Mest led Erza down to the guild's underground. It was a well-hidden area that not many people had access to. Erza folded her arms across her armored chest, glancing around. "I didn't think there'd be something like this under the guild…"
"Well, the entrance isn't easy to find." Mest clarified.
"So…Mest…why is it only me that can come down here?" Erza asked, recalling how upset Natsu was that he was barred from entering. "Natsu was pretty pissed off…"
"That's because you're the seventh guild master." Mest explained. "We're about to entered restricted grounds now. Under normal circumstances, even I wouldn't be allowed here. But as Guild Master, it's only right that you know about Fairy Tail's biggest secret." Mest opened the large double doors before them, revealing to Erza the largest secret: Lumen Histoire. The body of Mavis Vermillion inside of a crystal.
Erza gasped as she tried to register the shock of what she was seeing. "The First…!?"
"WHOA!" Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Cynthia, Happy, Carla, and Zelos all tumbled over from the corner.
"STOP PUSHING!" Gray yelled.
"HEY, HANDS OFF!" Lucy shrieked.
Well…their cover was blown now. Erza turned her head, a surprised that the others clearly violated the 'don't follow me' she issued for them. "You guys…"
"Man…" Mest sighed. "And even after I told you guys that this place is for Guild Master's only…" But he should've known better at this point.
"That's not fair! You should let us in on it too!" Natsu argued.
"Wait…" Gray's jaw dropped. "What the hell? Is that the First?"
"She's naked!" Natsu's attention shifted to Mavis' body.
And Lucy was quick to clasp her hands over his eyes to prevent him from seeing anymore. "Okay, enough with the staring…"
Unfortunately there was another pair of prying eyes: Zelos. Since everyone tried their hardest to ignore his presence…they didn't actually realize that he snuck into forbidden grounds until just at this very moment. "So, who's this cutie?" And yes, there were hearts in his eyes.
"What the…!?" Mest gasped. "Why is he here?!"
Everyone turned to Zelos. Carla transformed and clasped her hands over the red head's eyes roughly to prevent him from seeing anything. "W-We don't know…I think we blocked him out from our field of perception because of how annoying he is…"
"Aw…Carla-chan, if you wanted to hold my hand you could have just said so~" Zelos hummed. The moment he spoke, Carla immediately regretted her decision to even touch him and backed away.
"…" Carla's mind wandered and she shuddered. "…I regret touching him."
"We're not going to get rid of him. He sticks to us like glue for some reason…" Cynthia sighed. There really was no point in trying to remove Zelos from the area. He already saw…whatever this was. "What is this anyway…?"
"I can't explain that with him here." Mest stared at Zelos. "You need to leave."
"Aw…" Zelos pouted. "Just think of me as an extension of Mii-chan. She was a part of the guild, and we are the same after all. So it should be fine. Besides, your memory stuff won't work on me; I never forget a pretty face or a cute body."
"That's gross." Lucy gagged.
"But if I had to guess, is this the invisible person you guys kept talking to? I've made it a point to acquaint myself to all the lovely ladies here, but not once have I seen this woman. But you keep talking to someone as if they're around…so I can only surmise that it's someone I can't see." Zelos nodded a few times. They were a little stunned he was able to figure all this out at a first glance.
"…I didn't realize you were this sharp. But because you're sharp, you must know what I have to do next." Erza cut her eyes at Zelos. It was clear he had no intentions on leaving, and Mest did mention that time was of the essence, so… "As the Seventh Guild master…I'll take care of him." She walked up and slammed her fist into Zelos' gut.
"Hrk…!" Zelos crumbled to the ground. Was he unconscious? Probably.
"NO FAIR!" Gray yelled. "I wanted to do that…"
"I feel a little bad…" Wendy muttered while sheepishly poking her fingers together.
So…Zelos aside, there were many questions that needed answering. "This is her in the flesh?" Happy asked. "Is she still alive?"
"Why's she crystallized under the guild?" Carla tilted her head.
Erza turned back to Mest. "Explain."
Mest was silent for a moment. "I don't even know myself if I'm to be honest. But, one thing's for sure; she's here for a really important reason."
"That aside, where's Gramps!?" Natsu yelled, completely shafting the issue of Mavis aside.
"That aside, he says…" Lucy sighed.
Suddenly, images began to flash in everyone's mind. "What's this…? Inside my head…?" Wendy placed a hand against her forehead.
"Images?" Erza questioned.
"My memories." Mest explained.
[Flashback]
"12 years back…oh, but maybe 5 years back for you Tenoru people…I was given a mission by Makarov."
12 years ago in the Fairy Tail guild. A young Mest Gryder stood in shock at the mission given to him by the guild master. "Work undercover at the Council?"
"It's something only you could do." Makarov said, sitting crossed legged on the table with his eyes closed.
"So, what am I to steal then?" Mest said cockily.
"It's not that kind of mission." Makarov explained. "I want you to be our inside man, feeding us information regarding the western continent.
"So…it's stealing?" Mest stared.
"I don't need you to do anything like that, so don't. Just…make sure you pick up as much as you can about the western continent and keep me updated." Said Makarov.
"Why…?" Mest was confused. This was the first time he really heard Makarov mention something about the western continent.
"Just do it, please. It's for the protection of our guild."
It was hard to argue with an answer like that. Mest let out a soft sigh before finally agreeing. "Fine. But if I'm gonna do this; I might as well be thorough about it. So I'll erase my own memories too…"
"Don't…" Makarov already knew that was more trouble than it was worth…
One month later.
Mest met up with Makarov as the member of the Council. Unfortunately his investigation didn't show too many merits just yet. "Hmm…it might've been because we stopped interacting with them so much, but I'm not getting much information."
"Hmm…I see…" Makarov nodded. He wasn't entirely surprised, it had only been a month after all.
"Oh yeah…and the guild is becoming a pretty sensitive topic in the Council. Can't Natsu hold back a little?" Mest groaned.
"So, you're serious about erasing your own memories, huh…?" Makarov asked.
"It's no problem. There's a way to get it back, and you have the keys." Mest shrugged at the notion. It was for his mission after all.
"That's handy of you…" Makarov was about to name drop, but Mest cut him off.
"Whoops! Call me Doranbolt. That's my name now." Mest cleared that up before it became an issue.
A few months later…
Makarov met with Mest again, however since his memories were erased, he didn't know what his meeting was about. "What does Fairy Tail's master want with me? I remember seeing you a month before or something, but…."
"I was right. This is such a pain…" Makarov groaned. Having to restore Mest's memories every meeting was a tedious affair.
And months later….
Mest and Lahar were sitting together in the cafeteria. After hearing that Fairy Tail's master was here for him once again, the wheels started turning in his memory lacking head. "Fairy Tail's master is here for me again?"
"This is becoming frequent…" Lahar grumbled.
"…I've got a great idea…" An evil smile crossed Mest's lips. "I'll infiltrate that nasty guild with my powers!"
"Oooooh..!" Lahar liked the sound of this! Maybe he'd find something that could help them against Fairy Tail.
"Let's see…I'll start by overwriting Makarov's memories and making him believe that I'm one of them under the name Mest!" The irony of it all. Perhaps the constant deletion and restoration of his memories began to interfere and mix with one another. This was the start of the problems he caused later on. Mest opened his mouth, beginning to chew on Lahar's head in a comical manner. "Oh, I'm so curious! I need to know Fairy Tail's dirt!"
"…So that's why you were at Tenoru with us…" Erza was glad to finally know that.
"Hey." Natsu and Gray held deadpanned expressions at this new information.
"…Really sorry about that. That's my bad." Mest frowned.
Back to the flashback. 7 years after the Tenorujima incident was the Grand Magic Games; the first of which the Tenoru team competed in. Mest managed to meet with Makarov in the hallway while one of the fights went on in the stadium. "It's been too long…" Makarov spoke with a soft smile.
Mest had tears streaming down his cheeks. For so long he believed that everyone on the island was killed when Acnologia attacked. "I'm glad you're alive…you and everyone at the guild, too…"
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that for so long. Let's end your mission then, come back to Fairy Tail." Makarov said.
"No…." Mest shook his head. "It was something I decided on my own anyway. I can't stop here. I'm nearly there…it's probably the information you've been looking for…" Makarov's eyes widened. All this time…and the information he needed was within reach…
"And four years later, right after the battle with Emmeraude ended…"
It was the night before Makarov made his announcement to disband Fairy Tail. Mest was the first person he wanted to tell. The two of them stood at the guild's remains after it was destroyed by the former Queen. "I'm ending Fairy Tail." The Sixth told him. The two of them were still wounded from their encounter with Emmeraude as well.
"Huh!?" Mest's eyes widened.
"The information I've gotten from you all along was for a personal investigation. This is the only way I could save the guild." Makarov explained.
"You're disbanding the guild over the results of the investigation!? And why now? I don't get it!" Mest yelled. It didn't make sense. Why now, after the biggest threat to the country and perhaps the continent was finally in captivity?!
"It doesn't matter." Makarov turned to look over his shoulder. "The Kingdom of Alvarez in the western continent…is one that is very, very dangerous."
"So what about it!? That country attempted to invade Ishgar 13 years ago but failed!" Mest's voice was still high. He didn't understand Makarov's intentions.
"Do you know why the failed?" Makarov began. "Lumen Histoire. The reason why Alvarez invaded 10 years ago was solely to obtain it for themselves. They didn't fail, either…but were merely stopped with the help of the Council."
It clicked. Mest's eyes widened as the revelation hit. "Etherion…"
"And from what we know, Face was supposed to be the Council's backup plan if they needed one." The Sixth continued. "Although…making something like that was extremely difficult for the other countries to accept. They wouldn't go at Alvarez if they had the choice. I assume you've heard the news recently? The Council is without leaderships…many Wizard Saints have abdicated their roles, Face has been destroyed, and the Etherion can't work without the vote of the Saints. Do you know what this means?"
"Ishgar has lost its only defense against Alvarez…?" Mest said.
"Yes. The invasion will begin once more." Makarov's tone was low and serious. The gravity of the situation was one only he alone understood.
"I still don't understand!" Mest continued to object to the notion of Fairy Tail disbanding. "What does that have to do with disbanding the guild!? If anything…Alvarez should have attacked when Emmeraude was ruling, then. If they wanted to strike when we were most vulnerable, that is. But if they're coming for us, we have to fight back! That's what Fairy Tail is for! That's what it does! You saw how everyone acted against Emmeraude, why can't we fight like this again!?"
"No." Makarov cut him off. "Despite her goals…I'm certain that Alvarez wouldn't have been so foolish to strike with her on the throne. She aimed for the world and had the means to do so. She didn't require the power of Face…she didn't need to use the Etherion Cannon…she had power of her own. That Lambda creature and her intentions with it…that would have been trouble for Alvarez. In a way, she prevented the invasion from happening despite the internal turmoil we experienced. As to why we can't fight back…it is admittedly for the same reason I initially didn't want to fight Emmeraude. Power."
Mest was still confused. "Power? I don't…"
"The whole reason I'm disbanding. There are about 500 guilds in Ishgar, Fairy Tail included. And for the kingdom on the western continent…there are roughly 730 of them, all of them coming together to form a gigantic kingdom. The military-run kingdom of Alvarez." Makarov said this calmly…
But Mest? Mest couldn't believe those numbers. "…That's…"
"730 of them against one is like taking candy from a baby. Furthermore…there are mages on that continent that almost rival Emmeraude in power." The more he talked about it, the more he began to sweat. Makarov knew the situation could potentially be dire and it was important to him to keep everyone else out of it. No matter which way he looked at it…they were outmanned, outgunned, and outmatched.
Mest began to shake. This couldn't be real! Mages like Emmeraude existed in that kingdom!? "No way…" The mage recalled Team Natsu's final battle against the Queen….and how at the very end, they weren't able to defeat her. If there were more like that potentially coming after them, then… "So what do we do!?"
"I will go to Alvarez." Makarov turned his back to Mest. "I'll let them know that we've got Lumen Histoire if they are ever to attack. And I will stall for as long as I can. This will be a gamble…but if the guild can get back on its feet in time…"
"WAIT A MINUTE!" Mest raised his voice, but Makarov ignored him to keep speaking.
"If I fall, the kids at the guild will be next. AND I CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN! SO FORGET ABOUT THE GUILD'S HISTORY AND WHAT IT WAS! THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY SO I WILL DISBAND!" After his yelling, the old master proceeded to cough profusely. Old age was catching up to him…he was reminded of that when he fought Emmeraude.
The tears started to fall. Makarov was doing this because he cared…but Mest also cared about Makarov. After hearing the potential that the Alvarez Empire was packing…how could he not be worried? "But Master…you can't stop a country all on your own. It's like you're going on a suicide mission…"
"Well, I carry the lives of my family. That's what a parent ought to do!" Makarov said firmly. His mind was made up. Truly, he was a parent who would do anything for his kids.
After listening to the story, Natsu and the others stood in surprise at what they learned. "So…Gramps went to that…whatchacallit country and isn't back yet!?"
"He disbanded the guild to protect us…" Erza said.
"So…it wasn't because of me…?" Lucy asked. The biggest weight on her mind began to vanish as she learned the truth.
"That's right." Mest nodded. He could only imagine the burden Lucy was bearing all this time, but now it was finally time for her to let go of some more of that lingering guilt. "He was…worried about Alvarez."
"And you haven't heard from him in over a year…?" Gray tilted his head.
"Yeah." Mest reaffirmed.
"Didn't you try stopping him, Mest?" Happy asked.
"You really think he would have listened?" Carla's reply contained a little bit of sass.
"I wonder if he's okay…" Cynthia rocked her head back and forth. It was a lot to take in.
"It's worrying…" Wendy's gaze went elsewhere.
"We can't tell if we're dealing with them, or if the country has isolated itself." Mest paused, preparing to offer up the possibility no one wanted to hear. "Or even…"
"Stop, please." Erza cut him off. She knew where that was going and didn't want to hear it.
"I've been following Makarov's orders and working to bring a functional Council back. Siegrain's disappearance along with some of the Saints leaving their seats didn't help. But right now, we've got the help of Master Warrod and a few others." Mest changed the topic to the subject of their defenses as of now.
"Oh yeah…" Lucy recalled speaking with Lyon back in Lamia Scale. "The Council wanted to know his whereabouts too."
"Master Warrod knows what's happening, but I'm certain the rest don't. However, the threat they feel from Alvarez is the same. They've been sending reinforcements to the west and strengthening their defenses there."
"But if the old man's trick worked, he would've been back by now…!" Gray said, realizing the contradiction in all of this.
"Well, yeah…" Mest nodded. "But…like I said, we can't be sure if it's because he hasn't heard of this, or if he can't make it back."
"If he can't make it began, we'll go help him." Natsu suggested immediately.
"Yeah…" Mest said. "I've done what the Master told me to. So from now on, I'll be doing what I want to as a member of Fairy Tail."
"If everyone's together, we're unbeatable!" Happy cheered.
"Let's all go!" Carla pumped a paw into the air.
Erza had to be the voice of reason, extending her arm out to the side to cut off everyone's excitement. "Wait. We're up against an enemy that the Master himself felt he couldn't beat. An enemy that's supposedly as strong as Emmeraude…we can't go there without a plan."
"We don't need a plan!" Natsu argued. "We've all powered up in the past year! I ain't gonna lose, no matter how strong they are!"
Erza's expression turned serious. It seemed they just didn't understand their position, or her own. "So are you telling me that you plan to trample on the Master's feelings despite knowing he's there to by us time? Rebuilding the guild and getting Fairy Tail back on its feet…I want everyone in the guild to smile again. After all, it's been a year since we've even seen each other. These are my feelings as the Seventh Master."
In other words…Erza the Guild Master didn't want them to do anything. It was already hard to go against Erza, but now that she was a guild master, defying her became even more frightful. "Erza-san…" Wendy frowned.
"I…" Cynthia averted her gaze to the ground. She felt it really difficult to argue with that.
"Hey, that's…!" Gray objected, or rather, tried to.
"But…my feelings as another member of the guild are different." Erza's expression grew less serious, but her tone remained all the same. "We must rescue the master at all costs! And that's why, only those here now will go." That was what they wanted to hear! "We're better off in small numbers. Infiltrate the Alvarez Kingdom and rescue the Master…and then we'll talk. This isn't a fight. We're going there on a rescue mission, so don't pick any unnecessary fights and don't make a fuss over things." The seventh master then slid into closer to Natsu, her brown eyes piercing into his soul. "You hear me, Natsu?"
"Y-Yeah…" He felt a little attacked, but it was whatever. "We'll save Gramps for sure!"
Zelos then sprang up, wrapping an arm around Erza. "And this is why you're one of my favorites, Erza-chan! So assertive, commanding, and passionate! Any man would be lucky you have you-" And Erza's subconscious response was to judo flip Zelos onto his back. "GNK!"
"H-How long has he been awake!?" Lucy spoke with widened eyes.
"This whole time…" Zelos groaned while trying to pick himself up. "It was such a stimulating conversation…and I actually…have a way of getting…some information if you are really going against Alvarez. Strictly for my favorite place to hang out, after all…"
Mest was nearly tempted to erase Zelos' memories…but he said he had a way of getting information that could help. Zelos may have been…annoying to deal with, but whenever he did help, he at least put forth some effort. "…What kind of information…?"
On the surface, Gajeel could hear everything being discussed below. "Huh…so they're sneaking out…"
"What's wrong, Gajeel?" Lily asked.
"A small number for infiltration…huh, I see…" Gajeel felt a plan formulate in his mind. "I guess we've got to get moving too…"
Juvia walked around, head swiveling from side to side as she tried to locate Gray. "Cana-san, have you seen Gray-sama?"
The wrong person to ask. Cana was drunk and laughed it off. "I drank him all up with my booze, hahahahaha!"
Juvia immediately moved forward, placing her hands on Cana's jaw to pry her mouth open violently. "HOW COULD YOU!? GRAY-SAMA!"
Mira happened to pass by with a tray of mugs in hand. "He went with Natsu and Lucy a while back. Apparently they were following Erza and Mest."
"Lucy…again…?" Juvia began to sweat as her mind wandered. She imagined Lucy and Gray touching hands…and suddenly they were…they were…! Well, before she could think anymore, Gajeel's arm rested on her head, and flattered her against the table. "Guh…Gajeel-kun…"
"What, you wanna drink with me?" Cana teased.
"We're forming the B Team." Gajeel stated.
"The B team?" Mira blinked.
"Ain't the Games over already?" Cana tilted her head.
"We're gonna go find that Lightning Bastard." Gajeel smirked.
"Lightning…?" The mere mention of it caused Lily to sweat.
"What's all this…?" Mira was interested.
"Wait…you know where Laxus is!?" Cana asked.
The Council building. Levy made a trip to hand in the paperwork concerning Fairy Tail's revival. Jura Neekis acted as the 5th Wizard Saint once again and looked over it all. "Hmm…no problems with this paperwork. Well done! Erza is a good choice for the new guild master, by the way."
"And with this, Fairy Tail is officially back in business!" Levy looked up to Jura with a wide grin.
"Yes. Here's to hoping you find Makarov fast, then." Jura nodded. "It's such a shame to lose someone as capable as you in the Council though, Levy."
"Eheh…sorry…" Levy rubbed the back of her head.
The next person to arrive was Jaxon, who calmly entered the door with the paperwork in hand. "Sorry I'm late. I suppose I give this to you?" The weather god asked, handing the paperwork to Jaxon. "Oh hey Levy…long time no see."
"Jaxon…? If you're here, then…" Levy already knew what it meant.
"That's right. White Eclipse is back." Jaxon said with a firm nod. "Furthermore…"
"You're taking on the role of Guild Master?" Jura looked over the paperwork. There were no problems with it; he was just surprised that Jaxon was taking the mantle. "I suppose Calium, Mary, and Sidney are still absent."
"Yup." Jaxon nodded to both Jura, and Levy's ensuing shock.
"A-Are you sure you can handle being responsible for…all of them?" Levy was semi aware that White Eclipse could be just as bad as Fairy Tail at times.
"We're nowhere near as rambunctious as you all." Jaxon pointed out.
Warrod stood in as the 4th Wizard Saint. He was standing in the corner, watering his plants with a soft chuckle as he overheard the conversation. "Hoho…"
"Master Warrod seems awfully cheerful…" Jura glanced at the old tree man.
"I thought it was a joke at first when they said they were disbanding." Warrod hummed. He looked cheerful on the outside, but internally he was serious. Fairy Tail's revival was up first, now came the second part of the plan. "All that's left is for Mest to rescue Makarov as planned…"
"Master Warrod…! The water's overflowing!" Levy warned Warrod as he was within his thoughts.
"Oh no, that's just me doing my business!" Warrod replied without missing a beat, causing Levy and Jaxon to deadpan. "Just kidding."
"…I don't like this…" Jaxon grumbled. He was about to leave, but an overbearing presence made itself known…in the form of a slouching old man.
"Old Man Warrod…how long are you planning to fool about like that?" This was the 3rd Wizard Saint and one of the Four Kings of Ishgar: Wolfheim."
"Master Wolfhiem…! You were here!?" Jura gasped.
"Woah…that's one of the four Kings of Ishgar…!" Levy's eyes widened.
"Huh…" Jaxon crossed his arms. "Not as strong as the old man…but I can feel why he's up so high on the ladder…"
"Oohhh! Wolfheim, my boy! Still got that weird name?" Warrod laughed, but his comment only angered Wolfheim. "I'm kidding! Kidding!" Wolfheim's form then grew larger; a hulking beast now loomed over Warrod with a deathly stare. "Hey, hey, hey…!"
"This is hardly the time for gardening, especially when we've got our fair share of trouble with the Alvarez Kingdom!" Wolfheim snarled.
"…Hey." Warrod said once again.
"Eek…!" Levy felt a cold sweat bead down her forehead.
"Please…stop, Master Wolfheim!" Jura pleaded.
"That's a yikes…." Jaxon tugged at his shirt collar.
"Stop this now." Another voice interjected. This was the acting 2nd Wizard Saint: Hyberion. His appearance made Levy and Jura sweat, while Warrod, Wolfheim, and Jaxon seemed fine about it. In his hand, a gigantic wine glass that was half empty…or half full, however you want to look at it. "We're no longer Wizards unbound by duty. Now that we're working with the Council, we must ensure that Wizards stay safe."
This was too much for Levy. She collapsed from being in the same room with three of the four Kings of Ishgar. "Whoa…three of them…all in the same room."
"I can see why they're called that. They are pretty impressive…" Jaxon extended his hand to Levy to help her up. "But you shouldn't be collapsing just from that."
"It's true that tensions are rising…and it's our job to neutralize those threats." Hyberion said while pouring some more wine into his glass. "If war breaks out, we're done for. We need a way to deal with this peacefully."
The fact that one of the strongest mages in Fiore was saying this was bad enough. "I-Is Alvarez really that strong?" Levy asked, her body trembling from the thought of them being outmatched even with the strength she knew they had.
"God who?" Jaxon blinked several times. "I don't like to brag, but I'd like to think I know plenty about Gods, and I've never heard about him…"
"The Wizard that was once one of the Four Kings of Ishgar…and formerly the first of the 10 Wizard Saints…meaning he is one of the strongest mages on this continent…" Hyberion said. "God Serena…"
"Oh…why isn't he here this time?" Jura asked…but the mood turned sour.
"Why is everyone so down…?" Levy had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Did something happen to God Serena…?" Jura asked.
"You don't keep up with the news, do you?" The voice belong to the current Council Chairman: Kemuri. He walked in, blowing out some smoke from his cigar. "When have you ever seen God Serena pop in during a crisis over the last few years? I certainly haven't. You want to know why?"
"The Chairman-?!" Levy fell over again. Too many important figures in one room, she couldn't handle this.
Kemuri glanced at Jaxon, who he deemed rightfully ignorant to God Serena's existence. "There's a reason you probably haven't heard of him. Because he turned traitor."
"Huh?!" Levy gasped.
"I've done my digging…and it turns out he left roughly four to five years ago. To where? Where else? Aracitacia in the Western Continent. In other words…he defected from Fiore to Alvarez a long time ago."
Levy and Jura screamed at this information. "NO WAAAY!?"
"It seems the Chairman is well informed…" Hyberion nodded. "It is true. There are 12 Shields that protect Emperor Spriggan. They are referred to as the Spriggan 12. God Serena has become one of those 12."
"…You're telling me one of the strongest wizards decided to turn tail? Who let someone like him be the First Saint if he was going to defect like that?" Jaxon asked a rather serious question.
Hyberion shook his head. "We don't know exactly why he defected…but there is one grave thing you should know. Wizards that could match the strength of one of our strongest…there are 11 more of them! That's what we're up against; The Alvarez Kingdom!" The shockwave was approaching…
.
.
Next Time: Caracall Island.