Meldy sat atop one of the cliff edges at the outskirts of Magnolia, staring into the small scrying mirror in her hand. It was fizzling into a clearer picture. A light breeze tugged at her. She sighed, feeling her magic still weary from the battles four days ago. She glanced over her shoulder, to Magnolia. The town was still in deep disrepair. The smoke pillars had ceased and there were tons of citizens and masons at work, putting up wood or stone supports for houses. Kardia Cathedral was still just as destroyed as ever.
She followed the road across the river to what had once been the Fairy Tail guild hall, now left as just a base wood flooring. The wreckage had been removed by the Wizard Saint Jura, who came to the town's aid two days later. Meldy had spoken with him, briefly, about Jellal's passing. He gave words of condolences, as well as regret that he never got to prove himself against Jellal's true might.
"He may well have been the strongest and bravest of us all," Jura had said. "Fiore will never be the same without him."
Meldy heard a tapping and a clicking from the small mirror in her hands. She adjusted her cloak to cover up her low-cut dress and cracked her neck before turning and facing Hisui, who sat in a make-shift throne in the middle of a throne room that, admittedly, looked pretty good following the reports Meldy had gotten about Doranbolt and some Fairy Tail members making an attempt on her life.
Hisui smiled into the mirror, and Meldy smiled back. "Good morning, Your Highness."
"It's good to see you, Meldy," Hisui said. "I see you're still in Magnolia."
"Royal Sorciere is on their way to you now, I just wanted to stay behind and see if there was any more work I could do," Meldy said. "How are you recovering?"
"Well," Hisui said. "We suffered few damages here, it was all limited to the throne room; honestly, we needed some touchups. My father, rest his soul, had a gaudy sense of fashion."
"I'm happy to hear you're safe," Meldy said. She grinned. "And that you apparently have a bit of punch to pack."
Hisui blushed. "You heard?"
"Royal Sorciere always finds out," Meldy said. "I'm quite impressed, Your Highness. A Celestial mage of your caliber could be quite handy in a fight."
"I hope not to use my gifts in a violent manner again," Hisui said.
"I'll make sure you don't, then," Meldy said.
Hisui nodded, and an awkward silence befell the two. Meldy's face fell to a somber smile, one that ached with remorse and sadness, but had to show strength in front of someone as powerful as Hisui. Her thoughts began to float to what Hisui wanted to speak about, and Meldy wanted to avoid the subject as much as possible.
"Meldy," Hisui said. "Tell me."
"I don't want to talk about it," Meldy said.
"Where are they?" Hisui asked.
Meldy sighed. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."
"It's a bad idea to lie to your queen," Hisui said. She shifted, but still radiated a certain warmth and love about her. She smirked. "Royal Sorciere always finds out."
"Your guards will hear. They'll find out and try to hurt them," Meldy said.
"I'm the only one in the room right now," Hisui said. "It's just you and me. Meldy, I must know. It's hard not knowing where my friends are."
"Your friends?"
"It was Fairy Tail that made an attempt on my life, but not the Fairy Tail I've come to love. Plus, it's my duty as queen to know what my country's citizens are up to. Nobody has heard word of anything from Erza for four days; three of the Dragon Slayers have yet to return, and I also hear that Lucy Hearfilia is missing without a trace of where she could've gone."
Meldy sighed, feeling her lips tremble. She wiped the sadness from her face. Her ears turned hot, but she ignored it.
"They're away from Magnolia, near an abandoned village not a few miles away. There's a building there that once served a small fortress for the Fiore Royal army centuries ago; it's mostly underground." Meldy shook herself. "Erza Scarlet is indeed missing, but has not stepped down as Guild Master. Lucy Heartfilia is also missing and it's believed she was taken to the Celestial Spirit realm for unknown purposes. The Dragon Slayers are…somewhere."
"Thank you," Hisui said. She nodded to Meldy. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."
"What will become of Fairy Tail?" Meldy asked. "Will they be disbanded? Has the Magic Council said anything to you?"
"I'd have thought the Wizard Saints would've spoken with you about this," Hisui said. She shrugged. "No, Fairy Tail shall remain an official Fiore guild. Their reputation shall be tainted, possibly forever, but they'll live on as long as their Guild Master says. The Wizard Saints understand their situation and while they have some remorse, there's nothing that can be done to undo the emotional damage they've inflicted upon Magnolia." Hisui sighed, closing her eyes. "But they shall not go unpunished."
Meldy shut her eyes. Here it is. This is what she was dreading most. She'd been thinking hard about it for the last four days, wondering what she could possibly do to alleviate the circumstance Fairy Tail was in. And there was nothing. Meldy was not affiliated with Fairy Tail outside of an alliance that Royal Sorciere's now-dead Guild Master had with some Fairy Tail members. Meldy could only try to talk Hisui out of lessening the punishment, but, what would that do to Hisui?
Fairy Tail had destroyed one of her cities and knowingly tried to kill her. They probably would've succeeded if they hadn't underestimated her abilities in combat and if Jellal hadn't sent Seigrain out as a means of defending her. That could not go unpunished. Much as Hisui cared for her friends, she had to do more than that.
"Fairy Tail will be banished from Magnolia," Hisui said. Meldy pursed her lips and bowed her head. "They are also under temporary restraining order from the city of Crocus until I alleviate such a charge. Any jobs they could take shall be heavily monitored and sent through a validation process with the Magic Council and must be supervised by a member of the Magic Council, excluding Levy McGarden and Doranbolt, who have had their memberships to the Council temporarily revoked by myself."
Meldy waited for more. She felt a few tears slide down her face. She recalled being in this situation, but Jellal had been there to rescue her. She and Ultear were saved, and were given a second chance. Fairy Tail, though, had nobody to give them that, not without changing guilds completely and abandoning their identity.
"It's not…" Meldy began.
"It's the least I can do," Hisui said. "And I wish I don't have to."
"So don't! You're the queen, you make the rules, don't you?" Meldy stared into the mirror, not hiding her tears any longer.
"I'm the queen, and I strive to be a just queen, who acts with fairness and kindness," Hisui said. "I dole out punishment where punishment is necessary, and unfortunately, that comes here. There is nothing more I can do for them, Meldy, and believe me, I want to." She wiped a tear from her own eye, but didn't falter from her straight-backed posture. She was regal to the end, this woman. Meldy admired her for that. "I really want to."
"I understand," Meldy said through lumps in her throat. "The townsfolk aren't quite as forgiving. There's been nothing but bad, bad new being spread throughout."
"They didn't hear anything about Alli?" Hisui asked. "Didn't Alli stand against Fairy Tail?"
"Yes, but where nobody could see her," Meldy said. "The townspeople only saw Sabertooth and Royal Sorciere coming in. They only knew that Fairy Tail was attacking them, not that anyone from Fairy Tail was actively standing up against their own."
"This is a nightmare," Hisui muttered.
"Hisui, this is the danger that the Edolas prisoners pose to us," Meldy said. "Please, you must send more after them. These were two that we'd never heard of. Vothorm and Harloc have already caused destruction, but, what of Nero, who bears the Ankhserham curse? The rumored Black Dragon? They have to be hunted down and defeated immediately. We'll need Fairy Tail for that."
"I didn't say they can't renew their jobs," Hisui said. "I just said they'll need to be monitored."
Meldy nodded. "Send the Wizard Saints. Pause the Magic Council, I don't care."
"Is this what Jellal would've wanted?"
Meldy took pause again as another tear dripped down the side of her face onto her blue gloves. She nodded wordlessly. She saw on the other side of the mirror, through a misty vision, that Hisui held her hand out to Hisui, but knew she couldn't reach her, and retracted her hand.
"I miss him so much, Hisui," Meldy said. "How can I be strong without him? He and Ultear…they're gone…"
"You have to be stronger without him," Hisui said, calm. "You have to show him the strength you've always had hidden within. You have to lead Royal Sorciere, and you will. You'll lead it to glory, Meldy. Look what Royal Sorciere's done already; they've taken down Fiore's most powerful guild. You saved a city. You saved me."
"That was Jellal, it was all Jellal," Meldy said.
"And you learned from him, right? You learned how to lead, how to fight, how to be a Guild Master."
Meldy's breath caught. That's right. She was Royal Sorciere's Guild Master. Her, Meldy, a Guild Master! She shook her head. No, that was too unbelievable. She curled her legs to her chest and shook her head, then buried her head into her chest and her knees. She dropped the mirror next to her.
"I can't be a Guild Master," Meldy said. "I can't."
"Meldy," the soft voice of Hisui said next to her. "You are the Guild Master. And I have the upmost faith in you. We all do."
Meldy squeezed her fist. Her powers…
They'd increased since Jellal died. When Fairy Law hit her, she felt something give within her, some sort of second wave of power she'd never felt before. A warmth spread throughout her body, soothing her before she felt this power unlock. She hadn't known what it was until she remembered that something similar happened to Fairy Tail before the Grand Magic Games five years ago.
Somehow, Fairy Law had unlocked her Second Origin, and now, she had a brand new base of power. She knew spells she'd only ever seen…from Jellal. She knew Heavenly Body Magic. She could use Jellal's spells. In that moment, that single instant, that warmth she felt wasn't entirely unfamiliar, either. She felt it each time she, Jellal, and Ultear had been together.
Were their souls trying to speak to her? Had Jellal and Ultear graced her with the power and abilities to lead Royal Sorciere? Meldy sniffled, then took her head from its resting point and stared to the blue Magnolia sky. Small clouds chugged along overhead. It was a beautiful day to be outside, to be alive.
"I'm not ready, though," Meldy said.
"That's okay," Hisui said. "We learn as we live."
Meldy smiled. "Do you think Jellal knew anything about being a guild master when he began Crime Sorciere?"
"It's unlikely. I knew little about how rigorous being a queen would be. I'm sure you could as Queen Sonya and she'd say the same."
Meldy nodded. "We learn as we live. I like that. Thank you, Hisui."
"You're welcome, Meldy."
Meldy stretched her legs out, and laid down. Hisui sighed. "It looks to be a beautiful day in Magnolia."
"It's quiet," Meldy said, shutting her eyes. She loosened up and let her senses flow. She could feel the hard work of the townspeople down below, their grumblings and their thanks. Beyond town, just a few miles away, she could feel the hardened concentration of magic from Fairy Tail, below the ground. They were somber, quite unlike Fairy Tail normally would be. "Hisui, there's something more I should tell you. It's a little secret I've been holding, but, I think you should know."
"What is it?"
Meldy opened her eyes, staring at a small cloud right overhead. "After Fairy Law, after the spell released the corruption from Fairy Tail, I reached out to sense for signs of life where Jellal was. And I sensed two."
"Meldy…what are you saying?"
"Jellal is dead," Meldy said, but her little smile didn't leave her lips. "He's gone from us forever, in a way. When I reached the battleground and saw that there was only Erza there, I still sensed that second life." Meldy sat up, and turned over to stare at Hisui, who had her hand covering her mouth in shock, while a tear slid down her face. "Erza is pregnant with Jellal's child."
Sonya sat next to Alli in the small foyer area of the temporary fortress Fairy Tail was in. Alli had her head resting against Sonya's shoulder. The poor girl had been exhausted, and getting over a slight cold, for the last few days. The condition was spread among many in the guild hall, with notable exceptions being the baby Jori, Gray, Laxus, and the newly arrived Gildarts, who stayed near Cana most of the time.
Sonya patted Alli's arm as Alli snuggled closer to her big sister. They were seated on a small stone table. The walls around them were an aged brick that added a musty smell to the room. It wasn't repelling or anything, just a bit odd for what Sonya was used to, even compared to some of the dungeons Zash would take her to so he could find his next girl to toy with. She felt a little bile rise in her throat at the thought of that monster, and squeezed Alli's hand.
Tyla was seated next to Alli, looking weary as well. She bit down on a some of the rations Mirajane had procured from the guild hall before Fairy Tail's exile from Magnolia proper. They still weren't that far from the town, but were beyond the limits. Sonya had a feeling that Hisui would place them under some sort of banishment from Magnolia, either permanent or, best-case scenario, just a long-term banishment.
She contemplated what she would've done against Fairy Tail had this happened in her country, and couldn't even fathom an idea. First she would have to get over the emotional and familial compromise of her own sister being in the guild, and then she would have to contend with how there were some among Fairy Tail who resisted, plus that Fairy Tail is the entire reason she's both alive and the queen at all. Sonya didn't envy Hisui in the slightest.
The guild hall was eerily quiet. Whenever a chair moved everyone looked over. Nobody was necessarily on-edge, they were all just incredible somber. Cana's drinking increased significantly, but not to a dangerous amount. Gray hadn't uttered a word to anyone, save for Juvia, who sat next to him. She hadn't left his side once.
Mira held baby Jori in her arms, while Laxus stood behind the counter at the bar next to Lisanna, who continued to clean it up. The fortress, Mirajane had explained to Sonya late one evening, had been used as a place for refugees to go during the Trade Wars, an ancient battle that Mavis had fought in alongside Fairy Tail many, many years ago. There were still some supplies that Fairy Tail could use for the time being, but that time would soon be up, and they'd need a permanent residence within a month or so.
Alli sighed and shifted next to Sonya. The queen still looked over to Mirajane, recalling a conversation they'd had just last night, after Mira put Jori to sleep.
"How long will you stay?" Mira asked. "If you're concerned for Alli, Porlyusica has agreed to look over the ill."
"I'll stay for my sister," Sonya said. "Until she asks me to leave."
"I'm sure she appreciates it," Mirajane said.
"Do you want me to leave?"
"I'd love it if you stayed; however, what will this do to you, and your people? They'll know you've been staying with a known enemy of Fiore, they'll think you've completely sided with us, right?"
"I will not cut my ties to Fairy Tail. So long as my sister as in this guild, and so long as I can consider these people my friends, I shall always be a friend of Fairy Tail."
Sonya took her eyes off of Fairy Tail's Beauty. But Mirajane had a point about her people and how they would perceive her from now on. Would they take kindly to Sonya not being there for them, and instead leaving them for nearly a week to be with a destructive guild like Fairy Tail? Even if her sister were in the guild, didn't she have a duty to Stella first and foremost?
She was jarred from her thoughts as the great stone doors shifted. Sonya stood up, holding Alli at her side. Nobody had come or gone for days.
She heard whispers of Erza's name fly across the guild hall. They continued to open, and four silhouettes stood in the doorway. Three more, smaller ones, strode up to stand out among the shadows cast from the bright sunlight. Sonya had to cover her eyes, but smiled upon hearing their voice.
"Digging the new look, you guys," Natsu Dragneel said. He stepped forward.
He looked different. His scales along his face were a bit more prominent, and his canine teeth had a bit more sharpness to them. His hair was also a bit longer, stretching down to his neck. His clothes were a deeper blue, and his scarf seemed to have a gleam to it, as if it'd been freshly cleaned. He stepped forward with a grin. Happy stepped up as well, holding a hand up.
"Yo, Fairy Tail," Happy said.
Immediate tears and cries burst from everyone. Romeo sprinted across the foyer and leapt into Natsu's arms. Levy, recently arrived from the Crocus prison, did the same for Gajeel, but also planted a sloppy kiss on his lips.
Sonya covered her mouth and wiped a tear from her eye. Meldy stepped forward, smiling. Mirajane was in the center of the foyer already. She held her hands out and gripped Meldy's hands.
"Thank you," Mirajane said. "Thank you for bringing them home."
Everyone erupted in cheers, hailing the return of the Dragon Slayers. Everyone, that was, except for Gray, who was indeed tearing up.
The guild hall fell silent again as Gray approached Natsu, slowly, and with his shoulders sagged. He opened his mouth but Natsu clamped a hand on his shoulders.
"I forgive you, Gray," Natsu said, and grinned.
"Just hurry up and punch me, you idiot," Gray said.
Natsu shook his head. "No way."
"Punch me!" Gray exclaimed. "Get fired up and hit me already!"
Natsu yanked Gray close and wrapped him up in a big brotherly hug. Mirajane dropped to her knees, and Cana gasped with shock. Mirajane loudly cried, but, Sonya felt that these weren't tears of sadness, but of relief. Natsu was smiling as Gray's chest trembled in front of Natsu. Wendy was also in tears, but Gajeel looked quite resolved.
"None of what happened is your fault, Gray," Natsu said. "I heard everything." He separated from Gray, and held a hand out. "What you've done is pretty damn bad, yeah, but it wasn't the Gray Fullbuster, it wasn't my friend, who did any of that."
"I don't deserve to shake your hand," Gray said.
"Gray, you're the first person that deserves to shake my hand," Natsu said. "You're my brother, man. Best not leave me hanging or I will punch you straight in the face. Wouldn't want to ruin that for Juvia, would I?"
He winked at Juvia, who nodded. She was blushing. Gray's hand rose slowly. Ice filled his hand, and Natsu's flames consumed his hand.
They clasped hands and the clapping sound echoed throughout the guild hall. Steam rose from where their hands connected. Natsu sneered at Gray. Gajeel stepped up and patted Gray on the back, while little Wendy came up and wrapped her arms around Gray's side. Everyone cheered again.
"Good to see you again, Natsu," Gray said.
"Right back at ya, Gray," Natsu said.
"I can't believe it," Mirajane said, removing her hand from her face. "These boys…" She immediately got back to her feet, her hands clenched in fists. "These boys are Fairy Tail! In the face of tragedy, they smile brighter than the sun itself!"
Sonya stepped up. "The Fairy Tail I know and love seems to finally be back in good spirits. Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, welcome back."
They all turned, a bit surprised to see Sonya, and gave a slight bow to the queen. Wendy actually did a full curtsy.
"Your Highness," Wendy and Meldy said at the same time.
Natsu looked over Gray's shoulder. "I hear Erza and Lucy are still missing. Is that true, Mira?"
Mira nodded. "Erza's indeed gone missing, but Lucy's been taken in to be healed by the Celestial Spirits. We don't know when she'll be back."
"But she's in good hands? Great," Natsu said. A flicker of sadness streaked across his face, but he shook it off. "Glad to hear it. And, hey, where are Sting and Rogue? Wanted to thank them for holding down the fort."
"It wasn't just them," Sonya said, stepping down. "Royal Sorciere, Yukino, and Minerva also came to the defense of Magnolia."
"And Alli managed to break free of the spell," Gray said.
Alli meekly stood up and smiled over at Natsu. "I didn't break free, my God-Slayer magic helped me resist it is all."
"Still, that's impressive, kid," Gajeel said. "You might be S-Class material even after just a few years of being here."
Natsu's face immediately shifted into thinking mode. Sonya giggled. He always had such a funny expression when he tried to think.
"I think we should send people out after Erza," Wendy said. "I'd like a few days of rest at the guild hall, but I'm totally down for finding where Erza went!"
"I agree," Carla said.
Natsu opened his mouth, but stopped, waving his hand away. Mirajane looked back over to Wendy.
"We'll get a team together soon, then," Mirajane said.
"Mira," Meldy said, stepping beyond Natsu. "There's something I need to speak with you about soon, okay?"
Everyone glanced over to Mira, but Sonya's eyes fell to Laxus, who was still behind the counter. He sneered, and then leapt over to sit atop the counter.
"Yeah, Mira," Laxus said, and crossed his arms. "You gonna have to make the big decisions now?"
Sonya flicked her vision back onto Mirajane, who was blushing. She curled her finger through her hair.
"Oh, um, I suppose so," Mirajane said. "I mean, shouldn't it be Laxus who…"
"Laxus probably can't even change a diaper, you think he should make a decision who the interim Guild Master is?" Gildarts asked, and Sonya knew that if it hadn't been Gildarts who said it, Laxus likely would've been casting lightning around the room.
"I'm not made out to be a Guild Master, and I'm not nearly as smart as you," Laxus said. "So all insults aside—and I can change a damn diaper, old man—this is the right decision. Trust me."
Meldy raised her eyebrow, and Mirajane glanced all about the room, to her friends and family. They all nodded in support of the decision, and Mirajane sighed.
"Alright then," Mirajane said.
"Wait, hold up!" Natsu exclaimed.
"What, you think you should be Guild Master?" Happy asked, placing his little paws on his hips and looking up at Natsu.
"No, I have an idea of what we should do next," Natsu said, and grinned wildly. "It'll help everyone get back into the Fairy Tail spirits."
He slammed his hands together and small flames shot up, then began to form into a fiery letter. Sonya didn't quite get it, but everyone else in the guild was absorbed immediately. Some people were even cheering.
"Let's hold an S-Class Wizard Trial," Natsu said. "On Tenrou."
