Bonds, Part 7

Natsu could only gaze in horror as he sees the blade of Mala's naginata pierced through Laurent's chest and out from his back.

"Tch. Filthy demihuman." Mala muttered. As he detaches the other half of his naginata with his right hand, Mala swings his right sword diagonally to slash off Laurent's left ear. After the ear landed on the ground, Mala kicks the Nature Dragon Slayer to the ground as he pulls his other sword out from his chest.

"Laurent!" Natsu yelled at him as the demihuman coughs out huge amounts of blood from his mouth. After reattaching his naginata, Mala picks up Laurent's ear from the ground and dematerializes it as he stores it away.

"I heard you are a Dragon Slayer. I shall keep your ear as proof to my superiors that I am still worthy of my rank." Mala said to Laurent, who could only respond to him with a harsh cough.

Natsu snarls at Mala for a moment before he yells furiously and charges over to the praetor. As he throws his flaming fist at him, Mala swiftly turns to the Fire Dragon Slayer and twirls his naginata around in front of him. The naginata deflects Natsu's fist, causing the Fire Dragon Slayer to stumble backwards. Mala runs over to him as he detaches his naginata and swings both of his swords horizontally at Natsu. Natsu quickly engulfs both of his arms in flames and deflects both swords with his arms. As Mala soon swings his swords vertically downwards at him, Natsu quickly holds up his arms to block them. The two stay in a stalemate as they push against each other.

"No need to feel upset…because you are next." Mala said icily to Natsu.

"If you lay a finger on him, you will face the wrath of all of us!" Lucy shouted at him. Mala pushes Natsu back before turning around to see all his other enemies standing behind.

Lucy narrows her eyes as she tightly pulls her whip. Happy grits his teeth as he hovers behind Lucy with his wings spread out. Alicia clenches onto her yo-yos as she glares at the praetor. Darren, Archer, Brenda and Jason hold their swords up in front of them. Hodaka, Mei Li, Sting, C.C., Yukino, Capricorn and Libra hold up their clenched fists as they get into their fighting stances. Yegor and Road aim the tip of his spear and Lero at Mala. Tokoyami and his shadow glare at the praetor as the latter holds up his curled claws. Aries holds up her hands, preparing to fire her wool magic at will. And finally, Amelia holds up her clenched fists and gives her fiercest look to Mala, despite not having any fighting skills and magic like the others.

"You dare side with the enemy and point your sword at me, Corporal Bierhoff? You are a disgrace to the Abbey." Mala said coldly to Brenda.

"I was never part of the Abbey in the first place, and so does my friends!" Brenda barked at Mala while Hodaka, Jason and Yegor nod their heads. "Because of you, Petra and everyone we loved are dead. You and the rest of the Abbey will pay for this!"

Mala turns around for a moment to see Natsu preparing to fight as well as he holds up his flaming fists. He looks back at Lucy and the others and scoffed.

"As much as I desire to kill you all, it would be foolish of me to fight against all of you on my own. So, consider yourself lucky. But know this. Inevitably, all of you will meet your defeat." As Mala finished, he quickly slams the blade of his naginata onto the ground and creates an explosion. Natsu, Lucy and the others cough as huge amounts of smoke consume them. When it dissipates a few seconds later, they look back at where Mala originally stood, only to now see a crater left on the ground. Sting whirls about and sees Mala landing on top of the pile of vines and run away.

"Hey wait!" Sting yelled angrily as he tries to pursue Mala, but Yukino quickly stops him by grabbing his arm.

"No. Let him go." Yukino said flatly as the White Dragon Slayer look back at her. "We have someone else to attend to."

Yukino gestures him to Laurent, who is still lying on his pool of blood. The others rush over to the Nature Dragon Slayer, and Natsu and Aries kneel beside him. Sting's eyes softened before he and Yukino go over to Laurent as well.

"Laurent! Speak to me!" Natsu cried to him in concern as Aries hastily places her hands on his chest and creates huge amounts of wool around his body. She pressed the wool against his wound to stop the bleeding, but it is no use as Laurent had already lost too much blood.

"N-Natsu…t-that's your name…r-right?" Laurent struggled to speak. Natsu nodded in response. "I...I guess…this is it…it is time for me…to pay for my sins…" Suddenly, Laurent coughed out some blood from his mouth, causing Natsu and the others to wince. "I let my anger and hatred towards humanity…turn me into a monster…I can never be forgiven…for what I've done…"

Natsu carefully slides his arm underneath Laurent and gently lifts his head up from the ground. Laurent turns his head to his former servants and said to them weakly, "Archer…Tokoyami…Road…Lero…C.C….you all became my servants…because you were just like me…but all of you…have truly outgrown me…As you continue living your lives…always remember…to never walk down…the same path as me…"

Archer, Tokoyami, his shadow, Road, Lero and C.C. stay silent as they frown at the Nature Dragon Slayer. Laurent now turns his head to Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others.

"As for you…you've proven to me…that you truly are strong…when you work together…and show care and mercy towards others…" Laurent said as his breathing grew heavier. Lucy pursed her lips while Aries and Capricorn stood behind their mistress and place their hands on her shoulders. Darren and Alicia cling onto each other's hands and Happy frowns at Laurent as he tries to fight back his tears. Yukino nods her head as she grabs onto the arms of Sting and Libra as she stood between them. Mei Li, Amelia, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor stare wordlessly at Laurent from a distance as they stand together.

Finally, Laurent turns his head to Natsu and look into his eyes. "Natsu…if only we had met sooner…we would have been friends…" He said to him.

"I agree." Natsu said, nodding his head again as he grabs onto Laurent's right hand and places it onto his chest. The demihuman closes his eyes, allowing his tears to flow down his cheeks before he looks back up to the sky.

"Father…mother…I'm coming…" Laurent managed to say with the last of his strength before C.C. walks over and kneels beside him.

"Rest well." C.C. whispered to Laurent before she places her left hand on his forehead. The demihuman fell asleep as Natsu could feel his heart starting to die down. Finally, the beating stopped and Natsu gently places Laurent down on the ground.

Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others turn around to see all the praetors and other humans who had their minds possessed by Laurent either lying on the ground or collapsing as they close their eyes and join Laurent to the afterlife. Darren, Road, Lero and Tokoyami could see the tall possessed soldier they defeated earlier falls onto his knees and closed his eyelids before he collapses onto the ground on his face.

"Everyone, may you finally be in peace." Brenda said softly. She, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor bow their heads to pay their respects to their fellow praetors and others who fell in the battle. Natsu removes the red ribbon around Laurent's collar before he, Aries and C.C. stood back up.

"Goodbye…" Natsu said grimly as he gazes at Laurent. "Fellow Dragon Slayer…"


After Aries applied bandages made from her wool onto Natsu, Yukino, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor, everyone buried Laurent's body right in front of his pile of vines. Despite everything he had done, Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Yukino believes he still deserves a proper burial as everybody else. To them, Laurent was a troubled person who tragically lost his way of life after enduring the undeserved pain and torture that he and his parents experienced. Because of it, he allowed his hatred towards humanity to consume him, which ultimately led to his downfall and death. Natsu, Lucy, Sting and Yukino show their sympathies towards him, believing that they could have ended up like him if they hadn't become members of their respective guilds and made friends that helped brought peace and happiness into their lives. The four also vow to Laurent that they will bring his father's aide to justice as his actions towards the Mendy family after the Tartaros Incident were completely uncalled for.

When they are done with the burial, Natsu, Lucy and the others follow C.C., Road and Lero from behind as they walk their way out of the West Forest and to the town of Petunia. Archer and Tokoyami carefully wrap their arms around the shoulders of Natsu and Sting as the Dragon Slayers help carry them. As they walk together, they noticed that the large flowers grown on almost every tree throughout the forest had withered and drained of their natural colours. Now that Laurent had passed, so does his magic over the West Forest.

It would take about forty-five minutes for them to finally step out from the West Forest and into a large grassy field, much to the delight of Amelia and Mei Li. Petunia is still about two miles away from their current location, so Alicia predicts it would take another thirty minutes before they finally reach town. However, everyone stopped for a moment as Archer groans and winces in pain. Lucy goes behind Archer and sees a pool of blood forming on the wool around his body.

"I can feel my wound reopening." Archer said, breathing heavily. "I don't think I can make it before I fall into shock."

"Please Archer. Just hang in there for another half an hour. We are almost at our destination." Road said concernedly.

"Yeah, come on. Just a little bit more and we'll soon be surrounded by mages who can help put us back together again." Natsu said reassuringly to Archer as Lucy walks past them and returns to Alicia's side. Amelia, who stood between Alicia and Yukino, cups her chin as she ponders for a moment.

"You know…this may be a little embarrassing but…" Amelia paused as she rubs the back of her neck. "Back in my country, we had this song to motivate us to keep moving forward. I would love to sing it but…I don't really remember the lyrics well."

"It's okay. Just try to sing. If you can at least remember the music, you can try humming to it." Lucy said to her encouragingly.

Amelia glance around to see that everyone is looking back at her. After taking a deep breath, Amelia starts to murmur,

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

Under the shade of a coolibah tree,

Amelia fell silent when suddenly, Alicia sang loudly with her head held high.

And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

Alicia smiles back at Amelia as she extends her hand to her. Amelia's lips form into a wide smile as she grabs her hand. Everyone looks back to the front as they resume their journey through the field while Alicia and Amelia continue to sing.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

While they were singing, Darren starts to join in, and so does Lucy and Yukino soon after.

And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

After Alicia, Amelia, Darren, Lucy and Yukino paused for a moment, Natsu, Happy, Sting, Mei Li, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor sing along with them.

Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong,

Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,

Natsu and Sting turn to Archer and Tokoyami as they encourage them to sing. Archer and Tokoyami murmur for a moment before they are able to follow the lyrics and sing along.

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

C.C., Road and Lero smile at each other before they give in and sing as well.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

As everyone momentarily pause again, Amelia continues smiling as she felt something that she had never experienced in a long time since the betrayal from her former friend. Amelia held her head up high as she sang as loud as Alicia and the others.

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,

Down came the troopers, one, two, three,

"Who's that jolly jumbuck that you've got in your tucker bag?"

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

As they walk side by side, Yukino and Brenda smile at each other as they sing.

Up jumped the swagman and jumped into the billabong,

"You'll never take me alive", said he,

Mei Li and Hodaka move their heads side to side as they sing and walk alongside each other.

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

A wide smile plasters across Natsu's face as he watches everyone in front of him for a moment. To think that at the end of the day, most of these people who used to be enemies with one another would be able to set their differences aside to fight against a common foe, and eventually turn into friends. It would seem that the ideology of Fairy Tail stays true once again that real power comes from friendship and unity.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."

As everyone sang the final part of the song, Amelia's eyes are brimmed with tears of joy as thanks to the presence of Alicia, Lucy, Natsu, Darren and the others around her, she is finally freed from her dark past.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,

"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me."


Sometime later, everyone finally spotted a town in the distance which mostly consists of small concrete houses and buildings. To their surprise, they also spotted a large ship parked near its entrance. That wasn't all though as standing in front of the town were several Rune Knights and familiar faces.

"It's a Magic Council ship!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically as he, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting and Yukino smile in relief.

"And it's Erza, Gray, and everybody else!" Happy added. He, Natsu, Darren and Alicia laugh cheerfully as everyone rush their way towards them.

"Hey guys! It's us!" Alicia shouted happily as she waves her arm up at everyone in the distance. Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Sheena, Noel, Emmanuel and Brave Vesperia turn their heads away from the Rune Knights whom they were talking to and are surprised to see their friends again.

"Everyone!" Wendy cried ecstatically to them.

"Guys! You're alright!" Karol shouted with a huge smile on his face while Sheena suddenly runs over to them.

"Darren!" Sheena cried to her friend.

"Sheena!" Darren smiled at her. Not caring about Road, Lero and C.C. as she runs past them, Sheena goes over to Darren and pulls him into a tight embrace. Darren's eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets as he felt the impact from Sheena making contact with his body.

"Darren! I was so worried! I miss you so much!" Sheena bawled as she rests her head on his shoulder.

"H-Hey. Relax Sheena. We were only separated for half a day." Darren replied.

"But it does feel like forever." Sheena sobbed with tears forming through her eyelids. "Please…don't scare us like that ever again…got it?"

The smile on Darren's face vanished as he remembered what happened to them back at Loegres. He gently wraps his arms around her and replied, "I'm sorry."

Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Sting and Yukino smile as everybody else watch Darren and Sheena stayed in their embrace. As they watched them, Alicia and the members of Team Natsu realize that despite her cold personality and quiet demeanour, Sheena does have feelings for her friends, especially Darren. While keeping a forced smile on her face, Alicia couldn't help but feel her heart sink a little. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Lucy finally interrupts the moment with a cough.

"Ahem. Hate to spoil the reunion but we have people who are wounded here." Lucy said as Sheena and Darren back away from each other. "Sheena, can you quickly get Wendy and Estelle to come over and help them?"

"Yes, of course." Sheena replied. She wipes away her tears before she turns and runs back to the other members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia back at the town's entrance. Darren smiled weakly as he, Natsu, Lucy and the others continue walking their way towards Petunia.


Shortly after reuniting with everyone at the town's entrance, Wendy and Estelle quickly attend to Natsu, Yukino, Brenda, Hodaka, Jason, Yegor, C.C., Archer and Tokoyami to heal their wounds and injuries. When they are done, the medics from the Magic Council ship come over to remove the wool from their bodies and apply the bandages on them. Although C.C.'s right arm had been restored thanks to Wendy's magic, she was still advised by the medics to continue wearing a cast on it for the time being.

"We were stranded at the river for a while after the praetors destroyed our ship. Fortunately, Emmanuel still has his lacrima to contact the Magic Council to pick us up. They brought us over to the nearest town which happens to be Petunia, and we were just about to conduct a search around the area of the Spiegel River where we were separated. That is until all of you surprisingly showed up. Despite Natsu getting some injuries, I'm glad you guys are still alive." Noel explained to Lucy and Happy.

"We're relieved that the rest of you are fine too." Lucy said to her.

"Aye!" Happy added as he raised his arm.

"You two are fortunate. If you had kept losing blood for another ten minutes, you two would have fell into a state of shock." One of the medics said to Archer and Tokoyami as they carefully wrap the bandages around their bodies.

"We really owe them our gratitude for saving our lives." Archer said as he and Tokoyami turn to Darren and Alicia.

"You're welcome." Darren said as he and Alicia smile at them. After the medic finished wrapping the bandages around Archer, Sheena walks over to him and the two Mizuhans stare at each other.

"Hello, Fujibayashi-san." Archer greeted as they bow their heads to each other.

"Nice to see you alive and well, Emiya." Sheena responded. Before Darren and Alicia could ask how the two know each other, Sheena turn to them and said, "Darren, Alicia, would you mind if we could have a moment to ourselves?"

"Sure." Darren said as he and Alicia nod their heads to her. They walk away from Sheena and head over to Mei Li and Amelia who are standing in front of Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor. When the medics are done putting the bandages on them, the four former praetors stand up from the ground and see Emmanuel and three other Rune Knights walking over to them.

"Hands up." Emmanuel said sternly to the former praetors, causing Mei Li and Amelia to gasp. Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor did as he said, and Emmanuel ordered the knights, "Cuff them."

When Emmanuel and the knights stand in front of the former praetors, they lower their arms and place their handcuffs around their wrists.

"What are you planning to do to them?" Amelia asked in concern.

"Due to their affiliation with the Abbey, we'll be taking them to Era for further questioning, along with all the other praetors whom Noel and the others rescued back at the Spiegel River." Emmanuel explained.

"Sir, please. I hope you won't give them severe punishments. These people are just like us after all." Mei Li said to Emmanuel pleadingly.

"They really risked their lives to bail us out from the enemy back there." Amelia added worriedly.

"Don't worry, you two. If they really are from your world like you claim, we won't imprison them." Emmanuel replied with a smile. Mei Li and Amelia sigh in relief.

"All of you," Brenda said to them as Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia turn to her and the other former praetors. "Thank you…for keeping us alive."

She, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor proceed to bow their heads to them to express their gratitude. Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia smile and bow back to the former praetors. As they all stand back up, Mei Li, Amelia, Darren and Alicia watch Emmanuel and the Rune Knights escort the former praetors over to the ship.

"Guys, I promise you. We will defeat the Abbey, so we can all go home together." Darren said solemnly to the four. Brenda, Hodaka, Jason and Yegor nod their heads to him before looking back to the front.

"So, you're from Earth, eh?" Emmanuel asked Brenda as they walk alongside together.

"Yes." Brenda nodded.

"Moi aussi, madame." Emmanuel said to her with a smirk.

Brenda turns to Emmanuel, staring at him in surprise for a moment before she smiles and lets out a chuckle. "Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen."

"Heh. Who knows? That bloke will be getting himself a missus soon." Amelia laughed as she, Mei Li, Darren and Alicia watch them leave. Afterwards, she and Mei Li turn to Darren and Alicia.

"Darren, Alicia, thank you so much for your help." Mei Li said, bowing her head to them. "Amelia and I would have never got out from the West Forest alive if it wasn't for you and your friends."

"You're welcome. But you two did a great job yourselves in looking out for each other and fighting alongside us." Alicia complimented. Mei Li giggled while Amelia chuckled sheepishly as she adjusts her glasses.

"So, the Knights say that they will take me and Mei Li to the city of Era where we'll join all the other people from our world. Will you two not come with us?" Amelia asked Darren and Alicia concernedly.

"No. The battle against the Abbey is our fight now." Alicia replied firmly.

"And we will see it to the end." Darren added with a solemn nod.

"Very well then." Amelia said. "I'm sure the rest of your journey is gonna be dangerous. So take good care of your missus while you're out there in the bush, Darren."

Darren and Alicia gasp at Amelia before they turn to each other and see their cheeks blushing.

"Umm, okay. Sure." Darren replied to Amelia as he and Alicia turn away from each other. Amelia chuckled in amusement as she watches Darren scratching the back of his head while Alicia places her hands behind her back.

"I wish you two good luck in your journey." Mei Li said. Darren and Alicia smile at her before they, Mei Li and Amelia pull each other into an embrace. After breaking away from their hug, Noel and two Rune Knights walk over to Mei Li and Amelia.

"Girls, it's time." Noel said, gesturing them to the Magic Council ship. Mei Li and Amelia nod their heads to her and the Rune Knights escort them to the ship. As they walk, Mei Li and Amelia turn back to Darren and Alicia and wave their hands at them.

"Goodbye Darren! Goodbye Alicia!" Mei Li said.

"See ya later, you two!" Amelia added.

"Bye Mei Li! Bye Amelia!" Darren responded as he and Alicia wave back at them. After Alicia lowers her arm, she holds up her other hand and smirks at Amelia and Mei Li as she gave them a salute.

"Take it easy, mates." Alicia said. Amelia chuckles at Alicia before she and Mei Li look back to the front and make their way to the ship.

Meanwhile, Sting gently placed his hand on Yukino's back as they talk to each other while standing at the town's entrance. Suddenly, a man and a woman walk over to Sting and Yukino from behind shortly after stepping out of the boundaries of Petunia.

"Sting Eucliffe! Yukino Agria!" The woman said as the couple smile at them in relief. "Thank goodness the both of you are alright."

"You two have gone into the West Forest for two days, and we were starting to worry that the both of you have shared the same fate as the other missing people who ventured there." The man said as Sting and Yukino turn around. Their smiles soon vanished when they see the cold glares on their faces.

"What is it?" The man asked worriedly.

"Lacus Clyne, you owe us an explanation." Sting said to her sternly.

"What's wrong?" Lacus asked.

"When Sting and I ventured into the West Forest to rescue the two magicless civilians, we encountered a demihuman who has apparently been living there in exile for two years named Laurent Mendy. Does his name ring a bell?" Yukino inquired. Lacus and the man gasped.

"Laurent Mendy? As in the Nature Dragon Slayer, and the son of Francois and Rosalie Mendy?" The man uttered.

"So you do know them." Sting said, clenching his fists. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Noel and the other members of Team Natsu and Brave Vesperia grew concerned by the anger building inside him, and they all walk over to him and Yukino. Sheena and Archer, who both finished their conversation, also head over to Sting, Yukino and the others.

"Tell us, what exactly happened here after the Tartaros Incident? According to Laurent, his father's aide betrayed his family and chased every demihuman out of Petunia. Do you happen to be that former aide of Francois Mendy, Mayor Lacus Clyne?!" Sting demanded.

"Sting Eucliffe! Please calm down!" Erza chided Sting.

"But Erza, you don't understand!" Sting yelled at her.

"No, please! Let me explain!" Lacus cried to everyone who is now standing in front of her and her husband. After getting everyone's attention, Lacus frowns as she continued, "To answer your questions, Sting Eucliffe, no. I am not the former aide of Francois Mendy. A riot did occur in Petunia two years ago after news of the Tartaros Incident broke out, but I swear I wasn't the one who instigated it."

"She's telling the truth. I can feel it." Natsu said, gazing at Lacus. Instantly, the rage that was quivering inside Sting earlier dies down.

"So what exactly happened? And where is this former aide now?" Yukino asked.

"After Francois's former aide overthrew the Mendys, he took his position as the new mayor of Petunia and forced all remaining demihumans to leave the town. Things went back to normal for a while. But for the next eighteen months, the town's economy declined as the former aide made use of his position as mayor to tax the townspeople daily until they are completely broken. That is when the townspeople have had enough. They set their own town on fire to lure the former aide and his associates out of the town hall, and they immediately kill them." Lacus explained.

"So the former aide who betrayed the Mendys has since passed." Lucy said. 'Laurent's desire for revenge was for nothing after all.'

"When the townspeople later raid and loot the town hall, they discover why the former aide started the first riot in the first place." Lacus continued. "It turns out he is secretly an associate to a few town council members who were against having demihumans co-existing with humans in Petunia, but the Mendys and the other members continuously reject their proposals, much to their frustration. Then, when the Tartaros Incident happened, they made used of the incident to spread fear and hatred among most of the human residents and made them turn against the demihumans whom they once considered their friends. That is when the humans who participated in the first riot feel ashamed over what they have done, and we are planning to erect a statue of the Mendy family in the centre of town to express our guilt and sorrows."

As the others stare wordlessly at Lacus and her husband, Darren, Alicia, Lucy and Natsu turn to each other.

"To think that if the people of this town hadn't suffered enough after both riots, Laurent was actually planning to invade and destroy this place." Lucy whispered.

"If his plan had commenced, Petunia would have ceased to exist." Darren said. Alicia and Natsu nod their heads before the four of them look back at Lacus and her husband.

"After the fire burned most of our town and having experienced two deadly riots within less than two years, Petunia is completely devastated. And to this day, we are still having difficulty trying to recover from the past." Lacus turned to her town. Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting, Yukino and the others see that some of the buildings near the entrance of the town have damaged rooftops, broken windows and all sorts of burn marks on its walls. "The merchants and tourists have stop coming here because of the events that had happened. The townspeople still feel guilty over what they have done to the Mendys and the demihumans two years ago, and they hope that one day, they will return here to bring life back to their town. Since all our town's politicians are dead, it is up to me and my husband Kira to take the roles of mayor and aide."

"Lacus and I originally worked as local bakers in this town." Kira said as Lacus turns back to the others. "We never thought we would get into politics one day. But since most of the rich people in this town have since left or lost most of their money, we thought we would be the ones to help Petunia recover its economy and former glory."

"What our town still lacks though is defence. The Nature Dragon Slayer has since left and the whole of Fiore is now at war with the Abbey. We don't know how we are going to defend themselves if the Abbey were to arrive here one day, and our town is too poor to request the guilds and the Magic Council to send people to protect us." Lacus said dishearteningly as Kira wraps his arm around her shoulder.

"Our only hope is that Laurent Mendy can one day return here to protect and forgive us." Kira said. "Although Lacus and I weren't among the humans who drove the demihumans out, we still feel equally guilty for not stopping them from causing chaos in our town."

"I hate to say this but…Laurent Mendy is dead." Natsu said grimly.

"What?" Lacus said incredulously as she and Kira widen their eyes. As Natsu walks over, he takes out Laurent's neck ribbon from underneath his jacket and hands it to them. Lacus takes it from him and she and Kira stare at it in despondency.

"Then that means…our town is truly doomed." Lacus said dejectedly as she and Kira kept their heads down.

Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C. turn to each other after hearing their explanation. The five of them feel guilty for assisting Laurent in trying to invade the town of Petunia before. And to think if they hadn't learnt the dire state of Petunia during the time they were hiding in the West Forest, they would have helped Laurent with his plans to the end. Although they have completely cut ties with him, Laurent was right about one thing. They must never follow the same path he took. And if there is any way for them to make up for what they have done, there is only one.

"Excuse me." Tokoyami said as the five of them approach Lacus and Kira. "Although our relationship isn't close, the five of us were associates of Laurent Mendy."

"We have been living with him in the West Forest this whole time until his death. And if it wasn't for the help of Sting, Yukino and their friends, we would have died along with him." Archer said.

"Before he passed, he wanted us to continue living our lives without following the same path he had took. So, we have decided that as our way to honour his last wish, we would like to stay here in Petunia and serve as your new protectors." Road said.

Lacus, Kira, Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sting, Yukino and everybody else watch in awe as Tokoyami, Archer, Road and C.C. get down on the ground on a knee and they and Lero bow their heads to the mayor of Petunia and her husband. Lacus and Kira, completely taken off-guard by this, stare at the five of them for a few moments before the mayor could feel fresh tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes." Lacus replied. Tokoyami, Archer, Road, Lero and C.C. look back up at her and Kira to see the blissful smiles on their faces. "Of course. We will accept you all into our town."

"Thank you…" Kira said as he and Lacus bow back to the five of them. "All of you."


Later that day, as the sun begins to set, the Rune Knights are ready to drive their ship back to Era. After reaching the bottom of the ramp, Emmanuel, Sting and Yukino walk over to Noel and Natsu.

"The praetors are rounded up and the magicless people are safe and sound. We are ready to make our departure." Emmanuel said to Noel.

"Great work, Emmanuel. Have a safe journey back to Era." Noel said.

"Are you sure you no longer need me to accompany you?" Emmanuel asked his superior concernedly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure as long as I'm with them, I'll be perfectly fine." Noel said, smiling as she turns to Lucy, Darren, Alicia and the others who are conversing with Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C. at the town's entrance.

"Very well." Emmanuel said. As Noel looked back at him, Emmanuel gave her a salute. "Safe travels, lieutenant."

"Same to you." Noel replied as she salutes back to him.

"Well Natsu, I guess this is where Yukino and I part ways with you and your friends." Sting said to Natsu.

"It's great to be fighting alongside all of you again. But there are still other magicless people out there who are awaiting rescue, and the Magic Council needs us to go find them." Yukino added.

"I understand." Natsu said, extending his hand to Sting. "Best of luck to both of you, and everyone at Sabretooth."

"You too, Fairy Tail. And say goodbye to Lucy for us, will ya?" Sting asked as he shakes his hand. Natsu smirks and nods his head.

"Farewell, Natsu-sama." Yukino said as she and Sting wave their hands at Natsu.

"Goodbye, you two! Until we meet again!" Natsu replied, waving back at them. He and Noel watch Yukino, Sting and Emmanuel turn around and make their way back up to the ship.

Meanwhile, C.C. shook hands with Lucy as the two women smile at each other.

"Thank you, Lucy. You kept your promise that your guild will provide us a place to stay." C.C. said.

"And not just a place to stay, but a place where we belong." Road added as Lero nods his head in agreement.

"You're welcome, everyone. Be sure to look after this town and yourselves." Lucy said to them.

"Never consider your lives to be insignificant, and always continue living with all of your might." Erza added.

"We will." Tokoyami vowed as he, Archer, Road, Lero and C.C. nod their heads.

"Good luck on your journey to Mizuho." Archer said to Lucy and the others before turning his head to Sheena. "And stay strong, Fujibayashi-san."

"I will." Sheena responded as she gave a solemn nod to Archer. After Natsu and Noel walk over to Lucy and the others, they all wave their hands goodbye to Archer, Tokoyami, Road, Lero and C.C..

"Goodbye everyone!" Lucy said happily.

"Bye!" C.C. smiled as she, Road, Lero, Tokoyami and Archer wave back at them.

"See you around, Lero!" Lero added as they watch Natsu, Lucy and the others turn around and leave.

"Have a safe journey!" Road cried.

After walking a mile away from the town of Petunia, Darren turns to Sheena and asked, "So um, what did you and Archer discuss with each other?" When Sheena remained silent for a few seconds, Darren looks back to the front. "It's about Mizuho, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Sheena said softly. "To think we are almost there. Even after all this time, I'm not sure if I'm ready to confront my past."

"Sheena, no matter what happens, we are all here for you." Lucy said reassuringly to her.

"That's right." Estelle said, smiling tenderly at Sheena. "You have us now. There is no need to worry."

"And whatever challenge lies ahead for you, we got your back." Natsu said confidently.

Sheena looks up and sees everyone smiling at her. Overwhelmed with gratefulness towards her friends, Sheena's look of worry soon transforms into a blissful smile.

"Thank you everyone." Sheena bows her head to them. Everyone looks back to the front as they continue walking through the field.


Mala Makra and Tal Olsen stood in the middle of Cornelia's office as they gave their report to her.

"Mala, Tal, have you eliminated the members of Fairy Tail and their allies who disrupted our mission at Loegres?" Cornelia asked the two men as she sat behind her desk.

"Unfortunately, no, Madam Corningston. We have failed." Mala replied.

"I appreciate your honesty, Captain." Cornelia said as she slowly stands up from her chair and adjusts her glasses. "But have you completely forgotten what will happen to you when you failed me again?!" Suddenly, Tal steps forward to her desk and holds out Laurent's ear to Cornelia. "What is this?"

"It is an ear of the Nature Dragon Slayer whom we encountered during our fight against them in the West Forest." Mala explained. "Although I have failed to eliminate the one called Natsu Dragneel, I hope at least this will serve as proof that I am still capable of eliminating a Dragon Slayer or anyone who has the same level of power as them."

"Is that true?" Cornelia asked Tal. The man nods his head in response. Cornelia looks back at Mala and her lips form into a small smirk. "Very well. It seems you have proven that you are still a worthy subject."

"With our enemy now past through the West Forest, it is clear they are still en route to Mizuho. I shall head over there to destroy them." Mala said as Tal walks back to his side.

"No." Cornelia said flatly as she sits back down. "You have done enough for us lately. It is time for you to rest. I shall send someone else to deal with them instead."

"Very well." Mala said.

"Dismissed." Cornelia said. Mala and Tal bow to her before they turn around and make their way out.

"For once, we are on the same page." Mala said. Tal nods his head and the two men step out of Cornelia's office. When the door is shut, Cornelia leans back on her chair and places her arms on the armrests as she kept a wide smile on her face.

"How much longer before my resurrection, Cornelia?"

"Patience, master. Just one more week." Cornelia replied as she looks up at the ceiling.

"Very good. I have been waiting so long for this. Soon, I can finally finish what I have started."

"Yes. Just one more week, master." Cornelia said. "One…more…week."


It would take a day for Natsu, Lucy, Darren, Alicia, Sheena and the others to arrive at the end of the grassy field. When they do, they realize that they are now standing at the edge of a cliff.

Everyone stares in awe as they look over the edge. While below the cliff is another forest, what is located beyond the trees in the distance is a rather large town surrounded by tall and large concrete walls. They could see a tall hill in the centre of town, and on top of it is a large palace of Japanese-like architecture. Sheena blows out a heavy sigh upon seeing her hometown again.

"Here it is, everyone." Sheena said. "Welcome…to Mizuho."


Sovereign: I would like to thank Amanny, AquaBluey and Crimson-Tuna-Sub for reviewing and checking out my story. Thanks!

Finally, after two years of writing, we have reached Mizuho…