Laxus lied in Ember's bed alone with nothing but the silence to keep him company. The room felt too empty with the lack of her presence. His stomach had been in a tight knot ever since him and his other guild members had returned from battle. Juvia had not returned with the other group and was missing along with Ember, Natsu, and Happy. The whereabouts of his friends bothered him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. His mind raced, his heart showing no signs of slowing down.

He had not left Ember's bed for two days. Two days since they all returned and still no news on his friends. No one wanted to think the worst, but it was as if a giant storm cloud was looming over Fairy Tail, ready to burst at any second. For awhile Laxus had felt numb, not allowing himself to feel anything. It was better that way, and easier. But he could feel his emotions creeping up to the surface, and he was having a harder time pushing them back with every tick of the clock.

Not since he was a child had he felt so weak. Back when he would get sick a lot. His magic power had made him strong for so long, and he relied on this. The strength of his body kept his mind strong. He walked around with a hard shell but a soft center, but his hard shell was usually unbreakable. He could feel it cracking. It was something he couldn't let anyone else see. Not even his grandfather. Not even his closest friends. He had to keep a strong face for his guild.

He looked around the room, his mind going back in time and giving him a quick glimpse of Ember sitting at the breakfast table and smoking one of her secret cigarettes. The mirage disappeared, and the flood gates that held back his emotions broke all at once. He couldn't remember ever feeling sorrow like this. The pain was unbearable. Living so long in Makarov's shadow, and the departure and turn coating of his father had made him feel strong emotions. But this was different.

The tears flowed down his face in a never ending torrent. He let himself cry, and his sobs were loud. His entire body shook with every gasp for breath he took as he started to hyperventilate. Lightning sparked along his skin, setting his hair on end. Letting it all out he could feel his body weakening. His mind weakening. He allowed it. He let himself be weak once again, because this time no one could see it.

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Levy sat on Lucy's bed with her. She had been a wreck for days and all Levy could do was be there and support her. Making sure Lucy ate and cleaned herself was what she had been doing for the past couple of days. She had barely even talked to Gajeel, which was fine. He was still resting from the battle with the Earth dragon, and Levy could sense that alone time would be good for him. She knew that even though him and Natsu clashed a lot of the times, that it bothered him that Natsu had not returned with them. And even if he wasn't always friendly to Ember, she knew that he considered her a close friend and comrade, and there was no way he wasn't upset about her lack of appearance either. But the worst for him had to be Juvia. They had been in Phantom Lord together. It was Juvia who had sent the Master out to recruit Gajeel, to pull him out of the darkness. She was his first friend in Fairy Tail, and probably his closest.

"Lucy, have you eaten yet today?" Levy asked gently.

"I'm not sure." Lucy said quietly.

Lucy appeared to be spaced out, almost catatonic. Her eyes were so red and puffy from crying that she could barely open them, but they looked lifeless. Her shoulders slumped and when she walked around she dragged, as if she was forcing herself to move. When she talked it was apparent that even doing that took effort. It hurt Levy's heart to see her friend like this, but if it had been Gajeel missing instead of Natsu, she knew that Lucy would be there for her in the same way. No matter how ratty her hair was or dirty her clothes might have been. That's what friends were for, they supported each other.

The sadness was getting to Levy too, but she was forcing herself to stay strong. She had to right now. The guild was being weighed down by this looming sadness and uncertainty. There had to be people alert and paying attention. There had to be people there for those who couldn't bring themselves to even get up out of bed. Eventually she would break down, but right now was not the time for it.

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Evergreen opened her eyes. She could feel pressure on the side of the bed and looked down to see Elfman, his head down and her hand in his. He was sleeping, softly snoring. She wondered how long he had been there, and if he ever left. Every time she opened her eyes he was there, sleeping. She didn't wake up often, she was still so weak from her injuries, but at least she could talk.

She had woken up for the first time a day ago, and that's when she found out everything that had happened after her legs and arms were broken and she was down for the count. The story about how Juvia used her body to begin drowning Bone Crusher as everyone attacked at once shocked and amazed her. She had a newfound respect for Juvia, and was actually upset to find out that Juvia had been missing since the attack. Evergreen was never a huge fan of her, but they were Fairy Tail family, and therefore friends and comrades. When it came down to it, yes, Evergreen was sad that she hadn't returned.

The story of how Natsu and Ember defeated the dragon that her other guild mates had gone off to fight had also amazed her. She thought back to Tenrou Island and Acnologia. The incredible power the dragon had possessed. She pictured a fraction of this power in Ember, one of her best friends, and it gave her chills. But what really bothered her, what really made her shake, was the fact that Ember wasn't here. And neither were Natsu and Happy. For the most part Natsu and Happy annoyed her, but she had a lot of respect for them, and she did care about them. When Natsu's spine was snapped in his second battle with Jesy and Cheza it had made her stomach turn. Now that he was gone, she didn't know exactly how she felt.

But Ember's disappearance broke her heart. She had bonded with her the first day she joined Fairy Tail, and that was rare. Evergreen wasn't friendly with many people. Her and the Thunder Legion had welcomed her with open arms. They had all become quick friends. It felt like her heart physically hurt. All she could do was cry when she thought about it. And even worse, she couldn't even begin to imagine how Laxus was feeling. She kept him in her heart, and hoped only the best for her dear friend.

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Cana and Freed sat at the bar in silence, drinking alcohol out of mugs. Mira would come to their end of the bar periodically and ask them if everything was okay. They would nod and just sip their drinks. The both of them had shut their minds off. They went numb. They couldn't sit there and think about their missing friends, or how Laxus must feel, or how Lucy was doing. They refused to acknowledge their guild mates and just drank alcohol all day until they would pass out of drunkenness, only to wake up and repeat the process.

Gray and Lisanna sat at a table together, just the two of them. Being alone didn't work for them, so they just stayed in each others company until it was time for them to go home and sleep. Maybe they would eat that day, maybe they wouldn't. Their thoughts only focused on their missing friends. Nothing else.

The air in the guild hall was toxic. It had been days of no smiles, no conversations. The liquor flowed, but not much food was plated. Most of the wizards avoided the guild hall, not even going out on jobs. Others spent all their time out on jobs, if only to get their minds off of everything. No single person dealt with the scenario in the same way. Some let their anger take over, other's cried until their eyes went dry.

"Have either of you gone to see Evergreen today?" Mira asked Freed and Cana. She had to try and get them to come out of their own prisons.

"She was sleeping when I went. But Elfman is still there." Freed said in a flat voice.

"Same." Cana said. They both lifted their mugs to their lips and drank.

"Will you guys eat something?" Mira tried.

"Not hungry." They both said at the same time.

"Ok. Where's Bickslow and Laxus?" Mira asked.

"Bickslow is out working." Freed said.

"Laxus has been in Ember's room. Hasn't left." Cana followed.

Mira was beginning to get angry. She was sad too, but she was still living. She still came to the guild hall and made sure her friends had food and drinks if they wanted them. She still made sure to put a smile on her face, no matter how hard it hurt. The guild wide pity party was getting under her skin. Everyone was feeling pain and sorrow. Everyone wanted their friends to come home. But that wasn't a reason to shut yourself off. It was damaging, she had learned this when she first lost Lisanna, and for a long time she didn't even have the strength to fight. But Lisanna came back, and with it so did Mira's strength and courage. But she couldn't get back the time she had wasted lost in her own sorrow. And she couldn't stand by and watch all her friends do the same to themselves.

"THAT'S IT!" Mira shouted, slamming her fists on the bar.

Her sudden outburst sent a ripple through the guild hall. Her power flowed around her in a purple aura. Everyone turned to her, finally lifting their heads. Something twinkled in their eyes, whether it be curiosity or fear of Satan Soul. But at least it was something. Mira looked at them all, tears in her eyes, pain on her face.

"I have had enough of this. You are all shutting yourselves off. I get it. You know I do. But we cannot go on like this. It has been days. Laxus and Lucy have not shown their faces. Erza left with Jellal and has yet to return. The Master is rarely seen. All of you are wasting away in a cloud of darkness. It's pitiful. Is this how our friends would want to see us? Is this how they would want Fairy Tail to go on living?" Mira shouted. The amount of emotion in her voice affected everyone.

"Mira is right. Stop looking so pitiful." Evergreen said as she came down the stairs, Elfman supporting her.

"Evergreen!" Freed gasped. He had finally snapped out of his trance.

Cana threw her mug down and ran to her friend, throwing her arms around her neck. Evergreen hugged her back. Cana helped Elfman with getting Evergreen the rest of the way down the stairs. They walked her over to were Freed was and lifted her onto a stool. Cana returned to her seat and Elfman sat down next to Evergreen.

"You're all pathetic." Evergreen scoffed.

"How can you….be so heartless?" Lisanna whimpered.

"I'm not being heartless. But I'm not being weak either. All of us are hurting. But this isn't the way we should be handling it." Evergreen said confidently. Mira handed her a glass of water. "No, I want alcohol."

Mira laughed and replaced the glass of water with a mug of ale. Evergreen gulped it down and smiled. Her attitude was beginning to rub off on everyone, spreading like a tidal wave. The guild members started talking again. Even if it wasn't as lively as usual, it was decent progress for such a short amount of time. It seemed to Mira that all they needed was a little push back onto their feet. A little help from a friend.

"Do you think we should maybe go look for them? I don't know if anyone suggested that yet or not." Gray said, walking over to the bar, his hands in his pockets. Lisanna followed close behind him.

"Chances are they would have moved, or been moved from wherever they originally were. Looking for them could be a waste of time." Freed said.

"But at least we are doing something, right?" Lisanna asked.

"They will come back. They know their way home." Evergreen smiled.

"I agree." Cana said, finally allowing herself to really smile.

Mira was happy. Confidence was seeping back into the cracks that the despair had caused. Although none of them would ever be whole again if their friends didn't come back, at least they could live on. They could find their strength again, and move on to a brighter future. That was all Mira wanted. She just wanted to know that it was possible for the guild to smile again.

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Erza and Jellal walked through the forest taking in it's beauty. The way the leaves glittered in the sunlight. The way small animals frolicked and collected food to bring back to their nests. The breeze tickled their skin and blew their hair in their face. They were dressed casually, in black tank tops and exercise shorts. Armor or formal clothing were not needed, and they had to find a balance of normalcy after everything that had happened.

Jellal had been Erza's crutch for the past couple of days. He had supported her when she got angry, held her as she cried. He let her go through the levels of her emotions without batting an eye. She had finally gotten it all out and could now finally relax. Her friends were still on her mind, and in her heart, but Erza knew how to deal with loss. She knew that within time she would be okay. The loss of Natsu hurt her the most. He had been one of her closest friends since childhood. He had been one of the people that helped her feel again. She owed a lot of her inner strength to him. In her heart she hoped he was out there somewhere and that he would find his way home.

"I haven't seen Cobra in a while. Is he doing alright?" Erza asked.

"He's been out searching for Ember, Natsu, and Happy." Jellal answered.

"All this time? Why is he putting himself through that?" Erza gasped.

Jellal stopped walking. Erza turned around and went to him, standing close. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with light and hope. She felt her heart flutter, and then the same hope spread through her veins.

"He believes they are alive. And I have faith in him." Jellal smiled.

He wrapped his arms around Erza, knowing that hope is what she needed this entire time. Not to let it go. Not to cry and then get past what happened. She had to have faith in her friends, and hope that they would return. She hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest. He kissed her scarlet hair.

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It had been days and there had been no sign of them. He had been searching under every rock, up in every tree. He searched the town at the base of Mount Florencia, or what was left of the mountain at least. He had searched for miles.

Cobra was beginning to get tired. If he slept he only slept for maybe an hour. The heat of the sun was starting to get to him, and he had already stripped off his coat and left it behind. He didn't have the strength to carry any extra weight with him. Barely sleeping and constantly searching for days took a lot out of a man. Even a strong one. His skin was tanned from the sun and covered in dirt from his searching. He had scratches on his hands and arms from climbing trees. His impatience was getting even more severe than his tiredness. But he wasn't going to give up. Not when he still had miles to cover.

The blast from Natsu and Ember's unison raid could have blown them miles in any direction. Depending on where they landed would account for the injuries they would have. But Cobra knew they were alive. He had not even a speck of doubt in his mind. He had seen Natsu's strength, and there was no way an attack's force would end him. Maybe blow him away and knock him out, but it surely was not enough to kill the Salamander. And Ember was created at the hands of Zeref. She was birthed from the ashes of an Elm tree for the sheer purpose of defeating their father if the time ever came. There was no way her own attack, even if she was in Dragon Force, would have killed her. Cobra knew this, and he refused to believe he was wrong. He was a child of Zeref, and he knew how hard it was to die.

He had been using his super hearing ability to listen to his surroundings. He had the ability to hear a persons soul. Unfortunately if Natsu and Ember were unconscious, he wouldn't be able to hear them. This was his biggest road block. He knew that if they were awake then he surely would have located them by now. He had started his search at the top of what was left of the mountain, and had made his way around the perimeter, going out farther each go around. He was now a decent distance from the mountain itself, although he could still see it.

He walked through the forest in silence. His eyes closed, all his energy focused on his ears. He could hear the trees dancing in the wind, the leaves fluttering. Songs from all different types of birds, their babies chirping for food. The breaking of twigs, the pitter patter of tiny animal feet. He heard no thoughts, no dreams, no voices. The caw of a crow by day, and the hoot of an owl by night.

A low mournful howl reached his ears. It came from far away, but he was not fool enough to mistake it for a wolf. His eyes snapped opened and he broke into a run. There was only one creature that howled like that. And they didn't make a habit of roaming around in the forest.

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Levy looked out the window. The sun had been out and shining high in the sky, but now it was hidden behind rain clouds. The rain came down in heavy torrents, and the trees bowed to the sky in the wind. She reached over and shut the window by Lucy's bed, not wanting the rain to get in. Lucy watched the raindrops hit the glass, splattering and then racing to the bottom of the window sill and forming a small pool. People on the street rain for the cover of shops or their houses, trying to escape the tempest before they got drenched. Children laughed and jumped in puddles with their friends. Sometimes there was nothing more refreshing than a summer rain. But today it just made Levy and Lucy feel more gloomy.

"Rain. The last thing we needed." Levy said with a laugh.

"It's more fitting...than the sun." Lucy said in a flat voice.

"Lucy, you can't let this kill you. You are still alive, you need to live. Natsu would not want to see you like this." Levy said, grabbing Lucy's hands.

Lucy turned to look at her friend. Her eyes were no longer blank, but they were sad. Very deeply sad. Levy's stomach tightened as she watched Lucy's eyes turn to glass, and the tears started flowing again. She squeezed Levy's hands and bit her lip.

"But...it is killing me, Levy." She whimpered.

"No, it just feels like it is. You have to be the strong girl I know you are."

"Maybe I'm not as strong as you think I am."

"No, you're stronger. You need to stop thinking so low of yourself."

"I can't be strong right now. Not without Natsu. I just can't."

Lucy crumbled into Levy's arms, her body shivering. Levy held her and rubbed her back with one of her hands. No, it wasn't easy to be strong when someone you loved was gone. Even if they were not entirely gone. Levy had experienced that when Gajeel came back from the Bone Crusher fight battered and broken. When she wasn't sure if he would wake up the same person he had been when he left Fairy Tail. Levy knew she was being a hypocrite by trying to force Lucy to push her feelings aside and bring her strength forward. She knew it wasn't that easy, she just couldn't stand seeing her friend in so much pain. She wanted Lucy to be the Lucy she knew. The girl who wrote down her adventures and wanted to publish a novel. The girl who always stood up for her friends no matter the cost. Her tears had always been her strength, but right now they only weakened her. They were turning her into a shell of the girl she used to be.

There was a knock on the door and it made both of the girls jump. They didn't move, neither of them making an effort to get up and answer it. For a second they thought maybe they had been hearing things, or that maybe it was a clap of thunder to go along with the deluge of rain outside. But then the knock came again. Levy looked at Lucy and stood up off the bed going towards the door. Lucy wiped her eyes quickly and turned her face to look out the window. She focused on the falling rain and the patterns of the drops on the windows. It was hard to make out any details of the outside world.

Levy unlocked and opened the door. Standing there was Lisanna and Gray. Both of them looked as if they were in better moods. They even smiled. Levy invited them in and shut the door behind them. They took a seat, both of them looking at Lucy.

"How are you doing Lucy?" Gray asked. Lucy turned at the sound of his voice. It brought her a familiar comfort.

"G-Gray. I…."She couldn't finish what she was going to say.

Her attention went to Lisanna. Lucy noticed how clean and well kept she looked. Her white hair brushed and her sweater and shorts clean and unwrinkled. She even had a smile on her face. Lucy didn't know why but this angered her. She was finally feeling another emotion besides sorrow, but she didn't think anger was a good trade off. She just couldn't understand why Lisanna, who had been so broken up about Natsu leaving, could be sitting there with a smile on her face when Natsu still hadn't returned.

"Lisanna….How are you….smiling?" Lucy stammered.

"Lucy?" Levy whispered.

"MiraJane made a good point at the guild hall earlier. And so did Evergreen. Natsu and the others wouldn't want to see us like this. They would want to see us continue on with our lives." Gray explained,

"I didn't ask you Gray." Lucy said through clenched teeth. Gray looked at her confused. Levy started to silently panic.

"Because of what Gray just said." Lisanna nodded.

"I thought….you loved him." Lucy cried.

"Wha?" Lisanna gasped. She straightened up in her chair, grabbing the arm rests.

"Natsu….I thought….you loved him." Lucy's anger was building in the room.

"I do love Natsu. I've always loved Natsu." Lisanna said in a calm voice.

"No. No. If you loved him that much, if you loved him as I do. You would not be able to smile right now." Lucy growled.

"How do you even know that? You don't know my feelings?" Lisanna gasped, starting to get defensive.

Lucy's eyes lit up with anger towards Lisanna. Levy tried to grab her hand to calm her down, but Lucy smacked it away. Gray stood up and grabbed Lisanna by the arm, dragging her to the door.

"I hope you feel better Lucy. We will leave now." Gray said, pushing Lisanna out the door before she could say anything else, and slamming it closed behind him.

Levy looked at Lucy in shock. It was rare that Lucy ever acted out in anger. She was always so sweet to everyone. It took a lot to piss her off. But the simple act of Lisanna smiling had set her off. She wondered why this was. Why did Lucy get so angry at Lisanna? Why was she accusing her of not loving Natsu? Levy knew she must be missing something. Whether it be a minor detail, or a major one. But she didn't think that this was the right time to ask about it. So she just looked out the window at the never ending rain.

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"Geez that rain is coming down hard!" Gray said as him and Lisanna stumbled back into the guild hall.

The two of them were soaking wet from head to toe. Their clothes hung off them like saggy bags. Gray solved part of his problem by stripping down to his boxers. Lisanna let out a shocked cry and covered her eyes. Macao yelled at him from across the room and then started laughing along with Wakaba, the two older men telling jokes at Gray's expense.

"Oh Gray, Lisanna, would you like something dry to wear?" Mira laughed.

"Please." Lisanna said shyly.

Mira disappeared for a little while and then returned with a stack of dry clothes and towels. The clothes were from the Fairy Tail gift shop back when it had been opened, so it was only t-shirts and exercise shorts, but it was better than nothing. At least they had the proper sizes. Gray and Lisanna dried themselves off with the towels and then ran off to get changed. When they came back they were dry and already starting to warm back up. Even though it was summer, the rain was surprisingly cold.

"Where are you guys coming from anyways?" Cana asked. Gray and Lisanna took a seat at the bar.

"We went by Lucy's to see how she was doing." Gray answered.

"Ooooh how is she?" Mira chirped.

"Not good. She totally snapped at Lisanna. But Levy is with her." Gray said as Mira handed him a glass of ice water.

"Oh good Levy is with her. At least she isn't alone." Mira smiled.

"Wait…."Freed started but Cana interrupted.

"Why did she snap at Lisanna?" Cana leaned close to Gray, wanting to hear something juicy.

"She asked me why I was smiling. And….she said that there was no way I loved Natsu if I was smiling right now." Lisanna sighed.

"That's not true! We all love each other, but that doesn't mean we can't go on living our lives!" Mira said in shock.

"I don't think that's the kind of love she meant Mira." Gray said.

"Nope." Cana smirked.

"Oh! I see. Well….uhmmm…" Mira was beginning to get awkward with the conversation. Lisanna was her little sister after all.

"I don't want to talk about it." Lisanna said sternly, and they dropped the topic.

The doors to the guild hall swung opened and there was a thump and gasps from behind them. They all turned around and the shock of what they saw on the floor knocked the wind out of them. None of them moved a muscle.

Laying on the floor in a puddle, and so drenched in water they looked as if they were melting, was Juvia.

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Cobra ran as fast as he could towards the howling. He was getting close. He could smell the musk and sulfur that the wind carried off of the beasts fur. He grinded his teeth and pushed himself to run faster. He leaped over rocks, dipped under branches, dodged fallen trees. The beast was in his view and he skidded to a stop, quickly catching his breath.

Nunu sat in a clearing in the woods. He sat on his large haunches, his snout pointed at the air, singing his hell hound song of sorrow. But that's not all it was, he had been calling for help. And Cobra had heard his cry. The hell hound sensed his presence and stopped howling, turning to Cobra with a growl. When he realized who it was the growl in his throat went from threatening to a soft whimper. He wagged his enormous tail and ran at Cobra, jumped on him and licked his face. The creature started running in excited circles, looking up at Cobra every go-around.

"Nunu, what is it? Stop acting like a flake!" Cobra said getting impatient.

Nunu stopped running around. He looked at Cobra with his gold eyes. They lit up in a quick spark of anger and then went back to normal. Cobra laughed, he had forgotten that hell hounds could understand you when you spoke to them, and he had just insulted the poor beast. He patted him on the head and apologized. Nunu wagged his tail again and ran over to a large bush. He stuck the top half of his body into the leaves, shaking it so hard that twigs started to break. He backed out of the bush and with his mouth dragged Happy across the ground. Cobra ran to Happy and picked up the tiny cat, making sure he was alive.

Yes, Happy was alive. Cobra hugged Happy's limp little body to his chest to try and warm him up. He rubbed his fur with his hands and massaged his little chest, hoping that maybe he would wake up. He was about to give up and then Happy's eyes shot opened. He saw Cobra's face and he screamed, rolling out of Cobra's arms and trying to run. Nunu put his paw on the cats tail. Happy was still trying to run, but he wasn't getting anywhere.

"Calm down Happy, I'm not here to hurt you. Freak." Cobra laughed.

Happy started panting and slowly stopped trying to run. He plopped onto his butt and turned to look at Cobra. Instant realization formed over his face like a dark shadow. Cobra got down onto one knee so he was closer to the cat.

"What is it Happy?" He asked.

"W-Wheres….Natsu?" Happy asked sadly. Little tears began to form in his eyes, his little lips quivering.

Nunu let out a booming bark. Happy almost jumped out of his skin. Cobra looked to the hell hound, waiting for him to do something. Nunu obviously knew more than any of them did. Cobra stood up and Nunu ran at full speed out of the clearing and through the shrubs and trees. Cobra struggled to follow him. He almost tripped over a tree root but caught himself. He could hear Happy behind him, struggling to keep up. He turned around and snatched up the exceed, and ran with him in his arms. Nunu finally stopped by a large tree. He looked up and let out a low howl. Cobra and Happy looked up into the branches, and there was Natsu. He was folded over a branch, his head and arms hanging off one side and his legs hanging off the other. Cobra winced knowing how much that landing must have hurt. He figured that the landing is probably what knocked Natsu out. He didn't have to check if he was breathing because he could hear Natsu groaning.

"Nunu, can you give me a lift up there so I can grab him without hurting him?" Cobra asked.

Nunu sprouted his demon wings and picked up Cobra by the back of his shirt. Cobra started to panic as they lifted off the ground because his shirt was starting to come up over his head. He didn't want to fall out of it and then to the ground. When they got to the branch Cobra took Natsu gently in his arms like a small child, and Nunu brought them back to the ground. As soon as Natsu was safely laid down Happy rushed to him and nuzzled his friend, happy tears falling down his furry blue cheeks.

"Natsssuuuuu…." The cat cheered.

"H-Happy?" Natsu struggled to speak, but he got it out. He started to cough and then shot up in pain, holding his abdomen.

"WHAT IS THIS PAIN IN MY BELLY?" Natsu shouted.

"Hmm just as I thought. You landed on that tree branch with your stomach. You're going to need some medical treatment." Cobra said with a chuckle.

"OOOO IT HURTS SO BAD!" Natsu shouted at the sky.

"Quit your fucking whining you brat." Cobra sneered at him. He was glad to have found Natsu alive, but that didn't mean he was his biggest fan. He found the pink haired kid to be completely intolerable and annoying.

Nunu started whining and nudging Cobra's hand. He started petting the beasts head in between his horns but Nunu just nudged his hand away still whining. Then it clicked. How could Cobra let that slip his mind? They hadn't found Ember yet!

"Where's my sister you over sized mutt?" Cobra asked Nunu. Nunu sneezed at him and then turned around.

Cobra followed him about ten feet away to a big rock. Nunu stood there and wagged his tail looking at Cobra, and then he walked around to the other side. Cobra followed him.

Ember was leaning against the rock, her head bowed down to her chest. Her hair covered her face, and her arms hung limp at her sides. Both of her legs were spread out in front of her. Cobra leaned over her and lifted her head up, moving the hair out of her face. He put a finger under her nose and felt air coming from her nostrils, confirming that she was alive. He already hated himself for what he was about to do, but he did it anyways. With his large hand he smacked Ember across the face with all his strength. Her eyes snapped opened and he felt her fist punch into his gut. He lurched as if he was going to vomit.

"Cobra?" Ember gasped.

"Ember….fuck. Everyone thinks you guys are dead." Cobra said, rubbing his stomach where she hit him.

"Where's Natsu? And Happy? And Nunu?" Ember started getting frantic.

Nunu jumped on her and licked her face. She started to laugh but moaned in pain at the same time. She hugged the hell hound quickly and then gently pushed him off of her. Cobra reached out his hand for her to grab, and she took it. He helped her to her feet. Just like Natsu she was covered in bruises and scratches. She walked with a limp and held her abdomen in pain.

"Natsu and Happy are over there. Natsu is injured, so he needs medical attention. It seems you do to." Cobra said, putting his arm around her shoulders to help her walk.

"Yeah, it's these damn ribs." Ember laughed.

"Ember, you guys did it. You defeated the Earth dragon. You also….attained Dragon Force."

"I know."

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Gray was the first to run to Juvia. He dropped to the floor and took her into his arms. He looked down at her pale face and got the wet hair out of her eyes. She looked up at him, her eyes as vast and blue as the ocean. She struggled to smile. The rest of the present guild members gathered around.

"Juvia….You're alive!" Mira cheered.

"Juvia defeated Bone Crusher for her friends. For Gray." Juvia said in a low whisper.

"I thought...that you were gone." Gray stammered.

"Juvia's body was, is, water. It blew into tons of tiny water molecules. Juvia put herself back together again." She smiled.

"That's incredible!" Freed gasped.

"Hell yeah! Juvia's awesome!' Cana hooted.

Elfman came over and held his arms out for Gray to pass Juvia to him. He would carry her to Porlyusica in sick bay so that she could be healed and rest. Gray looked at her and smiled, she closed her eyes. He passed her to Elfman.

"Be careful with her Elf." Lisanna smiled.

"Of course, I'm a man!" Elfman chanted. Evergreen giggled.

"Someone should go tell the Master." Macao suggested.

"No need. I'm already here." Makarov said from behind them.

They all turned around to look at their Master. He lowered the hood of his rain coat off of his head, balancing his weight on his walking stick. He walked over to the bar and got on top of if, throwing his wet coat behind it. Mira huffed and went to go pick it up, and then handed the Master a drink. He took it with a smile and started to gulp it down. Everyone was waiting for him to say something.

"How did you know to come?' Gray asked.

"The sudden appearance of a downpour. I knew it had to be Juvia." The Master smirked.

"Why didn't any of us make that connection?" Freed wondered.

"Because we were so goddamn busy pitying ourselves that's why." Cana sighed.

"That's right." Makarov laughed.

"I'm so glad she made it home safely. Such good news!" Mira chirped, not able to contain her smile.

"Mmm. Hopefully the others show up soon. I have faith they are still out there. I hope all of you do too." Makarov said, looking at his children.

They all nodded at him. They did have faith that their other friends were still out there. They were prepared to wait for them, no matter how long it took. If Fairy Tail could wait seven years for the return of the wizards that had been on Tenrou Island, they could wait however long this time. A new hope was alight in Fairy Tail. And it sent warmth to the hearts of everyone around.

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Erza and Jellal returned from their walk to Cobra being back, and not alone. Natsu, Ember, and Happy were laid out on the ground with blankets. Meridy and Angel treating their wounds. Erza ran to Natu's side and hugged him. She cried tears of joy. She did not expect to come back from a peaceful stroll with Jellal to the sudden appearance of three of her missing friends. She was filled with so much happiness she felt like the was going to explode.

Meridy and Angel smiled up at Jellal. He smiled back at them warmly. All he ever wanted was to see Erza happy, after all the pain he had caused her in the past. He was glad that his guild could help bring her friends back to her alive. He was proud of Fairy Tail, and proud of Crime Sorciere. They had fought alongside each other till the end. And supported each other beyond the battle.

"Oh Natsu. Don't ever disappear like that again!" Erza cried.

"Don't cry Erza, you know I hate it when you cry." Natsu smiled.

"Aye!" Happy chirped.

Erza picked up the tiny cat and hugged him to her chest. His eyes bulged out of his head as she squeezed him. Meridy and Angel gasped and grabbed for the cat. They didn't know the extent of his injuries and didn't want to risk him getting hurt more. Erza let Meridy take Happy and put him back into his blankets. Happy purred happily with the attention he was receiving from the girls. Erza looked at Ember and she stood up.

She walked over to the other dragon slayer and sat down on the ground next to her. Their eyes met, and Erza smiled. She grabbed Ember's hand.

"You did something you didn't want to do. And because of that, you saved everyone. Be proud of yourself." Erza said to her.

"I also scared the crap out of everyone." Ember laughed nervously.

"Fear isn't an enemy. It's a natural emotion. Don't guilt yourself for it. But you need to stop holding yourself back. Stop beating yourself up."

"I….I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't Ember. You're a Fairy Tail wizard. You don't hurt your friends, you protect them."

Ember wiped tears from her eyes and smiled at Erza. This girl was good at pep talks. She really knew how to make you feel wanted and trusted, part of the family. Erza leaned down and hugged her. Cobra walked up to the group and got down on the ground by Ember's head. He leaned over so that she could see him leaning over her. She started to laugh.

"What are you doing Erik?" She giggled.

"Making sure you are still the same Ember." He said. He poked her face and pinched her cheeks.

"Stop it! I'm still the same! Enough!" She laughed, smacking his hands away.

"I meant to say this awhile ago. But I'm sorry for being such a jerk when we first saw each other again. I didn't know the truth." Cobra said sheepishly.

Ember looked to Erza and a sly smile appeared on the redheads face. Ember knew now that Erza had taken it upon herself to share the story Ember told the guild with Cobra, so that he could know the truth about her and actually be a brother. She was thankful for this, from the bottom of her heart. She had a family in Fairy Tail, but getting her brother back was something she had always wanted as well. Fairy Tail had given her everything she had ever wanted. She smiled at Erza and Cobra, and then she slipped off into sleep.