea, some of them are too nice for my taste."

"Good, good. I hope you're up for a mission then. I have a request here that I think you're most suited to handle," the guild master stated, holding out a request form. "Erza, perhaps you'll like to follow along?"

The armoured mage stood up. "Of course. I'll be honoured to."

"It's a mission at Worth Woodsea, a place you should be familiar with," Makarov spoke gently, his gaze focused entirely on Wendy's squared shoulders. "I hope I won't be stirring up too many bad memories…"

"N-No! I can do it!" Wendy accepted the mission with a little hesitation. "C'mon, Carla! Let's go pack!"

As Erza made to follow the small dragon slayer, Makarov cleared his throat and levelled a meaningful stare at her. The swordswoman got the hint, and offered a confused Wendy some reassurance. "I have something I need to talk to Master about. I'll meet up with the two of you at Fairy Hills, then we'll go together, okay?"

"Uhm, okay!" Wendy accepted her word at face value, before dragging a suspicious Carla away.

Once the two were out of earshot, Makarov crooked a finger as he walked even further away from the other Fairy Tail members. Erza followed dutifully, keeping a watchful eye out for any potential eavesdroppers. The Titan mage stopped once they were far enough that no one could really catch their conversation, adopting a serious countenance. The Requip Magic user straightened her back subconsciously, knowing full well that Makarov never looked that stern unless the matter was of utmost importance.

"Erza, this mission asked for both you and Wendy specifically," Makarov said gravely. "And given the location, I'm more than a little leery."

"You think it's a trap," Erza surmised swiftly and logically.

"But a trap sprung at our discretion can be useful," Makarov agreed, looking pleased at Erza's quick deduction. "Be careful out there. I'll send Natsu's group on a mission nearby just in case. They've been trying to find an excuse to get out and find Naruto anyway. At least this way they'll be productive."

"I'll keep Wendy safe," the swordswoman promised.

"Keep both of you safe," Makarov replied firmly, as he trod off towards the entrance of the guild. "Your lives are far more important to me than any information."

"What about Cana and Mira?" Erza hinted blatantly.

Makarov halted in his tracks, sighing ruefully as he stared at the wooden support beams above his head. "If they managed to do what they set out to do, then they are about as safe as they can be. If not, then I have faith that they can take good care of themselves. After all, they aren't the ones walking into a potential trap."

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The dense primary forests of Worth Woodsea were not very different visually from any other primary forest in Fiore. The trees towered over the humans, and the thick canopy was pierced only by the strongest of sunbeams. Yet, there was a strange, almost noxious atmosphere that pervaded Worth Woodsea, no doubt the lingering effects of Nirvana's long-term presence.

Her metal-clad feet sunk into the soft forest loam as she followed Wendy and Carla into the valley, following the directions that were provided in the mission request. The ever-increasing distance from civilisation only heightened Erza's paranoia, Makarov's words leaping to the forefront of her mind. Her fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the hilt of her sword, while her other fist clenched subconsciously.

Then, even Wendy and Carla could guide the temporary team no more. They have never wandered beyond a certain radius from the former Cait Shelter, and the directions led them deeper into the forest. A crow's eldritch warble raised Erza's hackles, the crimson-haired woman nearly drawing her blade. Thanking Wendy and Carla, Erza took point, slowing the pace down as she tried to expand her senses. The relative silence of the gloom ahead enhanced every sound made, and Erza was sorely tempted to chop down the entire forest instead.

The self-inflicted mental torture only lasted for a while though, as they suddenly stepped into an empty clearing bereft of the massive trees that made up the forest. Bright sunlight poured through the absent canopy, washing away the darkness that permeated the place. Conspiracy theories were conjured and discarded as Erza's brain worked furiously, the dissonance of their artificial meeting location to the surrounding landscape ringing klaxons in her head. Carla's mental agility evoked the same response, the talking cat baring her fangs as her eyes darted about.

Wendy didn't draw any pessimistic conclusions, such was her trusting nature, but even the strangeness of the situation had the dragon slayer looking quite puzzled. With no discernible human presence, Erza stationed the team in the middle of the clearing, with some space between them and the foreboding forest. She wasn't sure it would do much good if any enemy launched a concerted attack from all sides, but at least she could see what was coming and attempt to retaliate.

As the shrubs rustled from movement, Erza slid into a protective stance before Wendy, her sword unsheathed and her magic pooling in her core, ready to equip her with a suitable suit of armour. However, no attack was forthcoming, and the trio endured a nervous wait as the sounds grew louder.

Then, a melodious voice tittered. "It appears our…friends have arrived punctually."

"Who are you?" Erza demanded, her gauntlets creaking with the force of her grip. The familiarity of the voice nagged at her, but with the blood pumping in her ears, she couldn't recall anything substantial.

"A change in management has necessitated a change in our titles," a pink-haired, kimono-clad woman stepped into the clearing daintily, followed by two men. One of them was shirtless with an owl's head, while the other was dressed like a metal singer, replete with a guitar. The former had a large coffin carried on his shoulder with apparent ease. "But as we have not settled upon a satisfactory name, you may call us Trinity Raven for now."

Erza's eyes widened. "How?! I defeated you in Tower of Heaven!"

"Alas, you did, leaving the most ruinous of scars I bear," Ikaruga tutted, pulling apart her kimono to show a glimpse of the shiny tissue. Wendy blushed beet red at the sight, but Erza was unmoved. "To my utmost delight, our employer heroically entered that crumbling bastion of madness to rescue our unworthy selves. I only wished he allowed me to reward him…amply."

At that, she thrusted her chest out, crossing her arms beneath her prodigious bust to further emphasise the heft. The non-threatening actions didn't allay Erza's worries one bit, however. "Why did you hire us? Are you here for revenge? Why did you ask for Wendy as well?"

"Ah, reputations. Once tarnished, forever blemished," Ikaruga moaned to no one in particular. "Perhaps if we were under different management. But we do not seek vengeance. Our tenure as assassins was ended prematurely, and our employer cajoled us to formally join his side, to exact justice and pursue peace for these lands."

"I don't believe you," Erza snarled.

"That is your prerogative, and it is of no consequence to me. It is only at my employer's behest that we are performing such a duty. Alas, if only he would…punish me with severity at signs of dereliction, I would delightfully contravene the accord we share," the pink-haired assassin groused, a sensual tilt in her voice furthering the confusion shared by the Fairy Tail mages.

"S-So what d-do you want from u-us?" Wendy squeaked with as much bravery as she could muster.

Ikaruga looked over to the tall, muscular man on her left. The man hooted softly, putting down the casket on his shoulder with a loud grunt. Erza slid back defensively, keeping Wendy and Carla behind her as she stared suspiciously at the wooden coffin. Ikaruga giggled falsely, covering her mouth with her voluminous sleeve. "Such distrust. Will the name of my employer soothe your anxious heart?"

"Who is he?" Carla quickly asked, knowing an opportunity for information was not to be wasted.

"Ah, he goes by many titles, but the one you should be most familiar with is Uzumaki Naruto," Ikaruga replied nonchalantly.

"Naruto?" Erza echoed, aghast.

Carla slammed her fist into her palm, glaring at both Wendy and Erza. "I KNEW IT! He's working with dark mages! I told you he's evil, but you didn't believe me!"

"Have my grievances about this troublesome geas he has laid upon us, not been registered in your tiny feline mind?" the pink-haired woman chided. "Please do not conflate our prior work with that of Naruto-sama's. The noble intent of his activities are far beyond your comprehension. I do not appreciate your casual blasphemy."

"How long have you been working for him?" the crimson-haired swordswoman asked quietly.

The man to Ikaruga's right shrugged. "A couple of years? I can't really remember. We were supposed to send him to hell, but he took us apart like we were children!"

"We have been feeding him information about other dark mages to bring those evildoers to justice!" the muscular man chipped in.

"Of course, to maintain a veneer within the ranks of dark mages, we had to perform our usual duties. He was very understanding, as is his wont," Ikaruga praised. "But I gather that is heinous to your sort."

"He hasn't proven us otherwise," Carla hissed waspishly.

Erza studied Trinity Raven carefully, and as her eyes landed on Ikaruga, the infuriating woman smirked knowingly. That told the Requip mage all she needed to know, as she sheathed her blade. "You haven't answered our question though. What do you want from us?"

"The boss told us to tie up some loose ends," Vidaldus shrugged. "Trying to find Jellal's body in this forest was hell!"

All Fairy Tail eyes snapped to the casket on the ground. Ikaruga continued the explanation. "Naruto-sama is a careful individual, and the knowledge that Jellal's body is unaccounted for, didn't sit well with him."

"And why do you need us?" Carla snapped, before everything clicked. "He wants Wendy to revive him? Is he crazy?!"

The kimono-clad woman glared daggers at Carla. "I advise you not to insult Naruto-sama before me again. I will not be so magnanimous as to spare your life for that transgression a second time. As for why Naruto-sama wishes to revive Jellal, it is to obtain information of course. And before you offer another derogatory remark, Naruto-sama has adequately prepared us with suppression tags to prevent him from being a threat."

Erza bit her lip. "And me? Why did you ask for me as well?"

Ikaruga smiled softly, almost empathetically. "Such is the compassion within Naruto-sama, that he wishes to allow you a conversation with Jellal should he be amenable to one. He has also conferred upon you the power to decide Jellal's fate, though preferably after we have extracted the intelligence he seeks."

The Fairy Tail mage hesitated, drawing the ire of Carla. "Are you seriously listening to this tripe? Wendy, don't do what they say! They just want to commit even more crime with what Jellal knows, or maybe even hire him!"

Wendy looked from Carla to Erza, confusion written all over her features. "Erza-san?"

"I…do you have any proof?" the emerald-eyed swordswoman responded finally. "That you work for Naruto?"

"Only this," the pink-haired assassin answered, retrieving a tri-pronged kunai from somewhere. "And the knowledge that he handed you some Celestial Spirit keys after his apology. I know not of what transpired between Naruto-sama and you, but he assured me that it was private and you would accept it as evidence."

Erza swallowed, memories rising unbidden. Shaking inconvenient musings aside, she turned to Wendy. "I won't force you to do this…but I believe them. And I think Naruto has his reasons for reviving Jellal. The decision is yours."

Wendy peered into Erza's troubled eyes before nodding shakily, a sympathetic smile on her lips. "I-I'll do it."

"WENDY!" Carla shouted, as flocks of crows cawed, taking flight at the sudden noise. "You can't just revive Jellal! That's irresponsible and dangerous!"

The Sky Dragon Slayer looked at her long-time companion with an apologetic glance, before walking over to the coffin with unsteady steps. Carla watched with increasing horror as Fukurō opened the coffin, and Ikaruga planted an innocuous paper tag on the chest of the body within before stepping back, allowing Wendy to do her work. The tiny Exceed tried to intervene, only to be blocked by Erza.

"Have you gone mad as well?!" the white-furred cat shrieked. "You're endangering everyone here!"

"Would you rather we be present as Jellal is revived, or allow someone else to heal him and really use him for evil purposes?" Erza argued with as much reason as she could muster. "And while I don't trust Trinity Raven, I trust Naruto. There must be an important reason for him to do this."

"You're insane. You're all insane," Carla muttered, sounding a tad hysterical.

"Insanity is but a matter of perspective," Ikaruga remarked teasingly, tearing her gaze away from the healing for a moment. "And there exists no illogic in Naruto-sama's instructions in any case. Information is his lifeblood, and surely even an anthropomorphic cat can understand the cruciality of accurate intelligence?"

"Did Naruto speak of what he wished to find out?" Erza queried quietly.

The leader of Trinity Raven preened. "It is to my delight that he indulged his little dove with the answers to that very question. Naruto-sama did not issue a non-disclosure order, so I suppose he would not mind if you knew."

Erza pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering how Naruto ever dealt with the garrulous woman and her crazy posse. "Get to the point."

"He wished to know the extent of the Magic Council's knowledge of Nirvana, for Jellal was earmarked as the key to activating Nirvana by Oración Seis," the pink-haired assassin replied haughtily. "He also wished to garner the relevant details of Face that he was unable to obtain from his espionage."

"Face?"

"It is a powerful magic that Naruto-sama did not elucidate on, but he impressed upon us the danger of it from what little he knew," Ikaruga admitted. "The Magic Council is corrupt and inept, and Naruto-sama has no faith that they will use it responsibly or protect it adequately."

Before Erza could continue her line of questioning, a masculine groan was heard. All attention turned to the casket, as Jellal rose to a sitting position, Wendy leaning back to give the blue-haired man space. He looked confused, his movements lethargic and uncoordinated as he tried to stand. Vidaldus and Fukurō moved to help the man to his feet.

"…Erza…" Jellal murmured, bringing a hand to his face shakily. "…Erza…"

"Jellal," Erza called out.

The man snapped his head to meet her gaze. "Is…is that my name? Do you know who I am?"

"Yes. Your name is Jellal Fernandes," Erza stated. "You…don't remember who you are? What you've done? All your crimes?"

"Crimes? Am I…a criminal?" the man furrowed his brow. "I…can't recall anything, except…red. And a name…Erza…"

"T-That's me," the crimson-haired woman whispered, fear and hope coursing through her veins. To see Jellal once more, one that was not trying to complete the R-System, one that wasn't trying to kill her…it was almost a dream come true. That his dominating memory is her name made her heart skip a traitorous beat. But the fates had dealt them insurmountable obstacles from the very beginning, a sobering thought that helped steel her heart.

"You were my comrade once. But you went mad, and turned on us. You…you even killed Simon, our friend," Erza expounded. "Do you remember none of that?"

"N-No…" the former Wizard Saint choked out. "I…I did that? How can I…"

A tense silence befell the clearing, everyone else wisely staying out of the conversation between the two. Erza waited patiently as Jellal tried to gather his wits, resisting her urge to support the broken man. She wanted to consign him to her past, now that he no longer defined her, even if she accepted the name he had bequeathed. She no longer stood in his shadow; frightened, intimidated, yearning.

"I don't think I can atone for what…I've done," Jellal uttered despondently, clutching the cloth above his heart. "I must have hurt you deeply…but if you hate me…then do what you must. Draw your sword…and let me take your hatred away."

"No," Erza declared, to his surprise. "Dying is the easy way out. Your sins, the pain you've caused…cannot be erased so easily. So live, to correct your mistakes. To make up for your crimes. To apologise to those you've hurt. To…to be a better man."

"How?" Jellal muttered desperately. "How?"

"Follow them. Work to regain your memories, and give them the information they need. Work for the man named Uzumaki Naruto," Erza murmured softly. "And protect this land. Earn the forgiveness of those you've hurt. Live."

"And you? How do I take away your hatred? How do I let you live, unhindered by me?"

"I've never hated you," Erza whispered, meeting his mournful gaze. "Maybe one day, I will forgive you. But not today."

Jellal offered her a weak smile. "That is…more than I could have hoped for."

"Goodbye, Jellal," Erza said stiffly. Turning her back on her first friend, she offered a poised smile to a muted Carla and Wendy. "It seems our mission is complete. Shall we go?"

The crimson-haired mage ushered her younger comrades out of the clearing, never once looking back. Jellal smiled fondly, recalling the warmth and kindness her name had evoked. He had felt it again, and wondered if he would one day be worthy enough to feel it once more.

Goodbye, Erza.

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"Ah! Your tea is as wonderful as I remember it to be," Makarov remarked, nestling his cup into its saucer as he turned half-lidded eyes on his old friend. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Not long enough in my opinion," Porlyusia grumbled with little heat, sipping from her own cup daintily. "Last I saw you, you were a bedridden old fart about to meet your maker thanks to some stupid scheme. This better not be another one of those idiotic ideas you get in your head sometimes."

Makarov didn't reply, content to let a comfortable silence drape itself over them. Porlyusica stewed in the quiet for a while, but being the somewhat impatient woman she was, she couldn't help but speak once more. "So what do you want, Makarov? You don't usually drop by for casual visits, so what bothered you enough to come see me?"

"It's about the prophecy," the Fairy Tail guild master sighed, placing his tea aside. "It's about time, isn't it?"

The pink-haired woman downed her hot tea in a single mouthful, scrutinising her friend. "Something happened then?"

"Given I'm still sitting across of you having this conversation, no, nothing like what you said has happened yet," Makarov scratched his cheek. "I wouldn't be surprised if the storm that passed yesterday was the one you told me about all those years ago, though."

"Little Shagotte was never wrong about her visions, as fantastical a concept as that might seem. Either it's not time yet, or something has interfered," the Edolas native inferred. "Or have you finally gone senile? Can you still count? There are three dragon slayers in your guild, yes?"

"Since when did you start using Naruto's favourite adjective for me?" the balding man smirked.

"Since that brat is making a fairly accurate assessment," Porlyusica snapped back, a guttural growl rumbling in her throat as Makarov only smiled cheekily at her response. "Well, maybe it's the brat that messed up the predictions then. He has an uncanny knack for getting himself into trouble."

"It's possible, especially since his protégé is from Edolas too," Makarov explained.

Porlyusica gaped. "Mystogan is from Edolas?!"

Makarov leaned back, wincing at her volume. "You didn't know? Mystogan came to Earthland to do some self-imposed mission. It's probably why Naruto picked up the kid. Peas in a pod, those two. You think there's a connection?"

"Why don't you ask them then?" the healer asked waspishly.

"I would if I could contact either one of them. Naruto's been getting into some big trouble lately, so I'm not surprised I can't reach him," Makarov answered defensively. "And Mystogan is even worse than his teacher."

"It's been decades since I came to Earthland, so there's nothing I can help you with anyway," the woman groused, folding her arms. "I've already performed my task for Galigdrys-sama the very day I arrived here. You're the one that laughed in my face and asked me to join Fairy Tail rather than prepare for disaster."

"So you don't know why nothing has happened yet?"

Porlyusica hesitated. "Well…I always thought…"

"Yes?" Makarov leaned forwards.

The pink-haired woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I always thought the brat was sent by Galigdrys-sama, you know? That he interfered with the brat's time travel and dragged him to our worlds in order to save it. And now the prediction that little Shagotte gave me hasn't happened. I figured the kid stuck his finger into this pie, as fated."

"You know I don't believe in fate, right?" Makarov commented.

"You told me that after you laughed at me, yes," Porlyusica grouched.

"Well, I can't contact Naruto, so we'll just have to wait and see if Magnolia Town gets sucked up by some giant storm in the near future," Makarov remarked theatrically, getting ready to leave. "I'll see you soon."

"Make that a million years."

Author's Notes: Apologies for the lack of action, Edolas or otherwise. I needed to do these scenes, but they would disrupt the flow of the Edolas arc, so I threw them together into a hodgepodge chapter.

Galigdrys is an OC. Internet cookies for those who figure out who he is, and/or why he even exists.

Some reviewers have derogatorily associated Naruto with Sasuke or Snape, and ironically I'm happy about that. I may dislike Sasuke for various reasons (that I blame Kishimoto-sensei for), but there's a huge amount of depth to him. Snape is probably one of the best (and most popular) characters in Harry Potter because of his depth, and is an anti-hero…wait. Does that mean I've successfully written an anti-hero Naruto with character depth? :P

I don't really understand why Sasuke is considered 'emo' anyway. He got mind-raped by Itachi, and that's after years of questionable parenting that caused him to grow an inferiority complex. If a person gets PTSD or depression, do you call them emo? Or recognise that they have a genuine illness?

It's why I try to avoid bashing. Heck, why not develop the character yourself? That'll make excellent proof of your writing ability, especially if you can make an unlikeable character loved by your readers. Bashing just smacks of childish teenage bullying, which to be fair I was culpable of too. Thank goodness I never posted those stories.