NA: This may need editing. I promised to have this posted by 11:59pm and it's already 11:49pm and I just finished writing it. I didn't think it would be this long of a chapter.
Guys, this is a long chapter, but I hope you enjoy. :D If you don't mind reading unedited work, please continue on, otherwise, I suggest reading it sometime later .
FUTURE MAGNOLIA
"Jer, this is the biggest mission you've gotten so far. It's in the same league as an S-Class mission. Are you sure you want to do this?" Erza asked her son seriously which received an even more serious reply.
"You're talking as if I'm not an S-Class mage. I'll be fine."
"You may be S-class but neither Lexy nor Ren are. Are you able to lead them while looking for Luna and Grant?"
"You worry too much. I learned from the best, so please calm down." Jer tried to get her mother relaxed. In reality, he wasn't sure how this mission was going to play out and Jer hated not knowing what to expect. Even though he talked big about being an S-Class mage, he knew that it hasn't even been a year since he received the title and he was only the second member of the Prodigy team to receive it, Grant being the first a year prior, which made him the team leader.
Jer finished his goodbye to his mother and walked to where the two other second-generation dragon slayers stood, waiting for Master Laxus to begin the time portal spell.
Lexy was Luna's best girl friend and she was definitely worried about the fire mage. Just like Jer, Lexy was 19 years old, only a few months younger. Ren was 14 years old and was a little bit nervous going into this mission.
"Jer, do you think they're okay?" Ren asked the older mage as he worries about his other two teammates.
"I'm sure they're fine. Grant is our leader and to take him lightly is the biggest mistake anyone can make. He's my rival after all."
"Grant wins by a million!" Lexy teased to lighten up the mood, which caused Jer to have a sour face. He wasn't bitter but just the thought the younger mage became an S-class wizard before him and that he was his leader still made him cringe sometimes.
Ren laughed a little before asking, "but what about Luna?"
Jer smiled at the young wind mage and simply said, "Luna is a lot stronger than people give her credit for. If I remember correctly, she came home all burnt up thanks to Igneel not too long ago. And you know what that means."
"Jer, what do you mean she got burnt thanks to Igneel?" Lucy asked the Prodigy team member. She didn't mean to hear their conversation but she wanted to wish them luck and thank them for their dedication in finding her daughter and Grant.
"Uhm, well, isn't that what she does with her other dragon spirits?" Jer knew it was bad to inform them but they should be more pleased that Luna is stronger against Keres and Andre with Igneel's powers.
"Are you saying that she tried to make a contract with Igneel?" Lucy was frantic.
Jer didn't know how to answer so Lexy nodded on his behalf. Lucy didn't know how to feel since at that point, the stronger Luna was, the better, but out of habit, she worried for Luna.
"And how did that contract signing go?" Natsu interrupted the group. Ren noticed how he didn't look mad about the information; rather, he seemed to be genuinely curious. The others noticed this too and Jer replied more comfortably, "we don't know. She was badly wounded that Ren couldn't heal her so we had to get Aunt Wendy to do it, but even after treatment, she was passed out for 2 days and then couldn't remember anything after waking up."
"Seriously," Natsu said, sounding defeated. "She's so reckless and impulsive."
"Just like her father." Lucy said.
The three Prodigy members left the two as Master Laxus asked to speak to them.
"Natsu, I'm worried."
Natsu quickly embraced the crying Lucy and told her it will be okay, that they will find her and make Andre pay. "I promise, Lucy, we'll find her."
"You feel it too, don't you? You think that our protection backfired. We protected her too much."
Natsu could only hug his wife tighter and mutter a "yes" as response.
Laxus' portal opened and it caught Lucy and Natsu's attention. The three young mages entered a different dimension to look for their friends.
Laxus gave Jer a special item that will allow him to contact the guild when they are in the past. This cost more energy from Laxus. Currently, he's supporting 5 people in the past by his magic, 4 more will add to this mix when Natsu and rest join the fight. Happy volunteered to stay back after seeing Laxus' state. Juvia suggested they get the explanation from Mira instead of Laxus to preserve his energy.
"We knew it was odd for him to show up to the guild alone, I mean, did he really expect to win? We should have known it was a trick to lure both Luna and Grant." Mira said, "Andre threatened to destroy Fairy Tail by going to the past, unless Luna surrenders herself. Shortly after, Luna requested to retrieve Andre but master Laxus and I felt that it was dangerous and we also had suspicions that she'll want to surrender to save the guild."
"And that's why Grant is given the mission to "protect" her, I'm guessing?" Gray assumed.
"Yes, that is correct. Grant's there to make sure Luna doesn't surrender herself." Mira paused and then continued, "to say that we were completely fooled isn't really the case. We knew he wanted Luna to feel guilty and surrender to him, what we didn't consider was Keres. Against Keres, Grant isn't the best candidate to protect Luna. If we had known, we would have sent Jer to protect her or not send Luna at all."
"My daughter would never forgive you if you had denied her request." Natsu said. Gray looked at his friend and mentally noted how it seemed as though Natsu approved of this mission for Luna. Natsu looked at a guilty Mira and smiled slightly, "Don't feel guilty about it, no one wanted her to get hurt. What you resist persists, I guess."
"Should we head out to the past then?" Juvia asked which received a firm nod from the rest of her teammates.
PAST MAGNOLIA
The more I look at them, the more I see the resemblance." Mirajane commented as she stares at Luna, Natsu, and Lucy.
"I agree. Luna's hair is as blonde as Lucy's." Levy said in agreement.
"Certain things make it possible for her to be Natsu's daughter too... like how she loves spicy food." Cana quickly added.
"Has anyone else noticed how she's always hungry? Almost as if nothing she eats satisfies her." Wendy said. Nobody really knew the relevance of Wendy's comment except Wendy herself.
"It would help if we knew what kind of magic she could do." Cana said, ignoring Wendy's words.
"Should we try to find out?" Mirajane suggested.
"That's a great idea! But how do we do that?" questioned Levy.
"How about if we spy on her?" As Cana suggested that, Luna, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were starting to leave the guild. "And it looks like we got to do it now."
"You guys go ahead, I'll have to stay here for now." Mira said a little sad that she couldn't join but she rather they find out and tell her as soon as possible.
Wendy decided to stay back as she entertained her thought. Besides, she found spying useless now that she's figured it out. "She must be very hungry." Mira heard the girl speak to herself and she couldn't help but ask what she meant. "An entire feast is only like a snack to a dragon slayer." The young girl looked at Mira and realized that she was still confused. I guess being subtle won't cut it. "We have to actually eat our element to be satisfied. I eat wind, Gajeel eats metal, Natsu eats fire."
Realization hit Mira and she began to speak, "you mean… Luna… are you sure?"
"She can't openly eat fire since she's trying to hide her identity. Spicy food is the closest she could get to them."
In the meantime, Gray and Grant were having their training session with Grant losing epically. Gray kept attacking and Grant was having a hard time dodging his attacks. For one, his father was an excellent ice mage even when he was younger and two, he usually dodges attacks by turning his body into water but water was out of the question right now.
FLASHBACK
"Your strength is that you specialize in two elements. Your weakness is that you specialize in two elements." Erza explained to her frustrated student. "It is an amazing gift that you should be proud of, but you have to learn to use one element for a long time to make it a strength. Right now, you can use both and you alternate between them as fast as Jer requips but what if you were faced with an enemy who can melt ice? Your ice magic will be a disadvantage. You will then need to fight with only water or else, you would only be wasting your energy."
Grant's thoughts were in a daze. He knew that she was right but at the same time, he didn't want to accept the fact that having both elements could be a weakness. In the end, he sighed and concluded that regardless if he accepts it or not, it is a fact that it can be a weakness unless he does something about it.
"Teach me, Aunt Erza." Grant replied, not caring about his pride at all. "Teach me how to use only one at a time."
Huh, ironic how that was the last lesson I had with Aunt Erza before this mission.
Grant didn't master that lesson yet, but he decided that the sooner he learned, the better it was for him. Gray went for another attack and Grant had the urge to turn into water but instead he blocked it with an ice shield. He knew he was going to lose this fight and he will keep his word and answer everything Gray will ask but he was not going to fail against himself. He refused to use water in this fight.
From close by, Natsu, Lucy, Luna, and Happy were looking for a quiet spot to fish. They walked into Grant and Gray's training session but decided to leave the two and go to a quieter spot. Levy and Cana hid behind a bush as they stalk the future Dragneel family.
What Grant and Luna failed to notice is the invisible wall forming between the two of them and the rest of Magnolia.
Back at the guild, everyone greeted Lisanna as she walked to where her sister was standing.
"Mira-nee, I'm back from my solo mission!" Lisanna said as she made herself comfortable in the bar area.
"How was your mission?"
"It was very good. I came across someone, though, I'm not so sure you want to hear who."
"Spill it!" Of course Mirajane was curious now.
"Laxus. I know he's been exiled but when I saw him, he wasn't mean or anything. He was surprised to see me alive, actually."
"Really? The world sure is small for such a coincidence."
"I know right, he seems stronger now too. He said that he could control time now, thanks to an ally he made. Although, I think he's bluffing."
"Did you say time?" Mirajane said as she thought of Luna and Grant.
"Yes. Time. He's crazy." Lisanna joked but soon noticed a blank stare from Mirajane. "Uhm, Mira-nee? Is something wrong?
Without really thinking about it, Mirajane decided to find Laxus. This whole situation can't be coincidence. It's either planned by someone or fate.
"Lisanna, please look after the guild!"
Just as Mirajane left Magnolia, a black portal opened up and the 3 mages from the future arrived the scene. They have only missed each other by less that 5 seconds. "It looks like this we're in Magnolia." Lexy noticed and Jer soon suggested going to Fairy Tail. As the three were running to the guild, Jer took out the small box his master gave him before entering the portal. He wasn't quite sure as to what to do with it. Great, I was so nervous that I didn't even bother asking him how to use this box. He gripped the box harder and it soon started to float away from his hand. It started to shine light, and the face of Laxus appeared before him, as if it was the work of a projector. "Keep running, this thing will continue to follow you." Laxus instructed.
"Ok, I'm just letting you know that we have arrived. It looks like we're in Magnolia and we're on our way to Fairy Tail."
"I see, keep up the good work. Update me as soon as you arrive in Fairy Tail."
"Yes, master." The three replied in unison and Laxus disappeared. The box returned to Jer's hand.
As Jer returned the box in his pocket, Ren felt a weird presence in the area. He warned his teammates but before they could even devise a plan, they were attacked by 7 ugly creatures. They looked like humans except for their blue scales, which suggested that whatever they were, their natural habitat is the water. Which means, Keres was controlling them. The three quickly finished off their opponents and tried to get to Fairy Tail as soon as possible.
"Those things were not strong, but I'm sure there is a billion of them roaming around Fairy Tail. Keres is using them to distract the guild. We'll ask the people in the guild if anyone has any clue as to where Grant and Luna are and then we head straight to them. That's the plan, do you guys understand?"
"Yes, I just hope we can get through these weird-looking fish people fast." Lexy replied.
As they reached Fairy Tail, they realized that the plan was not an easy task. For every Fairy Tail member, there were 5 or 6 opponents.
"Requip!" Erza requiped for the 4th time as she attacked her opponents and Jer couldn't believe his eyes.
"Mom? Wow, well, she's totally badass."
"Jer, focus… we need to actually fight these things or else we'll never get to ask anyone if they have any idea where Grant and Luna are." Lexy chastised her friend. It's true, none of them have seen Erza in full force action as she usually only fights during training, the only other time they've seen her in full action was when Andre appeared at the guild before Luna and Grant went to the past. Just like Jer, she too admired how cool her aunt looked at the moment but they couldn't lose focus now.
Jer noticed how two figures were aiming for Erza and before he could give it much thought, he requipped and went to his mother's aid.
"Requip!" Jer attacked his opponent, quickly turned, requipped again, attacked again, and repeated. For every turn he made, he requipped. It was Erza's turn not to believe her eyes as she sees someone requip faster than her.
Jer didn't need to requip so much but he couldn't help it. He knew he's surpassed his mother and he couldn't help but show off a bit. He was the conceited one, after all.
"Geez, this is just so like him to grab this much attention!" Lexy looked annoyed but her eyes showed adoration at her teammate. "Jer, that's enough! I think we have enough people to ask."
Jer looked down from where he was flying and saw that he's caught some Fairy Tail members' attention. Hopefully one of them knows where Grant and Luna are.
"Are you my son?" Erza bluntly asked Jer the moment he returned to his normal clothes.
"Straight to the point as usual, I see." Jer smiled at Erza and nodded his head.
Grant prepared for another attack from Gray but Gray didn't continue his next hit. "That's enough. I've hit you more than enough times to ask all my questions." Gray spoke, a little disappointed how Grant wasn't as strong as he had hoped or expected. Grant would have felt offended but he was actually overjoyed at the fact that he didn't use water at all in the fight. He lied down on the grass as he waited for his father's first question.
Meanwhile, a black portal was forming on the other side of the river from where Luna and the rest were. Luna knows that portal; it was the same portal she entered when she went to this time period. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were confused and prepared to fight. A girl figure appeared before them which causes Luna to freeze as she looked into the eyes of someone she never thought she'd ever see again: Keres.
She wore a smile and a blue Fairy Tail insignia over her perfect porcelain skin right below her neck. That's where she had her guild insignia but that disappeared after everyone found out her true identity.
Seeing the guild mark got Natsu and Lucy relaxed as they assumed it was someone from Future Fairy Tail.
"Are you also from the future?" Happy asked the black haired mage in front of them.
"Yes." Keres said with a friendly tone.
"Are you Luna's friend, then?" Happy continued his questions.
"You could say that." Keres smiled at the group warmly but Luna's mind was elsewhere.
Friend? She knew very well that Keres was not her friend. Keres WAS her guild mate, who tried to frame her, kidnap her, kill her. She was her rival, in many ways other than one. She was her enemy. And she was also supposed to have disappeared back into Andre's soul. So why was she here?
Luna didn't know how to feel. Partly she wanted to fight and defeat Keres, another part of her wanted to cry as she looked into Keres' eyes. She remembered all those depressing nights when she would cry herself to sleep as Grant began to slowly drift away from her and despite knowing Keres' real identity, Luna always thought that if Keres were ever to show up again, she will truly lose Grant for good, because Keres was the one Grant loved most. That was what Luna truly believed.
"LUUUUNNNNAAAAA" The friendly voice that she knew was fake brought her back from her trance. "Geez, you always space out at the most random times."
Luna couldn't move at all. This was her first real mission and Grant wasn't with her and she felt as though fate was mocking her because of all people to go against with, she was faced with Keres.
"She must be really surprised to see you" Natsu said although he felt that something was completely off and started to be suspicious. He decided it was best to play dumb for a bit longer as acting out can make the situation worse.
"Seriously Luna, live a bit." Keres said while smirking, "or…" Her expression completely change to an evil stare, "you can also die!"
At the word "die" the water from the river turned into a sphere and aimed straight at Luna. Even though Luna saw it, she couldn't move. Is this a spell or what is this? Move, Luna! Luna tried to chastise herself to no avail.
Just when the sphere was about to hit Luna, a gold light appeared in front of her and she was enveloped into a tight, warm hug. "Loke?"
"Luna, are you okay?" Lucy's spirits found a way to locate Luna and they were able to make it right on time.
As Loke appeared, so did Aquarius. She attacked Keres as she said "Or you can die instead!"
Seeing the events happening, Cana and Levy decided to run to Grant right away. When they got there, they realized that the events happening close by couldn't be heard at all from where the father-and-son had their training session. This was when Grant realized that the flow of the water in the river has completely changed direction. Gray and Grant ran as fast as they could to where Luna and the rest were while Cana and Levy went straight back to the guild to tell someone of the events happening and to get back-up as well.
"Where's Grant, Luna?" Loke asked the shaken girl but she did not reply.
"There seems to be an invisible wall in here." Virgo explained to Loke.
"Uhm… Loke?" Lucy asked the lion spirit, she was confused because she didn't summon any spirits at all. She also noted that Loke looks different, in a way.
"I'll explain later, Lucy. Right now, please keep your daughter safe."
"He… he said it." Happy thought even though he knew this wasn't the right time to think of this at all.
Loke said he was going to look for Grant but he was stopped when Grant appeared before him. "Where's Luna?"
Even before Loke could answer, Grant saw Luna and hugged her right away. Grant didn't like seeing Luna like that.
"Tsk tsk, you shouldn't be playing with her heart like that." Grant froze at the voice. He knew that voice anywhere. Keres. He quickly regained his composure and faced his old lover. He did love her and a part of him still does, no matter how much he denies it. Keres quickly attacked with the same water sphere she used against Luna and Grant quickly dodged the attack by turning into water and slipping into the river, reappearing right in front of Keres.
"That's enough, Keres. You'll die here." Grant prepared to perform unison raid as he formed ice in his left hand and water in his right hand, but before he could clasp his hands together, Keres transformed her attitude once again, revealing the sweeter her, the fake her, complete with the guild insignia, which caught Grant off guard.
"Grant-sama, I love you." Grant's eyes went wide and for a second he couldn't react. Before he could even think, he was flying across the river from Keres' attack. Aquarius saved him from the fall and Luna was even more shocked than earlier. She was angry at Keres for hurting Grant, at Grant for resisting, and at herself for being weak.
"This is a warning, or maybe a foreboding, Andre will come for you and the rest of Fairy Tail soon, Luna."
When Keres disappeared, the Fairy Tail mages began to relax and a lot of questions started to swirl inside everyone's head. The first one to express this confusion was Natsu.
"I don't think this is the time to be asking questions, but did Grant just turn into water?" Natsu asked Gray, who didn't look surprised at all.
NA: HELLO!
There will be a bonus chapter on Grant x Luna in a few days. Though, I must warn you, it will include Keres, which was the whole point of the bonus story.
I just thought that it will be easier (and more exciting, i hope) to feature a bonus chapter explaining this love triangle, instead of trying to cram up back stories within my main story. .
Also! I haven't forgotten about NALU nor Juvia, so don't worry :D