A/N: Okay, now that my hype has worn down from the Broly movie, I find myself capable of giving a SPOILER FREE review on it. However, I think I'll save that for after the omake. I know all of you are just dying to know what happens to Gorun now that his old supervisors have shown up, so I won't waste your time any further.
OP Song: Odd Future (cover by Nathan Sharp)
P.S. Got to my home page to vote in a poll I just set up: Which fusion you would like to see featured in this story?!
Magic Battle Nexus Arc: Chapter 13
Of Gods and Dragons
"You can't be here…" Gorun said as he shook his head in disbelief. "I made sure that Shenron would never tell anyone where I'd gone!"
"Yes, that was rather clever, using your wish like that," said another voice from within the frozen smoke, this one flamboyant in nature. "Not even Porunga could tell the Supreme Kai of Time where you had run off to."
"This had better be worth that pizza with fish toppings you were going about," growled a sleepy voice from next to the second speaker.
Gorun's eyes widened even further as he recognized the two speakers the instant they stepped out of the fiery debris. "L-Lord Beerus?!" he sputtered, also recognizing Whis, the cat-like god's loyal attendant.
He struggled to get to his feet, but swaying dangerously until Lucy helped steady him. Some part in the back of his mind registered the fact that she was no longer fading from existence, but most of his thoughts were consumed by the fact that one of the strongest gods of destruction was standing in front of him, looking rather put out, and with the Supreme Kai of Time, no less. She didn't look very happy either.
Oh gods, I'm about to die, he thought, sweating profusely.
"Gorun, who are these people?" Lucy asked him in a low voice.
"Urk…" the boy gulped, aware of the glares he was receiving from the divine beings. "W-Well… Remember how I told you all about how I used to work for the god of time…?"
"Is that him?" Lucy guessed, her gaze fixed on Whis, the only one not scowling at them. He actually smiled calmly at the girl, but then, Whis hardly ever appeared to be anything but calm, so that did nothing to assuage Gorun's concerns.
"No, not him," he said with a negative shake of his head. "The pink girl is the Supreme Kai of Time."
"Oh…" Lucy said slowly. "Then, what's up with the cat? Is he like their pet or something?"
Too late, Gorun tried to silence Lucy, but the damage was already done. "I am nobody's pet!" Beerus shouted, enraged. "I ought to destroy her and this whole miserable planet right now!"
"Not so fast my lord," Whis said sternly. "The Supreme Kai of Time has business with her. Your part in this has yet to come."
"She's a disrespectful brat who needs to learn her place!" the cat-like deity snarled.
Even as Whis moved to intercept Beerus, Gorun placed his hand firmly on Lucy's mouth, stopping her from whatever snide remark she had been about to issue. "Lucy, for the love of all you hold dear, do not antagonize him," he said, trying to be stern, but coming off as more exhausted and desperate. "That's Lord Beerus, the god of destruction from my home universe! He's one of the strongest- and moodiest- deities in all of creation!" Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what she had done. Seeing that the point had been driven home, he took his hand off her mouth and added, "Just let me do the talking, okay? Here's to hoping the Supreme Kai of Time didn't ask him along just to destroy me…" He spoke the last part under his breath as he turned back to face the gods and angel, still leaning on Lucy for support.
"So…" he said heavily.
"So?" the petite goddess repeated with a questioning inflection.
"How did you find me?" he asked. "It shouldn't have been possible."
"Super Dragon Balls," the small deity smirked.
"What?!" Gorun yelped. "I thought that they were destroyed!"
"Only in Trunks' destroyed future," the female Kai replied. "They still survived in the prime timeline."
"Oh… crap," Gorun muttered, realizing that he had made a massive error. "I am so very dead, aren't I?"
"What? No, we're not here to kill you," the temporal being said, exasperated.
"Speak for yourself," Beerus said as he stepped up. "This boy is a coward. And I do so hate cowards…" He raised up a clawed hand, only to have it smacked down by Whis' staff.
"I told you when we took this trip, my lord, that I would only allow the destruction that was required of you," the angel told him sternly. "This is not our universe, and so we must respect the wishes of the Time Kai. Attempt to stray again, and I will report your behavior to Grand Zeno at the next summit." At that particular comment, Beerus stiffened, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"All right, fine!" he snarled after a moment. "But when we get home, I'm destroying that pesky galaxy that gets in the way of our trips to Earth!"
"If that is what it takes to satisfy your irritation, so be it," Whis nodded amicably. Turning to the other present god, he added, "Now, Supreme Kai. I know I am in no position to give orders, but I do suggest that we move things along. As I told Lord Beerus, we really don't belong here."
"All right, all right," the girl huffed. "Just… Can you give us a minute?"
"Certainly," Whis nodded. "I'll go find the other offender while you catch up." Beerus promptly went to sit on some rubble, muttering angrily to himself, while Whis walked away, humming a merry tune.
"Now, Gorun," the ruler of time said sternly. "You know that what you did caused us a lot of problems, right? Many people wanted to bring you back by force, not wanting to take the risk that you might damage the timeline of whatever universe you wound up in. I even considered allowing them to hunt for you, but your mother and father interceded on your behalf."
"They did?" Gorun asked, surprised not only by that piece of news, but also by the rapid pace at which things were moving. "So… You didn't bring Lord Beerus along to kill me?"
"No," the ancient girl said with a roll of her eyes. "He's here for… someone else. I'm here because of you and your friend." She fixed her stern gaze on Lucy, who shrank back a bit from the glare. "You and I will be having a conversation very soon, miss," she told the blond girl. "But first, I have some things I need to tell Gorun."
"Please tell me that Whis isn't the one that's gonna kill me," Gorun said worriedly.
"No one is here to kill you!" the small Kai shouted. "Just listen, and try not to interrupt!"
"Sorry!" he yelped, still aware that he was in a precarious position.
"All right, after I found out which universe you went to, I was able to find you in the scrolls that recorded its history," the goddess explained. "At first, I was going to reset the scrolls entirely from the point that you arrived, which would force you back to the Time Nest. But curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself watching your adventures. I saw how happy you made your guild, and how happy they made you. You were filled with more drive and life than I had ever seen in you before, and… I knew it would be cruel to undo everything you had worked for."
Gorun blinked, not sure that he was hearing things correctly. "So… you're okay with the fact that I left?" he asked tentatively.
"No, I'm not," she said angrily. "At least, not the way that you did. Your parents deserved better than a letter as a good-bye, for Zeno's sake! That was pretty cold, Gorun."
"It's one of the few things I regret," the saiyan admitted as he looked downward. "But I was afraid that if I told them what I was planning, they would have convinced me to stay."
"Yeah, well, it took your mom quite a while to get over it," the kai said sourly. "But that's not the only thing I'm mad about! You stole from the personal vault of a kai!"
"Oh come on, this is Elder Kai we're talking about!" Gorun protested. "The old pervert totally had that coming!"
"Well, you may be right, but that doesn't mean it was up to you to deliver his punishment," the Supreme Kai of Time replied, her gaze softening a little. "Not to mention the artifacts you took are incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands."
"I know that the metamo-rings are dangerous to reveal to this world, but if you've been watching the scrolls, you know that I've taken precautions to prevent them from being stolen," Gorun replied. "They're also useless unless you know at least the basics of the Metamoran dance technique."
"Regardless, it was very foolish of you to take them," his former commander said fiercely. "I can't let these actions go unpunished."
Gorun's shoulders sagged as he realized that the moment he had dreaded was upon him. "Can I…?" he began, then choked up for a moment before managing, "Can I at least say goodbye?"
"No," the little kai said quickly, and very definitely. "You are to be exiled, Son Gorun. There will be no goodbyes, and no one will know where you have gone." As the tears began to fall from his eyes, she added, "You will never see your family or comrades again in your isolation. I strip you of your title as an officer in my Time Patrol, and you are never to set foot in Conton City again, on pain of death."
Gorun's head jerked up, and he stared at the pink-skinned goddess with his jaw hanging slack. "You… I…" He tried to speak, but no words would come out that would make sense. "Time… You're… banishing me? Here?"
The deity nodded, then couldn't help a faint grin from breaking out on her features. "You're welcome," she told him.
"Thank you!" he cried, laughing and sobbing at the same time. Bowing on his knees before her with his head pressed against the ground, he babbled, "Thank you so much! I will never forget your kindness, Supreme Kai of Time!"
"Chronoa," she corrected him. When he looked up at her, she explained, "My real name is Chronoa."
"Wh-Why do I deserve to know your name?" he sniffed as he wiped at his eyes. "Especially since I'm now a disgraced former officer?" He tried to laugh a little at the end, but it was a dismal attempt.
"I think my grandson deserves to know his grandmother's name," she replied impishly.
It took several seconds for that sentence to sink in, and when it did, Gorun could only react loudly in shock. "Your WHAT?!" he screamed.
"Lettis isn't just some random descendant of Trunks' from the far future like we told everyone," Chronoa explained neutrally. "She's mine and Trunks' daughter from the not-so-far future." As she spoke, she rubbed her midriff with a grin.
"Y-You're… What?!" Gorun shouted. It was all becoming too much for him to handle. "Uh… Er… Congratulations?"
"So wait, is Gorun a god, then?!" Lucy exclaimed, no longer able to keep silent.
"He has the blood of a kai in him, so that's partly true," Chronoa nodded. "When his mother appeared in our ranks, it wasn't hard for me to figure out who she was. The kai have a very distinct energy that sets us apart from mortals. Didn't you wonder why that god slayer girl's magic affected you so badly?"
"I did…" Gorun said slowly, his mind still whirling like a tornado from the revelations of the last few minutes. "My girlfriend had a theory that it was because I've trained with gods, and mortals that have mastered god energies…"
"Nope," Chronoa chirped. "That magic only affects people born with divine nature. Yours isn't as pure as mine or the other kais, but it's still there."
"But… why tell me this now?" Gorun asked, eyes still wide. "You could have just banished me and not said anything, and there would have been no difference to me."
"Because I have something I wanted to give you," his grandmother said as she reached into a pocket hidden by the sash around her waist. "I think you'll find them preferable to the metamo-rings." When she pulled out her hand, there were two earrings, each one with a small blue ball attached to them. The sight of them sent chills down Gorun's spine as he recognized them for what they were.
"Potara earrings…" he breathed, not moving from where he was. "Supreme- Grandmother… I can't take these!"
"You can and you will, Gorun," she told him, her tone becoming stern once again. "These once belonged to the Supreme Kai before Shin. I've been saving them especially for you, Gorun. Take them." She held out her hand to him, but he still made no move to claim them.
"I can't," he repeated. "I'm a selfish coward, and someone like that doesn't deserve to wear the jewels of the divine."
"You might have been a coward when you came here, Gorun, but I don't see a coward standing before me now," Chronoa replied softly. "You risked your life to defeat that dragon, and to save that little girl from a battle she was clearly unprepared for. Those are the actions of a proud Saiyan warrior, not a craven. And if you're really worried about moral fiber, remember that people like Vegeta and Elder Kai have used them." She added the last part with a grin, which he couldn't help but return for a moment.
Slowly, reverently, he reached out and took the earrings from her hand, cradling them carefully, as if afraid they might break at any moment. "I will treasure these always," he told her.
"Make sure you do," she nodded in approval. Then a thought seemed to strike her, and she exclaimed, "Oh! Before I forget, your mother used these at one point. The fused being was able to sustain Super Saiyan Blue for an hour, despite the immense power level."
"Because she's half-Kai?" Gorun guessed.
"We think so," Chronoa nodded. "Since you have a mixed heritage like her, we figured it would probably be the same for you. Just… still be careful if you do decide to use them. There's still a chance that you would be unable to separate from whoever you fused with."
"Good to know…" Gorun muttered, his mind beginning to race as he considered the possibilities of a permanent potara fusion.
"Now, on to the other pieces of business that brought me here," Chronoa said, suddenly all business again. She fixed her gaze on Lucy, and though it was not as harsh as before, the corners of her mouth bent downward along with her brow. "As Gorun might have told you, it's my job to make sure that time flows as nature intended it. I've made a total of three exceptions in the course of correcting history, and this is one of them. However, each time I do, I still have to punish whoever was responsible."
"Hold on!" Gorun protested. "She didn't-"
"Gorun, be quiet," his grandmother said sternly. "This isn't up to you, and since you're no longer Time Patrol, you don't even have a right to be here. I'm allowing it only because we are blood." The boy shut his mouth, but he still looked unhappy as he realized that she was going to treat his expulsion very seriously.
"Now, Lucy Heartfelia, is it?" the kai asked the blond girl.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," Lucy nodded, bowing slightly before the deity. "I know that humans aren't supposed to travel back in time, but-"
"I know you weren't aware of the law at the time," Chronoa interrupted her. "And I know that your intentions were noble. Which is why I won't levy a harsh punishment like I will be doing against another particular individual. Yours will be a light sentence."
"So then, what's the verdict?" Gorun asked, still wary of the possible consequences that could befall his guild mate.
"Like Trunks before her, she will spend the rest of her days in service to the Time Patrol," the goddess replied. "She will learn what it means to defend history and correct the wrongs of others. However, this means that she will never return to her own time, and she will not come back here, either."
"So exile, then," Gorun said heavily.
"B-But…" Lucy stammered. "My friend Levy… She'll be all alone in the time I left behind. I can't just abandon her!"
"You don't have a choice," Chronoa said sternly. Then her gaze softened, and she added, "But I am not without mercy, Lucy. If you can guarantee that she is a hard worker, and a strong fighter, then I will see to it that she joins you in Time Nest."
"She's…" Lucy hesitated, dashing the tears that had begun to build in her eyes before saying, "She isn't the strongest wizard around, but she's really smart, and good at bookwork. Plus, she and I both have injuries that… don't exactly let us be the wizards we used to be." As she spoke, she glanced at her right shoulder, where her arm used to be.
"I can fix that," Chronoa said, closing her eyes in concentration. A green glow surrounded Lucy, forcing Gorun to shield his eyes against the light. When it faded, the girl's robes shifted on her right side, and she held up a trembling right hand, her Fairy Tail mark stamped on the back of it.
"Th-Thank you…" she managed to say past the lump in her throat.
"Don't thank me," Chronoa said with a shake of her head. "Not with words, anyway. Work hard in the Time Patrol, and that'll be all the thanks I need."
"She also needs her celestial keys to use her magic," Gorun volunteered hesitantly, hoping that he wasn't asking too much of the goddess.
"I'll see them returned to her, don't worry," she nodded. "Now, where did Whis get to…?" She stepped a few paces away, searching for the tall angel. When she asked Beerus, he just glared at her and grumbled something unintelligible.
While she was distracted, Gorun turned to Lucy and said, "We probably don't have a lot of time, but before you go, is there anything that you need me to tell the others?"
Lucy nodded gratefully. "Tell them all that I love them," she said with a sad smile. "Tell me to finish that book I never got done. Make sure that Levy is the first one to read it, and…" She hesitated, then added, "And tell Natsu…" Her voice dropped so low that even he had a hard time hearing the words.
Once she had finished saying what she needed to, he said, "I'll make sure he gets the message. On our guild's name." He gave her the best smile he could manage, which she managed to return after a moment.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better," she told him ruefully. "You seem like a good guy, Gorun. And an even better wizard."
"Thanks," he grinned. "And thank you for coming back to save us. I know I said it before, but… Thank you for saving our home."
"This Time Nest place, will I…?" she hesitated again, afraid to get her hopes up. "Can I see this timeline?"
Gorun nodded once, slowly. "Only the most elite Time Patrollers are allowed to see the scrolls contained in the Book of Beginning to End, but it is possible," he told her. "Serve the Supreme Kai of Time well, and she will let you watch over us, I'm sure."
"Then I'd really better work hard," Lucy laughed a little sadly. "It won't be the same, but at least… you'll all know that I'll be watching you, always."
"I'll be sure to tell the others so," he promised her.
"Hey, you two!" Beerus called over roughly as he stood from where he was sitting. "Get over here. The little Kai wants you to see this."
"We'd better do as he says," Gorun told her, already moving to join the god of destruction. "It's not wise to keep his kind waiting."
"Coming!" the girl called to the cat-god.
When they rounded the smoldering remains of the Eclipse Gate, they were surprised to see Whis holding a struggling Rogue with an iron grip in front of Chronoa. Beerus moved to stand near to them, effectively forming a triangle around the beaten wizard. "So, this is the one?" he drawled.
"Yes," the kai nodded, her eyes more stern-looking than ever.
"Who are you people?!" Rogue shouted hoarsely. "You dare lay your hands on the king of dragons?!"
"Shut up, mortal," Beerus snapped. Something in his gaze and voice told even this maddened, pride-filled Rogue that it would be wiser to remain silent.
"Rogue Cheney, you travelled to the past with the sole intent of destroying the world as the current era knows it," the Supreme Kai of Time stated flatly. "And furthermore, you disrupted the time period four hundred years prior by using the Eclipse Gate to summon an army of dragons. You would have been responsible for the deaths of billions, and you knew so. As the ruler of time, it falls on me to decide your fate for these crimes."
"I did nothing more than I needed to ensure my survival!" Rogue spat. "You can all go to hell, and I'll send you there myse-!" He was cut off as Whis released his hold on him and whacked him on the back of the head with his staff.
"Enough out of you," he said crossly. "My lord told you to remain silent, and yet you continue to blaspheme two of the highest existing deities in the multiverse."
"Your punishment will not be a light one," Chronoa told the man as he struggled to regain some semblance of motor skills. "For your heinous misdeeds, like others before you, I sentence you to death."
"Y-You… think you can just… kill me?" Rogue snarled, his voice little more than a harsh whisper. "I will-"
"I've heard enough from this pathetic waste of good air," Beerus said as he snatched up the dragon slayer. "Time for you to say good-bye, mortal."
Oh… Gorun thought as Beerus raised a hand in front of Rogue's face, his hand flat, palm nearly brushing the traitor's face. That's why Lord Beerus is here.
"What's he doing?" Lucy asked in a very small voice, a sense of dread pervading her soul.
Beerus supplied the answer before Gorun could. "Hakai," he growled. Rogue's body shone with a white-purple glow for less than second, then he let out a blood-curdling scream that caused Gorun to wince, and Lucy to recoil in horror. As they watched, his body disintegrated, fading away into nothingness. When the energy dissipated and Beerus lowered his hand, not a single trace remained of the White-Shadow Dragon Slayer.
"Wh-Why did you make us watch that?" Lucy asked with a trembling voice.
"To help you understand how lightly you got off," Chronoa said as she turned to them. "And to serve as a warning to you, Lucy."
"Why me?!"
"You will be tempted to go back in time to save your own world," the kai said quietly. "Don't do it. This is what awaits people that break the law of time travel with malicious intent, or having knowledge of the law itself."
Gorun winced again as Lucy sagged heavily. "I understand," the girl said in low tone. "I won't break your laws, Supreme Kai."
"As long as you work hard and follow the rules, you have nothing to be afraid of," Chronoa said with an encouraging smile. Then, turning to Beerus, she said, "If you don't mind, Lord Beerus…?" She gestured to the ruins of the Eclipse Gate.
"Why should I?" he snorted. "This isn't my realm, as you two have so often pointed out."
"She is allowed to authorize the destruction of illegal time travel materials, my lord," Whis pointed. "If she says it's okay, why not destroy one more thing?"
"Fine," the god grumbled. "But I want to stop by Earth before we go home. I need that pizza you were talking about, and some of that root beer float Bulma made last time."
"I can certainly arrange that, my lord," Whis said with a contended smile.
Beerus grunted and moved to stand in front of the gate's remains, his eyes scanning the pieces that had flown everywhere for a moment before he raised his hand to face the ruined device. "Hakai," he intoned. Immediately, a dark purple energy coated the remains of Eclipse, and erased them from existence.
"All right, now that's done, we really should be on our way," Whis announced.
"Gladly," Beerus muttered as he looked at Gorun with narrowed eyes. "I may be seeing you again, Saiyan. Your potential reminds me of Goku and Vegeta…"
Gorun gulped, then bowed to him, saying, "If you do, my lord, I will be sure to have my guild host a feast in your honor." Inwardly, he was praying to Zeno that Beerus decided to never return, or forgot about this event entirely. If he were to meet Natsu, there was no way that Earthland would survive.
Straightening up, he turned to Lucy. "Goodbye," he said as he gave her an awkward hug, which she returned swiftly. "When you get to Conton City, look up Goken and Lettis. Tell them I said hi, and… I miss them."
"Will do," she promised him.
"Time to go," Chronoa said firmly. Lucy nodded and walked over to her new employer.
"Wait!" Gorun cried as he remembered something important.
"No, Gorun, you've said your goodbyes, and-"
"Grandmother, this is something important for our guild!" he begged. Just… Please. One more minute?"
"One minute," she nodded.
"Lucy, if you're leaving Fairy Tail, you gotta promise to follow these three rules," he began, causing the girl to gasp, her eyes widening. "Rule number one: never, ever share sensitive information about the guild with anyone as long as you live. Number two, never contact a client that you have worked with in the guild for your own personal gain." His own vision was becoming foggy now, and he wiped at his eyes, realizing that he was crying. "And number three…" he began, then drew in a deep breath to steady himself.
"You have to promise to live every day of your life to the fullest," Lucy picked up for him, tears running freely down her own face now. "That means… you have to treat every day… like it was going to be your last day in this world."
"Don't forget the friends you love," Gorun nodded as he forced one last smile for the girl that had done so much for Fairy Tail.
"You must treasure them for as long as you live," they finished in unison. They raised their arms, the ones bearing their guild marks above their heads, pointing to the sky with their thumb and pointer fingers.
There was a blinding light made of many colors, and Gorun could see them no more.
Miles away, in another part of the city, Urtear gave a start of surprise as she sensed a massive surge of power, one that eclipsed Gorun's by several magnitudes, but only for the barest of an instant. What disturbed her the most about it was the fact that it felt similar to her own magic, though the differences in skill and power were hopelessly different. "What could that have been…?" she murmured to herself.
"Urtear, are you all right?" Jellal asked as he walked up to her and Meredy, bruised and weary, but otherwise healthy.
"Yes," she nodded, shaking off the disturbing feeling as much as she could. "I think my wrist is broken, but it's nothing that won't heal over time." She held up the damaged limb, where an infant dragon's claws had taken her by surprise.
"Meredy?" Jellal asked, concerned for their youngest member.
"All good here!" she grinned at him. "You shoulda seen Urtear in action, she must've killed ten of them on her own!"
"Speaking of which…" Jellal muttered as he looked around. "They all disappeared, as did the big ones. Any guesses?"
"I don't have the energy for a guess right now," Meredy laughed. "I say we take a nap and then get in contact with Gorun. He can let us in on what happened."
"Sounds good to me," Urtear agreed. "I need a nap."
"All right," Jellal grinned at them. "I'd say we've all earned a bit of rest after tonight. We'll figure out our next move in the morning."
"Yes! Sleep!" Meredy cheered, bringing another round of smiles to her friends.
Gorun watched as the divine beings and Lucy soared up and away into the night sky in the blink of an eye, even as the time-freezing effect covering the city vanished along with its caster. Then even the light marking their travels vanished, and he knew that he would never see his comrade again. He sighed heavily, swaying with exhaustion, both physical and emotional. He hadn't expected for their goodbye to be so heart-wrenching since he didn't know Lucy all that well. I should get to know her better, he decided as he wiped his face once more, sniffing as he did so. I feel like her future self would appreciate that.
Glancing down at the potara in his left hand, he realized that he didn't really have a safe place to put them right then, and he absolutely couldn't risk losing them. Sighing to himself, he came to the conclusion that there was really only one option for the time being. Wincing as he did so, he put the earrings through his earlobes. This way, he wouldn't lose them, unless someone ripped them out of his ears.
"Gorun!" he heard Wendy call out. "Gorun, where are you?!"
"Over here!" he called as he slumped to the ground, completely drained. "Why couldn't my kai blood given me super healing?' he complained as heard footsteps approach.
"What just happened?!" Cana demanded as they came to stand around him. "One second you were with us, saying goodbye to Lucy, and the next-! Wait… Where is Lucy?"
"And… where is the Eclipse Gate?" Carla wondered aloud.
Gorun sighed, and muttered, "Have I got a story for you guys…"
It was nearly the morning by the time Gorun appeared in front of Cobra with his instant transmission. "I was starting to wonder if you even remembered our deal," the Poison Dragon Slayer grinned crookedly.
"Oh, I remember all right," Gorun said with a similar smile that caused Cobra's to falter. "In case you forgot, the deal was that if you killed a dragon, you'd get what you wanted. You didn't hold up your end of the bargain."
"They're all gone, aren't they?!" Cobra spat angrily. "That's gotta count for something!"
"It does, but the fact remains…" Gorun said flatly, "you didn't fulfill your duty. However… I heard about how you managed to get the other wizards out of the line of fire. So, if you're not too busy chafing over the fact that you couldn't kill a dragon-"
"Oei," Cobra growled.
"I'll take you to see your friend," the boy said heavily. "I don't want to, but I do think you've earned it. You're only getting ten minutes, though."
"Fifteen," Cobra countered.
"Ten," Gorun repeated. "She might be your oldest friend or whatever, but just a heads-up, she won't remember you. The curse that was put on her was undone seven years ago, and she's been living as a human ever since."
Cobra's jaw dropped. "You means, she's…"
"Her name is Kinana now, and she has a boyfriend that I'm reasonably sure that she's happy with, so don't try anything funny," Gorun smirked, perhaps enjoying the gutted look on the convict's face just a little too much.
"Wait…" Cobra asked suspiciously. "No… Not you?!"
"Yeah, me," Gorun replied, his grin growing wider. "Still wanna go see her?"
"…Yeah," Cobra said resignedly.
"Then grab on," the boy said as he reached out his hand.
They appeared in the midst of a gathering made up of the majority of the wizards that had stayed to fight the dragons. Unfortunately, many of them recognized Cobra, and immediately opened fire on him.
"Whoa!" Gorun yelped as he moved in front of the man, shouting, "Barrier!" He managed to hold their fire long enough for Makarov to shout at everyone to stand down.
"Why's that guy here?!" Natsu demanded as he shoved his way up the front. "Let me at him so I can give a right beating!"
"Not today, Natsu," Gorun told him from inside the energy field. "I'm here to keep a promise, and that doesn't involve you fighting him."
"Hey there, Salamander," Cobra grinned cockily at the angry fire wizard. "How're the train rides treating you?"
"Rrgh…" Natsu growled. "At least I've still got two eyes!" he retorted.
"Gorun!" a familiar voice called out as a few people were moved out of the way to make room for the speaker. "Are you okay?!"
"Anyone tries to hit Cobra, and they deal with me," the battered Saiyan said warningly. "And just so we're clear, I'm the guy that broke the mountain range over there." He indicated the mountains at the edge of the city, several of which were now missing their peaks. "Got it?!"
He saw the majority of the wizards nodding their agreement, albeit begrudgingly. Good enough¸ he decided. He lowered the energy field, shooting a final warning glare at Natsu.
Then he was distracted by the fact that his girlfriend all but body-slammed him with a bear hug. "Oof!" he grunted. Normally he would have easily been able to withstand that amount of force, but right now, he was bone-weary. He did, however, feel much better after Kinana kissed him rather vigorously, pulling away only because they were both short on breath. Most of the wizards present decided to move away, to give them a bit of privacy.
"Guess you made it through okay," he said with a relieved grin once he caught his breath.
"I wish I could say the same about you!" she said as she looked him up and down. There were rips all over his gi, and he was missing his right sleeve entirely. "Why haven't you taken a senzu bean?"
"My supply is about half gone," he replied. "And the battle is over. I'd rather save them for emergencies. I can take my time to heal naturally."
"Not that this isn't great to watch…" Cobra drawled, clearly irritated. "But am I gonna get my ten minutes or not?"
"What's this?" Kinana asked, staring at Cobra with a slight frown. "Gorun, isn't this guy…?"
"Cobra of the former dark guild Oracion Seis?" Gorun answered. "Yup. He helped us fight the dragons off, and he asked for one thing in return."
"Which was…?" she asked nervously.
"Relax," Cobra said in a gentler voice than the Fairy Tail wizards expected. "I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes, Cube- Er, Kinana, was it?"
"Yeah…" she said slowly, peering at him more closely. "You… seem familiar somehow."
"Remember how master found you as a snake in his garden?" Gorun interjected before Cobra could answer her. "Apparently your name was Cubellios… and you were basically Cobra's only real friend."
Kinana's eyes widened as she took this in, letting out a small gasp as she stepped back. "You mean, I…"
"Look, it's not like you were on the bad side, or whatever you wanna call it," Cobra hurried to tell her. "Our history goes back further than that. I'll keep it brief, but we used to be slaves in the Tower of Heaven-"
"Like Erza?" Kinana interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah, Titania was there too," Cobra said dismissively. "Anyway, there was this one time we tried to escape after Jellal took over. They turned you into the snake, and planted the lachryma that's in my body now… Made me stay awake through the whole thing as part of the punishment. They planned to harvest it out of my body once we were all older, and it had grown larger as a result, but me and a few others managed to break out after I managed to get some control over the magic power it gave me." He paused before adding, "You saved my life that day… A wizard went to take me down, but you managed to bite him, make him too sick to come after us."
Kinana blanched, and looked as though she might vomit. Gorun stepped forward protectively, saying, "I don't think she needed to hear that last part."
"I'm not tryin' to upset her," Cobra said as he raised his hands in surrender. "What I really wanted was to thank her for saving me." He looked past Gorun to look at Kinana again and say, "Ever since they turned you into a snake, all I've ever wanted was to hear your voice again… the voice of my one true friend. Getting to see you again, knowing that you're okay in this world… I'm satisfied."
He turned to Gorun and asked, "So, are my ten minutes up yet?"
"That depends on her," he said as he looked back at his girlfriend, who had managed to recompose herself. "Are you okay talking to him for a few minutes while I talk to Natsu? I won't go far."
"Y-Yeah…" she said, releasing a shaky breath. "I'll be okay."
"All right," Gorun said, still a little reluctant to leave. "Just blast him with a Kikoho if he tries anything, and I'll come running."
"Of course," she smiled warmly at him. "But you owe me dinner for making me worry about you, got it?"
"Deal," he chuckled before kissing her on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, he walked over to where Natsu was still glaring daggers at Cobra.
"That guy…" Cobra muttered once he was busy talking to Natsu. "Is he good to you?"
"Yeah," Kinana answered without hesitation. "He's the best part of my life right now. He makes me really happy."
"I'm… glad," Cobra said haltingly. "At least… I'm glad that you're happy. Can't say I like the guy, but I am glad that he makes you happy."
"I wasn't looking for your approval," she told him, though not unkindly.
"Fair enough," the man grinned crookedly. "Who's gonna want the opinion of a convicted criminal like me?"
"Well, Gorun did say that you helped fight off the dragons, so I guess you're not all bad," she grinned back at him. "Keep doing stuff like that, and maybe people will care about what you have to say."
"Nah, I don't care much for other people," he shrugged. "Though I gotta say, hearing all these voices is a welcome change to that prison cell."
"You gonna go back to prison, then?" she asked. "Not even put up a fight?"
"Nah," he muttered. "Part of the deal was that once the dragon crisis was over, I'd go back quietly. I might be a murderer, but I keep my word. Plus, your boyfriend showed a little leniency to me. I don't wanna be in his debt, so there's that."
"So you do have some sense of honor," she said, a trifle surprised.
"If you wanna call it that," the man shrugged. "I see it as my own set of rules. Never backstab your teammates, and don't ever be in anyone's debt. The words I live by."
"Not a bad philosophy," Kinana admitted. "But then it all kind of falls apart on you when you consider all the shady stuff you do because those are your only rules."
Cobra shrugged again. "I ain't looking for your approval either, ya know," he said nonchalantly.
"I think you are," Kinana said, suppressing another smile. Cobra responded by shooting her a baleful look with his remaining eye.
He looked like he was going to say more, but that's when Gorun walked up again. "Time's up," he told the dragon slayer. "I'll let you say goodbye."
"How generous of you," Cobra said sarcastically.
"Take it or leave it."
"Goodbye, Cobra," Kinana said before they could start arguing. "I hope someday you can turn over a new leaf. If you did… I'd be glad to hear your voice again, too."
Cobra blinked at her in surprise a few times, then said, "Not everyone can turn over a new leaf. Some of us are just too far down in the dark."
"The darker the night, the brighter the light shines," Kinana replied with a gentle smile. "You just have to look for it. Take care, Cobra."
"Erik," he replied quietly.
"Hmm?"
"My name isn't Cobra," he explained. "It's Erik."
"Well then, Erik, it's been interesting talking to you," she replied. "Now get going. I hear those Magic Council guys don't like to be kept waiting."
"Yeah, especially that one with the stick up his-"
"-ass. Wait…" Cobra paused, realizing that he was no longer in the plaza, facing Kinana. Now he was in front of an armed platoon of soldiers, with Lahar and Doranbolt in the front of the group.
"Care to repeat yourself?" Doranbolt replied with a knowing grin.
"Stay outta my head," Cobra warned him. "I know you can mess with people's memories, and I think there's a few things you're gonna wanna leave alone."
"Such as…?" Lahar prompted.
"I dunno, still sorting it out," Cobra said with a dark smile. "I heard a lot more voices than I'm used to, so it was all a little jumbled together. Though… I did hear that the gates of the Underworld are gonna open real soon." The meaning of that phrase was not lost on Gorun, and he noticed the quick look of worried surprise that passed between the two men of the Magic Council.
Gates of the Underworld, huh? He thought. Tartaros. Seems like Jellal and I need to step our game if we wanna find them before bad stuff starts happening.
Out loud, he said, "He's all yours. Need anything else from me?"
"I do," Doranbolt said with a jerk of his head. "Time for a private chat, kid."
"Again with this?" Gorun sighed heavily. "If I'm gone for too long, my girlfriend is gonna come looking for me. And I seriously doubt even you guys could stop her."
"It won't take five minutes, stop complaining," Doranbolt said sternly. "Come on."
"Fine…" the boy muttered as he walked after the council spy. Once they were alone, he asked, "What do you need?"
"I need you to keep your magic type under wraps," Doranbolt said in a low voice. "If anyone asks, you practice takeover magic, and light magic because you learned everything from Makarov, got it?"
"Why…?" Gorun asked slowly.
"Because I altered everyone's memory in the city other than your guild to think that," the other man said grimly. "I'm also going to change their memories so that the destruction caused by the dragons only occurred during the Grand Magic Games. Also, no one but your guild and the royal family will know about the Eclipse Project. Good job on getting rid of that, by the way. I heard the destruction was so total that they have no hope of even reconstructing the schematics that were with it."
"No problem," Gorun shrugged, choosing not to speak about the fact that it was actually a god of destruction that was responsible for its final obliteration. "And I'll keep my mouth shut about my etherion magic. But what about your boss? Isn't he going to report everything to the Magic Council?"
"Lahar?" Doranbolt snorted. "I wiped his mind, too. He's too high up to get his hands dirty like me. He won't even remember letting Cobra out of jail, or meeting with Jellal."
"Thank you," Gorun nodded appreciatively. "That does save us a few headaches."
"Yeah, but it ain't free," Doranbolt grinned. "You and Jellal both owe me big time- and I know you two keep in regular contact. So when I ask you for a favor, you better come running, got it?"
"Fair enough," Gorun nodded. "One more thing. What are we going to do about the royal family? They broke a lot of laws creating that gate, at least as I understood it."
"Already taken care of," Doranbolt assured him. "Basically told them that if they ever tried something like that again, they could kiss the throne goodbye. I'd report to the Magic Council, and they would never see the light of day again."
"Good to hear," Gorun said with relief, glad that there was a much less greater chance of them trying to create another time-travel device. "Thank you for everything you've done, Doranbolt. When you call in that favor, I'll gladly help you."
"Good," the other man grinned as they shook hands. "Now get going. If we're gone too long, people might start talking."
"Be glad my girlfriend didn't hear that," Gorun snorted before he placed his fingers on his head and vanished.
"So… you really are part god," Kinana said with no small amount of wonder in her eyes as she looked at Gorun. "That's why Sherria's magic hurt you so much?"
The pair of them were on a balcony at the palace, both of them dressed in the same clothes they had worn to the Balsamico Magic Ball months ago. In fact, they were about to attend a similar event, but this one would be far more extravagant. It was a party being thrown by the king himself to thank all of the wizards that had fought against the dragons on behalf of the kingdom.
"Yep," he nodded in answer to Kinana's question. He had just finished giving her the rundown of what had occurred between the seconds when the dragons disappeared, and the Eclipse vanishing. He had told the girls that had backed him and Wendy up during the fight an abridged version of the tale, and he knew that Mirajane had reported it to Makarov. He assumed that the others would tell the rest of the guild in their own time, so he didn't bother explaining himself like he had before.
"So are you… I dunno, immortal?" she wondered out loud. "Like, will you ever stop aging at some point?"
"I mean…" He stopped, considering the matter for the first time, and pondering the implications behind it. "I don't think so," he finally said at length. "Saiyans age slower than humans do, and the same is true for us hybrids. But I've never even heard of a Kai hybrid before my grandmother told me about my mom and I, so this is new waters, even for me."
"I see…" Kinana said sadly, looking away from him. "I guess that means that we won't be able to grow old together. Or rather, I'll grow old, while you stay young, right?" She wouldn't meet his gaze, and he felt a sudden surge of sadness as he realized that she was right. He was part kai, a race that lived for billions of years without aging.
"So… what does that mean for us?" he asked in a choked voice, a massive lump forming in his throat.
Kinana took a deep, shuddering breath before she turned around to meet his gaze, a sad smile on her lips. "For now… it means we live life one day at a time," she told him, and an immense tide of relief washed over him. "I told you that I'd stand by your side no matter what, and I intend to honor that. It's just… going to take some time to get used to the idea, I guess."
"Maybe there's some magic out there that can shorten my years to match you-"
"No!" Kinana suddenly exclaimed, grabbing him by the lapels of his suit. "No, I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Gorun! I never want to hear that you shortened your life because of me, do you understand?! I would never forgive myself- or you- if I became the reason that you gave up the years that you had to live!" The intensity and volume that she mustered was enough to stun him into silence. He had never seen her so worked up, not even when she fought Bacchus in the games.
"I…" he started to say, noticing the tears in her eyes. "I… I just don't want to live without you, Kinana. I told you I loved you, and I meant it. I can't imagine my life without you."
"And I can't stand the thought of this world without you," she sniffed. "You've done so much for it in the time that you've been here, and I would be the most selfish person in the world to take you away from it."
Gorun wrapped her up in his arms, not caring that her tears were soaking into his blazer. "I'll figure something out," he murmured, trying to calm her down. "I will. I don't care if I have to invent an elixir of longevity, but I will find a way for us each to live as long as the other does."
"I'd like that," Kinana managed to laugh through a sob. "Better get to it when we go home."
"Okay," he said as they pulled apart. Smiling at her, he asked, "Do you want to skip out on tonight and go back to our hotels?"
"No," she said as shook her head. "Give me a little bit of time and I'll join you. I might meet up with the other girls first, though. After all we've been through, we deserve a night of fun. And I don't exactly want Mirajane's imagination clocking into overdrive when we don't show up." This brought a smile out of them both as they relaxed a little bit.
"Sure," he said as he kissed her forehead. "Take all the time you need. I'll see you in a little while." She nodded and favored him with a smile, while he stepped out and shut the door that led outside behind him.
"All right," he muttered to himself. "Showtime."
The party was loud, but with a lot less fighting and explosions than Gorun was used to. Also, the food and décor were much more extravagant than anything he'd ever seen before, both in Magnolia and out. Everyone was dressed in the best attire they could afford, and many of the dresses and suits being shown were more colorful than the saiyan had expected. Then again, his green-and-blue suit wasn't exactly a muted color scheme, so he couldn't judge.
He had fun, talking to members of guilds that he had previously exchanged blows with, even going so far as to make peace with Sting and Rogue, somewhat to his own surprise. However, where once stood arrogant teenagers, he now saw young men who were ready to see things change for the better in their guild. He found that they were even easy to get along with, Sting always ready with a joke, and Rogue willing to discuss his life with his foster dragon father in the days before he had succumbed to a fatal illness.
He did have a serious moment with the shadow mage before he moved on. "Watch yourself," he warned the other young man. "Natsu told me that in the future, Frosch was killed, and it began that Rogue's downfall. Be on your guard, and protect him. Hopefully that will change your future."
"The events of the past few days have already done that," the red-eyed slayer said with a nod of acknowledgement. "But I will be careful. I will do everything in my power to make sure that I never become that man."
"And I'll be right there with him," Sting grinned. "If he ever gets out of line, I'll just give him a good ol'-fashioned beat down until he comes to his senses." The three of them laughed a bit at that, then Gorun moved on from the conversation, bidding them both good luck in their endeavor to reinvent Sabertooth.
He found himself talking to Jura next, glad to see the big Wizard Saint had been able to come. "I wasn't sure you'd stick around for the party," he laughed as he clasped hands with the man. "I'm glad to see you."
"And you as well, young Gorun," the man smiled back heartily. "I must say, your magic power in the fight against the dragons was incredible. I now see that your power far surpasses my own, and find myself wondering why you didn't simply defeat me with your second transformation on the day of our battle?"
"I didn't mean to insult you," Gorun said quickly, but Jura waved the apology aside with another smile. Seeing this, Gorun continued, "It's just… Well, I have a hard time keeping myself in line whenever I use those takeover spells, and it gets harder with every level that I ascend. I didn't want to risk getting so carried away that I might hurt you, or the people watching us."
"Ah," Jura nodded in understanding. "That's quite noble of you, young man. As a matter of fact…" He grinned conspiratorially, and Gorun wondered what he was going to get at. He didn't have to wait long to find out, though. "One of the ten Wizard Saints is coming under close scrutiny very soon, and I doubt he'll be allowed to hold on to his title for much longer. We'll need a replacement, and I'd be happy to volunteer your name as a candidate."
Gorun was shocked, and humbled. The position of a Wizard Saint was a highly coveted one that came with a great deal of political power and general respect. Becoming one would mean prestige, honor, and so much more.
However, he had seen the kind of stress it put on his guild master, the things he had to put up with. With great power would come great responsibility, and he didn't know if he was ready to bear that burden, especially with trying to sort out his newfound heritage, and what that could mean for him, and his loved ones.
"I'm honored that you think so highly of me," he began. Looking up to meet the big wizard's eyes, he continued, "But… I'm just not sure I'd be right for the job. I have so much happening in my own life, and…" He paused, unsure of what it was that he could say to sum up how he was feeling.
Jura, however, seemed to understand his confliction. "It's all right," he said sympathetically, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder encouragingly. "Let's talk about it again once this business with the other fellow is sorted out. That should be in a few months from now, so it will give you some time to think about what you want. Until then, I won't bring up your name. Sound fair?"
"Yes, thank you," Gorun said with relief.
"You are most welcome," Jura said with a smile. "I'll bring the subject up with your guild master, but other than that, my lips are sealed." Despite their seven-year absence, Makarov had retained his place among the Wizard Saints, so it would make sense for him to know about any potential candidates.
Gorun nodded his agreement, then excused himself when he noticed the Fairy Tail girls coming into the dining hall. He walked briskly over with a warm smile on his face as he greeted Kinana again, followed by Yukino. The celestial mage was wearing a pale green dress, and she had pearls woven into her hair. She and Lucy had undone their fusion shortly after the battle, and had returned the rings to him promptly.
Or rather, they had tried to. "Keep 'em," he had told them with a grin. "I saw how well you two worked together, and I'd like to entrust them to people that I know won't abuse their power. Besides, you could say I got an upgrade, so I don't even need them anymore." As he spoke, he had unconsciously touched one of the earrings he now wore.
"A-Are you sure?" Yukino had asked him. "You would trust us with such powerful artifacts?"
"I invited you to be on my team, didn't I?" he had smiled at her. "I can sense that you have a kind heart, Yukino. I'm glad to give you one of the rings." Turning to Lucy, he had added, "And your future self risked a lot to help us. I can't thank her anymore, but it would be nice if I could do this for you in her stead."
"Thanks, Gorun," she had smiled in return. "I'll keep it handy, and I'll make sure you don't regret it."
"You're welcome," he had replied before moving on to attend to other matters.
Now, they all stood together in the great hall of the palace, laughing, eating and drinking. As he stood talking with the girls that would be helping to form his team, he turned to his girlfriend and asked, "So what do we call ourselves?"
"I was thinking something along the lines of the Golden Fighters, on account of your Super Saiyan hairdo," she giggled.
"I think that's not a bad pick," Yukino agreed, but Gorun immediately shook his head 'no'.
"Nuh-uh," he said quickly. "The last person to use that name was my ancestor, Gohan, and he absolutely bastardized the definition of super heroes. Sorry, but that name just brings up really awkward memories."
"Fine then, what do you think we should be called?" Kinana huffed, a little bit annoyed.
"Sorry, didn't mean to be mean," he winced. "Umm… How about Golden Fairies?"
"Maybe if it was only girls…" Kinana said, stifling a laugh. "Sorry, Gorun, but that name is just way too effeminate."
"Eh… good point," he conceded.
"I dunno, maybe if he let his hair down, he could pass for a girl," Yukino grinned, followed by a giggle that Kinana echoed, both of them nearly spilling their drinks as they doubled over laughing.
"Hilarious," he tried to deadpan, but couldn't stop himself from smiling at them. "In all seriousness, though, what do we do for a team name?"
"Team Gorun?" Kinana suggested.
"Too similar to Team Natsu."
"Team Gold Star?"
"I like the gold part because of Super Saiyan and Yukino's keys, but still not feeling it," Gorun sighed. They were so close, he could feel it, but-
"How about Team Golden Tail?" Yukino suggested, catching the couple by surprise. "You know, kind of like Fairy Tail, but with our team's dominant colors?"
Gorun and Kinana exchanged a glance before nodding at the white-silver-haired girl. "I like it," the saiyan boy grinned. "Nice homage to our guild, but with a spin that suits us. Nice job, Yukino."
"You're already pulling your own weight," Kinana joked. "Now I'm extra-glad that you joined us."
Yukino flushed at their teasing and compliments, but she had honestly never felt more at home in her entire life. "Th-Thank you," she said softly. "I'm so glad to be a part of all this."
"And we're glad to have you," Gorun said kindly. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I think Kinana and I will hit the dance floor for a bit."
"All right," the celestial mage nodded. "Any suggestions for a dance partner?"
"Gray," Gorun and Kinana said simultaneously, causing them both to laugh as they headed onto the dance floor. "He'll be easier to dance with than most of the guys in the guild- just make sure he keeps his clothes on!" Gorun called before they were immersed in the dancing circle.
"Huh?" the poor girl asked, feeling like there was something she was missing. Still, Gorun and his girlfriend had yet to lead her astray, so she asked Lucy to help her find the ice wizard, to which the other celestial mage readily agreed.
As it turned out, Gray was happy to accompany her on the dance floor. "Sure, sounds like fun," he had said with an easy smile when she had timidly asked him to dance. He was surprisingly good, she thought, hoping at the same time that she didn't step on him, or fall flat on her face in trying to keep up.
"Have you done this often?" she asked him, trying to keep an awkward silence at bay.
"Nah," he said with that easy grin of his. "I actually only learned how to dance recently. You're not so bad yourself. Honestly, I was afraid I'd have to dance with Erza, and she's pretty scary when it comes to dancing."
"Yes, I've heard stories of Titania's ferocity in battle," Yukino replied with a small smile of her own. "Although I do have to say, she's a lot nicer than I expected her to be."
"She'll keep you on your toes, that's for sure," Gray snickered. Then his expression changed to one of uncertainty before he asked, "So… This is gonna sound kinda weird, but… Do you have any plans when you get to Magnolia?"
"Hmm?" she replied, a little nonplussed. "Well, I was going to look for an apartment, I suppose. I used to live at Sabertooth's guild hall, but I won't be going back there. Kinana said that she would help me find a place, though, so I'm not too worried about it."
"Well, when you sort all that out, would you like to grab some dinner with me?" Gray offered. "I know this is kinda outta the blue, and we just met, but you seem like a nice girl. I was hoping you'd be up for a night on the town?"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, more than a little surprised. She hadn't taken Gray to be so bold, but at the same time, he was being very polite about it. "I mean… why not?" she finally answered him. "It might take a couple of weeks for me to get everything in order, but once I'm done moving, I'd be happy to join you for dinner." She managed a smile as she finished speaking.
"Cool," Gray smiled back. "The only hitch we might run into is Juvia. She's a little…"
"Obsessed?" Yukino volunteered. She giggled a bit as she said, "I have a few memories from being part of Lucino that made that pretty clear."
"Oh, okay," he laughed a little nervously. "Glad I don't have to explain it, then."
"I think I can handle her if it came to it," she assured him. "But that's sweet of you to give me fair warning."
"Honestly, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to drown us already," Gray mused, suddenly looking around for his stalker. "Huh. Wonder where she got to?"
Said rain woman was hiding behind a pillar, tears of jealousy and helpless rage pouring down her face as she watched her true love dancing with some other woman. She wanted nothing more than to blast her away from him with a Water Nebula, but she knew that Gray wouldn't like it if she did that.
He had been so irritable lately, ever since he started hanging out with that alien boy. He's a bad influence, she decided. He was too quick to judge others, caring little for how his words would affect them. First he picked on Cana, then he had interposed himself between her and her beloved Gray.
Sure, he had given it his all in fighting the dragon Zirconis, but that was no less than what any of the rest of them had done. The only difference was the amount of power they each held. He had done what he needed to survive, that was all, she assured herself.
Maybe if I get in between him and Kinana, he'll understand what it's like, she considered briefly, then rejected the idea. Those two were like peas in a pod- she seriously doubted anything could come between them.
"Seems like an awfully lonely place to be during a party," a familiar voice said from next to her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She whirled around to see Lyon standing a few feet away with a couple of glasses in his hands, and a small smile on his face. "Sorry, my dear," he said, his smile widening a bit. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"I'm not your 'dear," she huffed bitterly.
"Sorry," Lyon apologized. "I simply thought you might like some company since it seems as though most of your friends are otherwise engaged."
"And yours?" Juvia asked. "Don't you have comrades you could be spending the evening with?"
"I could," he nodded. "But I'd rather come and talk to you. Unless you'd rather I leave you alone?"
Juvia eyed the glasses in his hand, then looked back at Gray dancing with the white-haired vixen. "I could do with one of those," she said as she held up a hand for one of the glasses.
"Sure," Lyon chuckled, though he was a little surprised when she downed the whole thing in one long drink. "Are you all right?"
"Perhaps with a couple more of those, I will be," Juvia replied.
Gorun and Kinana had just stepped off the dance floor when the boy spotted someone else he had been meaning to talk to. "Mind if I get back to you?" he asked his girlfriend.
"Sure," she nodded. "I could use a break anyway. These heels are killing my feet." They parted ways, she going to sit in a chair against a wall with Erza and Kagura, while Gorun moved toward one of the smaller gatherings.
"Macao, Wakaba," Gorun said as a way of greeting as he approached the two men, who were accompanied by Romeo. "Enjoying the party?"
"Yeah," Macao grinned. "This is kind of a novel experience for us- never thought we'd be invited to a royal get-together like this." Wakaba nodded his agreement, for once appearing without his smoking pipe in his mouth, though Gorun could have wagered that he had it somewhere on his person.
"Nice," the Saiyan hybrid grinned. "Well, if you two don't mind, I actually wanted to talk to Romeo for a minute. That alright?"
"Sure, go on ahead," Macao nodded as he and Wakaba moved toward the drink's table. "Catch you later, Gorun."
"Sure thing, Macao," he said as they walked away. Once they had gone, he said in aside to Romeo, "It's still kinda weird for me, him not being the guild master."
"I think it was weirder for me when he was," Romeo grinned. "Now he can't pull rank on me anymore, since he's not even S-class."
"He's still your dad," Gorun reminded him, causing the younger teenager to roll his eyes.
"Yeah, I know that," he huffed. "Did you send them off just to remind me of that?"
"Nope," his elder replied with a shake of his head. "I wanted to offer you a job."
Romeo's eyes widened in surprise as he looked up directly at the taller young man. "What, you mean like going on a quest with you?"
"Sure, or more than one if you'd like," Gorun smiled at him. "Me, Kinana, and Yukino are forming an official team when we get back to Magnolia. And I'd like to see you be a part of that team, too."
"R-Really?" the boy gaped, shocked that Fairy Tail's strongest wizard- for there was little doubt that he was now, at least in Romeo's mind- wanted him on his team. "But… I don't know that I'd be able to keep up with you."
"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for," Gorun said, his gaze growing serious. "I heard about how you wiped out a squad of those dragons, with a technique that you put together yourself, no less. That took not only strength, but no small amount of brains to pull off."
"Well, I mean, Dad and Wakaba helped," Romeo said, reddening a bit from the praise he was receiving. "I didn't do all the work."
"Well, I didn't take down that dragon alone, either," Gorun pointed out. "Wendy and the others were a big part of taking him down. If it had just been me, I would've been killed. That's what teammates are for- to help each other succeed where one alone might fail." He clapped the younger wizard on the shoulder and asked, "So what do you say? Wanna join the Golden Tail?"
"Yeah!" Romeo grinned back. "Thanks for taking me on!"
"Don't thank me," Gorun said with a shake of his head. "Thank Kinana, it was her idea. She told me that you had a lot of potential months ago, but I was too busy trying to get closer to her to pay any attention to you. So I guess I owe you an apology for that."
Romeo's grin widened at that. "That's all right," he said. "I've gotten way stronger over the last few months, so now at least I won't be a total burden on you guys. I know I would've been before the Tenrou Team came back."
"Well then, welcome to the team," Gorun said as he reached out with his hand. "We're glad to have you with us."
"Glad to be a part of it," Romeo said as he shook hands with the taller boy.
Romeo had- with Gorun's permission- gone to dance with Kinana, leaving Gorun alone against the wall, his mind whirling with a multitude of thoughts, so many that he didn't know where to begin. There was the matter of his divine heritage, and all that could entail. There was the fact that he could potentially become a Wizard Saint sometime in the next few months. He also had to consider his new positon as a team leader in the guild, thinking on how to form four very different wizards into an effective unit.
"Looks like you could use a drink," a familiar voice said next to him, startling him a little bit. Turning around, he was surprised to see Cana in a nice white dress, laced with a purple that matched her eyes on the edges. It was low-cut, of course, but as far as her taste in clothing went, it was pretty conservative.
"Ha, no thanks," he said with a grin as he relaxed again. "No amount of that stuff could possibly take edge off enough for what we just went through."
"Actually, you're right about that," the brunette agreed after a moment of thought. "The dragons and all would've been bad enough, but the whole time-travel thing, you turning out to be some sort of demi-god…" She shook her head in mild disbelief. "And I thought this guild was nuts before you showed up."
"Well, someone wise once told me that just because things don't work out the way that we expected, it doesn't really make it a bad thing," Gorun said, recalling Kinana's words to him on the night that he confessed his origins to her. "Things could've been a lot worse, you know?"
"We lost Lucy," Cana said somberly.
"True," Gorun acknowledged. "But I know that she'll be okay. The Supreme Kai of Time is a kind goddess for the most part, and she did promise to bring the Levy from their time to work in the Time Patrol, too. So at least they have each other."
"Yeah, I guess that's true," the girl nodded. Looking over at the etherion mage, she asked, "Is it a dangerous life?"
"Yeah," he replied bluntly. "It's a dangerous existence, but not one without its merits. Sort of like the work we do as wizards." He added another smile as he added, "Don't worry. She won't assign them any missions they can't handle."
"If it wasn't so bad, why'd you leave?" Cana asked him seriously. "I mean, it sounds like you could've had the run of the place if you wanted. Why leave?"
"Because I didn't want any of it," Gorun shrugged in response. "And even if I did rise through the ranks of the Time Patrol, it wouldn't have been because of my accomplishments. It would've been because I'm Goku and Vegeta's protégé. If I ever gain prestige and power, I want it to be because of my efforts, and nothing else."
"So you like doing things the hard way, then," she teased him with a smile.
"If we're cutting to the chase, then yeah, I do like a challenge," he grinned back. "I gotta wonder, though… Are we cool?"
"You won us the games, so I kept up my end of the deal," she replied, her grin widening. "Us being number one is more important to me than boozing out, so if that's the price I have to pay, I'm all right with that. I guess it's time for a change, anyway."
"Glad to hear it," Gorun said with another measure of relief washing away the weight on his shoulders. "Off-topic, did you bring a date here tonight?"
"Nah, I like being a free agent," she smirked. "Why?"
"Well, if it's all right with you, how about a dance to mark the occasion?" He offered as he searched the dance floor for Kinana, hoping to catch her eye.
"What, the end of our little feud?" she laughed at him. "Sure, as long as your girl doesn't blast me through the basement of the castle."
"Got you covered," he replied as he finally caught his girlfriend's attention. Waving at her, he pointed to Cana, then himself, raising his eyebrows in an unspoken question. She nodded back before she took another spin with Romeo, who looked like he was having a better time than the last occasion where he had danced.
"Got the green flag," he said as he turned back to Cana and held out a hand. "Here's to a long life in Fairy Tail."
"I'd drink to that, but I guess a dance will have to do," the brunette chuckled.
The celebration passed by with only two more major incidents.
The first occurred when Sting and Rogue noticed that Yukino was in attendance. Kinana and Gorun had shared a few more dances together, and were spending time with their other friends again, the purple-haired girl speaking to Lucy and Levy while Gorun went to dance with Yukino. It was during this time that the pair approached the girl, their faces somber.
Immediately, the girl shrank back and said in a low voice, "Sorry, Gorun. Thanks for the dance, but I should get-"
"Wait!" Sting pleaded, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "Please, Yukino. We just wanted to say that we're sorry for what happened… For the way that we treated you."
"Such things will never again take place in our guild hall," Rogue vowed. "We're rebuilding Sabertooth anew."
"Jiemma and milady are both gone," Sting added. "And to be frank, I'm glad that they are. But Sabertooth just won't feel the same without you in it, Yukino."
"We'll miss you lots!" Frosch added, still dressed in his frog costume, despite the fancy event that they were attending.
"Yeah, we were all pretty bummed about what the old master did to ya," Lector chimed in, dressed smart in a black vest with a blue bow tie. "But we'd be real glad if you came back!"
"All of you…" Yukino said in a soft voice. However, she made no move to come out from behind Gorun, so he turned back to look at her.
"It's your choice," he said quietly. "If you want to go back to them, I won't stop you. I'll be sad, but I won't stop you from doing what you believe to be right." She locked eyes with him, then nodded ever so slightly.
The girl stepped up to stand beside her comrade, her chin firm and her back straight. "You say you're sorry, and I believe that you are," she told them. "But even if that is the case, none of you reached out to help me when I needed it most. Gorun and his guild took me in, no questions asked, and offered me a place to belong. They didn't care if I was strong or weak, they simply accepted me as I am." Glancing at her new team leader, who smiled encouragingly, she turned back to look Sting in the eye and said, "Sorry, Sting. But I think it's best if you and the others remember that there are consequences for allowing cruelty to happen in front of you when you could have done something about it. I won't be going back to Sabertooth, now or ever."
"But-"
"I'm a proud Fairy Tail wizard now," she said firmly as she held up her right hand to display her new guild sigil, overriding the White Dragon Slayer. "Gorun offered me a position on his own team, and I've decided to accept."
Sting looked like he wanted to protest, but Rogue laid a hand on his arm and said, "It's all right, Sting. Let it go." The blond man sagged noticeably, and his friend said, "She is right, you know. Our actions- or this case, inaction- has cost us greatly. It should serve as a reminder for how we model our new guild."
"I… guess you're right," Sting said, sounding defeated. Looking over at Gorun, he stood up straight and said, "Take care good care of her, okay man? She deserves a lot better than what we gave her."
"I will," the Saiyan boy nodded. "You have my word."
"Good luck to you," Rogue said as he bowed from the waist to her. "I sincerely hope that your new life is a good one."
"Thank you," she said with a nod of concession.
"Aw…" Frosch said, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'm gonna be sad now that you're not with us!"
Yukino smiled down at the green exceed, reaching down to pat him affectionately on the head. "I won't be too far away," she told the sad cat. "You can come and visit me whenever you like, okay?"
"I'll tag along, ya know, just to make sure he doesn't get lost," Lector offered, trying to hide his own sadness behind a veil of swagger.
"I'll be glad to see you too, Lector," Yukino said while turning to include him the smile. Standing up straight, she looked at her former guild mates and added, "Good luck with your new Sabertooth. I hope it's better than the one I left."
"It will be," Sting vowed.
"If there's anything we can do to make it up to you, let us know," Rogue added. "We'll come running."
The second incident happened not too long after Sting and Rogue went to go deliver the bad news to their guild mates. Apparently, word of Yukino's decision to join Fairy Tail was heard by Kagura, who happened to be incredibly tipsy at the time. As such, she decided to march over to Gorun and demand that he turn Yukino over to her guild, since she owed the sword maiden her life.
"Yeah, no way," the Saiyan boy replied flatly. "You wanna call a favor in with her at some point, and I'll gladly send our team over to help you. But she's made her decision about where she wants to be, and that's with our family. Sorry, but you're gonna have to go fish for new recruits somewhere else."
"I will fight you!" Kagura slurred. "The winner gets the girl!"
"Girl cannot hold her liquor," Cana sniggered in an aside to Lucy.
"Maybe not, but even drunk she'll be a handful," the blond mage muttered. "What do we do?"
"Ah, let Gorun handle it," she said dismissively. "The guy can take on a dragon, and he's not even a dragon slayer! He'll be fine."
"I will arm wrestle you," Gorun offered.
Before Kagura could retort, Hibiki jumped in. "A beautiful girl such as her only deserves the most beautiful guild," he said with a wink and a smile.
"Hey, hey!" Bacchus called loudly from where he'd been drinking. "Ours has always been a wild guild, but maybe we could use a womanly tou-!"
Blam! Gorun's fist smashed into his face, sending him flying into a support column. Everyone looked at Gorun in surprise, who was grinning madly. "Been wanting to do that since day two of the games," he chuckled.
"That was so not wild!" one of the drunken wizard's comrades shouted. "Rush him, boys!"
"Hey!" Kagura shouted as she backhanded one of the men into Ichiya, who had been approaching quietly. "I was here first!"
"Man!" Ichiya groaned. "Her parfum is even more potent than Erza's…"
"Low blow!" Eve shouted, sending a concentrated snowstorm at the Mermaid Heel member. "Let's get her!"
"Well, that took longer than I thought it would," Mirajane said with a bright smile on her face as she and Lucy watched the entire party turn into one big brawl. In the midst of all the arguing over which guild would get Yukino, rain began to beat viciously on the windows of the palace, and Lucy could have sworn it was supposed to be a clear night.
"I was afraid this would happen," the celestial mage sighed. "Even when we're not at home, Fairy Tail wizards have to break something."
Gorun had Ren in headlock and Sting under his foot when there was a loud banging sound from atop a balcony where the king was supposedly going to make his entrance. Standing there, looking most displeased, was Arcadios, a new sword in his sheath, which he had used to slam on the ground in order to get their attention. "Silence before the king!" he declared.
The gathering fell quiet and managed to make themselves look as presentable as possible while the doors to the balcony swung open as Arcadios announced the king properly. However…
"Since when was the king five-foot-ten and have pink hair?" Gorun said before he began to laugh at the sight of Natsu dressed in royal robes and wearing the king's crown. Behind him, they could just make out the pumpkin mascot, King Mato, jumping up and down in a vain attempt to take back his symbol of office.
"Silence, my loyal subjects!" Natsu shouted, an evil grin on his face. "Since I have taken the crown, I am now the king to which you will bow! You will all do as I say!"
Gorun was laughing himself silly while Natsu's teammates rolled their eyes, not exactly surprised by the stunt he had just pulled. "I was wondering where he was…" Lucy could be heard saying. Makarov looked as though he had aged ten years in as many seconds as he witnessed the dragon slayer's latest stunt.
Yukino was in awe of Natsu's audacity to the point where her mouth was hanging open as she witnessed Colonel Arcadios try to take the crown back from the fire wizard. Seeing this, Kinana sidled up to her and whispered, "It's not too late to go back to Sabertooth."
Yukino shut her mouth and looked at her new teammate, her face slowly lighting up with a grin. "Never," she said happily. "I'm glad to be where I am."
Saiki: I see that many things have now changed for this story.
Gorun: How do you mean?
Mataras: Well, Urtear didn't sacrifice herself, for starters. That's a major change from the original story. Cana and you are finally on good terms, not to mention you don't have to worry about the Time Patrol anymore. Future Lucy is not only alive, she is with Levy in the Time Patrol. Kinana knows who she is, or rather was. Actually, the same could be said of you, too.
Gorun: Yeah, about that... How long have you been planning on making me part-kai?!
Mataras: From the beginning. I've always been a shipper of the Supreme Kai of Time and Trunks, so...
Saiki: This also begs the question as to how it will affect Gorun's advances in power.
Mataras: How do you mean?
Saiki: Will he be able to achieve Super Saiyan God on his own? Will he be able to go beyond that?
Gorun: Oh. Huh... Hadn't thought about that.
Mataras: Time will tell, as it so often does.
Gorun: Okay, but if I get to be that powerful, who's gonna stand a chance against me?
Mataras: And that, my friend, is something we will find out very soon.
Gorun: ...What did you do...?
Saiki: Next time on Saiyan Tail- The Gift of Home
Mataras: I wonder how many people are going to be mad that Gorun didn't get his comeuppance yet?
Gorun: Whaddya mean, yet?!
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
"What's the point of forming a new team if we don't even go on any missions together?" Romeo muttered one day at dinner. He was sitting with Yukino, Gray, and Macao, the latter of which had just returned from a job and was grateful to be able to rest.
"Not every team goes together for every single job, ya know," Gray reminded him. "Me, Erza, Wendy, and Carla went on a job without Natsu, Lucy, and Happy just the other day."
"Yeah, but you all ended up working together to fight that giant mole thing," the young fire mage pointed out.
"If it's any consolation, Gorun said that he had something he wanted to show us this evening," Yukino told her comrade. "Said he was coming back for active duty tomorrow, too, so maybe we can start going on quests together like you wanted."
"About time!" the boy exclaimed. "When'd you hear that?"
"He was in this morning, talking to Kinana," the girl replied. "He seemed pretty excited about whatever it is he's been working on."
"Any idea what could have taken him three weeks to figure out?" Macao wondered aloud. "I know he's been healed up for at least two- saw him training out by the water when I was headed out of town one day."
"You know how he is," Gray shrugged. "He likes keeping certain things to himself. I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready."
Broly Spoiler-Free Review
Voice Acting: 9/10
Animation: 10/10
Humor: 9/10
Fights: 9/10
Overall Plot: 8/10
Conclusion: 7/10
Total Red Swordsman Rating: 87%
Go see this movie, guys, no regrets at all! It was far better than what I had expected out of a Dragon Ball movie, especially considering they were using Broly (pretty much the Jar Jar Binks of the franchise) as the main character. However, it was a very different Broly than the one that we have been used to for the last couple of decades, and I was very pleasantly surprised with how he- and the movie as a result- turned out. Also, getting to see Gine for the first time was great, and Bardock, though brief his appearance, was awesome. And of course, GOGETA. OH. MAN. Gonna wrap this up before I lose my crap again.
For a point of reference in my ratings, the film has to be above an 80% for me to purchase it on DVD. I hope that this review has been helpful to you, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it and this chapter. And one last reminder, go check out that poll that I've set up for you guys on my home page!