SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 134 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 134: Alvarez Empire Arc: The Seventh Guild Master

Five days later...

"We have to hurry up and rebuild our building." Happy heaved a sack of materials above his head as Natsu and Lucy set to work.

"If we divide the work between us, it'll be complete sooner." Erza agreed. "We want Master to praise our new Guildhall once he returns."

"Do you really think he'll come back?" Laki wondered.

"One of these days." Alzack assured.

"And if he doesn't we'll just look for him." Bisca added.

"Or put a bounty out." Reedus pulled out the bounty poster.

"Like a criminal?" Romeo gaped. "And talk about about cheap." he spotted the 200 Jewels as the bounty reward.

"Juvia, could you hand me those nails?" Gray requested, hammering in a nail to secure the wooden structure.

"At once, Gray-sama." Juvia beamed, using a waterspout to deliver the nails.

"What are you two doing, Ulyo, Levy?" Wendy wondered, walking over to see the two female mages hunched over the table with a stack of paperwork between them.

"Just some paperwork." Ulyo replied. "Restarting the Guild is a lot more complicated than you'd think. Without the Council's approval, we'd basically be like a Dark Guild. Levy is just explaining the more technical terms."

"We laid the groundwork over the past year for this very purpose." Pantherlily supplied.

"Thanks, Lily." Ulyo smiled. "Right now, we'll be able to declare that Fairy Tail is officially back. All that's left is the very last portion."

"That's a tough one." Mirajane agreed. "We need to decide who our Seventh Guild Master will be."

"It's just temporary until our Sixth Master returns, right?" Carla reminded. "So anyone will do."

"Still our Guild is different from before." Cana reminded, just as fight broke out between Natsu and Elfman.

"Cana is right about one thing." Ulyo sweatdropped. "We need someone who's able to keep these hotheaded idiots under control for one thing."

"You've upped your game." Natsu grinned, after being thrown across the dirt floor by Elfman's punch. "In that case..." he returned the punch in kind, sending Elfman flying over to Gray's area.

"That hurts, dammit!" said ice mage roared, kicking Elfman off him.

"You're all under arrest!" Gajeel barked, the once one-on-one fight turned into an all-out brawl.

"Back to work." Erza growled, immediately breaking the brawl with a single glare.

"Looks like that settles it." Ulyo giggled, filling up the final portion. "Our Seventh Guild Master is Erza Scarlet."

"Wait a minute." Erza stammered. "Me as Guild Master? That's hardly..."

"You're the only one up to the task." Mest stepped in.

"You're late, Mest." Ulyo chided the Memory Control mage.

"I've been waiting for this moment." Mest admitted. "For all of you to gather again; only you guys can help Marakov, our Sixth Guild Master."

On the staircase leading down to the Guildhall's basement...

"I had no idea such a place existed beneath the Guildhall." Erza was surprised as Mest and Ulyo led her down the spiral staircase.

"Even the entrance is normally sealed away." Mest explained.

"By the way, Mest." Erza started. "Why am I the only one allowed here? Natsu wouldn't stop complaining."

"Because you're the Seventh Guild Master." Ulyo answered. "That's the only reason."

"That's the kind of place we're headed to." Mest supplied. "It would normally be off-limits to me, too." he admitted, the trio stopping in front of a large arch door.

Focusing on her Guild Guardian Ring, Ulyo morphed into her newest Guardian Fairy form, the Sirenix. As if in response to the appearance of the Guild Guardian, the doors opened to admit the three mages within its chambers.

"What is this?" Erza gaped at the glowing crystal tower in the middle of the room.

"Fairy Tail's ultimate secret: the Lumen Histoire." Ulyo answered.

"Shodai?" Erza gasped, her eyes adjusting to the light and she instantly saw Mavis in the lacrima.

"Stop pushing, idiot." Gray whispered.

"Watch where you put your hands." Lucy complained, inadvertently pushing the entire group into the chamber.

"You guys..." Erza chided.

"Good grief." Mest sighed. "I was about to explain that only the Guild's Masters and Guardians are allowed in."

"That's not fair." Natsu retorted. "Tell us, too."

"What is this, anyway?" Gray asked.

"It's Shodai, isn't it?" Wendy wondered.

"Is this Shodai's body?" Happy blinked. "Is she alive?"

"Why is she inside a crystal beneath the Guildhall?" Carla was puzzled.

"Explain, you two." Erza instructed.

"We don't know what to make of it, either." Mest confessed. "All we do know is that it's something extraordinarily important."

"Never mind her." Natsu snapped. "Where's Gramps?"

"What is this?" Wendy gasped when Mest implanted his memories into the group's head. "In my mind, I'm seeing..."

"They're my memories." Mest revealed. "Ten years ago..." he related how he had been given the infiltration mission into the Council by Makarov a decade ago to find out all the information the Council had on the Alvarez Empire.

"Then, what happened?" Erza pressed.

"Seven years later..." Mest continued, Markov having released the memory block during the Grand Magic Games. "And then, one year ago, after the final battle against Tartarus..." he recalled Marakov's intention of disband Fairy Tail, the aged Guild Master had revealed that the Alvarez Empire first failed invasion some ten years ago was to obtain the Lumen Histoire and the only reason the Empire did not invade due to the threat of Etherion and Face. Now that both the Council and the military weapons were gone, Makarov was certain the Alvarez Empire will invade Ishgar again, using its overwhelming military power. His mind made up, Makarov decided to not only disband Fairy Tail, but to also head to the Alvarez Empire to negotiate, in an attempt to give the Council sufficient time to reform.

"So, Gramps went to this whatever Empire and never came back?" Natsu snapped.

"And he disbanded the Guild entirely for our sake." Erza added.

"You haven't heard from him in a year?" Gray asked.

"No." Mest admitted. "He's either still negotiating or is locked up somewhere."

"What happened next?" Erza demanded.

"I focused on restoring the Council as per Makarov's plan." Mest continued. "With Warrod-sama's help, I formed a new Council based around the Wizard Saints. Warrod-sama is aware of the situation, but the others are probably still in the dark. Even so, they all agree that the Alvarez Empire poses a threat. They quickly established a line of defense, which continues to act as a deterrent against the western continent."

"That means Gramps succeeded in buying us time." Gray argued. "So why hasn't he come back yet?"

"It's possible he isn't aware of this new information, or that he's unable to come back." Mest reasoned.

"So, we're gonna save him, right?" Natsu declared.

"Yes," Mest nodded. "I restored the Council just like he asked me. But now, I'm going to do my duty as a Fairy Tail mage."

"With all of us together again, no one will stand in our way." Happy was confident.

"Wait a moment." Ulyo cut in. "Our own Master has already deemed this enemy virtually unbeatable. We will need a plan, first."

"We've gotten stronger over the past year." Natsu argued. "No one anywhere can beat us."

"Our Master risked his life to buy us time." Ulyo leveled a glare at the Dragon Slayer. "Or you do intend to let his sacrifice all go to waste? Rebuilding the Guild, reopening for business, and restoring Fairy Tail," she started pacing. "Now that all of us are reunited, I want everyone to smile like we used to. That's why," her eyes sharpened. "I propose this: we split into two teams. Everyone in this chamber, excluding me, will be the first frontal assault team: your main goal is to infiltrate Alvarez and rescue our Master. I myself will be leading the second rearguard assault group to halt any pursuers."

"The rearguard assault..." Erza trailed. "Team B?"

Up on the surface...

"She beat us to the punch." Gajeel grinned.

"What is it, Gajeel?" Pantherlily asked.

"They're going in with two small invasion teams, huh?" Gajeel smirked. "The little Crystal Princess has spoken: we're putting Team B back together." he informed Cana and Mirajane. "We're gonna look for our old thunder pal."

"Do you know where Laxus is?" Cana asked.

Gajeel's smirk only widened.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.