Titania and The Hunter

Chapter 62: Por el bien de uno

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"Is it working?"

"I definitely think so, yes. The poison along your body is starting to recede and fade."

"I still feel sick."

"W-Well, there was a lot of it. My healing is doing a lot to stop the spread and make it easier for you, but it's expected that you might still feel a little nausea or unease or-"

"I-I'm gonna throw up again!" Natsu darted off the ground and everyone made a clear path for him as he reached a bush and started to upchuck everything he had left in his stomach. The others cringed and turned green as his loud barfing echoed over the clearing, "BLARGH! Oh, it's so bad!"

Lucy grimaced as she heard her friend suffer, "Uh, he's gonna be okay, right?"

"Wendy said the poison would recede with her treatment. I think we can trust her to know how it works." Erza eased her friend's worries while sitting by her, bathing her blonde friend in the glow of the Sky sword as it did its best to mend and heal Lucy's wounds.

Naruto and Natsu were the only ones affected by Cobra's poison so they were the ones that received the most attention from Wendy. Eve handed the Sky sword over after regrouping with everyone and so started a round of bathing them under the sword's enchanted magic to fix the worst of the wounds.

Jura was the first to receive treatment, the myriad of cuts and bloody wounds on the Wizard Saint's body enough to kill most men even if the Lamia Mage didn't let it show. After that the sword was passed around between the allied forces to heal them up.

Once the pain had started to ease and their injuries had started to be treated, the fatigue had caught up during their moment of rest.

"Gah!" Gray grunted as he dropped on his back and caught his breath, "God, I'm sore in places I didn't think I could be sore. And I'm worried about why my cough is so wet."

"I expect more from you, Gray." The senior disciple of Ur stood over his fellow student with glare of disappointment, "I thought all our training with Ur would have whipped you into shape. It's sad that all of this was enough to make you winded."

"Shut up Lyon I see your legs buckling - you can barely stand up!" The light-haired Lamia Mage scoffed and turned away to leave his former friend alone. Natsu stumbled his way back over to join them, dropping to the ground and lying opposite of Gray with a groan, "Did you make that pale prick pay?"

"Yep." Natsu burped and grimaced at the smell, "Jellal gave me this awesome burst of power with this golden flame that really helped me kick butt. I tackled that asshole through the entire bottom layer of Nirvana! I broke through - like - all the pillars and walls I could."

"Is that why the damn thing collapsed so freakin' quickly?!"

"..." Natsu laid prone for a moment before humming, "Maybe?"

"Natsu~." Happy whined as he dropped down and plopped his head on Natsu's chest, "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna die."

"Yeah buddy, me too."

"I wanna go back home and die in our house."

"I wouldn't mind dying on the bed right now."

"Maybe I could die from stuffing my face with fish?"

"Oh, or just a big old buffet that we could die from?"

"But still tired. Maybe we die in our beds, wake up the next day, and eat ourselves to death?"

"That sounds like a plan!"

Gray stared at the duo in confusion, "Weirdest conversation I've ever heard."

As Wendy's glow covered his back and made the pain all the more bearable, Naruto let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you." The little Dragon Slayer smiled and continued to work away, "Thanks again for the save when we needed it, Richard."

"No problem, my friend!" Hoteye happily chirped with a wide smile on his face, "Once I had awoken from my slumber I realized that all of our comrades besides Mr. Golem and Sir Potato had vanished. Mr. Golem had informed me that you all had separated in order to destroy Nirvana's legs, and I left to try and collect everyone together for us to escape when you succeeded."

"I appreciate the faith you had in us."

"Well as I was made aware during my time with you; when a Fairy Tail Mage makes a promise, you can expect them to follow through."

"That's right." Wendy nodded with a smile, "I just found that out myself from a really reliable source."

Naruto chuckled at her praise and smiled. All the wear and fatigue from the day seemed to melt away knowing the poor worried girl was smiling and happy now. Her home, her guild, and her friends were safe now due to their efforts and that made it all worth while. The actions of her guild threatened to ruin his mood but he pushed it aside and reveled in their well-earned victory.

"And I apologize." Hoteye spoke up with a remorseful expression, "I know they hurt and terrorized you and your friends, but when the risk of their demise came with the crumbling Nirvana I couldn't leave them behind."

"I-It's okay, Richard-San." Wendy stepped away from Naruto's back after finishing her round of healing, "I don't think any of us wanted you to abandon them to their death."

"Well maybe Lyon but he's crabby." Naruto piped up before nodding to the former Dark Mage, "But don't worry I don't think any of us hold you helping them against you. You were just doing what you thought was right."

A tear ran down Hoteye's cheek before he wiped it away and smiled with relief.

Jellal stood off to the side watching the alliance of Mages recover and celebrate their victory. Many of them were wounded. All of them were exhausted. Some probably bled more in the last few hours than most people had in their entire lives. They faced a terrifying enemy at an incredible disadvantage with the stability of the whole world in the balance if they failed.

But they didn't. Beaten and broken with a smoking magical vehicle and not enough energy left between the lot of them to even run a mile. But behind them laid the broken down magical heap of stone and mortar that was once one of the most fear and powerful great magic weapons that threatened the whole of Earthland.

He wondered how many of these people had he known? How many of them knew about him and the things he did? Out of their sight and away from their celebration Jellal wrestled with the base need in the back of his mind. To step out...celebrate this triumphant win...and join them.

"Well what a surprise; your shoulder wound hasn't healed at all over here by yourself." Jellal jumped out of his inner musings and looked up to see Erza smiling down at him with a green sword in hand. She raised it, pushing her magic through and causing a light green glow along the blade, "Can I help fix you up?"

"I'm alright." Jellal shook his head, "You can focus on healing everyone else first-"

"They've already gotten their treatment. You're the last one. Now shut up and let me help." Erza roughly grabbed Jellal's arm and forcefully moved him over to a log fallen over to the ground. Once he was seated she sat beside him and held the sword over the gouge on his shoulder as she bathed it in green light. As the wound steadily patched itself up, Erza smiled, "So you shirked your responsibilities and dumped them on Wendy instead?"

Jellal avoided eye contact and sweated, "Well I was sure I could trust her to handle the matter with the Lacrima. And honestly I was glad I did because I got to help your friends before something bad happened."

"I know." Erza smiled, "Thank you for helping them. I know it might not seem like it but this was a very big step in the direction of making things right."

Jellal chuckled, "Oh no, I knew it was. Part of my shoulder was gouged out. It hurts to sit and breathe. And I was nearly crushed to death under about a million tons of rock. That feels distinctly close to what you said earlier about suffering and living to make things right. And if that isn't it then I'm not sure what it could be."

The former Wizard Saint and the S-Class Mage sat in silence before Erza finished his healing and lowered the sword. As Jellal looked over his shoulder and marveled at how effective the treatment was, he heard boots crunch against the twigs and dirt of the forest. He looked up...

To see the faint smile on the whiskered face of the man he saved earlier.

A shock ran through his head. Just as a faint reminder pierced the haze in his mind when he talked with Erza, just looking at him triggered the same kind of relief and comfort for him. He looked up...

"Naruto?"

His expression fell for a moment before he scoffed and shook his head, "I guess they were telling the truth. You don't remember anything, do you?" Jellal shook his head and earned a small laugh from the blond, "Man, things are never easy for you, are they?" Naruto casually stepped over and dropped down on the log, sitting beside Jellal as if it was the easiest thing in the world, "First you're poisoned into a coma and the second you come out you can't remember shit. That sucks."

"Y-Yeah, I guess so." Jellal slightly nodded.

"Hey, so if you can't remember anything then why did you attack Brain?" Naruto asked the confused blue-haired man, "Wendy and Happy said the moment you woke up you attacked that stupid asshole and nearly took him out for good. So why did you do it?"

"Well, I just woke up and couldn't remember anything about myself or where I was." Jellal looked between Naruto and Erza, "But honestly even with that fact every fiber of my being was telling me to get away from that man no matter what it takes."

Naruto chuckled and leaned forward "Heh, I think that's called instinct."

"I'm glad to hear he acted on it." Erza agreed with a nod, "Any action taken to impede their plans was essential to our victory today." The redhead nudged his shoulder, "And any scene we can imagine of him getting his ass kicked is entertaining."

"She gets it!" Naruto guffawed and sighed contently, "Man I'm glad to hear even when you wake up you're still strong enough to kick ass."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I used to spar sometimes when we were in the Tower." Naruto answered, "It was one of the few distractions we had and only way to have fun while we were in the place. We would spar and throws hits. It's was pretty good," Naruto held his chin up, "And I won almost all the time."

"That's not true." Erza interrupted with a cheeky smile, "Jellal actually won most of your duels together if I remember correctly."

"Erza," Naruto deflated and frowned at his girlfriend, "Could you maybe support the love of your life in his story?"

"I thinking I'm doing the right thing by keeping you humble." The redhead countered as her whiskered lover frowned and pouted. Erza closed her eyes and smiled wider in response, blowing a raspberry and earning an indignant groan from Naruto.

"Pfft!" They looked between them and saw Jellal sputter and chuckle, leaning over and trying to contain his laughter to little avail. The blue-haired amnesiac looked between them, "Y-You both just fought an intense life-or-death battle for the sake of the world and nearly died a dozen times over. And here you are, having an argument about some childish fights we had years ago - hahaha!"

Jellal just couldn't stop laughing. And it was infectious as Erza started to giggle and Naruto gave a hearty laugh, patting Jellal's back as the trio had a good time enjoying their ridiculous reaction. After a moment Jellal calmed down and looked up at the sky as it started to brighten, "I...I like this."

He got their attention as he spoke softly, "Since I woke up I've had this sense of guilt and shame baring down on me. In the last few hours I've also felt desperation, despair, hope, struggle, pain, and even what it means to try and make up for my mistakes. But this...right now..." Jellal smiled sadly, "I don't know if I'm used to this. Even before I lost my memories I'm not sure if I felt this way. It feels so strange and foreign. But I like it."

Naruto looked down and smiled, "The last time we saw each other we were fighting. We had passed the point where we could talk things through. When I saw you it sent a chill down my spine. After all these years we had to face each other again and end it all before we could even try to put things right. When our fight was finished, and I couldn't even find you before everything collapsed on top of us, it nearly broke my heart thinking that was the end. But just now, when I looked up and saw you had saved me before I fell..." His smiled, "I felt like I was seeing the old you again. The you before everything went wrong. Sitting here with you both again...after all this time..." He grinned, "I can't describe how happy I am."

Erza smiled softly and touched Jellal's shoulder, "Having you back on our side after all this time is a relief we can't even begin to describe. It feels like we can start over again from here."

"But I still don't remember anything."

"That's fine." She said, "You just need to take your time trying to remember. It might take a while but until then we won't leave you alone."

"But," Jellal looked between them, "But even if I can't remember what I did, I still did it. So what do I do now? I cant just ignore the crimes I committed when I still had my memories. I need to make up for the sins I've committed." The blue-haired man looked ahead and let out a heavy sigh, "I don't know how."

"You know you're not the only one with sins." Naruto piped up, the whiskered man shaking his head, "Some of us have done things that couldn't possibly be forgiven."

"Some of us failed to take action or help when we could, and in doing so let others get hurt." Erza added, "We all have some sin weighing us down like a burden on our shoulders. But even though we do, and even if we have to make amends for them, you don't have to let them consume your whole life. You can still find some piece of joy and contentment while trying to make up for what you did. And if you'd like..." Erza's hand instinctively reached up for her guild mark, "You can come back to the guild with us until you make your choice."

"Hey yeah!" Naruto beamed with joy at the suggestion, "Come back with us! You can hang out at the guild. We can go out and eat."

"But don't you risk getting into trouble if I'm around?"

"We're Fairy Tail! We set the bar for trouble!" Naruto chuckled, "And hey, we actually have a sister back in Magnolia. Koyuki. I've always wanted to introduce you two to each other."

"That's right." Erza also got excited, "You and Koyuki would get along so well together. And we could show you around Fiore trying to jog your memories. There's a lot we can do to try and make up for lost time."

They talked about a future for him. A future where they could all be friends and experience the world together. He had to imagine this line of conversation was something they dreamed and wished for many, many times when they were locked up together in their childhood. And now it was something they could actually make come true.

It sounded nice. It sounded...wonderful.

...

It sounded...

Natsu's nose twitched and the exhausted, beaten Dragon Slayer shot up to sit on the ground. His sudden movement drew the attention of the others as he raised his head and sniffed the air, "Do you smell that?"

"Not everyone has a nose like you."

"What is it?"

Before Natsu could discern what the new smell was, they all heard it. The sound of heavy footsteps stomping against the ground and metal clacking against metal as it shifted around. The injured Mages of the alliance stood up defensively as they suddenly found themselves faced with a platoon of armored soldiers in blue and white raiments.

With the symbol of the Magic Council adorned on the front of them.

"Rune Knights?" Eve was the first to recognize who they could be even with the new uniforms, "Here?"

"But I thought the Magic Council was destroyed?" Sherry pondered, "Weren't the Rune Knights dissolved as well?"

"Temporarily. The Council needed time to reform itself and the Rune Knights had to wait until that time before we could adorn this armor again." A calm, commanding voice answered as a man stepped forward from the line of Rune Knights. Unlike the simple white and blue the others wore, he wore a distinct black vest underneath that helped him stand out. He fixed his glasses up his nose and regarded all of them, "I am Lahar, fourth commander of the Rune Knights working under the newly reformed Magic Council."

"Why is the Magic Council here?"

"To issue arrests and apprehend criminals."

"What?!" They all cried out in confusion as Lyon narrowed his eyes, "We've done nothing wrong!"

"No, you haven't." Lahar agreed, "We had heard stories about Dark Mages making their move out to this area and with scouts keeping taps on what was happening, but we couldn't have been prepared for a level of enemy like this. Our numbers have barely recovered enough to send out squadrons of soldiers to fight so many from the Balam Alliance, let alone the forces of the Oración Seis. And then we heard that several guilds were working together to try and stop an attack before it was too late."

The bespectacled Rune Knight nodded, "We saw the number of guilds and Dark Mages you defeated. And safe to say that whatever they had planned for this weapon," He regarded the giant pile of rocks that formerly made up Nirvana, "Would have caused untold destruction to our kingdom. So even though I'm sure the Magic Council will take umbrage with your actions outside of their laws, you've still committed a great deed today." He bowed his head respectfully and the other Rune Knights did the same, "Thank you all for your efforts and services this day."

The Mages found it strange to be complimented and thanked by the Rune Knights. Some of them only had interactions with the Magic Council's personal army when they committed offenses or damages that had to be personally addressed by the higher ups. Lucy carefully stepped forward, "So then if you're not here for us then who?"

"The people behind this incident; the Oración Seis." Lahar answered, "Even though we don't have the manpower to combat threats such as them yet, we do have facilities and prisons still in effect to contain powerful criminals like them. We've come to arrest and escort them to such prisons."

The Mages seemed to wait and silently deliberate whether these men could be trusted. Even though they were part of the Rune Knights, they only just showed up soon after their battle with the Oración Seis was finished. It left some of them on edge.

But the first ones to act were the members of Blue Pegasus, stepping up to the broken ramp of Christina and ushering them in. Ren pointed in, "We have them tied up and stored in here."

"Any fatalities?"

"No." Eve answered, a slight militaristic efficiency to his response as his former training bled through, "But they've all sustained injury, and some of them need medical attention."

Lahar nodded and sent a squad forward to collect them. The Mages seemed conflicted with their quick decision but Hibiki spoke up, "It's the right thing to do. It's dangerous just holding them together without any proper way to lock them up. The only reason we were able to hold Angel and Racer so long was because she didn't have access to her keys and he was still recovering from his leg injury. If the others woke up too, we'd have a serious problem on our hands."

"We fight and defeat Dark Mages, but we aren't equipped to hold them or keep them prisoner." Ichiya spoke up, his docile tone making it clear this was the simple answer they had to deal with, "The Council has always handled capturing and keeping dangerous criminals in check. We must cooperate."

"Don't push!" They looked over in time to see Angel being led out with shackles around her wrists and a Knight on either side holding her elbows. The Celestial Spirit Mage struggled and fought back until she noticed the giant pile of rocks that made up Nirvana. Her expression lowered into one of shock and disappointment until she lowered her head and didn't fight back anymore.

The next to get carried out was Racer, still conscious but being transported on a stretcher to not agitate his leg injury. The long-nosed man didn't make a scene or even a noise as he realized their defeat was now complete at this point. He looked down at the shackles that bound him, around at the people that defeated them, and resigned himself to spending his life in another cage.

Finally Midnight, Cobra, and Zero were transported last. All three men still beaten unconscious and when they would reawaken still in the air. Just as they were on transport-

"Hssssssss."

Cubellios dove down through the air, retracting its wings and landing on Cobra. The Mages and Rune Knights quickly acted, ready to apprehend or even kill the giant serpent before it could make any move to help its master or attack them. However after a moment they noticed that the large purple snake was only curled up on Cobra's chest and resting its head under his chin.

Erza stepped forward, "This creature can fly and expel poison from its mouth, as well as its venomous fangs. And Cobra can devour that poison to recover and strengthen himself." She addressed Lahar, "You can cover one of their mouths, or both to be safe, but this snake will do everything it can to be at his side. You should be careful transporting them."

Lahar looked down at the unconscious Dragon Slayer and the resting serpent. He waved his hand over and two Knights brought over restraints to tie around Cobra and Cubellios' mouths. He nodded, "Thank you all for your assistance." His gaze then turned to the side and regarded one of the largest people there, "Hoteye, you are under arrest for multiple felony charges while working with the Oración Seis."

"Wait, hang on." Some of the Mages stepped forward to defend the former Dark Mage as the Knights started to approach him, "He's not with them anymore. He helped us capture the rest of the Dark Mages and assisted us in destroying Nirvana!"

"That may be so but that doesn't absolve him of what he's done." Lahar coldly responded before his gaze shifted over, "And he's not the only one." Rune Knights started to step forward and form a half-circle around Lahar as he faced the last person to get his attention, "Jellal Fernandes...you are wanted for the destruction of the Magic Council, treason upon the kingdom of Fiore, and dozens of other counts to fill the list. You're such a high-value target that we have been given the order to kill you if you try to resist." Some of the Knights aimed their weapons at him, "So don't resist and come with us."

"Hey!" Naruto raised his hand, glaring at Lahar and the men around him, "Don't point those at him!"

"Please, step aside."

"Wait!" Wendy ran up to the commander as Naruto continued to eye him down, "You don't have to do this! Jellal helped stop the Oración Seis and gave us the chance to destroy Nirvana! He's changed! H-He doesn't even remember who he is because of the Etherion poisoning!"

Lahar was interested in that fact, and look to the blue-haired man that wasn't trying to fight or escape from his situation. No matter how injured or tired he was, he still had the potential of a Wizard Saint. That alone would have been enough to fight off this entire group of Rune Knights and escape. And yet he stood there, "Is this true?" The quiet man didn't say a word but gently nodded his head. The Rune Knight thought for a moment, "It's difficult to just take the word of these people as fact on something like this. It would need proper testing and examination. But if it's true..."

Lahar narrowed his eyes, "It changes nothing. Jellal Fernandes is still Jellal Fernandes, the greatest traitor and individual criminal to Fiore we must deal with. Now step aside."

Wendy's heart sank with fear at his words as the Rune Knights started to step forward. Naruto's lips curled up in a growl as his fist tightened at his side-

"Wait." A hand clenched down on his fist before he could attack. Naruto looked up in surprise to see Erza stopping him from attacking as Jellal stepped forward, "I won't fight you. I'll turn myself in. So please don't hurt any of the people here."

"We don't want to hurt anyone." Lahar said calmly, "We only wish to apprehend the criminals and bring them to justice."

Jellal nodded in understanding and looked back at the others. He saw their looks of surprise before he turned his focus on his two oldest friends. He smiled sadly, "Everything you talk about was wonderful. The life you let me picture was something I think I would love to see. But...it felt too easy." Erza lowered her gaze as Naruto shook his head, "We all have sins we have to carry, but not all of them weigh the same. Some of us have victims that still hurt and suffer because of what we've done. And for them," He faced the Knights as they approached with shackles for him, "We can't just take a path we'll enjoy and love to make up for it."

Hoteye also stood up, offering his wrists and the Knights placed shackles around them. Before they could lead him away, he turned to his new comrades and smiled with a wave. He gave them his thanks, a wide smile on his face despite the situation as he was glad he had the chance to make things right before it was too late.

"Is that all you wish to say?" Lahar whispered as Jellal passed by, "Considering the degree of your crimes and how fervently your arrest is desired, I wouldn't be surprised if a life sentence or even a death penalty is dropped on you. This very well may be your last chance to say anything to them."

"No, it's not." Jellal looked down sadly but smiled, "I can't stop feeling that even with all this...we will meet again one day."

As he stepped into the back of the transport and gave himself to a life imprisoned, he stopped. His eyes widened...

He was staring up at a stone ceiling. A familiar sight he had seen so much up to that point in his life. Looking at it filled him with feelings of dread and hopelessness and resentment.

And then people came into his line of view. His friends. People that relied on him and who he relied on. They helped him sit up and patted his back, congratulating him on his victory. He looked back...

A small red-haired girl was sitting by her blond friend laid out on the floor and teasing him with a flick of his nose. He sat up and rubbed his bruised whiskered cheek, ignoring her teasing at his loss. They then both looked his way and while she smiled the blond grinned and swore he'd win the next match.

Oh...so he had felt that way before. No wonder he loved it so much.

The Mages of the alliance stood silently and watched their enemies and allies get carried away. Some kept their disappointment quiet while others were fuming and angry that thing had ended like this. Naruto was only being kept back from running out and pulling Jellal back by the hand holding his arm. He looked down at Erza and was ready to plead with her to help-

Only to see tears running down her cheeks as she tried to remain stone-faced and faltered. Her eyes were red and she wanted to reach out and help their friend just as badly as he did. But she didn't...because she was in control enough to realize the unfortunate truth.

They all had sins to make up for. Some could make up for them over the course of their lives...while others had to give something up to try and make it better.

Naruto's hand settled over here and gently squeezed it. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the Rune Knights vanish and leave with their friend.

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"These! Clothes! Are! Comfy!" Natsu exclaimed as he jumped around with the airy, light wardrobe supplied by Cait Shelter over his body. The garments supplied to them by the tribal guild were soft, interesting, and didn't agitate the bindings or injuries they were still healing from. The Dragon Slayer smiled, "Do you think we'll get to keep them?"

"I'm sure the tribe would be happy to oblige if you asked them." Hibiki offered, he and the other Blue Pegasus Mages opting to instead wear their suits again after they were patched up from their battle damage.

"You sure you guys don't wanna change out and try them on?" Gray asked, "They feel pretty damn great."

"Can you really say that when you aren't wearing anything?" Gray panicked and covered himself up as Lyon laughed, "Pathetic."

"Lyon," Jura warned, "Take note of your own nudity before calling out anyone else's."

"YEAH LYON, HAVE SOME CLASS!" Kichiyo exclaimed, his helmet now atop a new body Jura had formed for him out of the surrounding rock and sentiment, "OUR HOSTS WENT TO ALL THE TROUBLE OF MAKING THESE NEW CLOTHES FOR US! THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS WEAR THEM PROPERLY!"

Happy flew up by the golem's helmet, "But Kichiyo, you're not wearing anything they made. You're naked too!"

"WRONG! LOOK!" He pointed to the top of his helmet and showed off the natural headband woven by the Cait Shelter members, "I'M DRESSED UP FOR THE OCCASION! WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE NOW, LYON?!"

The light-haired Maker Mage growled, "Shut up you walking pile of dirt."

Naruto stood at the entrance to the mens' changing tent and looked out over the small village that made up the guild. He stared out over the tents that made up the homes of the guildmates and could see the main hall of Cait Shelter cresting just over the top of the other tents. And despite their celebratory atmosphere, he couldn't help but stew with irritation.

"Hello, Naruto-kun~."

"GAH!" The blond Mage reacted and twisted around to attack before stopping when he realized Ichiya had slid into his personal space. He dropped his fist and leaned away as the Pegasus Mage sniffed around him, "Please don't do that."

"You should be celebrating with the rest of us, and yet it's clear something is troubling you." The older man said, striking a pose and pointing his fingers up at the taller blond every time he moved, "What might be bothering you my friend?"

"Nothing." Naruto deflected, "I'm happy we were able to stop Nirvana and just tired-"

"I smell the parfum of conflicting feelings on you." Ichiya's nose flared as he took a big whiff of Naruto's scent, causing the blond to shudder as he did, "No point trying to hide it."

The blond grumbled, "Ugh, fine - twist my arm. Look I was just thinking back to when I tried to evacuate the guild before Nirvana could arrive and attack them. But when I arrived and told them what was happening, they decided to stay." Naruto's eyes narrowed in anger, "They said Nirvana was built by their ancestors so they shouldn't run from the consequences of what they built."

"They chose to stay and face possible destruction?"

"Yes! I tried to tell them it was stupid but they didn't move!" The blond regained some of his energy as he complained to the Pegasus leader, "And even when I told them how devastated Wendy would be if she lost them all, they stood their ground! They weren't gonna move even if they died!"

"That's troubling."

"Exactly!" Naruto frowned, "They made it sound like I was going to have to tell Wendy that I wasn't able to convince her guild to move. How the fuck was I suppose to tell her something like that?"

"Indeed. That is a difficult burden to be placed with. And it's upsetting that Cait Shelter would make that kind of decision." The well-dressed man nodded his head, "But we've dealt with Nirvana now so there isn't anything else we should worry about."

"But doesn't that bother you?" The whiskered man asked while looking at Ichiya, "This was something their ancestors did hundreds of years ago but they're still carrying that blame with them? They still consider suffering through an execution to make up for something that wasn't even their fault?" Naruto shook his head and looked out through the opening, "I mean don't they understand what would happen to the people they leave behind? Shouldn't they have tried to fight or help us to make up for it instead of giving up like that? I-I mean I know what they did was bad but-"

Ichiya grabbed Naruto's arm and earned the blond's attention before his tirade could go any farther. Naruto took the moment of pause to realize how fast his heart was beating and how red his face felt from the anger. And then noticed that he had gotten the attention of everyone else in the tent. The blond S-Class Mage took a deep breath and leaned back against the inside of the tent.

Slowly realizing that he wasn't just talking about Cait Shelter.

Ichiya nodded and stepped forward, "When people make a mistake, they have a decision on how to deal with it. Some people choose to face it and try to make it right. Some choose to ignore it entirely and never accept responsibility for what they have done. And some think they must take it upon themselves however they must to make amends." Ichiya sympathetically nodded at Naruto, "You cannot force someone to reconcile their mistakes how you want them to. You can only convince them of some way, and stand by them as they make their choice. Even if it is the hardest one to accept."

Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Natsu giving him a faint smile. The blond closed his eyes and let out a soft exhale before accepting that it was what it was.

"Come now friends," Ichiya stepped up to the entrance and motioned them to follow, "It's time to forget our worries and celebrate our victory!"

"Come on," Gray nudged Naruto's shoulder as he walked by with a smile, "Let's go show them how Fairy Tail crashes a party."

"Heh, you know I could use some wanton violence and screaming to lighten the mood." Naruto said, forcing a small smile on his face as he followed the others and walked out to the center of the guild's area.

"Guys! Hey!" Lucy called out to her friends, dressed in a Nirvit outfit offered to her by their hosts. Wendy was also waving them over, with Carla, Sherry, and Erza standing close by, "We were waiting for you! What took you so-"

"Forgive us, my angel."

"We so do apologize, my queen."

"It's not like you had to stand here waiting for us, my princess."

"Ah!" Lucy nearly jumped back as the Trimens slid into place around her to offer their adoration, "Please stop that."

Erza's eyes lingered to the side for a moment in thought before she noticed Naruto walking over. The redhead met him halfway and they hugged each other, a gentle squeeze from both they realized the other really needed. Erza pulled back and smiled, Naruto noticing that her expression was about as put upon and forced as his own considering the circumstances, "Glad this is over."

"Me too." He nodded, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore but otherwise fine." She knew he didn't believe that but she smiled, "I'll feel a lot better when we finally get home."

"Should we order out and just gorge ourselves at home?"

"That sounds perfect."

As the alliance gathered together and started to celebrate, the entirety of the Cait Shelter guild arrived to greet them. The alliance stood quietly and faced them, Wendy and Carla standing by their side as well as they were honored for their part in the fight. The elder master, Roubaul, stepped forward and addressed them all, "Fairy Tail. Lamia Scale. Blue Pegasus. Wendy and Carla. You all have done a great service to the world by fighting the Oración Seis and stopping Nirvana. For this," The descendants of the Nirvit tribe bowed their heads, "We thank you."

"Ah it's no big deal!"

"No need to thank us."

"It was our duty to help stop the Dark Mages."

"WE'RE SO BADASS WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO WIN!"

The alliance members humbly accepted their thanks or even tried to wave it off as no big deal. However the Cait Shelter members persisted and bowed further, "No, we must give our thanks. If it wasn't for you...the destruction and chaos wrought by that weapon would have been disastrous."

"Seriously, it's no problem! What's done is done!" Natsu called with a huge grin on his face, "Now let's party! Someone bring out the booze and light the meat on fire because I'm gonna celebrate!"

"If anyone has wine, me and the boys would be more than happy to pour it for the lovely ladies."

"YEAH! LET'S PARTY!" Kichiyo hoisted Sherry up on his shoulder and grabbed Lyon's collar as the Maker Mage started wriggling around to escape, "I AM A PARTY GOLEM!"

The alliance started to rare up and get the party vibe going for their celebration, but slowly realized that the members of Cait Shelter weren't moving and still had pensive expressions on their faces.

Roubaul shook his head, "I'm sorry but we aren't able to celebrate with all of you. We wanted to take this time to apologize and explain to you the follies of the Nirvana system. Why we are so grateful to you all for destroying it."

"You don't need to." Naruto spoke up, "We know how much it meant to see this thing gone."

"Your ancestors brought Nirvana into this world and you watched over it all this time." Erza continued, "You don't need to carry its burden any longer."

"Well, that's the point of our apology." Roubaul stated, "We lied to all of you." They looked at him befuddled, "We aren't the descendants of the Nirvit tribe tasked with guarding its secrets..."

"We are the Nirvit tribe. I am the man that oversaw its construction and creation over 400 years ago."

As shock covered the faces of all the Mages present, Roubaul continued, "400 years ago, the world was ravaged by great and terrible wars that never seemed to end. New kingdoms and forces seemed to sprout up every second in order to grab power, and with every one that fell there was a new field of graves to fill in afterwards. Every new force was trying to create a new weapon or form of magic in order to claim victory. Nirvana was mine...but instead of winning war, I had hoped to end it entirely."

"When people wage war, they bury feelings of empathy, mercy, and restraint in favor of callousness, anger, and hatred. Most only push them down so that they can weather the evils and horror of warfare. Some...become stained by it and never go back to they way they were. I wanted to make something that could bring peace instead of another machine of war to drag out the conflict. I wanted to make something that could change the hearts of people swallowed by the darkness."

"So...you made Nirvana?"

"Yes," Roubaul nodded, "At first I thought about making something that could negate magic or ruin spells, but even if I did then it wouldn't solve the core of the problem; people were angry at each other and that anger filled their hearts. So instead, my tribe and I worked to create a weapon that could change the feelings and mindsets of people from darkness to light." The old man lowered his head and sighed, "I knew it was an invasive and unfair choice to change the hearts of people against their will, but with the alternative being wars that swallowed up our homes I thought it a necessary sacrifice. And for a time it worked perfectly."

He smiled fondly, "Nirvana did exactly as we hoped. The most bloodthirsty warmongers were changed into advocates of peace and change. Men and women that had sacrificed their humanity to fight in war were people once again that had only abandoned the worst sides of themselves. We felt proud in our accomplishment. For a time we believed we could rid the entire world of darkness and evil if we used Nirvana. But we made a critical error as we started to travel and try to fix everything. You can't banish or destroy darkness completely...for all light that is brought into this world, an equal amount of darkness must be allowed to settle as well."

"Is that why?" Hibiki looked at him quizzically, "I thought it was just a coincidence that when Richard was turned to the light, Sherry-San was affected by the darkness around the same time."

"B-But I came back to normal." The young Lamia Mage said, "While he continued to be good and kind. Why is that?"

"Your darkness went somewhere else in the world. It has probably been added to the heart of someone already swathed in evil." She gasped and the others looked worried as Roubaul continued, "We didn't know this at the time and just continued to turn everyone to the light haphazardly. We did it over and over until all that displaced darkness, all those neutered feelings of malice and contempt, built up in Nirvana itself. And infected the Nirvit tribe that lived on the back of it."

Lucy covered her mouth in horror, "You all were turned by the darkness?"

"We had displaced so much that it had built up on us instead. And when it finally settled on all of us we didn't have a chance." The old man gripped his staff tightly as tears filled his eyes, "The things we did to each other...and ourselves..."

"All the damages and blood in the streets of that city," Erza whispered as horrified realization struck her, "You attacked each other."

"We slaughtered each other in the end. But before that we committed every form of horror and atrocity imaginable upon our friends. Families. Neighbors. Men, women, and children. The things we did and reveled in..." He shook his head and let out a shaky sob, "Our tribe was destroyed."

"If your tribe was destroyed centuries ago, then how are you here now?"

Roubaul wiped his eyes and sniffled to try and collect himself. The younger guild members reached over and comforted their old master as he looked to the alliance fondly. He smiled...

"We're not."

The members of Cait Shelter started to fade away.

Wendy's eyes widened in shock, "Wha-"

"T-They're disappearing!" Carla shuddered, "They're fading away."

"I was the only survivor of the Nirvit tribe and I died centuries ago. Even so my soul remained in this world, tethered by grief and regret for the terrible weapon I created and the pain I caused. I swore that as long as Nirvana existed in this world I would remain to watch over it. That was my burden that I would gladly accept until the day it was destroyed."

"S-So then why?" Gray asked, "Why did you make a guild? To watch over Nirvana?"

As the members of the guild faded away, Roubaul chuckled and shook his head, "No, not at all. In fact the creation of Cait Shelter was completely unrelated to Nirvana and my duty to watch over it. I made Cait Shelter," He looked over at Wendy as her eyes filled with tears, "As a home for one lost little girl."

"H-Huh?"

"Seven years ago, while I wandered the land as a tethered soul, I met a young boy with blue hair carrying a little girl." Wendy gasped, "I don't believe he knew what I was but when I told him I couldn't leave this place, he requested that I look after this little girl until a time when he could return. And when she awoke asking where he was and if they were at a guild they could enter together, while I couldn't give her one I thought I would at least give her the other."

"You made an entire guild just for Wendy?"

"I'm sorry Wendy." The old man apologized to the crying young Dragon Slayer as projections around him faded away, "I'm sorry I lied to you all this time. I made a guild around us, filled it with projections of my old tribe, and tried to create a place that you could be happy in. And in the process, I made us a new home. A home I loved and cherished just as much as I did my old tribe." Tears filled his eyes, "The days we spent with you and Carla were so wonderful I almost forgot about Nirvana entirely."

"M-Master, please!" Wendy sobbed, "Stop it!"

"To be honest, after all this time I realized that I was burdened by two regrets now; my regrets with Nirvana, and my shame with leaving you behind if the time to leave finally came. However I realized I didn't need to worry about that anymore," He looked up and smiled at Naruto's shocked expression, "Because now you have new friends willing to go the distance for you."

"Master!" Wendy cried out, tears spilling from her eyes as she broke off from the group and rushed for the old man that raised and watched over her for years, "Please! Don't go!"

"I'm sorry my child."

She ran into his chest and buried herself in it as he embraced her and whispered gently.

"But you needn't be afraid."

She could still hold on! He was still here!

"You aren't alone. And you still have your whole life to live."

Don't go! Don't go!

"This...was just the beginning for you. Live your life splendidly Wendy...I love you."

The old man faded away in her arms and her support vanished, causing her to drop to her knees and weep. The guild mark on her shoulder slowly disappeared into particles of light.

The alliance could only stand in shock and disbelief as an entire guild faded away before their eyes...

Leaving only a stunned feline...

And a crying young girl.

########Hunter########

"Okay, do we have everything?"

"Everything we can carry."

"How about transport?"

"I booked us a boat to Hargeon! Long ways! Take our time on the boat!" Natsu grinned while bouncing on his feet, "Man I can't believe I'm gonna be able to actually enjoy a ride on a boat for once! This will be awesome!"

"Okay spazz, shut up." Naruto tried to ignore his friend's boundless enthusiasm at being able to finally ride transportation. He never would have thought it was possible for Natsu and vehicles to be more annoying than just constantly getting sick, but a Natsu excited to ride something was just unbearable. The blond stood up and pulled the pack over his shoulder, "I think we're set then."

"Then we should set off as well!" Ichiya announced, "Unfortunately it should take us a lot longer to get back to the guild this time around."

"Master isn't going to be happy that the Christina isn't coming back with us."

"Do you think he had insurance on it or something?"

"If he did I wouldn't feel this looming sense of dread hanging over us, would I?"

Gray smirked towards his former fellow disciple, "See ya later Lyon, try not to get yourself killed."

"Pfft," Lyon scoffed and shook his head, "I don't mind if you die but try not to embarrass Ur's teachings, Gray."

"Naruto-dono," Jura stepped up and nodded his head respectfully to the whiskered blond before offering his hand, "As expected, another job with you has taken an unexpected but worthwhile turn. Perhaps the next time we meet things will be a little calmer."

"Don't count on it." The blond grinned and shook the Wizard Saint's hand, "Take care of yourself Jura."

"As will you I hope." The bald man turned and nodded his head to Erza as well, "It was an honor to work beside you Erza-dono. The tales of your strength and resilience were an understatement."

"And I'm happy to see the title of Wizard Saint is being honored in the hands of someone like you." Erza smirked slyly, "I can see why Naruto tries to one-up you so often."

"Erza shut up."

The redhead chuckled at her boyfriend's indignant expression as Jura joined in on the laughter. However the S-Class woman froze and shuddered as she felt a presence slither up behind her, "Ah~, Erza-San~, I shall memorize your parfum until we meet-"

"Ah!" Erza's foot shot out on reflex and knocked Ichiya away as she fell back into Naruto's supporting frame. She panted and tried to catch her breath before looking between Naruto and Jura. Coughing into his fist, she called out, "Thank you for your help, Ichiya!"

"My pleasure~. Meeeeennnnnnnn~!"

"And it was our pleasure to work with you, Lucy-San." Hibiki slipped up beside the blonde Mage, startling her as he took her hand and gently kissed the back of it, "Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"Y-Yeah," Lucy weakly chuckled as a sweat drop ran down her cheek, the allure of being pampered by these handsome men now going dry. But her eyes widened in realization before she reached back and pulled out several Golden Keys, "Hibiki, are you sure it's okay for me to take these? Some of them were Karen's to begin with, right?"

"Yes, but Karen passed and those keys were let back out into the world. They belong to whomever proves themself worthy. I think no one exemplifies that better than you, Lucy-San. Keep them." Lucy smiled and thanked him for his kindness before he offered her a small booklet, "And please take this."

"What is it?"

"It's a spell I found while searching my Archive. When I looked over it I realized it would probably help you greatly in future battles."

Lucy tilted her head and flipped open a page, "Wow that's a long incantation. Urano...Metria?"

The three guilds continued to say goodbye and give their wishes to each other before separating. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus started on their way as the Fairy Titans turned to collect their things-

"Fairy Tail!"

They looked back and saw their allies point towards them challengingly with smiles on their faces, "If you can't handle taking care of them then just let us know! We'll be more than happy to give them the best home when you screw up!"

"Or just trust her with us. We're happy to have another pair of angels join our family to find happiness."

The Fairies smiled and met their challenge with resolute nods. They turned back to gather their supplies before heading out again. And as they did they found the two new members of their groupl

They stared at the hall of Cait Shelter that still stood even as an empty reminder of the family that was gone. Carla looked back and spotted the Fairies watching them before she tapped her charge's leg, "Wendy?"

The blue-haired girl looked back, her eyes rimmed red from the tears she shed. She wiped them down and turned to the group offering them a new home.

"Time to go."

########Hunter########

Wendy was surprised by how lively and jovial the trip was back to the Fairy's hometown. They made jokes. They talked about what they wanted to eat and drink back in the hall. They wondered what their next job was going to be when they got back.

And through it all they always made sure to check on her.

She was feeling better. She'd be lying if she thought that it didn't still hurt realizing the only family she had was gone but now she had a new prospective family to look forward to.

She was surprised when Erza offered her the chance to join Fairy Tail and expected the offer to vanish once their pity was dried up. But she realized it wasn't pity and she was just being pessimistic. They wanted her to join their guild wholeheartedly.

It was easier with Carla there. At least she was still with her.

Wendy smiled and laughed along the journey as well. She giggled when Natsu was doing flips on the boat only for her magic to wear off and his sickness to return. And the only reason she didn't feel bad was because everyone laughed when it happened.

Along the trip the others checked on her. Talked with her. Told her she would love it in her new guild. She wondered whether she was really worthy of joining Fairy Tail.

They said she was basically already a member.

They walked through Magnolia's streets.

Passed by so many people that waved and said hello.

Until finally...

It was huge. So much bigger than the old hall. Even Carla was startled by its size.

"Well?" Erza touched her shoulder and Wendy looked up at the redhead's kind smile, "Are you ready?"

She swallowed the lump that wouldn't leave her throat, "I-I'm nervous. I-I think I need a moment." As Wendy tried to catch her breath, she noticed her friends were standing with her and smiling comfortably, "Why are you all still out here?"

"Well we're waiting for you, duh." Natsu grinned.

"We wanna welcome you to the guild properly." Lucy smiled.

"And we're your seniors so it'd look bad if we left you two back here." Gray said.

"You're gonna love it inside!" Happy chirped.

"But you all have been waiting to come home for so long."

"Yes, and we can wait a little longer." Erza gently put her hand on Wendy's back, "We're here for you."

"You're our family now," She looked up at Naruto's wide smile, "We'll stay as long as you need us to."

...

That was the nudge she needed. The push that made her quell the unease and fear in her stomach as she took a deep breath and stepped forward. She led the walk ahead, her friends following up behind her as Carla joined at her side. She walked through the threshold...

And was greeted with a massive hall filled with noise, screaming, laughs, and joy. Her arrival garnered their attention as she stood up-

"My name is Wendy Marvell!" She called out, bowing her head respectfully before smiling, "And I'd like to join your guild please!"

########Hunter########

Part 4...Done

Man, took us a while but we're finally here! The end of the arc and the start of two new members! I've been looking forward to having Wendy and Carla join the guild forever and now we can finally have them here!

So I've been updating this a little better over the last few months and I swear I'll do better from now on.

We'll be getting a few fun chapters after this and then...another one I've been looking forward to.

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Thank You and Bye