Alex was quick in discarding his attire, no overcoat or Stetson to draw any of his weapons from and leaving them on Freefall while Gildarts did the same with his cloak, displaying his number of injuries, even his prosthetic arm and leg, as they found a quaint place in the East Forest to fight and stared off at the other while the Guild set up barriers and guards to keep from destroying the forest anymore and hurting anyone in the crossfire, Laxus frowning to see how Alex measured up to Gildarts as Lisanna also was going to see how this young bounty hunter would match up with their strongest Wizard.

Alex breathed before he shifted, fists going up into a boxing stance with Gildarts shifting with bringing his gravity low before they both clashed, fist to palm erupted shockwaves of power that everyone braced against before Gildarts flung the fist out of the way to a straight jab to the chest, he skidding back a bit for Alex to follow up with a leap and an axe kick, Gildarts blocking it in time, but the impact cracked the ground greatly before Gildarts countered to Alex falling a bit with gravity, his fist slamming into Alex's body and hurling him across the battle ground before Alex recovered with digging up ground with his feet before he got back up, breathing for a bit of air before going on the attack again, closing the gap easily to Gildarts' surprise before delivering a flurry of punches into Gildarts, he gritting his teeth to the ongoing beatdown before he made to slap Alex away, but met the forearm instead with the clap of thunder and the force of it too if the members quickly grabbing onto the barriers and some flying a bit was any meaning to the power of those two as Natsu gaped.

"Holy Carp! Gildarts is the strongest I have ever known and he is getting leveled by Alex!"

"No... if that were the cause, then Alex could have won through pushing on through." Ur answered with a hand to her jaw in watching. "Alex is using his speed and accuracy to put Gildarts on the defensive, he doesn't have the body strength to hold off any of Gildarts' attacks in the long term."

"Master Ur, that is impossible, Alex is crazy powerful, there is no way that he wouldn't be able to take down Gildarts."

"Gray, my love, I understand that you believe so and I know for fact that Alex is intensely strong, this is true..." Juvia answered as both spilt and exchanged attacks in a frenzy of blocks, parries, and punches as Juvia voiced while holding onto Gray to keep from flying off again. "...However, Gildarts has more experience and power behind his blows, even if Alex could take him on, he has to rely on his own speed and aim to get through, he can't take too many of Gildarts' own punches and blows if he wants to win this."

Cana gripped her arms in frustration as she thought to herself in watching the fight. 'Damn it... how come he is showing more spine in telling the facts to Gildarts and winning his spar than me actually say a damn thing to him!? I just...' She breathed in watching. 'No, that was not just some trick to get Gildarts steamed, he knew those same buttons to push to get Gildarts to focus on him, but neither of them are being sloppy about it, they are fighting with only their raw skills, no magic so far to see.' Both divided again, with a bit more bruising and marks on them, Alex lightly gripping his left wrist and winced to a pop in it before shake it before focusing back on Gildarts as the man spoke.

"I may be a womanizer, I know this, but she was something else altogether and, while I may be a workaholic with being part of the Guild, I still love her, even though she is gone." Alex stared with reaching to one of the runes and pulling out... a box of stick candies, popping one into his mouth and propping it like it was a cigar, returning the box into the rune as Gildarts spoke. "I have the right to know what you meant about that."

"You may have the right, but you will never have the privilege..." Alex answered back as tick marks appeared on Gildarts' brow as Alex spoke around the candy stick. "The fact here is... she didn't tell you, that is reasonable with our work load, we are often too busy doing our jobs that we would neglect those loved ones or friends that we have come to know." He chewed on the stick and continued. "The privilege is not mine to tell, it is someone else's and I will not disgrace their want to prove that they are worth it, that you will accept them if they do so." The air hummed and burst in Gildarts' aura as a column of white energy, many falling to its presence and Natsu understood...

This was the power of a S-Class Wizard, the power of Gildarts, the Ace of Fairy Tail, and he knew fear, but in that fear, he found weakness, something that he needed to learn from and grow from to be even stronger than before, fear was natural, but letting it consume him was never the option, he would use that to improve himself, it was the same lessons he learned from Alex's training, in some ways they were one and the same.

Alex didn't take the column lying down as his body erupted in a spiral of color, like a lifeline from the world before they dashed for the other and almost clashed in a eruption of dirt and dust, but as it cleared, the members tensed to the white demonic-looking figure with large pauldrons, greaves, and a crackling molten war maul on its back, holding back Alex's foot and Gildarts' fist with its large claws, a aura of dark, volatile energy whiffing off of it as it spoke without its jaw moving.

"Finally got it out of your systems, guys?" Both stayed as they were before Alex's foot moved and planted on the ground as he spoke.

"Yeah... I got it out, Kenith, you can drop the Hollow." The being waited before Gildarts removed his fist as well before the being relaxed and towered at near ten-five before getting coated in the aura and shrinking back down, it breezing off to Kenith as Alex huffed with getting his gear back. "Whatever you think I am, Gildarts, know that I don't joke about these things if I can help it." The Stetson spun on his finger before getting planted onto his head and he turned to face Gildarts, still in the middle of the arena. "This is a draw, let's leave it at that." He headed off with Kenith and Freefall bowing to Gildarts before following Alex out of the East Forest, heading back to the Guild as Gildarts hummed with holding his wrist and shifting it with a pop, moving his fingers as he thought to himself.

'He will not disgrace their want to prove they are worth it, that I would accept them if they did...' Gildarts hummed on how he meant it as his thoughts continued. 'Does that mean they are in the Guild, but are afraid of measuring up, of not matching up to my strength and want to prove themselves before they say anything about it.' This froze him in realization. 'Wait... that is exactly right! I must have been exhibiting too much of a power gap as a S-Rank Wizard that whoever they are, they want to prove that they are worth my love, but it's the other way around, I want to be worthy of their love, so that means... I am a father!'

He relaxed before gripping his fist in trying to think on it. 'Okay... I put that together with a simple path, but now... how old would they be...' He closed his eyes in thinking, the members looking a tad worried that he was getting ticks again and were concerned that he was getting angry again. 'Could it have been twenty years!? No, maybe sixteen! NO, that wouldn't make sense, it would be fourteen! NOOO! That's even worse, it just doesn't fit the timeframe! What am I suppose to do if I can't figure this...' He froze again with something else that slipped into the puzzle. 'Wait... My name is Gildarts Clive, she was Cornelia and she took on my last name, Cornelia Clive, but what was her previous last name, it was...' A hand on his leg paused his thoughts and he turned to Makarov as the Guild Master spoke.

"You seem a bit deep in thought, but you may be able to do it better at the Guild, so come along."

"...Sure thing, Master." The Guild started to head back home with Gildarts following a short distance, glancing to meet the eyes of Cana, the moment exchange between them saying a thousand words, but in just short of a moment, Gildarts felt his heart grip tight as he extended an arm around her and she welcomed it with tears in her eyes, hugging him as he carried his cloak with his other hand...

Alex wasted little time in finding the secret way into Percht's lab and finding the frozen Mavis in Lacrima, he staring for a bit before he breathed in walking over, Kenith and Freefall following before his brother spoke. "You don't HAVE to free her right now, you can do it while the Guild is off to Tenrou Island for the S-Rank Trials, you don't need to do it right now."

"Believe me, I want to do this..." Alex answered as he rested a hand on the Lacrima and channeled his power into it, a crystal that took tens, if not a hundred, blasts from Fairy Glitter to finally shatter it in the fable. "I have been putting this off for too long and I need to make sure that the Curse is truly gone form her body before I work to heal her." Kenith frowned as the channeled magic started to congeal and gather against the Lacrima, it reacting back in Alex wincing as his overcoat started to unravel at the sleeve and his arm started to burn, Kenith grunting in grief as Alex slowly dropped to his knee. "This... this is just a temporary measure, Kenith... Freefall, take my brother away, he is getting agitated..."

"...Very well, Rider..." The wyvern answered with picking Kenith up and taking him away to his protest, Alex reaching into his other pocket and planting a small cap over his ear before music played, to help him focus.

'Home, a place where I can go. To take this off my shoulders, someone take me home.' He breathed with resting both hands on the Lacrima as it started to crack. 'Home, a place where I can go. To take this off my shoulders, someone take me home, someone take me.' He felt the recoil against his body as he braced himself even more as the beat picked up.

'Look, I didn't power through the struggle, just to let a little trouble, knock me out of my position, and interrupt the vision. After everything I witnessed, after all of these decisions, all these miles, feet, inches, they can't add up to the distance.' The power filled like a turbulent force as Alex rested his other hand to the crystal and watched as that too lost the sleeve and burned his arm with a searing fire. 'That I have been through, just to get to a place where even if there's no closure, I'm still safe. I still ache from trying to keep pace, somebody give me a sign, I'm starting to lose faith.' He pulsed with power and his limbs healed as the music pounded in his skull.

'Now tell me: how did all my dreams turn to nightmares? How did I lose it when I was right there? Now I'm so far that it feels like it's all gone to pieces. Tell me why the world never fights fair? I'm trying to find.' The music leveled out as Alex felt the Lacrima 'stumble' to the change up of energy, adding more cracks to the formation.

'Home, a place where I can go to take this off my shoulders. Someone take me home. Home, a place where I can go to take this off my shoulders. Someone take me home.(It's been a long time coming) Someone take me.' The music pounded with life as Alex focused, feeling the energy of the First Master and grabbing it to pull her free, she jolting to the action as Alex grit his teeth. 'Hooooome, ho-o-o-o-me. Hooome, hooome. Someone take me, Hooooome, ho-o-o-o-me. Hoooome, hooome.' His eyes flared in pushing, the crystal breaking under his palms as he felt the music resound with his soul.

'Look, I been through so much pain, and it's hard to maintain, any smile on my face. 'Cause there's madness on my brain, So I gotta make it back, but my home ain't on the map. Gotta follow what I'm feeling to discover where it's at. I need the (memory), in case this fate is forever, just to be sure these last days are better. And if I have any (enemies), to give me the strength to look the Devil in the face and make it home safe.' The Lacrima started to dim out and crumble with the First taking her first breaths for so long before Alex topple and fell on his front as the music played in his ear to his numbed body, now reeling from Ethernano Exhaustion.

'Now tell me: how did all my dreams turn to nightmares? How did I lose it when I was right there? Now I'm so far that it feels like it's all gone to pieces. Tell me why the world never fights fair? I'm trying to find.' Alex groaned as he glanced to the cap and tried vainly to remove it as it made for the chorus.

'Home, a place where I can go to take this off my shoulders. Someone take me home, Someone take me.' His hand almost grabbed it before a petite hand took the cap and he glanced forward to Mavis on the other end as she removed the cap with putting it on her own ear.

'I found no cure for the loneliness, I found no cure for the sickness. Nothing here feels like home, crowded streets, but I'm all alone.' Their eyes met as the music continued. 'I found no cure for the loneliness, I found no cure for the sickness. Nothing here feels like home, crowded streets, but I'm all alone.' She removed it and the music started to fade out as she rested her arms under her head as she spoke.

"How long are you going to punish yourself...?" The two shared in the stare before Alex slowly planted his face on the stone in answering.

"For a while, Mavis. I didn't free you when I had the chance, preferring a more quieter moment to do it, even when I freed your Oberon from his curse. I am ashamed to say that I was focusing on other things and giving the Guild a quiet wake-up call." She smiled with kicking her legs a bit, numb, but they were breathing life again."

"I wouldn't say that he is my Oberon, I would like to contribute him to being my Arthur, a king in his own right, but had plenty of flaws. Though that doesn't sound quite right." She shrugged as Alex nodded as he breathed and using the remains of the Lacrima to fuel him back up, it was pretty powerful and he draining the last of it fixed his Ethernano Exhaustion.

He pushed up and straightened up before he extended a hand and Mavis smiled with taking it, Alex careful in lifting her up as she breathed in his bridal carry of her. "Thank you..."

"Save your thanks for after I am done, I still haven't completed my promise." He answered as his shifted and scoped out all of her magical connections and organic abilities, several burned with some divine flames which were resulting her youthful appearance, so he had to fix the lines properly and infuse energy into them to cause her to properly age. Kenith bolted up to Alex coming up with widened eyes, Freefall looking as well as he spoke.

"You did it..."

"Not yet..." Alex breathed to the exhausted Mavis. "Law's damages on her are keeping her body like this, so I am going to have to operate and repair her nerves right." Kenith nodded as Freefall spoke.

"Do you need space?"

"The infirmary will be enough, but I would advise that you get Porlyusica for detail work." Freefall nodded with heading out as Alex turned to his brother. "Keep all of the other members out, NO MATTER how much pain is being heard or felt, I need to be exact and precise for this." Kenith nodded with following Alex into the infirmary and guarding the door as Alex set her down and exchange his clothes for his medical garbs, taking a few breaths before he turned back to her as he spoke. "I apologize for this, but this will not be a painless operation, First Master."

"I..." She blinked, her body mending into function with Alex infusing her body with energy and restoring her limbs into function as well with some testing in order later. "I trust you..."

"And my word is like the stars..." Alex nodded as he first put her under and started the operation...

Makarov announced that the S-Class Mage Promotion Trials were coming and had read off the list of those candidates, eight in total in Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Elfman Strauss, Cana Alberona, Freed Justine, Levy McGarden, and Mest Gryder, with only one to come out of the Trial as a S-Class Wizard and they needed a partner who wasn't S-Class to join them for the trip. Before Makarov could continue, the door to the infirmary opened, all eyes turning to it and widening to see Alex who was cleaning himself up a bit from some blood, Porlyusica who looked a tad smug, and the First Master Mavis, who seemed to have grown a bit in height and features, walking out in a light white dress and bandages wrapped around her legs as she spoke. "I agree with the list, Makarov, but I would have to deny Mest the chance to be one of the candidates." The Guild gaped in surprise as Makarov blinked, Laxus also surprised as the Third Master spoke.

"How so, First Master Mavis?" She deadpanned, like really putting on a deadpan look at Marakov as she rested a hand on her hip in answering.

"Natsu Dragneel has proven to be quite capable and I will accept that, Grey Fullbuster has matched Natsu's growth bit for bit, and Juvia Lockser now has the opportunity to resume her former S-Class status." The trio breathed in thanks for the knowledge as Mavis continued. "Elfman Strauss is a excellent choice of S-Class, in following his sister's lead, Cana Alberona may take the Trial if she wishes, but considering her reason is now a bit null, I will not refute her if she wishes to relax for now, while Freed Justine will make a fine S-Class alongside his role model of Laxus, Levy is smart and has correctly earned that position for the chance." Elfman cheered as Cana breathed with tension off her shoulders and Gildarts being cuddly with her while Freed nodded happily and Levy felt her breath stolen from hearing the First Master praise her before her brow furrowed and she frowned. "Mest Gryder is, sadly, NOT fit, not that he is not strong, not that he is not intelligent, it is due to the fact that, for years now, he has been under his own magical influence of clearing his mind and..." She breathed in disbelief as she finished.

"Making himself into Doranbolt of the Magic Council, thus he is not fit to engage in the Trial as he is not in his right mind as a member of Fairy Tail." Alex had headphones on, Porlyusica just smirked, but both cupped Mavis's ears from the resounding yells of the Guild.

"WHHHHAAAAATTTTTT!"