Nashi

I woke up coughing on a rocky beach with my team mates and Zera surrounding me. My crew was more concerned with me than the look on Zera's face. She was in tears.

"You okay?"

I coughed up sea water before giving a thumbs up, "where are we?"

"We're on..." Simon began before Zera of all people cut him off.

"Tenrou Island."

Storm waved his hands around, "alright, Nashi I can understand but how do..."

Zera took off, "I have to see! I have to see if there is anything left!"

I coughed as I outstretched a hand.

It was impossible. The lizard on her shoulder. The same mark that was in the ruins of the town.

Zera was somehow from over a hundred and fifty years ago.

When Red Lizard had control over Tenrou Island. I raced forward, "Zera! Wait!"

The others were dumbfounded as I chased the brunette into the jungle.

I crashed through the brush rapidl before breaking into the clearing by the old guildhall. Zera was on her knees in front of it.

I slowly approached her, "Zera...?"

She started to sob, "I thought there was a chance. A chance anyone else survived and kept the guild alive."

A familiar voice spoke up, "there was a survivor."

Zera turned slowly, "who?"

"A young girl, Mavis Vermillion," an old man said. An old man named Makarov Dreyar.

Zera whispered the name, "Mavis? You mean the barefoot sweeping girl?"

He nodded, "yes. For years she lived here by herself with an illusion her subconscious mind created."

"I was always such a jerk to her..." Zera wept.

"Zera..." I placed a hand on her back as I knelt next to her.

Makarov raised an eyebrow, "Zera was the name of the illusionist girl. Are you perhaps the real Zera? Daughter of Zeesil?"

Zera looked stunned, "an illusion? Of me?"

"Yes. She thought for years you survived only to realize she created an illusion. If only she could see this now."

"So, she died then..." Zera looked at the ground.

I rubbed her back, "but not without leaving a legacy."

"What do you mean?"

I pulled up my sleeve, "this is the mark of the Fairy Tail Guild. The guild she started. She declared Tenrou Island the guild's sacred ground."

Makarov's nose started bleeding, "YOU JOINED THE GUILD?"

I laughed sneakily, "yeah, I did. My mom just rejoined."

"I'm glad I'm retired if that's the case. Erza must have her hands full."

Zera clutched onto my shirt, "Mavis was always going on about Fairies. She always talked about meeting one. I kept telling her to shut up and go away. I wish now I hadn't."

"NASHI! ZERA!"

The three of us turned to see the others running towards us.

"We got a problem, the pirates, they the wreckage here," Simon panted.

"Hey, is that Master Makarov?" Jazz tilted her head.

Makarov sighed, "you kids rest up, I'll handle these pirates."

"All by yourself!? Are you insane!?" Storm shouted.

I punched him, "don't worry, he's got this."

We could hear the faint screams coming from the beach as Makarov dealt with the pirates.

"Are you sure he's gonna be okay?" Juliet asked.

"I'd be more worried about the pirates, judging by the screams," Simon cringed.

Zera looked through a book slowly. The Fairy Tail mark was on the cover. Makarov must have hidden it whenever Layla and I came here. Granted Layla was more of the social type as I was dead set in back and slash practice.

"I wish I really had been there for her," Zera said with a teary eye, "ever since I was freed from the ice I regretted a lot of my past. I was such a spoiled brat."

"I'm sure if she were still here, she'd wish you were real then too."

Zera closed the book, "hey Mistress..."

I gave her a warning glare.

"Nashi..." she looked embarrassed, "I want to check out something, could you...come with me?"

I smiled, "yeah. Where are we heading?"

She stayed quiet until we left the but by the small monument and made our way back towards the abandoned town, "the Red Lizard guild hall. I...I want to look for something. I could use your help clearing the vegetation. I don't trust my own magic."

"Oh yeah, I heard something that asshole said about a lachrama implantation. What was that about?"

Zera shook, "my last master, he was obsessed with Dragon Slayers. He wanted one to do his dirty work and simple tasks. So, three years ago, he had one put in me. He spent a small fortune on it but it never really worked right."

She opened her hand to reveal a flickering flame that had trouble staying alive.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "maybe you just need a little training. I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer, so maybe I could help. We could both learn together. Heck, you could even join Fairy Tail."

"I want to. In honor of Mavis, and as an apology to her."

We stayed silent for a moment, "we might need a nickname."

I smirked, "The Flame Sisters of Fairy Tail?"

"Sounds good to me!" Zera smiled as we kept walking. Slowly it faded from her face.

"So what happened if you don't mind me asking."

She took a deep breath, "one night, a rival wizard guild named Blue Skull attacked the island. They killed most of the inhabitants. A few people they thought could be useful were taken captive. I was a trophy. Mavis, she led me from under a piece of debris. I blacked out not long afterwards. When I woke up, I was chained to the inside of a ship. I didn't see Mavis. I thought they killed her. She saved my life. I was taken to their base and then moved to a secret hideout in Midi where they were experimenting on things. On people. Eventually, they wanted to try freezing people and thawing them out. When I was thawed, I was told I was the last survivor and I was quickly put into slavery at the age of ten."

"Thats...horrible."

"Thays why being free means so much to me. You have no idea. I owe you my life Nashi."

I clapped her shoulder, "anyone sane would have done it. I'm just glad you stopped giving me a title."

"Princess," she elbowed me gently.

I pushed her back lightly, "spoiled brat."

We came to a small dirt patch on the trail. Zera turned with her back towards the town ruins, "this is the last place I saw Mavis. I suppose this is where she created the illusion of me."

She remembered it so well. A traumatic event for her that she was just now trying to get closure.

She stood up and co tinted her walking towards town. It was plenty overgrown as we came to the carved out symbol of her former guild. I drew my sword and started hacking at the entrance way before cloaking my hand in fire. We stepped inside and the room started to faintly glow.

"Light lachrama. My father had it in here to light it up in case he or I walked in late at night. It must still be working."

I continued hacking away until we got to a fallen staircase. Zera motioned upwards as she grabbed hold of the vines. I have her a slight boost before following up.

"Careful, the floor right here is almost all rotten," she warned.

We crept along the hallway before she motioned for a door. I looked at it and back at Zera before she went inside. The few small remaining items revealed the sad tale. A small photograph that was bleached by age was left on the remains of a dresser.

She gently picked it up. A small girl in an red dress stood smiling next to a large, muscular man and a slim woman. This had to be her family.

"This was taken two weeks before my mother passed away. I never thought the photo would still be around."

"I wonder if there are any photos of Master Mavis around."

Zera shook her head, "I doubt it. Mavis was the laughing stock of the guild after her parents died. They owed a massive debt to the guild so my father forced her to work it off. He treated her just as worse as some of my owners did. I doubt there was ever a photo taken of her until she left Tenrou Village."

"There probably aren't any pictures of you after you got taken from the island," I added on. Zera nodded as she slipped the picture into her pocket. The burn marks covered the rest of the building as we searched room by room. Zera identified each one, despite the damage from an old fire and decades of exposure to the elements. We hopped down eventually before we came to a small statue.

"This is it, I was looking for this. My father said if he ever died to come to this statue," she started touching it.

Eventually she yanked on part of it, a grinding sound echoed through the ruined guild hall. Zera and I started looking around before the floor dropped out beneath me.

"Nashi!" Zera called as a spiral staircase formed, she caught my wrist at the last second. However, her arms strength was lent the greatest as I slipped out and fell five feet to the bottom of the stairs, "sorry!"

I coughed as I slowly stood up, "it's okay," I said as I brushed myself off.

Torches along the wall blazed to life as Zera quickly descended, "I've...I've never been in this part of the guild hall before."

I brushed a cobwebs aside, "a secret passageway."

"So cliche."

"Yeah."

I let her take point as we slowly progressed further along. The tunnel twisted and turned until we arrived at a large circular room underground.

Sounds of treasure and weapons were mounted on rusted hooks along with a single pedestal.

A bow rested on it surrounded by a column of light.

"Why does this feel like a trap?" I whispered.

I was ignored as Zera took a step. Then slowly followed by another.

A flash of light followed before a image appeared, "Zera, my little darling girl" the man in the image said, "if you are listening to this, that means that I am gone. Either from age or something like Blue Skull finally did me in."

"Papa..." Zera started to tear up.

"I know things are probably hard for you right now. But I want you to know I'm always there for you in spirit. You will never be alone Zera."

The lachrama above cracked a little as the image flickered. The image knelt, when it was recorded, it was meant for a child Zera. Not the sixteen or seventeen year old in front of me. Zera however, fell to he knees.

"Up on that pedestal is a bow. It's the spirit of the Red Lizard guild. The Dragon's Bow. I want you to have it. To protect yourself."

"Papa..."

"I love you Zera, always remember that."

The lachrama shattered.

Zera and I walked out of the guild hall quietly. The red bow was slung over her shoulder.

She wiped her eyes before giving a small smile to the world, "thank you...for coming with me."

I nodded, "you probably would have done the same."

She sniffed and bobbed her head, "yeah. You think the others are gonna be worried?"

I looked up at the setting sky, "maybe. But Makarov is pretty chill."

"Chill? Do we need to grab a blanket or something?"

"Remind me to teach you Fioran slang sometime."

She laughed weakly, "okay."

The rest of the walk was in silence. I pushed open the door to Makarov's but, "we're back!" I called out to see the place torn up. Makarov was unconscious on the ground, bleeding.

"MASTER!" I called as I flew to his side, "what happened? Where are the others?"

He opened one eye, "that bastard. He...took them. Said he would trade...for you two..."

My blood began to boil as Zera slid her bow off her shoulder and into her hand where she gripped it tightly. I picked up the old man and laid him gently into his bed, "Zera?"

"I know."

"Dont hold back with them."

We looked at the coastline from a hill not too far. The outline of the ship was visible with a few lights on it.

I started towards it as Zera followed. My hair was covered to prevent it from catching on fire. We found the small dingy that was hidden. Makarov used it when he wanted off the island. But for our use, it was to get to the ship.

To be continued