A/N: Well everyone, tomorrow is Independence Day for my country, so here's my usual holiday chapter release! For everyone still in the Commonwealth, you have my condolences XD
It is time for a holiday chapter, and a wedding that I have been looking forward to for some time. Not gonna lie, still kind of on a wedding high after my friend's nuptials, because, what can I say? Marriage is awesome. So without further delay, let's get the party started!
Read, review, and as always, enjoy.
P.S. There's a new poll on my profile that concerns this story and some of my other works. Further details will be provided in the omake following the chapter itself.
Fairy Tail Wedding Arc: Chapter 2
From Now On
The wedding of Son Gorun and Kinana was a beautiful event, one that would be remembered many wizards of Fiore for years to come. Jura Neekis performed the ceremony, being qualified as both a man of religion and as a Wizard Saint, in addition to having become friends with the groom since his arrival in their world. Kardia Cathedral was tastefully decorated in flowers and streamers that drew out compliments from many of the guests that arrived from both around the country, and from the Time Patrol.
From the hidden corp. had come the immediate families of Vegeta, Goku, Gohan, as well as Gorun's parents, and finally, Lucy and Levy from the ruined future that Fairy Tail had managed to avert. Even the Supreme Kai of Time showed up in time to meet Gorun in the back room with the rest of his family, much to his delight. Unfortunately, Kinana had no blood family to speak of, but the entire remnant of Fairy Tail showed up to support both her and her new husband. In addition to their fellow guild wizards, Sting's team attended the joyous occasion with well wishes from everyone in Sabertooth, while Lyon and the other Lamia Scale wizards from the Grand Magic Games showed up to congratulate the young couple. Kagura and Millianna from Mermaid Heel had also been invited, but they were unavailable to attend, due to a long-term mission that they had undertaken shortly after the battle with Tartaros.
Rachel had managed to speak to both of her parents in private before Gorun's family showed up to the cathedral, both occasions filled with happy tears and huge smiles on both sides. To Kinana, she said that she was overjoyed to see their happy beginning was turning out better than her mother's stories had ever described the day. After making her way to speak to Gorun, she told him that this alone was worth the loneliness that she had been forced to endure, and whatever else was to come. Before she left, they vowed to preserve the joy of this time for the sake of Kinana, and the Rachel that was sure to come, however far in the future she might be.
When the time came for everyone to congregate in the church, Gorun stood in front of the altar, with Gray- who had somehow managed to keep on a full tuxedo- as his best man, and with Natsu and Romeo as his groomsmen. The three of them wore dark blue tuxedos, with the only difference between them being that Gorun's tie was white, while his friends' were different greens that would match the corresponding bridesmaid.
The young man himself had been irritated that morning by the fact that Kinana had finally requested for Lucy to have Cancer to cut his hair short. He had wanted to keep his hair long, as he had grown quite used to it over the last year, but Kinana had told Lucy that she wanted his hair closer to the way it was when they had first met. Deciding that it really was a small price to pay to make his soon-to-be-wife happy, the young man reluctantly allowed Cancer to work his brand of magic, quickly forgetting his irritation as his friends and family began to pour into the cathedral. By the time the music began to play, he was all smiles and nervous energy as he awaited the sight of his bride.
Jura stood dressed in formal robes befitting the occasion, and he gave his younger friend a warm smile as he stood at the ready for the ceremony to begin. Éclair, who had clothed herself in a green-and-gold garb reminiscent of the old Fire Village attire, stood to the side of the altar with a holy book in her hands, and a smiling Momon on her bared shoulder.
The girls in the wedding party were each dressed in varied shades of green, so that Yukino wore a mint green dress, while Laki had donned a verdant article that reminded Gorun of grass after a spring rain. Azura was dressed in an emerald gown that her cousin was positive she hated- after all, she had never liked dressing in a particularly feminine fashion, always saying that girls' clothes came off too easy or were too tight to properly fight in. The fact that she was wearing one at all, much less in public for an event like this one, meant that either she really had come to care about Kinana, or she would be looking for an opportunity to get back at her cousin as soon as the chance came up.
Regardless, he appreciated her cooperation, so when she came to stand at her place on the dais, he whispered just loud enough for her sensitive ears to hear, "You look nice. Thank you."
To her credit, her lips only twitched upward for a fraction of a second before she replied in the same way, "You've looked a lot worse, yourself. Just make sure you don't mess up your lines, for her sake."
"Thanks for the vote of…" His voice trailed off as the music playing shifted tones, announcing the arrival of the bride.
Escorting her was Macao, dressed in a sharp suit, but hardly anyone paid attention to the former guild master. Their attention was, inevitably, righteously drawn toward Kinana, whose smile added another layer of brightness to the large hall.
She was beautiful, there was no other word for it. Her dress hugged her form quite nicely, and the white rose pattern on the hem was exquisitely sewn in a way that seemed to make the fringes of the fabric glitter in the sunlight. Her shoulders were left bare, and neither did sleeves adorn her arms, though she did wear a veil that hung from a sparkling tiara. To Gorun, she was absolutely perfect.
The ceremony went without incident, which was a miracle, considering the volatile group of wizards that were gathered for the wedding. The vows that the couple exchanged were enough to leave a few people in tears, but there's no need to record them here. It would suffice to say that they were honest and true, speaking of love and commitment to one another.
When they had finished exchanging the rings, Éclair prayed a blessing upon them, that they might both live happy lives, however long they might be. After that, Jura pronounced them husband and wife, and they shared in their first married kiss, which drew out a resounding applause from those in attendance.
From Kardia Cathedral, the wedding procession made its way toward the guild hall, which was closed to job requests for the day, as Mira wanted nothing to disturb the couple's big day. On the way, much of the town turned out to cheer for the couple, many of the children throwing flower petals into the path of the party, which made them smile all the more.
Gorun was a popular figure to the public these days, having been one of the winners of the Grand Magic Games, a recognized Wizard Saint, and one of the key fighters in driving away the last of the Baram Alliance. His wife had also come to earn renown as a success story of sorts- a shy bar maid that rose up to stand alongside the likes of S-class wizards with a beauty and charm that had earned her the nickname, 'Fairy Flower'. Their coming together had been the meat of several news columns in Fiore, and of course, there were photographers and journalists hoping to get a brief interview, but Gray, Yukino, and the other wizards in the wedding party made sure that none of them made it anywhere near Gorun and Kinana.
Once they had made it safely to the hall, and the doors were shut and locked, Gajeel surprised everyone by trying to do a musical number in order to usher in the newlyweds, but Natsu quickly put a stop to that by smashing his guitar. Before they could really get into it, though, Azura zoomed up to the stage and clubbed them both over the head hard enough that she had to drag them off the platform, grumbling to herself the whole while. This of course got a lot of the people laughing, including the bride and groom, so all things considered, the party got off to a pretty good start.
After the speeches had been made and people had the chance to put food in their stomachs, Gorun and Kinana had their first dance together as husband and wife, followed by a shared dance between Gorun and his mother, while Kinana took to the floor with Macao, who had had acted in place of her departed father. Goken also asked for a dance with his daughter-in-law, to which the couple happily consented.
After that, the friends of the newlyweds were made to dance, with Gray and Yukino taking the lead, followed by Natsu and Laki, and then Azura and Romeo, the latter of whom looked wary of his partner for the majority of the dance. However, as she had promised, Azura behaved herself the whole time, and while she was not the image of jubilance, she was actually pretty polite to the scared kid, which he imagined was as good as it was going to get for him.
The newly married couple then began to go around the tables in order to thank the people that had come to celebrate their union. The first group that they visited was mostly made up of Gorun's family, though the groom was surprised to see Cana talking with Goten, both of them smiling at each other the whole while.
"That's weird," he murmured as Gohan sat down, having given his congratulations to the couple.
"What?" Kinana asked him with teasing grin. "You did tell me that Goten seemed to have a thing for girls that seemed… different from Chichi."
"Cana certainly is that," he admitted as they made their way toward them from the other side of the table.
"Gorun!" Trunks said as he and Chronoa stood up to exchange hugs with the newlyweds. "Congratulations, you two. I'm sure that you'll live long, happy lives together."
"Oh, you know that do you?" Gorun replied with a conspirator's smile. "You been reading ahead, Gramps?"
"Ugh," the lavender-haired man groaned. "Please don't call me that. And you know I don't look into the futures of people that I'm directly tied to."
"I thought it was an appropriate 'time' for a joke," Gorun snickered, causing his wife to roll her eyes, and his grandmother to smack her forehead. "Too soon?" Trunks moved away, having been asked a question by Pan.
"You're lucky that your wedding gift is non-refundable, or else I'd take it back for that," Chronoa exhaled as she lowered her hand. "Speaking of which, tell Rachel that I'd like to meet my first great-grandchild, if she has a minute."
Gorun and Kinana exchanged a frightened look, both of them paling rapidly. Turning to the pink kai, the groom stammered, "You, uh…? You knew about her?"
"Gorun, I read the scroll of Beginning to End on a daily basis, of course I knew about her," Chronoa said dryly. "Honestly, I'm a little insulted that you thought I wouldn't notice."
"She's our daughter," Kinana said firmly, though she remained pale. "Can you blame us for wanting to protect her?"
"Of course not!" Chronoa said as she placed her hands on her hips. "And before either of you start freaking out like Gorun does whenever I visit, hear me out. I'm not here to erase her, or punish you for the changes to the timeline."
"…Sorry, but isn't that what you usually do?" Gorun asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"Gorun, I need you to ask yourself something, as someone that used to defend the natural flow of time," his grandmother said calmly. "Why is this reality still around? How has it not imploded on itself and completely ruptured the state of existence?"
Her grandson paused, wondering what she could be getting at. "Because you've altered the script in the book?" he guessed after a quiet moment.
"Nope," Chronoa said with a strange smile. "The Book of Beginning to End is its own existence. My job as the Supreme Kai of Time is to make sure that things that are written in it don't get changed. If I did let things change too much, time would completely unravel, and everything would devolve into nothing, until there was no existence, in any capacity. Zeno would have to start everything over again."
"Then… why allow my changes, if they are so dangerous?" Gorun asked, his gut twisting in knots. I thought that the most stressful part of the wedding was supposed to be all before the ceremony!
"Because I found a little loophole in the rules of the multiverse," Chronoa answered, her eyes gleaming with a strange light. "You know how new timelines are born from Toki Toki's eggs?"
"Yeah."
"The one that your father and mother fought to save gave birth to something that I didn't expect," the small kai admitted. "Because it had been tainted by Towa's power, it was at risk of creating a corrupted timeline, without the influence of a Time Breaker, which could have been its own disaster. Fortunately, before the egg hatched and gave birth to such an existence, your actions provided me with an interesting opportunity- one that worked out for the both of us."
"Wait…" Gorun whispered, his eyes going wide as he realized what his former master was getting at. "You're not saying…"
"You were setting out to create a damaged timeline, one that needed a stabilizing agent if it was ever going to last longer than a few months or years," Chronoa nodded seriously. "I took a gamble and used the egg to create a reality where changes could be made to the timeline via time travel, without creating parallel universes."
"So… No matter what changes Future Lucy made, or my efforts, or even Azura's..." Gorun said slowly, "The timeline won't implode on itself?"
"I'm pretty sure that if someone changes something too much, it'll still get messy," she answered. "The timeline may have been influenced into a slightly different state of existence, but it still has a way that it wants to go. For example, if you had somehow killed Zeref last month? That would have been a big no-no, since he still has some work to do in the timeline. As long as the changes are more or less subtle in the grand scheme of things, you should be okay."
"And you didn't tell him this the last few times that you visited because…?" Kinana asked with a slight frown on her brow.
"I oversee the timelines of eighteen universes," Chronoa shrugged, further irritating the purple-haired bride. "I kinda have a lot on my plate, even if he is my grandson."
"Better let this one go," Gorun murmured to Kinana before she could argue the reasons why that was ridiculous. "Considering what she's just told us, it's wonder that Zeno or the Grand Priest didn't replace her with another kai." In a slightly louder voice, he said, "I'll just say 'thank you', grandmother. You made a way for us to live happily ever after, and with Rachel, no less."
"Don't thank me," Chronoa warned them, causing the couple to tense up once more. "You don't have your happy ending just yet. Thanks to your daughter, you know that less than a year from now, you'll have to deal with the Alvarez Empire. And after that, Beerus will awaken and come to implement you as the Destroyer of this universe. Because of how events transpired outside of the normal temporal flow, the timeline we stand in now can be changed without it being obliterated or creating another parallel universe, as we've seen proved by Rachel's efforts. Originally, many wizards died fighting against Tartaros, and more lives were lost to Alvarez's forces. However, this is no longer the case. She has changed the future without damaging the scrolls, likely because she proved to be the counterbalance to the influence of the Dragon Cry's power. Under normal circumstances, even it was temporarily possible, changing her own past through you two would have resulted in her erasure from existence. With the way things are now, even if she took off her time ring, she'd be fine."
"So what does all of this mean for us?" Gorun asked, still wondering why Chronoa was telling him any of it.
"It means that even if you're not an official Time Patroller anymore, you have a duty to protect the people in it from darker influences above their capacity to handle," Chronoa told him gravely. However, her countenance quickly brightened as she added, "And your daughter gets to have a chance at a peaceful life in this time period, with you. How about that?"
"For that?" Gorun smiled lightly as he looked down at Kinana, who smiled back up at him. "We'd pay any price." To himself, he silently added, And now I have an idea…
"I have one more question." Kinana's words cut off Gorun's line of thought, so he filed it away for later use. "If it's okay to change the timeline in this reality, why are Levy and Lucy being made to work for the Time Patrol?"
"They aimed to create a major change in the timeline, one that I had to work pretty hard to stabilize," Chronoa answered calmly. "Like I said, slight changes should be okay, but nothing immediately world or universe-changing. As long as those kinds of changes are done subtly, the timeline can survive it."
"So if we want to change our futures, we have to be careful about it," Gorun mused.
"Yes, and remember that I'll always be watching."
"May I have the pleasure of a dance?" Juvia was a little startled to hear Lyon's voice coming up from her right, so she turned to see the icy wizard standing there in his best getup with a gentle smile on his face.
"Forgive me, but I think I'll sit this one out," she said quietly, though she was not hostile toward him, like she had been in the past. As her gaze lingered on Gray and Yukino dancing, she added, "I'm not feeling up to it."
"I understand," Lyon replied, sounding a little disappointed. "Is it alright if I just sit and keep you company, then? Jura and the others are mingling with the others, and I found myself needing a little bit of a break."
"This seat isn't taken." Juvia indicated the spot on the bench next to her, though her eyes continued to remain on the dance floor.
"Thank you." The ice wizard sat down quietly and folded his hands on the table in front of him, content with the silent companionship for the time being.
"Why do you bother?"
"Hmm?" he mused as he turned toward Juvia, who was still not looking at him.
"Why are you trying to cozy up to me when you know that my heart belongs to someone else?" she inquired as she drummed her fingers on the table. "It doesn't make any sense."
"Since when do the attractions of the heart ever make sense?" Lyon chuckled softly. "It is what it is. If I am to be relegated to the sidelines as your friend and nothing more, I am content, so long as you are happy. But seeing as you are unhappy in this instance, I thought that checking on you would be the decent thing to do." He hesitated before saying, "I can leave if-"
"No, you don't have to," Juvia said quickly, finally turning her head to face him, so that he could see the droplets falling from her eyes. "I just… Gray was the one to invite me into Fairy Tail, you see. He spoke of the way that a guild should matter to your heart- how the people in it should matter."
"You too, huh?" Lyon grinned.
"I fell in love with him because of his heart for others," Juvia confessed. "I thought that he felt the same way about me, but… I tried to deny this for so long, but he… doesn't love me any different than the others in the guild…" Her shoulders began to shake, and she put her hands over her eyes while she wept.
Lyon hesitated here- he certainly hadn't been trying to evoke a negative emotional reaction out of her, far from it. I just wanted to make sure that she wasn't alone, he thought as he looked around, thankful that no one seemed to have noticed yet, with all the music and dancing. But now what do I do?!
Before he could say anything, Juvia wiped at her face and sniffed a couple of times before saying, "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to see that. I don't even know why I'm telling you at all."
"I think you recognize a sympathetic shoulder," Lyon answered calmly. "You may not feel the same way about me as I do about you, but that shouldn't stop you from leaning on someone who is willing to try and help you."
"…Thank you, Lyon," Juvia sniffled. "You have been… much kinder to me about this than anyone else has." As she spoke she leaned slightly toward him and rested her forehead on his shoulder while asking, "Can I stay here for a minute? Just long enough to get myself together."
"Of course, Juvia," Lyon said tenderly, a small blush working its way onto his normally composed face. "Take all the time that you need."
"Cana, Goten," Gorun said as he and Kinana approached the pair right on the outside of the dance area. "Having fun?"
"Yeah, totally!" Goten said eagerly. "Your friend knows some really cool sights in the city! The magic in the area really makes for some interesting places."
"And I gotta say, it's fun having someone along who's never seen our kinda magic before," Cana grinned at the teenage Saiyan. "Reminds me of the first time that I came to Magnolia as a kid. I didn't even know that I could do magic yet."
"You'd think that you were born doing magic, the way you handle your tarot cards," Gorun countered. "Goten, I'd say that she's got a knack for going Super Saiyan that rivals your own."
"Wait, seriously?!" Goten asked, turning to a surprised Cana. "You're a Saiyan?"
"Sorta?" she chuckled as she scratched at the back of her head, suddenly appearing flustered. "I'm not a… I wasn't born a Saiyan, but Gorun kinda turned me into one so I wouldn't die during this crazy battle."
"There's magic like that?"
"Yeah, and Cana learned how use your powers a lot faster than I ever did," Kinana told them. "Goten, you have the record for being the youngest Super Saiyan, right?"
"Er, yeah," the young man laughed sheepishly. "I've been doing it so long that I forgot there was a time when I couldn't."
"Why don't you give Cana some pointers, then?" Gorun suggested as he threw his fellow wizard a discreet wink, which surprised her greatly. "She could probably give you a run for your money if you helped her out. I've trained her a little bit, but I've got my own training with the god ki and Azura."
"I have more experience with ethe- with ki, but I'm nowhere near as strong as a Super Saiyan," Kinana added. "I'm just not a good sparring partner for her."
"W-Well, I have to leave late tonight, but I'd be happy to show you a few tricks in the meantime," Goten replied with a bashful smile. "Is that okay?"
"That's great!" Cana agreed happily. "Thanks, guy. You're a real keeper, aren't you?"
"Oh, uh, thanks…" the young man said as he tried in vain to conceal the blush creeping across his face.
"Hey, you two," Cana said as she jerked her head toward the dance floor. "You only get to dance at your wedding once. Get back out there and enjoy it."
"Will do," Gorun replied as he grabbed his wife's hand and led the way. "See you later, Cana."
"Later, guys." As she watched them begin to move to the music, she added quietly to herself, Who knew the guy knows how to be a wingman?
"Mister Dragneel, Mister Redfox, can I take up a moment of your time?" Chronoa asked as she walked up to the two dragon slayers, who were in the middle of an arm-wrestling contest.
"You heard her… Salamander," Gajeel grunted as he strained against his rival's rock-solid grip. "You should… pay attention to the lady when she's talkin' to you!"
"Yeah, metalhead!" Natsu growled back as he tried to wear down Gajeel's iron defense. "Quit bein' rude and say 'hi'!"
"Can we call it a draw, guys?" Chronoa asked impatiently. "I gotta get outta here in about an hour, so I don't really have time to waste." When both of the boys continued their vicious struggles, she sighed and called over her shoulder, "Pan, Bulla? Need a hand!"
"You got it!"
A second later, Bulla had Gajeel yowling as she applied a vice-like grip to his ear, twisting the piece of cartilage until her nails dug into it. Across the table, Natsu was getting the same treatment from Pan, despite his attempts to heat up his body and make it difficult for her to hold on.
"Dude, this isn't even close to the heat that Nuova Shenron puts out," she sneered at him. "Give it a rest, and pay attention to what the nice goddess has to say."
"Thank you, ladies," Chronoa said with a cheerful smile, which her subordinates returned with excellent charm. "Now boys, there are two ladies here that wanted to dance with you before they have to go home, but they're kinda shy. So it's up to you guys to go ask 'em out to the dance floor."
"Please tell us it's not these broads," Gajeel grunted as Bulla twisted his ear a little harder before he could turn it to iron.
"Ha!" the blue-haired girl scoffed. "You wish a couple of cuties like us would wanna dance with you idiots."
"Plus, I'm pretty sure Mister Vegeta would rip your arms out and beat you to death with them if you tried to put the moves on his daughter," Pan grinned coldly as she proceeded to put a struggling Natsu into a headlock. "Now, go find the Lucy from the Time Patrol, and Spike over there can go invite Levy for a spin on the dance floor."
"I tried!" Natsu spat angrily. "But every time I get near Lucy, she avoids me! Why am I the one in a chokehold?!"
"Yeah, it's the same with the shrimp!" Gajeel grunted. "My shrimp even told me to go and say 'hi' to her, but they've been avoiding us!"
"They are?" Chronoa asked blankly while Pan and Bulla let the boys go, both of them cradling their injured ears. "That doesn't make any sense… They were both looking forward to this- to seeing you two, in particular. Why would they-?" Suddenly, her face perked up, and she muttered, "Oh… I get it."
"Can we get back to settling which one of us is stronger, now?" Natsu grumbled. "I was just about to melt this screw-head."
"I think all that fire must've cooked your head, Salamander," Gajeel grinned viciously. "You were saved just in time by the nice pink elf. You should- Ow!" He glared back up at Bulla, who was brushing her right hand against her leg with a coy smile on her face.
"Sorry," she said mockingly. "My hand slipped."
"Don't let those two leave," Chronoa said as she turned around with a determined tilt to her chin. "I'll be back in five minutes."
"Yes, ma'am!" Pan said sharply with a mock salute.
"Ya hear that, Salamander?" Gajeel asked as he slammed his elbow on the table menacingly. "I hear we got five minutes before she gets back here."
"All I heard was that I'm gonna beat you in four," Natsu shot back as he planted his own arm on the wood and locked a firm grip with his rival. "Same stakes?"
"Damn straight."
"Are you sure about this?" Kinana asked Gorun with worry in her eyes. "Can't it at least wait until tomorrow?" She, her husband, and their daughter were talking in hushed tones next to one of the support pillars in the guild hall.
"This is something that I need to see for myself," he answered as he placed his forehead against hers'. "I won't be able to get it out of my head until I do. I'll be back in an instant, and I'll be safe, I promise."
"Rachel, don't you have any concerns?" her mother asked, her concern clear in her eyes. "Can't we have our wedding day without any worries at all?"
"There are no worries to be had, my love," Gorun said reassuringly.
"He's right, Momma," Rachel said with her own smile. "If Grandma Chronoa is telling the truth, there's no risk to him or me. And if something does go wrong, Grandpa Trunks has promised to use the dragon balls to bring me back. He's quite the family man, apparently."
That piece of news helped settle Kinana's nerve a little bit, but her hands still trembled as she gripped her husband's, which now bore a time ring next to his wedding band. "If you're not back in one second, I'm going to have to get our daughter to convince your grandmother to send us after you, if only to smack you for making me worry."
"I won't leave you," Gorun said right before he kissed her softly. Reluctantly breaking the contact, he held up his left hand, smiled, and said, "Time me." The ring glowed with a soft hue, obscuring him from view for a moment, and when it cleared, he was standing exactly where he had been, though his face had changed, taking on a slightly downcast appearance.
"Gorun?" Kinana asked him worriedly. "Did it not work?"
"No, it worked," he said as his face cleared, lighting up with his easy smile as he moved toward her with open arms. "What'd I tell you? The timeline is fine, we're fine, and even better, we're married."
"Just don't do that again," Kinana sighed as she leaned into another hug. "Ever."
"I won't," he said softly as Rachel moved toward them for a group hug. "I promise that I'll never time travel again."
Rachel blinked in surprise as she took her ring back from him and asked, "How long were you away in that second?"
"Ten minutes," Gorun answered as his eyes briefly clouded over, before being restored to joy by the sight of his wife in his arms. "But that doesn't matter right now. I got my answer, and while it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, I now know that we're on our way to happily ever after; all of us."
"Really?" Kinana asked, her eyes shining brilliantly with hope. "Do you mean it?"
"I do," he promised her as he picked her up and gave her a spin, causing her to laugh, and Rachel to smile as she watched them. "I'll explain everything that I saw later, but for now, all that I'm certain of is that everything is gonna come up Fairy Tail, in the end." As he lowered his wife, she threw her arms around him and kissed him again, both of them lost in the moment, all other worries light-years away from their awareness.
"I take it that you don't dance?"
Azura looked up from her now-empty plate to see the Shadow Dragon Slayer, Rogue, standing about a foot away, dressed in a sharp suit. "You guess correctly," she answered him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you just here to talk about stuff that you already knew?"
"No, I'm here to tell you that I'm going to have a dance with you," Rogue replied confidently, causing Azura to laugh out loud.
"Not in this timeline, pal," she chortled. "I don't give the time of day to men that couldn't mark me in battle."
"Then fight me, and I'll show you that I'm perfectly capable of handling myself," the dark-haired young man replied calmly, completely unflustered by her rough dismissal. "If I can land a hit on you, you'll accompany me to the dance floor for a full song."
"And if I win?" she snorted. "What do I get? You can't have much of anything that I would want."
"I have a record of your cousin's greatest debacle since coming to Earthland," Rogue answered without batting an eye. "Hold me off for five minutes, and it's all yours'."
Azura's eyebrow went right back up from where it had dropped. "Okay, pal," she said as she stood up from her bench. "You'll have your fight if you answer one question."
"That being?"
"Did my cousin's wife put you up to this?"
"No," Rogue answered swiftly. "Her only involvement was when I asked Gorun how best to get your attention, and she interjected with the idea that I should challenge you directly."
"So she does keep her promises," she smirked. "All right then, Dragon Slayer. The beach out back in five minutes, be there. I'm gonna get a referee."
"Done."
"Hey, Luce, can you tell me somethin'?" Natsu asked as Lucy spun around before returning to his awkward grip. "Did'ja not wanna dance because I almost hurled on you at the Balsamico Ball?"
"That might have had something to do with it," Lucy laughed, causing him to give her a disgruntled look. "But I should say I'm sorry, anyway. I know you were trying to be nice, and I shouldn't have avoided you like that. I guess… I was afraid of getting too attached to you again, since I have to go back to the Time Patrol after this, and I don't know when- if- we'll see each other again."
"Well, I'm just glad that you changed your mind," Natsu shrugged. "I was worried that I'd made you mad, or somethin'."
"Natsu, you break into my apartment on a regular basis, and I'm still your friend," she giggled. "Even if you make me- either versions of me- mad, we're still your guild mate, your partner. That won't ever change."
"No duh," he laughed back. His expression sobered up a little bit before he added, "Hey, remember what ya told me before Gorun and I went to fight Sting and Rogue?"
"You fought alongside Gajeel in my timeline."
"That doesn't sound right," Natsu replied with a shake of his head. "But you remember?"
"Of course." Lucy gave another twirl before she repeated, "I believe in you. I always have, from the moment that I joined the guild."
"I told ya that it meant a lot for me to hear you say that," he replied. "But I never told ya that I believe in you, too. I didn't get the chance when you left for the Time Party place, so I figured I should say somethin' now. Wherever you're at, they're lucky to have you helpin' them, even if it means that I miss ya every day."
Lucy could only blink at him, her eyes misting as a number of different emotions welled up inside of her. Eventually she was able to get out the words, "You have your Lucy here, so how can you miss me?"
"Cos you're still my Lucy," Natsu answered seriously. "That doesn't change just cos- oof!" He was cut off as the girl seized him up in a tight hug. "Luce?"
"Just… stop talking for a minute," she mumbled into his shoulder. "Let me have this."
"…Okay?"
As she nestled into the crook of his neck, she was careful not to let him feel the potara earrings hanging in the midst of her hair.
"Thanks for the assist," Gorun said quietly as Rachel held his hands with a bright smile on her face. "I owe you for that."
"Well, considering that Grandma isn't gonna have me erased from time itself, it seemed like a small way to repay the favor," she giggled. "She's really nice."
"Yes, she is," he replied with a smile of his own as they looked over to see the little Kai dancing with Frosch, both of them chattering excitedly as they did. Turning back to his daughter, he added, "I'm really happy to have you here, Rachel."
"Words can't sum up how glad I am to have you tell me that," she replied as she looked up at him. "I was so afraid that you'd hate me for keeping the truth from you, or even for just coming back at all. I dunno how thrilled the next person would be if someone showed up out of the blue and told them that they were their kid from the future."
"If that kid is you, anyone should be so lucky," he chuckled, drawing his daughter in for a hug, which she returned happily. "Love you, kid."
"Love you too, Papa."
"Hey, shrimp," Gajeel said as he walked off the dance floor, Levy holding on to his arm. "Got a question for ya."
"Shoot," the bluenette chirped, happy as could be.
"Where'd you get those earrings?" he asked as he pointed at the round jewels hanging from her lobes. "I don't think I've ever seen ya wear fancy bits like them before."
"Oh!" she said as she blushed and reached up to touch the pieces. "I, uh… Well, it's a wedding, so I figured that I should try to look nice, right?"
"Funny, cos I coulda sworn that neither of you was wearing those when you first came," he said with a knowing smirk, that set Levy to blushing even harder. "I'm also pretty sure that Rachel chick had a pair that looked just like those. Pretty weird coincidence, huh?"
"Y-Yeah," Levy stammered. "It's a… Time Patrol kinda fashion statement. I just forgot to put them on earlier."
"…Well, whatever," the dragon slayer shrugged. "You don't need those kinda rocks to impress anybody, you know. You're rebel enough on your own."
This got Levy to laugh, in spite of herself. "Thanks, Gajeel."
"Well, there's something I never thought I'd see," Gorun murmured as he moved in time to the music with Kinana in his arms.
"What?" she asked, confused.
"See for yourself," he answered as he turned so that she could get a better look at what had captured his attention. When she could, a large smile split her face.
"How about that?" she giggled. "He actually pulled it off." A stone-faced Azura was dancing with an equally passive Rogue, Sting and the exceeds standing on the edge of the dance floor, all of their jaws dropped. "Looks like Sting might get replaced."
"That'd be a downgrade, if you ask me," Gorun snickered, causing his wife to roll her eyes at him.
"Just let your cousin be happy, okay?"
"Does that look the face of joy to you?"
"Gorun, you know as well as I do that if she wanted to fight him without getting hit, she could have very well done so," Kinana told him. "I can only think of one reason that she would do that."
Gorun considered her words for a moment before he shrugged and replied, "You've got a point. I guess Fairy Tail changes even the most stubborn of us Saiyans."
"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that." Gorun gave a slight start of surprise as Bulma and Vegeta passed him and Kinana on the dance floor. He chose to ignore the fact that his ancestor even could dance in favor of issuing him an apology for his thoughtless words.
Instead of appearing mollified, the prince scowled even harder before looking at Kinana and saying, "See if you can't do something to harden your husband's spine. It's not right for a Saiyan to be so apologetic."
"I like him the way he is, and I'll thank you not to put Gorun down in front of me," the young woman replied with a steel in her voice that impressed her partner.
Now Vegeta smiled slightly before he said in a lowered tone, "You'll be good for him- I'm sure of that now. You've got the spirit of a proper Saiyan woman." Then he and Bulma moved away without a backward glance from the older man.
"Well, he might be rude, but that's probably the highest praise I've ever heard him give anybody," Gorun said, his eyes wide as he looked at his wife in wonder. "He must really like you."
"He was testing me?"
"Something like that."
At the end of the party, when everyone had danced to their hearts' content, and all the well wishes had been expressed, it was time for Gorun and Kinana to leave. As was tradition, the bride threw the bouquet back over her head, and everyone laughed when Levy caught it ahead of Evergreen, causing her to smile through the bright red in her cheeks. Gorun noticed that Gajeel looked something like a deer in the headlights of a magicmobile, which made him laugh even harder.
Before they left, he made a point to say goodbye to Levy and Lucy from the Time Patrol. "We wish you guys well in Conton, and wherever else the mission may take you."
"Thanks, Gorun," Lucy replied as she gave him a hug. "And thanks for letting us come here. And… you know." She slipped something into his hand that he swiftly pocketed before anyone could see.
"It was my pleasure," he grinned as they turned toward Levy, who was hugging Kinana farewell. "Levy, take care yourself."
"And you take good care of her," the bluenette replied before exchanging an embrace with the Saiyan. "I'll figure out a way to mess with your past self if you don't."
"While I have no doubt that you'd figure out a way to do that, I promise I won't give you a reason to do so," he chuckled. "Thank you for coming."
"So, you're off?" Cana asked Goten as the Time Patrol members began to file out of the guild hall.
"Yeah," the young man shrugged. "Places to go, patrollers to teach, timelines to save."
"When's the next time that you think that you'll be in town?"
He paused before answering, "I dunno. I'm due for some time off soon, so… Would it be okay if I came back and visited? It'd have to be when crazy stuff isn't going on, cos I can't mess with the timeline too much, but if you're cool with- mph!"
Can pulled back a little bit with a coy grin on her face as Goten reached up to touch his mouth with a very surprised look on his face. "Just don't keep a girl waiting too long," she told him. "I'm not big on patience."
"Y-Yeah," he said dumbly. "I, uh… I'll see you, Cana. Soon."
"Good boy."
"Hey, Gorun, before you go," Gray said as he and Yukino walked up to the pair just inside the gates. "We got a little something for you." Sorano stood a few meters back, having hardly left her sister's side for the duration of the party.
"Yeah?" he asked as he and Kinana turned around to face their friends.
"We know that you two are going to the Akane Resort for a week, but we figured that an extra event wouldn't hurt," Yukino said with a smile as she handed them two tickets. "We hope that you like this."
"What is it?" Kinana asked curiously as they examined the slips.
"Box seats at the theater," Gray answered as he undid his tie and put it on his shoulder. "We think you'll like it."
"Love Amongst Dragons…" Gorun read aloud. "Sounds fun."
"Have a good trip," Yukino told Kinana as she hugged the other girl. "And thank you, both of you. For everything."
"Thank you for being here, and for doing this," the bride answered as she pulled away. "We really appreciate it."
"Gray, thank you, too," Gorun said as he gripped his friend's hand firmly. "Don't have too much fun without us, okay?"
"No promises," the ice wizard grinned.
The next morning at Akane, the newlyweds went down to their hotel restaurant for a late brunch, both of them smiling like idiots and hardly letting go of the other. Once they had sat down at their table, Kinana finally touched on a subject that had been in the back of her mind since the previous day.
"So, what did you find in the future?" she asked as she looked down at her menu.
Gorun was quiet for a few seconds as he scanned the breakfast items before he answered, "Hope, however slim the chance."
"Are you sure?" she asked him as she looked up at him. "What Rachel has lived through isn't set in stone?"
"Not if I have any say in it," Gorun answered as he thought back to his conversation the previous evening. At least, from his perspective, it had been yesterday.
Unnamed Planet, Year X85,335,165,207,996,403…
The light of the Time Ring faded as Gorun found himself standing in what looked like the Fairy Tail library. However, he did not recognize any of the books that stacked the shelves, nor was the furniture quite the way that he remembered. And unlike the guild hall, where there was usually two or three wizards in the room at any given time, there was a solitary figure sitting at one table, a timing lachryma sitting in front of him, the red numbers counting down in manner similar to the Face bombs.
"Hello, Gorun," the person said without looking around. "Come to witness the end?"
"Can't you remember?" the Saiyan replied. "Or at least guess?"
"You'd be surprised at how little you remember when you've lived this long," the man replied as he stood up and slowly turned around. "But sure, I can guess."
Gorun then had the unsettling experience of seeing himself standing outside of a mirror. In all the seemingly endless years since he had ascended to the position of Destroyer, he hadn't changed one bit. The only differences between the two of them- physically, anyway- was the clothes that they wore, and the fact that Gorun's future self was effortlessly sustaining the red light of godhood. The younger one wore his wedding tux, of course, while the Hakaishin was dressed in the typical fashion of his kind, green and blue being his color theme. The biggest difference, of course, was the unimaginable gulf that separated their respective power levels.
He knew then that he was looking at the true potential of his bloodlines- the incarnation of destruction that Beerus had foreseen so long ago. This wasn't Gorun, not anymore. The man in front of him was Kaidon, the proper essence of Saiyan divinity.
"Based on what you're wearing, you've just come from the wedding," the Destroyer murmured as he looked his counterpart up and down. "Go back, Gorun. Enjoy the time that you have, before it's gone."
"You're giving up, just like that?" the younger man replied. "Rachel told me that you never gave up on your quest for vengeance."
"Yes, and look where it's got me," the elder answered as he jerked his head toward the lachryma sitting on the desk. "Sitting alone in a husk of memories, unable to even hold the child of the woman that I love more than anything in the multiverse. While I've been sitting here alone for the last minute, watching the countdown to the end of my universe, I know that Rachel will have grown to be more than a thousand years old by now." Even as he spoke, the pair felt an unsettling vibration ripple through the air, passing through their very cores. It was enough to make the younger Saiyan shiver uncomfortably.
"She's about twelve thousand by the time she gets out of the chamber, and she's never met you," Gorun said with a frown as he tried to set aside his unease. "Why won't you go to her?"
"Because on some level I wonder if I didn't just sire a child to plant the seeds of my revenge in the past," Kaidon answered him. "And if there is even the chance of that being true, then I don't have a right to be anywhere near her. She deserves a chance to choose her own destiny, free of a bitter old man's influence."
"She chose to come back to my time on her own, because she wanted to help you," Gorun insisted. "She wants to make sure that all of this-" He pointed at the library around them here. "-never happens. She wants you to have the chance to stay as me."
Kaidon was still and mute as a statue before he said, "I can't help you- not as I am, anyway."
"Then how can you help me?" Gorun insisted. "There has to be something, even if you can't travel back in time and destroy Beerus before he comes for me."
"Destroying Beerus wouldn't solve your problem, and even with the way that this timeline was created, it could still collapse on itself if such a drastic change were implemented." Kaidon appeared thoughtful now.
"Then…?"
"Then perhaps we could speed some things up a little," Kaidon shrugged. "You've already done that in advancing the capabilities of the dragon slayers, thanks to your encouragement, and teaching them fusion. Without that, they wouldn't have become so strong until it was time to face off against Alvarez. And unlike in my timeline, more members of Fairy Tail have survived."
"We're already training as hard as we can, but I get the sense that it's still not enough," Gorun replied. He didn't bother to ask how his future self knew about the differences in their history- time was running out. "Do you have something to help us advance our powers so that we have a fighting chance against Beerus?"
"No," Kaidon answered, causing his younger self's heart to sink. However, his expression lit back up again when the older Saiyan added, "But there may be some things that can tip the balance in your favor with regards to the timeline."
"…Go on."
"First off, take these," Kaidon muttered as he pulled out his potara earrings and put them in the hands of his younger self. "I don't need them anymore, obviously. Might as well make sure that they don't go to waste." Despite the eons that had passed, the potara were still a perfect replica of Gorun's own pair.
"Thank you."
"Take this with you," Kaidon added as he reached out his hand, a book flying from the shelf to land in his grasp. "You and Genora will find it very helpful, I think." With a click of his fingers, the book dissolved into glowing letters that swirled around Gorun before drawing in on themselves and diving into the gold of his wedding ring before disappearing entirely.
"What's this?" the younger Gorun asked.
"Think of it as a cheat sheet for the test," Kaidon answered vaguely. "You can access the information in it by activating your god ki. Now, in regards to when Beerus comes… I suggest you make an appeal."
"I don't think that bribing him with food is going to do the trick this time, not with Zeno and the Grand Minister breathing down his neck," Gorun said flatly as he eyed his ring curiously.
"I didn't say to appeal to Beerus." Gorun looked up at Kaidon with a confused look before the latter added, "Grand Zeno is still swayed by things he finds entertaining, even now- so long as you're clever about it."
"…Ah," Gorun nodded, understanding where his counterpart was at in his mind. "I would've never thought of that."
"Yes you would have," Kaidon replied wryly. "Just not for another twenty-seven billion years."
"Is that an exaggeration?"
"Give or take a few centuries."
Gorun nodded slowly, then he bowed to his future self. "Thank you," he murmured gratefully. "You may have given up now, but I haven't. Trunks did it before, and I'll do it again. I'll change our future."
"Good luck to you," Kaidon replied as Gorun straightened up, the room beginning to shake hard enough that books were falling out of their shelves. "This is the last-and only- time that I can help you. From now on, the fight is in your hands."
"No," Gorun said with a shake of his head as he gestured to a green symbol on his counterpart's right arm. "It's in Fairy Tail's hands."
"Hmm." For the first time since he had come, Gorun saw Kaidon's lips twitch upward in the semblance of a smile. "Perhaps."
"Oh, Kaidon." Gorun remembered something important before he could activate his time ring. "Since this is your exit from Fairy Tail, there's three rules you have to follow. Do you remember them?"
"…Always."
Akane Resort, Year X791
"Do you think he believed in you, at the end?" Kinana asked him, their food still untouched.
"No," Gorun said a little sadly. However, his eyes brightened with a spark as he continued on to say, "But I do like proving people wrong. It'll be interesting to prove myself incorrect, especially when he's supposed to be so much wiser than me."
"I look forward to it," Kinana giggled as she reached across the table and grasped his hand reassuringly. "And I'll be there to help however I can, whenever I can."
"You know what would really help right now?" Gorun asked with a coy grin on his face.
Catching the tone of his voice, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's that?"
"There are some water slides calling our names, and I'm dying to answer the call."
She laughed at him before asking, "We can fly, how is a water slide any fun?"
"When you're flying, you have to be in complete control of yourself," Gorun answered cheerily. "There's something fun about surrendering control and letting something else take over."
Azura: So, what was up with Lucy and Levy having Time Patrol earrings?
Mataras: Sorry, was it not very clear what was happening?
Saiki: Probably better to explain it now, just in case.
Mataras: Okay, Lucy and Levy from the Time Patrol obviously still have feeling for their dragon slayers, right? But they don't want to get in the way of their current selves, so to avoid creating a weird atmosphere, they try to avoid Natsu and Gajeel at the party. Rachel and Gorun each give them a pair of potara earrings to allow the two pairs to fuse, so that they can both enjoy the time with their men without causing any friction between them. Once the party is over, Chronoa works a little reverse-time magic and separates the two of them in time for the patrollers to go back to Conton.
Kinana: Why does she need to do that? I thought the earrings only last an hour if one of the participants isn't a Supreme Kai?
Gorun: Apparently that rule is overridden if the fusees are originally the same person to begin with. In that case, the fusion can be permanent.
Mataras: Okay, now that we got that out of the way, shall we move on to the next topic of discussion?
Saiki: If we must. As the author mentioned, there is a poll concerning several of his stories on his profile page for this website. He has been working on his artistry skills for some time, and now he wishes to put them to a new test by drawing a short comic based on one of his stories. However, given his indecision, he has decided to allow you, the readers, to vote on which of his stories you would like to see illustrated.
Gorun: We've already got a few votes in, and while Saiyan Tail isn't in the lead, we're not that far behind, either. So if you wanna see us come to life for a, illustrated panel or two, go give us your vote.
Mataras: Or choose from four of my other works, if you'd rather them.
Azura: Hey! Quit trying to give our votes away!
Mataras: Comprehensive advertising!
Kinana: Is that a real thing?
Gorun: I guess it is now.
Saiki: Lastly on the list of things to get through today is the announcement that we will be taking a short break from this storyline in order to explore a new one.
Azura: What does that mean?
Gorun: It means that you finally get your wish, more or less...
Azura: ...No way!
Mataras: Yes way. As I said at the end of the last chapter, we will not get to have a glimpse into yours' and Gorun's life if the two of you had never left the Time Patrol, something that I know at least a handful of you are curious about. It'll be a three-chapter arc based on the Dragon Cry movie, and it will feature new villains not seen in this story before, in addition to those from the original film.
Azura: This is the greatest day ever!
Gorun: Yippee skippy.
Mataras: Don't complain, you get an entire story dedicated to your choices. Let your cousin be happy for three chapters.
Gorun: ...Fine.
Mataras: Now, this by no means spells the end of this story. Once the three-chapter arc is over, we will pick up after the one-year time skip to see just what happened to everyone while Fairy Tail remained under the guidance of Mira, and will go on until the end of the battle with Acnologia- plus one more arc of my own design, after which the story will be over for real.
Azura: So what, this story has another year in it?
Mataras: A bit more than that, I think. We'll see how some chapters turn out, but we are definitely pretty far past the halfway point by now.
Kinana: Next time- A Land Called Stella
Saiki: Don't miss it. Or do, I don't really care.
Mataras: Saiki...!
Azura: Coming early August, 2020!
Next time on Saiyan Tail...
"Icebox, are you where you're supposed to be?" Kai's voice came through the com device in a whisper. "I don't want a repeat of Yardrat."
"You sabotage the wrong aircraft one time, and suddenly you're the team liability," Icebox grumbled. He was a red-and-black Frost Demon in the service of the Time Patrol, and currently setting up to snipe a Time Breaker responsible for causing the early advancement of the Cold Force's scouter technology. He was a tall specimen with short horns that pointed directly skyward whenever he was on the ground, and a power level that rivaled King Cold's at his prime.
His teammates, two experienced Saiyans, were standing by just in case this 'Planeg' character had any backup. The three of them were keeping in touch with scouters manufactured in Conton City- capable of reading all power levels from any era, no matter how high, no matter if they were mortal or divine.
"Just answer the question," Janara snapped at Icebox, causing him to cringe. His teammate was known to have little patience for errors, which was probably why the Supreme Kai of Time had put him on this team in the first place- mistakes weren't allowed if you wanted to remain in that girl's good graces.
"I'm in place," he replied as he peered down at their quarry from atop a rocky bluff overlooking the military facility, built on a mountain range on Cold Planet 682. "Any sign of reinforcements?"
"Nothing in the way of Time Breakers," Kai answered in a low voice. He was in the riskiest position, having hidden himself in the cargo area of one of King Cold's military storage crates. "But there might be an early Ginyu Force to deal with if we wait too long."
"Then let's take this guy out and be done with it," Janara grumbled.