It was over. The battles, the war, the ascension. It was finally over. Fairy Tail had won. But the victory did not come without cost.
A few hours had passed since the fights had ended. Everyone had met back up at the entrance area. There was some hugging and smiling, but also some dour faces too. There was relief and release, but also an underlying funereal atmosphere about the place.
After some time, an airship carrying rune knights and others sent from the magic council of Fiore arrived. Lahar was among them. They all stepped out into the open field, and began going over the area. They began rounding up whatever people were still on the mount. Fairy Tail stood around and watched. The other airship that was supposed to pick them up hadn't arrived yet, so they didn't have much else to do in the meantime.
Lisanna stood off by herself. She stood there in the open area and waited. When everyone met up, she and Natsu ran up to each other and hugged. Natsu asked her if she was okay, but she only said his name. After that, everyone began recounting to each other what had happened. Lisanna remained silent as Mirajane and Elfman took turns explaining what had happened in their battle. Gray was at a loss for words when he heard what had happened to Lyon and Sherry. Shortly after that, Gray got up to go speak to Lyon in private. Later, Gray declined to share what they had talked about.
At some point, Wendy started using her magic to heal others. Although, she could only do so much since there were so many people, and Wendy was hurt herself. While she did this, Lucy sat near Natsu.
"Hey Natsu." She said. He turned and looked at her. He was covered in dirt, and his hair was a mess, and he had cuts and bruises on his body. Lucy imagined that she looked similar.
"Yeah?" he said. He looked at her with a curious expression. Not a look she was used to seeing on him.
"Can I tell you something personal, as a friend?" she said.
"Yeah, of course." He said.
Lucy looked down, and sighed. "Okay, but don't tell anyone." He assured her he wouldn't, and she continued. "I think I saw Loke back there. At the tower. At one point I fell, and someone caught me. I think it was him, but he was only there for a few seconds. And then he was gone. Maybe I imagined it, but… I just don't know. I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I miss him but… he's been gone for a while now." Lucy paused for a moment, and shook her head. "I don't know why I'm dumping this on you. Sorry."
"Its fine." Natsu said quietly. "Loke's tough, he'll be back. You'll see him again, someday."
"Someday…" Lucy said, looking down. Wendy came over and tried to heal her as well.
After a minute, Wendy said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can. I'm out of energy." Wendy sounded tired.
"Its okay, I'll heal." Lucy said.
Before long, the rune knights had gathered several followers and researchers. They had also placed Torq into custody, and were making room for Sael and his chair as well. Torq was guided onto the ship with his head hung and his shoulders slumped. While the ship was bigger than the one that had brought Fairy Tail, it still wasn't able to accommodate all of the followers and researchers in addition to the squad of rune knights.
"What are you going to do with them?" Mirajane asked Lahar. She watched as some of the prisoners were loaded aboard. Elfman and Lisanna were nearby, while Gray and Laxus stood by, looking dour.
"We'll take what we can." Lahar said. He looked through the book he held. "We'll have to leave some of them behind, and let the Bosco authorities take care of them. Many of the followers. But we will want to take some of the researchers and scientists. They could have useful information."
"Wouldn't it be better to just leave them all for Bosco?" Mirajane said.
"Yeah, this isn't exactly your jurisdiction, is it?" Gray added. Lahar frowned, but his tone didn't change.
"This is not our jurisdiction. However, given the situation in Bosco right now, with so many people having converted to Boudica's cause, I think leaving them all here would be risky. There are those in authority who might get hold of them, and recruit them to their cause."
"Boudica is dead." Elfman said. Lisanna winced as he said that. Elfman noticed, and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. He looked at his feet.
"That might be true." Lahar said. "But some people might not accept her death. Or if they do, they might want revenge on whoever they think might be responsible. I don't want to make that easier for them."
"Yeah, sure." Laxus said sarcastically. Mirajane looked skeptical, but didn't say anything.
"Well, if that's all…" Lahar said, and turned around.
"Wait." Mirajane said. Lahar paused, and sighed.
"What is it?" he said.
"What about the girl?" she said.
"What girl?"
"The one that used to be a snake. Cubellios. Or the human name she goes by. She must have one."
"What about her?"
"I'd like to take her into the guild. Into Fairy Tail."
Lahar raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes. I think its what Master Makarov would have wanted. One of his last acts was to save her. And she's so young, and might not have any family. We can take her in."
Lahar listened as Mirajane spoke. He adjusted his glasses. "I see. The answer is no."
"What?" Mirajane said.
"We've walked about it, and decided that we will take care of the girl."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Laxus said. "Are you keeping her prisoner or something? Makarov didn't help her just for that."
"She is not a prisoner." Lahar said. "She won't be hurt. But we feel it would be better if she was in a more stable environment. Your guild is not very stable at the moment. You don't even have a guild hall."
"We will soon." Mirajane said. Her tone suggested she was making an effort to restrain herself.
"Yeah, we'll rebuild it, bigger and better than ever." Elfman added.
"That's nice." Lahar said. "Maybe we'll reconsider when that happens. Until then, she'll remain with us." Laxus grunted.
"I hope we can work together again, Master Mirajane." Lahar said. "I'd like us to get along better than your previous master."
Mirajane looked at him somewhat coldly, and only said, "Yeah."
"Now, I need to get back to supervising." Lahar said. He turned and left.
"I don't like that guy." Laxus said. He stood there with his arms crossed, watching the knights load prisoners onto the ship. They also saw knights going by carrying some things, like machine parts. One was carrying the Sword of Shadows. Two others carried Arnok's axe.
"They're really taking everything." Gray said.
"Bet they won't be able to take that big tower." Laxus said.
"True, they'll have to leave some things behind." Mirajane said. "I guess the Bosco authorities will have to clean up whatever the rune knights don't take."
"Is this even legal?" Gray said. He looked out at the tied up followers, a fair number of whom were being left there. "I hope this doesn't create an international incident or something."
"The governor gave his approval." Mirajane said.
"Yeah, one of them." Laxus said.
After that, the mages all began to gather together again. The Knights were almost finished.
"I'm glad this is finally over." Happy said in a pained voice. Wendy had used her healing magic on him, so he could walk again. But he was still pretty sore. "I can't wait to go home. Right, Natsu?" Natsu looked down at Happy and gave a small smile.
"Right, Happy." Natsu put a hand on Happy's head.
"If we have a home to go to." Gray said.
"Gray, now isn't the time." Mirajane said softly, but firmly.
"It never is." Gray muttered. He turned and walked away. Mirajane watched him for a moment, but decided to let him go. She turned to Lisanna.
"Lisanna… How are you feeling?" she said.
Lisanna looked up at Mirajane. "I'm… fine."
"We can talk if you want."
Lisanna sat there for a moment, focusing and unfocusing her eyes. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Mira… I…" As she spoke, a few rune knights brought Sael by in his chair. He was in restraints, and was being brought aboard the airship with the others. When Lisanna saw him, she stood up.
"Sael." She said. "Wait a minute." She said to the knights. They stopped.
"Hello again, Lisanna." Sael said. "I'm glad you made it through all this. You're very strong and capable. I wish we had more time to talk, but this is where we say goodbye."
"Sael…" Lisanna said. She turned to the knights. "What's going to happen? Is he going to prison? For how long?"
The knights exchanged a glance. "That will all be decided when he goes on trial." One said. "We're just bringing him in, we can't say anymore."
"I'm not counting on ever being released." Sael said. "I did commit… numerous crimes."
Lisanna put a hand on his arm. "I'll miss talking to you. Unless… I can visit him, right?" she again turned to the knights.
"We'll see." One said. At this point Lucy walked over. She still looked messy and like she had been through the ringer.
"Excuse me, Mr. Sael?" she said. Sael turned. "Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say… I'm sorry about… Selene. I get the impression you really care about her."
Sael sat there a moment, not saying anything. He just looked at the ground. Lucy stepped back, suspecting he didn't want to talk to her. But then he spoke.
"I do. I care about her. And I appreciate you saving her earlier. I know you've lost people you care about in this war, so I don't hold a grudge. Not anymore. I think… I'm done with grudges now." Lucy nodded, not sure what else to say. The knights started to wheel Sael away.
"Goodbye." Lisanna said as he was boarded.
The ship was preparing to take off. The mages gathered to watch it. But unexpectedly, Lahar came marching back to them.
"Forget something?" Gray said.
"Almost." Lahar said. He looked a little put out. "Out of courtesy, I felt I should inform you of something. You've all been gone from Fiore for a while. During that time, things have gotten even worse. The country has been divided between different factions, with some parts of the country having rebelled against the ruling government."
The Fairy mages exchanged glances, both concerned and confused.
"But its over now, right?" Lisanna said. "Boudica…" she stopped.
"Boudica is gone." Mirajane finished.
"Yes, but everything that happened still had a big effect on the country. Maybe in time we can get things back to normal, but it won't happen overnight. Entire towns have rebelled, and the local governments support it. This war has changed things."
"What does that mean for us?" Mirajane said.
"For you? You can still run your guild in Magnolia. But certain parts of the country are blocked off from other parts. You won't be able to travel as you once did, at least not for a while. Its not safe. Attempting such travel will be considered a crime."
"What about Sun Village?" Flare said.
"That is off limits." Lahar said firmly. Flare's expression was distant, her eyes glassy.
"Now, I really have to go." Lahar said. He quickly walked back to the ship, and boarded.
Finally, everyone was aboard the ship, and it began to take off. The mages were left there to wait. But only briefly. Just after the one airship left, another came into sight in the sky. It was the airship from Roveto, at last come to retrieve them. It sailed through the sky at a slow but steady pace, and would likely be there within minutes.
"Its about time." Gajeel said. Nearby, Natsu stood up and stretched his arms.
"I can't wait to get out of here." He said.
Before long, they were in the air, on their way back to Roveto. Their last stop before returning to Fiore. It was still crowded on the ship like last time. Lisanna was crowded in the back, with Mirajane and Elfman close by. Elfman offered to sit next to her, but she shook her head. Lisanna kept her arms lightly wrapped around her midsection, and looked off to the side.
Elsewhere, Juvia sat with Flare and Gajeel. Flare also looked disquieted.
"Are you okay, Flare?" Juvia said. Flare nodded a little, but didn't speak. Gajeel put an arm around her.
"She's just shaken up because of what happened earlier." He said. "The old guy came at her with a knife."
"You mean Nikodias." Levy said. She was standing nearby. "I heard you had to… kill him."
Gajeel shrugged. "Not a big deal. He would've killed us. We just did it first. Or I did, anyway. We brought the other one back though."
"Torq." Levy said. "I kind of feel bad for him. He's sort of a child mentally." Gajeel just shrugged again. "But what about the other one?" she continued. "The little girl, Seraiisa. What happened to her?" Several eyes turned to the Strauss siblings.
"Mirajane told me she got away." Elfman said. "I was kind of… out at the time."
"How did she get away?" Gray said. Mirajane quickly responded.
"She ran off after… after Boudica was defeated." Mirajane said.
"You just let her get away, after all that?" Gray said.
Mirajane looked at the floor and said softly, "She's just a little girl. What could she do?" Mirajane had a sad-wistful expression.
Mirajane said nothing else. Lisanna raised her head and looked at Gray. "What about Alrace? I heard you fought him, and he was changed."
"Yeah." Gray said. "I told you the broad strokes. Last I saw, he went over the waterfall."
"He could still be alive." Lisanna said.
"Considering what he looked like when I last saw him, maybe it would be better if he wasn't." Gray said. Lisanna lowered her head again.
No more was said. After a minute, Lisanna stood up, and started to walk away from her siblings. Mirajane stood up and grabbed Lisanna's arm. Lisanna turned. They locked eyes for a second, and then Mirajane hugged her. They embraced for a moment, and then Lisanna slowly stepped back. She turned again and walked over to where Natsu was sitting. Natsu looked up at her. She mouthed the word "Hi" to him. He smiled at her, and patted the seat next to him. They sat together. After a few minutes, she rested her head on his shoulder, and they stayed like that for the rest of the flight.
By the time the ship made it back to the governor's mansion, the sun had set, and it was well into the evening. Everyone disembarked from the airship in the landing field, and started walking back up to the mansion. They found that Bisca was waiting for them, as she had been a lookout on this side of the mansion. She waved at them as they approached. As soon as they entered the mansion, the others came out of their rooms. Cana, Alzack, Bickslow, Wakaba, and even Evergreen all come out to greet them. Freed and Romeo still stayed in their respective rooms though.
Cana walked up, looking everyone over. "Finally, you all made it back. We were starting to get worried."
"And it looks like everyone made it in one piece." Wakaba said. His voice was weary, and his hair unkempt.
"You guys might have been worried, but I knew everything would be okay." Bickslow said.
Cana shrugged. "Okay, everyone but Bickslow was worried about you."
"You didn't have to say it like that." He said. Cana laughed.
"We're all just glad to be back." Mirajane said.
Natsu, still dirty and bruised, then stepped forward. He looked around at everyone. "I've got a question." He said. Everyone stopped and looked at him. He took a deep breath, and let it out. "I just want to know… Is there anything to eat? I haven't eaten all day, and I'm starving." Lisanna put a hand on his shoulder. Lucy nodded her head.
"You know, I haven't thought about food all day." Lucy said. "But now that you mention it, I'm really hungry."
"We really should have brought snacks." Wendy said.
Alzack and Bisca walked into the group now. Everyone was beginning to mutter about food. "Alright, listen up everyone." Bisca said. "The governor went to bed early, but he said he'll see us off in the morning. In the meanwhile, he said we can have whatever food we want." This only increased the muttering about food.
"I'll go let the servants know." Alzack said. He went off, and shortly thereafter food was prepared and served. They sat together at a big, long table. The dirty, working-class mages contrasted with the opulent surroundings. They hadn't even had a chance to clean up. But no one seemed to care. Everyone ate, some more than others. Lisanna barely touched her food, and Gray only ate a small portion, leaving the plate unfinished. Natsu was hungry, but not talkative. For everyone else, they talked, and laughed, and mostly avoided the subject of the events from earlier that day, at least for the moment. The talk was kept light and casual. Within an hour, they all finished and got up, and the food was cleared. Everyone returned to the main hall.
As everyone gathered again, Mirajane stepped into the center of everyone. "Everyone, Fairy Tail." She said. Everyone quieted and listened. "We won. Its over. I know that Master Makarov would have made a big speech right now, and I'm sure it would have been beautiful. I don't think I'm as good a speechmaker as he was, so I'll just say: I'm proud of you all. We all made it out alive, and we're still together. It didn't come without a price, and we'll deal with that in time. But for now, I think we've all earned some rest. Tomorrow, we return to Fiore, and we'll start rebuilding the guild hall. Fairy Tail will be stronger than ever."
"I'm not going." Someone said. Everyone turned.
"I don't mean to put a damper on your speech, Mira." Gray said. "But I feel like I have to say this now."
"What do you mean, Gray?" Mirajane said. Gray stepped forward.
"I mean, I've decided that I can't stay here anymore. In Fairy Tail. After everything that's happened with Natsu, and Freed, and Makarov, and the guild hall, and… everything. I feel like this isn't a place I belong anymore."
"We don't just abandon friends and family when things get bad." Cana said.
"We're all feeling emotional right now." Mirajane said. "Just come back to Magnolia with us, and take some time to think it over."
"I have been thinking about this, for a while." Gray said. "And I'm not abandoning anyone. That's why I went to Mount Silvervale. I wasn't going to leave the guild in the middle of a crisis. And I also wasn't going to just sneak away in the middle of the night. So, I'm telling you all now, straight up. I'm done."
"Gray." Natsu said. He took a few steps forward. "You're making a mistake. If you leave now, you'll regret it. Trust me, I know." Gray and Natsu stood there a moment, across from each other.
"Thanks for the advice Natsu, but I'm not you." Gray said. "I'm not going to resurrect anyone, or seek out dark powers. I'm just leaving. I need to be somewhere else. Maybe find my own place in the world."
"You're the only one who has a problem here." Cana said. She didn't sound outright angry, but was definitely emotional. "Everyone else is staying. We all still love this guild."
Gray lowered his head, and took a breath. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm the one with the problem. Just all the more reason I should leave. Then there won't be a problem."
"At least come back to Fiore with us." Mirajane said. "That's your home." Gray shook his head.
"No, I've made up my mind. I'm leaving tonight. Right now, in fact."
"Where are you going to go?" Lucy said.
"I'll figure it out." Gray said. "Maybe I'll make my way back to Fiore at some point. But if I do, I'll find my own way. Sorry if I ruined the celebration. Bye." He turned and started walking away.
"You're always welcome back if you change your mind." Mirajane said. Gray, without turning, responded.
"Don't count on it." With that, Gray made for the exit, and left the others behind.
"I think he'll come back eventually." Mirajane said. "Probably."
"Good riddance." Cana said. "What an ass."
"He's our friend." Mirajane said softly.
"I know." Cana said. He's my friend. Was." She had a bitter expression. "I'm going to ask if there's anything to drink." She wandered off to do just that.
"I'm still with you, if you'll have me." Natsu said.
"Of course." Mirajane said.
"Me too." Lucy said. "I'm not leaving."
"You're not getting rid of me." Elfman said. Lisanna also walked over to stand with Mirajane. Almost everyone pledged their support for Fairy Tail. And then, Cana came back in, holding a bottle of liquor.
"Of course I'm staying." She said in a quiet voice. "I just needed a drink."
Mirajane made a bittersweet smile. "Maybe we all do."
Afterwards, everyone talked, and drank. Many did, anyway. There were a few who were just dead tired and wanted to sleep. Hours passed, and most of the guild had gone to bed, so they would be rested for the flight home. It was now dark outside, and inside the lights were dimmed. There were a few servants about, but the mansion was mostly quiet. However, there were a few who found themselves unable to sleep. One such person was Gajeel Redfox.
Gajeel walked the halls, gradually, but with a restless edge. He walked for over twenty minutes, before taking a turn and finding himself at the entrance to the indoor garden/greenhouse area. He looked at the door for a second, and then turned and walked off. Then he stopped, and walked back. I don't think she'd be in here but… what the hell. He thought to himself. He opened the door, and walked in. He only took a few steps before he saw the familiar red. She was sitting on a log with her back turned to him. As he stepped further in, his boots crunching along the floor, she turned and looked at him. She was wide eyed. But Gajeel wasn't sure if she was surprised to see him, since she usually looked like that.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Gajeel said. Flare shook her head.
"Just thinking." She said.
"About what?" he said. He put his hands in his pockets. She stared at him and blinked. "About me?" he asked.
Flare just sat there for a moment before answering. "Yes. But other things too."
"Like whether you want to stay in Fairy Tail?" he said. Flare nodded.
"But also… I'm thinking about my home. Where I grew up."
Gajeel looked down at the ground. He sighed through his nose. He gradually walked closer to her, until he was just a few feet away. He raised his head and looked around. She also started looking, as if trying to follow his sight.
"You know, this place isn't bad." He said. "I'm not a big nature guy or anything. I'm more into metallic stuff. But this is nice too, if you're into it." The wind gently blew through the oversized leaves of several plants. Some of the tree-bushes glowed in the dim light.
"Its alright." Flare said. "Lots of purple and blue and green. I like autumn colors better."
"Figures." Gajeel said. "So, why'd you come here, specifically?"
Flare tilted her head. "This is where the guild talked to their ghost friend."
"Erza." He said.
"Yeah."
"You didn't want to be here for that."
"No. It would've been weird. I didn't know her. And… I'm not really a part of the guild."
"Is that why you're thinking about your home? You think you don't belong here?"
Flare lowered her eyes. "I don't. But I also miss my home. My family. I want to go back."
Gajeel nodded. "But they said you can't." Flare also nodded.
"I think you could belong here." Gajeel said. "You, me, and Juvia. Its weird, but we're a team, and it works somehow. And I think others are starting to warm up to you too. Fairy Tail could be a home for you. If you want." Flare raised her eyebrows.
"After we rebuild the hall, obviously." He said. "I'll even help you find a place of your own. Or, you could just stay with me." He said this without embarrassment. He looked at her seriously. Flare took a few breaths, and stood up.
"I want to stay with you." She said. "I like you. I really like you. And I like Fairy Tail too. You're all a lot nicer than Raven Tail." Gajeel stood there, waiting for her to finish.
"And I can't go home. There's no choice. I'm staying with you. With Fairy Tail." She looked at him expectantly. His expression didn't change.
"So, you're joining the guild, officially?"
"Yeah, I am." She said.
"And we'll be a couple?"
Flare smiled a little. "Yeah. If you want."
Gajeel had a faint smile too. "I do want. But… What happens when, someday, you can go home? I'm sure this 'civil unrest' stuff won't last forever. So, in a few weeks, or months, or years, or however long it takes… when you can go back to Sun Village, what happens then? Will you still stay, or leave?"
Flare stood there for a minute. Her face mostly remained the same, except for her eyes. Her eyes shifted between several emotions during that minute. "I don't know." She said finally. "I just don't know."
Gajeel slowly nodded. Flare hung her head. Gajeel took a long moment to decide what to say next. He cared abut her, but he also knew that many people wouldn't accept that answer. Flare started to walk past him. He held up a hand and touched her cheek. She stopped and looked at him. He caressed her face.
"I guess I'll just have to use that time to convince you to stay then." He said. Her eyes grew wider. He leaned in and kissed her. They kissed for a long moment. He knew that there was a chance he was being stupid, and would regret this decision someday. But he decided that sometimes you need to take a chance.
In a different part of the mansion, Evergreen and Bickslow were sitting with Freed. Rather, Freed was asleep in bed, and Evergreen had also fallen asleep in a chair. Bickslow stood at the other end of the room, looking out a window. He had his helmet off. It was quiet, save for the sounds of insects outside, and Evergreen's light snoring. It had been like that for about an hour. The door to the room suddenly opened, and someone walked in. Bickslow turned. It was Laxus. He entered the room, and Evergreen suddenly woke up at the sound of his approach. She said his name. Laxus turned to her, and then turned to look at Freed.
Laxus walked over to the bed and looked over Freed. He put a hand on Freed's head. Freed opened his eyes narrowly. He was still half asleep. They said nothing. Evergreen stood up, and started to get closer, but then reconsidered and began to back away. Laxus turned to her and held his other hand out towards her. She looked at it hesitantly, and then got closer. He put his arm around her, and hugged her. Laxus also gripped Freed's hand at the same time. Bickslow watched from the side of the room. Laxus noticed, and raised his head. He held a hand out to Bickslow as well. Bickslow lowered his head for a moment. He then stepped forward.
Laxus embraced Bickslow and Evergreen. Evergreen and Bickslow both touched Freed's arm. Then, Evergreen began to cry.
Some time passed, and it was now getting quite late. Almost everyone was asleep. But not Lisanna. She couldn't sleep, and had decided to go for a walk. She knew it wouldn't be a good idea to wander around outside by herself, but she wanted some fresh air. She walked out the back way, leading to the landing field for the airship. She walked past a small garden, and towards an area with incomplete stone walls in the ground. They were short though, so more like small barriers then walls. As Lisanna walked out in the grass, she saw Natsu sitting by himself on one of the barriers.
Somehow, Lisanna wasn't surprised to see him there. Maybe he had the same idea. It was a little unusual for him though. Or at least, it would have been at one time. She moved close to him, gradually approaching.
"Hey, Lisanna." Natsu said without turning. He sounded weary.
"Hey yourself." Lisanna said. "How'd you know it was me?"
"I could smell you easily." He said.
"Heh, I guess I really need a bath." She said.
"I could always recognize your scent. Especially now that you-" he stopped midsentence. Lisanna guessed that he was going to say, "Now that you're part demon", but she didn't press him on it. She stood there a moment before speaking.
"Do you want to be alone?" she asked.
"If it were anyone else I'd say yeah, but you can stay. I'd like you to stay."
"Okay." She said. She walked over and sat down on the barrier next to Natsu. She shifted on the less than comfortable stone. After a minute, she settled into a semi-comfortable position. She followed his gaze upward to the sky. The sun was long gone, but the night sky was still lit up by the stars. They were clearly visible on that night. Almost glowing.
"I never thought of you as the stargazing type." Lisanna said. She supported herself with her hands on the barrier.
"Yeah, neither did I." Natsu said. "But things change, right?"
Lisanna slowly nodded. "Yeah. They do." They sat there for a minute. There was suddenly a gust of wind blowing through.
"Woah, it's getting windy out." Lisanna said lightly.
Natsu nodded. "Yeah, it feels good. Does it bother you?" Lisanna said it didn't, but quickly looked away. She then pointed up at the sky.
"Look, you can see the constellations. I think I see Leo up there."
"Its funny to think it might be the zodiac spirits looking down at us." Natsu said. "I wonder what Lucy would say about it?"
"I don't know." Lisanna said. "Maybe seeing Leo would just make her sad."
"You think?" he said. "Maybe it would make her feel better, seeing him up there." He looked up for a minute. Beside him, Lisanna sat, looking away. Tears started to come from her eyes, despite her efforts to suppress it. Her throat felt tight. After a few moments, Natsu looked over at her and noticed.
"Are you okay?" he said. She nodded. "Are you sad?" She shook her head. She stood up and took a few steps away. Natsu stood up as well.
"What's wrong?" he said. He walked over to her, her back turned to him.
"Nothing." She whispered. "I have to go."
"Wait." He said. He grabbed her arm.
"Natsu, please." She now faced him, although she avoided eye contact.
"Is it because of what happened today? I only got the gist of it. You didn't really go into it before. You can tell me. I want to help you."
Lisanna took a deep breath. "Natsu… I killed her. Boudica. I killed her."
"You did what you had to do." He said.
"You don't know that. You weren't there. I… Mirajane was hurt, Elfman was hurt, it was just me and her. She wanted to kill me. Maybe all of us. I don't know." She cried as she said this, but made an effort to control it. She blinked, and opened her red eyes.
"I had the sword. The Sword of Shadows. I used it, to kill her. I opened a rift in space and… part of her was gone. Just like that. And… Seraiisa was there. She saw it. She watched me kill her mother. It destroyed her." Lisanna had stopped crying now, but her throat still felt tight. For a moment, Natsu said nothing. Lisanna gazed at the ground.
"I would have killed Arnok if I had the chance." He said.
"Maybe." Lisanna said. "I don't think anyone was upset at him dying. But Boudica… her children… Maybe there was something else I could have done. Some other way." Lisanna looked at Natsu, red eyed. She took a breath. "Natsu, I want you to tell me something. Did I do the right thing? Please tell me I did the right thing." She shivered a little, despite the warm climate.
Natsu put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You did the right thing." Lisanna met his gaze for a moment, and then looked back down at the ground.
"Lisanna?" he said. She glanced back up at him.
"Are you saying that because you believe it? Or are you just saying it because I asked you to?" She waited for his answer. After a second, Natsu smiled. To Lisanna's surprise, he leaned in and kissed her. Not a long, passionate kiss, but a brief, tender one. Then he pulled back, and she blinked. Finally, he hugged her, holding her close. After a few seconds, Lisanna raised her arms and hugged him back. Lisanna closed her eyes as they stood there together and embraced, on the cusp of the windy field.
Endnotes: Only one more chapter left.
Since its so close to the end, I feel that this might be a good time to mention some of the influences for the characters in this story. Boudica was named after, and partly inspired by, the real-life historical figure known as Boudica: wiki/Boudica
Of course, There was also some influence from various religious figures. Arnok was partly inspired by the fictional character Conan the barbarian. wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian
Arnok was obviously more evil than Conan was. Also, the name Shadow Kings was taken from a song by a metal band.
Another thing I want to mention is Jellal. That is, Jellal Fernandes, not Mystogan. I decided early on not to include Jellal in this story for a few reasons. It was partly because of the presence of Mystogan in this story. I felt that having both of them in this story would have complicated things too much. There was also the death of Erza. With Erza being dead, I felt that that took away a lot of the motivation for Jellal's character. After all, she was the one who convinced him to go on and start his life over again. But she wasn't here to do that.
Then there's Gildarts. Gildarts is mentioned in this story, but does not appear at all. Again, there were a few reasons. I actually did consider having Gildarts appear in the story in some capacity, even if only in the final part. A big deterrent for this is Gildarts' ridiculous power level. He's supposed to be able to beat very powerful wizards and stuff with a single blow, including Natsu. Which doesn't make for a compelling story, which is probably why the canon usually has him off somewhere on his own doing something else, even when the fate of the world is at stake. Granted, Gildarts is not invincible. He lost to Acnologia. Bluenote Stinger managed to trade blows with him, even if Gildarts still won. And that Byro character also fended him off (yeah I know, anime only, but still). So, it wouldn't have been impossible to give Gildarts a challenge, but it just felt like more trouble than it was worth. Besides, Laxus basically ended up serving a similar role to what Gildarts would have anyway. On top of all that, there were already so many characters in this story, so adding Gildarts to the mix would have made things too messy.