A/N: If you are reading this, I started my spring semester of college.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail and/or Akame Ga Kill. They belong to their original owners.

The Assassins of Fairy Tail

Job Nine: The Assassin's Discovery

With the sound of footsteps echoing throughout a dark stairway, Mest and Erza were making their way down to whatever Mest had to show the new guild master of Fairy Tail. Erza looked around the stairway and found interesting and mysterious. "I didn't think there'd be something like this under the guild."

Mest could understand why she would think that. "Well, the entrance's normally not this easy to find."

Erza still wondered about her guild. "So, uh…Doran…no. Mest, was it?"

The other member chuckled a little at Erza's attempt to remember his name. "Mest is my real name. You've got it mixed up, huh? Sorry bout that."

That was one thing cleared but there was another matter Erza was curious about. "Why is it only me that can come here?" She remembered how Natsu reacted when Mest told the rest about. "Natsu was pretty pissed off."

Mest looked back at the new guild master. "That's because you're the seventh guild master. We're about to enter…restricted grounds now." They entered a large room with the symbol of Fairy Tail in the middle. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be allowed here either." They traveled to the other side of the room and Mest opened the door. A bright light shined from the opening of the door. When it faded, Erza saw what was on the other side of the door. "Fairy Tail's biggest secret. Lumen Histoire."

The Lumen Histoire Erza was looking at was none other than the first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion imprisoned in a large crystal. Erza had no words to speak at first as her eyes widened at what she saw. "The First?"

Natsu and the others suddenly fell out from the opening of the door. "Woah!"

"Kyaa!"

"Hey, hands off!"

"Gurgh!"

Chelsea and the other two former members of Night Raid were the only ones who didn't topple with the rest of the group. "See? I told you that would happen."

Leone giggled at their accident. "That was funny."

Akame was looking around in the room they were in. "What is this place?"

Erza should've expected them to tag along. "You guys…"

Mest smiled at them while his eyes were closed. "Man, and even after I told you guys that that this place is for guild masters only. Jeez."

Natsu and the others stood up. "That's not fair! Let us in on it too!"

Everyone then saw the first guild master encased in crystal. Gray was surprised to see in that that state. "What the hell?"

Wendy was equally feeling the same. "Isn't that the first?"

Natsu had an…interesting reaction to what he was seeing. "She's naked!?"

Lucy covered his eyes with her hands. "Okay, enough with the staring."

Chelsea certainly thought it was strange. "So…this is something."

Leone couldn't believe her eyes at what she was seeing. "That's the girl Wendy and the others could see. But how…"

Akame shared the other's reaction. "What happened to her?"

Happy was concerned about what he was seeing. "This is her in the flesh? Is she still alive?"

Carla had her own questions about all of this. "Why's she crystalized under the guild?"

Erza and everyone turned the former Council member. "Explain then, Mest."

He might as well to the best of his ability. "I don't even know myself but one thing's for sure, she's here for a really important reason."

"That aside, where's Gramps!? You know, don't you!"

Lucy could facepalm at Natsu's choice of words. "That aside he says."

Suddenly, all of them felt a tingly feeling inside their heads. Wendy and all of them held their heads with one hand. "What's this…inside my head?"

Something was flashing inside of Erza. "Images?"

Mest himself covered his eye. "My memories."

F

"Nine years back…oh, but maybe two years for you Tenrou people, I was given a mission by Makarov." All of them were seeing a much younger version of Mest talking to Makarov. "Work undercover at the Council?"

Makarov nodded at he said. "It's something only you could do."

Mest sighed and decided to guess what the Master's reason was. "So, what am I supposed to steal then?"

He guessed wrong. "It's not that kind of mission." Makarov grabbed a small bottle next to him. "I want you to be our inside man, feeding us the information regarding the western continent."

Mest smiled at the description. "So, it is stealing then."

He was still far off. "I don't need you to do anything like that, so don't. Just make sure you pick up as much as you can about the western continent and keep me updated."

Now Mest had questions as to why the master needed to be updated. "Why?"

Makarov gave him a serious look. "Just do it, please. It's to protect our guild."

Mest figured the master must've had a good reason for ordering such a thing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said such a thing. "Well, if I'm going to do it, might as well be thorough. I'll erase my own memories too."

Makarov didn't think that was necessary. "Don't."

The scene changed and was looking at the events one month after what Makarov told Mest his mission. They were both in a room at the Magic Council headquarters. "Hmm…it might've been because we stopped interacting with so much but I'm not getting much information."

"I see…"

Mest had to bring up another topic. "Oh yeah, and the guild's becoming a pretty sensitive topic in the Council." One particular member kept coming up. "Can't Natsu hold back a little?"

Makarov wondered if Mest was really going to go through with what he said before. "So you're serious about erasing your own memory huh?"

Mest didn't the harm of doing so. "It's no problem. There's a way to get it back and you have the keys."

So he did have a plan which Makarov approved. "that's really handy of you."

Mest smiled at the guild master. "Whoops. Call me Doranbolt. I go by that now." The scene changed again and the memory forwarded a few months where Mest did erase his memory. "What does Fairy Tail's master want with me?" Makarov knew it would've happened sooner or later. "Huh…but I remember seeing you a month ago. This is such a pain." The scene changed for the third time and months passed for the next part. Mest or rather Doranbolt was sitting in the cafeteria with former Council member Lahar. "Fairy Tail's master here for me again?"

Lahar nodded at his friend's words. "This is becoming quite frequent."

Mest suddenly thought of something. "I've got a great idea! I'll infiltrate that nasty guild with my powers! I'm sure I'll find something." Lahar thought it was a smart move. "Let's see…I'll start by overwriting Makarov's memories and making him believe that I'm one of them under the name Mest!" He was gnawing on Lahar's head for some unknown reason. "I need to know Fairy Tail's dirt! Oh, I'm so curious!"

Both Natsu and Gray didn't take kindly to that. "Hey."

Mest didn't blame them. "Really sorry."

"Why were you biting that guy's head?" Chelsea asked.

"It must've been tasty to him." Akame guessed.

To Leone, what he did made a lot more sense. "That's why he went to the island during the trails? Not the worst plan but still."

All of them continued to see Mest's memories and saw what happened seven years later during the Grand Magic Games with Makarov meeting with him in private. "It's been too long."

Mest with his memories back started to cry. "I'm glad you're safe. You and everyone at the guild too."

Makarov figured these last seven years must've been hard on him. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that for so long."

Mest held his face. "No…it was something I decided on my own anyway."

The guild master thought Mest had done enough. "Let's end your mission then. Come on back to Fairy Tail."

Mest shook his head. "No…I'm nearly there. It's probably the information you've been looking for." Makarov's eyes widened in shock.

The scene changed to what happened after the battle against Tartaros and what Makarov told him. "I'm ending Fairy Tail." Mest didn't understand why the guild master would do such a thing. "The information I've gotten from you all along was for a personal investigation and now I'm certain. This is the only way I could save the guild."

The former Council member thought this was madness. "You're disbanding the guild over the results of the investigation?! I don't get it!"

"It doesn't matter." Makarov looked back at Mest. "The empire of Alvarez in the western continent is one that is very, very dangerous."

"So what about it!? That country attempted to invade Ishgar ten years ago but failed!" Mest countered.

Makarov looked forward again. "Do you know why they failed? Lumen Histoire. The reason why Alvarez invaded ten years ago was to obtain Lumen Histoire for themselves." Mest was shocked to hear the reason why they invaded in the first place. "They didn't fail but were merely stopped with the help of the Council, of course."

Mest suddenly thought of something. "Etherion!"

He got it right. "And from what we know now, Face was supposed to be the Council's backup plan if ever they needed one. They wouldn't go at Alvarez if they had a choice."

That was a problem considering what happened. "But the Council's not more. Etherion, Face too…"

Makarov was also aware of that. "Do you know what this means?"

Unfortunately, Mest did. "Ishgar has lost its only defense against Alvarez?"

To his fear, Makarov nodded. "Yes. The invasion will begin once more."

Mest was still having a hard time figuring out what Makarov was doing. "So what does that have to do with the guild disbanding? If they're coming for us, then all we have to do is fight back! That's what Fairy Tail's for!"

It wasn't that easy as Mest sounded it to be. "We can't do that. That's the whole reason why I'm disbanding the guild." Mest still didn't understand. "There are about five hundred guilds in Ishgar, including Fairy Tail and there are about seven hundred thirty of them, the dark guilds included in the western continent. That seven hundred thirty combined together forming a gigantic empire. The military-run empire, Alvarez." Mest couldn't even fathom of what Makarov told him about their enemy. "Seven hundred thirty of them against one guild is like taking candy from a baby. They're not like anything we've faced so far."

This whole thing was so much bigger then what Mest originally thought. "No way….so what do we do?!"

There was only one course of action Makarov could think of. "I will go to Alvarez." Mest silently gasped at what the guild master said. "I'll let them know that we've got Lumen Histoire if ever they are to attack and will stall for as long as I can." Makarov gripped his hand tightly. "This will be a gamble and if the Council can get back on its feet in time…"

"Wait a minute!"

Makarov ignored Mest and continued. "If I fail, the kids at the guild will be next…" He gritted his teeth. "AND I CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN! SO FORGET ABOUT THE GUILD'S HISTORY AND WHAT IT WAS! THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY SO I WILL DISBAND!"

Tears started to come out of Mest's eyes and became worried about what Makarov was about to do. "Master, you can't stop a country on your own. It's impossible. It's like you're going there on a suicide mission."

Makarov looked back at Mest again with a calmer face and yet has never looked more determined. "Well, I carry the lives of my family. That's what a parent ought to do!"

F

The memories stopped and everyone in the room finally knew the real reason why their guild master disbanded Fairy Tail in the first place. Natsu found it hard to believe but it was true. "So…Gramps has gone to that whatchacallit country and he isn't back yet?"

Erza herself couldn't believe what she learned. "He disbanded the guild to protect us."

Leone realized how heavy all of this was. "Damn. He's got some major balls for doing that. Just for all of them." She glanced over at Wendy.

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

Mest nodded at the question. "Yeah."

"Didn't you try stopping him, Mest?" Happy asked next.

Carla thought otherwise. "You really think the Master would listen?"

Lucy couldn't help but worry about their master. "I wonder if he's okay."

Wendy thought the same. "It's worrying."

Mest shared all of what they were feeling. "We can't tell if we're still dealing with them or if the country has isolated itself or even-"

"Stop, please." Erza didn't want to hear the end of what the other member was going to say.

Mest decided to continue on. "I've been following Makarov's orders and working on bringing back the Council and with the help of Master Warrod, we've got a temporary Council formed by the Ten Wizard Saints."

Lucy knew what the other member was talking about. "Oh yeah. I remember hearing that the Council also wanted info on the Master's whereabouts."

"Master Warrod knows what's happening but I'm certain the rest don't. However, the threat they feel from the Alvarez Empire is the same. They've been sending reinforcements to the western continent and strengthening their defenses there." Mest explained.

Something about all of this didn't sit right with Gray. "But if the old man's trick worked, he would've been back by now, wouldn't he?!"

Mest admitted the ice mage brought up a good point. "Well, yeah. Like I said, we can't tell if it's because he hasn't heard of this or if he can't make it back."

Natsu suddenly spoke up. "Then we'll go help him. No?"

The former council member didn't argue with that. "Yeah…I've done what the Master told me to do. So from now onwards, I'll be doing what I want to do; as a member of Fairy Tail."

Happy suddenly felt excited and confident. "If everyone's together, we're unbeatable!"

In a rare occasion, Carla agreed. "Let's all go!"

Erza extended her arm to the side. "Wait." Everyone turned their attention to her. "We're up against an enemy that the Master himself felt he couldn't beat. We can't go there without a plan."

Natsu didn't see what the problem was. "We've all powered-up in this past year! I ain't gonna lose no matter how strong they are!"

Once again, Natsu was wrong as Erza thought. "So are you telling me that you're planning to trample on the Master's feelings despite knowing he's there to buy us time? Rebuilding the guild and getting back Fairy Tail back on its feet…I want everyone in the guild to smile again. After all, it's been a year since we've seen each other. These are my feelings as the seventh master."

Wendy and Gray didn't know if that as the right thing to do. "Erza…"

"Hey, that's-"

"But…" Erza interrupted Gray. "My feelings as another member of the guild are entirely different. We must rescue the Master at all costs and that's why those here will go. We're better off in small numbers. Infiltrate the Alvarez Empire and rescue the Master and then we'll talk. This isn't a fight. We're going there on a rescue mission so don't pick any unnecessary fights and don't make a fuss over things." Hearing all of this reminded Leone and the other former Night Raid assassins of when they had to rescue Wendy from her execution. Erza neared the fire dragon slayer. "You hear me, Natsu?"

Natsu looked away from her. "Y-Yeah…" He then smiled. "We'll save Gramps for sure."

Leone cheered as she raised up her arm. "Yeah! Let's go get the old guy back!"

"You're not coming along." And the blonde's cheer was suddenly cut down by what Erza said to her. "You and the other two."

Leone lowered her arm and growled at the new guild master. "And why the hell not?!"

There was a perfectly good reason why Erza didn't want them to come. "Because this only involves members of Fairy Tail. You three are members by name. I won't allow civilians such as yourselves to be involved in this."

Chelsea chuckled at the words. "Civilians huh?"

Leone couldn't believe they were getting the short end of the stick. "Why you-"

"Leone." The blonde and Chelsea looked over to Akame. "She's right. No matter how much you don't like it. We're not official members. It isn't any of our business."

Leone really hated it when her girlfriend was right about stuff like this. Wendy didn't like any of this and decided to speak up. "Erza…" The new guild master turned to the young dragon slayer. "Let them come. If I'm going along with all of you to do this, then so are they. If I'm involved, they're involved. I'll even take responsibility of looking after them. So please, let them come along."

Erza didn't know why Wendy was defending them so much. It was clear the young dragon slayer had a strong bond with all three of them. As much as she would like to argue, there was a small part inside Erza that wanted to know more about them and figure out what all of them were talking about before. In the end, she came to a conclusion. "Very well. They can come along as long as they understand what they're getting into."

Wendy smiled happily at the older girl. "Thank you so much!" Leone and the other two girls couldn't help but feel proud of what Wendy did for them.

Outside the guild hall basement, Gajeel just so happened to hear what was being talked about thanks to his hearing and grinned. "Heh, so they're sneaking out."

Lily glanced over at him. "What's wrong Gajeel?"

The iron dragon slayer was already thinking of a plan. "A small number for infiltration. Huh…I see. I guess we've got to move on our own then."

Juvia was walking around looking for a certain ice mage but wasn't having such luck. She soon approached Cana who was drinking not surprisingly enough. "Cana, have you seen my darling Gray?"

Cana laughed drunkenly. "I drank him all up along with my booze!"

Juvia instantly went over to the other girl and opened up Cana's mouth in a panic. "How could you! My love!"

Mira happened to pass by and overhear. "He went with Natsu and Lucy a while back. Apparently, they were tailing Erza and Mest."

Just hearing the names Lucy and Gray made Juvia fear the worst…again. She suddenly thought of Lucy and Gray doing indecent things. They were stopped by Gajeel putting his arm on her head and pressed against the table. "Gajeel…"

Cana smiled at him. "What, you wanna drink with me?"

Gajeel had his trademark grin. "We're forming the B team."

Mira didn't quite understand what the iron dragon slayer meant by that. "B team?"

"Is it the Grand Magic Games already?" Cana guessed.

She was close. "We're going to find that lightning bastard." Juvia didn't know what Gajeel was talking about.

Lily suddenly stiffed up in fear. "Lighting?"

Mira still didn't understand what Gajeel was saying. "What's all this?"

Cana figured out what Gajeel's plan was. "Wait, you know where Laxus is?"

B

In the new headquarters of the Magic Council, Levy was there was finalize Fairy Tail's registry as an official guild. Jura was the one who overlooked it and allowed it. "Hmm…there's no problem with the paperwork. Well done! Erza is a good choice for the guild master by the way."

Levy was happy to hear that. "And with this, Fairy Tail's officially back in business!"

Jura nodded in agreement. "Yes. Here's hoping you find Makarov fast then." He was going to miss Levy for all she's done for the Council. "It's such a shame that the council will lose someone as capable as you though, Levy."

Levy didn't blame him. Ehehehehe…sorry."

Both Jura and Levy turned to Warrod who was watering plants. "Master Warrod seems awfully cheery today."

Warrod chuckled at that. "I thought it was a joke at first when they said they were disbanding."

Ten Wizard Saints, rank fourth and one of the Four Kings of Ishgar: Warrod Sequen.

All jokes aside, Warrod knew how serious the situation has become. "All that's left now is for Mest to rescue Makarov as planned."

Levy noticed something a bit off with what the fourth Wizard Saint was doing. "Master Warrod! The water's overflowing!"

Warrod just smiled. "Oh no, it's just me doing my business." Levy hoped he was really joking. "Just kidding!" She sighed in relief.

"Old man Warrod…" Someone else was approaching the group. "How long are you planning to fool about like that? Huh?"

Ten Wizard Saints, rank third and one of the Four Kings of Ishgar: Wolfheim

Jura was surprised to see the third rank Wizard Saint. "Master Wolfheim! You were here?!"

Levy was just as amazed in just seeing him. "Woah…he's one of the four kings of Ishgar."

Warrod just laughed again. "Oh! Wolfheim my boy! Still got that weird name?" Wolfheim was stomping over to him. "I'm kidding, kidding!"

The other Wizard Saint didn't think it was funny. "Hey, hey, hey!" He suddenly transformed into a huge monstrous beast that towered over Warrod and growled at him. "Hey. This is hardly the time for gardening. Especially when we got our fair share of trouble with the Alvarez Empire!"

Levy was scared by what the Third Saint could do and Jura was very worried. "Please stop, Master Wolfheim!"

"Stop this now." Everyone turned to the new voice and Levy and Jura couldn't even begin to describe at who they were seeing. "We're no longer wizards unbound by duty. Now that we're part of the Council, it is our job to make sure the wizards are safe."

Ten Wizard Saints, rank second, one of the Four Kings of Ishgar and Council Chairmen: Draculos Hyberion

Levy didn't know how much she could take this and dropped to her knees. "Woah…three out of the Four Kings of Ishgar in the same room."

With Hyberion's appearance, Wolfheim reverted back into his original form. The second Wizard Saint took a sip from his cup. "It's true that tensions are rising and it's our job to neutralize those threats." Warrod admitted that he was right. Hyberion poured more wine into his cup. "If war breaks out, we're done for. We need a way to deal with peacefully."

Levy was terrified with what she just heard. "Is Alvarez really that strong? We've still got God Serena with us, though."

Hyberion slightly lowered his head. "God Serena. The wizard that was once one of the Four Kings of Ishgar and the first of the Ten Wizard Saints meaning the strongest wizard on this entire continent."

Jura wondered what became of him. "Oh, why isn't God Serena here this time?"

All three Kings let out a collective saddening sigh. It didn't seem like a good sign. "What's wrong? Why's everyone so down?" Levy asked.

Jura had the same question. "Did something happen to God Serena?"

Hyberion decided to tell the truth of what happened to the strongest of the Ten Wizard Saints. "God Serena has abandoned us and moved on to Alakitasia in the western continent to be part of their empire."

Naturally, both Jura and Levy were beyond shocked to learn such a thing. "No way!?"

Hyberion understood their reaction but the news only gets worse. "One of the Twelve Shields that protect Emperor Spriggan. The Spriggan Twelve. God Serena has become one of that twelve."

Levy had a bad feeling about what she heard. "Twelve…Shields?"

Hyberion nodded at her. "That's right. Wizards that could match the strength of Ishgar's strongest wizard. There are eleven more of them. That's what we're up against. The Alvarez Empire."