Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Levy found herself shaking slightly, standing stiffly inside of the castle with August, Dimaria, and Brandish surrounding her. Invel was outside, starting the announcement. "Stop fussing, you'll ruin all of my hard work. I finally managed to make you look pretty, and you aren't even grateful about it." Brandish huffed at her, and Levy only barely managed a smile.

"Face it, she's gonna run out of her own coronation, Randi." Dimaria grinned. "But, I'll definitely be sticking around to watch the show. At least this is entertaining, right?"

"You only find fights entertaining."

"And don't you think people will riot about having a coward for an empress?"

That made Levy's smile vanish, and she turned around with a glare. "Hey! I'm not backing down, and I'm not running away, so just shut up."

Dimaria went quiet, but slowly began to smirk. "Oh? Well, you could've fooled me moments ago." She paused, nodding to herself and dropping her hand from her hip. "But hey, you've pulled yourself together rather quickly, so maybe I underestimated you. You just might have what it takes to be empress after all."

What? She glanced down, finding her hands stable for the first time since Invel told her what was happening today. They were making it official, taking Levy's own plan to keep the public calm. They'd declare that his majesty had courted and married a young girl in the privacy of his home, and that today she had finished her training to rule by his side. He'd even given her a simple gold band to wear, to further the illusion. It rested on her finger, and she couldn't get herself to stop thinking of how foreign it felt and how it'd never hold the meaning they were claiming to give it.

To make the announcement just as grand, Brandish and Dimaria had insisted on helping her since their shopping trip had been canceled with everything going on. Brandish had fabrics in her room, and apparently had a knack for sewing and designing outfits when she felt like it. It wasn't the sort of hobby she expected, but she wasn't going to complain. However, the outfit they'd chosen…that was a bit of a surprise.

"You're going to be Emperor Spriggan's bride, so you two need to match."

That had been Brandish's explanation, but Levy never wore black, not to this extent anyway. It had started as a simple design, with a white, lace-patterned fabric for the top. It connected to a dark black skirt, which fanned out from her waist down to her feet. The sleeves were long, yet the fabric was still thin so she could feel the breeze running along her arms, even through the dress. Along the bottom edge of the skirt, golden dots seemed to have been placed at even intervals, so the entire color scheme matched Zeref. If that was all it had been, she'd have been at least sorta comfortable with the dress. Yet, Dimaria had to go and say she looked weak, and an empress had to have far more of an imposing presence than that. So, she'd gone ahead and added what was essentially a long black cape, trailing along the ground behind her. Alvarez' symbol was emblazoned on the back in gold fabric, and on her head, a golden circlet rested.

Her hair fell over her face on occasion, and it made her glad she at least was allowed a circlet and not a crown. Her headband was vetoed quickly by the girls, but Levy hated it when her hair fell into her eyes like this. Still, she could deal with it…for now at least. "You will be fine, Levy. If his majesty could see you, I think he'd be proud of how far you've come."

August's calm words made her take a deep breath, her smile returning. There was a door in front of her, one which led to the balcony of the castle. It oversaw most of Vistarion out there, and hung over the wall. The wall itself was never meant to keep intruders out, from what she could tell, not when some of the castle pushed past it to allow for moments like this.

Brandish sighed, before slowly stepping forward. "Alvarez is my home…and you did this to keep my home together." She paused, glancing away. "I guess you really aren't so bad after all."

Coming from the girl that had called her a doll from the moment they met, that actually sounded rather nice. She smiled, nodding at Brandish and seeing the girl avoiding her gaze. "Thank you. I look forward to working with you, Brandish. We'll keep Alvarez safe, together, alright?" The girl blinked, turning back towards her. However, she slowly nodded, the slightest hint of a smile on her face.

"Well, any girl who can get Randi all flustered certainly has me on their side." Dimaria grinned, tossing an arm around her friend. "Get out there and give them your big speech, or whatever it is you have planned. I'd rather get this over with so we can go have a party in the castle, and maybe finish it off with a few sparring rounds to see just how tough you are."

Levy touched the ring on her finger again, taking a deep breath. While she didn't exactly have the same reasoning as Dimaria, she did want to get through this quickly. The sooner it was done, the sooner she could start her research into Zeref's magic. She glanced at August, seeing the elderly man nod. He'd be leaving, to try and gather materials from Zeref's old school. In the meantime, she'd see if there was anything in the library that talked about living magic from an outside perspective. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would be a place to start.

While he was gone, she planned to contact Fairy Tail. She'd kept forgetting about it, really. Levy knew it needed to be done, but it would be a difficult conversation to have. Maybe she'd get all of the discomfort out of the way today, and just do it after the ceremony here. Either way, it would get done.

An eruption of cheers outside quieted her thoughts, making her take a deep breath. She saw Invel on the other side of the door, turning and gesturing for her to come forward. She took one last deep breath, before lifting her gaze. This would be just like infiltration jobs. She would carry herself like a queen, like a confident ruler always did. Her shoulders straightened, and she felt her gaze harden. It was something she could do, even while pushing back her own desire to be anywhere else right now.

"I present to you the empress of Alvarez, Levy Dragneel!" The last name…of course, Invel would give her Zeref's. She almost winced at that, her facade nearly breaking, but she pushed down her reaction with another slow breath. Smiling, she glanced out at the people that had gathered. Vistarion was larger than she had realized during her tour of town. The crowd seemed endless, and so small below her. Magic allowed Invel to amplify his voice with his announcement, and he'd explained a bit of how it would work to her before it began. Yet, this was still more people than she was anticipating. She supposed she was being given the title of ruler over one of the largest empires in the world; she should have actually expected this.

From here, it was hard to tell if the people were pleased or upset with her rise to power. All she could see were figures down below, with no real expressions visible from this distance. Their cheers reached her ears, and they sounded celebratory, but she wasn't confident in saying they all believed in her. More likely, they were just happy that their emperor was happy, rather than in having her take on this role.

Still, she wouldn't disappoint them. Invel had taught her so much, and she was ready to at least try and help this empire. They wouldn't even notice that Zeref was not here. Then, when he came back, they'd rejoice and Levy would have some explaining to do to him. That bit would be a bit confusing, but really, wouldn't it be worth it to have him back and keep the place he wanted as his home together as one?

Eventually, the cheers died down, and Levy smiled at them. "It is an honor, to be given such a position within such a powerful empire. When Emperor Spriggan first approached me about the subject, I will admit, I was skeptical of my abilities to perform this task. How does one lead an empire? What does it take to keep so many people safe?" She paused, taking a deep breath. "Given time, and the appropriate education, it became clear that there is no single correct answer. I want to find these answers for myself, and learn what it takes to be the leader you all deserve. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to keep Alvarez prosperous and whole. I will better myself, and become the empress you all deserve to have leading you into the future."

The cheers returned, and Levy exhaled, glancing towards Invel. The general nodded, guiding her back inside and leaving the public be for now. They'd find their own way to celebrate, maybe with a festival, like she'd heard about before. As much as she'd like to join, it'd probably only remind her of Zeref's promise to take her to one, if they did make plans for such a thing. Without him, it just wouldn't be the same either.

Back inside, Invel gave her a small smile. "You did well, though I would have preferred if you omitted any details about your weakness. Such an image only promotes ideas of potential assassinations."

"I lied, to keep them calm." Levy met his gaze, taking a deep breath. "At least in this, I wanted to be honest, and show them that I'm a normal person too, just like them. Maybe it does make me seem weak, questioning how to rule, but it also makes me seem like someone they can approach, like a person who can be related to."

Invel tilted his head, before sighing. "Perhaps. Regardless of what has been done, it is best to move forward from here. August was planning on investigating something elsewhere, which means I shall take over in assisting you with your duties in Vistarion."

She nodded. "That sounds good." She paused, glancing back outside. "Do you think I could contact Fairy Tail first, though? I haven't gotten the chance to say goodbye, yet."

Invel nodded. "Of course. You know where the lacrimas are. Meet me back in his majesty's office, when you are finished." She nodded, watching him leave. However, both of them stilled when the cheers from outside shifted. They were still loud, but now they sounded like screams. Levy spun around, her eyes wide. Without thought, she rushed out back into the balcony, staring down below. There, she let out a breath of relief. The people were panicked, but she knew those familiar red scales rather well. Igneel was here, though if he wanted to speak with Zeref, Levy realized that might be difficult to manage.

Taking a deep breath, Levy stood up straighter. "Everyone, calm down! He means us no harm." The crowd heard her, seeming to quiet their screams, gradually realizing that the dragon was not attacking at all. "I did not realize he would be coming here, or I would have thought to give a warning. He is an old friend of Emperor Spriggan."

Seeing that they weren't quite as panicked as before, Levy turned back. However, she saw that the generals that had been in Vistarion were already standing with her. "August, could you take me down there? I'd like to see what Igneel wants."

"As do I." The elderly man nodded, and teleported them both to where Igneel was, creating a massive hole in the crowd. She glanced up, seeing the dragon calmly gazing around at the others. He looked tense, like maybe he was preparing to get back into the air again if people got violent.

Smiling, she glanced up at him. "Sorry about all of this, Igneel. Zeref invited you to stop by, but I don't think he really told anyone else about that." She glanced back at the castle, frowning for a moment. "Is there a place large enough for him near the castle? I'd like to bring him there, so the people here can calm down."

August nodded, glancing over at Igneel. "Will you be able to follow me from above? With Levy's announcement, you should be able to pass the wall without harm."

"I see. We will speak inside soon then. I look forward to seeing how he has been doing since we last spoke." Before Levy could reply, Igneel took off. August glanced at her, slowly nodding before turning to walk inside.

"Can we tell him?"

"That is for you to decide." August paused, glancing towards her. "Though, I do not think it would cause the same harm as it would having the generals know. He can fly away and keep his reaction hidden. We, however, must keep working."

"I'll tell him what I'm planning to do, at least. He deserves to know, and I don't think Zeref would have wanted Igneel to be unaware of this."

August nodded. They walked quietly to a large courtyard outside. It was an open area, with a stone ground. In the distance, Levy thought she saw targets or something. Seeing her gaze, August smiled. "This area is typically used for training. However, it is currently unused, given the time. I thought it would be ideal, since there is a clear space for Igneel to land in."

Sure enough, Igneel soon came down, landing before them and crouching down. She frowned at that, before she realized there had been people on his back. "Finally!" A familiar toothy grin glanced at her, and Levy saw a flash of pink hair. "Those people don't understand dragons at all, I guess. But hey, at least Levy's here to deal with them." He walked over, grinning. "We hadn't heard from you in a while, and we figured you were probably busy, so we came to you instead of waiting for you to contact us."

Behind him, Lucy got off as well, walking forward. A bit more unsteadily, Nab approached too, glancing between them. He glanced at Levy, smiling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. "Hi…sorry for not trying to warn you or anything first…I mean, it might not really be a good time or something…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Zeref's my brother, so of course he wants to see me!" Natsu grinned, turning. "And after all he did for Igneel, I figured it was time I sat down and talked with him or…something. I mean, I don't really know him, and if he's moving on, I figured I should give it a try too."

"And I figured you could use some girl time, while he's busy dealing with all of that." Lucy smiled. "I finally got the first draft of my novel finished! I have so much to tell you about it, and as promised, I brought the draft with me for you to read."

"And…well, I thought that…since we were a team and all before. Well, I thought that maybe you'd want to see me too?"

Nab was just as nervous as before, it seemed. Watching them, Levy didn't know what to say. Her heart was pounding, and her body ached. They came for Zeref and he was gone. Her eyes burned, and she swallowed, the tremors slowly returning. "Anyway, what's with the whole new look? Are you trying to be fancy or something?" Natsu glanced at her with a frown.

Levy slowly shook her head. However, Lucy stared at it, smiling faintly. "You're just as oblivious as always, Natsu." She sighed, looking around. "Where is Zeref anyway? I figure if you two are wearing matching outfits now, he'd be attached to your hip or something."

A tear fell down her cheek. Levy stared at her feet, unable to speak. "Levy?" Nab walked forward, while Igneel watched over them in silence.

"I do not sense his presence nearby." Igneel's rumbling voice reached them.

The others frowned, turning towards Levy. Yet, she just couldn't. A sob tore through her, and she fell to the ground, kneeling there in the dirt. August walked towards her, crouching by her side and rubbing her shoulder. Quickly, Lucy joined, sitting across from her friend with a concerned frown. "Levy, we can't help if you don't talk to us, alright? So, why don't you tell us what is wrong?"

She took a shaky breath, meeting Lucy's brown eyes. "I…he's…" She inhaled again, shaking her head. "He's gone." Lucy kept frowning, and Levy wrapped her arms around her chest. "Something happened. I don't really know what, or how, but Zeref…he's…" She choked, closing her eyes. She had to focus on what she'd do as a result of that. Levy could stay strong, and focus on that. "I'm going to fix this, though. Just like he did with Natsu and Igneel…I'm going to fix this."

"Wait…you're not saying…" Lucy trailed off, glancing behind her. Yet, Igneel had his head bowed already, his eyes shut. Natsu just swallowed, staring down at his feet. "Levy, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize, didn't think about…" She trailed off, pressing a hand to her hair. "But, what was that then? All of this even?" She gestured towards Levy again, repeating the question about her dress for the day.

"We were officially announcing her new title within Alvarez." August answered, focusing on her. "And before you arrived, she had every intention of contacting your guild to speak with you about such details."

"New title? So, Levy's been given some important job here or something?" Natsu glanced over at her, tilting his head.

"Natsu, I sorta just…became their empress." The dragon slayer blinked at her, and she sighed, rubbing the back of her head. After a moment, she managed to rise to her feet, taking another breath. "Sorry, about that. Things have just been moving so quickly that it just hits a bit hard sometimes, still."

"Levy." Igneel spoke, glancing down towards her. She blinked at the dragon, her eyes widening. "You claimed to wish to do as Zeref had once done, but are you aware of what that means?" She nodded, looking towards her feet. "The curse may not be an issue, but such a path gave Zeref little in life beyond a single obsession. He had no companions, no family, all because he sought the impossible. Do the same, and you may lose that which connects you to others as well."

"She…she won't do that." Nab smiled nervously, stepping forward. "Because, well, we're here to help her."

"Nab, you don't have to—"

"But I want to." Nab inhaled deeply, glancing around. "I mean, Lucy's here so that means…Loke might join sometime." His cheeks were pink, and he seemed to toy with his hands in front of him. "And even if that weren't the case…I already know I need to work on getting back into…wizarding stuff anyway. This seems like…a way to start. With a team, you know?"

"I see no harm in allowing them to stay if they wish, Levy." August glanced towards her, nodding. "Regardless, delaying here puts us further back. Will you be okay if I take my leave now?"

"Of course" Levy nodded, giving him a smile. "Good luck. I'll see you again soon, August, hopefully with some new research materials."

"Indeed." He nodded towards the others as well. "I hope you enjoy your stay in Vistarion. Please, do not push Levy too far. Grief is a powerful thing, and thus far, she's done well in moving forward towards a path she desires, despite what has happened." With that, he turned and began to leave.

"Well, if you guys are gonna stick around for a while, I might as well show you around." Levy's glance flickered towards Igneel. "Sorry, but I don't think the castle is large enough for you. You're, ah, welcome to stay here, though." She didn't know if there was training scheduled or something, but she could work something else out if there was. Igneel nodded, seeming to lie down and get comfortable as they walked off. Maybe her time spent researching wouldn't be as lonely as she first thought; her friends were with her, and despite not being able to return to Fairy Tail, it seemed like her guild would still be there for her wherever she ended up.

And we've got the team back! This arc still focuses more on Levy and Zeref than the others, but I didn't want to completely leave out the other characters that have been important until now, so I wanted to make sure they were involved somehow. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!