Dragonslayer

Chapter 53: The Time for Talk

"Fairy Tail"- Regular Speech

'Fairy Tail'- Regular Thoughts

"Fairy Tail"- Flashbacks

"Fairy Tail"- Dragon/Demon/Monster Speech/Names of Spells

'Fairy Tail'- Dragon/Demon/Monster thoughts

Fairy Tail- Stating of the year or a place

Summary: I was told I was alone...in a world where NAKAMA were every person's desire. Then HE found me, he said he saw great potential in my small body and he raised me. Because of him I lived...I learned...and I finally found someone I could call nakama. Even if he didn't call me the same. That is why I will do whatever I can to live up to his name. As the son and dragonslayer of the greatest being I have ever met. Acnologia, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse.

(A/N: Fairy Tail is done. I am upset with this ending. First off...ONLY A ONE YEAR TIMESKIP?! You're telling me that after all that, fighting a war and beating Acnologia, you only do a one year timeskip? What kind of a future timeskip ending is that? It's a weak ending is what it is. Now for the ships; 11 years and while Mashima basically confirmed certain ships, did he have to be so goddamn vague about them all?! Hell, even Gray and Juvia were vague. As far as I'm concerned, Gajeel and Levy are the only ones who are for sure a couple. And they seem to have a baby on the way, or Levy wants a baby? I don't know, but either way, Levy got dealt the iron from her dragonslayer haha. I am most upset though that Natsu and Lucy weren't confirmed a couple. Fuck man, Hiro Mashima, why do you have to be so dumb with this manga? Was Rave Master the only thing you ever did right in your career?

Ok, my rant is done. On with the chapter.)


Wasteland, Border of Seven and Fiore, Earthland

The dark clouds obscured the skies with pouring rain darkening the ruined landscape as the waters were absorbed by the soil. Said clouds suddenly began to swirl and a powerful burst of magic energy was being emitted from the very atmosphere itself. The darkness from the rip in the space-time continuum suddenly unleashed a single powerful beam from its depths which crashed down on the wasteland before it began to dissipate to reveal the images of the Nine.

The other eight Bijuu-Exceed all turned to the Ichibi of the group as the giant tanuki of sand rolled around in the mud, his large arms swiping wildly at the stump of his neck. The eight then all sweatdropped as the tanuki's body dramatically fell over and became still. The other members of the Nine all looked to each other and then back at the stump of his neck as the sands began to shift. With a comically audible 'POP!', Shukaku laughed as he pointed a claw at his siblings.

"I got you guys, didn't I?!" Shukaku exclaimed. "I totally did, didn't I?! You don't have to lie or be shy about it, I know I got you guys HAHAHA-"

SLAP!

"OW!"

Shukaku glanced down at his cheek which bore a clawed pawprint made of glass. The glass quickly began to crack before shattering, but the tanuki turned his golden eyes to the perpetrator that was his eldest brother as evidenced by the crimson flames that had been cloaking the kitsune's claws.

"Was that really necessary, Kurama?" Shukaku asked as his face quickly regenerated.

"Yes. Yes it was."

"Why?"

"Because that was the one time I didn't have to see your stupid face, but you still ruined that for me." Kurama replied as the remainder of his flames dissipated. "And also because you're an idiot."

"I thought you cared, baka-kitsune!" Shukaku growled. "What if I had actually lost a piece of me?! Do you all not even care that I could have lost some part of my body to the space-time continuum?!"

"Shukaku..." Kurama's deadpan returned with a vengeance as his crimson orbs met the golden ones of the Ichibi no Tanuki. "You are a tanuki made of sand. Even if you were missing something, you could literally just make a new one."

"Well you could literally just shut the fuck up." Shukaku raised a middle claw at the gargantuan fox which earned a few snickers from the kitsune's other brothers while his sisters merely rolled their eyes. Though it was hard to tell with Chomei since she didn't seem to have any eyes.

"Onii-sama! Don't bully Shukaku!" Matatabi frowned at her fellow pyrokinetic.

"But Matatabi, he's being an idiot! Again!" Kurama's defense was not accepted as Matatabi's eyes narrowed. The bakeneko turned to the giant kabutomushi beetle across from her before they both turned back to Kurama.

"Gyuki." The Nibi's call to her Ushioni of a brother had been responded to as the Hachibi delivered a prompt slap to the back of the kitsune's head.

"Ummmm ow." Kurama turned to glare at Gyuki, but he was suddenly slapped on the back of his head again. This time, the blow was dealt by Kokuo's tail. "Et tu, Kokuo."

"I will take advantage of every opportunity I can to slap you, dear brother."

Son Goku's slap followed directly after and the lava spewing gorilla laughed as the strike had sent the mighty Kyuubi down into the mud. Son continued to laugh, but his laugh quickly began to lose volume as the rainy sky suddenly released a bolt of lightning when Kurama climbed back onto his feet and shifted into his bipedal stance.

"Gyuki...Son...Kokuo...?" Kurama's voice was sickeningly sweet as his pupils became crosses and his crimson irides became a bright orange-gold. His fur shifted colours as golden flames licked at his body. "You know I hold back all the time now since I can use Rikudo Modo. Do you want me to wreck you with Hagoromo-Jiji's powers?"

His killing intent spiked and a toothy grin spread across his face.

"Please say yes."

"Now Now, Kurama." The Gobi no Umairuka laughed nervously as he, Gyuki and Son Goku backed away from the now golden eyed kitsune. "Let's not get too hasty here."

Isobu quickly crawled between his two brothers and held up his tails in a placating manner. "C-Can you guys not fight?" The Sanbi quickly became nervous as he met the battle crazed expression of his eldest sibling. He curled up within his shell like a frightened armadillo, but still kept his one eye out to see what Kurama's reaction would be.

The nine siblings then paused when they felt as if they were being stared at. Kurama dropped the Six Paths Mode and the Nine all turned their heads slowly to the side where they were met with the flabbergasted expressions of their creations, the Fairy Tail mages and the other dragonslayers. Yes, even Naruto was astounded at how his partner was currently acting with his siblings.

The blonde son of Acnologia had spent years with the fire breathing kitsune. He had witnessed Kurama's capacity for emotion and being an asshole, but it seemed him being an older brother brought something else entirely, and the fact that watching his best friend calling upon the might of his full power just to show masculine sibling dominance over his younger brothers- minus Isobu- was something he never would have expected to witness.

Then again, not many people would think of seeing nine 270 foot tall monstrosities of sentient magic energy that would be capable of acting like children.

The sound of the rainfall was practically white noise until Shukaku broke the silence.

"What? You look like you've never seen brothers and sisters fight before." Shukaku scowled as he looked down at Naruto. "And I don't even get why you're gawking at us when you should be more focused on getting some damn clothes."

All eyes immediately shifted from the Nine to the son of two Wizard Saints.

In his battle with the Juubi, Naruto had lost a mast majority of his clothing, but activating the skill of dragonification had done the job of completely removing any and all traces of what he would have had left. Turning into a literal dragon who was half the size of the actual Black Dragon of the Apocalypse could end up doing that. Of course, being raised by said Black Dragon had removed any sort of sense of shame from the Divine Dragonslayer as he looked down at his naked form.

"You say that as if I am supposed to be embarrassed, Shukaku." Naruto stated.

Shukaku's eyes widened as he looked at the blue eyed man before turning to Kurama. "Does he have no shame?"

"No. He lost that a long time ago." Kurama chuckled before tapping a claw against his chin in thought. "How old do you think you were when that happened, brat? Eleven? Twelve?"

"Twelve." The blonde confirmed. His ears twitched as he caught the sound of something heading towards his face. Before the unknown object could make contact, he quickly generated a blade of wind and sliced the object in half. The two halves of white cloth quickly soaked up the rain water and became brown stained with mud when they fell into it. Naruto glanced down and raised an eyebrow as he looked up from the towel to see the outstretched arm of the Celestial Spirit mage.

"Cover yourself up!" Lucy exclaimed as held out a hand in front of Erza. "Erza, hand me another towel to give to the Fuujin!"

"Ok, but I don't understand why you're being so loud about it." Erza said as she took out another towel to hand to her guildmate.

"What do you mean you don't understand?! It's indecent, perverted and all around just plain wrong to stand up naked in front of others without any clothes on!" Lucy turned to her other guildmates. "Tell 'im you guys!"

"Actually, I don't really see the problem." Natsu said as he clasped his hands behind his head casually. "The guy literally just helped save all our lives. If he wants to be naked, let him be naked."

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

"Not really sure about the saving our lives thing since I wasn't there for most of it. Thanks for coming to save me after I fell off the giant metal dragon by the way." Gray quickly quipped to the son of Igneel. "But I mean, if you want to be nude, be nude." Gray said as he too now stood nude in the rain.

Lucy sighed as she dragged her hand down her face in exasperation. "That's right. I forgot, I have an idiot, an idiot with a stripping habit and a girl who doesn't know what the definition of armour is."

"For some reason, I feel she's insulting us." Erza said as Lucy handed the white cloth to her brother. The Apocalypse Dragonslayer wrapped the towel around his waist before looking to his younger twin, taking note of her disapproving gaze. "Though there may be some truth to her words. You can't stand up in the middle of a crowd and be naked, Onii-sama."

There was a moment of silence as deadpan gazes became focused on the daughter of two Wizard Saints. She tilted her head cutely while blinking her brown eyes in confusion.

"What?"

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Titania." Naruto's eye twitched as a dark expression adorned his face.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She asked she puffed out her cheeks and lightly glared at the taller mage while placing her hands on her hips.

"It means that you should probably tell him about your little side job that you had taken up when we found you." Gajeel, Juvia and Roshi piped in. The world stopped spinning for Erza at that moment, her brown eyes wide and her mouth agape. The look of betrayal she sent to the three dragonslayers was nothing compared to the utter embarrassment that came right after.

"I was referring to her armours not performing their proper function as actual armour. Like Heartfilia said, you are clearly not aware of what the definition of armour is. Armour covers your entire body in a protective layer of hardened steel. Those things she calls armours barely cover her chest, let alone her entire body. Why would you bring up such an event?"

"That's something Erza-chan should tell you." Roshi giggled perversely. "Go on Erza-chan, tell 'im."

The Water and Iron Dragonslayers released their own giggles of amusement at the Lava Dragonslayer's words. The Apocalypse Dragonslayer's curiosity peaked at that point as he directed his sapphire orbs back in the direction of his shorter sister. "What are they talking about, Titania? Is it the reason why you had glitter in your hair when we were in Edolas?"

"You remembered that?" Naruto nodded. "Well..." Erza gulped. "Th-There's an explanation for that!"

Naruto snorted, rolling his eyes as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "Oh, there is is there? Then by all means, please, go ahead."

"Oh yes, please." The Nine piped in as they nestled themselves lower to the ground.

"Do tell." The look of betrayal she had originally sent towards Juvia, Gajeel and Roshi was now directed to her guildmates as they too wished to hear her tale.

"What?! Why?!" Erza exclaimed. "Wendy! Please! You're my only hope! Say something!"

"Actually Erza-san, I'm curious as well." Wendy said with a nervous laugh.

The daughter of Wizard Saints could only release high pitched squeaks, her ability to form words being overridden by the shock and crushing embarrassment she felt from being the centre of attention on such a topic. She took a few slow steps back as her twin stalked towards her like a predator would their prey. Feeling as if she were to be cornered, the Titania of Fairy Tail immediately activated her Requip Magic and donned her Flight Armour. However, her level of enhanced speed did little to aid her escape as Naruto vanished into the wind and caused her crash into his sturdy form. The brown eyed weapons master cowered before the Divine Dragonslayer, his blue eyes gained a shine of white to increase his intimidation factor as his massive frame encompassed her body in its shadow.

"N-N-Now you don't really want to know this story do you?" Erza laughed nervously. "You couldn't be bothered with such drivel."

"You're deflecting, Erza." The redhead gained a lump in her throat as the blonde referred to her by her actual name instead of her mage title. This was not looking good for her.

"Ummm...well...you see..." If it weren't for the rainfall, Erza would be noticeably sweating as she searched for an explanation.

Naruto tapped his foot against the muddy earth while folding his arms in front of his chest. "I'm waiting. What is this side job that those three mentioned? Judging from your reaction it does not seem to be something worth being proud of."

"Well...when I got separated from my guildmates, I got hungry and went to a bar. I couldn't pay for my food since I had no money and so to work off the money I had to do...other...things." Erza was almost as red as her hair as she recalled her actions.

"And were those 'other things', Titania?"

Lucy, Gray, Natsu and Happy all gained looks of confusion as they observed the interaction between the two powerful mages.

"You know, the Fuujin is taking this rather seriously." Gray said.

"Yeah." Happy nodded in agreement. "It's almost as if he...cares."

"Did something happen between him and Erza in Edolas?" Lucy asked.

"Not that I'm aware of." Natsu hummed in thought. "Though now that you mention it, when I Gray and I were handling those two demon things back at the castle, they did look like they were having a little chat before she went to fight against Knightwalker. I didn't really catch it though. To much external noise. Oi, Kurogane!"

"What do you want, Salamander?!" Gajeel scowled in annoyance at the pink haired dragonslayer.

"You were close by when Erza was talking with the Fuujin. What did they talk about before she went to go fight Knightwalker?"

Gajeel blinked owlishly. "You mean you didn't hear? Scarlet's the...well I mean, should she even be called Scarlet anymore? Man, this whole being brother and sister thing is gonna make me wonder what I should call her now."

"Woah Woah Woah Woah!" The members of the Strongest Team all waved their hands wildly. "What did you just say?!"

"When?! How?! Why?!" Happy exclaimed.

"I dunno." Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't really something to discuss at the time what with needing to go fight all those doppelgangers up on Edolas."

"Geez." Gray ran a hand through his hair. "Jiji's might get another heart attack and actually die if he hears this."

"IF?!" Natsu exclaimed. "More like when! Jiji is going to have to hear this!"

"Though, now that I think about it...the way they are acting now..." The blonde Celestial Spirit mage glanced in the direction of the two siblings. "It kind of makes sense why he seems to interested in Erza and is acting the way he is with her. Who knows, maybe having a sibling will help Erza in the long run. Especially when her brother is practically the most dangerous man on the continent."

"Look at me when I talk to you, Erza!"

'Then again...' Lucy sweatdropped.

"You said you couldn't pay it off through monetary means so does that mean you..." Naruto's eyes widened in shock before they narrowed in disgust. "Did you sexually solicit yourself just to pay for food?"

All eyes widened at Naruto's words. Gajeel, Juvia and Roshi immediately burst out laughing at the older Uzumaki twin's assumption, and their laughter only increased when turning to Erza. Her face was now an even brighter shade of crimson as her expression resembled that of a goldfish.

"WHAT?! ONII-SAMA! NO!" Erza exclaimed. "I DID NOT BECOME A WHORE! IT WAS JUST POLE DANCING!"

"Just pole dancing? Titania, you mean to tell me..." Naruto's eye twitched heavily as he processed the information. "...that prior to our meeting in the capital city, you were in a scantily clad outfit in a drinking establishment and performing maneuvers against a pole for the entertainment of others?"

There was an almost deafening silence as the daughter of two Wizard Saints poked at the muddy wasteland with the toe of her armoured boot. She then released a nod and Naruto's eye twitched with even more intensity. The blonde quickly turned around and began to walk off.

"I have no more blood relatives."

"ONII-SAMA!" Erza gawked at her twin at how he was blatantly disowning her as his sister. "I THOUGHT YOU BELIEVED IN ME!"

"Not anymore."

"No! You're not getting away!" Erza quickly wrapped herself around her older twin's leg. Naruto ignored her presence and continued to move forward, though he ended up having to take one step forward with his free leg while being forced to drag his Erza-bound limb through the mud.

"Titania, you're embarrassing yourself."

"I don't care!" She exclaimed. "I am your sister!"

"I have no sister!" Naruto shook his leg frantically, but her grip was superb. If he had still recognized her as his sister, he would have been very impressed with it, but at this current point in time..."Let. Go. Titania."

"Never!"


Spy Network HQ, Easter Fiorean Mountains, Fiore

Three Days Later

Sue had seen many things in her life. Being a Phantom Lord mage once upon a time had granted her the opportunity to travel across the kingdom of Fiore and witness the many different cultures of different towns, and in some cases she even went across to the kingdom of Seven. When she had accepted her job to be a member of the Ogonno Fuujin's spy network, and somehow earning the rank of his second in-command when running the entire castle, she was far more accepting of the wild and weird events that began occurring around her. From seeing the Heart Attack to finding the Magic Council's secret biological weapons lab, she could claim that she had seen it all. However, nothing could have prepared her or her fellow spy network members for what they were witnessing before them.

"Sue?"

"Yeah Alex?" The dark skinned woman didn't shift her gaze, her focus placed entirely on the scene before her.

"You see the cats too, right?" Alexander asked.

"Yup."

"How did this even happen?" Ash asked.

"I know crazy stuff has happened ever since we were employed by Fuujin-sama, but sometimes I wonder just what my breaking point will be." Nobunaga scratched his beard in thought. "I mean, they were only gone for a little more than a week. What on Earthland could have happened in such a short time frame?!" The former Phantom Lord mage then blinked as he glanced down at the little blonde woman muttering words beside him. "Haru, you alright?"

"Kitty cats. So. Many. Kitty cats." The other Phantom Lord mages all sweatdropped at the green eyed woman. It took a lot of willpower from Haru not to just throw herself into the throng of Exceed and cuddle them all, but the fact that the Ogonno Fuujin and Onibi Myobu were standing before them was enough incentive to not do that.

She was too entranced at the sight of so many of her favourite animal being present to take note of the fact that she was earning the stares of all the surrounding spy network members.

'I worry for her.' They all thought only to be distracted by the approaching footsteps of Naruto's surrogate sisters and the Exceed partner of one Sky Dragonslayer.

"Hi Sue-chan!"

"Hello." Wendy smiled cutely up at the dark skinned girl.

"Haku-sama, Wendy-sama, Charle-sama." Naruto's second in-command gave a bow alongside her fellow spies before turning to the Ice Dragonslayer. "Haku-sama, may I ask a question?"

"Of course, Sue-chan. What's up?"

"Well...I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we have no idea what the hell is going on."

Haku giggled as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Actually Sue-chan, we're just as confused as you are. When we dropped the Fairy Tail mages off in Oshibana Town, most of us, we were sleeping on the way back. From what I gathered though, it seemed like Shagotte wanted an audience with Otouto and Kurama-chan so your guess is as good as mine."

The curiosity in the throne room increased ten-fold as all eyes turned in the direction of the scene in front of them.

The Ogonno Fuujin sat upon his obsidian throne with the Onibi Myobu, or Kyuubi no Yoko depending on what moniker you wanted to call him, resting upon his comfy red velvet cushion, Pillow-chan. Fu, Juvia, Roshi and Gajeel all stood to the blonde's left while to the left of the fox costumed Exceed, eight other costumed Exceed were present.

The Nine were all present before their subjects, the several hundred Exceed that had survived the onslaught of both the Edolesian army and the Juubi.

The one-winged monarch of Extalia walked towards the mighty kitsune. All attention was now directed on the proxy of the Nine as she placed herself in a kneeling position before her creators.

"Kurama-sama, I just wished to ask...what exactly should we do?" The Nine all blinked as they turned to each other and then back to the white furred Exceed.

"You are free to do as you wish, Shagotte." Kurama replied. "We may have created you, but Extalia and Edolas are no longer present for you to rule over. You are no longer a queen and thus you are no longer bound by your obligations. You and all the other Exceed are all allowed to do as you see fit with your lives from this point onwards."

"I see." Shagotte muttered. She turned back to the Exceed populace and frowned when she took note of their expectant gazes. Her former council members made ushering motions with their paws and Shagotte couldn't help but sigh as she turned back to face them. "Then...if it is alright with you, Kurama-sama, may we continue to stay by your side?"

"Meh." Kurama shrugged his shoulders and the Exceed couldn't help but sweatdrop at the uncaring response from the strongest of their creators.

"So...is that a 'no'?"

"No." The fox costumed Exceed replied before turning to Naruto. "It's just that forty years after arriving in Earthland, I've been partnered up with the brat. Like it or not, I go where he goes. So if you want to come with me, that's fine. However, we have an unspoken agreement that it takes both of us to make certain decisions. This is one of them."

All the Exceed turned to the son of Acnologia. The son of the Black Dragon looked up at Kurama and glared at the nine-tailed fox.

"You spout the world of bullshit at times, you know that?"

"Yeah, but is it really bullshit if it's true?"

"It's not. I've always done what I wanted when it came to this organization, same as you have you annoying fluff ball." Naruto growled in annoyance. "These are your people. Not mine. If you don't want them here, then tell it straight to their faces. Do not act like a coward and use me as a deterrent."

Kurama's crimson orbs narrowed as he bared his fangs. "I am never a coward, Naruto. You of all people should know that."

"Then by all means, the stage is yours." Naruto made an exaggerated sweep of his arms as he gestured to the remnant of the Extalian kingdom. Said Extalians kept their eyes glued to the fox costumed Exceed as he faced them.

"Fine, but it's best if I were to address you in my true form." Kurama muttered. His body glowed with magic, muscle and bone rearranging themselves as he took on his true appearance as a kitsune. Three tails swished lazily behind him, but the horse sized fox's expression was that of utter seriousness. "Shagotte."

"Yes, Kurama-sama?"

"Tell me, do you speak for all of the Exceed in this room or do you speak for yourself?"

"I am the proxy of the Nine, first and foremost, but I do take the responsibility of speaking for my people. My word is to be treated as the word of all Exceed in this room who are my subjects." The other Exceed in the room all nodded in confirmation to the precognitive feline's words. "We do all wish to stay and serve the Nine for as long as we are capable. We may not be warriors, but we will do whatever is required of us."

"I see." Kurama turned to his siblings. "Shukaku, Matatabi, Kokuo and Chomei are already staying with me, what about the rest of you?"

Isobu, Son Goku, Saiken and Gyuki all turned to each other before shrugging their shoulders. "It's not like we have anywhere else to go."

"And you're alright with Son staying with us, Lava Dragon?" Naruto asked as he turned to the Lava Dragonslayer. The son of Volcanus shrugged as well.

"Truth be told, I've come to see what makes you so appealing to the other kids." He ruffled Gajeel's and Juvia's hair causing them to groan in annoyance. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to stick around as well. After our fight with the Juubi, I can tell a ton of shit will happen if I choose to stay and after seeing you use dragonification..." Roshi shuddered in anticipation. "It gets my blood pumping and getting back into the field as an active mage is gonna be a fun way to try and get back in shape. I used to be able to go Doragon Fosu at will back in the day too, you know?"

"So, you wish to challenge me one day then?"

"Scared I'll whoop your ass?"

Naruto snorted in amusement. "Only in an alternate dimension would that ever be possible. Very well, I'll accept you into my ranks. You will be one of my executives alongside Zabrock, Fu, Yugito and Han."

"As you command, Fuujin-sama." Roshi replied with an exaggerated bow, a smirk adorning his face as he caught Naruto rolling his eyes.

Kurama cleared his throat to get the attention of the two dragonslayers. "You two done flirting?" The icy glares from the dragonslayers of Energy and Lava were enough to be his answer. With a nod, the gargantuan kitsune turned his head back to his siblings and offered them a kind smile.

"Well, the Nine are all rallying behind the brat's banner." Kurama announced. "If you wish to rally behind me, then that is your choice. Personally, I do not care for what you wish to do, but if you do indeed want to remain with us then you will follow my commands along with the Fuujin's. You will be integrated as a part of our organization, a spy network whose aim to gain access to information across the continent of Ishgar. From this base in Fiore, our expansion will be directed to reach as far as the Pengrande Kingdom. So long as you are a part of this organization, you are no longer Exceed and your former titles and ranks mean nothing. You are all be soldiers under my command."

The sound of paws stamping on the hard floor echoed throughout the throne room as the small army of Exceed stood at attention and offered a salute to the Kyuubi no Yoko. "HAI!"

"Good." He nodded stiffly before turning to Gajeel and Juvia, motioning them to step forward with one of his tails. The Iron and Water Dragonslayers moved from beside Naruto and placed themselves on either side of Kurama. "Juvia Lockser, the Dragonslayer of Water. Gajeel Redfox, the Dragonslayer of Iron. These two mages are spies that we have placed within the ranks of the guild, Fairy Tail."

"Is that the same place that the other humans went to with Happy?" One Exceed asked.

"Still can't get over how stupid that name is." The pyrokinetic fox muttered under his breath. "Yes, the very same. Now as I was saying, Juvia and Gajeel are our spies on the inside for Fairy Tail. As your first order of business, two of you will be personally selected by these two dragonslayers to join them when they return back to their posts."

The two former Phantom Lord mages turned to Kurama with wide eyes.

"Are...Are you serious?" Gajeel asked. "I get to pick my cat?"

"Kurama-san, is this the reason why you wanted to us to come back with you instead of heading back to Fairy Tail with Gray-sama and the others?" The daughter of Levia asked.

"Aye sir." Kurama gave the blue haired girl a sly wink.

"Geeheehee!" Gajeel's crimson orbs gained a shine of excitement and he hopped up and down with childish glee as he scanned the throng of Exceed. It was almost robotic in the way he seemed to scan each and every Exceed he came across. Said flying cats all fidgeted uncomfortably, some of the females covering their bodies as if they had been stripped naked. Some began to whisper their feelings of discomfort to one another, but they all jumped in fright when the son of Metalicana released a shout of "AH HA!"

He immediately hopped down from the throne area and sifted through the hundreds of Exceed before latching onto his chosen. "I CHOOSE THIS ONE!"

"What?!" The black furred Exceed looked down at the Iron Dragonslayer as he was raised high into the air like a plushy doll. "Why?!"

"YOU HAVE A SWORD!"

Gajeel's statement was found to be true as he revealed the tiny red sword that was tied to the feline's back by a piece of rope. However, there were those of the Exceed population who immediately recognized the blade.

"That's the Bustermarm!" Nichiya exclaimed. The former captain of the Extalian Royal Army gained a ferocious look on his face as he reached for his own sword. "Gajeel-san, I ask that you put down that Exceed. He is a criminal for treason against the crown and thus he should not be allowed to roam freely."

"No."

His immediate and blunt response earned flabbergasted responses from the Extalian Council and Army members.

"WHAT?!"

"I picked him and so he's mine. I like him." Gajeel smiled toothily at his new partner. "What's your name?"

"...Pantherlily."

"I like him even more now. Pantherlily is way cooler than Happy." There was no argument there. "Like your leader up there said, your ranks and whatnot don't matter here anymore. You follow the rules here on Earthland. I get to pick who comes with me, and war criminal or not, Lily's comin' with me."

Those who were once members of the Extalian Royal Army and Extalian Council all narrowed their eyes at the black furred traitor, but Gajeel quickly glared back at them with a flare of killing intent and magic. He rested Pantherlily atop his head before converting his arms into swords.

"If you want to fight me for him just know that I literally cut a building in half." Nichiya gulped as the tip of the sharp blade rested against his throat. He tucked his tail between his legs and immediately stepped back along with the other Exceed who had called for the traitor's blood. Gajeel nodded in satisfaction before looking up at Lily with a grin. "So, can you use that sword?"

"Well, I can make it bigger with a bit of magic." The tiny Exceed hopped off of his new partner's head before channeling his magic. Upon doing so, his body glowed with white light and suddenly the diminutive feline was so longer to diminutive.

"FUCK! MY CAT IS THE BEST CAT EVER!" Gajeel exclaimed with a high pitched squeal that was uncharacteristic of him. In the hearts of all men, there was the tiny bit of them that held onto their feelings of what it was like to be a child. The son of Metalicana could no longer restrain his upon seeing his little plushy of a partner become a six foot tall, musclebound bipedal panther wielding a massive buster sword. Granted, Gajeel would have been way more pleased if Lily had been a bipedal dragon or a mecha, but he sure as hell didn't mind.

"I'm...back to normal?" Pantherlily blinked in confusion as he looked over himself. "I was only trying to increase the size of Bustermarm."

The Nine all looked upon the transformation with just as much confusion as its user.

"Hmm, seems as though channeling magic energy into his body exhibits the same effects that Hashirama has when he wants to use the full power of his Mokuton." Gyuki observed.

"What do you think would have caused this?" Isobu questioned.

"I'd say his magic got drained coming through the Anima. It happened to us the first time we came through forty years ago, didn't it?" Shukaku responded.

"Though, it also appears that such a transformation would be rather taxing on one's magical reserves." Saiken commented as he took note of the sweat on Pantherlily's brow. "Given that his magic reserves would have shrunk as well to accommodate for his change, he'll lose control over his form in about...now."

The Rokubi's prediction proved true as both Pantherlily and his sword shrunk down in size. The former Extalian knight panted heavily as he was picked back up and rested gently atop the head of his new partner.

"Looks like I can't hold it for more than a minute. I'll probably have to work on that if I am to be of use to you as a partner in combat, Gajeel."

"Damn right you will." Gajeel said as he scratched Pantherlily behind the ears. "You'll never be as strong as the Nine, but you sure as hell are gonna be tough enough to let me kick Salamander's ass into the ground one day."

"I do not know who this Salamander is, but he sounds annoying."

"Geehee! Another item on the list as to why I like you, Lily." The red eyed dragonslayer then turned to his blue eyed companion as she was looking through the crowd of bipedal felines. "Oi, Juvia! You pick a cat yet?!"

The daughter of Levia didn't respond as she continued to search. Due to being treated like a pariah when she was younger, Juvia had learned the value of not taking things at face value and she was willing to give others the chance to prove themselves. Maybe if she did judge based on appearance like Gajeel, she would have an easier time choosing.

Each Exceed she walked past met her eyes and followed after her when she didn't pick them. There were some looks of disappointment and she couldn't help but offer an apologetic smile to those particular felines. The Water Dragonslayer continued to search through the crowd until she came across an Exceed who didn't meet her gaze. This particular Exceed had blue fur, but it was noticeably paler in comparison to Happy's bright blue colour. Black eyes were directed at the floor as the feline fidgeted heavily while adjusting a pair of black, thick-framed glasses. Juvia knelt down to the Exceed's level and she couldn't help but giggle when she saw the feline release a gasp of surprise, revealing the jagged shark-like teeth which lined its jaws.

"Hello." The Water Dragonslayer gave a small wave to the frightened feline before planting a hand on her chest. "Juvia is Juvia. What's your name?"

"Ch-Ch-Chojuro."

"It's nice to meet you, Chojuro-san." Juvia smiled gently before directing a look of concern towards the black eyed Exceed. "Juvia noticed that you seem nervous, are you alright?"

"Ummm well..." The pale blue Exceed spoke with a soft tone as he seemed to fumble over his words. "I guess. New world, new leadership..." The pale blue Exceed adjusted his glasses once more."It's a lot to process."

"Juvia understands." The look of surprise on the former citizen of Extalia was met with a nod. "Juvia once belonged to a mage guild called Phantom Lord. Juvia's old master was killed in battle, but she was taken in by Fuujin-san who allowed her to remain by Gray-sama's side. Being a part of Fairy Tail and a member of Fuujin-san's spy network was a lot like changing worlds, and Juvia can understand trying to process following another leader. Things are scary at first, but they do get better. Things got a lot better for Juvia and so..."

Juvia picked up the bespectacled Exceed and turned to Naruto and Kurama. "Juvia chooses Chojuro-san as her partner."

"R-Really?! A-A-Are you sure?!" Chojuro stuttered.

"Juvia is very sure. Chojuro-san will be a good partner for Juvia, that Juvia is sure."

Chojuro gulped before bowing his head. "I will do my best, J-Juvia-sama."

"Now that you've chosen your partners, you are to return to Fairy Tail and resume your duties as active mages of the guild. Remember to update HQ on Fairy Tail's activities at the end of each week. Understood? Oh and one last thing..." The two dragonslayers paused as they were about to head out the castle doors, confusion written across their faces as they looked at the smirk adorning the blonde's face. "Now that you have partners, why not give them a test drive on the way to Magnolia? It's good weather for a flight."

Juvia and Gajeel remained confused, but their eyes brightened when they glanced up at their partners as they summoned their Aera Magic.

"Geeheehee! Race ya!" Gajeel immediately raced out the door and jumped into the air. Pantherlily wasted no time in flapping his white feathered wings, taking off across the skies with a surprised Juvia staring after them. Her surprise quickly changed to annoyance as Chojuro picked her up to follow after them.

"Gajeel-san! You cheater!"

Fu laughed as the two dragonslayers quickly vanished into the distance. "With everything that goes on, I sometimes forget that calm days like this could exist. Though, I never would have pictured you to be the one to suggest a fun activity like flying back to Magnolia Town."

"It wasn't for fun, Wind Dragon. I said for them to give their partners the chance the showcase their abilities."

"Admit it, Fuujin-kun...you've gone soft." Fu immediately regretted her words when Naruto rose from his throne, kicked the mint haired dragonslayer in her knee to bring her down before gripping her by the wrist and twisted her arm to the point of almost breaking.

"You were saying?"

"All hail Fuujin-sama! I'm sorry!" Fu exclaimed. "Let my arm go! You're gonna break it! Chomei, help me!"

The look of betrayal she sent her Exceed partner's way could not have been any more humourous as the Nanabi laughed at her pain.

"Et tu, Chomei?" Tears flowed like waterfalls from her eyes only for the pain of her arm being twisted once more replaced the pain of her best friend's lack of help. "OW! FUCK, GODAMMIT! ALRIGHT! I GET IT, YOU AREN'T SOFT! HAPPY?!"

"Quite." Naruto released the daughter of Cyclonus from his grasp before adjusting his cloak and face mask. Naruto walked down from his throne, focusing his gaze on Sue. "Sue, show Lava Dragon and Son Goku where their quarters will be located. Provided that your eavesdropping is as good as your leadership skills, you know that they are instated as executive members."

"Of course, Fuujin-sama." The dark skinned made gave a nod to the son of Volcanus for he and the Yonbi to follow after her. They made their way towards the staircase that would lead to the upper levels of the castle. Once they did so, the son of Acnologia shifted to the other network members.

"Alexander, Ash and Haru."

"Fuujin-sama!" The three stood at attention before their superior.

"Isobu, Saiken and Gyuki noted that prior to coming into contact with us, they had come across humans which they respectively gained a partnership with. According to Isobu and Gyuki, their partners are dragonslayers and while Saiken's is not, he is described to be a very powerful mage as well. I want you to take them with you to the tech room and have them help you in trying to find these mages."

"Understood, Fuujin-sama." The three members of the Nine all sprouted wings and flew after the three spy network members as they moved down the halls.

"Nobunaga." The goatee bearing man followed the blonde's finger as it was pointed towards the multitude of Exceed. "Take the Exceed and give them a proper layout of the castle."

"Fuujin-sama." Nobunaga prepared to lead the Exceed throughout the grand piece of architecture, and Naruto made a mental tick to mark another one of his side tasks as managed.

The son of Acnologia looked to the dragonslayers of Sky and Ice, his stern gaze softened ever so slightly. "Imouto, Onee-san. We're going to the medical wing. We will discuss as we are walking."

Fu, Haku, Chomei, Matatabi, Kokuo and Shukaku all followed behind Naruto and Kurama as he walked beside his surrogate little sister. Their footsteps echoed throughout the lengthy hallways of the castle, but those footsteps were quickly drowned out by the sounds of their voices.

"So tell me, how did the procedure go?"

"I was able to forge an ice prosthesis and it was well made if I do say so myself." Haku said with a smirk of pride. "Due to Yugito-chan's natural affinity for ice, the procedure didn't affect her much in terms of her internal physiology, but it was painful."

"That is to be expected." Naruto stated. "Being able to meticulously attach an arm capable of recreating the flow of magic energy throughout the body is bound to have some complications. Imouto, as the medical expert of the organization and the one who performed the surgery, what was your take on the procedure?"

"Well, Onii-san, as Haku-san said, due to her magical affinity for ice, attaching the prosthesis to her body was not as difficult as it would be if one were to use a flesh limb for a transplant, and was actually far less painful than what would be expected from a procedure involving an automail prosthesis. She will never be able to feel anything in that part of her arm ever again obviously, as she has no part of her peripheral nervous system attached to any sort of conduit to allow for nervous transmission. However, even if we were to be capable of allowing her to have sensation in the arm, I believe it would be both too risky as well as detrimental to the her in the long run."

"Understood." The blonde nodded. "And what of the seals? Were they able to produce the desired outcome?"

"Yugito-san's been unconscious from the sedative for these past three days, Onii-san." Wendy replied as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "If she were to wake up now, the pain and discomfort from the procedure would most certainly do more harm than good at this point. She still needs to recover. As a result, we aren't able to properly tell whether or not it actually works, but it was a successful attachment. Using your magic siphoning seals as well, we were able to graft her magic circulatory system's stems onto the artificial magic circuits the seals created. If everything goes well, Yugito-an should be able to use her Ice Make to manipulate the limb like a normal human arm."

"In the battlefield setting, it is far more durable." The Ice Dragonslayer added. "It is not susceptible to shifts in atmospheric temperature or pressure. It is forged from my own dragonslayer ice so nothing less than a punch from Natsu-kun's Iron Fist spell could break it. Also, as I said, it is resistant to temperature shifts and so it can withstand even the intense heat of the desert and only dragon fire or the flames from the blades of Merlin can melt it. Also, with the magic circuits running through its design, she would be able to use it to forge an array of weapons. Though that is merely a hypothesis. Once Yugito-chan wakes up and completes her physiotherapy, then we can start going through combat training."

"When do you think she will be able to be taken off the sedatives and start her physiotherapy?" Matatabi asked. The Nibi no Bakeneko was very much worried for her partner and it showed by how her flaming wings fluttered uneasily every few seconds.

"Hopefully by tomorrow, Matatabi-san." Wendy replied as she hugged Charle a bit tighter to her body. "I want Yugito-san to get better as quickly as possible too, but this is the first time I've done this sort of procedure. It's actually the first procedure of its kind to be done in history actually. How this ends up going, only the dragons know."

(Insert Music: Fairy Tail- Kizuna)

The small group then paused as they were now standing outside the door that led to the blonde Take Over mage's recovery room. The transparent glass that made up the vast majority of the wall beside the door gave them all a look at Yugito's condition. The prosthesis that now made up her right arm was currently obscured from view as it was being kept within a cooling chamber; the temperature reading -20 degrees Celsius on the chamber. Despite Haku's statements about the ice arm being practically immune to heat levels outside of those generated by dragon fire, they still took the precaution of using the cooling chamber. An oxygen mask was placed over her face as an IV was hooked up to her flesh-and-blood arm, sending normal saline into her bloodstream to keep her hydrated. However, the most notable thing inside the room was the fact that the sleeping visage of a heavily bandaged Han was found beside her. His larger hand had her smaller one resting in the centre of his massive palm.

Kokuo looked at the former Head Captain of the Rune Knights with a frown. "How long has he been in there?"

"Ever since she was brought out of surgery and into this room." Wendy replied.

"It's almost romantic in the way that those two had been bickering for the the majority of our mission and yet he's the one who seems to care the most." Fu released a hollow chuckle before turning to Naruto. "You trusted me with that mission...I..."

"You said that your opponent was a dragonslayer and that she activated Doragon Fosu before Yugito lost her arm." Naruto informed the daughter of Cyclonus. "From a positive perspective, it is best to say that you should be appropriately pleased than an arm is all that she lost."

"Well I guess when you put it like that..."

"If the circumstances were different, I would totally be teasing those two." Kokuo said with a small smile. "But it's almost stupid the way he blames himself for her ending up like this. I guess at the end of the day, he still can't let go of what happened that day."

"You mean with Deidara?" Fu asked.

"He told you?"

Fu nodded in confirmation to Kokuo's question. "Yeah, he told me it as a way to kind of get out of my funk when I stressing about Naruto making me lead the mission to begin with. Han got me to snap out of it, to take charge and be a leader. If anything, I should be the one wallowing in self-deprecation. I was the leader of that mission and I was the one that couldn't prevent this from happening to her." Fu then looked to her side as Haku pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thanks."

"Any time, Fu-chan."

"Sentiments aside, we have much work to catch up on. Matatabi, Kokuo, you are free to stay here with your partners. The rest of you, with me." The two siblings nodded in thanks to the Apocalypse Dragonslayer before they went through the recovery room's door. Matatabi nestled herself like a housecat on her partner's lap while Kokuo laid himself down by Han's ankles.

The moment the door closed behind them, Naruto had already been moving out of the medical wing. He continued to move with purpose throughout the castle before he and Kurama looked to Shukaku. "We're heading to the prison cells."

Shukaku sighed, "I had a feeling we would be."

"What's down in the prison cells?" Chomei asked.


Prison Cells, Spy Network HQ, Eastern Fiorean Mountain Range, Fiore

He wanted to kill them. He wanted to kill them all, but he couldn't. The seals on his body prevented him from accessing his magic and even if he didn't have the seals, he was trapped within a steel room without his gourd. Without sand, he was at a loss. They had given him food and water to survive over the time he had been locked away, but he wanted to get out.

He needed to get out.

His head snapped up as he heard the sound of the door being unlocked. His eyes were wide, a manic light shining within those pupil-less green orbs as a wide grin stretched across his face as if it were going to split it in two. He charged towards the door with every intent of knocking down whoever was on the other side and tearing them apart. However, the red haired twenty year old came to a halt when Shukaku hovered in front of his field of vision.

"SHUKAKU!"

"Gaara." Was the Ichibi's calm reply.

"Shukaku, quickly, we must escape! Turn into your sand and we can escape, but first we can turn the others into corpses. Their blood and screams will solidify my existence once more, Shukaku! I need to kill! I need to-"

SLAP!

Gaara's eyes were wide with shock, time seeming to slow down as he felt the impact of the tanuki-like Exceed's paw against his face. Gaara stumbled back, more out of surprise than the actual blow itself. His pale skin was reddened from the strike and he placed a hand over the point of impact.

"That's enough, Gaara." Shukaku said. "You've been locked up in here for a while, but we're getting out and we don't have to kill anybody to do that."

"How so?" Was the red head's question. Shukaku then hovered backwards, allowing Gaara to walk through the door and into the hallway of the lower level's of the castle. His green eyes then widened when he caught sight of the one who had placed him here in the first place. "Ogonno Fuujin."

"Easy there, Gaara." The golden eyed tanuki-cat raised his paws in a placating manner. "You're free from the cell. It's okay now, alright?"

Gaara grunted in disbelief as his jade orbs stared into the sapphire ones of his now former captor. The red haired dark mage curled his lips into a snarl as he and Naruto stared down one another, the tension between the two twenty year olds being almost palpable. The tension vanished almost as quickly as it came though, as Gaara shifted his focus to the Ichibi no Tanuki.

"I find it very difficult to believe that he would be letting us go without any strings attached." Jade orbs fixated upon the Apocalypse Dragonslayer once more. "What do you want, Fuujin?"

"In all honesty, I do not require anything from you as Shukaku is more than enough to do what this task entails. However..." Naruto tapped a finger against his chin in thought. "It would be far better to perform the job if there were two of you to relay information back here to the castle."

"Relay information? Shukaku?" The Sand Magic user demanded an explanation as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"A lot has happened in these past couple of days, Gaara." Shukaku explained. "I won't get into the nitty gritty of it all, but I managed to be reunited with all of my brothers and sisters. They have all chosen to stay here as a part of this brat's spy network thing that he's been making, and if they are staying then I have no reason not to stay. As a result, I am now part of this spy network, and when we return to Grimoire Heart, we will be their moles."

"You're betraying Grimoire Heart?" The red haired sand user asked. Golden eyes rolled in their sockets as the sand coloured Exceed released a snort of amusement.

"Betrayal implies that we have some sort of a good thing goin' on between us and Grimoire Heart. Gaara, you and I both know that Hades was just keeping us around to fill the spaces in his Seven Kin of Purgatory after Milkovich brought us in. We were seen as tools, and due to your existential crisis you can take that in stride, but I am not a tool. I've been through enough shit to know that I won't take Grimoire Heart's bullshit like a whipped dog." The geokinetic feline said. "Think of it this way; I get stuff done for the sake of my family and you get a new purpose in life. You always wanted a reason to be alive. I say being a double agent is a good reason."

"Why would you tell me all of this?"

"Because Shukaku trusts you." Kurama said from his place atop Naruto's head. "As annoying as he is, I won't deny my little brother's judge of character."

"I could just as easily lie and say that I will accept the task and turn it around to use for my own benefit should I report this to Master Hades." The red haired insomniac stated. "What would you do in the event of such an occurrence?"

"Shukaku is just as bloodthirsty as you, boy." The Kyuubi chuckled. "He'll literally tear you apart if you do anything to compromise the mission."

Gaara's face was non-expressive, but his eyes narrowed in thought as he processed the information. On one hand, he was alive and got to return to the dark guild under the guise of a double agent. One the other, he was forced into doing something against his will, but Shukaku was also threatening to destroy him. Shukaku was the one who helped him provide a massive bulk of magic to keep his Sand Armour spell activated during battle, and so the Sand Magic user could imagine just how creative Shukaku would become if he were to enact his hypothetical situation.

"Very well." Gaara nodded his head. "I will be your eyes and ears in Grimoire Heart."

"I know." Naruto reached into his cloak and pulled out a Communication Seal tag. He handed the piece of paper to his newest spy. "A mental link will be established between us for as long you supply the necessary amount of magic energy into the seal. Shukaku, you will not need one as I am aware of the mental link between the Nine."

"You had this prepared beforehand." Gaara noted as he placed the seal tag in his pocket. "Your confidence in my accepting of your terms is quite frightening, I must admit. How did you come to the conclusion that I would accept?"

Naruto smirked beneath his face mask. "Because I always get what I want."


Rooftop, Spy Network HQ, Eastern Fiorean Mountain Range, Fiore

Hashirama looked out across the vast landscape and he couldn't believe how vivid the colours of the Earthland dimension were. He had been on a mission by King Faust every time he had come through the Anima, searching for members of the Nine to take back for his now deceased master. As such, he never really had time to appreciate the scenery. The sea of greenery that decorated the mountains was akin to liquid emerald. He took in the variety of fauna that his exceptional vision allowed him to spy. Rabbits hopped through the bushes, female bears and wolves catered to their own offspring while the various winged creatures, birds and even wyverns, flew through the bright expanse of blue as white clouds drifted lazily by. With a deep inhalation, the red armoured Exceed released a sigh as he basked in the golden rays of the July sun. However, as he was glancing up at the sky, Hashirama gained a quizzical look on his face when he caught sight of the broken moon, its shattered pieces orbiting around the celestial body like a satellite.

"Holy crap!" The bane of the Nine blinked owlishly. "What the fuck happened to the moon?"

"You got me." Hashirama turned around to see Kurama hovering behind him. "I've been wondering about that myself ever since I took note of it yesterday. Sue said it happened last week, so it was probably around the same time we went to Edolas. News networks are still covering it because pieces of the moon fell through the atmosphere and crashed down on Earth. They've been calling the event Heaven's Fall."

"Cool name."

Kurama shrugged. "I should probably ask Sue if she knows what happened when I get the chance."

The crimson eyed feline glided across and planted himself down next to the Mokuton user. "You know, when we got back to the castle, you immediately said you would just sit up here on the roof and take a look around. We had time to give Roshi, Son Goku and the rest of the Exceed a tour of the castle, visit one of our recovering members who recently had surgery done, and even finished striking a deal with a new spy member. Yet...you're still here. To be honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if you would have taken the time to just fly away on your own."

"I could have, but...I've been doing a lot of things since I was born in that tank. I just wanted to take a moment and just...take it all in."

A comfortable silence occurred between the two powerful beings of Edolas as they gazed out over the mountainous region of Fiore. Hashirama couldn't help but smile at the scenery.

"You have a beautiful world here."

"I'll be honest, I never really noticed until that day we were taken back to Edolas." Kurama hovered over to the Mokuton user and sat next to him. "I guess it's true what they say about how you never notice what you truly have until it's gone."

(Insert Music: Naruto Shippuden- Obito's Theme)

"And I guess I never really had anything to begin with." Hashirama stated. "My whole life I was raised to follow King Faust with blind faith. I saw him as a father, you know? I don't even know when it was that he started seeing me less as a member of the court and more as a weapon to be exploited. He loved his people and he loved the kingdom."

"We know, Hashirama." Kurama planted a paw on his fellow Exceed's shoulder. "But you know that he was in the wrong."

"I do." He sighed, running a paw through the black area of fur on his head. "I'm just...I'm ashamed of myself. It took the words of the very beings I captured to show me the error of his ways and to show me that I was the one at fault. In the end though, he was all I had. Now...I'm lost and I don't know what to do."

"Despite everything that's happened, you are just a youngling, Hashirama." The Kyuubi stated. "You were created to be a weapon to fight against us, and so you never got the chance to really experience what it is like to grow up and mature. I'm not expecting you to accept, but I am willing to offer you a place among us here at the castle. Naruto holds a hell of a grudge, rightfully so though since you literally kidnapped me."

The brown and black furred Exceed couldn't help but laugh at the fox costumed feline's joking tone, but he shook his head. "I appreciate it, Kurama. I really do, but you're right. I never really did get to go out and witness Edolas and Earthland for what they had to offer. I think I'll just spread my wings and fly around. I'll check out the rest of this kingdom. Who knows, maybe I'll explore the entire continent or the entire dimension of Earthland. With Edolas cut off from us forever, it's kind of the only thing I got left. I mean unless I can find Kankaku again."

"Kankaku?" Kurama gained a questioning look on his face.

"He's the guy I came with when I...fought you guys." A sheepish expression came across the wood manipulator's face upon recalling the event. "To be honest, I can't remember exactly what happened that led to us meeting up, but he told me that you were with Naruto, though he called him by the Ogonno Fuujin title at the time. I knew you were the Onibi Myobu, though judging from the whispers I hear around the castle, you've earned the moniker of Kyuubi no Yoko."

"The circumstances under which I earned that name are less than unfavourable." The crimson eyed cat scowled.

"Well, anyway...I kinda just went with him. We weren't partners or friends, he just happened to come across me when he was looking for Naruto, asking if I knew where to find a him. I kinda did though since I was created to locate you and fight you. Did you know I could sense your magical energy signatures across this entire kingdom. Though I guess it could be from the fact that you were going all out with your full nine tails and everything."

"Probably." Kurama sighed before climbing to his feet and holding out a paw. "Well then, Hashirama...despite our less than favourable manner of meeting, you did help Naruto to save my siblings and I. You saved the Exceed as well and I thank you for that. I mean it."

"I had to make up for what I did. I figured saving you nine would be a start in making up for that." Hashirama chuckled as he also stood up, clasping paws with the fire user. "So...I guess I'll see you when I see you?"

"Good luck."

The Mokuton user nodded before he let go of Kurama's paw and summoned forth his wings. With a few quick flaps, he was airborne and flying through the clouds, his body becoming smaller and smaller until he vanished into the distance. The moment the Edolesian weapon had vanished, Kurama released a sigh and shrugged his shoulders as Naruto appeared behind him in a swirl of wind.

"He denied our offer?"

"Yup." The reply was immediately as Kurama spread his wings and hovered towards his partner, nestling atop his golden locks. "You know I never realized how soft your hair is. Haku lends you her conditioner?"

"Kaa-chan's genetics. Uzumaki have naturally soft hair."

"I honestly can't tell when you're joking. You need to stop making jokes forever. Serious characters like you should never be capable of humour."

"What happened to wanting me to be more human?"

"Well yeah, but not that human. I mean sure you chuckle every now and then, but do you know how freaky it will be if someone hears you laugh?!"

"I never laugh." Naruto deadpanned.

"EXACTLY!" Kurama exclaimed before shuddering. "It's like screwing with the natural order."

Naruto rolled his eyes before summoning forth the miniature tornadoes beneath his feet that created his Flight spell. He then adjusted his position in the air before shooting off, the sound barrier shattering behind him as he quickly went from 0 to mach speeds. Kurama gripped onto the son of Acnologia before a look of concern appeared on his face.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. "I mean, I know they know who we are now, but..."

"We have to. If we don't do it now, then we may never get the chance to do it again."

"I really hate facing problems that don't involve violence." The strongest of the Nine groaned into the Apocalypse Dragonslayer's hair. A few seconds passed, but Kurama's head suddenly snapped up with the expression of an epiphany present on his face. "OH! Here's an idea..."

"No."

"But you didn't even hear what I had to say!"

"I don't need to to know that what you're suggesting is either stupid or very stupid."

"Oh come on, Naruto!"

"..."

"..."

"Fine." The son of two Wizard Saints sighed. "What's your idea?"

"Wipe their minds with-"

"No." Was the immediate answer. "I'm not wiping their minds with my Byakugan."

"BUT IT'S A GOOD IDEA!"

"KURAMA, SHUT UP!"


Hospital, Magnolia Town, Fiore

"Breathe in. Breathe out." Rin instructed to her patient. She listened to the sound of air moving through her patient's lungs before removing the stethoscope from her patient's back. "Very good. You have some very clear and strong sounding lungs, Romeo-kun."

The dark purple haired six year old beamed at the brown haired doctor before turning to his father. Macao couldn't help but smile at his son's expression as he handed him back his shirt. "That's my boy."

"Thanks Doctor Nohara!"

"You're very welcome, Romeo-kun. You keep up being strong and healthy like this and you'll be a mage in no time."

"You think so?"

"Of course. I never give false hope my patients. "She reached out and pinched the young boy's cheeks. "Especially ones as cute and adorable as you."

"Doctor Noharaaaa, stop thaaaaat." He whined as he quickly got out of the chair, heading straight for the door to escape the pinches of his general practitioner. Rin laughed before turning to the Purple Flare Magic user.

"So I'll see you again in another six months, Macao-san."

"That's the plan. Thanks again, Rin-chan." Macao said with a light blush on his face. "You know, Rin-chan, we're both single and good looking people..."

"Macao-san." A cute frown adorned the tattoo bearing doctor's face. "It is unethical to fraternize with patients and patients' family members."

"You aren't saying no." The Fairy Tail mage spoke with a sing-song voice, hope shining in his black eyes, causing Rin to roll her eyes with a laugh.

"Get out of my office." Macao laughed as he took Romeo by the hand and the two Conbolt males exited the room to head back to the guild.

(Insert Music: Fate/Stay Night UBW 2015- Sorrow)

Not a few seconds later did the same door open up to reveal her next patient. Rin gave a gentle smile, just as she did to all of her patients. Having a good rapport was always a plus in the hands of a doctor. It helped build trust between doctor and patient which helped in allowing the patient to open up more when taking a medical history. Not to mention it helped with having the word spread that the sole student of Porlyusica was a part of the staff of the Magnolia Town Hospital which helped bring in more patients to the outpatient clinic.

"So what brings you here so early in the year, Erza-chan?"

"It's not a medical problem I have, Rin-san." The brown eyed mage stated. "I...have something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure thing, Erza-chan. Though if this is a psychiatric problem, while I am more than happy to have a listen, your scheduled appointment with Yamanaka-san back at the Magic Council HQ is still to be met. You can't use me as an excuse to get out of it." Rin and Erza both laughed a little, but the Titania of Fairy Tail shook her head afterwards.

"It's not psychiatric either. I mean, yeah...the nightmares and the voices aren't as intense as they had been after the guild war, but..." Erza shook her head. "No. Rin-san, that's not what I'm here to talk about."

A serious expression came upon her face as Rin took note of her patient's distressed mood. "Alright. I understand. No more jokes, Erza-chan." She gave a motion to the swordswoman.

"Just to clarify, nothing leaves this room."

"Patient privacy and confidentiality are part of the backbone of medical ethics."

Erza nodded stiffly, accepting the response. A moment of silence passed between the two women as Erza took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Once she did, she straightened her posture and maintained eye contact with the face tattoo bearing doctor.

"Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze are my parents." Erza stated.

Birds stopped chirping. The wind stopped blowing. The world felt as if it had stopped spinning after Rin heard those words. She slowly reached over to the Communication Lachryma on her desk and pumped a small bit of magic into the green orb.

"Jackie?"

"Yes Doctor Nohara?"

"Cancel the rest of my evening appointments and have them rescheduled for next week."

"Of course, Doctor Nohara. I'll get right on it."

"Thanks Jackie." She took her hand off of the lachryma before she turned back to Erza and leaned forward. She propped her arms up by her elbows while steepling her hands, her brown eyes never losing their intensity they currently held. "You have my attention."


(A/N: I meant it when I said that I would be making cool down chapters after this Edolas Arc. A lot of exposition and talking will be happening over the course of these next few chapters. I'm also aiming to put in a bit more humour like what you saw in this chapter. At least, I thought it was funny. Hopefully you guys thought those scenes were funny too.

The Exceed are now a part of Naruto's spy network, Roshi and the Nine are all on his side as well. Gaara and Shukaku are gonna head back to Grimoire Heart to be his moles and Hashirama is off to do his own thing. He lost his father figure, is now part of a world that is no longer Edolas and is essentially alone. He needs some time to figure stuff out.

Now Naruto is off to go and have a little chat with his Clover Town friends and Erza just initiated the talk with Rin she had been putting off for the longest time. So, a lot of discussion and character interaction will be going on between these characters. How will Rin react to Erza's words and when she hears who her brother is? How will the Clover Town gang react to Naruto and Kurama's explanation about them being the Ogonno Fuujin and Kyuubi?

Also, just a note. Lisanna in Edolas was Edolesian Lisanna. She didn't die in Edolas and the Earthland Lisanna is still dead. The reason why I kept it like that is because I honestly thought that Lisanna offered no sort of development to the plot or the series as a whole. When that particular moment in Fairy Tail happened, I will admit that I was happy for her. She got to see Mira and Elfman again and she got to see the guild and her own world once more. It was a happy moment, but after that she kinda just faded into the background just like most of the side characters did. Plus, her staying dead will help me set up a good moment for relationship building between Natsu and Lucy in the next chapter.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to Review, Review, Review!)