"Erza, it's going to be okay," Lucy jogged a little to catch up to their team leader, who was walking so briskly she may as well have been running. "I'm sure Wendy is fine."

"And if she isn't?" Erza countered, her arms crossed. She was still all but tearing through the town. "It'll be because I was unable to protect her. I may not recall giving birth to her, but Jellal and I have given her life and I will not see it stripped away from her."

Natsu and Gray both stopped in front of her, absolutely stunned. They never had considered the thought of Erza having a soft side, even for her own child.

"Get out of my way," She told them.

"Erza," Gray started, his hands up. "I'm sure this is all upsetting for you, but you have to consider Wendy's needs too. What if she doesn't want to come with you?"

Erza stopped dead in her wake. The wind tousled her hair a little, and she found her hands were shaking. She hadn't considered that for even a second. Her concerns were solely about what would happen to Wendy if she stayed with someone as utterly confusing as Ultrear. Erza couldn't understand her even if she tried. Why would she do such terrible things and then take care of Wendy and Jellal? Was it possible she felt remorse? Even more than that, regardless of whether or not she was fixated on Zeref, why would Ultrear unmask herself when she had been on the Magic Council? They had been none the wiser until she had revealed herself, after all.

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it," Erza finally said, setting her spinning thoughts aside. "Let's focus on keeping her safe. We got the master's permission, didn't we? We're going through with this."

Erza started off again, a little faster than before, and steeled herself. She was fully aware that their excursion could end in a violent fight. She did not discount the possibility of bloodshed — she never did — and she was willing to step on anyone's toes in the mood she was in. In her head, she knew she wasn't thinking straight but she simply couldn't help it. Her heart was telling her she had to do whatever it took for the sake of her daughter. It was nothing short of instinctual. The fact she hadn't known about her own child made her feel even worse. In every way, it seemed, she had utterly failed as a mother. Clenching her jaw, Erza turned the corner with her team. They had expected to see the swanky apartment complex but instead saw, first, terrible damage to the building. Workers were trying to repair it although the structure was unharmed.

"Holy shit…" Natsu breathed. "What happened here?"

"Nothing good," Lucy glanced up, holding her arm in front of her face to block out the harsh sunlight. "It looks almost like a bombing."

Erza swallowed hard. "This is what I warned you about. Partially, this is my fault."

Gray shook his head. "No wonder people hate us. We really do destroy everything."

Erza stomped down on his foot and Gray swore rather loudly, icing over the pained part of his foot.

"Huh," Happy observed, landing on Natsu's shoulder. "I guess people really do open their mouths when they get stepped on. It's kind of like trash cans!"

Erza shortly Happy a dark look. "You may think you're funny but —"

"Sc...Scarlet?"

Erza whipped around towards the entrance if the apartment complex and found herself face to face with Jellal. Her teammates all took a step back. He nervously pulled his hood further down over his face and warily approached her.

"Jellal?" Erza quivered.

He reached out to touch her hair. It was all so familiar. Her face. Her hair. The scent of her perfume and even her armor. Without warning, he softly kissed her. She kissed him back. In an instant, he knew who she was but he could not explain how —

"Erza," He said, cupping her face. "You...what are you doing here?"

Her eyes watering, she sighed. "Jellal," Erza started slowly. "Where's Wendy?"

"Out with a friend," He told her. What he couldn't understand was how she knew about Wendy or why she would care.

"And Ultrear?" Erza pressed.

"Asleep," He told her. "She needed to restore some of her power. She's...changing...but I don't…"

"Just explain what's going on already!" Natsu called out to him. "We're losing daylight."

Jellal let his hands fall onto Erza's shoulders. "Alright," He said, at a complete lode for even who he himself was. "Where should I begin?"

"How's this?"

Hisui sighed heavily upon seeing the odd look Mirajane, Evergreen, and Freed gave her. She supposed she might have made a bit of a mistake. Frowning at her reflection in the mirror, the princess of Fiore thought she looked almost uncannily like her mother. She was wearing Heather's dress, and, while she really didn't want to disappoint her mother, it was a bit extravagant to say the least. That didn't even mention how heavy it was. Her mother had always had expensive taste but Hisui found herself wondering how her mother had even managed to walk for longer than a few minutes in this dress. The fact there were diamonds sewn into it were the true villains. Mirajane and Caitlin helped her out of it, both of them just as stunned by the weight of it, before the younger Mariposa twin shoved a white minidress in her hands. Hisui raised an eyebrow but changed into it nonetheless.

"No," She said, sending Evergreen a pointed look through the mirror. "I cannot get married in something this short. Just because I wear them all the time —"

"I have an idea!" Caity cut in. She then turned towards her husband, Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus, who were sitting and talking at the other end of the dressing room. "Laxus! Take a look at your fiancée and tell us if you think she can rock this!"

Hisui blushed, a little embarrassed. Laxus, however, smiled and winked at her when no one was looking before inching his head pointedly at their rather impulsive best friend. It was Mirajane, however, that caught the hint first.

"That's enough wine," Mirajane said, taking the alcohol away. "You're tipsy, and I can't believe you don't know it."

Evergreen snickered. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories I have about times my sister couldn't hold her liquor."

"I was making a rhetorical point!" Caity protested, scowling at her sister. Siegrain chuckled and came over to his wife, affectionately giving her a squeeze.

"I believe that rhetorical point is that you talk as fast as you think," Freed observed. "And, if I may, I think the princess looks lovely in that dress. Ever, you have great taste."

"I can't walk down the aisle wearing this!" Hisui exclaimed. "My mother is already going to have a fit if I wear a dress that doesn't reach the floor!"

"I believe that," Laxus said. She sent him a relieved look. "Freed, I don't think you understand what her parents are expecting."

"I do," Bickslow said, grinning. "You know...I think they're expecting you to give them grandchildren soon and —"

"No!" Evergreen smacked him upside the head. "You're disgusting, Bickslow. Just because you have your babies doesn't —"

"I found one!" Caity yelled victoriously, crawling out from within the rather deep box of potential wedding dresses. They all stared at her, not surprised that she could fit in the box but a little surprised that she had taken advantage of the moment to slip into it. "And it won't offend the king and queen unless they have anything against a little bit of cleavage!"

Hisui quickly took the dress from her and slipped into it. As it turned out, the eldest Mariposa twin had been right. Although it had a high collar, the neckline was cut out to show a little skin. It hugged her figure and gracefully cascaded just past her feet. There was a silver sash around the waist, and there were pale pink silk flowers attached to it. She had never denied it, but Hisui was never more grateful for the woman's eye for fashion.

"Oh, 'Sui," Laxus said, standing up and quickly coming to embrace her. "You look gorgeous."

She smiled. "Laxus…"

He softly kissed her, ignoring the hum of their friends gossiping behind them.

"I can't wait to marry you," He murmured. "My Hisui Dreyar."