Oh my goodness, guys. It's finally here! The final chapter of Extinction! And Holy SHIT, this one's a long one, clocking in at almost 6800 words. This has been awesomely fun to write, and I appreciated the feedback that I got on it. Seriously, if you guys were able to make it through this, you rock. Hope you guys enjoy the final chapter, there may be an epilogue or two coming out later, and see ya later! Storm Out!
Light filtered sluggishly through the massive dust cloud, illuminating the aftermath of a massive explosion. The one thing still remotely intact was a metal throne, black iron and beaten. Everything else was rubble and dust, settling to the ground with an ominous finality.
Suddenly, a black arm punched through the top layer, creating space for Erin Noctem to climb to the surface. Gasping for breath, he lay on his back as the black markings and wings faded from his body. "THAT…was way too close." He said to himself. Rolling over, he attempted to push himself to his knees, only to falter, coughing up blood as pain raced through his chest. "Damn." He wheezed, coughing up more blood. "That hurt like a bitch." Giving himself a minute, he tried again, groaning as the pain returned. Managing to get to his feet, he glanced around. "Hello?!" He shouted, voice echoing across the pile of rubble that used to be the Nocturnal Alliance base of operations. "Can anyone hear me?!" He stumbled across the pile, clutching his side as he picked his way around huge chunks of stone. "Anybody there?!" He yelled, hoping for a response. Dread filled him as silence greeted his ears. "I can't be the only one that survived that!" He growled to himself, falling to a knee and coughing. "Damn it. Must've cracked a rib." He said to himself, placing a hand on his chest. Wincing, he rose to his feet and continued to pick his way through the landscape. "HEY!" He shouted. Straining his ears, his eyes lit up as he heard a faint response. "Whoever you are, keep talking!" He yelled. Following the voice, he found a large pile of stone leaning against the remains of a wall. "Hang on!" He shouted, and set himself to shifting the largest chunk, a piece of the ceiling that had fallen. Straining, he shifted it far enough that he could work on the rest of the pile. Digging through, he came across a hand, and grabbed it. "Hang on, I've almost got you out!" He reassured whomever it was, and he smiled as he heard Gajeel's distinctive growl. "Hurry it up, thunderhead, I'm getting squashed under 'ere." Shifting more stone, Erin finally uncovered Gajeel's upper body and pulled him out. "Took ya long enough." Gajeel groaned as Erin bent over, coughing up more blood. "You doin' okay?" "Yeah," Erin responded, offering a weak smile. "Just cracked a few ribs, is all. How about you?" "Couple bruises, but other than that, I got lucky. That chunk o' wall saved me from the worst of it." "Good." Erin answered tiredly. "Now, let's see if anybody else is still trapped in here."
"Dammit, we can't be the only two left." Gajeel growled, punching a chunk of stone into dust. Erin nodded listlessly, stumbling against a ruined pillar. Damn, he thought, my vision's getting fuzzy. I'm about ready to collapse here. Suddenly, Erin's world faded to black and he keeled over, landing painfully on his back. "Oi, Cyclone. Ya gotta get up. No rest for the weary 'til we find everyone." Gajeel said, glancing over. His eyes widened as he saw Erin. "Oi, Cyclone!" He rushed over to the storm wizard, kneeling at his side. "C'mon, Erin, stay with me!" He shook Erin, trying to revive him. Suddenly, his ears perked up as a familiar voice drifted over the wind. Looking around, his eyes focused on a group of people picking their way towards them. "Shrimp, grab Pigtails and hurry up! Erin's not responding!" Worry flashed through Levy's eyes as she dashed over, Soul, Evergreen, Cana, and Maka trailing behind her. "What happened?" Levy questioned, looking at Gajeel. "I dunno. First thing I know, he picked me out of the rubble, and he was coughin' up blood. He said he thought he cracked a rib, and then while we were searching over here for the rest of the group, he passed out." Maka kneeled next to him, sending out a pulse of magic. "What's she doing, Soul?" Cana asked, leaning towards the white-haired man. "She's using her Soul Pulse to examine the internal organs, because he's clearly got more than a cracked rib." Cana nodded, glancing down at her guild mate. Suddenly, Maka's eyes popped open. "What's the situation, Pigtails?" Gajeel growled, his eyes on the unconscious man. "He did have cracked ribs, but one of them fractured and punctured his lung. He passed out from lack of oxygen." Maka replied, removing her gloves. "I can temporarily fix the lung, so that he can help with the search, but we'll need to get him to a doctor as soon as we can, and he'll still be coughing up blood." Unbuttoning Erin's shirt, she placed her bare hands over his right lung. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. "Soul Pulse: Heal!" A blue flash erupted from her hands, shining brightly. As it faded, Erin's chest rose and fell more regularly, and his eyes blinked open. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as he sat up, groaning. "Alright, people," Levy said, determination in her eyes. "Let's go find the rest of the group."
"Hey!" Cana yelled, then paused, listening for a response. When none came, she looked down, discouraged, then focused as she spied something in her peripheral vision. Calling for Erin, they dashed over to the item, and began to dig around it. "Come on, come on." Erin growled, shifting he stone that was underneath the white scale-patterned scarf. Slowly, they uncovered an unconscious Natsu, the wound in his chest hastily bandaged, and underneath him, a struggling Mira. "Oh, thank goodness!" Mira cheered, a smile on her face. "I was beginning to lose hope!" "I'm glad you guys are alright!" Cana sighed, relieved. "Now, let's go get you guys checked out. That wound looks like it needs to be bandaged again." She eyed the wound, then looked over at Erin as he leaned against the remains of a doorframe, hacking up blood. "Erin," she called, getting the man's attention. "Go and rest. You don't want to push yourself too hard." "With all due respect, Cana," Erin replied, a steely glint in his eye. "I'm not going to rest until I find Erza." "Alright," Cana conceded, "but if something happens before we find her…" "Nothing will happen." Erin growled, wiping his mouth. He walked away, shoulders set and tall, but at the last second his body was racked by a new coughing fit. Cana shook her head. We need to hurry and find Erza, she thought, or we'll be adding another Fairy Tail wizard to the fatality list.
Erin hacked out another cough as he searched through the rubble that used to be the throne room. I won't quit! He thought to himself. I can't quit! Not until I find her! "Hey!" Erin looked up. Glancing around, he shrugged and resumed his search. "HEY!" Erin glanced up again, this time glancing around at ground level. "Keep talking." He said, hoping that whomever it was could hear him. "OVER HERE!" Placing the shout, he scrambled over the debris towards what used to be an archway. "Gajeel! I need your help over here!" he shouted, struggling to lift a massive chunk of the arch. Gajeel clambered over the rubble to reach him. Setting his shoulder against the debris, Gajeel grunted as he used his legs to push the arch up and away. Erin scrambled underneath it, searching through the pile of rubble for anything, when an arm burst out of the pile to his left. "Easy!" he shouted, jerking back with a cough. Blood splattered the arm as Laxus appeared from the pile. "Thanks," Laxus said, wiping his arm on the ground. "Are you injured?" Erin questioned, ignoring the sarcastic jab. "I've got a couple of scrapes, and my shoulder was dislocated, but other than that, no." Laxus answered, glancing with concern at Erin. "You should probably-" "I'm NOT sitting out." Erin said, cutting him off. "Erza is still missing. I'm not taking a break until we find her. So-" He cut off as another coughing fit overtook him. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he glared at Laxus. "Not one word to me about taking it easy. You and I BOTH know that Erza wouldn't stop if our positions were swapped." "Alright." Laxus replied, holding his hands up in surrender. "But don't blame me when you work yourself to death."
Levy climbed over the mountains of rubble, eyes scanning left and right as she tried to pick out any trace of the last missing guild member. It had been over an hour since she and her group had returned to the castle after a massive explosion had leveled it. Now, one of her best friends was still missing, and she was running low on hope that they would ever find her. Suddenly, something shiny caught her eye. Squinting, she managed to pick out a shining silver gauntlet. "ERIN!" She screamed, already clambering towards it. Erin glanced up, hearing his name called, and saw Levy scrambling away from them, towards where the far wall would have been. Taking off after her, he noticed a silver gauntlet sticking out of one of the debris piles, pointed towards the heavens. Dread filling his heart, he doubled his speed, catching up to Levy as she reached the gauntlet. Grasping it, he sighed in relief when the glove feebly squeezed his hand. "Hold on, Red. We'll get you out of there." Turning, he went to call for Laxus and Gajeel, but was interrupted by a massive coughing fit. He fell to his hands and knees, spitting out a globule of blood, which splattered over the debris he crouched on. Wiping his mouth, he growled. Pushing up, he drew a deep breath, only to be stopped by Levy. "Let me handle it." She advised, writing the word fire in the air, and sending it straight up. Erin nodded, and began to attempt to shift some of the debris, but to no avail. The explosion had shattered the ceiling here into large pieces, and in his weakened state, he couldn't do much. All of the sudden, Laxus was at his side, helping to shift one of the larger pieces, while Gajeel worked on breaking up the massive pieces into more manageable sizes. Erin grasped the gauntlet once more, squeezing the armor gently, and sighed when the gesture was returned. "Just hold on, Red." He said, determination in his voice. "We'll have you out of there soon enough." The gauntlet squeezed his hand, acknowledging his statement, and he let go, helping Laxus to move the debris out of the way. Finally, Gajeel moved the heaviest piece of debris, and they were able to pull Erza out of the rubble. Erza stood, clad in her Adamantine Armor, which had deflected most of the damage from Jose's attack. Erin took a step towards her, then rushed to catch her as she collapsed, exquipping to her standard attire of a white blouse and a blue skirt. "Erza!" he yelled, panicked, and then doubled over as the largest coughing spell yet hit his lungs full force. Coughing up a trail of blood, he wobbled on his hands and knees, before collapsing onto his stomach next to Erza. "Damn it!" Gajeel cursed. Scooping up Erza in a fireman's carry, he glanced over at Laxus, who had gathered Erin up in his arms. They scrambled over the mountains of stone and clay, careful not to jostle the passengers, heading towards the rest of the group, who had gathered just outside what used to be the main courtyard. Reaching them, they stopped to catch their breath. "We need to get going, now." Laxus growled, already heading off through the desert. "These two need medical attention, as soon as possible, and for that, we need to get to a hospital. What's the nearest town?" "Dawn City." Levy answered. "Half a day's travel from here on foot. Do you think we could make it?" "We would be cutting it closer than a razor." Laxus replied. "Erin's lung was only patched up, and I think he may have re-opened the wound, along with several cracked ribs, and Erza used up all of her magic energy trying to block the explosion, and then took a shard of rock to the stomach." Shifting, Gajeel revealed the six-inch-long shard currently embedded in Erza's belly. "I don't think it hit anything vital, but I don't want to remove in case she bleeds to death." "Then let's get moving." Mira insisted, worry darkening her features. "If we get going now, there's a better chance that they'll survive. Plus, Natsu still needs treatment. I've bandaged it as best I can, but it'll need surgery to repair the damage." "Alright," Laxus said, facing east. "Dawn City it is. Let's go."
It was well past nightfall when they finally stumbled into Dawn City. Erin and Erza were both pale, their breathing shallow, but still alive. Natsu was up and walking, currently helping Laxus carry Erin. Mira went to the nearest door and knocked. A dog began barking, and seconds later, they heard a woman's voice. "Who could that be at this late hour…I swear if it's those kids again I'll show 'em what for. Back, Free, BACK!" They heard the dog's paws on hardwood running away from the door, then the chain on the door unlatched and the door opened, revealing an attractive twenty-something woman with light brown hair worn in a braid, and multiple snake tattoos on her arms. Needless to say, the woman was taken aback to find, not kids playing a prank, but eleven adults, two of them being carried by the others. "Pardon us for the trouble, ma'am." Laxus started, a grim look on his face. "We're wizards from the guild Fairy Tail. Our comrades were recently hurt in battle with a dark guild, and need medical attention as soon as possible. Do you know where we could find a doctor?" "Oh, my goodness." The woman said, covering her mouth. "Bring them inside, quickly. Ordinarily, I don't I accept patients at my house, but for this case, I'll make an exception. The name is Medusa Albarn, by the way." Hurrying inside, they followed Medusa into the basement, where there were five beds set up, along with various medical equipment and supplies. "Lay them there. I'll get cleaned up and get Free and Eruka out of our hair, then I'll help your friends." Stepping over to the nearest bed, Natsu and Laxus laid Erin out on it, while Gajeel set Erza down on the bed directly next to it. The others took seats on the floor near the pair, but when Natsu attempted to join them, Laxus shook his head and pointed to a third bed. "Last I checked, you were pretty badly injured yourself. Go lay down, have the good doctor take a look at you." When Natsu tried to protest, Laxus crossed his arms over his chest. "Absolutely not. Go lie down, before I knock you out and put you in that bed myself." Grumbling, Natsu went to the third bed in the line, laying on his back.
"So," Medusa said casually, putting on a pair of gloves. "Mind telling me what happened to these three? You said they were injured in a fight with a dark guild, but I need to know what I'm dealing with." "The tall one has a punctured lung, but it was patched with Soul Pulse magic." Laxus said, and Medusa did a slight double take at the mention of the magic. "Anything else?" "Cracked ribs, maybe more." Laxus responded, ignoring the hesitation. "He would be in better shape, but he worked himself to unconsciousness trying to find his fiancée." He indicated Erza. "A building collapsed on all of us, but most of us were lucky-" "LUCKY?!" Medusa said incredulously. "You're damn right you got lucky! You're all lucky to be alive, let alone with minimal injuries!" Mumbling under her breath about astronomical odds, she examined Erin's wound. "Who was it that used Soul Pulse magic to heal this one?" "Someone we rescued from the Nocturnal Alliance." Laxus responded, and Medusa whirled around. "WHO?!" She asked fervently, shocking Laxus. "H-her name's Maka. She's upstairs right now." "Go get her. If it's who I think it is…" She stopped that thought as Mira darted upstairs. "Anyways, as impressive a patch job as it was, it's just that: a patch job." Closing her eyes, Medusa placed a hand on Erin's bare chest. "Nake Snake, Cobra, Cobra." She chanted, and one of the snake tattoos on her arms slithered to life. "Oh helpful familiar, heal this man of his injuries. Serpent Healer!" With that, the tattoo slithered down her hand and onto Erin, settling on his chest, above his ribcage. "What are you doing?!" Gajeel roared, rising to his feet. "Relax, I'm doing as you asked." "How do we know you ain't poisoning him?" Gajeel asked, suspicious of the brunette healer. "Because I'm not. If I wanted to kill you, I would have just denied you entry to my home. And you can trust that my methods are effective. I learned the art of healing from a witch named Porlyusica." At that, Gajeel sat abruptly. "Ya shoulda mentioned that a little sooner, Snake Charmer. I would have trusted you from the start if you had said you knew Porlyusica." "Thank you." Medusa replied scathingly. "Now, please allow me to treat your friends, unless you want them to die?" She glared at Gajeel, who stared off into the corner, avoiding her gaze. Huffing, she went to go to Erza, only to be stopped as a hand grabbed her wrist. Turning, she saw that the young man had grabbed a hold of her wrist. His lips moved, but she couldn't make out what he said. Leaning towards him, she heard the man. "Miss, is Erza going to make it?" He looked absolutely worried for the woman next to him, without concern for himself. It reminded Medusa of herself at a younger age. Looking the man in the eyes, she said, "I will do everything in my power to make sure she does. Now, rest. You need to be healthy, as well." The man scoffed, letting her wrist go. "Yeah, sure." He said, laying his head back. Soon, he was snoring lightly as he fell asleep. Medusa shook her head, smiling. "They're really something, huh, Doc?" Laxus said, smiling. Medusa laughed lightly. "Something foolish, that's for sure." "To be honest, Erin would be in better shape if we had found Erza sooner." He said. Medusa looked back at him, puzzled. "Erin was the first out of us to recover after the building collapsed. When he got up, he was coughing up blood and was in extreme pain, but fought through it and found Gajeel. Not long after that, he collapsed from a punctured lung. If Maka hadn't been there…" "If I hadn't been where?" A familiar voice rang from the basement steps. "Sorry I wasn't here sooner, Laxus, but Soul and I ran out and grabbed food for you guys, if you're hungry." Medusa turned and looked at the new comer, then promptly squealed and ran past Laxus to embrace Maka. "Oh my god, I thought I would never see you again!" She exclaimed, wrapping Maka in a vice-like hug. "It's been two years, hasn't it, little sis?"
"Medusa?!" Maka exclaimed, stunned. "What are you doing here? I thought you still had the house in Oak Town?" Medusa's smile dimmed somewhat. "After you and Soul disappeared, I decided that I needed a fresh start, so I sold the house and moved here, to Dawn City, and got a job as a doctor." She glanced around, frowning. "Where's Soul, anyways?" "He's upstairs, talking with Mira. Shouldn't you be worrying about your patients?" "OH! Right!" Medusa said, rushing back to Erza's bed. Laxus looked meaningfully at Gajeel, Levy, Cana and Evergreen, and they went upstairs to grab food, leaving Maka and Medusa alone with their patients.
"Your magic has gotten better." Medusa commented, as she examined Erza. "If he would have had time to rest, instead of climbing over rubble and digging through debris, I probably wouldn't have been needed." "Thanks, sis." Maka responded, smiling sadly. "Guess I had plenty of time to improve while I was locked in that cell." Medusa's fist clenched as Maka said that last part, then she looked back as Erza began to stir. "W-where am I? Where is Erin?" She went to sit up, but Medusa put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Please, lie still. You've sustained serious injuries, and it will only make them worse if you move." "Who are you?" Erza questioned, suspicion evident in her voice. "My name's Medusa Albarn." Medusa responded, trying to soothe her patient. "Your friends brought you and two others here after a building collapsed on you." "Was…someone named Erin with them? Please, I need to know." She once again tried to sit up, but Medusa's hand was still on her shoulder. "If you're talking about the man in the bed over there who acted the same when it came to your health, then yes. He's not out of the woods yet, but he should pull through." Erza stilled, a sigh of relief breaking through her lips. "Thank goodness." Medusa hid a small smile as she examined Erza's wounds, clicking her tongue as she found the shard of rock that was embedded in her side. "You were wise to leave this in." She said to Maka as she examined the wound. "Even though it didn't hit anything vital, she would have bled out long before you reached me, even with a bandage. Could you fetch me a bucket of water and some towels?" As Maka ran to grab the supplies, she looked up at Erza. "This is going to hurt quite a lot. The stone has something like a barb that's already in the wound. We're going to have to push it through the other side. Can you roll onto your side for me?" Assisting her, Medusa looked up to see Maka hurrying back with the water and towels. "Come here, sis, I need your help." As Maka approached, her eyes widened at Erza's injury. "We're going to have to push the stone through. Give one of the towels to Erza to bite down on, then go upstairs and tell the big blonde guy-" "Laxus?" Maka asked, smiling. "Whatever his name is." Medusa said, rolling her eyes. "Tell him to go to the house on the corner and ask for Dr. Stein. Tell him to say that Dr. Albarn needs his assistance." As Maka ran off, Medusa looked back at Erza, whose worried eyes rested on Erin. "He'll be fine, I promise." Medusa said, soothingly. "I haven't lost a patient yet. Even if you two are the worst cases I've seen so far, I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep you alive." Erza sighed, then braced as Maka returned. "Laxus just left." She told Medusa. "Anything else you need?" "Grab a pair of gloves. We'll get this out of her as soon as Frank arrives."
Laxus panted as he ran towards the corner. Dr. Stein, Dr. Stein. He repeated in his head. Reaching the house, a strange square one with what looked like stitches running across it, he ran to the door and knocked. A minute later, a tall man answered, wearing a lab coat and, strangely, a giant screw through his head. "Yeah?" the man asked, glancing at Laxus over his circular glasses. "Please, sir, I'm looking for a Dr. Stein. Do you know where he is?" "You're looking at him." The man responded. "What do you need?" "I just came from the house down the street. My friends are badly injured and the doctor that lives there asked for your help. She said to tell you that Dr. Albarn needs his assistance." The man's gaze hardened as Laxus said her name. "Give me thirty seconds to grab a few things, and I'll be right back. Crona!" a tall girl with pink hair poked her head out of the door. "Get my medical bag. We're heading over to Medusa's. Quickly!" With that, Crona darted off, and Dr. Stein threw on a lab coat. Seconds later, Crona reappeared, a large duffel bag in her hands. Stein grabbed it, throwing it over his shoulder, and looked back at Laxus. "Well, young man, lead on."
Erza winced as Medusa washed the area around the shard with soap. "Miss, why are you helping us?" She asked the older woman, who looked taken aback at the question. "I don't mean to be rude," Erza continued, "but wouldn't it have been easier for you to send us on our way?" Looking up, Medusa sighed. "Yeah, it probably would have been easier to send you guys to the hospital. Forget about you and just go about my life, right? But I made a promise to myself two years ago, after my sister disappeared, that I would always help those who needed it. You lot are no different." Erza smiled, and nodded. "Thank you, Miss." "Please, call me Medusa." Medusa replied, as they heard the front door open. Seconds later, a man with a massive screw stuck in his head hurried down the stairs, lab coat flapping behind him like bat wings. Rushing over to Medusa, he bent over, catching his breath. "What in Death's name are you doing calling on me at midnight for?" He panted, straightening up and twisting the screw until it clicked. "I needed your expertise with sutures, Frank." Medusa answered, a small smile on her face. "I've got a couple of nasty injuries that need immediate attention." "I see." Frank answered, looking down at Erza. "Is this one of them?" Medusa looked down at her as well. "Yes. She's got a six inch shard of rock stuck in her side. No vitals were hit, but it has a kind of barb that prevents us from just pulling it out. We're going to push it through, but we needed someone on hand to stem the bleeding." She turned to Maka. "Are you ready, sis?" Maka nodded in affirmation. "Alright. Miss Erza?" She turned to the red-haired woman. "We're gonna do this on the count of three, so be ready, ok?" When Erza nodded, she turned to Stein. "As soon as it's out, seal it up, then I'll use my magic to speed up the healing process. Ok, Stein?" "I'm following you here, Miss Albarn. And I'm ready when you are." "Okay. On three, alright, sis? One…two…THREE!" As she spoke, she pushed the shard through the wound, forcing it to go through Erza's back. Erza groaned and tensed, biting down hard on the towel. Slowly, the piece of stone poked through the skin opposite the entry wound, where Maka grabbed a hold of it and pulled it the rest of the way through. As soon as it was out, Stein closed his eyes and pointed, focusing magic energy. "Binding Magic: Sutures!" As he cast the spell, magic energy flowed from his hand, forming threads that sewed the wounds shut. As the magic took effect and started stitching, Erza uttered a loud groan. Soon, it was all over, and Erza had twenty-five stitches in each wound, holding the skin shut. Medusa extended her arm, placing a hand on the freshly sealed injury. "Nake, Snake, Cobra Cobra." she chanted, calling on her tattoos once more. "Oh helpful familiar, aid this woman and heal her injuries. Serpent Healer!" Two more of her tattoos slithered off of her arms, one settling on the wound in her stomach, and the other settling on the exit wound. Opening her eyes, she looked up at her helpers and smiled. "She should be okay now. But-" she quieted as Erin stirred, looking around blearily. "Hey," Medusa said, standing and walking over to his bedside, "how are you feeling?" "Sore." Erin answered honestly, wincing as he repositioned on the bed. "This is going to sound stupid," he began, glancing away, "but is there any way to move the beds closer?" He looked over at Erza, who returned his gaze. "Yeah." Medusa said, smiling. "The beds are on wheels, so I'll have Stein scoot your beds together while I take a look at your friend, okay?" "Thank you, Doc." As she got up and walked around to the pink-haired man's bed, she heard Stein push one of the beds, and a small thud as the beds met. Smiling as she heard hushed whispers, she unwrapped the bandage over the young man's chest. Her eyes widened as she beheld the deep stab wound, and she looked up at the man. "Hey," she said, gently shaking the man, "wake up." Startled, the man's eyes flashed open, and he attempted to sit up, only to stop and groan as pain flashed through his chest. "Easy," Medusa warned, "easy. It's alright. What's your name?" "Natsu…Natsu Dragneel." The man replied, wincing. "Well, Mr. Dragneel, I must ask, how on Earthland did this happen, and how in hell are you so lucky? This wound managed to miss any and all vital organs, veins, and arteries. Mind you, it'll take a while to rebuild the muscle, but you're a lot better off than your friends over there." She glanced over her shoulder at Erin and Erza, who were fast asleep, with arms and hands entwined. "Don't worry," she said, as she turned back to Natsu and noticed the look on his face. "They're fine now. I've seen to them." Calling Stein over, they performed the same procedure as they had with Erza, minus the shard of stone being pushed through the skin.
"Alright." Medusa said, standing up. "You three are on bedrest for the next three days at least, and I'll be checking in periodically throughout that time." Noticing that they were all asleep, she shook her head. "Alright, Stein, you can go home now." She said, turning to her assistant. "With all due respect, Medusa," Stein said, gathering his things, "I'd like to stay here for at least tonight, just to keep an eye on my patients." He indicated Erza and Natsu. "Suit yourself." Medusa said, shrugging. "There are a couple of guest rooms upstairs, or you can take one of the medical beds down here. I'm assuming Crona is here as well?" Stein's niece was one of Medusa's favorite people in the world, as the shy young woman loved animals as much as she did, and they could sit together and talk for hours. "You would assume correctly." Stein said, laughing. "Good. I don't know if I could take your insanity without someone to reign it in." Medusa laughed as she heard Stein trip walking up the stairs behind her. Opening the basement door, she saw the rest of the group gathered around the table, waiting anxiously for news on their friends. Maka, Soul, and Crona leaned on the counter. The burly black-haired wizard who confronted her earlier paced the small space between the table and the wall, while a small blue-haired woman leaned against the wall. The big blonde man, Laxus, she remembered, sat at the table, a white-haired woman sitting on his lap, their foreheads touching as they whispered to each other. A brown-haired woman stood in the middle of the room looking out of the window, her arms crossed over her chest, and a tan-haired woman leaned against the front door. When they heard the basement door open, they all looked up, and the black-haired one took a step towards her, but was stopped by the blue-haired girl. "What's the news?" Laxus asked, moving the white-haired girl and standing up. "They're all going to be fine." Medusa replied, and the group visibly relaxed. "However, I'll be keeping them here on bedrest for the next three days at least. I have three guest rooms if you would like to stay here, or there's an inn a few streets down where you could stay. The decision is yours." The white-haired girl rushed forward and hugged her, surprising her. "Thank you so much for helping us out!" She breathed. "We were so worried that they wouldn't make it!" Drawing back, she wiped a tear from her eye. "My name's Mirajane. We'll take one of the guest rooms, if you don't mind." "Not at all." Medusa replied, smiling at her. "It was my pleasure to help." "I'm Gajeel." The black-haired man said, shaking her hand. "Levy and I will go down to the inn, and we'll check in with them tomorrow." With that, he and the blue-haired girl walked out, followed by the tan-haired woman. "I'm Cana." The brown-haired woman said, hugging Medusa gratefully. "I'll take the other guest room. Do you have anything to drink?" "I have beer in the fridge, if you want it, but please don't drink it all." She laughed at the disappointed look on the woman's face. Stretching and yawning, Medusa walked to the counter and hopped up, sitting next to Soul. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Soul?" "Yup." The white-haired man replied. Medusa laughed. "Guess two years hasn't changed your way with words, has it? Short and to the point, just like always." Smiling sadly, she looked at a picture on the wall. "I'm glad some things haven't changed."
Erin groaned as he woke up, and blinked blearily, looking around and trying to place his surroundings. As he looked left, he noticed Erza lying next to him, on her back. Then the memories of yesterday hit. The fight with her, the fight against Jose, the explosion, searching through the rubble for everyone, finding Erza, and the exchanges with the doctor, who was currently walking down the stairs to the basement. "Oh, hey, you're awake!" She said brightly, walking over to him. "How do you feel?" "Sore." Erin replied, rubbing his chest. "But I don't feel like hacking up a lung, so at least I'm making progress." Medusa laughed. "That IS a good thing. Just to let you know, all of you are on bedrest through tomorrow, while my magic does its work, so be warned." She laughed again at the mortified look on Erin's face, before moving on to Erza. Folding down the covers, she examined Erza's wound, pressing against it lightly, until Erza growled in her sleep and tried to roll over towards Erin. "Everything seems to be fine. Just keep an eye on each other, and NO funny business." She glared at Erin. "I mean it. No extracurricular activities while in my clinic, or I will have my snake bite you." When Erin nodded, laughing, she stood and walked over to Natsu's bed. After poking at the stitches, she stood back up. "Your friends will be down shortly with food for you." She said. "I'll be back later to check on you again. You know the rules." By the time she said that, Erin was already asleep, his head leaning to the side as Erza's head rested on his shoulder. Smiling, Medusa grabbed her hooded jacket and left for the hospital.
"Jesus Christ, FINALLY!" Erin exclaimed, standing up and stretching. It had been three days since they had arrived in Dawn City, and Erin, Erza and Natsu were finally allowed off of bedrest. Turning, he wrapped up Erza in a bear hug. "It's over. It's finally over!" He said laughing as he spun around. "That it is." Erza responded as he set her down. Pulling him in, she kissed him passionately, wrapping a hand in his hair. Erin's hands moved, one wrapping in her hair, the other settling mid back. They continued like that for almost a minute, until someone cleared their throat. Breaking apart and gasping for air, they saw Natsu there, sadness etched into his face. "Sorry about that, Natsu." Erin apologized, making his way over to the dragon slayer. Natsu shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm happy for you guys, it's just…" "I know." Erin said, hanging his head. "The others should be here. Gray, Juvia, Lucy…" The three lowered their heads, remembering their fallen friends.
Suddenly, the basement door was flung open as Laxus ran down the stairs. "Get your stuff together, guys, we're leaving soon." He said, looking around at the others. "Why?" Erza asked, confused. "Where do we have to go?" "Back to camp on Mt. Hakobe!" He said. "The others are probably sick with worry by now!" Erin laughed. "You're probably right. Wonder if they've started looking for us yet?" The others started laughing as well as they imagined Elfman, Gildarts, Alzack, and Bisca's reactions. "Alright." Natsu said, a small smile on his face. "Let's go!"
Elfman sat in the center of the cave that used to be the camp of Fairy Tail, entertaining Asuka with his transformations. He looked up as Gildarts, Alzack and Bisca reentered the cave. "Any luck?" He asked, but they just shook their heads. "No sign of them in a week." Gildarts said. "Do you think the Alliance got to them?" "If any group could take the Alliance on, it's them." Alzack responded. "Yeah, but the Alliance has numbers on their side." Bisca countered, picking up Asuka. "I'm afraid we have to assume-" "Assume what?" A voice rang out from behind them. "Certainly not that we're dead, I hope." Another familiar voice said. Spinning around, their jaws dropped to the floor as they saw the group of nine wizards at the entrance to the cave. "Where the hell were you guys?!" Elfman roared, getting up to join the others." Erin grinned. "That's a long story."
"So, it's over?" Bisca said, hugging Asuka to her chest. "Yup." Laxus said. "It's all over. We can go back to being the strongest guild in Fiore." "Thank goodness." Alzack sighed, embracing his wife. "Now," Erza said, standing. "There's lots to do. We need to think about where we want the guild hall to be, who will be S-class, how to tell the council we're back in business-" She was cut off as Erin laughed. "I vote we take it easy for a while. We've been running for our lives for a while, so let's take a while to enjoy them." He stood up, embracing his fiancée. "Let's go out and celebrate. For tonight is the night that Fairy Tail is back!"
And with that, I present to you, the finished product that is Fairy Extinction. I want to thank the people that followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. You guys helped get through this thing. Special thanks to dramabug15, my beta-reader for this story. Your input was amazing, Ashley! Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this final chapter, review if you guys want to see an epilogue, and I'll see ya later. For perhaps the last time on Extinction, Storm Out!