Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Read at your own risk. There's still original stuff in here, but if you haven't gotten to this point in the anime/manga, then some things may be ruined for you. I advise catching up to the anime/manga if you haven't already (for more reasons than just reading my story)! Thank you and enjoy!

Sorry! This ended up being another really long one. I'm not trying, it just happens. Hope you guys enjoy it, though.

Fairy Tail—The Master and the Dragon

Chapter 45

Nikolias looked at his hands in amazement. He had just witnessed the Tenrou Tree's revival and, while he didn't fully understand what had happened or what was going on, he knew one thing for sure; he was feeling better.

He had been moving like a sloth after the Tree fell, fighting against the angry wounds all over his body so that he could move forward and rejoin his friends. He kept on fighting, praying that everyone was doing alright while he was feeling weaker and weaker.

And then, out of nowhere, the Tenrou Tree that had been broken began to rise up and mend itself. He had no idea how the Tree was able to do something like that, but once it was standing proudly once more, the golden Fairy Tail insignia on his neck began to glow as brightly as the sun and with it, a wave of comfort washed over his body, dulling the intense pain significantly. His senses also cleared up quite a bit, so he was much more positive in where everyone was.

He clenched his fists and started walking again. Although the pain had died away considerably, his wounds were still screaming at him to stop, for the constant movement made the healing go very slowly. He could tell that the wounds had all healed to the point where they were more than half of their original size, but they still remained open and blood was still leaking out.

He paused momentarily as he leaned against a tree, supporting his weight with his shaky arm. "Damn, I'm starting to feel light headed now. But what choice did I have? By resting, it would have taken more than a day for wounds like this to close fully and to the point where I wouldn't feel pain and I can't make them wait for me for that long. What if they still need my help?" He ripped off his shirt and tore the fabric to make as many bandages as he could for the more severe injuries. In the end, he only had three strips of suitable bandages, so he wrapped one tightly around his left thigh just above the knee, one tightly around his right arm just below the shoulder, and the other was wrapped tightly around his abdomen to cover wounds in both the front and back of his lower torso. Satisfied with his makeshift bandages, he nodded and continued on. "It'll have to do for now. If I had more strength before, I would have done that much sooner. Probably should have done it sooner. Oh well."

Suddenly, Nikolias' ears twitched and his eyes went wide and dragon-like. His head whipped to the sky as his eyes scanned the blue canopy. "This…This can't be right," he breathed. "No way. What I'm sensing couldn't be…"

He grit his teeth and tried to run towards the base camp. However, before he could even take a step, his legs gave out and he crashed to the ground with a thud. He pushed himself up as best he could, even though the muscles in his arms begged him to lie still. "Damn it!" He delivered a sharp punch to his right leg in frustration. "Damn it, move! Move you damn legs!" He managed to move his right leg and get one foot underneath him. "I'm not sure if they've won already, but whether they've won or are still fighting doesn't matter right now. They're in danger! As strong as they all are, there's no way they can fight what's coming alone." He pushed himself to his feet very slowly and shakily as he tried to keep himself upright. "I won't lose anyone else. I need to be there for them, SO MOVE!" With that he pushed off and ran faster than he should have been able to. He ran through the agonizing pain that tore through his body. He ran to save his friends from the dangerous pressure that was creeping closer and closer to the island.

He just prayed that he wouldn't be too late.


Lucy brushed the hair out of Natsu's face as he slept soundly underneath a tent. "Man, he's really out."

Lisanna giggled. "Well, can you blame him? He probably put more energy into that fight than he actually had."

Elfman groaned. "With snoring like that, I'll never be able to relax."

Happy jumped up and down. "Natsu's just lucky that we were able to find Hades' heart and destroy it! Otherwise, he never would have been able to pull off a win!"

Lucy sweatdropped. "I sometimes have to question how much faith you actually have in him."

"Still, it's a really good thing that you, Carla, and Lily were able to do that," Mira said with a smile.

Lily nodded. "Yes, the Exceed team was able to successfully complete its mission."

Gajeel chuckled. "That's my Lily!" he said while pumping his fist, but the act was a little too painful for him as he hissed at the discomfort.

"You should take it easy, Gajeel," Levy said in a stern voice. "No extreme movements for you."

"Say what?" Gajeel said in disbelief.

"You heard me," Levy said while crossing her arms.

Gajeel huffed. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like I need to move too much with Salamander out for the count."

Levy giggled and smiled. "Good!" She then turned to Wendy who was sitting underneath another tent, giving treatment to Gracie's leg. "You need to take it easy too, Wendy."

Wendy shook her head while she focused. "I'm fine. Ever since the Tenrou Tree came back, I've felt incredible! Besides, people need help."

Gracie was spacing out while the cuts, burns, and bruises disappeared from her leg. She was growing more and more concerned by the minute that something had happened to Nikolias. 'Where the hell is that moron? I swear if he got himself killed, I will murder him.' Her gaze fell further to the ground. 'Is what Hades said really true? Did Niky lose that badly? Did he really almost die? What if he is dead, lying alone in the forest?'

Wendy stopped her magic and wiped her brow with a smile. "There! All done, Gracie!" However, Gracie didn't respond, causing Wendy to look at her in confusion. "Gracie?"

Gracie blinked as she came back to reality. She examined her leg and quickly smiled. "Sorry, Wendy. I kinda spaced out there." She bent and straightened her leg a few times. "Feels great! I'll give it a test drive." She leapt to her feet. "Yep, 100%! You're the best, Wendy!"

"Don't mention it," Wendy said with a smile.

Gracie walked over to the forest's edge and peered into the darkness. 'Niky, where are you?'

"What are you doing, Gracie?" Gray asked as he and Erza walked over.

She turned around. "Oh, hey guys. Just looking at the forest."

"I bet you're wondering how the Tenrou Tree came back after being destroyed," Erza said.

Gracie smiled. "Yeah, it's weird isn't it? I mean, the Tree was broken and now it's not. Freaky."

Gray looked up at the Tenrou Tree. "Was it Ultear?" he mumbled to himself. "Nah, couldn't be. Why would she do something like that?"

Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes caught the three mage's attention. "Show yourself!" Erza demanded.

'Could it be Niky?' Gracie hoped.

Out of the bushes, Juvia crawled out. "It's just Juvia."

"Juvia? What happened to you?" Gray asked.

Juvia smacked her head on the ground. "Gray-sama, Juvia is so sorry! She couldn't catch Zeref, even though she tried her best!" She turned herself around, sticking her rear into the air and offering it to Gray. "Juvia begs that you punish her!"

Gracie burst out laughing. "Yeah, Gray. She's been a baaaaad girl."

"I told you I'm not into that!" Gray shouted. "And Gracie, stop encouraging her!"

Lucy stood up to stretch her legs and saw Cana looking longingly at the forest. She walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

Cana smiled at her. "Yeah. I'm just worried about my father, that's all."

"Hey this is Gildarts we're talking about," Lucy said. "He's fine."

"So let me get this straight," a familiar voice said behind them, causing them both to turn. Sitting beside a slightly ticked off Laxus was Gildarts. "You actually showed up on Tenrou Island without permission? Man, you're in so much hot water for that!"

"Oh shut it, old man. I did what anyone would have done," Laxus spat.

"GILDARTS!" Natsu roared, having somehow awoken from his coma-like sleep. "COME AND FIGHT ME!" He leapt at Gildarts, but was quickly knocked unconscious by a quick punch to the head by Gildarts' metal left arm.

"He's out now," Laxus muttered.

"The kid needs his rest anyway," Gildarts groaned. "Man, he's an energetic one."

"He's always been like that," Lucy said as she walked over. "Oh and welcome back, Gildarts. Glad to see that you're safe."

"Thanks, Lucy," Gildarts said with a smile. "But I don't know. Part of me feels like he's gotten even more rambunctious over the past couple of weeks."

"Maybe you're right," Lucy said as she looked around camp. The Strauss siblings were sitting around talking, Wendy was healing some of the wounded, and Gracie was laughing hysterically as Gray ran from Juvia's pleas for punishment. She smiled. 'Finally, everything is back to normal.'

Wendy wiped her brow again. "There. I'm done, Levy!"

Levy smiled. "Thanks a lot Wendy!"

Carla, who was standing behind Wendy, peered around her small frame to see a line had formed. "Make sure you take it easy, child. A lot of people want to be healed and they don't seem to care that it's taxing on you."

"Don't be like that," Wendy said. "I want to help."

"She's right, Wendy," Erza said, walking over in a nurse's uniform. "Let me help you out."

"What are you wearing, Erza?" Wendy asked in shock.

"You have no healing ability!" Carla cried.

"It doesn't matter," Erza said while waving her hand. "All that matters is one's heart." She sat on a stump and crossed her legs. "Alright, who wants to be treated first?" And just like that, all of the men in Fairy Tail lined up in front of Erza.

"Why are men so stupid?" Carla asked in bewilderment.

Levy was busy trying to console a very depressed Wendy. "Look on the bright side, Wendy; you can rest up a bit now!"

"Is it because she has a better body than me?" Wendy asked. "Is it because her boobs are bigger?"

"No way!" Levy squealed while putting her hands defensively to her own flat chest. "That has nothing to do with it!"

Gracie walked over. "Besides Wendy, I uh…don't think she's doing it quite right." She then pointed, making the two look over.

Erza had wrapped bandages tightly around Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu, making it seem like she was torturing them for information rather than trying to heal them. "This is far more difficult than I anticipated."

Juvia chewed on her tattered shirt. "So all this time, Gray-sama was the one who wanted to be punished? Juvia is so stupid. How did she not realize this before?"

"Ga…jeel," Levy hissed menacingly.

"Natsu what the hell are you doing there?!" Lucy shouted.

"I was getting treatment, but now I'm hurting even more!" Natsu wailed.

Lucy slapped her forehead. "Honestly, men are so stupid."

Mira giggled as she walked over to join the group. "They just want to have some fun is all."

"Speaking of men, has Nikolias come back?" Lucy asked, thinking that he had snuck back into camp like Gildarts had.

Mira looked down, her face still smiling but her eyes showing sorrow. "No, he's not back yet," she said softly.

Gracie put a hand on her shoulder. "Give it time, Mira. He's on his way, I know it."

"Right," Mira said, wanting to believe Gracie's words.

Gracie was looking for any way to change the subject, so she turned to Makarov, who had run from the line as soon as Erza nearly mummified three unsuspecting victims. "Hey Master, what are we gonna do about the S-Class Trials?"

Makarov laughed. "Good question! I suppose we'll postpone them for a while. We'll head back to the guild to clear our heads and freshen up our bodies."

"Yeah that's a good idea," Gracie said with a nod. "It's best if we go home."

Makarov grinned mischievously. "I'll also be putting forth a new rule; all female members will be required to wear nurse outfits or swim suits!"

Gracie sweatdropped. "Gross."

Mira gave off a cold aura. "I think you should get serious before I have to."

Makarov shuddered. "Why must girls always be such party poopers?"


Ultear sighed as she leaned back in the small wooden boat that she had managed to fashion before leaving the island. Her arm was bandaged from her fight with Gray and she wore an orange tank top and blue shorts that she had had underneath her Grimoire Heart uniform.

She looked across the boat at Meredy, who was sitting with her legs pulled towards her body, allowing her to rest her chin on her knees. "Meredy," Ultear said softly, "is everything alright? You don't seem too happy." Meredy didn't answer, so she continued. "I have an idea for us. We'll forget about Grimoire Heart and Lord Zeref and we'll live happy lives together."

"Is it true?" Meredy asked, her voice wavering slightly as if she were on the verge of tears. "Were you the one in charge of destroying my home town?" Ultear's eyes widened at the sudden question before her gaze softened and fell to the floor. Meredy saw this and continued. "I deserve to know if you were the one who led the attack that took my family and my friends away from me."

"You're right," Ultear said. "You deserve to know." She took a deep breath, knowing the next words out of her mouth would be very difficult ones. "Yes, it was me."

Meredy felt like her heart had just shattered. Tears threatened to fall from her wide green eyes. 'Zancrow was right?'

Ultear hugged her legs. "I always meant to tell you the truth someday, but I always considered this life the first try. I thought that if I mastered the Arc of Time and brought about the Grand Magic World, I could create that second try. Because of this belief, I never fully accepted that any actions in this life had any consequences. I mean, what would it matter when we could just start over?" She looked out over the ocean. "That belief also enabled me to carry out multiple atrocities with no remorse. I believed that the second life would be my true life; one filled with happiness and peace." She looked back to Meredy, whose head was hanging low. "Yours, too, Meredy. I wanted these things for you as well." She hung her head in shame. "Now you know why."

Meredy stood in the boat, causing it to shake. Her fists were clenched as she trembled in anger. Still, she said nothing, allowing her rage to silently build.

"I'm so sorry, Meredy," Ultear said, trying not to look at the angry girl. "I know it's too late, but I realize how wrong I was and that I had no right to do what I did. If I had just opened my eyes, I would have realized that what I was chasing was nothing more than a delusion and that all I truly needed to be happy was right in front of me all along. I won't ask for your forgiveness for what I've done, but know that I truly am sorry."

Meredy's shaking was intensifying, but she remained silent.

Ultear closed her eyes as she summoned her Grimoire Heart blade. "I understand that you're filled with hatred for me." She then proceeded to impale herself with the blade just beneath her rib cage. She smiled at Meredy as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. "But now you don't have to dirty your hands by taking revenge on me. You can live a better life now. I promise." She began to sway from the pain.

"Ultear…," Meredy whispered in disbelief, eyes wide with fright.

"I can promise this because after today, I won't be here to bring you despair," Ultear said as she made her way to the edge of the boat.

"Ultear!" Meredy cried.

Ultear gave her a smile. "Find your joy. Find love. Live your own life now. You're free. Make something of yourself." She then leapt off the edge. "I love you, Meredy." Immediately after these words left Ultear's lips, she crashed into the water, allowing her body to sink to the depths of the sea.

"ULTEAR!" Meredy shrieked.

Ultear's smile never faded as she welcomed the cold water. 'The sea…I'm with my mother again. I guess that makes this a happy ending to my meaningless life.' She felt her consciousness beginning to slip away, but was still able to feel a pair of small arms wrap around her body and pull her towards the surface.

Meredy inhaled deeply as she broke through the water's surface, her arms wrapped tightly around Ultear. She panted as tears began to sting her eyes.

Ultear's eyes opened, surprised to see the blue sky and warm sun. She turned around to see Meredy behind her. "You…saved me?"

"Let's live…together," she said softly as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Meredy," Ultear whispered. She then felt a strange sensation building within her that she didn't understand. Knowing Meredy well enough, though, her eyes immediately went to her wrist and, sure enough, there was a pink band of magic wrapped around her wrist. "A Sensory Link? When did you…?"

"I feel it all," Meredy sobbed. "Your frustrations, your sadness, all of it. You can't blame yourself." She turned Ultear around and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "You made a mistake, but you're still like a mother to me. Nothing will ever change that." She buried her head deeper into Ultear's chest. "I forgive you. Just please don't ever talk like that again. I can't bear the thought of being without you, Ultear. I love you, too, so please, live life with me!"

Ultear's eyes filled with tears as she embraced Meredy. "Alright. We'll live together. And I won't talk like that again." The two continued to tread water while lovingly embracing the other.

After a while, Ultear swam towards the boat and helped Meredy get in before getting in herself. "So where would you like to go?"

Meredy smiled as she wiped away the tears that had stained her face. "Anywhere. As long as you're there with me, I don't care where we go."

"We could start off close to Magnolia," Ultear offered. "We won't live there since we'll probably be pursued by the Magic Council, but we'll stay in the surrounding area for a while."

Meredy tilted her head. "Why there?"

Ultear smiled. "I'd like to have the chance to thank Fairy Tail properly one day soon." Her smile then turned to a mischievous grin. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to be too far from your first love interest."

"L…Love interest?" Meredy stuttered, her face turning red.

"I saw you admiring him in my crystal ball," Ultear said. "You like him, don't you?"

"It's not like that!" Meredy shouted as she wriggled uncomfortably in her seat. "You're misreading things. I don't love Nikolias."

"Oh? You know his name?" Ultear teased. "You've really done your research on him, haven't you?"

"I said it's not like that!"

Ultear laughed. "If you say so. Perhaps in time, you'll be more willing to admit it."

"Not likely," Meredy murmured as her face became redder.

Ultear decided to tease her more. She sighed. "Well if you're not interested, maybe I'll just take him."

Meredy's eyes shot open. "What?"

Ultear shrugged. "He's a very attractive man as I openly admitted before. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better. He could be part of our new life. He could be your new father."

Meredy turned away. "You're a jerk, Ultear."

Ultear burst out laughing as the young girl's reaction gave away her true feelings. "I'm sorry, Meredy." Still, after saying the words aloud to Meredy, she had to admit that she liked the image that had formed in her mind. 'Perhaps I'm more into him than I thought.'


Hades sat in his chair, his dining hall in shambles after battling with Fairy Tail. He was heavily bandaged as he sat in contemplation at his guild's failure to complete their missions and was disgusted that it resulted in retreat.

Kain and Rustyrose stood in disbelief in front of their master. "I still can't believe it. We were actually defeated," Rustyrose said in a very monotonous voice.

"But how?" Kain asked. "How could we have lost? It doesn't make sense."

"That's not even the worst part," Rustyrose said. "Lord Zeref was within our grasp and we let him slip through the cracks, allowing him to take our dreams of the Grand Magic World away with him." Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps had all three men turning towards the dark hall. "Who goes there?" Rustyrose demanded.

"It's people like you that made me what I am today," a quiet voice said as a figure appeared from the shadows. The Grimoire Heart mages were in shock.

It was Zeref.

Zeref walked closer to the three. "And it was your wicked thoughts that summoned Acnologia." He stopped and glared at Hades with red eyes. "This day shall forever mark the end of the current era. It can no longer be stopped. This miserable world will come to an end here and now!"

"Lord Zeref," Hades whispered as he trembled. "It's really Lord Zeref standing before me." Rustyrose and Kain kneeled before the Dark Wizard without saying a word. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is this a dream?" Hades turned to his kneeling followers. "The keys! Bring the keys at once!"

"Master Hades," Rustyrose said, "I…can't move!"

"Neither can I," Kain said. "I'm stuck!"

"What?" Hades said in bewilderment.

"It's pointless anyway," Zeref said. "Those keys are useless, for I am wide awake."

"You're awake?" Hades shouted.

"Tell me, how many atrocities did you commit in order to obtain these keys?" Zeref asked. "Do you remember the faces of all the people whose lives you took? What about those whose lives will be forever scarred from your actions? How many people had to suffer so that you could obtain worthless toys?"

"Worthless toys?" Hades repeated. "They aren't worthless toys! They are the keys for your reawakening!"

"These keys you speak of are nothing more than objects of folk tales created by desperate fanatics; corrupt cultists who sought my resurrection," Zeref explained. "And you took their fiction as truth. What a sad and atrocious legacy to leave behind."

"This can't be right," Hades growled.

"You fool. I was never asleep to begin with, so there was never a need for 'keys'," Zeref said. "The man who stands before you is the true Black Wizard Zeref."

"You lie!" Hades shouted. "You were asleep! I saw it with my Devil's Eye! You fell to one of my underlings! You were so weak that you couldn't defeat anyone!"

"Clearly you don't understand, so I will simplify it for you," Zeref said. "That may have been my full power at the time, but that is no longer the case." Suddenly, Zeref's power surrounded him, shrouding him in a black haze. "400 years ago, I saw countless conflicts among humans and the devastation they brought about. I saw only despair, but by some miracle, the day came that I saw the value in life. I gained a sense of peace and serenity that I had never realized I yearned for. However, the closer I tried to get to peace, the more death this accursed body of mine would bring. If I am to stop this cycle of death, I must forget how to appreciate human life. It is the burden that I must bear."

"So you've only been waiting for something to force you to fight against the value of human life?" Hades asked.

"Yes. I was unable to use any of my magic because I was bound by this sense of morality," Zeref said before narrowing his eyes. "However, because of your actions on this island, those shackles have been removed and the world will be forever changed. This era's end will be brought about by Acnologia and it was your evil intentions that summoned him here."

"Who is this Acnologia that you keep mentioning?" Hades demanded.

"You must be punished for all of the trouble that you have caused," Zeref said as he began to move his arms like hands on a clock.

"Wait!" Hades begged. "I have so many questions that I have yet to ask!"

"I must punish you," Zeref said while ignoring Hades, "for summoning Acnologia to this world." He put his wrists together so that his right index and middle fingers were pointing towards the broken roof and his left index and pinky fingers were pointing at the splintered floor. "And for your greatest sin..."

"No!" Hades shouted.

"Hades! It was you alone who caused me to forget how important human life is!" The black haze around his body began to intensify and expand. "Repent while you still can." And then the black haze spread out, engulfing Hades in its power.

As soon as the haze reached Hades, it erupted as a pillar of black magic power that tore through the roof and hull of the flying airship.

Hades collapsed on the floor of the ship and remained motionless.

"No! What did you do to our Master?" Rustyrose shouted.

"He's…dead," Kain said.

Zeref glared at Hades' body. "You're not even worthy of death. Suffer in the afterlife for your deeds." Suddenly, a dark presence caught Zeref's attention as he turned his head over his shoulder. He grit his teeth. "He's here. Acnologia has come."


"Wait, did I hear you right, Gramps?" Natsu asked as he, Gajeel, Gray, and Elfman broke free from Erza's "treatment" and hustled over to Makarov. "Are you seriously going to cancel the S-Class Trials?"

"This is just a joke, right?" Gray said.

"We're good to keep going! I wanna be S-Class!" Gajeel complained.

"You're not even in the running!" Elfman shouted.

Makarov sighed. Mira stood behind him with a board and pen as she mindlessly took stock of supplies. "Look it's not a joke. The S-Class Trials are officially cancelled. Put yourselves in my shoes; what other choice do I have?"

Mira nodded. "He's right. First, a Council member sneaks into the guild and manipulates our memories. Then, Grimoire Heart shows up and interrupts us. Plus, there are so many injuries."

Levy nodded while sitting on one of the supply boxes. "Yeah when you consider all of that, I think cancelling is for the best."

Gray pulled at his hair. "I wanted to be S-Class! Damn it all, I totally had it this year!"

Elfman sighed. "I guess a real man knows when to call it quits. There's no helping it."

"What the hell is with all of this giving up crap?" Natsu yelled. "Fine, throw in the towel. That means I'm the winner by default!"

Gracie giggled. "He's so lively. I love it!"

Lucy palmed her forehead. "It's more stubbornness than anything else."

"Fine, Natsu," Makarov said. "If you won't listen to reason then I have no choice. I'll make an exception and let you take the final test." He waved Natsu forward. "If you can defeat me, then I'll promote you to S-Class."

Mira bent down. "Master, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"The boy needs to learn," Makarov responded.

Natsu chuckled. "Alright! You guys are looking at the new S-Class member of Fairy Tail! I'm fired up!" He leapt at Makarov. "Get ready, Gramps, because I ain't holding back!"

Makarov used his Titan magic to massively enlarge his right arm. He then threw a fast and powerful punch at Natsu's leaping form, pushing him into a tree trunk. Everyone cringed as Natsu's body met with wood.

Gracie sweatdropped. "That was…excessive."

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, her hands covering her mouth.

"I was so close," Natsu wheezed.

Makarov huffed as he withdrew his fist. "You lose, Natsu. Too bad. Better luck next year."

Gildarts walked over and picked up the groaning Natsu. "I got him. C'mon Natsu, we're going fishing!" With that, Gildarts walked off towards the forest, Happy excitedly following them.

Cana walked over to Lucy. "Where are they going?" she asked curiously.

"Something about fishing," Lucy said.

Cana shrugged and smiled at Lucy. "Hey Lucy, come with me. I wanna show you this herbal spring I found. It's supposed to help with injuries."

Lucy's eyes sparkled. "That sounds awesome! I'm totally in. Just lead the way."

The girls excitedly walked into the forest towards the spring.


"Cana, I so hate you right now!" Lucy hissed, her eyes squeezed shut as the herbs in the water stung her mercilessly. She and Cana had found the spring shortly after leaving camp. Lucy had quickly undressed and dipped her body in, but soon found herself regretting it.

Cana whimpered as she rubbed the herbs on her wounds. "These spring's herbs are medicinal, so it's bound to sting a little. Calm down, it's going to help in the long run."

Lucy ignored the pain and looked at Cana. "So how's your arm?"

Cana smiled as she lifted her right arm out of the water, showing that the black markings from before had vanished. "It looks like the Fairy Glitter ran out. Too bad, huh? I thought it looked pretty cool with all of those markings on it. Oh well. Everything's back to normal now."

Lucy nodded and looked into the water. "Well, almost normal," she whispered.

Cana tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to say it in front of Mira or Gracie, but I'm really worried about Nikolias," Lucy said. "I feel like he should be back by now."

Cana looked into the forest. "Yeah, I'm worried, too. But I believe in him to come back."

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. It's stupid to worry about Nikolias. He's a dragon, after all."

Cana frowned as she looked back into the water. "Hey Lucy?"

"What's up?"

"I wanted to apologize."

Lucy blinked. "Apologize? For what?"

"For ditching you to look for Mavis' grave. It was selfish of me. I'm sorry."

Lucy giggled. "Oh that? That doesn't matter. I'm fine."

"Still," Cana said, hugging her body, "it really bothers me that I could act like that; that I could do that to a friend. I betrayed you and I will always regret that."

"But I don't see it as a betrayal," Lucy assured. "You did what you had to in order to win. Look, I'm your partner, so I know more than anyone else how badly you wanted to win S-Class. I understand completely, so please don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

Cana smiled. "Thank you," she whispered. She then stood up, exposing her naked form to the breeze.

Lucy tilted her head. "Cana?"

Cana clenched her fists. "Even though I didn't make S-Class this year either, I still need to do it. I need to tell my father the truth."


Natsu groaned, a wooden fishing pole in his hand as he sat on some ruins near a river. He was bored out of his mind and he didn't recall agreeing to go fishing with Gildarts.

Gildarts looked at Natsu and sighed. "You know, you could try to at least pretend to have fun."

"Sorry. I'm so bored I must have forgotten to pretend to have fun," Natsu retorted.

"You just don't get that fishing is part of a man's spiritual journey," Gildarts explained.

"Yeah, Natsu!" Happy exclaimed. "I mean, just look at all the yummy fish!"

"That's not what I was getting at," Gildarts said. "It's about the thrill of using your hunting instincts and becoming one with nature. It's all about survival of the fittest. This is where men can feel alive!"

"Bored," Natsu said monotonously. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his line. "Oh, a bite!"

"Alright!" Gildarts cheered. "Now slowly reel it in."

"Okay!"

"Hey guys!" Lucy called over. She and Cana had made their way over from the spring to see the two fishermen.

Gildarts held up his hand. "Not now. Natsu's about to discover the true spirit of fishing so don't interrupt."

"Sorry, but Cana wants to talk to you about something, Gildarts," Lucy said with a smile.

Gildarts turned around in confusion. "Really?"

Lucy nodded while jogging over to Natsu. "Come on, Natsu! We're going over here."

Natsu continued to battle with the fish. "Just wait, Lucy! I'm totally about to reel in a big one to complete my journey of being a man!"

She leaned over and whispered seductively in his ear, "You know, there are more ways to do that than just fishing, you know."

"Really? Like what?" Natsu asked, completely oblivious to what Lucy was trying to hint at.

Lucy sighed while grabbing Natsu's scarf and Happy's tail. "I don't have time to explain it now. Let's go!" She then proceeded to drag the unwilling boys away from the river and into the forest.

"My journey!" Natsu whined.

"My dinner!" Happy complained.

"I don't care!" Lucy shot at them as she kept on dragging them, leaving Cana and Gildarts alone together. She did, however, make sure to stay within earshot so that she could see and hear everything.

Cana and Gildarts looked at each other silently for what felt like ages. Gildarts was sitting patiently, waiting for Cana to say what she needed to say, but she just stood there. He could tell that she was uncomfortable, though. Her eyes were fixed on the ground and her fists were clenched and trembling. He leaned forward a little. "So what's up? Lucy said you needed to talk to me about something."

Cana gripped her arm and gulped as she steeled her resolve. "Did you know that the whole reason I joined the guild was so that I could meet my father?"

"No, I never knew that," Gildarts said. He then thought for a second. "Wait, you said you joined to find him. So does that mean your old man used to be a member of Fairy Tail, too?"

"Uhm…yeah," Cana said.

Lucy held tightly to the tree she was hiding behind. "Come on, Cana. Do it!" she whispered.

Natsu put his chin on her shoulder. "What the hell is going on?"

Lucy kept her eyes fixed on Cana. "Just watch."

Cana took a deep breath before squeezing her eyes shut. "His name…is Gildarts."

Gildarts stared at her as he processed what was just said.

Lucy nodded proudly.

Natsu and Happy's jaws were on the ground in shock.

Gildarts blinked a few times and then the information fully sunk in. And once it did, he screamed in shock.

Cana lowered her head. "I tried to tell you so many times, but something always came up and kept me from saying it."

"Wait!" Gildarts shouted. "So you're saying that…you're my…"

"Daughter. Yeah. I guess it's hard to believe, huh?"

"Wait!" Gildarts shouted again. "Which one is your mother? Sarah? Naomi? Clara? Feena? Mary? Liza?" He dropped to his knees as he began counting on his fingers. "No that can't be. The hair color is all wrong! Emma? Lyla? Jenny? Sydney? Kate? The Yuko sisters?"

"Sisters!?" Cana exclaimed, her face twisted in annoyance and anger. "Just how many women have you done it with?"

"No, it has to be Sylvia! I'd recognize that face anywhere! She made it a lot, after all."

"Seriously?" Cana yelled as she scratched her head in frustration. "I finally tell my father the truth and I find out that he's just a deadbeat who can't keep himself from fucking every girl he sees!?" She turned on her heels. "Whatever. I was just letting you know. See ya." She began to walk away.

"No hold on!" Gildarts begged.

"I have nothing else to say!" Cana shouted at him. "It's not like I'm moving in with you. Hell, I wouldn't wanna interfere with your 'game'. Just carry on like I'm not here!" Her eyes widened, however, when Gildarts was suddenly in front of her and embracing her.

Gildarts smiled. "You're Cornelia's daughter for sure. No doubt about it."

"Please let go," Cana said, trying to keep herself from enjoying the moment. She was furious with him, after all.

"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" Gildarts asked softly.

"It's like I said, things kept coming up," she said as she shifted her head slightly. "Maybe I was just too afraid, though."

"Your mother, Cornelia, was the only woman I truly loved, Cana," Gildarts promised. "Marrying her was the happiest moment of my life. But she got fed up with me because all I ever did was work, so 18 years ago, she left me. It killed me to have to leave and when I heard that she had passed, it was like a knife had stabbed me in the heart. But part of her is still with me." He held her tighter. "I'm sorry. I should have realized it so much sooner."

Cana pulled out of the hug and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm the one who tried to keep it hidden, after all. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I'm glad I did." She put a hand to her chest. "Now the weight is finally lifted."

"All this time, I had a daughter," Gildarts mumbled as his body began to tremble. "She was right in front of me all this time."

"Look, you don't have to cry or anything," Cana said. "I don't expect anything from you. You don't even have to treat me differently." She blushed a little. "But, if you don't mind, can I say it just this once?"

"What is it?" Gildarts asked.

Cana gave him a big smile. "I'm glad I met you, Dad." She winked. "I really am."

Gildarts stared at her in shock, thoughts and memories of Cana over the years overwhelming him and slowly breaking him. Tears welled in his eyes before spilling over and rolling down his cheeks. "Baby!" he sobbed as he wrapped her in another tight hug.

Cana smiled as she returned the hug. 'Dad.'

"I promise I'll never make you feel sad again. I'll always be here for you," Gildarts said.

Tears rolled down Cana's cheeks as she enjoyed the warmth of her father's arms for the first time in her life.

"I'll be right by your side," Gildarts continued. "Whether it's on a job or hitting up the bars, I'll be there."

Cana laughed lightly. "I don't think you could keep up with me."

"All that I ask is that you give me the opportunity to be a loving father," Gildarts said.

Cana nodded in his arms.

Lucy wiped away a tear. 'A loving father. Maybe I should see mine again.'

Natsu wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Look how happy they are."

Lucy smiled at him and hugged him. "Yeah. They're happy and they can finally be a family."


Nikolias continued to run through the forest when suddenly, the pressure he had sensed grew exponentially. "No, it can't be here already," he growled. He narrowed his eyes. "I have to hurry! I need to go faster!" With that, he pushed forward with all of his might, forcing himself to run at full speed through the forest as he ignored the agonizing pain, thoughts of Mira and everyone else giving him strength.


Makarov sat on a boulder within the forest's edge, listening intently. "That sound…what could it be?"

"Master?" Erza said, walking up to the old guild master with Gracie right beside her.

"Yes Erza?"

"The ship will be ready to take us back to the mainland very soon," she reported.

"Thank you," Makarov replied.

"One more thing, Master," Gracie said, stepping forward. "Regarding Niky, what should we do? Do you want to leave without him?"

Makarov looked at her. "What would you like to do, Gracie?"

Gracie looked at her feet. "Normally, I'd say that we could just leave without him, no big deal. I mean, he can fly back if need be. Hell, he could swim back if he wanted. He's got the stamina for it. But…" She trailed off, her despair evident on her face.

"You're concerned for his well-being," Makarov said, filling in the blanks.

Gracie nodded. "I just…I don't know where he could be. No matter what, he should have been back long ago. And now, I'm worried that Hades' words might be true." Tears began to fill her eyes.

"I wouldn't put much stock into what that fool said," Makarov said.

"That's easy for you to say!" Gracie shrieked, causing Erza and Makarov's eyes to widen in surprise. Tears were falling nonstop as they outlined her pretty face. "I love all of you guys, but Niky will always be my only true family. He's my brother. I almost lost him against Bloody Moon, but this is worse because I don't know his condition! He could be dead for all I know and I'm not there for him!"

Erza put a comforting hand on Gracie's shoulder. "We understand, Gracie. We can wait for him if you'd like. We can even go and look for him."

"Why bother?"

Everyone turned to see Laxus leaning against a tree. "Laxus?" Erza said in surprise.

Laxus looked at Makarov. "Nikolias is a big boy. He can take care of himself. Besides, he wasn't there for any of his guild mates. Why should we take the time to go and look for him when he can just fly back on his own? We've got the injured to think about."

"Laxus, how could you say such a thing?" Erza asked, slight anger in her voice.

Laxus shrugged. "It's the truth."

Gracie clenched her fists and grit her teeth as she stomped over to Laxus. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled his body down so that his face was closer to hers. "I've been meaning to ask you, Laxus; what the hell was that remark about before when we were fighting Hades? Something about Niky doing god-knows-what while we were fighting?"

Laxus huffed. "No one knew where he was. How is that possible? If he was protecting Mira like he should have been, someone would know where he is right now. But does anyone have a clue? Nope."

Gracie's anger was building. "You son of a bitch! Niky fought hard to try and defeat one of Grimoire Heart's mages! He fought to let Mira and Lisanna escape before they could be killed! And besides, you weren't here either, so don't act like you know the play-by-play. You have no idea what went down!"

Erza pulled Gracie off of Laxus. "Enough, Gracie. I understand your frustrations, but we shouldn't fight amongst ourselves."

Gracie gave Laxus one last glare before turning on a heel and stomping off. "I'm going to go look for Niky."

"I'll come, too," Erza suggested.

However, no one got very far before a strange and powerful pressure washed over everyone's bodies, seemingly echoing through the air.

Laxus looked towards the sky. "What is that?"

Erza looked around. "I have no idea, but it doesn't seem good."

"I've been sensing this for a while, but I can't figure it out either," Makarov said.

Gracie hugged her body as she shivered. "This pressure…I don't know it, yet it's familiar for some reason. It's so dark."


Gildarts' eyes shot open as he looked towards the sky, holding Cana closer to his body. He knew this pressure. He had felt it before. "No, it can't be."

Cana looked up at Gildarts. "Is something wrong?"

"I hope not," Gildarts whispered, praying that the pressure was just a figment of his imagination.

Lucy held onto Natsu's arm. "Something feels really off."

"It smells off, too," Natsu said. "There's a really strange odor in the air."

"Natsu, what could it be?" Happy asked.

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the sky. "I don't know."


Everyone at base camp looked at the sky.

"What was that noise?" Gray asked. "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah, what was that?" Lisanna asked.

"Maybe it was the wind?" Mira offered, putting a cup of water in front of Wendy. "Here you go, Wendy."

"Thanks, Mira, but you shouldn't have to do this when you're not feeling well," Wendy said.

"Helping out makes me feel better, though," Mira said with a smile. 'It also takes my mind off of Nikolias, if only a little bit.'

Wendy smiled back. "If you say so." She then looked at her water and was surprised to see it shaking. "Huh?"

Suddenly, an ear-piercing roar shook the island, forcing everyone to cover their ears.

"What the hell was that?" Elfman asked.

"That was a dragon's roar!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Was it Nikolias?" Gray asked.

"No, that wasn't him," Mira replied.

Another loud roar shook the island.

"Is everyone okay?" Lucy called out. She, Natsu, Happy, Cana, and Gildarts had all run back as soon as Gildarts had sensed the pressure in the air.

"Did you guys hear that noise?" Happy asked.

"Yeah, Wendy says it was a dragon's roar, but Mira is sure that it's not Nikolias," Gray said.

Gildarts winced as he grabbed his left arm. Cana noticed this and stopped beside him. "Are you alright?"

"My wounds are starting to burn like hell," Gildarts replied.

"You don't mean those wounds from that mission, do you?" Natsu asked.

Gildarts nodded. "Yeah. That dragon is getting real close."

"Look!" Lily shouted in fear. "In the sky! Something's coming this way!"

Everyone looked and their eyes went wide with shock. In the sky above them was a massive black and gray dragon with blue markings decorating its body. It descended towards the island while releasing another powerful roar.

"Holy shit!" Gray exclaimed.

"That thing's humungous!" Elfman shouted.

"It is a dragon!" Bickslow cried.

The dragon flew overhead, sending out powerful gusts of wind that threatened to topple the trees.

"I don't think it's friendly like Nikolias," Wendy said.

"That's Acnologia." Everyone turned to see Makarov standing with Erza, Gracie, and Laxus. He was staring at the dragon that flew overhead. "The legendary Blood Dragon of the Apocalypse."

Gildarts nodded. "Yup, that's him alright."

"That sounds really bad," Lucy said. "What do we do?"

"HEY DRAGON!" Natsu cried. "WHERE'S IGNEEL? TELL ME! WHERE ARE IGNEEL, METALICANA, AND GRANDEENEY?"

Gildarts grabbed Natsu's shoulders. "Knock it off, Natsu! Don't provoke that thing. I know you haven't forgotten what that thing did to me. I lost my left arm and left leg the day I faced that thing. That thing even gutted me. How I escaped with my life is beyond me."

Acnologia swooped down towards the ground.

"He's going to land!" Freed shouted.

Acnologia landed on the ground, sending out powerful tremors that rocked the earth.

"This thing is as big as Niky," Gracie breathed. "Maybe even slightly bigger."

"He's the exact opposite of Nikolias," Gildarts yelled over the noise. "This thing is evil through and through."

"So are we gonna fight him?" Natsu asked.

"We can't fight this thing, Natsu," Gildarts said. "You don't seem to understand just how powerful this thing is. If you couldn't beat Nikolias, then you'd have no chance against this monstrosity because this thing has no conscience. He lives to kill. He lives for blood." A drop of sweat rolled down his brow. "Winning and losing a fight isn't the concern here. It's about whether or not we can escape with our lives." He narrowed his eyes. "Hell, I can't even be certain that all of us will be able to do that."

"What are you saying?" Natsu cried. "Are you trying to tell me that this thing is gonna kill some of us?"

Acnologia stomped the ground, sending out another powerful tremor. He released a powerful roar that vibrated throughout the entire island.

Gildarts grit his teeth. "Shit. EVERYONE NEEDS TO RUN NOW!" he commanded. But it was too late.

Acnologia released an even more powerful roar. This one shattered the ground, blowing boulders away like they were nothing more than feathers in a light breeze. Trees toppled over. Cliffs split apart. The camp was obliterated. Everyone was blown back by the sheer force of the roar.

Once the dust had settled, everyone slowly got to their feet.

Natsu was the first to get up and his eyes widened at what he saw—or rather, what he didn't see. "No way. The forest…it's completely gone!" Sure enough, the forest where Fairy Tail had set up camp had disappeared from the power of the dragon's mighty roar.

"How can that thing cause that much destruction?" Levy asked.

Gracie felt fear wash through her body. "This thing's power is off the charts. What's more, the evil I can feel radiating off of him is almost palpable." She clenched her fists. "This thing is nothing like Niky. This thing is a monster."

"It's like I said," Gildarts began, holding Cana close, "this thing is strong and evil. An awful combination. If you need some sort of comparison, imagine Nikolias' Red Eye when he attacked Magnolia—except multiply that by a few thousands." He looked at Acnologia. "The worst part is that that roar was nothing. He's just getting warmed up." Gildarts looked over his shoulder and saw some people standing in awe while others were on the ground in shock and fear. "Listen up! If you wanna live, don't just stand there freaking out. Pull yourselves together and run!"

Acnologia took to the skies once again and let out another roar.

"HURRY! EVERYONE TO THE SHIP RIGHT NOW!" Gildarts roared.

Erza pointed to the trees. "It's through those trees right there! It's not too far!"

Everyone began running through the forest, trying desperately to escape. Acnologia followed overhead, his thirst for destruction not sated.

Carla looked to Wendy as she ran. "Wendy, can't you communicate with that thing?"

"Anyone can, but he's not interested in talking," Wendy replied.

Acnologia let out a roar as he landed on the ground, cornering Freed and Bickslow, the leaders of the retreating group. He stared at the two with soulless white eyes before unleashing another roar that forced the two to tumble through the forest.

Everyone stopped at seeing the dragon in front of them.

"Freed! Bickslow!" Evergreen cried.

"Shit! It cut off our escape route!" Gray exclaimed.

Wendy took a step forward. "Why are you attacking us?" she cried out. "Answer me!"

Acnologia turned his massive head to look at Wendy, but didn't respond. He just stared at his prey, jaws open and ready to destroy.


"He refuses to speak to them, meaning that he views them as nothing more than insects," Zeref said to himself as he stood on the top of the retreating Grimoire Heart airship. "It would be the same as man conversing with vermin. Man doesn't battle pests the same as actual threats, either." He closed his eyes. "Those poor souls have no chance of surviving this day." A tear rolled down his cheek. "It seems I find myself at the crossroads once again; at the end of yet another era. So farewell, Natsu."


Acnologia lifted a giant clawed foot and attempted to stomp Laxus, Gray, and Juvia. The three were able to run away before they could be squashed. Acnologia then lifted his massive tail and swung it through the trees, knocking them away with ease. His tail connected with an unsuspecting Elfman sending him flying through the air.

"Elfman!" Evergreen cried as she summoned her wings and flew up. She was able to catch Elfman, but it made the two of them vulnerable. Acnologia lifted one of his massive clawed feet over Elfman and Evergreen before stomping down, crushing the two into the ground.

Levy trembled in fear. "We're trapped," she whispered. "What do we do?" She buried her face into Gajeel's chest, praying that the dragon would just go away.

Natsu charged forward. "Bastard!"

"Natsu, no!" Lucy cried.

Acnologia lifted another foot and slammed it into the ground. The force of the blow was enough to send Natsu backwards. He tumbled along the ground before eventually stopping his momentum and hopping to his feet once more. Natsu wiped off some dirt. "Damn dragon!" His eyes widened, though, once he saw who stood between Fairy Tail and Acnologia.

It was Makarov.

Makarov threw off his colorful and tropical shirt, revealing his small and bandaged body. He then activated his Titan magic as he began to increase in size. "Get to the ship," he ordered. Once he was full size, he wrapped his arms around Acnologia's neck. Acnologia roared as he struggled against his restraint. Makarov pushed with all of his strength, trying to keep the massive dragon subdued.

"Is he stupid?" Gray exclaimed. "He can't fight that thing!"

"Master, please don't play the hero!" Erza pleaded. "The guild needs you!"

"Get out of here!" Makarov demanded, ignoring Erza's plea.

Freed grabbed his wounded shoulder as he got to his feet. "I will fight by Master's side!"

Bickslow stood as well. "No overgrown lizard is going to tear apart Fairy Tail!"

"I'll fight until the bitter end!" Evergreen exclaimed.

"Same here!" Elfman added.

"You won't fight alone!" Lucy cried.

"We're here with you!" Mira said.

"You can always rely on your family!" Gracie shouted.

Everyone expressed their desire to stay and assist, but Makarov had had enough. "WOULD YOU BRATS SHUT UP AND HONOR YOUR MASTER'S FINAL WISH?! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Final wish," Mira breathed. "You don't mean that."

"I'm a Dragon Slayer, Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed. "This is what I was born to do, so let me do it!" Suddenly, Natsu felt a hand on his scarf, pulling him away. He turned to see Laxus was the one pulling him away. "Laxus, what the hell?" And then something small and wet hit his face. And it was then that he noticed it.

Laxus was crying.

"Not today kid," Laxus said softly.

Erza saw this as well and closed her eyes. "Best of luck, Master. Everyone move it!" She then began running towards the ship, everyone else following close behind with tears streaming down their faces.

'What good children,' Makarov thought to himself while fighting back Acnologia's immense strength. 'It may be hard to believe right now, but this is for the best. It's times like these that teach you important lessons for your future, like knowing that tears are wasteful things that are nothing to trouble over. Is death caused by sadness or is sadness caused by death? That answer is in your hearts, my dear children. You must learn and grow AND LIVE!' Makarov then lifted Acnologia by his neck and slammed him into the ground. "You foul creature! I don't know your goal, but you won't go any further! I won't let you hurt my children!"

Acnologia continued to push against Makarov's injured body with his head. He could sense that his adversary was weakening, so with a mighty roar, he gave one final shove, pushing Makarov back along the ground until he toppled over. Acnologia then lifted one of his clawed feet and slammed it into Makarov's chest, digging his sharp claws into Makarov in an attempt to tear through his skin. Acnologia roared at his prey.

Makarov screamed in agony, but the screams soon turned to laughter. 'This is what a father does for his family. I have no regrets. I can die a happy man.' Makarov closed his eyes and let his head roll to the side, accepting death. Acnologia roared as he prepared to end Makarov's life.

"NO WAY!"

Makarov's eyes shot open as he watched Natsu run by. 'Natsu? What the hell are you doing here?'

Acnologia attempted to swat the new pest with his tail, but Natsu was able to roll away and spring back to his feet to keep running. He climbed onto Acnologia's tail and leapt onto his arm. "We're getting Gramps back! You hear me?"

"Natsu!" Makarov cried.

Acnologia lifted his arm and tried to swing Natsu off. However, Natsu was holding firm. While he swung his arm, Acnologia batted Makarov away, sending his body into a cliff and forcing him out of his Titan form.

Makarov winced as his injuries cried out, but opened his eyes to see Erza in her Heart Kreuz Armor standing protectively in front of him. "Erza? You too?"

Laxus stepped in front of him as well. "I was down to evacuate. I'm sure a lot of guys would have stuck with the plan and let the old guy go down." Laxus turned to look at Makarov and smiled. "But not your guild."

Erza lifted her sword and pointed it at Acnologia. "Now attack!" All of Fairy Tail gave a mighty battle cry as they charged forward, unleashing all of the magic power that they could.

Tears fell from Makarov's eyes. "Damn, stupid kids."

Lightning danced around Laxus. "Alright you guys, hit him with everything you've got! If you all let loose and I blast him with a billion watts of lightning, then he'll learn never to mess with Fairy Tail ever again!"

"Right!" everyone cried.

"Natsu, get out of the way!" Laxus demanded.

Natsu, who was still holding on to Acnologia for dear life, turned his head around. "Just gimme a second."

"No, do it now!" Erza demanded.

"But I haven't moved yet!" Natsu cried.

Laxus charged his arms with lightning before thrusting them forward. "RAGING BOLT!" A large stream of lightning shot at Acnologia.

Erza requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. "SCATTERED PETALS!" Erza cried while waving her arms forward, commanding hundreds of swords to race towards Acnologia.

Gray took his Maker position as ice collected in his palm. "SUPER FREEZING ARROWS!" He shot out his palm, sending hundreds of ice shards flying at Acnologia.

"WATER NEBULA!" Juvia cried as she thrust her arm forward, sending a torrent of water at Acnologia.

"SOLID SCRIPT! FIRE!" Levy cried as the fiery word FIRE flew at Acnologia.

"Now Sagittarius!" Lucy cried. "Fire!" Sagittarius did as instructed as he unleashed a volley of arrows at Acnologia.

Mira, who was in her Satan Soul, charged a dark orb in her hands. "EVIL EXPLOSION!" she cried as she threw the orb at Acnologia.

"DARK ECRITURE! PAIN!" Freed cried as purple beams of magic shot from his rapier and headed for Acnologia.

"Go, babies!" Bickslow cried. His dolls cheered as they fired beams of magic from their eyes at Acnologia.

"FAIRY MACHINE GUN: LEPRECHAUN!" Evergreen shouted as she fired hundreds of magic bolts at Acnologia.

The attacks all combined and headed straight at Acnologia as a mass of magic power.

Happy sped forward on his wings, grabbing Natsu and flying away before the massive attack collided into Acnologia with immense force and exploding. Acnologia roared as the massive attack enveloped him.


A young blonde haired girl stood on a cliff, looking down at Fairy Tail's battle. She had green eyes and wore an old-fashioned light pink dress. In her light and golden locks were small white fairy wings. She smiled before clasping her hands together and praying.


Laxus grit his teeth. "No way. We unloaded on this thing and he's still standing? Alright, Dragon Slayers, you're on! Put on a good a show, will ya?"

Wendy, being carried by Carla, and Gajeel, being carried by Lily, flew into the sky and met up with Natsu and Happy. "Looks like we're on, guys!" Natsu said.

"Let's not keep him waiting," Gajeel said with a smile before taking a deep breath. "IRON DRAGON ROAR!" A tornado of iron shot from his mouth and down towards Acnologia.

Wendy took a deep breath. "SKY DRAGON ROAR!" A powerful blast of wind headed straight for Acnologia.

Natsu took a deep breath. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" A column of fire shot from his mouth towards Acnologia. The three Roars combined into a pillar of fire, wind, and iron before colliding into Acnologia. Acnologia roared as he tried to push against the attack, but the force was too much for him. His feet could no longer hold and he was pushed backwards through the air and into a cliff. The cliff broke apart and Acnologia was sent crashing into the water.

The three Dragon Slayers landed. "We got him!" Natsu cheered.

Erza stared at where Acnologia's body fell. "Did that work?"

"Of course not," Gildarts said, holding Cana close.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked.

"I mean that he isn't using half as much power as when he fought me. That thing is nowhere near done. He's just playing with us because he doesn't see us as a threat."

"You're kidding," Natsu breathed.

Suddenly, Acnologia shot from the water and landed in front of the Fairy Tail mages. He roared at them in annoyance. He had had enough.

"He's back!" Erza cried.

"We didn't even scratch him," Elfman muttered.

"That thing's power is unreal," Gajeel said.

"We gave it our all and it still wasn't enough," Wendy sobbed as she fell to her knees. "We even had three Dragon Slayers fight at the same time."

Natsu slammed his fists on the ground. "I'm a fucking Dragon Slayer, so why couldn't I slay him?"

"I won't give up yet," Gracie said as she summoned her broad sword. "I may not have magic power like you guys, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna die by standing still and watching it happen!" She pointed the tip of her blade at Acnologia as she gripped the handle with two hands. "YOU HEAR ME, YOU FUCKING DRAGON? I'LL DESTROY YOU OR DIE TRYING!"

"Don't get too excited there, Gracie," Laxus said. "If you even get close, he'll just bat you away."

She stared at him with tears in her eyes. "THEN I'LL GET BACK UP AND TRY AGAIN UNTIL ALL OF THE BONES IN MY BODY ARE SHATTERED!"

"Gracie," Laxus whispered while taking a step back. He couldn't believe how unnerved she was that the entire guild's power wasn't enough to defeat Acnologia. She still believed that she alone could make a difference.

Acnologia glared at the humans below him. He then reared back his head and prepared to strike.

"Prepare yourselves!" Erza shouted. "He's going to attack again!"

Everyone braced themselves for what was to come.

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE!"

Gracie's eyes widened at hearing that voice. She whipped around, a massive smile on her face. "NIKY!" Her smile immediately faded once she saw him, though. Everyone else had turned around as well and were shocked at what they saw.

Nikolias was running towards them at full speed, vicious wounds covering his body. His shirt had been turned into bandages, so they could see that almost his entire upper body was caked in blood, as was his angry face.

"Nikolias, you're alive," Mira breathed in relief, although his status still left a little to be desired.

Shadows danced around Nikolias as he leapt off of the ground. "HE'S MINE!" he roared as he slammed his fists together and disappeared in thick shadows. He soon reappeared from the cloud of shadows as a dragon. He roared as he sailed overhead and glided towards Acnologia. He landed in front of Acnologia and whipped his head upwards, slashing through Acnologia's scales with the bony protrusions sticking out of his head. Acnologia roared in pain as he stepped backwards. Nikolias took advantage of this as his claws became shrouded in shadow. "SHADOW DRAGON CLAW!" he roared as he slashed at Acnologia with his talons, causing him to roar in pain once again as he fell back into the water.

Everyone stared in shock.

"Did anyone else just hear Nikolias talk in dragon form?" Gray asked.

"Juvia did," Juvia quickly said.

"When did he do that?" Gracie wondered aloud. "Unless…did he just simply open up his communication link to everyone?" She shook her head of the thought as her big smile returned. "Way to come back, dumbass!" Gracie called out.

Nikolias kept his eyes on where Acnologia fell. "Sorry I wasn't here to help out. I tried to get here sooner. I'm glad to see that you're all still alive, though."

"What happened to you?" Mira asked with concern.

Nikolias growled. "I'll explain it all later, I promise. Right now, you've got to run."

"But Nikolias…," Mira began.

"All of you, run now!"

"No way, we ain't leaving you here!" Natsu proclaimed. "We'll fight beside you!"

"I appreciate the thought, Natsu, but I'm afraid none of you can do anything here. This opponent is too much for you all, especially in your conditions."

"You're one to talk," Gracie said. "You can barely stand."

Nikolias looked down and noticed that his legs were in fact shaking, struggling to support his weight. "I'll manage. Look, this isn't up for debate." Suddenly, Acnologia appeared from the water once again and took to the skies. Nikolias growled as he lowered himself. "RUN NOW!" He roared at Acnologia before taking to the skies after him.

"Be careful!" Mira called out.

Nikolias roared again as he charged Acnologia. "How dare you attack them!" He then charged an orb of shadows between his jaws. "SHADOW DRAGON PULSE!" Nikolias fired the orb at Acnologia's massive body.

Acnologia quickly dodged, though, and rushed towards Nikolias. The two collided in midair, their heads connecting with a sickening thud. The two separated for only a moment before they slashed at each other with their claws, entangling their bodies together as they attempted to tear the other apart.

Nikolias' teeth became shrouded in shadows. "SHADOW DRAGON FANG!" Nikolias bit down into Acnologia's neck. Acnologia roared in pain as shadows coursed through his body. Seeing Acnologia's distracted state, Nikolias pushed himself away from Acnologia and put himself above his opponent. His tail then became shrouded in shadows. "SHADOW DRAGON SLAM!" Nikolias spun in the air, slamming his shadow enveloped tail into Acnologia's head and sending him crashing into the earth with immense force.

Everyone in Fairy Tail watched with awe.

"He's winning!" Lisanna cheered. "He's actually winning!"

From the cloud of dirt, Acnologia shot towards Nikolias with an angry roar. He headbutted Nikolias in the stomach, throwing him off balance. He then opened his mighty jaws and bit down on one of the wounds on Nikolias' leg.

Nikolias released an agonized roar as he tried to shake off Acnologia. However, Acnologia's teeth were too deeply embedded in his flesh. Blood began to run from his mouth as he roared.

"Niky's in bad shape," Gracie said, her hands clasped tightly together.

"Those wounds were serious," Wendy said. They're putting him at a disadvantage."

Nikolias growled as shadows danced around him. "You won't let go? Fine." He began to fly upwards, his tired and injured wings flapping with all of their might to drag two heavy bodies into the skies. As he ascended, he began to spin faster and faster as the shadows twirled around him. He then positioned his body towards the ground as he spun faster and faster still, the shadows around him intensifying until he disappeared in a tornado of shadows.

Gajeel pumped his fist. "Alright! The Shadow Dragon Twister technique!"

Nikolias spun even faster, Acnologia still attached to his leg. "SHADOW DRAGON TWISTER!" Nikolias collided with the earth with incredible force, sending debris in all directions as he crashed Acnologia's body into the hard ground. Everyone shielded their eyes, but still tried to peer into the dust. Soon, Nikolias leapt from the cloud and slid to a stop. He panted as he stared into the cloud of dirt, his weight slightly askew as he was favoring the leg that Acnologia bit down upon. 'There's something weird about the way this dragon fights,' he thought to himself. 'It's somehow familiar to me, though.'

"Wow, I've never seen Nikolias fight in his dragon form before," Lucy said. "It's incredible."

"Yeah, he's pretty hard to beat when he's full dragon," Gracie said with a nod.

From the dirt cloud, Acnologia released a furious roar. Nikolias growled upon hearing it. "I guess that would be too easy for something like you." Nikolias took in a deep breath, the air visibly collecting in his jaws. "SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!" From his jaws erupted a powerful column of shadows that barreled into the dirt cloud. No one had seen a Roar this big from Nikolias before.

Acnologia sensed this coming and leapt into the air, dodging the attack and once more taking to the skies. He roared at Nikolias as he hovered in the air.

Nikolias roared back and took to the skies after him, shadows enveloping his entire body. "Time to finish you! SHADOW DRAGON AERIAL SLASH!" Nikolias dashed forward with unbelievable speed, slashing through Acnologia with razor sharp shadows. In the blink of an eye, Nikolias was on the other side of Acnologia, his shadows disappearing as he turned around.

Acnologia was still for a moment before suddenly, blood shot from his side. He roared in pain and immediately turned around to face Nikolias once more.

"What a powerful attack," Levy said. "He slashed right through Acnologia's scales with nothing more than his shadows."

The two dragons squared off, hovering in the air as they growled at each other. It was Nikolias who broke the stalemate. He took in another deep breath. "SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!" He unleashed yet another powerful blast of shadows at Acnologia.

Despite his new injury, Acnologia moved as if he never received the wound. He quickly flew around it and dashed towards Nikolias.

Nikolias stopped his Roar immediately and enveloped his scythe-like black blades in shadows. "SHADOW DRAGON SWORD SWIPE!" He slashed at Acnologia with his blades, but the larger dragon kept avoiding the attacks.

Acnologia found an opening and drove his head into Nikolias' chest, causing the Shadow Dragon to have to redirect his balance once again. However, this time Acnologia took advantage and used his pointed tail to slash one of Nikolias' wings.

Nikolias roared as the thin membrane was torn. He flapped with all of his might, but staying airborne was both challenging and painful. With a deep growl, Nikolias gathered flames in his mouth. "SHADOW DRAGON INFERNO!" Nikolias released a powerful jet of black flames towards Acnologia.

The larger dragon easily evaded the attack and flew straight for Nikolias. With an even more severely injured wing, Nikolias couldn't dodge too easily. Despite Nikolias' attempts to drive him away with his claws and tail, Acnologia was able to break through Nikolias' meager defense and bite down into his neck. Nikolias roared in agony as he felt Acnologia's teeth tear through his scales and flesh. Blood sprayed from the wound as well as his mouth as he roared. Acnologia then proceeded to whip Nikolias around violently, his teeth still buried in his neck.

Everyone watched in horror. Nikolias was being whipped around like a rag doll and there was nothing they could do. They had already tried and failed. This opponent was too strong.

"Nikolias!" Mira shrieked.

Acnologia gave two final and powerful swings of his head before throwing Nikolias' wounded and bloodied body into a cliff. Nikolias collided with a weak whimper and fell to the ground. The force of the crash also loosened several large boulders that fell on top of his body. He let loose a painful cry as he was buried under the boulders.

"No," Gracie whispered. "Even Niky couldn't win."

Everyone looked up at Acnologia, who released a loud roar. Once he had let the world know that he was once again victorious, he looked down at the humans on the ground. He growled before he began to take a deep breath, the air visibly collecting in his jaws.

"Shit, it's a Breath attack!" Gajeel shouted.

"He's going to try to wipe out the entire island?" Cana asked in fear.

"He's really that strong?" Juvia asked.

Mira's attention was on Nikolias more so than Acnologia. "Come on, Nikolias. Get up." However, he wasn't moving from his rock prison.

"Mira!" Lisanna cried, snapping her sister's attention away from Nikolias. "What do we do?"

Mira shook her head. "I don't know, Lisanna. I just don't know."

Lucy fell to her knees and sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "Isn't there anything we can do? Is this it? Are we all going to die here?"

"All defense magic users! Bring out your most powerful spells!" Erza demanded.

Freed clutched his head. "I don't have time to write any enchantments!"

"Script magic has a ton of options for us to use for defense," Levy offered.

"Yes, you're right!" Freed said.

"Well think of one quick!" Bickslow said.

"That's what we can do! Everyone focus your magic power on Freed and Levy!" Lisanna called out.

Mira nodded. "Everyone hold hands!"

Natsu bent down and offered Lucy his hand. She looked at him. "Come on, Lucy. We may die, but we're not gonna go out crying." Natsu quickly took her hand and squeezed it. "The girl I love is stronger than that."

Lucy nodded. "Fairy Tail never gives up the fight!"

Gray took her other hand. "We've gotta face our fears together! We'll show 'em that we've got a bond that can never be broken!"

Juvia took Gray's other hand. "You're right, Gray-sama."

Gracie took Erza's hand. "You know, it may be ending here, but I'm glad I came to Fairy Tail. You guys are my family and I love you all."

Erza nodded. "We feel the same way, Gracie. You're one of us."

Laxus offered his hand to Makarov with a smile. "C'mon. On your feet, Grandpa."

Tears rolled down Makarov's face as he took Laxus' hand. He gave a big smile. "Okay kids. Let's all go home together."

All of Fairy Tail stood in a circle while holding each other's hands and looked towards Acnologia. "BACK HOME TO FAIRY TAIL!" they all cried in unison.

Nikolias groaned as he peered through the holes in the rocks and his eyes shot open when he saw everyone standing together, preparing to be wiped out by Acnologia. 'No…not again!' He gave a determined roar as he pushed with all of his might, breaking through the rocks and freeing himself. He ran with everything he had left towards the group. 'My friends. My family. I won't lose you!' Nikolias called out to Mira as he ran. "I will always be there for you, Mira. I love you."

Tears filled Mira's eyes as she smiled, glad that Nikolias' voice was the last thing she was going to hear. "I love you, too, Nikolias," she whispered.

Acnologia reared back his head and unleashed an enormous and powerful Breath attack at the island. Before the attack could land, however, Nikolias leapt over the Fairy Tail mages, wrapping his body around them and using his wings as a ceiling to protect them the best he could. A split second later, the attack crashed into the island, destroying it completely.

Acnologia stared at the hole that was left in the ocean where Tenrou Island used to be. Satisfied with the destruction he caused, he flew off into the clouds.

The date was December 16 in the year 784—the day Tenrou Island and the Fairy Tail members upon it were erased.


Just going to give you guys a bit of a heads up about the story's direction.

The Tenrou Arc is basically done with. The plan is for the next two chapters to revolve around the 7 year gap. After that, I'll be returning to an original story line again!

Thanks for reading!