CH7: Blast From the Past

Seven years have passed since Zancrow was accepted into Fairy Tail, and he was devastated. In that time he had bought a house with all the money he had made from completing dangerous jobs, and had been training rigorously getting stronger with each passing day. But what was the point? By now Zancrow had lost all hope to ever see Natsu Again. All the strength he possessed meant nothing if he was unable to even the score with the Dragon Slayer.

"Maybe the black dragon really did kill them. I mean, it has been seven years. Surely at least one of them would have found their way back to Magnolia by now even if they were blasted to the other side of Earthland."

Zancrow made his way through downtown Magnolia in heavy thought. All this time he was set on destroying Fairy Tail. He even went as far to join them just so he could one day exploit their weaknesses and bring them down from the inside. His first year there he spent hours at a time in the library reading up on all of the wizards Fairy Tail hosted, past and present. He studied all the wizards, weak and strong. But his main focus when gathering intel of the enemy was not Natsu, for he had already fought him. His main focus were the top wizards in Fairy Tail who could pose a threat to him. Grey with his Ice make magic, Erza with her unbeatable armor, Laxus and Mirajane as well, were all threats to be concerned about. And Zancrow studied them intricately. He had knowledge of their magic, their signature attacks, their fighting styles, but it no longer mattered because they were gone. He had no enemies in Fairy Tail. Everyone who knew him as a member of Grimoire Heart was dead. The Fairy Tail he joined, as small and weak as they currently were, he actually kind of liked them. He had no beef against Fairy Tail anymore since all his beef was obliterated by Acnologia.

"What a letdown. Part of me hoped you had survived Natsu. But I guess I was a fool to believe that. You and your guild were destroyed by that dragon. How pathetic, to defeat all of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin, only to be beaten by flying lizard in the end. Yet I somehow survived. I thought that if I lived through that experience so did all of you but after seven long years, I doubt that is the case. I never thought that I would become a good guy. But I guess that is what old man Makarov was trying to tell me back on Tenrou Island. The "power of family," or more specifically, Fairy Tail, it changes you. I never wanted to be a good guy doing good deeds. But Laki, and the others have shown me that change is necessary when you want to move on from your past. The old Fairy Tail took away my home, my family, and my pride. But now, I am a part of their family and through the years have become more powerful than I could ever have dreamed back on that island."

Zancrow looked down at his right pectoral muscle which once bore the guild mark of Grimoire Heart. It now hosted the Fairy Tail crest. He still could not believe he was a part of a guild he once loathed. But slowly, through these seven years, Fairy Tail changed him. He made his way back to Central Magnolia expecting there to be Twilight Ogre goons waiting outside of the guildhall. In fact there were, but their current state puzzled Zancrow; They were all knocked out. One, four, seven, fifteen, twenty. Twenty guys were knocked out cold on the street in front of his guildhall. "This must have been one of their biggest raid attempts on us since I've joined Fairy Tail." He thought. "I wonder who knocked them out."

Zancrow was about to enter the guildhall when he heard voices, laughter even, coming from the inside of Fairy Tail. It sounded like the party of the century was going on in there and he wanted to know why. Then Zancrow heard a voice he knew all too well.

"I'm fired up now!"

"Natsu…" Zancrow stated in disbelief.

He knocked the door open with such force he broke both of their hinges. Immediately the party stopped and it was dead silent. Most of the guildmembers that had returned from Tenrou were not familiar with the God Slayer, but Wendy, Carla, Happy, Pantherlily, Natsu, and Makarov recognized him all too well. They stared in disbelief wondering how he had survived the blast.

"Oh Zancrow," Laki said with tears of joy in her eyes. "Our long lost family has returned."

Zancrow stood dumbfounded as he looked around the room to see, all of them. Erza, Wendy, the three stupid cats, Lucy, Gajeel, Levy, even Makarov had returned. Everyone was back except for Gildarts, Laxus, and Mirajane who seemed to be elsewhere currently. "They, actually did survive…" he mumbled. "Just when I was actually starting to feel at home."

"Zancrow!" Natsu yelled. "How did you surviv…"

Natsu was barely halfway through his sentence when powered up in anger and let his black flames consume him. The pink haired one's voice was all the God Slayer needed to be reminded of his humiliating defeat back on the island. In one acrobatic motion, he leaped down to the lobby and started charging at the Dragon Slayer. He hated Natsu. To think that he could just show up after seven years, when things were going so well for him here.

"Nice of you to show up dragon breath. I was wondering whether you were really dead or just playing possum the last seven years."

"Zancrow! What are you doing in my guildhall?" Natsu asked whilst flaming up as well.

"Destroying it from the inside! Zancrow Yelled. "And you will be the first to feast on my fury!"

"Zancrow!"

"Natsu!"

When their fists collided, the inside of the Fairy Tail guildhall was consumed with black and orange flames.