A/N: I'm hoping that at least some of you guys that risked Black Friday shopping are alive after being strangled by crazy people. If so, I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving Day, and that you had much to be grateful for. I know that I'm thankful to have a supportive fan base like you guys.
I haven't made a response video for the last chapter, largely because there's been less time for people to put up reviews for this chapter than I usually give. However, there's also the changes that YouTube is making that keep making it harder for people like me to put out new content, so I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to be able to continue putting out response like I have been. I'll update you more the next time that I put out a chapter, but I may end up having to erase my channel altogether, in which case, I have a friend who might be able to help set up my own website. Nothing is certain yet, but we'll see.
Now that the bonus update is over with, let's get on to the main event. Read, review, and as always, I hope you enjoy!
P.S. The new cover art was created by yours' truly, and edited into a digital format by my wife. You can see the original piece on my instagram the_red_swordsman
War of the Underworld Arc: Prologue
The Best Laid Plans
"You're certain it was her?" Makarov asked with a heavy frown as he gazed at Erza. She and Gorun were standing before him, having just delivered the news that Minerva was somehow not only alive, but now also a member of a dark guild.
"Absolutely," Erza replied without hesitation.
"And you're equally certain that she died during the Grand Magic Games?" Makarov asked the young man standing beside her.
"I hit her with a blast strong enough to blow up the planet if I fired it at the core," Gorun answered, his arms folded, his expression worried. "There's no way she survived that. Besides, if she had used her spatial magic to avoid getting disintegrated, I would have been able to feel it, and gone after her accordingly. However, I may have something in the way of an explanation…"
Erza eyed him concernedly before asking, "Why do you look as though someone put down your dog?"
"Because the explanation disturbs me a great deal," Gorun answered. "During my quest to safeguard the Hydrangea, our teams discovered the work of a necromancer, a skilled one."
"A what?!" Makarov exclaimed, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as he tightened his grip on his staff. "Did you say a necromancer?!"
"Unfortunately," Gorun nodded, noticing the way that Erza was paling. "Whoever it was managed to not only kill, but reanimate an entire naval ship's worth of crewmen and soldiers. We neutralized them, but we have no idea where the magician responsible is. It's very likely that the same entity is responsible for the reanimation of Minerva."
"This is most troubling news," Makarov muttered, his body trembling and his eyes still looking like they wanted to pop out of his head. "I'll need to send a report of this to the council."
"Kinana is drafting a report of our experiences on the same subject matter," Gorun informed the old man. "Perhaps if we send our letters together, yours' will be examined more rapidly, seeing as they're expecting mine any day now."
"Mmm, that could work," the guild master nodded. "I'll get to it, then. Drop off your summary here at my desk this afternoon, and I'll see it delivered to the council."
"Thank you, sir," Gorun replied with a short bow. "Also, there was… another matter I wanted to discuss with you."
"Can it wait?" the old wizard asked as Erza took her leave from the office.
"It's waited too long as it is," the saiyan boy answered with a negative shake of his head. "I need to discuss this sooner rather than later, especially if we're going to be called into action against a demonic power like this."
"Hmph, very well then, out with it," Makarov said impatiently. "We both have things we need to get done." As he spoke, he reached for a quill pen and paper.
"Then I'll be brief," Gorun said. "Kinana and I are engaged to be married, and we would like to announce it to the guild as soon as possible."
Makarov's hand jerked in surprise, spilling the inkwell and ruining the paper. He hardly seemed to notice though, fixated on Gorun's grinning face as he was. "You two…" he said softly. "I knew you were very close, but… So soon?"
"Like I said, it's waited too long as it is," the boy replied. "I should have begun courting her some time before I did, but now that we have been together for a while, I am sure that this is the right decision. We love and treasure one another, Master. What reason more should we need to become husband and wife?"
"Ah, young love," Makarov chuckled, despite himself as he relaxed, a wistful smile appearing on his face. "You have been given something very special, Gorun. Are you certain that you are not acting in haste?"
"I am," he answered without hesitation. "I know that Kinana's family is no longer among the living, since the children that were enslaved in the Tower of Heaven were always orphaned, so I cannot ask for her father's permission to wed his daughter. But… I know that you see all of us in the guild as your children, and so now I come to ask you if you'll grant our union your blessing."
Makarov was quiet for a long moment, leaning back into his chair and studying Gorun as if he were seeing him for the first time. At last, he asked with a twinkle in his eye, "Aren't the young men supposed to ask the father's permission before asking the girl?"
"It's the thought that counts?" Gorun shrugged.
Makarov laughed again, marveling at how only moments ago, the atmosphere had been tense and laden with fear. Now, here he was, happy and laughing, despite the thought of necromancer running loose in Fiore. Shaking aside the maudlin thoughts, he said, "Regardless, in the stead of her departed parents, I would be happy to give her to you in marriage. I assume I'll be playing that role in the wedding as well?"
"That was our hope, yes," the younger wizard grinned.
"Then who will perform the ceremony?" the old man inquired. "As a Wizard Saint, I'm qualified to attend to matters of state like this one, though it's not often that we are asked."
"I actually did know that, and we thought about it during our trip," Gorun replied readily. "We considered asking you, but Kinana said she'd rather have you act in the stead of her father. So if it's all right with you, we would like it if Jura could perform the ceremony at the Kardia Cathedral."
"I have no issue with that at all," the white-haired wizard replied. "He's a fine man, Jura Neekos. You'll have to ask him, of course, and it will be unusual to have a wizard from another guild presiding over the ceremony, but like I said, I take no issue with it."
"Excellent," Gorun said with a happy smile. "When can we announce it to the guild?"
"I do believe that most of our members will be home this week, so anytime you feel would be best," Makarov shrugged.
"Then can we do it tomorrow evening?" Gorun asked. "We're eager for everyone to know."
"How many already do know?" his master asked curiously.
"You, my team, and Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth, since they were with us during the trip," the saiyan hybrid answered. "I will be telling Team Natsu tonight, since we have parts for each of them to play."
"Ah," Makarov nodded. "Very well, I'll let Mirajane know that we'll be having a party tomorrow night under the pretense that we are celebrating the guild's founding."
"Isn't that supposed to be like two months from now?" Gorun asked as he started toward the door.
"I'm hoping that with all insanity of the last few months, everyone will forget that little fact…" the guild master grumbled. "If anyone presses too hard, I'll just tell them we're doing the celebration early because I'll be going to a conference with the other Wizard Saints during that time. That oughta keep 'em happy until you make your announcement."
"Thanks, Master," Gorun said as he walked out the door.
"Have a good evening, boy!" Makarov called after him.
"You too, see you tomorrow!"
He had Team Natsu and the Strauss siblings over for dinner that evening. Mirajane, Lisanna and Elfman were invited more or less last-minute because Kinana told Gorun that she doubted she could handle cooking enough food for all of them, and would need extra assistance to feed him, Azura, and Natsu in addition to everyone else. Gorun also recalled that he had once invited them to dinner, but their plans had been cancelled because of the events involving the phoenix.
They had a barbeque in the backyard of his home under a cloudless night sky, with everyone enjoying plenty of good food and company. Romeo spent a lot of the time talking to Wendy about their voyage while she continued healing his body from the aftereffects of the Kaioken while Carla looked on with disapproval, despite Momon and Happy's attempts to get her attention with the fish he had brought along. Éclair was seen showing her developing fire magic to Lisanna, Natsu, and Lucy while Gray and Yukino got caught up on their most recent adventures. Erza chatted with Elfman and Mirajane, while Gorun and Kinana made sure to speak to everyone at one point or another, the girl hiding her ring with a pair of mitts that she used while working with the meat. Azura simply sat up in a tree on the edge of his lawn, only coming down briefly when it was time for her to eat.
Once everyone had a full belly and was sitting around the fire, chattering contentedly among themselves, Gorun stood up with a large grin on his face. "Well, I hope you all have enjoyed this evening," he began, only to be interrupted by several of his friends giving their thanks for opening up his home to them, which only served to make him smile wider. "Hey, if you really want to thank somebody, thank Kinana and Mirajane for making all that food. If I'd cooked it, I'd be kicked out of the guild." This made them all laugh.
Taking a second to compose himself, he then said, "I do have a reason for inviting you all here tonight, other than wanting to spend time with you. As it so happens, I've got a pretty major announcement to make."
Here, the others grew still, even Natsu and Happy. Those that were in on the secret had smiles that matched his own, while Natsu's team and the Strauss siblings looked anywhere between worried to curious. Not wanting to keep them in suspense for too long, he said, "There's going to be a wedding this autumn… and it's going to be mine and Kinana's."
Their reactions were immediate as soon as his fiancée moved closer to the fire and pulled off her mitts to reveal the ring that she had been hiding. Natsu, Happy, and Momon let out cries of shock while Gray started laughing and shaking his head, lightly berating himself for not seeing it coming as soon as it did. Erza and Mirajane were ecstatic, rushing over to see the ring and ask Kinana a thousand and one questions. Éclair was nodding and smiling softly at the pair of them while Lucy also seemed excited, if a little wistful. Carla broke character and flew over to give Gorun a genuine congratulations and a hug around the neck before flying over to Kinana to do the same. Wendy was giggling happily as she added her own congratulations alongside Lisanna.
Elfman, of course, jumped up off his seat and shouted, "Now that's manly, having a wedding! Congrats, you two!"
Once the commotion had died down a little bit, Gorun called everyone's attention back to himself and Kinana. "Now, you guys are the only ones in the guild who know about this, other than Master," he told them. "We're making the official announcement tomorrow evening at the guild hall, but Master is disguising the party as the guild's founding anniversary."
"Oh, I thought that was weird, but now I get it," Mirajane said, recalling her senior's instructions about getting the mess hall ready for the festivities.
"The reason we're telling you guys now is because we wanted each of you to play a role in the wedding," Kinana told them. "Yukino is going to be my Maid of Honor while Azura will be one of my bridesmaids. I'm also planning to ask Laki to be in the party. We were hoping that you guys would be willing to cater the wedding," she added as she looked at the Strauss siblings.
"We'd love to!" Mirajane exclaimed.
"Hell yeah, we would!" Elfman nodded eagerly.
"It'll be our pleasure," Lisanna added with a cheery smile.
"Great!" Gorun smiled. "Romeo is gonna be one of my groomsmen, and Kinana suggested a certain redhead for the cake-maker…" He cast a meaningful glance at Erza, who looked as though she might swoon.
"I will prepare the finest ingredients in all of Fiore!" she declared as she shot to her feet.
"Chill out, the wedding isn't for several months," Gorun laughed again.
"Oh, of course," Erza said as she sat down, still shaking with barely suppressed excitement.
"All right, onto the wedding coordinator," Kinana giggled while everyone else laughed at Erza's antics. "Any guesses as to who we thought would be best suited for the job?"
"Is it Lucy?" Wendy volunteered, at which the blond girl immediately began to protest.
"No, but we did want her and you to do the flower arrangements, if that's all right," the purple-haired girl answered. "Would you be okay with that?"
"Yeah, I'd love to!" the sky mage answered enthusiastically.
"Well, okay, sure," Lucy said haltingly. "I mean… are you sure you want me to do that?"
"I'm sure some of your spirits could help you out if you feel overwhelmed," Yukino pointed out.
"Oh, good point," Lucy grinned, looking relieved. "Okay, yeah! Let's do it!"
"Now, back to the wedding coordinator," Gorun said. "We needed someone who keeps their cool under pressure, has a backbone that competes with some of the more stubborn people in the guild, and has excellent organizational skills. The fact that they might be able to foretell certain disasters would also come in handy."
At his last words, everyone's gaze drifted towards Carla, who looked incredibly surprised. "What, me?" she gasped.
"Yes, you," Kinana and Gorun said together with barely contained laughter.
"But, I… I have no skill as a coordinator of any kind!" she protested.
"So you're saying you don't want the chance to be the boss of everybody but the bride and groom for a whole day?" Gorun challenged.
Carla appeared thoughtful at this, then said, "All right, I accept."
"Happy, you're the ring-bearer," her fiancé declared. "And if you lose the rings, Romeo has orders to serve a new dish- feline flambé."
"Hey, don't I get a say in this?!" the blue cat protested.
"I'll catch you any fish you like if you do a good job of it," Gorun offered.
"Deal!" Happy exclaimed, his eyes going wide as he began to think of which legendary creature he could possibly have the Super Saiyan god of Fairy Tail bring him.
"I can help Carla if she needs it!" Momon offered, to which Carla agreed, albeit reluctantly. Still, it didn't seem to bother the yellow bird, so Gorun and Kinana decided to accept it.
"Hang on, what about me?!" Natsu demanded. "I thought we were friends!"
Gorun looked at Gray, and asked, "Do you want to, or shall I?"
"No, please, I insist," the ice wizard chuckled as he tossed his shirt into the fire.
"Gray, that's not kindling, and Natsu, you two get to fight each other for the position of my best man," he said while Gray cursed as he watched his purple shirt get eaten up by the voracious flames. "Loser gets to be my other groomsman."
"All right!" Natsu grinned as he leaped to his feet, sparks flying as he slammed his fist into his palm. "Now you're talkin' my language!"
"Yeah right, like I'm just gonna let you have the position," Gray snorted as he stood up. "Let's go, Salamander."
"Hold it!" Gorun shouted before they could get into it. "Let us finish!"
"Who else is there?" Lisanna inquired.
"Éclair," Kinana said, instantly causing the youngest Strauss sibling to go beet red with embarrassment, while the brunette simply hid smile while she looked up at the purple-haired girl. "Gorun told me that it's tradition where he comes from to have someone close to the family say a blessing for the new couple when they get married. We would be honored if you would do so at our wedding."
"Are you certain?" she asked softly. "We've not known one another for very long."
"We know each other well enough to risk our lives for you," Gorun pointed out. "And where I come from, that makes us brothers and sisters in arms. You're close enough to family for me."
"And I feel the same way," Kinana added.
"Then I humbly accept," the former priestess said graciously.
"All right!" Natsu crowed. Then he dashed over to a spot about a hundred feet away from the gathering before turning back and shouting, "Now fight me, Ice Princess!"
"You're gonna regret askin' for it, flame-for-brains!" his rival shot back, charging straight at the fire mage with ice already forming in his hands.
"Hey Natsu, no dragon force," Gorun said as they squared off. "I want this to be an even fight, got it?"
"Fine, whatever," Natsu snorted as his fists lit up. "I don't need it to melt this overgrown snowman!"
"Now it's on, lizard breath!"
"Let's do this!"
The air began to alternate between frigid and unbearably hot as the two wizards engaged in a fast-paced brawl that quickly took them downhill, toward the beach. Gorun breathed a small sigh of relief as the conflict moved away from his home, lessening the chance that one of the two boys would damage it.
"Gotta love how they don't even question the fact that you couldn't make up your mind on who you wanted your best man to be," Lucy commented as soon as the boys' shouts died down to a level where they could hear each other without having to shout.
"Who says I didn't?" Gorun smirked.
Everyone looked at him incredulously before Romeo asked, "Wait, you know which one of 'em is gonna win?!"
"I'm reasonably certain," he answered.
"Well then, who do you think it'll be?" Yukino inquired.
"Ice make: Lance!" Gray unleashed a barrage of frozen projectiles at Natsu, who was swift to neutralize them with a Wing Attack. Sand flew up all around them, their battle having progressed to the beach.
"That all you got?!" he laughed as fireball grew above his head. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!"
Gray narrowly dodged the scorching heat by flying away on a kite that he conjured with his magic. From there, he got in close with an Ice Bringer, nearly cutting Natsu with the keen swords. The dragon slayer retaliated with a talon attack that sent Gray reeling.
"Time to prove who's the best man here!" Natsu declared as he cupped his hands by his ribs. "Fire Dragon…"
Gray let out a growl and flipped himself up onto his feet while muttering, "Ice-make…"
"Kamehameha!"
"Freezing Gallick Gun!"
Fire roared and ice screamed as the two energy beams collided, blasting the sand away from the point of impact and disturbing the nearby waters. Both boys could be heard attempting to assert their vocal dominance over one another as the elements raged between them.
"Give up while ya can!" Natsu bellowed, straining harder against Gray's efforts.
"No way!" Gray shot back. "I'm the guy that's gonna be standing by Gorun on his wedding day! He's done too much for me not to be at his side!"
"He's done just as much for me!" Natsu argued. "Without him, I wouldn't have been able to avenge the damage done to our guild hall when we fought that psycho in Veronica! He fought for us during the games and the dragon invasion with everything he had! He taught me how to use my dad's magic in a whole new way! So don't think for a second that I'm gonna let that debt go unpaid!"
"Rrgh…" Gray took a deep breath, then redoubled his efforts to put out even more magic power, his icy blast forcing Natsu's back, little by little. "You've lost to me more times than not, Natsu… Why should this be any different?!"
"Because this time I ain't fightin' for something stupid, like I did when we were kids!" Natsu retorted. "This is something worth fighting for!" Suddenly Gray found his own magic being pushed back, even as Natsu's own power began to change in nature.
"What the…?"
"Change mode!" Natsu screamed as crackles of electricity began to mix into his flaming magic. "I've been savin' this one for a match I knew I'd eventually have with ya, Gray!" A yellow magic circle appeared between Natsu's hands and his Kamehameha before he bellowed, "Lightning Flame Dragon's KAMEHAMEHA!" Electricity flew down the beam, tearing through his rival's Gallick Gun like a hot knife through butter, overwhelming the ice wizard in a titanic explosion of plasma that obscured him from view.
"Haha!" Natsu crowed. "I win! Take tha-!"
Wham! Gray leaped out from the dust cloud that had formed, a little singed, but otherwise unharmed as he kicked Natsu in the jaw, sending his rival reeling. "Next time you start bragging, you might wanna make sure your opponent is actually down!" he said with a grin.
"What the…?" Natsu grunted as he wiped blood off his mouth. "How'd the heck did you do that?!"
"You aren't the only that's been training for a rematch," Gray replied. "I've learned how to make ice clones that carry a little bit of my magic power in them. My copy kept up the blast just long enough for me to get out of the way."
"Nice trick, but that won't stop me!" Natsu declared. "Lightning Flame Dragon Brilliant Thunder!"
"Ice-make: Geyser!" Gray launched himself into the air with a pillar of ice just in time. Natsu's dual-element attack blew his technique to smithereens, a steam cloud mixing with the flying sand to make visibility all but impossible. However, that wasn't going to stop Gray from launching a counterattack. "Ice make… Crescent Blades!" Boomerang-like projectiles shot down toward the steam cloud, and he was rewarded with the sound of Natsu yelling in surprise as he began his descent back down to the ground.
The second his feet touched the sand, it was over.
"Called it," Gorun chuckled as Gray returned up the slope, Natsu slung over his shoulder.
"No way!" Romeo exclaimed in disbelief.
"How did you know that would happen?" Yukino inquired as the ice wizard dumped his unconscious friend on the ground.
"Because Natsu has a tendency to fight harder, not smarter," Gorun shrugged. "Normally he can rely on brute force and tenacity to win a battle against an opponent, but without his dragon force, he was on more or less equal footing in this match. Which means it was more than likely that Gray would find a way to outmaneuver him."
"I also got a little lucky," Gray admitted. "He had me up in the air while he was hiding in that dust cloud, so I laid down some cover fire, which is when he gave his position away by yelling like an idiot. I just tried my best to land on top of him with an ice hammer."
"And that worked?" Wendy asked as she moved to heal Natsu.
"I believe the results speak for themselves," the half-naked boy answered. "Guess this means I'm the best man."
"That's so manly!" Elfman declared, setting everyone to laughing.
"Yes, it is," Gorun agreed as he shook hands with Gray. "Well done. I knew you had it in you."
"So you're saying you never expected Natsu to win?!" Happy demanded. "Jerk!"
"It was a possibility that he could have won, in which case I would have been happy to have by my side at the wedding," Gorun answered. "But I guess the saiyan part of me wanted to have the best fighter and friend with me on the most important day in my life."
"Now that we know what roll everyone is playing, it's time to begin the wedding planning!" Kinana said excitedly. "I've got some catalogues together for us girls to look at. Not sure what Gorun has in mind for the boys…" She looked a question at him, to which he merely grinned.
"We'll get started on our stuff after we've made the announcement to the guild," he assured her.
"Like hell we are," Gray said, surprising the groom-to-be. "We're gonna start planning your bachelor's party while the girls go in."
"We are?"
"You heard him, ladies," Kinana laughed as she witnessed Gorun's befuddlement. "Let's get to work."
Once all the female wizards had cleared out- which meant that Wendy had to leave Natsu sleeping by the fire with a murmured apology- Gorun turned to Gray and said, "Before you start planning anything, I have some absolute no-no's."
"I'm guessing that booze and strippers would be among those?" Gray asked.
"Yes."
"No worries. I've got something else in mind," the ice wizard chuckled.
Whatever it was that he had in mind, though, it was soon learned that they would have to wait some time to find out about it.
"Okay, explain this to me again," Gorun said with a slight frown as his and Natsu's teams were gathered around one of the dining hall tables, minus Lucy. Kinana and Yukino were also absent, having said that they were going to do some window shopping at a local boutique.
"Minerva was not the only one from our past that appeared during our escapade to the frozen giant's village," Erza replied. "We encountered the remnants of Atlas Flame's spirit, thanks in part to Natsu recognizing the flames that were all that was left of his body, and Wendy using a Secret Art that allows her to commune with the spirits of fallen dragons. He told us about a demon created by Zeref, a monster that surpasses all of his creations in its ferocity and power, even to this day. Apparently Igneel tried to destroy it in an age past, but was unable to do so."
"This thing is so powerful that the King of Fire Dragons couldn't take it down?" Azura asked with a wicked smile. "Now this sounds like a battle worthy of a Super Saiyan god."
"Says the non-deity," Gorun snickered, earning him a vicious glare from his cousin.
"In any case, Atlas Flame asked our resident Salamander to look into this matter for the sake of himself, and Natsu's dad," Gray asserted.
"We got any clues on how to do that?" Romeo asked, looking over at Natsu, who had been unusually quiet the whole time.
"Just a name," the pinkette answered. "E.N.D."
Azura and Gorun straightened in their seats and looked at one another in surprise. "We've heard that name before," the girl told them. "When Kaidon and I fought the phoenix."
"Really?!" Natsu asked excitedly.
"The only thing we got out of the fire bird other than what you've already discovered is that this demon is also referred to as the 'King of the Underworld'," Gorun replied. "Ironically, I'm starting to think that this E.N.D. thing has been active as of late."
"You heard the rumors, then?" Gajeel said as he, Lucy, and Levy walked up, each carrying several books.
"I had, but my last job more or less adds support to them," Gorun replied. "We tangled with work of a necromancer, which is kind of what I would expect from Tartaros."
"The lead guild of the Baram Alliance?" Wendy squeaked as the other three wizards took their places at the table and started passing out books, one or two going to each guild member.
"Yeah, those guys," Gorun said with evident distaste. "When I put Cobra back in the custody of the Magic Council, he said something about the 'gates to the underworld busting open'. Apparently the nine strongest members in the order call themselves 'The Gates to the Underworld', so after Cobra's warning, it got me to thinking. Ever since then, Jellal and I have been keeping an ear to the ground for any activity from their members."
"How's that been going?" Lucy inquired as she started flipping through her book.
"Haven't had any solid leads until a couple weeks ago, and they're still investigating it," the quarter-kai answered. "By the way, what are all these books for, and why do I have one?"
"They're from Fairy Tail's library," Levy answered as she put on her wind-reader glasses. "Anything we have on the demons that Zeref has created."
"The Etherious, right?" Azura asked. "That's what the phoenix called itself."
"Yes," Levy nodded, words already flying before her eyes as she sped through the pages of her book. "Some are better known than others, like the demon Deliora, while others, like E.N.D., are more obscure."
"What'd this Deliora thing do that made it so famous?" Azura asked as she flipped through her own text.
She stopped mid-turn when Gray said in a cold voice, "He wasted most of the northern continent- where I'm from. Killed pretty much everyone I ever knew and loved, except for my friend, Lyon."
Azura held her position for a few moments before she finished turning the page, saying quietly, "You have my sympathy."
"What are the chances that we find out something about E.N.D. in these books that we don't already know?" Gorun asked in an attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Not very high," Levy admitted. "Most stuff on Zeref and his creations are forbidden for the public to know about in any detail, so all we're likely to find is historical records."
"Hang on," Natsu said, a familiar spark in his eyes. "You said that this demon was supposed to be some bigshot with Tartaros, right?" He directed the question to Gorun and Azura.
"According to the phoenix, yeah," his friend nodded.
"Then let's go pick a fight with the Baram Alliance and get E.N.D. to come out and play," he said with a wicked grin. "I'll finish what Dad started!"
"Have you completely lost it?!" Lucy yelled at him, immediately wiping the smile off his face. "This is a friggin' demon, Natsu! Like, from hell!"
"I know that!" he shot back. "The ones back on Galuna Island weren't so bad, though!"
"You really think that a group that leads the Baram Alliance is gonna be nice like they were?!"
"No, but maybe they're a bunch of pushovers like they were!"
"Demon, Natsu!"
"Will you two just get a room, already?!" Azura snapped, setting Lucy's face aflame. "I can't read with you two bickering like a couple of Saiyan spouses!"
"W-We're not-!"
"She's not wrong," Gorun remarked, pointedly not looking up from his book. "Saiyan pairings do tend to fight a lot, even though there's a lot of love in it with most cases."
"W-We're not Saiyans!" Lucy sputtered. "And you should talk! You and Kinana never yell at each other!"
"He's a special case," Azura grumbled. "Show me a man that's not afraid to argue with his fists, then I might care to give him the time of day." Everyone at the table stared at her incredulously, in absolute silence, for several moments before she looked up and asked, "What?"
"You do realize that you've just described just about every guy in this guild?" Levy giggled softly.
"I meant someone who can take me on without me snapping him like a toothpick when I get serious," she said bitterly. "Most of the boys in here would tap out as soon as I go Super Saiyan. Even Erza here- supposedly one of the strongest mages in this guild- went down before I even turned on the blond."
"You caught me by surprise," Erza refuted. "Give me an honest fight, and I-"
"Erza?" Gorun said with a negative shake of his head. "No offense, but you couldn't even stand up to my Kaioken. No way are you standing up to her Super Saiyan."
"Perhaps not then, but you're not the only one that's been growing, Son Gorun," she said admonishingly. "Don't forget that it was all of us who stood by you against the phoenix."
"Fair enough," he nodded. "Still, don't underestimate Azura. Without my god form, I doubt I could defeat her now."
"Agh!" Natsu growled. "Who cares about that right now?! We should be tryin' to take down Tartaros, get at E.N.D.!"
"We do have two of the strongest wizards in the world in our guild," Romeo pointed out. "The hardest part would likely just be finding them."
"There's something else," Levy announced as she stopped on a particular page in the third book she had been going through. "E.N.D. might not even be active yet."
"Come again?" Gray asked curiously.
"It says in this text that most of Zeref's demons are summoned from books that he wrote," the small bluenette replied without looking up. "And if E.N.D. is as powerful as we think it is, I find it very unlikely that it could be on the loose without us hearing something about it. I think that there's a very real probability it's still locked up in its book."
"Then I can't believe I'm sayin' it, but…" Gajeel muttered as he closed his own text. "I'm with Salamander."
"You are?!" most of the table asked him in shock.
Looking uncomfortable, the iron wizard replied, "He's got the right idea, especially if what Levy says is true. Why wait for things to get worse? What's stopping those Tartaros freaks from callin' up Zeref's favorite demon unless we stop 'em?"
"Maybe they don't have the right book for it," Lucy countered. "We've seen Zeref- he's alive, remember? It's possible that he has the book instead of Tartaros."
"But if he did, wouldn't it make sense for him to put it in the hands of his followers, or worse, assist them directly?" Wendy asked in a trembling voice. "If we go after Tartaros, we might end up going after Zeref, too. And he's immortal, right?"
"We killed one immortal, what's another?" Azura shrugged.
"The difference is that this is the guy who made that monster bird immortal," Gray answered. "Good rule of thumb for bad guys is that they never make anything stronger than they can control, unless it's on accident. Things usually get really messy whenever that happens."
"Exhibit A: Androids 17 and 18," Gorun mused aloud, getting a nod from Azura, but losing everyone else. Seeing their looks of confusion, he shook his head and said, "Long story."
"I still say we can take 'em," Natsu declared. "So what if they have a big stinkin' demon? We've stomped everyone else who's gotten in our way, even time-traveling dragons! We're more than ready!"
"At least one of you has the right attitude," Azura smirked.
"I don't necessarily disagree with him, the only issue facing us is that we have no idea where to look for Tartaros," Gorun said with a frown. "Our best bet would be the Magic Council, but we'd have an easier time putting down Zamasu than getting them to tell us anything voluntarily."
"Maybe Gramps has some strings he can pull," Gray suggested. "The Wizard Saints still carry a lot of influence in the wizarding world."
"That's assuming he goes along with your crazy plan, which he won't!" Lucy yelled.
"Then maybe it's time I assert my own influence," Gorun said quietly, catching everyone by surprise.
"What're you talking about?" Happy asked. "You have connections in the council?"
"No," Gorun shook his head in the negative. "Not yet, anyway. There's something I should tell all of you, something that I've only shared with Kinana so far."
"Shocker," Azura said dryly, but he ignored her.
"After the battle with the dragons, Jura Neekos of Lamia Scale approached me… with an offer to have my name put in for consideration as one of the ten Wizard Saints," Gorun said slowly. "One of them is supposed to be under scrutiny right now, but just before I left with my team to go on the mission with Sabertooth, Jura contacted me to let me know that the guy just up and disappeared without a trace. He put me up for candidacy as soon as that happened, with my permission. And just this morning, I received another letter from him, asking that I teleport over to Lamia Scale this afternoon so that we could have a private discussion. I believe that the Magic Council may have granted their request to name me a Wizard Saint."
"Whoa," Gray said, eyes wide. Everyone else was displaying some combination of surprise or joy for their friend.
"Cool!" Natsu laughed. "This means we have three Saints in our guild! We really are number one in Fiore!"
"How come none of us heard about this before?" Romeo inquired.
"It wasn't a for sure thing- which it still isn't- and they didn't expect this Serena guy to just suddenly book it," Gorun shrugged. "Jura didn't think that they would be looking for a replacement for several months. Plus, I wanted time to think about it; you know, how it would affect my life, and that of my friends and future family."
"Then why say yes all of a sudden?" Levy asked.
"The Wizard Saints help represent the wizards in the guilds that are affected by the bureaucracy of the Magic Council," Gorun answered. "They help keep the council from going too far in its legislature in an indirect manner, though it's certainly not unheard of for a Wizard Saint to also sit on the Council."
"Like Siegrain," Erza muttered.
"He was Jellal's alias when sitting on the old council, yeah?" Gorun asked, to which Erza replied that he was correct. Moving on from that, he said, "This gives me an opportunity to more directly influence how the council deals with our guild and other allies that we have. Plus, as a Saint, I gain access to a lot of stuff that even most guild masters aren't allowed to see. Maybe something on E.N.D. will come up."
"You really think that the council would let a third Fairy Tail wizard be a Wizard Saint?" The group turned in surprise to see Yukino and Kinana walking up to them, claiming their own seats at the table when they were close enough.
"Weirder things have happened," Gorun replied to Yukino as he made room for his fiancée to sit by him. "Hi, by the way."
"Hi," Kinana smiled happily. "What'd we miss?" Her expression quickly turned somber as Erza summarized the details of their discussion. "Seems there's a lot going on at once," she mused once the redhead had finished her explanation. "I would prefer to avoid tangling with Tartaros myself, but the odds are that even if we don't go looking for them, they'll wind up attacking the legal guilds- us included- at some point. Gorun told me that they're getting bolder in their movements."
"My concern exactly," Gorun nodded. "If a fight with them is, in fact, inevitable, than I would rather confront them on our terms, not theirs'. And if E.N.D. happens to be among their number, then I'll count it as a bonus." Before Natsu could give out a snappy comment, he added, "Either way, I'll help you find this thing, Natsu. Saint or not, I'll help you carry on your father's work."
"Oh," the dragon slayer said meekly, mollified by his friend's promise. "Thanks, man."
"I'll help, too," Gray said with a grin at his frenemy. "You helped me out back on Galuna Island with Lyon and Deliora. No way I'm leaving that debt unpaid."
Before anyone else could add their support or object again, there was a crashing sound as the doors were all but thrown off their hinges. "Guys!" Jet said in a panic, Droy heaving deep breaths behind him. "We got some bad news! Like, really, really bad news!"
Every eye in the guild hall turned toward the two of them, some people murmuring in fear, others simply wondering what could have caused such a stir. However, they didn't have to wait very long to find out.
"It's the council…" Droy huffed.
"They've all been killed!" Jet shouted, immediately throwing the guild hall into an uproar of confused voices and cries of shock.
"Quiet!" Gorun roared as he smacked his hand on the table, unintentionally breaking it into pieces. Still, it got everyone to do what he wanted, so he promised himself to buy the guild a new one later. In a single bound, he cleared the space between him and the two Shadow Gear wizards, asking, "When did this happen? And how?"
"Just this morning!" Jet replied, his body still trembling from the shock of hearing the news himself. "There was some kind of explosion, and every single one of the council members and most of their staff were found dead in the rubble!"
Gorun frowned, deeply troubled by the news. He, like most guild wizards, did not much like the Magic Council, viewing them as puffed-up idiots that had more skill with paperwork and magic than they did with the people they were supposed to be serving. However, at no point did he ever wish for them to die, knowing that they did serve their purpose to the kingdom, despite their tendency to trouble his guild.
This presented a number of problems for wizards across the nation, and the general population as a whole. Technically, he supposed that until a new council could be established, the King's forces would have to uphold order among the legal guilds. Although, who knew how long it would be before another one of those could be thrown together?
Maybe the Wizard Saints will have some idea about all this, he thought as he made his way back to where his friends were waiting, having moved away from the destroyed table. Out loud, he said, "I'm going to get Master and meet up with any of the other Saints that he knows. If the council really is dead, then they're the most capable wizards to deal with this crisis."
"Be careful," Kinana told him as he started walking over to where Makarov was sitting at the bar, a distressed look on his face.
"I will," he promised over his shoulder. Then he moved quickly to stand before the old man, who was gripping his staff so tightly it was a wonder that the stick did not shatter. "Master?"
"Yes, my boy?" Makarov asked as he met his young comrade's gaze.
"We need to meet up with the other Wizard Saints, as many of them as we can," Gorun insisted. "Without the Magic Council, your peers are the only ones other than the king that stand a chance at keeping order among the guilds, and I can't think of a wizard out there that would like to be further governed by a non-magician."
"I'm aware, my boy," Makarov nodded. "I assume you wish to use your instant transmission to convene a meeting immediately?"
"Yes, sir," Gorun nodded. "This way, you can all decide on a course of action, and then I can return you all promptly to wherever it is you need to go."
"Yes, that would be wise, given the circumstances," his master agreed. "Very well- I will go inform Erza and Azura that they are in charge of the guild's defenses while we are gone. With Laxus and the Thunder Legion out of town, I'm not taking any chances."
"As you say, sir."
It was nearly midnight when the two wizards returned, and fortunately there had been no further incidents to report. Both Team Natsu and Team Golden Tail had stayed waiting for the return of their master and friend, despite everyone else having gone home for the night.
They were all relieved to see them safe, especially not having received word in more than twelve hours, but their faces were grim as they reappeared with Gorun's instant transmission, which worried their comrades.
"What happened?" Kinana asked. "Were the saints not able to agree on a course of action?"
"Not all of us could be found, which is troubling, but we did manage to gather six of the nine, myself included," Makarov answered her as he hopped up onto the bar, as to be more or less eye level with everyone else. "We had many things to discuss, but we managed to agree that those of us that are active members in a guild will be putting our resources toward two goals, one of which will be locating and destroying Tartaros. The other is to protect the former members of the magic council that are still alive."
"Why them?" Gray asked, confused. "I thought that whoever did this just wanted to take out our leaders."
"That is a probability, but we cannot discount the idea that the former members could be targets as well," their master replied. "That the council alone was targeted, and not the king's family, suggests that the perpetrators are not solely after the destabilization of our country's government. There must be something that they were after that only council members could give them."
"Fair point, but how could we possibly know what it is that the attackers were after?" Erza inquired. "Also, how does Tartaros fit into this?"
"A survivor from the attack says that someone from the Tartaros guild was responsible for it," Gorun answered. "The Magic Council was apparently about to declare a war of extermination on them, but I guess those monsters beat them to the punch."
"In any case, in the morning I will hold a briefing to inform the rest of the guild of the situation, and to assign teams to protect the former council members," Makarov asserted. "Some people are keeping an eye on them unobtrusively to avoid causing a further panic for now, but we agree that it would be better for their safety if a public display of force were to be demonstrated, should any other members of Tartaros come looking for them."
"Understood," Erza nodded. "Will you also be assigning teams to look for Tartaros?"
"No," Makarov said with a negative shake of his head, much to the surprise of his children. Even more intriguing was the way that the corners of Gorun's mouth turned even further downward as his master uttered his declination.
"That task has fallen to me," the Saiyan youth explained. "Once Master has explained everything to the others and sends out his teams, I'll be making one of my own to hunt down Tartaros, and eliminate them with extreme prejudice."
"Why you?" Azura demanded.
"Remember what we were discussing before I left?" he asked dryly.
"No way…" Lucy said, her eyes wide. "The council made you a Saint?"
"Ha!" Gorun snorted. "No, they did not. But since they're dead, and the other saints think it would be best if their numbers were at full strength, they collectively decided to ignore the late council's orders and name me a Wizard Saint anyway."
"Well, uh…? Congratulations?" Romeo said in the ensuing silence.
"And that pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole thing," Gorun said with a heavy sigh. "This is not how I wanted to get the position. Honestly, I didn't really want it in the first place."
"I'll take it," Azura volunteered, her tone snarky.
Shooting her a warning glare, Gorun added, "However, I know it's what is needed of me at the moment. As soon as a worthy successor comes along after this crisis is dealt with, I will happily step down."
"Until then, I'll support you however I can," Kinana told him.
"I've got your back, man," Romeo added.
"Wizard Saint or not, you're our leader, and we'll follow you wherever you need us," Yukino affirmed. "Even if it's to the gates of hell."
"I hate rule-breakers," Azura asserted. "And these monsters just killed all the rule-makers. Show me who to hit, and they'll wish they'd never been born."
"Didn't you break the rules to come after-?"
"Correct me again, Kaidon! See what happens!"
Azura: So, how have you been sleeping?
Mataras: How have I been what now?
Gorun: Are... Are you okay, man?
Mataras: I feel pretty. And witty... And...
Gorun: Uh...
Mataras: Zzzz...
Azura: That figures. Guess it's up to me to finish the announcements, then.
Gorun: I'm still here.
Azura: Like I said-
Gorun: Don't you start.
Azura: Fine, not in the mood, anyway. What do we have on the agenda?
Gorun: Well, Mataras has something extra planned for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Not only will he be releasing the next installment for this story, he will also be putting up an OVA-styled chapter on Christmas Eve.
Azura: Won't that kind of throw off the flow of this story?
Gorun: Normally, yes, it would. However, Mataras will be creating a new story, titled 'Saiyan Tail Specials', where people that are familiar with this story can go enjoy some 'non-headcanon' stories every now and again. He'll put up a reminder for it once the new chapter goes live on this story, but he thought it would be good to give everyone a heads-up.
Azura: What will this OVA be centered around? Do we get a hint?
Gorun: Something about trying to get Laxus a Christmas present...?
Azura: What? Why would they do that? None of us are particularly close to him.
Gorun: Don't ask me. I'm just the middleman.
Azura: Next time on Saiyan Tail- Settlement
Gorun: Soon coming to Saiyan Tail Specials- An Electric Christmas
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
"I think we're gonna have to put our plans on hold for now…" Cobra said, his ears suddenly pricking up. "We got company." Whirling around, he pointed up the path that they had come from, indicating a trio of figures, all dressed in blue.
"Jellal Fernandez," said Angel, a beautiful young woman with long white hair. "I guess it would be too good to be true if we just got away, scot-free."
"Is this how Doranbolt plans to deal with us?" Cobra smirked. "Fine, then. We just got our freedom, and I'll be damned if it's taken away from us again."
"Your version of freedom is a lie," Jellal declared as he held up a hand, signaling for his two comrades to hold their position, much to their surprise.
"Jellal, wait!" Urtear said sharply. "You're not really planning on fighting them all alone, are you?"
"This is my debt to repay," he answered solemnly. "I won't have you and Meredy fighting a battle that isn't yours."
"Stupid move!" Racer shouted, already appearing in front of Jellal at lightning speed. "You move so slow, I was already getting bored!"
Blam!
The speedy wizard was smashed into the ground faster than the gathered wizards' eyes could track. One second, he had been about to slug Jellal in the face, the next he was groaning in a smoking crater in the ground. It didn't take Cobra long to figure out what happened, though. His ears pricked again at the sound of footsteps on gravel, and he turned to look up at a familiar face amid a raging aura of gold.
"You," he growled.
"Me," Son Gorun agreed. "How's about we make this easier on everyone? Let me take you back to your cells, and no one here has to get hurt." Noticing Racer getting slowly to his feet, he added, "That was your one warning shot, by the way. Don't make me hurt an old friend of Kinana's."
"Leave Cubellios out of this!" Cobra shouted angrily. "You've got the girl, so what are you here for?!"
"Same reason as him," Gorun shrugged as he gestured to Jellal, who had yet to move from the spot where Racer had tried to attack him. "Repaying a debt. Doranbolt asked me to handle you guys, so I will. Fortunately for you, I don't believe in killing people if I can avoid it, but I do have to ask; what's the healthcare like in prison?"
Time Patrol Special
"Be sure to turn in your assignments by Monday morning," Levy said as her students began to pack their materials into their bags, having heard the bell for dismissal. "Have a good weekend, guys!"
Most of her students returned the farewell as they left the room, the hallway echoing with the sound of excited students heading out to enjoy their days of rest. The most dedicated students, she knew, would spend the next two days honing their combat skills, hoping that they would get to be a part of the elite Time Patrollers that were sent on missions to repair primary temporal disturbances in each of the eighteen universes. Most recruits in the organization were deployed to handle tasks in fragmented timelines that were a result of major damage done to the original flow of time; missions that required lower power levels and skill.
Levy qualified for such missions, and had even gone on a few, but she preferred to stay in Conton, teaching the next generation the skills necessary to make sound decisions on the fly, as well as more subtle techniques that allowed them to make better use of whatever battle power they possessed, even the lower ones. Lucy, for example, was considered one of the weaker members of the Time Patrol overall, but she made up for it with magical versatility and sharp thinking. She had recently been qualified to handle stealthy missions concerning the timelines of the sixteenth universe, which granted her access to the Time Vault- which just so happened to contain the scroll pertaining to their home, Universe 17. As such, she had been able to keep an eye on what their old guild was up to, and share the stories with her friend, giving them both a greater peace of mind about their exile to the Time Patrol.
Even as Levy finished putting away some of her textbooks, she heard a knock at the door, and the words, "Busy day?"
"Hey, Lu," the bluenette said with a smile as she turned to face her friend, who was standing just inside the entrance. "It wasn't too bad, but I gotta say, that Majin kid, Juju? He's gonna drive me crazy if he keeps munching on chocolate pretzels while I'm trying to teach old Namekian."
"I'd offer to rough him up, but I'm pretty sure he'd turn me into candy if I tried," Lucy shrugged. "Have you talked to Principal Gohan about it?"
"Not yet," Levy sighed. "I was gonna catch him at the next teacher's conference on Wednesday."
"Why not talk to him tomorrow?" Lucy offered, surprising her guild mate.
"Come again?"
"Pan is gonna be a part of the figure battles tomorrow evening, so I'm sure that he's gonna be there to watch her," Lucy shrugged. "You should probably talk to him before the quarter-finals, though, cos that's when our slots match up."
"Provided she makes it that far," Levy giggled. "Thanks for letting me know, though."
"No problem," Lucy smiled back. "By the way, big news for Gorun back home. He and Kinana are gonna announce their engagement to the guild pretty soon."
"That's wonderful," Levy replied happily. "I wish I coulda met the guy, but I'm really happy for Kinana. She was always such a sweetie."
"Maybe we'll get to watch the wedding in real-time," Lucy replied. "Until then, I've got a tournament to get ready for."
"You got a plan for Bardock this time?" Levy asked as she grabbed her bag and went to lock up the classroom.
"Oh yeah," Lucy snickered. "That spiky-haired brute will never know what hit him."