The sensation of magic in the air only grew stronger as more time passed. Yet, Magnolia remained eerily quiet where Gray and Zeref waited. Vaguely, he could sense a few details of battles going on through Zeref's telepathic network. Macao was recovering and staying back now that Juvia was there to help face off against the god slayer. Zeref's words were proving accurate that his flames were a risk to even her body made fully of water, though, hot enough to evaporate portions of it and force her to focus on drawing moisture from the air towards herself to recover.

Natsu and Erza had found the tree wizard while backup arrived to help Levy and Gajeel. They'd regained control of the doll and were now nearly finished with their battle. Meanwhile, Lucy was already fleeing, upon Loke's insistence that she let him handle the situation with her enemy. Everything was running smoothly, at least as far as Gray could tell.

"They aren't fast enough." Zeref spoke quietly, shaking his head. "Grimoire Heart should have listened to my warning as well. This pointless fighting…it is only making him more eager to approach."

"Can't we do anything?" Gray closed his hands into fists. "I could start finding them, fight some of them off—"

"It wouldn't make a difference." Zeref sighed, glancing over at Gray. "The teams I selected weren't simply for the sake of matching up magic users against appropriate enemies, Gray; there was a level of efficiency planned based on the locations I was aware of." He'd seen where everyone was when forming the link? Somehow, that almost made Zeref's telepathy seem a little creepy. "I will not claim to be a master of tactical planning…but I am at least moderately skilled on that front. Perhaps there was a better method of approaching this task, but given locations, you and myself were the furthest away from any battles still raging on. Perhaps the tree wizard…but he was in hiding, uninterested in fighting until a worthy foe appeared."

"So, basically I wouldn't be able to get to them fast enough to make a difference." Zeref nodded. Right now, their only bit of luck was the fact that Hades had not yet shown himself. That much was letting Mira, Elfman, and Ur join in and help the others as they could. Right now, Gray couldn't see them, so he assumed they were near Loke if they were fighting. "Is there any way to delay Acnologia then? You know him better than I do."

Zeref's brow furrowed. "I suppose that would depend." Gray waited, raising an eyebrow at the black wizard. "With a battle like this, he is not likely to be in the right mood for any delaying tactics. Most of my approaches to delaying him…involve assuring him that I will bring him a future with even more chaos than he currently sees."

"So, promising him a war then?" Gray asked. Zeref nodded. "There's no way we're giving him that. He's gotta be interested in something else."

"He despises humanity, for betraying someone he cared for." Zeref frowned. "And he despises dragons, for betraying him. Despite how mad he seems, Acnologia was once rational, before his losses."

"That doesn't exactly help."

"I know." Zeref looked grim, shaking his head. "He's here." Gray didn't need Zeref to say that, not when a massive roar seemed to boom overhead through the sky. For a moment, it was as if the thick magic in the air dimmed. Wizards were distracted enough to pause in their fights, uncertain of the source of the noise. Then, Gray saw a flash of blue, blasting down in the distance where Magnolia's citizens normally lived. Within the blink of an eye, water rushed through the streets, tearing through homes with a massive force and washing away the debris into piles on the streets, scattered even amongst the few buildings that remained standing.

In the sky, Gray could see hints of blue, standing out amongst dark black scales. The dragon was scanning the ground carefully and after a moment, he dove downward. The dragon grabbed a wizard in his claws, likely one of Grimoire Heart's based on the lack of terror in the telepathic link, and tossed him aside like trash. "Gray. We need to move."

Slowly, Gray found himself nodding. Panic was now in the minds of Fairy Tail's wizards, along with a strong determination. Some were planning to actually fight that thing, while others like Romeo and Max were questioning how they'd even be able to run away. Grimoire Heart had lost all priority in their minds. Regardless of which side they were on, Acnologia was the more prominent threat. Even Grimoire Heart seemed to agree, based on the fact that Fairy Tail's wizards were no longer being pursued.

Zeref and Gray ran with no real destination in mind. Gray didn't have a plan, but Zeref seemed to at least have something in mind. So, when the black wizard stopped, Gray did as well, wondering what came next. In front of them, Macao, Juvia, and Zancrow remained.

"You again? What the hell do you want?" Zancrow demanded.

"To prevent the end of an era." Zeref met Zancrow's gaze calmly, before looking at the others. "Gather everyone at your guild hall. Acnologia will not let us escape easily, but if we can condense our numbers…perhaps we can accomplish something." What was he planning? Teleportation. I cannot use it on such a scattered group without dragging Acnologia along with us, however. I need them all grouped together if we are to survive our attempt at running away.

Gray nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll go find others. We'll be faster if we split up." Zeref nodded, moving quickly to go further down the street. "When you guys think you've found as many as you can, do as he says. We don't have another choice if we want to get through this alive."

"Help you? I have the power of a god, I need not fear a mere dragon!"

Gray glared at Zancrow, but Juvia beat him to it. "Juvia has no such power and yet you could not defeat her with ease. If Juvia cannot stand against a dragon and win, neither can someone with magic that does not compare to her own."

Zancrow sputtered at that, with no decent response. "Well, at least he was right about that much." Macao grinned. "You've definitely got some spunk and don't exactly back down easily. Keep up some practice with that fire of yours and maybe you'll find you can do more than just destroy things, kid."

"Oi! We're not finished—"

"Shut up and get moving!" Gray glared at him and Zancrow began walking, muttering as he went. Shaking his head, Gray turned and began searching for the others, not caring if it was Grimoire Heart members or Fairy Tail wizards. Given the threat facing them, it really didn't matter who was helped. All of them needed some form of miracle to survive and Zeref was their best chance of success.

"Gray?" Lucy was running past him, and Gray paused.

"We're heading to the guild hall. Zeref has a plan, but we need to gather there to move forward with it."

"Got it." She nodded, moving off once more in a different direction.

Cana argued more about following along, but eventually joined and one by one, they began gathering the rest of the guild. Grimoire Heart had already scattered, however; some of their members couldn't be located. Gray wouldn't be surprised if they'd fled to their airship in the chaos. Either way, he didn't have the time to waste on them, no matter how bad it felt to just ignore them. So, he found himself turning towards the guild hall himself, even as Acnologia crashed down and began tearing through more buildings with his claws. Magic clearly wasn't the only weapon he had to use, not with the power of a dragon on his side like that.

In front of the guild hall, Zeref kept his distance. The gathered wizards looked tense, uncertain of what to do. Only two members of Grimoire Heart stood amongst them, Zancrow and what looked like the tree wizard Gray had barely managed to glimpse from before. Both of them looked uncomfortable, but neither seemed to be complaining anymore at least. "Gray. This may be the best we can—" Zeref broke off, spinning around. In an instant, a massive magic circle appeared in the air behind them, flashing in black and pulsating in the air. Then, a blast of fire hit it head on, fanning out as if it hit an invisible wall. Zeref grimaced, sweat appearing on his skin. The heat was definitely noticeable, even from further away like where Gray stood.

Both spells dropped once the flames died down. In front of them, Acnologia hovered in the air, his face almost looking like it was grinning down at the wizards gathered. "Acnologia." Zeref only spoke the name, scowling in frustration. After a moment, another circle began appearing at their feet, but Acnologia was quick to react. He dove towards Zeref, forcing the black wizard to leap aside and interrupting his concentration. The teleportation spell was interrupted, leaving everyone in place as Acnologia's massive form began to force them to scatter to avoid injury.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu blasted his magic towards the dragon, doing his best to fend him off despite their old warnings.

"Prayer's Fountain!"

"Magic Shot!"

"Purple Flare!"

"Water Slicer!"

"Ice Make: Eagle!"

"Sold Script: Chain!"

"Iron Dragon's Club!"

"Fire God's Bellow!"

More wizards began joining in the attack, with magic of all forms shooting towards Acnologia. Yet, the black dragon only began to open his mouth. A massive force almost felt like it was trying to drag Gray forward, despite its goal of targeting magic alone. With it, every spell just seemed to vanish from sight, into the beast's mouth without a glance. Attacks halted, staring at him in shock. None looked more stunned than Zancrow, who stumbled a few steps back. "The magic of a god…can't be eaten by a mere dragon…it isn't possible. It isn't possible…"

"That is no mere dragon." Zeref spoke calmly, closing his eyes. Everyone, regroup. I cannot cast that teleportation spell if we are scattered like this— His thoughts were torn away as Acnologia seemed to target him in particular. Acnologia lashed out with a claw, slashing down Zeref's chest and tearing through the upper half of his robes. For a moment, Gray saw blood, but it faded away in moments along with the flash of pain it had brought. The man grimaced for a moment, before shooting Acnologia a glare. He lifted his hand, with a black orb forming above his palm. "At least there is one magic you cannot eat, even if your scales protect you from damage with it." With that, he sent the orb flying, the only spell to actually hit Acnologia at all. Despite the clash with the creature's chest, it seemed to have absolutely no effect. All that really does is let me vent my anger. It does nothing to move us forward, so quickly, gather—

Acnologia spun around again, letting out another bellowing roar into the sky. Fairy Tail was doing their best to scramble into a group, but Acnologia seemed to move forward every time, remaining in the center of the crowd and almost trying to step on them as if they were mere bugs under his feet. When one step came particularly close to crushing Lucy, Natsu rushed in to try for another pointless attack. Much like the others, it was swallowed and had no effect whatsoever on the dragon.

Had Gray really thought he'd be able to handle this, even with help? How did Zeref even come up with any sort of plan to deal with Acnologia? His gaze flickered towards the black wizard, who had his head bowed. No magic can harm him and he will not let us escape. Gray…I fear we've lost. We've lost more than just this round as well…Gajeel and Natsu were needed… His thoughts trailed off, before he frowned. I will send them away, ensure that plan has some chance of surviving. The rest…I cannot save us all, not before Acnologia grows bored with toying with us.

There really was no chance. This guy could eat all magic, except death magic it seemed. He watched as Mira futilely struggled against him, trying for physical attacks with her satan soul transformation enhancing her strength. Her brother was doing his best as well, using his beast arm to hit the dragon with powerful punches. Yet, both of them might as well have been giving the guy a light poke on the arm for all the damage it did.

Still, their transformations were intact, right? That meant transformation magic wouldn't be eaten. It was something, though it did them no good right now. Gray was starting to realize that maybe this was the end. Fairy Tail couldn't stop this, not even Zeref could. Acnologia was going to destroy everything and there'd be nothing left to stand in his way. Something had to be done, though. He couldn't just let this monster destroy everything, his guild, and his family just like Deliora had long ago.

Gray's eyes flashed towards Zeref. Iced shell…is similar to transformation magic, right?

Something flashed in his eyes. Zeref turned towards him, those black eyes widening. No. It didn't feel like an answer to Gray's question, though. Gray, it isn't the answer. I'm not letting you—

We're dead either way, right? Zeref didn't reply, instead turning towards Acnologia again. This time, he swiped out at the crowd, throwing back a number of Fairy Tail wizards into town. Gray felt their pain, questioning how injured they were from just one attack. Had Acnologia managed to kill them already? Gray wasn't certain he wanted to know the answer, not right now.

Zeref's eyes closed and he inhaled slowly. "You wish for a challenge, Acnologia?" The dragon paused, glancing over at the black wizard. "I will grant your wish. I will challenge you…if you grant us the space for a proper battle to commence." Why was Zeref getting involved? Then, Gray slowly stilled. If he used iced shell now, given the state of the battlefield, Fairy Tail would be trapped as well. Zeref was trying to give them a way to back off, to stay out of what was about to happen.

"A true challenge…it has been some time since our last battle, Black Wizard." Acnologia seemed to exhale, glancing around the crowd. "I accept your duel. You puny insects have fifteen seconds to grant us space before I commence our battle." Hearing the rumbling voice of the dragon for the first time was unexpected, but it didn't stop Fairy Tail from reacting. The guild began backing away, clustering together further into the streets of Magnolia. "If you even consider saving them while you have the chance, I will intervene. They are my prize after my victory, you see."

Zeref nodded, closing his eyes. Wait to trap him. I…want to ensure his demise, if we are allowing for such a sacrifice. Gray met his gaze, staying just a bit further ahead than the rest of the guild. You'll know…when to use it. Please, do not worry about me.

I don't want to hurt you either, Zeref. Promise me…promise me like you did before. Your immortality will keep you alive, even within iced shell. Even if that wasn't the case…I'm not using this to kill you, so it should be fine, right? Intention changes the effects, like you said.

He didn't answer, despite Gray desperately trying to reason away how this wouldn't be harmful to the man. Instead, Zeref smiled faintly, meeting Acnologia's gaze. "Thank you, Gray…for caring as much as you could." Instead, he sounded like he was saying goodbye. The black wizard stepped forward towards Acnologia, not even bothering to dodge as the dragon sent him flying into the guild hall with a single swipe of his hand. Zeref got back up calmly, recovering with ease due to his curse.

Get out of the way, Zeref! I'm not trapping you with him, not if you're gonna talk crap like that again. I'm not letting you die, damn it! I told you I wasn't going to lose anyone else.

The black wizard smiled at him instead, closing his eyes. For a moment, Gray felt strange. He was seeing himself in Zeref's mind, seeing how shocked Zeref was when Gray survived their first meeting. There were more flashes, memories of moments where Gray trusted him more than was reasonable, where Gray relied on him and insisted on doing the right thing, despite what seemed logical. There was…a warmth in Zeref's mind, a comforting feeling that Gray had never once associated with the black wizard. However, with that warmth came a pulsing headache, throbbing in his head and darkening out the warmer thoughts.

Black magic exploded from where he stood and even Acnologia seemed to hesitate to approach the haze. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Zeref smiled. "Perhaps even your scales cannot prevent harm from prolonged exposure to this magic? I have always wondered if that would be the case."

Acnologia roared at the taunt, charging forward regardless of those words. Gray's heart pounded in his chest, stuttering as Zeref took another hit. He winced at the pain. At this point, the black magic blocked any further vision of the black mage. Still, their link gave him some idea on what was going on in the fight. I love you, Gray. This…may be my only chance to admit that so openly.

Stop this…this isn't the answer! He could see Zeref's plan now. He wanted to trap Acnologia in iced shell, with that uncontrollable haze of death magic to surround him. I'm not going to kill you.

And I do not wish to live any longer, especially not without someone like you to show me how to remember what is important in life. Gray flinched. I know you cannot return my feelings. You have other priorities, other things to take care of in your life before seeking out a partner will come to mind. Yet, I have done more irrational things before in my past, Gray. Defending your family, protecting your friends…I cannot deny that I'd do the same thing, if I still had such things to protect. This is my way of giving you the only thing I have to offer, Gray. Perhaps I will live, but if you are going to sacrifice yourself, I will offer the same to protect what I still love as well, regardless of the cost to myself just as you have chosen.

His chest hurt. Watching Zeref do this, offer to give up so much, wasn't what he wanted. Why did it hurt even? They were friends and he didn't want to lose Zeref, but it felt like more than that. He'd be causing Zeref's death, granting him the wish Zeref had always had deep in his heart. It was the wish Gray had fought against at all costs, trying to prevent from coming true. This wasn't how he imagined it ending. You're still immortal. You…won't die. Gray wouldn't believe it. He wasn't going to kill him.

I love you, Gray. The black magic pulsed wider, expanding further around him. This time, I am not hiding from my thoughts or running from my emotions. If it is to end…I think this is a pleasant way to go. Thinking of the one I care for, honoring his wishes and granting him what happiness I can in the form of defending what he cares for.

It wasn't right, letting him think that he was alone. Gray stared at Zeref, feeling the pain in his heart at the thought of losing him, questioning why it hurt so much more than imagining the others perishing. Was it because Natsu would be gone with him? Was it because he related so much more to Zeref? Was it because this was, in a way, failing the job he'd taken? Somehow, Gray knew those weren't the answer.

I'm not letting this be the end, Zeref. When we get out of this…I'll prove it to you. Maybe it isn't a priority right now, but I don't think you're as unlovable as you seem to think. I'm not going to just let you die thinking that I don't care for you too.

Acnologia launched another attack on Zeref, but Zeref hardly noticed the pain it brought. He sat up immediately after, his thoughts growing far less focused on the battle and more on their conversation. Thank you…I did not think it would be possible. He was quiet. After a moment, Gray thought he felt a flash of magic surge through the air, dark but not quite the same as the death magic surrounding the fight. Fairy Tail had started backing away with the growing death predation, but Gray stood his ground. Natsu…should be safe, at least. I've tethered his life to your magic instead. Iced shell…should defend you as well. It is an indestructible form of ice and not technically living, despite how it acts. This magic will not harm you, Gray…I hope.

Well, it wouldn't be fair if he wasn't taking a risk himself. Acnologia started to stand on his feet, lifting his head and opening his mouth. He was preparing a breath attack…and it was aimed towards them, based on where Zeref was standing. Well, seems like I'm risking my neck as well here. Care to at least give me a fighting chance to come back out of this? Zeref chuckled, before requiping a book and tossing it onto the ground.

"I tire of these games, Black Wizard! A serious challenge…this is mere child's play."

"Oh, I was not the real person who wished to challenge you, Black Dragon." Zeref met his gaze, smiling softly. "I apologize for wasting your time with me, when there is another who stands capable of stopping us both with just a single attack." Gray took a deep breath, getting into the right stance. Zeref's mind flashed through a few more memories, recalling their conversations where Gray talked about how similar they both were, relating to him and explaining why he cared so much. It was such a fond memory for Zeref; it only worsened the death predation around him. Yet, that memory was torn from Gray's mind as their connection shattered, with Zeref breaking the spell with no warning. "Brace yourself, Acnologia. Our end is near."

The black dragon finally seemed to notice Gray, opening his mouth wider for his breath attack to be launched. Behind Gray, he could feel Fairy Tail's magic surging, with the wizards standing together as one. He didn't know exactly what form of power he felt, but the details didn't matter. Gray took a deep breath, ignoring the soft expression he could practically feel on Zeref's face as he focused on the ice wizard. He ignored the way surprise flashed across Zeref's face for a moment as he focused on the surging power behind Gray, before Zeref was chuckling and smiling fondly once more. Zeref's head bowed and he whispered two more words before Gray unleashed his spell. "Thank you."

Meredy traveled as fast as she could manage on foot. Ultear and Jellal hadn't been that far away from Magnolia, not with how quickly they'd been tracked down. While Meredy didn't know the precise time it took to find them, she did remember the path to their campsite once she deviated off from the road, towards them. Her swift pace did not slow and her gaze remained level. Despite reaching out to Ultear, Meredy wasn't acting on her behalf. Strangely, she was acting for the boy she'd despised.

Meredy did need to make up for that unwarranted hatred, after all. She'd made too many assumptions and truly knew so little about the time mage Meredy had looked up to almost like a mother. So, it only made sense to track down Ultear and Jellal to help them with their problem. "Ultear." She saw both wizards turn towards her when she arrived. "Grimoire Heart has attacked Fairy Tail."

"They're moving forward already?" Meredy nodded as the time mage rose to her feet. She still looked so strong, but the sight sent a strange pang through her chest. Meredy turned away, trying to ignore the feeling. "Jellal…with what we were discussing, I think it might be best—"

"We'll finalize what to do later." Jellal rose to his feet, frowning at Meredy. "Between the three of us, I imagine we can give Fairy Tail quite the advantage against this guild. Perhaps it won't be ideal, but it will surely even the odds of success."

Meredy nodded. "They are still in Magnolia. Zeref is organizing them all with a plan—"

"Zeref is fighting against them?" Ultear blinked in surprise. "Surely, he has better things to do. I mean, I know I spoke with him for some time, but…"

Meredy shook her head. "He is defending the team that surrounds Gray Fullbuster. For what purpose I still don't know, but that is the truth of what I've seen thus far." Being near Gray and his team had gradually brought her to an odd realization about herself, one that in retrospect should have been obvious when she thought of her interactions with the Grimoire Heart. Zeref had been quite accurate with his analysis of her; Meredy didn't like being alone.

"That would align with what I witnessed at my tower." Jellal tilted his head, smiling faintly. "Though, it seems as if he does still act on his own self-interest at times. I do recall him trapping me for something as pointless as an explanation on how I planned to activate a spell meant to revive him."

"He was interested in Ultear's work?"

The time mage glared at her, while Jellal ran a hand through his hair. "You knew about her manipulation as well?" Meredy nodded, feeling her stomach churn. Her eyes flickered towards Ultear, narrowing for a moment before she frowned back over at Jellal who was already accepting the nod as her full response. "Of course you did. I shouldn't be surprised, given what little I've seen of you around her."

"I did tell you she was rather attached." Ultear sighed, shaking her head. "Have you given my advice some thought? Considering you came running right back—"

"I'm not staying to work with you." Meredy glared at Ultear, scowling. "There's no way I'd ignore something you told me to do, Ul—" She broke off, realizing what that implied. Instead, she turned away, staring at her feet as she walked. They were on the road now, moving swiftly to Magnolia, but they still needed to do something to pass the time as they traveled. "Sorry."

She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder and Meredy turned to blink at Ultear in surprise. The time mage had a small smile on her face, though it was still a bit strained. "I'm not saying I won't have my own moments like this as well. Right now, I still feel myself questioning why I even want to help Fairy Tail, when my mother is likely…with them." She frowned. "That isn't someone I'm ready to face, not until I'm certain I won't turn back onto this path."

"I'm not certain I'll ever be ready to face my former comrades." Jellal sighed. "So, in that sense, I suppose you are already coping better than I am."

"Why wouldn't you?" Meredy shook her head. "It makes no sense to avoid them. The past cannot be altered and they should accept that. If they choose not to, then they're the ones acting like fools."

"You don't really feel guilt for what you did in the guild, do you?" Ultear asked quietly. Meredy shrugged again. "I'm sorry. Part of me still thinks it is my fault, that you feel so unbothered by the things you do."

Meredy knew that she'd been given harsh advice growing up. The Kin of Purgatory refused to hold back in any sort of fight, regardless of her age. At first, she'd taken to running off to Ultear for every injury. Meredy could remember running away crying, covered in bruises after being forced to repeatedly punch and beat herself up during a spar with Kain. Ultear had taken one look at her swelling, bruised eye and just sighed to let her in.

"You know, it's only going to get worse. I'm up next for training you tomorrow you know."

Meredy had clung to the woman's shirt, pressing her head into Ultear's side and ignoring the discomfort for a brief moment. "I want to go home." Home meant gentle caresses and kind words of encouragement. Her parents never yelled at her for failing to use her magic. They never told her she was worthless if she cried out in pain after falling down.

"I'm certain we can arrange that. The ship can easily circle back around to the rubble you once called a home anytime." Meredy had flinched at those words, the memories still fresh in her mind. "But you have to face the facts, kid. Your family's gone and we're all you have left. If it wasn't for us, you'd be starving on the streets or dead."

"But they're going to kill me!" Meredy's grip tightened. "I can't live like this, Ultear. My magic is weak, I'm useless, and they're going to kill me for it all."

"Well, then don't be weak." Ultear sighed, shaking her head. "Look, do you want to know how I got by when I was your age?" Meredy met the woman's eyes, slowly nodding. "I played pretend. All of the pain, the suffering, any sort of hurt at all, I just hid it away inside. That way, when I faced a difficult battle, I could always tell the world I was going to win. The more I did that, the more I believed it was true. And once I believed, that was when I started to win."

Pretending? Meredy frowned, considering the idea. She supposed it was a strategy of sorts, to at least prevent them from picking on her for crying. Even if she lost, she should be able to bring herself to act like everything was fine and try again. So, she nodded. She would act like nothing bothered her. Eventually, it helped her learn how to become numb to the pain and the words of others. It made it easy to logically plot out the necessary plans to protect her new home from any dangers, no matter how violent she needed things to get.

That advice still lingered with her, even now. "The past isn't going to change, Ul." Meredy looked over at her, hardening her gaze. "My family is gone and nothing will change the fact that you taught me to be this way."

Ultear grew pale, no longer speaking. Jellal patted her arm after seeing her reaction, moving ahead of Meredy who just stared in silence. Did she really not know Ul well enough to offer comfort in the form of the truth? She thought she was the only one who could calm her friend down, the only one that understood how Ul valued hearing blunt truths over pleasant lies. Then again, she supposed they had never truly been friends in the first place, had they? Meredy swallowed a lump in her throat, closing her hands into fists.

The silence lasted amongst them for quite some time as they neared Magnolia. "Meredy," Jellal spoke quietly. "Take Ultear's advice as soon as possible. Find a future you wish for and do not follow us down this dark path. You're young. There's still so much more for you out there than this sort of a life."

Everyone seemed to think that lately. Grimoire Heart was all Meredy had known, however. People underestimated her due to her age, yet Master Hades said she could accomplish anything she dreamed of. She used her youth to her advantage whenever she could. Not many wizards expected to find a thirteen year old girl with her abilities in magic and strategy. Then again, few wizards even realized she was that young anyway, so she supposed it wasn't much of an advantage at all with that in mind.

Her gaze flickered towards Jellal, before she shook her head. "I still haven't determined which path is meant for my future." She paused, glancing over at Ultear. This woman had taken everything from her, no matter how little she remembered. Oddly, it was her brief time with Gray and his friends that stood out in contrast as being far brighter than any moment she'd spent on that airship with her rescuers. That place was cold and empty, yet Meredy was realizing it just might be possible to find some sort of warmth and kindness elsewhere."All I know is that I have no motivation to return to Grimoire Heart. Without that, I suppose I'll just try to find what it is I want to do."

"Well, I hope you find something that suits you, Meredy." The pink haired girl nodded as Ultear smiled, picking up her pace.

A shadow fell over them, making Meredy glance upwards with a frown. What she saw, however, made her freeze with wide eyes. "That's not possible."

Jellal turned back, frowning at her. "Meredy? What are you—" He broke off, following her gaze. "A dragon? They're supposedly extinct!"

That was what Meredy thought as well. However, even Ultear looked stunned, watching its flight path as it sped off and completely ignored their existence. "Well, apparently there is some truth to the rumors about dragon slayers and their dragons," Ultear said.

"You mean that they actually learned from them, right?" Ultear nodded, while Meredy frowned. "It seemed so improbable to me, but I suppose this does support the idea."

"Are we following it?" Jellal frowned, glancing at the others. Blinking, Meredy stared after where the dragon had once been. She slowly began to nod, moving once more at a run. "This cannot be good. If Grimoire Heart was bad, a dragon attack will be catastrophic."

"Fairy Tail has a dragon slayer." Meredy knew that much about Natsu, even if she didn't know the details. "In theory, they should be able to counter a dragon."

Ultear snorted. "Hardly. I was too shocked to keep walking after that sight. Do you think a dragon slayer is going to be any different?" Ultear had a point. Meredy frowned, but just kept moving. "Let's just stay focused and get everyone out of that town before it's too late. I doubt we can get there faster than a dragon, but hopefully, we'll be able to salvage some of them when we get to Magnolia."

Their expressions were grim, both Ultear's and Jellal's. They were acting like it was certain people would be dying again, tragically so. Would Grimoire Heart fall too? Would they not even stand a chance if they allied with Fairy Tail against the new threat? Meredy swallowed, shaking her head. It shouldn't matter. She wasn't going back to that dark guild and she had no reason to care about Fairy Tail either. No matter what she saw, it wouldn't drag her into despair like the loss of her home had. She wouldn't let herself be that weak again.

Braced, Meredy was expecting to find destruction and chaos when she arrived. She remembered enough about her own home's destruction to predict the sort of damage she'd see; Meredy wasn't a stranger to dead bodies in the slightest, even if they were of people she knew. However, despite being prepared for such a sight, she belatedly realized she hadn't prepared at all for what awaited her. Her footsteps halted and she stood at a point where the street seemed to just end with no warning at all. Instead of the border of a city as she expected, Meredy was staring into a massive lake with water crashing out onto the roads as waves rolled across the surface.

"Magnolia should be here. I was just in town the other day." Ultear frowned, looking over at them. "Did the dragon do this?"

There was no sign of the dragon either to confirm that. Where was everyone? Zeref had said they'd move forward to try and flee. Maybe they'd succeeded. Though, Meredy wasn't certain if that was the case or not. "It's possible. Dragons supposedly are capable of any form of elemental magic. I don't think I'd be able to distinguish which element that one used after such a short glance at it."

Jellal nodded in agreement with her. "The magic surrounding this area does not feel appropriate for such a massive level of destruction." He knelt down, frowning as he touched the water. "There is dirt below the surface, not pavement."

What? Meredy walked forward, kneeling down next to him. She stuck her hand in the water as well, only to feel her fingers touch the bottom rather quickly. It felt smooth and grainy and wasn't uncomfortable to rub her hand against like the road would be at all. "Then it wasn't the dragon," Ultear said, frowning at them.

Still, there was a chance. "I'm going to check further along the shore." Meredy walked away, pulling her hand free of the water. While he wasn't high on her list of wizards to target, Fairy Tail did indeed have a sand mage within their ranks. It was possible that a battle near the edge of town caused something like that to appear. However, when she crouched down further down the shore, she felt the same result. Her frown remained and this time, she pulled off her shoes. Lifting her robes up, she slowly began to wade into the water. It was slightly chilled, but beyond that, there was no discomfort. She kept walking, only to gasp when she suddenly lost the ability to touch the bottom of the water. There was no sudden incline or decline - just a single step and nothing more for her foot to rest on.

Meredy splashed around for a moment, with her cloak soaking into the water and trailing around her. Now she'd have to wait for it to dry off again before getting warm. Sighing, she shook her head and gave a kick, pushing herself back to where she could stand again. Immediately, the water was barely at her calves once more. "Strange." She turned around, seeing Jellal watching her from the shore. She walked towards them, her frown lingering. "The depth of the water shifts suddenly and the sand is consistently what is found underneath." She paused, glancing back out at the water. "It is as if Magnolia was never here at all."

"There's no way that dragon did this." Ultear shook her head, taking a deep breath. "Right? I know dragons were supposedly powerful, but this is unheard of."

"The magic aura I'm feeling doesn't seem particularly harmful, not entirely at least." Jellal frowned. "There is something dark here, but the majority of the energy feels warm, in a way."

"Did Zeref determine a way to move the town, maybe?" Meredy frowned at her own suggestion. It was absurd, but he was a powerful wizard from legend. He likely had the capability of such a thing, if the danger really was there to push him to act.

"No, it isn't the right signature for teleportation either." Ultear was studying the area as well, while Meredy shifted her weight. She wasn't good at recognizing other magics yet, not without more practice. If she saw them, she did fine, but she couldn't sense old spells in the air like Ul could. "Either way…it appears as if we are too late to help them at all."

"If only we'd moved faster." Jellal glared at the water, before slamming a fist into its surface. "I could have helped them. We should've just traveled back with Gray and his team. We should've watched and ensured they were safe."

This made Jellal angry? Meredy watched him, uncertain as to why he'd be so upset. She knew there was a chance of failure. Didn't they realize how unlikely they were to outrun a dragon? Even if that hadn't been a risk, Meredy had predicted about a thirty percent chance that they'd be able to withstand an attack from Grimoire Heart that lasted the entire duration of her trip. "It should have been expected. I should have simply stayed and fought, knowing the delay from travel would cause such an issue," Meredy said.

"And what? Died with them?" Meredy frowned, seeing Jellal spin towards her. "You can't even seem to grasp why this is a problem, can you? I had friends in Magnolia, people I cared for! I didn't just run off after you because I wished to be a better person. I wanted to protect her…"

Ultear glanced at him, hesitating for a moment. Then, she sighed and turned away, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry." Ul was apologizing? "If I'd never done what I did to you so long ago, you likely would have been by her side until the end." Again, the same refusal to acknowledge Meredy's part in that spell remained. Meredy stood stiffly in silence as Jellal continued his passionate response.

"You've apologized for that already. It changes nothing; I'm still a monster who hurt and betrayed my comrades. I would never have been worthy to keep walking by her side, not with such darkness inside of me." He glared into the water. "And now, it seems I'm incapable of even giving her space and protecting her from the darkness of this world in the shadows. She's gone."

"Regretting the past is pointless," Meredy said in an attempt to calm the other wizard. Jellal only turned to glare at her for her words, however.

"Then just leave. If you don't have reason to grieve…reason to find out answers, just leave."

"Jellal, she's—"

"I don't want her here." Jellal seemed to challenge Ul, glaring at the time mage. However, Meredy was already backing away. He was right, wasn't he? She had no reason to grieve at this place. There was no reason at all to focus on what she'd lost, even if it did make her chest hurt and her shoulders feel heavy. Like always when this feeling came, she fought against the burning in her eyes, instead thinking about what she had left to hold onto.

However, that was when she realized that both her small hope for the future and what she had before were gone. Ultear was on an adventure with Jellal and wasn't calling her back. Gray, despite his promise to be her friend after all this, was just as lost as Jellal's friend. So, for what felt like the first time in years, Meredy felt actual tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't know who it was she was crying for, but she would not let anyone see. She'd keep walking until she found a future that could help her stop the tears once more, until she had someone who could make her smile as she fought for their happiness as well. That was the sort of future she deserved, she thought, so she pressed on with no destination at all in mind.