AN: Just a quick note that I have a poll on my profile. I like to know what story you would like to see somewhere in the future. It will be up and open for a while since I have other stories planned and to work on before I get to whichever one is the winner.
The battle with the eclipse spirits is finally over. All twelve of those spirits have been defeated and it seems like they were gone for good. With the threat passed, Yukino went back to her guild with Michael and the others. That's where Nashi and her friends are now as they saw everyone in the guild welcoming her back and was glad to see she was safe.
"Glad to see you're okay, Yukino."
"We were all a little worried about you."
"Thank you all for your concern, but I'm fine. Really." Yukino said. As Yukino was settling back at home, Nashi and the others hanged back.
"Everyone seems really glad that Yukino is safe. Your guild doesn't really seem that much different than from our guild." Nashi said.
"You think? I think it's a little tamer around here." Sasha said and she had a good point there.
"You didn't have to come back to our guild with us." Michael said.
"We know, but we at least wanted to say thank you for helping us out earlier." Nashi said.
"It wasn't a big deal. You guys would have done the same for us." Michael said as he held out his hand. Nashi took it and shook it as they admitted it was an equal part.
"So how's your mother after all this?" Athena asked.
"Okay, I think. She's calming down and is glad everything is okay." Nashi said. "She's glad that we're no longer fighting any spirits, even if they are ones that probably deserved what those twelve got."
"We had Drake stay behind at the guild to keep an eye on her just in case." Storm said. "I'm sure she really is glad this whole with the spirits is over. She really didn't like that we had to fight them."
"She must really love her celestial spirits if she didn't want any harm to them." Shae said. "It seems like everything is okay back in the celestial world as well. None of the spirits or anything has reported any harm done."
"You know what they say. No news is good news." Gale said.
"I'm sure everything is fine." Nashi said. "Mom summoned Virgo so Loke could get some rest. Virgo claims everything has settled down back in their world. So I guess everything is back normal….as normal as things do get with us."
"I'm just glad we all were able to make it out of that unharmed." Nova said.
"Speak for yourself." Owen said. All of them looked and saw he was covered in bandages and some ointment since he got a serious sunburn from when he fought Eclipse Aries.
"Owen?! What happened to you?!" Nashi said.
"He was sent to a desert and got fried." Storm said. That has got to hurt.
"I told you, you should be wearing a shirt more often." Shae said. "Who are you trying to impress by showing off your muscles?"
"Shut up." Owen said. "What was the deal with those places we were all in anyway? It sounds like they were all pretty weird."
"If I had to guess, I say they were all a pocket dimension that each of the twelve spirits were able to create." Rona said.
"You might be right." Nashi said. "Leo's original plan was to keep us occupied and keep us away from my mother so he could perform that spell."
"Speaking of which, what happened to that giant crystal that Nashi shattered?" Michael said.
"It all disappeared." Simon said. "The spirits must have taken all of it back since it originally came from their world. I doubt it would be a problem anymore. It probably lost all of its power after the fight."
"So I guess it's really all over." Nova said and they were all glad to hear about that.
"There's still one thing about all of this that we haven't figured out." Athena said. "How did all of this happened? Where did those spirits even come from?"
"Since they acted like they've been around as long as any other spirit, as well as the fact they're all gone now, I can't say for sure." Simon said.
"Maybe it's best we just leave it alone." Nashi said. "If something like this happens again, we'll be ready for them. Hopefully, if they ever do come back, they'll see how wrong they are and maybe they can try to get along with other humans."
"Maybe your right." Michael said. "You guys should probably be getting home. Your parents probably still want to punish you after you snuck off to fight these guys." Michael had a point. They were all so focused on what was going on, none of them really thought they would get punished for sneaking off.
"Oh yeah. Mom probably isn't happy we went and did that in the first place." Nashi said. "Not to mention I actually knocked her out. I'm probably dead."
"Maybe I should tell my mother what went on when I fought that dancing crab." Storm said, but he had to rethink that. "No. That might make things worse because she missed it." None of them were really looking forward to heading home.
"The battle against those eclipse zodiac spirits was over." Nashi narrated. "Mom was glad to hear that since it meant no more fighting celestial spirits. I was also glad that Sabertooth helped us out. It was good knowing that other guilds would help us when we needed it. Especially since there was more coming our way. Whenever we defeat an enemy, there always seems to be another waiting in the wings."
…
The Road
Nashi and the others decided to head home. However, they were heading home through a carriage. Not good for Nashi, Gale, and Nova and were trying to endure it.
"I'm going to die." Gale said.
"Do we have to head home like this?" Nashi said. "Why couldn't we just walk?"
"Sorry, but this is the best way we can get home." Sasha said. "Besides, maybe it will have your parents go easier on you if they know you're being punished like this."
"Somehow I doubt that." Gale said.
"Yeah. Getting ourselves motion sick might not be much of a punishment to our parents since it happens on a regular basis." Nashi said.
"I know you guys hate this, but try and hang in there." Simon said. "It shouldn't be long until we get home." Anytime is too long for the dragon slayers on this thing.
"I can't take it." Nashi said as she stuck herself out the back.
"Careful, Nashi. You'll fall right out." Storm said.
"That's the idea. Anything has to be better than this." Nashi said. Being a dragon slayer is never fun when you have to ride on this stuff. Nashi may have been sick to her stomach, but she looked down the road and spotted something, or rather someone. She swears she could see her uncle walking across the road. "Uncle Zeref?"
"What? Did you say something Nashi?" Storm asked as she turned to look at them.
"I just spotted my uncle." Nashi said. She pointed down the road, but he wasn't there anymore and no one else saw him.
"Your uncle? You mean Zeref? I don't see him." Storm said.
"It couldn't have been him." Sasha said. "He left after the Grand Magic Games and he could be anywhere. If he was so close, why didn't he say anything to us?"
"If he was there, he's not anymore." Simon said.
"He was just there. I just saw him." Nashi said, but her motion sickness made it hard for her to be convincing.
"Oh man. We better get home fast. She's getting delirious. She's starting to see things." Storm said. Nashi could have sworn she saw her uncle. She was actually right. Zeref really was in the area, but he was looking for someone else. Somewhere in the area was another. That other person was meditating, gaining more magic power and growing stronger.
"So you are the one called Ankhselam." Zeref said as he walked up behind him.
"So we finally meet face-to-face, Zeref." Ankhselam said. "I thought you were gone for good. I was quite surprised when I sensed your power back on Tenrou Island."
"I know the truth. I'm aware of what happened with the celestial spirits and I know you are the one responsible for it." Zeref said. "What I haven't figured out is how you did it."
"What happened with those celestial spirits was only a mere side effect." Ankhselam said as he pulled something out. "I was trying to bring power back into this." He held out a shard that was glowing. Zeref was really surprised when he saw that.
"That lacrima fragment…!" Zeref said.
"So you recognize it. This is a piece of the lacrima that was used in the Eclipse Gate that you helped created. A light of time I like to call it." Ankhselam said. "Even after all these years, destroying the remains of that gate have been quite difficult. Luckily, I was able to salvage this piece and brought power back to it. It's more than enough for what I need it for."
"What are you planning to do with that?" Zeref asked.
"To change the world." Ankhselam. "It's quite necessary in my master plan. This world is filled with deluded fools, lying to themselves and each other. It holds ideals that are ludicrous and the world itself is being shaped by it. So I believe it is time for that all to change and show these people the truth of this world."
"This world may be flawed, but there are those who have accepted this world for how it is." Zeref said.
"Come now, Zeref. You were no better than I." Ankhselam said as he turned to him. "You tried to destroy this world yourself." Zeref may have been like that once before, but he came to regret it and he felt that he had no choice because of his curse. Ankhselam is different because he actually wants to do this.
"So your master plan is coming to fruition, whatever it might be?" Zeref said. "Somehow you also require my brother for it. That's why you challenged Fairy Tail back on their island. Am I correct?"
"That's right." Ankhselam said as he stood to face him. "There's still much to be done, but I have gathered many who follow me and will do my biding to aid me in this goal."
"And if they prove to be of no use to you, you kill them off. Just like you did with this group known as Shadow Veil." Zeref said.
"Shadow Veil?" Ankhselam said. "I thought they would be of use to me, but when I learned of what became of them, I realized they wouldn't. That's okay. They're passing doesn't hindrance my plans in the least. I have many other followers that are just as powerful as they were and even stronger.
"I assume you're more than prepared to go to war?" Zeref said.
"War? Not quite." Ankhselam said. "More like complete annihilation. Anyone who dares stand in my way will suffer."
"I swear my niece and her guild will stop you." Zeref said. Two dark forces colliding against each other with a great and terrifying battle that will soon come. One that once fought against the world that now wishes to protect it against one that wishes to currently destroy it. Fairy Tail is bound to be involved and Ankhselam welcomes them to try. Natsu is the one he's after, but there was another that caught his interest.
'Nashi Dragneel? I'm actually looking forward to the next time we face each other.' Ankhselam thought.
