A/N: A good May day to all of you (hehehehehe...) and I hope that this chapter finds you well and healthy amid the continued Covid-19 pandemic. What we have here today is the epilogue for the War of the Underworld Arc, and it's time to find out just how much Gorun's influence will change the Fairy Tail guild post-Tartaros.
How will Rachel fit into Gorun and Kinana's lives? What happened to the dragon parents when they didn't join the fight against Acnologia? And what will become of the guild itself?
Read, review, and most importantly, enjoy.
P.S. If you want to see my concept design for Super Saiyan Cana, go check out my Instagram account after this.
War of the Underworld Arc: Epilogue
Our Guild
"Excuse me, what?" Gorun demanded as he folded his arms while fixing his gaze on Makarov, who had a set jaw and a dangerous look in his eyes.
"You heard me well and good, boy," the elderly wizard replied. "I am disbanding Fairy Tail."
The two of them were in the sick bay, having just been left alone by Porlyusica, who had administered the antidote for the bane particles that had been ravaging the bodies of the Thunder Legion. The four wizards, in addition to Rachel, were currently occupying the beds in the room, but none of them were awake or aware enough to interfere in the conversation currently taking place. Azura and Gorun had somewhat recovered from their battle with Acnologia only thirty minutes prior, having woken to being covered in bandages and with Gorun's left arm set in a sling due to the broken shoulder. The blue-haired saiyan had elected to go tell the rest of the guild that the Thunder Legion was on the mend, since she was in slightly better shape than he.
Gorun, having just completed his report of what had gone down during the battle against Tartaros- including the revelation that Rachel was his and Kinana's daughter from a ruinous future- was stunned and hurt to learn that the guild master intended to sever the bonds that held their family together. So it was that the new Wizard Saint set his jaw and said, "Forgive me, Master, but I can't just accept that you want to disband our guild, just like that. Especially when we should be celebrating together."
"Celebrate what, exactly?" Makarov asked sternly. "The fact that the entire council is dead? That a dark guild nearly obliterated our town just to get to us? That we only just managed to stave off the very forces that we sought to challenge?!"
"How about the fact that we did triumph, in spite of the odds stacked against us?" Gorun shot back. "That despite all the awful things that Tartaros has done, we were victorious in the light? Is a win against evil not worthy of celebration?"
"It is, Gorun, but the truth of the matter is that together, we have made too many enemies to keep each other safe any longer," Makarov answered tiredly. "I cannot, in good conscience, keep my children together when I know that it will only lead to them being targeted again. The name Fairy Tail must disappear if its members are to be spared the wrath of those that bear a grudge against them."
"I refuse to accept that," Gorun said stubbornly. Indicating Rachel, he added, "I will not reward my daughter's quest to see the Fairy Tail that the others and I worked so hard to defend with a hollow victory. She came to find her mother, me, and our entire family, when she could have gone anywhere else in all of creation. And I didn't shed every ounce of blood and sweat that I had to give in defense of this guild, just to have it scattered to the wind when you felt that the danger suddenly became too much for us to bear."
"The decision is out of your hands, my boy," the old wizard said sternly. "As guild master, I order you to abide by the decision."
A sad smile twisted Gorun's mouth as he said in a bitter tone, "It's something of a contradiction, Makarov, when you claim the title of 'master' over a guild that you intend to destroy."
"It is no contradiction when it is the final order given to the guild," Makarov replied with gritted teeth. "You may be a wizard saint, Gorun, but in the final hours of this guild, you will still show me the respect that I am due as your elder."
Gorun was silent for a few moments before he unfolded his arms and said in a hard voice, "No."
"No?" Makarov growled, clenching his fists. "You'll disrespect me and my title, despite it being among my final wishes for you to abide by them?"
"Since when do your children respect anyone?" Gorun said with a wry smile. "Forgive me, but I will not allow this to occur without a fierce resistance."
"I advise you to measure what you say next very carefully, or else-!"
"Or else what?" the saiyan youth cut said to cut him off. "You'll punish me? Eject me from the guild? I don't think so." Shaking his head in a negative manner, Gorun said, "Either give me a clear, valid reason for shattering our family, or I'll have no choice but to challenge you for the position of guild master."
Makarov's eyes widened at the scandalous declaration- he hadn't heard anything so outlandish from one of his wizards since Laxus tried to take the guild over via a coup! "You're out of your mind!" he snapped at the young wizard. "What makes you think that the others would take orders from you if you take the guild by force?! And since when do you shoulder extra responsibilities without them being forced upon you?!"
Gorun's brow bent downward, but he kept his voice level as he answered, "I imagine that they'll understand my reasoning after I explain it to them. Seeing as you won't give me anything but a vague excuse about some potential danger that may or may not even actually exist, I think that they'll prefer my explanation about why I don't want to see our family broken. And as for why I would take on this burden, the answer is quite simple." Pausing for breath, he then said, "I care more about Fairy Tail than my own personal happiness. If keeping the guild together costs me my own peace of mind, then I will gladly sacrifice it." With another wry smile, he added, "I finally found something that I value more than my own comfort- now I'll fight to keep it."
"You are embarrassing us both with this farce," Makarov said tightly, making a very obvious effort to keep his temper in check. "There are things that I know about, boy, but they are not matters that I should- or am even inclined to- discuss with you! All you need to know is that they pertain to the safety of our family, and they have led me to the conclusion that Fairy Tail must be disbanded! If you try to keep the guild together, you will only bring calamity upon us all!"
"It sounds to me as though you have more faith in something or someone else than you do your own children," Gorun shot back, his brow furrowing even more. "If that's the case, are you really acting as a guild master ought?"
"You think that just because you've gained power enough to topple demons and gods that you now know best?" Makarov growled. "You are still just a boy, and an arrogant one at that. Fairy Tail is disbanding, and that's final. And if you ever mention the name of this guild in my presence again, you will regret it deeply. Now get out! Live your life, and make it a long one! Find happiness elsewhere! It won't be within these halls!" He turned away then, making to head for the main hall so that he could make his final address, and so that Gorun would not see the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
"Master." Gorun's voice rang with an authority that stopped Makarov dead in his tracks. "If you step out of that door to end my family, I will challenge you- publicly." The old man slowly craned his neck to look over his shoulder and see Gorun standing resolutely, without a hint of indecision in his bearing. His jaw was trembling, but his eyes were like steel as he said, "It will be an ugly scene for all involved, and I will hate every minute of it, but I will do it. I won't let anyone, even you, destroy all that we have built together. And believe me when I say that if I challenge you, I will be the victor, one way or the other."
"You would raise a hand against me?" Makarov asked in a low tone.
"It doesn't matter who threatens the guild," Gorun recited. "It could be a single wizard, a guild, the kingdom, or even the entire world. A Fairy Tail wizard would make an enemy of anyone to keep his friends safe."
"What part of me telling you that this will keep us safe fails to penetrate that thick skull of yours?!" Makarov demanded.
"The part that tells me that breaking up Fairy Tail is the last thing that any of us need right now," Gorun answered firmly. "The part of me that knows that even if you disavow our family, we will come back to rebuild that which would be taken from us. You can take the wizard from the guild, but you can't take the guild from the wizard."
"You are being a selfish brat," his master snapped, still trying to hide his tears behind a mask of anger. "It will be hard, but life moves on, and you will just have to move along with it. And that means moving on without Fairy Tail."
Gorun was quiet for a moment again, then he said, "You've made your intentions clear, and so have I. There's nothing more to be said for either argument, so make your choice, master. Forget this conversation ever happened and go out to celebrate our victory over Tartaros, renounce your title as this guild's master, or try to disband Fairy Tail, and see just how many of us are willing to make a stand against you."
Makarov grit his teeth as he turned away from Gorun once again, but he did not move toward the door this time. He wrestled within himself for some time before he growled out, "If you persist in your arrogance, the blood of our fairies will fall on your hands, and yours' alone. Can you shoulder that burden, 'Wizard Saint' Son Gorun?"
The boy's answer was immediate. "I can if I must," he said in a subdued manner. Even if he was acting on his convictions, it was clear that he took no pleasure in this. "I hope that it doesn't come to that, though."
"And I had hoped to see this through without such a fuss," Makarov said wearily, sounding as though he had aged another ten years in as many minutes. "Neither of us will get what we want, my boy." Squaring his shoulders, he said, "I will tell the guild of my wish for them to disband and then take my leave. If anyone stays, then they will answer to whichever leader that they elect for themselves. I will not name you my successor."
The words cut at Gorun's heart, but he held strong. "If that is the path that you must walk, then I won't stop you, master," he said in a subdued voice. He had truly hoped that Makarov would stay, and that they could all celebrate properly, but he now knew that it was not to be. "I am sorry that it had to be this way."
"Not nearly as sorry as I am," Makarov replied as he finally left the room.
Not fifteen minutes later, the old man announced that he was leaving Fairy Tail, and that it was his wish for them all to go their own separate ways. However, true to Gorun's prediction, there were some who vehemently opposed his plan, most of them being the Tenrou Team, and the members that had waited for them during their seven year exile. However, there was a large number who, having fought in the battle with Tartaros and seeing the lengths which their enemies were willing to go, did take Makarov's plea to heart, and renounced their ties with Fairy Tail, much to the anguish of those that wanted to stay.
Natsu in particular was very vocal about it, shouting at everyone that left the doors of the guild behind them, only being restrained by Lucy and Gray, both of whom were shedding tears at the bleak situation. Azura- much to the shock of everyone- was also protesting the exodus of the wizards, though she was arguably even more furious than Natsu, calling those that departed cowards, among other, more colorful names. Under more normal circumstances, they would have wondered when she had become so pro-Fairy, but they were all too distracted by the sight of their fellow wizards leaving the family that they had built together.
The whole time, Gorun and Makarov simply watched the proceedings in a stony silence, neither one of them willing to look at the other as they watched their beloved guild being split down to the bone, until only the members that had protested were left standing in a helpless rage and despair. Despite their pleas, Makarov refused to divulge his reasons for calling for the disbanding, nor would he relent in his own decision to leave the guild.
When the last wizard that was going to leave had done so, Makarov's shoulders slumped and he murmured, "It's done. Fairy Tail, I release you- go out and spread your wings." With that, he turned and walked off of the stage to go and pack his things.
As he passed by Gorun, he heard the youth say, "This didn't have to happen."
"Yes, son," Makarov answered in a defeated tone. "It did."
When the old man was ready to leave with his belongings, he was surprised to find that the remaining wizards were waiting for him in the courtyard outside, most of them with tears in their eyes, and a determined look on their faces. Once he was close enough to speak without having to raise his voice, he set his bag down and said, "Please don't do this."
"Master Makarov, if you're going to leave Fairy Tail, then you have to swear to abide by these three rules," Lucy began in a choked voice, tears streaming down her face.
"Rule one," Erza declared. "Never share sensitive information about the guild with anyone outside of Fairy Tail."
"Children, please stop," Makarov begged, his own eyes stinging as he clenched at his bag like it was a lifeline.
"Rule number two," Mirajane continued, ignoring the old man's words. "You can't ever contact any clients that you worked for in the guild for your own personal gain."
"I am ordering you to stop!"
"Rule three!" Gorun declared, his voice ringing through the midnight air with great clarity. "Although our paths now stray, you have to promise to live your life to the fullest!"
"That means treating every day in this world like it would be your last," Azura said sternly, her eyes burning like blue flames.
"Don't forget the family you loved," Kinana said through her tears.
"You must remember them for as long as you live," the remnants of Fairy Tail declared.
Re-shouldering his pack, Makarov blinked away the mist that had obscured his vision, and walked past his children without a word, leaving Fairy Tail behind him.
Once Makarov had disappeared from their line of sight, the remaining members of the guild gathered together in the great hall, which now felt far too empty for their meager numbers. Once they had all taken seats at a few of the tables that they pushed together, with Gorun and Erza at the head chairs, the redhead wizard said in a sad voice, "We have a lot of work to do."
"This totally blows," Natsu growled as he folded his arms. "Why'd Gramps have to go and ruin everything?"
"I tried to get an explanation out of him, but he wouldn't tell me his reasons," Gorun sighed as he put his head in his hands. "This is not how I saw today going."
"I don't think that any of us could have," Éclair said softly. "But there is no point in bemoaning about that which we cannot change. If the last four centuries have taught me anything, it is that lesson." There was a general mumbling of agreement from the table as she finished speaking.
They would all miss Makarov, and the departure of more than half of their comrades was incredibly disheartening, but it did not change that they would remain by one another's sides. Now they just needed to figure out how to move forward.
"First things first, we need a new guild master," Levy asserted. "The magic council isn't around anymore, but when the new one gets implemented, we need to make sure that we're still registered as a legal guild with a proper leader."
"Yeah, but who's gonna take that position, given how difficult it'll be in the long run?" Gray asked as he drummed his fingers on the table. He was seated between Kinana and Romeo, near the head of the gathering at the invitation of his friend.
"There are only a few candidates for us to consider," Erza replied. "I suggest that we put it to a vote as to who should be our new guild master."
"Who do you think we should put up for consideration?" Lucy inquired. "I mean, I'd imagine that the S-class wizards are probably gonna make for the best candidates, right?"
"So that's Mira, Laxus, Erza, and Gorun," Gray said as he held up a finger for every person that he listed off.
"Technically my old man should be among that number, but he already shirked that job once before," Cana pointed out grimly. "Not to mention that we have no idea where he's gone…"
"Don't forget Macao," Gorun said, surprising the others. "He did a good job managing the guild when I first joined. I think he'd be good for the position again." The others all turned to look at the mustachioed man, who appeared deep in thought at the proposition. Gray and the others- even Natsu- didn't seem opposed to the idea, seeing as he was one of the more experienced wizards among their number, and he had held the guild together through some very troubling times.
Eventually the older man shook his head slowly in the negative. "No," he said, surprising everyone at the table. "It wouldn't be right this time."
"Why not?" Gorun asked him, confused.
"Don't get me wrong, I know it'd be a lot easier this time around, but I think that Makarov leaving is a sign that it's time for the next generation to take up the standard," Macao replied gravely. "I gave my best years to this guild, and I'm satisfied with that. I'll be Fairy Tail to the end, but being 'master' isn't in the cards for me this time."
"…All right," Gorun murmured. "I can accept that." Drumming his fingers on the table a few times as he pondered their options, he then asked, "What about Laxus? He's Makarov's grandson, and he's mellowed out quite a bit from what I can tell. Plus, he's got plenty of experience in being a leader with the Thunder Legion."
"Maybe, but he's still a loner for the most part," Erza pointed out. "He's certainly strong enough to hold the position, but it might be better if our guild master can hold the respect of the rest of us."
"He is still kind of a handful," Mira said with a light smile.
As she subsided, Azura spoke up. "Why not the she-devil?" she asked, drawing everyone's gaze toward her. "She's plenty strong- by Earthland standards, at least- and if I'm not mistaken, she's helped the old man with administrative matters for years."
"Yeah, Mira would totally be a great pick for guild master!" Lisanna exclaimed. "It's about time we had some girl power running the show!"
"The first guild master was a girl," Gorun murmured with a slight smile. Still, he could see the merit in the idea. The woman was strong-willed and powerful enough to frighten most of the guild's wizards, but kind enough to show mercy to even the most hardened criminals- a good balance for someone who would be dealing with all sorts of people, both inside the guild and out. Plus her popularity with Fiore's general population would lend itself well to their guild's reputation.
Raising his voice so that he could be heard by the assembled wizards, he said, "I think Mirajane would be an excellent choice for guild master."
"Oh my," Mirajane said with wide eyes as everyone started to consider the idea of the eldest Strauss sibling becoming the guild master.
"Hold on, before we start voting," Erza said sternly to still any other voices. "There are still two candidates up for consideration." Giving Gorun a meaningful glance, she then said, "Don't think you can escape scrutiny, Wizard Saint."
The saiyan boy held up his hands in a gesture of surrender as he said, "I wasn't trying to, promise. At the same time, I still don't think that I would be the best pick for the job."
"Why not?" Lucy asked him from next to Yukino and Sorano. Even though the former convict wasn't a member of the guild, Gorun had told her not to go anywhere without either him or her sister, so she was sitting in for the meeting.
"You're the most powerful wizard here, and you're very smart," the younger silver-haired celestial wizard told him, causing him to fidget in place. "You've done well in leading Golden Tail so far. Plus as a Wizard Saint, people outside of the guild would tend to show you more respect than any of the other candidates." Romeo and Kinana nodded their support of the idea, while Azura shrugged indifferently.
The Saiyan Saint considered his teammate's words before he made a reply. He had told Makarov that he would challenge him for the position of 'master', but it was not his first choice. Taking a moment to marshal his thoughts, Gorun then said, "I've run away from responsibility too many times already. If the guild thinks that I would make the best choice for guild master, then I'll take the job. Make no mistake, I love this guild, and I would do my very best to treat it with all the care that it- and you- deserve. At the same time, I do think that there are others here who would do a better job than me."
"Well, that just leaves us with Erza," Gray said as all eyes turned toward the S-class mage. "What do you think?' he asked her. The others all knew that the young woman was a well-rounded choice for the position, should she choose to take it, and so no one voiced any objections.
"I would have no issue holding the position until Master Makarov regains his senses and returns to the guild," she answered firmly. "Despite his declaration that he wished for us to disband, I still feel in my heart as though he is the true guild master."
The table began to murmur among themselves, several pairs and trios debating which of the four wizards would be best suited for the heavy burden of being Fairy Tail's master. After a few minutes of this, Erza rapped her armored hand on the table to quiet everyone before saying, "We'll table this discussion until Laxus and the Thunder Legion wake up and are able to cast their votes. For now, let's all take some time to rest and recuperate. I think we've earned it."
When she was met with a general chorus of agreement, the groups stood up from their chairs and began to go their separate ways, some choosing to remain in the guild hall, while others headed for their homes, hoping that they hadn't been destroyed by Tartaros' monster cube.
Among those to stay were Teams Natsu and Golden Tail, who gathered by the stage where announcements were made and musical numbers could be performed by the guild members. "This sucks," Natsu grumbled again. "We should be partying it up, not pickin' who gets to take Gramps' job cos he quit."
"At least we still have a guild that needs a master," Lucy pointed out. "What would we all do if Fairy Tail really had disbanded?"
"I imagine that we would have figured something out," Erza replied. "But I am glad that we don't have to find out."
"Me too," Gorun added as he and Kinana wove their hands together. "I like our home."
"It's not my first choice, but it does beat wandering aimlessly," Azura muttered from where she sat on the steps. Glancing up at her cousin, she added, "If you get picked for guild master, I'm gonna make sure that you don't have a chance to slack off."
"As long as it keeps you out of trouble, I have no arguments against that," he replied with a smirk, which she eventually returned.
"You know, there is a reason we could still give everyone to celebrate," Kinana suggested as she laid her head on Gorun's shoulder.
At first, he was confused about what she could be talking about, but it didn't take long for him to figure it out. "You want to have the wedding?" he asked her, greatly surprised. "So soon after all of this?" Around them, their friends were similarly startled.
"I do," she nodded without taking her head off of him. "This last battle put us through hell, and we've got hard times ahead of us. I think we could all do with some joy in our lives again. And it should go without saying, but I really want to be married to you already." She added the last part with an embarrassed smile, but he could tell that she was serious.
"…Okay," he grinned, his heart lightening considerably. "Let's tell the others, and once we've got Fairy Tail's affairs in order, we can start planning for our wedding."
"Will you still use the Kardia Cathedral?" Yukino asked them excitedly.
"Provided it hasn't been blown up, yeah," Gorun nodded.
"I dunno about that," Azura said with a slight frown. "Won't they be kind of busy with all the funerals and burials needed after Tartaros' cube disintegrated half of their town, plus all the shockwaves that we caused?" Her words brought the mood down again, and her cousin shot her a glare that caused her to shrug indifferently. "Just because you don't like it, that doesn't make it any less true," she pointed out.
"That also doesn't mean you need to be a total buzzkill," Romeo pointed out sourly.
"We can worry about that later," Gorun sighed heavily. "Honestly, our guild is gonna start getting flooded with job requests for repairs around town, and we should probably do our part to help Magnolia. Much as I hate saying it, Azura is right- we are partially responsible for the destruction caused."
"Our numbers just got cut to ribbons," Gray muttered. "There's no way that we can all handle that."
"I'll contact some of our allies in other guilds to see if we can sublet them some jobs," Gorun mused aloud. "They get extra money, and we can handle the local requests until things die down a bit."
"A sound idea," Erza nodded approvingly. "See? You'd make an excellent guild master."
"That's for everyone else to decide," Gorun replied firmly, a forgotten thought suddenly reminding him of its presence. "As for me, I actually have a question for Natsu."
"Yeah?" the pinkette asked with his head cocked. "Am I getting promoted to best man?"
"In your dreams," Gray snickered.
Before the two could start bickering, Gorun told his friend, "Rachel mentioned something about Igneel during the battle, as well as a 'dragon soul'. Do you know what she was talking about?"
"No clue," Natsu replied, his face growing serious as he folded his arms. "I haven't seen Dad in years. But if she's from the future, maybe she knows what happened to him."
"Maybe she knows about Grandeeney, too!" Wendy said excitedly.
"I know a few things," a tired voice said from behind the collective group. They all whirled around to see Rachel, swaying with exhaustion, and covered in bruises.
"Rachel!" Kinana said as she moved to catch the girl up before she fell. "You should be resting!"
"I'll be okay, Mama," the smaller warrior said as she leaned heavily on her mother for support. "Just… I need to sit."
"Here," Gray said as he pulled over one of the benches from a nearby table so that she could sit down with a pained grunt. Noticing her injuries, he turned to Wendy and asked, "Can you help her?"
"I would, but I'm too drained," Wendy said apologetically. "It was all I could do to heal Gorun and Azura enough to walk."
"It's okay," Rachel said with a weak wave of her hand. "I'll live. What's more important… is that I owe the dragon slayers some answers that I promised them before." As she finished speaking, she grimaced and clutched at her leg, which was an unhealthy shade of purple on her shin.
Gray immediately tore up the shirt that he had put on and conjured a block of ice to put inside the fabric. "Here, kid," he said as he put the improvised cold pack on the affected area. "Keep pressure on that."
"Thanks," she said gratefully, though she did add with a small smile, "And who are you calling a kid? I'm way older than all of you."
"Huh?" Azura frowned as she looked at her cousin, who affected an innocent air. "Kaidon, what is she talking about?"
"She grew up in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber," he answered with a shrug. "Apparently that, combined with our kai genetics, makes her look a lot younger than she actually is."
"How much is a lot?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Try more than ten thousand years," Kinana informed them, causing most of the members present, even Azura, to drop their jaws and bug out their eyes as they examined the ancient youth.
"Man, and I thought Éclair looked good for an old lady!" Happy exclaimed, earning him a smack to the face by the irritated fire wizard.
"Agh, who cares?!" Natsu exclaimed, irritated. He moved to get up in Rachel's face as he demanded, "Whaddya know about Igneel, kid?!" He felt a strong hand on his shoulder right before he was yanked back to be standing in front of Gorun, who had an unfamiliarly icy look in his eyes.
"Tread lightly, my friend," he said in a soft tone. "That's my kid you're talking to."
Natsu, for once, took the hint, and made himself calm down before he turned back to face a bemused Rachel and asking, "So what's the story?"
"You'd have found this out during the course of the battle with Tartaros, so I think it's only right that you know that your dragons have been closer than you ever could have imagined," Rachel answered as she wearily pointed a finger at Natsu's heart. "Igneel is here, Natsu. Right now, in this room."
"Is that supposed to be some kind of a metaphor for his dad living in his heart?" Lucy asked with a frown. "Don't be getting people's hopes up like that, kid."
"It's not a metaphor," Rachel insisted as she dropped her hand to her lap, puzzling everyone greatly. "It's a very old spell, known as the 'Dragon Soul'. I mentioned it before."
"Yeah, back when Acnologia was on his way to eat all of us," Natsu said as he crossed his arms while looking down at his bandaged chest. "Dragon Soul… I feel like I've heard of that before."
"As well you should, Natsu," said a deep, rumbling voice that reminded the wizards of a volcano. Before any of them could cry out in surprise, the voice spoke into their minds again, saying, "It has been a long time coming, but now I can properly thank the guild that raised my son into the wizard that he has become."
"D-Dad?!" Natsu asked hoarsely, his Fairy Tail emblem glowing with a crimson light. "Is that you?!"
"Natsu, that voice-!" Wendy exclaimed. "Is that him?!"
"Yes," the voice rumbled with amusement. "I am Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. And although I cannot greet you all in the flesh, I am now free to speak with my mind."
"Dad…" Natsu croaked as he fell to his knees, everyone looking on in awestruck wonder. "You've… been here the whole time? Why didn't you…?"
"It was not his fault, child," a new, softer voice said, even as Wendy's emblem shone with a pale blue light of its own. "We had no choice but to remain hidden for all these years. But with our first task complete, we can now render the answers that you deserve unto you."
"Mom?" Wendy gasped as she clutched at her arm. "Grandeeney?"
"Yes, sweet girl," the voice laughed. "Just as Natsu's father never left him, I never abandoned my own daughter."
"Whoa, whoa!" Gray said, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. "You guys have a freakin' dragon inside of you this whole time?! How did you not know that?!" Turning to Natsu, he added, "This idiot, I get it. But did his stupidity infect Wendy?!"
"It's not their fault," Igneel growled from within Natsu's mind. "One of the side effects of the Dragon Soul spell is memory loss."
"You still haven't told us what the dragon soul even is!" Lucy said impatiently.
"Lucy, chill," Gorun told her. "They're kind of in the middle of a reunion right now."
"How are you not freaking out about this?!" Romeo asked him.
"I've seen some really weird stuff in my service to the Time Patrol," Gorun replied. Turning to Azura, he asked, "Remember that time when Cell absorbed Janemba?"
"That was a weird day," she agreed.
So it went that the dragons living within the bodies of the slayers that they had trained explained what had happened to them, and why they had been forced to take the measures for survival that they had. When Gajeel joined their conversation, having been made aware of Metalicana's presence inside his mind, the three dragons recounted how on different occasions, they each tried to battle Acnologia, who had used his dragon slaying magic to rip their souls out of their bodies, leaving them in half-dead state, convinced that he had won.
However, thanks to the dragons training their own slayers to wield compatible magics, they were able to use the children's bodies as vessels for recuperating their strength, and concealing their presence from their hated enemy, until they were ready to challenge him again. They had limited communication with one another in these forms, and even less so with their hosts, as they were also hard at work, creating antibodies that would prevent their foster children from turning into dragons after wielding the full extent of their magic, and allowing them to fully retain their humanity. This was even the case for Sting and Rogue, who despite having memories of killing their foster parents, was revealed by Igneel as a mere disguise to hide their presence from all that might search for them.
Their original plan was to exit their host bodies and ambush Acnologia when he came to challenge the dragon slayers. However, now having seen him in action, and witnessing just how much stronger he had gotten in the last four centuries, they knew that their best chance was to remain in their slayers' bodies and lend them what strength they could, while keeping an eye on the antibodies that they had created, and making sure that they would actually work to the effect that they desired.
At this point, Gray said, "Wait a sec. If you guys can't beat Acnologia, even if you resumed your original forms, how are Natsu and the others supposed to do it?"
"Gajeel and the son of Igneel recently awakened powers within themselves that we were not aware existed until today," Metalicana answered him. "By trying to emulate the time-walker, Son Gorun, they broke through the limits of their Dragon Force, and unknowingly tapped into our own powers, merging them together in order to create a new form that has the potential to go beyond anything that has ever been achieved by a dragon slayer. With practice, we believe that these evolved forms may be what we need to defeat Acnologia."
"And it'd be a lot harder to achieve those powers without you guys staying in their bodies, right?" Gorun guessed.
"Correct," Igneel replied. "There is also the matter of the fact that if we leave Natsu and the others now, we would be unable to return whence we came, as we had assistance in achieving this merging, and the wizard that helped us accomplish this is no longer among the living."
"You said that Acnologia separated your soul from your body," Yukino said thoughtfully. "Is there any way to reunite you with your body?"
"No," Igneel said firmly. "But that does not matter now. What does matter is that we may have a way to destroy that monster, once and for all. Thanks to the efforts of your friends, Natsu, we now see a path to victory once more."
"The evolved dragon force isn't the only weapon you could use, either," Azura said, also appearing ponderous. "There's the Metamoran fusion." Locking eyes with her cousin, who was surprised, she added, "The numbers add up. Five dragons. Five dragon slayers. It could work."
"Are you crazy?!" Gorun gasped. "It's hard enough to do a fusion dance with two people, let alone five!"
"But if it worked, they would be more than a match for that black dragon," the girl countered. "Much as it hurts me to say it, they would be best suited for taking him down. Even with a goddess of destruction on our side, we only manage to wound him, and even that was just barely."
"He lost an arm!" Gorun shot back. "Besides, it wouldn't work! Wendy's too short!" Carla hissed and swiped at the back of his head with her claws, causing him to yelp and cry, "Hey! I'm not saying it to be mean, okay? The fusion dance only works if the users are of comparable height and power levels. And the more people that are added to the dance, the more chances there are that something goes wrong."
"Wait, how many people can fuse into one person?" Gajeel asked with a frown. "And why in the hell would I agree to join bodies with Salamander?"
"Yeah, forget it!" Natsu agreed.
"Up to five, and because everyone that you know and love might just die if that dragon comes back looking for round three with your guild," Azura said bluntly. "If I can force myself to fight side-by-side with Kaidon, you two should be able to do the same."
"Gorun's point still stands," Erza commented as she looked at Wendy, who squirmed uncomfortably. "If you all need to be of roughly equal height for it to work, she won't be able to perform the fusion with the other slayers."
"Aw man…" the little girl said despondently, while Carla glared at Gorun again, who held up his hands in helpless gesture.
"Do not despair, my dear," Grandeeney said gently. "It may well be that we will have a different role to play in the fall of Acnologia than that of combat."
"That, or I can help you become compatible for a fusion," Rachel volunteered, bringing everyone's surprised attention back to her.
"Sorry, what?" Gorun asked her.
"I've learned some time magic over the years," Rachel explained. "It's how I age my body whenever I turn into my Destroyer form- I couldn't sustain that power in the body of a preteen."
"You're going to teach Wendy magic that ages her like you?" Carla asked dubiously, obviously concerned for her friend's safety.
"Not exactly," Rachel grunted, wincing as her wounds flared with fresh pain. "Oh, what I wouldn't give for a senzu bean…" Everyone waited impatiently as she gathered her thoughts before she told them, "I can cast a magic on Wendy that will speed up the aging process to four times its normal speed over the course of the next year. Or in other words-"
"I'd have the body of a sixteen-year-old in a year's time," Wendy muttered. "And based on what we saw of the me in Edolas, I would be tall enough by then to fuse with the others."
"We're talking about cutting off three years of your life, child!" Carla shouted at her. "This is out of the question!"
"No, it's not!" the girl shot back, her eyes like steel as she confronted her friend. "I'm not a child to be protected, Carla! I'm a dragon slayer like Natsu and the others, and if I want to take these measures to protect our guild, then I'm gonna do it, and you can't stop me!"
Carla's eyes widened as she felt the force of a resolve that she had never seen in Wendy. Is this a result of the memories that she was exposed to as Vellrey? She opened her mouth to ask if that was the case, then she thought better of it and closed her lips. No… She's been growing stronger and stronger, in both body and mind. This is her decision, and I have to respect it, no matter how much I dislike it.
Turning to Rachel, the exceed asked, "Will it hurt her?"
"It won't be painful like the process that Urtear put your through," Rachel said with a negative shake of her head. "The only immediate drawback is that you won't be able to access your second origin while the spell is in effect, as that's where the energy to fuel the spell will be coming from. Other than that, there should be no adverse effects."
"Then I'll do it," Wendy decided. "I need to be stronger if I'm going to help everyone fight Acnologia when he returns."
"Any idea when that'll be?" Gorun asked his daughter.
At this, she shook her head again. "We've drastically altered the timeline today, Papa," she answered. "I don't know what will happen next, unless time continues to favor its original course."
"And if it does?" Azura asked.
"Then a year from now, Fairy Tail and its allies will face the Alvarez Empire in a war of attrition," Rachel answered gravely. "Their forces will greatly outnumber yours, and Acnologia will be drawn to the epic conflict that results from your struggles. It will be the final showdown between you and him."
"Did the dragon slayers win in your future?" Igneel asked her.
"Barely," she nodded. "But as I'm sure my father has told you, time does not like to be meddled with. It will attempt to correct itself by throwing even greater hardships at the forces that defy it."
"Great, so now we might have to fight something even more powerful than an apocalyptic dragon," Gray muttered sourly.
"You can thank Kaidon for all of this," Azura said snidely. "Like I told you all when we met, his interferences will only make things harder for all of you."
"Hey, don't get me wrong," Gray shot back. "No way are we wanting him to leave. I'm just sayin' that we've got our work cut out for us."
"Yeah," Natsu grinned as he slammed his fist into his palm. "But now that we've got my dad and the other dragons helpin' us out, we're gonna get even stronger! No matter what gets thrown at us, we're gonna come out on top!" Turning to Wendy and Gajeel, he added, "We lost to Acnologia one time. This round ended in a tie, so we'd better make sure that this next battle with him is the last one!"
"Yeah!" Wendy agreed.
"That overgrown lizard is gonna learn what real dragon slayers look like," Gajeel added with a toothy smile of his own.
While the dragon slayer boys began chuckling evilly to themselves, Yukino turned to Lucy and sighed, "This guild never stops being exhausting, does it?"
"Nope…"
"At least we have another reason to celebrate," Éclair said with a rare smile as Momon perched on her shoulder. "A daughter come home, two lovers joining their lives as one, and three parents watching over their children. Even in spite of what has happened, we have much to be thankful for."
"Aye sir!" Momon agreed.
"…You've been spending too much time with that blue cat."
The vote for the new guild master took place four days later, after Laxus had recovered enough to walk. His team had only taken a day and a half to recuperate from the bane poisoning, but since he had suffered the worst effects of the attack, his healing period had taken considerably longer.
When they learned of Makarov's edict, as well as the state of the remaining guild members, they agreed to participate in the vote, but Laxus refused to be considered for the position of guild master. When asked why, he simply said, "I'm not the right guy for the job. Not yet, anyway." And that had been that.
With the vote set between Erza, Gorun, and Mirajane, the remaining forty-odd members of the guild all wrote down their choice of guild master, with the three candidates abstaining from the election. Macao and Wakaba did the tallying, and when it was done, they found the chosen wizard to be a surprising pick.
"Mirajane Strauss will be Fairy Tail's seventh master," Macao announced, filling Gorun with relief as he heard those words.
"Really?" the white-haired girl asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah!" Levy nodded firmly. "You've been helping Master Makarov run the guild for years, so it makes sense." There were other people adding their collective agreements, and it seemed as though even those that had voted otherwise were content with this arrangement.
"Called it," Azura snickered as the wizards around them began to applaud their new guild master, who blushed with embarrassment.
"You voted for her?" her cousin asked, surprised.
"No, I voted for you," she answered with an evil grin. "I was hoping to saddle you with all the responsibilities that you tried to avoid back in Conton, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be."
"Figures."
"Well, I'm kind of relieved," Kinana said as she turned toward Gorun. "This way we can focus more on our wedding plans than if you'd been voted in."
"Yeah," he grinned at her. He then managed to catch Mira's eye from across the gathering, and he jerked his head to indicate his fiancée and himself. Seeing this, she smiled brightly at him and nodded her understanding.
Moving to stand on top of the stairs so that she could speak to the guild as a whole, she called out, "Attention, everyone!" The wizards gathered all silenced themselves and turned to pay attention. Once they had, Mirajane said, "First of all, thank you for placing your trust in me to lead the guild. I'm gonna do my very best to lead us through what I'm sure will be difficult times, because Fairy Tail is worth any hardship that we may face."
"Hear hear!" Macao shouted, eliciting a chorus of cheers and laughs from their brethren.
Mira smiled at him while waiting for the noise to die down, and when it had, she continued on to say, "We've fought hard, and we've earned a great victory this past week. The Baram Alliance is history, and without them, the dark guilds have lost much of their power. We will celebrate that fact very soon, but we also have another couple of reasons to be happy." Transferring her smile to Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel, she added, "Our dragon slayers have finally been reunited with their parents after years of searching, and now we may finally have a way to defeat Acnologia!"
The guild cheered loudly at that- most of them had already heard about the dragons' return, but the bit about defeating the black dragon was welcome news. Before the celebrations had died down completely, she went on to say, "We're getting a new family member in Rachel, a powerful Saiyan like Gorun and Azura!"
As the crowd cheered, the girl reddened and looked down at her feet from where she stood in front of her parents. Aside from Natsu and Gorun's teams, no one knew of her origins beyond the fact that she was a time traveler like the other two aliens. However, they had all heard the tale of how she heroically fought off Acnologia, in addition to having destroyed two of the Demon Gates, so she would be a welcome addition to the now-shrunken guild.
"And last, but definitely not least…" Mirajane announced, her smile widening even further. "We will be having a wedding soon! Everyone, make sure to congratulate Gorun and Kinana!"
They partied all through the night, and well into the next morning before the festivities were officially declared over by the new guild master. During that time, Gorun was tasked with the honor of giving his daughter her very own guild mark, which she elected to be a deep blue mark placed on her right forearm, like her father and Azura. She was weeping with joy as she accepted the emblem, telling him that she was ecstatic to finally be accepted into the same family that had taken in both him and her mother.
Cana was eager to show Gorun that she had indeed tapped into the power of his Super Saiyan transformation, which he acknowledged as a great accomplishment on her part. "You did really well against Tartaros, based on what everyone told me," he said to her once she had demonstrated her new power. "I'm glad that you put my abilities to good use."
"Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor regarding this," Cana told him as they sat down at a table. "Do you think that there's any chance that you could train me to use these powers better?"
Gorun's face lit up with a smile as he answered, "Absolutely, I can. I doubt that you'll be able to reach god level anytime soon- if ever- but I can definitely see you along the path to greater power."
"What makes you think that I can't reach the same level as you?" she asked him, a little offended at the notion.
"The god power isn't something that just any Saiyan can wield," Gorun explained to her. "My father is one of the strongest and most accomplished warriors of our race, but even he couldn't master the form. Me being able to do it makes sense due to my mixed heritage, but the fact that Azura has been able to achieve the power on her own is amazing in it of itself. When I first suggested that we try to unlock these latent powers, I was honestly expecting the ritual to fail for the both of us."
"I guess it's a good thing it worked out otherwise," the girl shrugged, looking a little disappointed. "Ah, well. Even if I can't get that strong, I can still go a long way if I get a better handle on Saiyan Soul magic."
"True," Gorun nodded. "Mind you, Azura and I are going to be doing a lot of training of our own so that we can fully master these divine powers, but I'll definitely help you when I can."
"Thanks," she said with a grin. "Congrats on the upcoming wedding, by the way."
"I appreciate that," he told her sincerely. "I take it that you'll be attending?"
"I dunno, did you put any cute guys on the invite list?" she replied teasingly.
"Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth are getting invited."
"Then hell yeah, I'll be there!"
"Oh, and Cana?" Gorun asked, almost as an afterthought.
"What's up?" she asked as she stood up to go.
"Are you dead-set on being a solo wizard, or can you see yourself joining a team?" he inquired, his eyes locked onto hers'. "There's a spot open for you on mine, if you want it."
Her eyes widened for a moment, then she grinned again and said, "Nah, I'm good for now. Maybe someday?"
"I understand," he nodded with a smile of his own. "Just remember, the invitation is an open one."
He didn't mention that he was making Sorano join his team as another new recruit, mostly because she hadn't been thrilled by the idea, but she didn't really have too many options. Even though Gorun had convened with the other Wizard Saints concerning her situation, it had taken a lot of arguing on his part to convince them to allow her to remain a free woman. In the end, he had assured them that he would keep a close eye on her while she more or less served probation under him. Thus he'd requested that Mira make her a guild member so that he and Yukino could legally take her on jobs with them.
Again, the woman had not found the situation ideal, but when Gorun told her that it was either staying with him and her sister, going into hiding with Jellal and the rest of the Seis, or jail, she had chosen the first option, much to Yukino's delight. The two were now roommates at Fairy Hills, the dorms where most of the girls in the guild lived, since Yukino's apartment had been one of the buildings destroyed in Tartaros' attack. This also allowed Azura to keep an eye on the former criminal when Gorun couldn't, which he appreciated greatly.
As for the Wizard Saints themselves, the eight that remained were set to form the core of a new magic council, along with the former member, Mister Yajima, to bring the total number up to nine. Gorun was set to be the head of the council's new custody enforcement unit, due to his overwhelming power and reputation for being a wizard of incredible skill. However, he declined the position of a councilman, much to the surprise and disappointment of his fellow saints.
"Look, I'm barely an adult by the standards of this country," he told them blandly when they had pressed the issue. "Sure, I'm popular enough from my guild's exploits in the Grand Magic Games, and the general populace would probably be excited about it, but I don't have the knowledge needed to help govern an entire wizarding population."
"What would you have us do, then?" Jura had asked of him. "We must have nine seats filled by capable wizards, and you are among the most powerful in the world."
"Power doesn't equate capability," Gorun replied. "However, I do have someone in mind to fill my seat, someone with experience in serving the higher circles of the old council."
His suggestion for candidate was met with some misgivings from the other saints, but he eventually persuaded them to see things from his perspective. He retained his title of a Wizard Saint, only on the condition that if matters of national security were to arise, he would essentially be on call for the council at any time. He had accepted the edict without complaint, and further promised that should the need arise, he would commit not only his own powers to their aid, but that of two others like him. This had settled their concerns greatly, and so he was free to remain a guild wizard.
When they had settled all of this, he had sought out Doranbolt, the man that had formerly served in the custody enforcement unit for the previous council. It had taken the better part of a week to find the man, but with some help from Sabertooth and Lamia Scale, he found the elusive wizard and offered him the position of a magic councilman.
After some discussion, the man accepted the request. However, as they made their return to the guild hall, he revealed a few shocking things that made Gorun's head spin. Firstly, the name 'Doranbolt' was actually an alias for Mest Gryder- the Fairy Tail wizard that had infiltrated the council at Makarov's request. This initially confused Gorun, as he had been told that Mest was the alias of Doranbolt, but as it turned out, the man had infiltrated the council so successfully by erasing his own memories, leaving just enough of his true self to be able to pass on covert messages to his master whenever the old man temporarily restored his memories. He also revealed that he had seen Makarov briefly after the old man tried to disband the guild, and that he had disappeared completely off the map soon after.
"I've been trying to find out where he went, and why he was acting so strange, but no luck yet," the man had admitted miserably. Gorun had told him that he would take up the search in his place when he could, but that they would all be busy for quite some time. He also promised to put Jellal on the case, since the dismantling of the Baram Alliance would have freed up their friend's schedule somewhat.
With that administrative issue out of the way, Gorun was finally free to officially begin preparing for his and Kinana's wedding.
Gorun: It's about time the wedding came along!
Mataras: Actually...
Gorun: Don't you friggin' dare.
Mataras: Hey! It's just one more chapter, and then your wedding is definitely happening! Scout's honor!
Azura: You were never a scout.
Mataras: Then I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.
Gorun: Rrgh...
Mataras: Moving on. Next chapter will be coming out end of May/beginning of June, so make sure to keep a lookout for that.
Azura: Why? What's so exciting about a filler chapter between now and my idiot cousin's wedding?
Mataras: ...Let's just say that there will be some unexpected wedding guests.
Gorun: Wait, what? Who'd you invite?!
Mataras: Find out after the preview for next chapter!
Saiki: Next time- Traditions.
Rachel: Wait, you're still here?
Saiki: I ask myself that question all the time.
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
The group came into the guild hall with smiles and laughter all around, Gorun and Kinana leading the way with interlocked fingers. They called out greetings to their friends as they headed for their usual tables, which were returned with equal cheer by their comrades. The mood in Fairy Tail was an uplifted one, even in the light of recent events, due to the upcoming wedding. Both wizards were well-liked by both the community and their guild mates, and so their union was something to be celebrated by all who knew them.
"Gorun!" Mirajane called as she approached the two of them.
"Master," he replied with quick bow, a goofy smile on his face letting her know that the movement was a mild jab at her more than anything.
"Oh, stop it," she giggled. "I was gonna tell you that you've got a few clients around somewhere that just showed up with a job for your team."
Gorun cocked his head at her, bewildered. "Kind of a bad time for us to be going out on jobs," he said a little awkwardly. "Isn't there another team that could handle this?"
"They said that the job can wait to be completed until after your wedding, don't worry," Mira told him. "They just wanted to go over the details with you sooner rather than later." With that, she left the group to go attend other matters that required the guild's master.
"What kinda job is that?" Gray asked as he looked skeptically at his friend. "Jobs are usually pretty time sensitive."
"Beats me," Gorun shrugged.
"Trust me, it's not the kind of task that you get to just pass up," a familiar gruff voice said from behind the group, causing Gorun to let out a yell of surprise and do a rapid one-eighty so that he could see who had spoken to him.
Time Patrol Special
"Run along, and don't let me catch you firing Kamehameha's in city limits again," Levy said sternly as she watched two young Saiyans scurry off. As they dashed down the hall, she added, "Next time it's a week's detention with Caulifla!"
How does the multiverse produce fighters capable of blowing up planets by the time they're in grade school? She wondered as she her the beginnings of a scuffle happening around the corner. I hear nothing!
"Who was that?" Lucy's voice caused her old friend to turn around while letting out a long sigh.
"Shion and Kenta got carried away during recess again," she groaned as she headed back into her classroom to begin putting things away for tomorrow's lessons. "Since I'm their homeroom teacher, I had to give them the lecture, but it's kinda hard to discipline kids that are hundreds of times stronger than me..."
"Wait, Subaru's kids?" Lucy inquired. "Weird. I always got the impression that he was more disciplined than to let his kids act like that."
"He might be, but it's in those kids' natures to fight people just as strong or stronger than they are," Levy pointed out. "Twin brother and sister, from a race comprised primarily of warriors, can't ask for a more competitive setup, can you?"
"I guess not," Lucy agreed sympathetically. A smile brightened her face as she added, "Sorry your day was kinda rough, but I got some news that should turn that frown upside down."
"What's that, Lu?"
"Check it out," Lucy said excitedly as she held out a Capsule Corp. key- one that led to a Time Machine built by Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time. Not only did it give one access to a ship, it also contained the coordinates for the location and time period that one could travel to with it.
"We've got an assignment?" Levy guessed as she picked up her scouter and put it on so that she could examine the program in the key. "Wait... Is this-?"
"We're going back to Earthland!" Lucy squealed as she moved to hug Levy, who excitedly returned the embrace. "We get to go back for two whole days!"
"Seriously?!" Levy gasped. "But I thought that the Supreme Kai of Time said that we weren't allowed to mess with-"
"She says that these are special circumstances," the celestial wizard giggled as she released her best friend. "Turns out that there's gonna be a wedding, and the Supreme Kai of Time wants us to be able to attend! We'll arrive the day before the wedding, and then we leave the evening of! Oh, and she'll be there to make sure that we don't cause any trouble, but it's also because of who's getting married."
"Whose wedding is it?"
"Son Gorun and Kinana!"
"That's wonderful!" Levy said happily. "I'm so glad for her!"
"Yeah, and apparently it's not just us that are gonna get to go see them," Lucy added. "I think Gorun's gonna be pretty surprised when he sees how many people got added to the invite list."
"So are Goken and Lettis gonna get to go?"
"Yep, but they're not the only ones."
"Wait, how many people are coming with us?"