Chapter 15: A Flame rises in the Sky
'Thinking' – thoughts
"Speaking" – speech
'Thinking' – Dragon/God/Beast thinking
"Speaking" - Dragon/God/Beast speaking
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters they are the property of Hiro Masima.
NinjaFang1331 Thank you and here you go with a new chapter.
24petitloup:The arc that start now will be the GMG arc. As for Lucy, thier intial interaction will be delayed, and will only come in a bit later in the story but still during the GMG. As for which option, I still haven't completely decided on how that will play out
L'arc qui commence maintenant sera l'arc GMG. Quant à Lucy, leur interaction initiale sera retardée et n'interviendra qu'un peu plus tard dans l'histoire, mais toujours pendant le GMG. Quant à quelle option, je n'ai toujours pas complètement décidé de la façon dont cela se déroulera
Shank: I hope I will not disappoint.
-The Open Ocean-
It's the year X791, and the undisturbed vast expanse of the ocean stretched as far as the eye can see without so much as a ripple in the waves. From the depths, a dim glow started to penetrate the vast blue expanse with specks of gold.
-Griffin's Heaven-
Natsu was standing in a neutral stance while Maz was painting slightly on the opposite side of a small clearing.
"You are paying more attention to what's going on around you. Glad to see that the few blows you received finally got through to you," Natsu commented with a grin.
"We must have a different definition of the word 'few', I lost count of how many times you buried my head in the ground," Maz replied as he leaned on his war hammer.
"Hopefully for you, it won't take the same amount of blows to know how to gauge your opponent's power. Well, for me it doesn't matter," Natsu said with a grin as he beckoned Maz to come at him again with his hand.
"Ha, I already know that I will beat you," Maz declared happily as he charged forward, electric crackling sparking behind him. An amused grin pulled at Natsu's lips before he felt a sensation he only felt once before and his body stiffened, but this time it didn't fill him with dread. No, this time hope filled his very being.
Moments before Maz reached Natsu, he heard the S-Class mage mutter 'Wendy' with a look of surprise before he sunk into the darkness his shadow had cast and vanished, leaving nothing but a very confused Maz.
-Magnolia skyline-
A large airship with a Pegasus figurehead disturbed the clear blue skies. The ship drifted over the town below but its recognisable shape and figurehead caused the inhabitants of Magnolia not to bat an eye. The airship belonged to one of the top guilds in Fiore, Blue Pegasus, the Magical Bomber Christina. The Christina left the city's skies and started to descend near a hill on the outskirts where a lonely tavern with a windmill on top stood, hanging above its doors was the banner of the once powerful guild Fairy Tail.
"Men, we will deliver the refreshing parfume of hope to our trusted allies. I do hope that this will lift them from the slump and allow them to regain the heights they once dominated," A short, stout man with a defined face and a white suit declared while striking an odd pose. He is Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki and a member of the Blue Pegasus Guild.
"Yes, Sir," Three men cheered, all three were classic pretty boys, a pale-skinned blonde, Eve Tearm, the tan-skinned brunette, Hibiki Lates, and the dark-skinned and dark-haired, Ren Akatsuki, these four members formed the team, the Trimens.
"Ah, we are closing in on our destination Men. Let us greet our allies," Ichiya said as he struck another pose, before falling backwards and plummeting to the ground with a shout of 'Man" escaping him. This left his three followers in a moment of disbelief before lowering the Magic Bomber, opting for a safer and more generic entrance. One with significantly less face to face meetings with the unforgiving stone path to the Guild Hall of Fairy Tail.
The sudden and unconventional entrance of Ichiya from outside of their hall quickly alerted the Fairy Tail members of their guests even before the ambient noise from the Christina reached their ears. Macao and Wakaba were the first Fairies to leave the hall and saw who their guests were.
"Ichiya, how nice of you to... drop by?" Macao greeted the man. Being a member of Fairy Tail, seeing odd sights wasn't something new to him, it was just that he didn't expect it from another guild.
"Greetings Guild Master Macao, I come with the sweet parfume of hope for your guild," Ichiya said, striking a pose as if his unconventional entrance never happened. As he greeted the Fairy Tail members, his underlings landed the airship and made their way down the ramp to join their leader.
"I thank you for the extended help your guild has provided, but I don't want to give the guild more false hope," Macao sadly uttered. Just a few minutes ago, some of the commotion in the hall caused Reedus to accidentally spill all of his paintings on the ground. The stake that pierced their hearts were the members they had lost seven years ago populated the parchments, filled with joy and the unity that had been slipping from the guild ever since the terrible news reached them, a unity that some members already questioned for a few months prior when four of their members distanced themselves from the guild.
"Matters of the heart such as this carry a delicate parfume, but what Hibiki picked up is something you must hear," Ichiya said with a respectful tone before stepping aside and redirecting the attention of the Guild Master and his advisor to the younger man.
"We have been keeping the eye on the area where Tenrou Island once stood over the past seven years and recently the ethernano levels were spiking every now and then, but yesterday the levels reached an all-time high. Something is happening where Tenrou Island once stood, almost as if something is trying to break through a barrier of some kind, and I can't find anything with my Archive Magic that might suggest what it might be," Hibiki explained.
During Hibiki's explanation, Macao and Wakaba found the tantalizing string of hop, amplified by the heartache they had experienced a few minutes ago. This was the first actual change that couldn't be explained, something that might just be able to lead them to some sort of answer, be it a reunion or closure.
"Thank you, all of you, for this information. We would like to investigate this on our own at first," Macao said with the most composure he could muster.
"Of course, your guild should inhale the refreshing parfume of hope alone at first. We pray that you will find your lost members and bring the power of Fairy Tail back as a force of good in our world, Man," Ichiya declared in a softer tone, filled with understanding and lined with hope.
"I apologise for cutting this meeting short, but we need to prepare for the voyage," Macao apologised while Wakaba returned to the guild hall to start getting a search party ready.
"We will patiently await your return," Ichiya replied before leading his followers back on the Christina, allowing Macao to take his leave and follow Wakaba, sending the team off the following day in his mind.
-Location of Tenrou Island-
A golden light of magic pierced the clear skies while the calm oceans erupted into violent waves, originating from the golden beam that came from the depths. From the harbour at Hargeon the gathered Fairy Tail mages felt their hearts overflow with hope while a fast-moving dark spot in the ocean had its determination grow.
A gigantic golden sphere emerged from the turbulent sea, the Fairy Tail insignia proudly on display. Once the sphere dominated the horizon, it started to dissipate, dissolving into golden dust. As the remainder of the sphere dissolved, the great Tenrou Tree painted the horizon with its majestic form, soon followed by Tenrou Island, a sight not seen in seven long years. Those who saw the island before it was presumably destroyed by the incarnation of the Apocalypses, Acnologia, wouldn't be able to discern any changes that would be brought about by the merciless progression of time.
Tenrou Island has re-emerged as if it nothing transpired over the past seven years.
As the spot of darkness approached and the Fairies boarded their ship, the mages who had disappeared for seven years, thought to have fallen to Acnologia, started to stir from their slumber.
"Ugh, what just happened?" Gray groaned as he got up.
"We were busy fighting Grimoire Heart but then Acnologia arrived," Freed replied as he carefully scanned the skies.
"Fairy Sphere, you have outdone yourself once again," an elderly voice whispered as his powerful magical aura seeped from his body.
"A powerful magic that I must claim," another powerful voice said as a heavy feeling descended on the Fairies.
"Somehow we were saved from the greatest threat, but it seems like the defeat of the Dark Guild is still up to us, we can wonder about what happened later," Makarov said as he raised himself to his feet.
"Fairy Tail will not fall here," Gildarts said as he released a pulse of his magic that cleared the heavy feeling that had descended on the guild. 'We won't fall, otherwise who will help him?' Gildarts steeled his resolve.
"I have no idea where that overgrown lizard went, but now I can play with a few more Dragon Hunters," Zancrow cackled as he turned his eyes from Wendy's beaten form just behind the line of Fairies to Laxus and Gajeel.
"There won't be as much as an ember left once I'm done with you for what you did to her," Laxus growled out while metallic scales started climbing up his arms.
The two guilds started to gear up for the continuation of their battle that had a long-dormant streak, but they were distracted when the ground between them was swallowed by an unnatural darkness that quickly morphed into a human-like shape. The figure turned towards the Fairies, causing them an uneasy feeling, Both sides were still injured from their previous fight, but this new thing seemed fresh.
The dark figure slowly made its way towards the line of mages, but Erza decided to confront it.
"Identify yourself," Erza commanded in a strong voice, but she was ignored. The figure gave no reaction to the next two commands for Erza to Identify itself when it found its path blocked by the Knight.
"You will not take another step or you will face my blade," Erza threatened as she readied her sword.
While the figure approached the Fairy Tail mages would have presented the perfect opportunity for Grimoire Heart to attack, Hades held his hand up to prevent his mages from advancing, the new arrival's magical signature surprising him. 'That can't be Him, but this darkness... I can sense His signature within it,' Hades thought.
The figure slowly continued on its path, angering Erza who decided that enough was enough and brought her blade to the Figure's neck with a threatening glare. The S-Class mages of Fairy Tail had slowly started to gather their power as soon as they saw the dark thing moving in their direction while the candidates and their partners only started to react once Erza had her blade at its throat.
Erza recoiled as the dark figure walked through her blade, its body simply spilling over the blade like a shadow.
"What is this?" Erza asked shocked. Concerned, Gildarts released a pulse of Crash Magic towards the figure while Freed started to prepare a defensive rune. With a flick of its wrist, the figure produced a pillar of darkness that strangely glowed and moved like flames. The pillar intercepted the wave of Gildarts Crash pulse and absorbed the white magic before dissolving into tiny cubes.
Makarov had a surprised expression since Crash Magic should break apart all forms of magic, yet whatever this was seemed to have a similar property. When he turned to glance at his Ace, Makarov was surprised by Gildarts who had a deep frown and confusion in his eyes.
Before any of the other Fairy Tail mages could make another move, Zancrow lost his patience.
"That's it, I'm itching to roast some Fairies," Zancrow shouted as he called out "Fire God's Scythe" and formed his massive Scythe of black flames. While Hades merely let out a disappointed sigh, Gray too a more active response as he called out "Ice-Make Shield".
The clash between fire and ice reignited the battle that the dark figure interrupted, though not everyone was participating. Evergreen, Makarov and Gildarts had their attention firmly on the figure who still baffled them as it neared Wendy while Hades and Bluenote stood back, both interested in the dark figure, as the remainder of the Seven Kin charged into the fray.
Evergreen quickly threw herself in the way of the figure to protect the innocent Wendy, but something in the gentle movement that it used to push her aside as the ethereal darkness started to solidify caused her to allow it to pass her.
The figure fully solidified into a man drenched in darkness as he knelt next to Wendy and gently cupped her cheek.
"You have many battles ahead of you young one. Let the fire that blazes in your soul burn the path for your sweeping winds to calm the land," the man said in a hushed tone as Wendy's eyes started to open. Once the man was done talking Wendy felt a burning sensation run through her veins, but it was not painful. The sensation was revitalising, comforting and filled with pride.
"Go, burn bright and cleanse the darkness," The man whispered so softly that only Wendy would be able to hear thanks to her enhanced hearing as he gave her a hug before dissolving into darkness once more and disappearing. For a moment Wendy sat stunned, but it quickly faded as a small tear formed in the corner of her eye while a small smile graced her lips. This didn't last too long as the burning pride inside of her enticed by her dragon's pride filled her with a new-found determination.
Wendy got up and quickly scanned the battlefield and her target. Zancrow was slashing away at Gray's barrier with his maddened grin. Gray's previous fight had taken a lot out of him, evident by the large wound on his side and the exhaustion clear on his face.
Wendy confidently walked over to where Gray's defences were on its last leg and just ass Zancrow broke through the icy shield Wendy called out "Sky Dragon Talon", slamming her wind encases foot into the scythe and redirecting it into the ground.
"Now I didn't expect this, the little Dragon Hunter has come back for a second round," Zancrow laughed.
"Wendy, fall back, we will deal with him, you need to recover," Erza said in concern as she pushed off the strange black appendage that Rustyrose was using to attack her and Mira and somersaulting closer to Wendy.
"This is my fight Erza," Wendy said in an uncharacteristically strong tone for the kind girl.
"Then support me while I attack," Erza relented, a bit surprised at her response but in the heat of battle, this wasn't something to deal with.
"I said this is my battle," Wendy reiterated as she quickly turned her gaze at Erza, giving the Knight a look that filled her with nostalgia, a look a previous member of their guild had given her multiple times before he went to face the final opponent, a look that she believed in and hadn't once been disappointed.
"Let the little hunter try her hand at God again, I promise to make it quick and then I will be all yours," Zancrow taunted as he opened his arms invitingly.
Erza, however completely ignored the taunt and had her mind flashing each time the guild faced their adversaries and each time he somehow pulled through and bested the odds. And now, the one who was probably the most affected by his leaving shared the same look, she couldn't find the words to deny the girl her request, instead, she quickly dashed to Gray to get him to a place where he could recover.
"Now come here little Dragon Hunter, this time I won't be going easy on you," Zancrow said his eyes focused but his grin remained.
"Fast wind that run the heaven… Vernier. Power of the stout arms that tears heaven… Arms. Guard that protects heaven Armour" Wendy chanted as a blue aura surrounded her.
"Fire God's Flame Barrage" Zancrow called out as he extended his arms forward and released multiple balls of black flames. "Sky Dragon Wave Wind" Wendy countered with a large and powerful tornado that she sent against the barrage of flames by swinging her arms across her chest.
The two attacks collided and formed a flaming tornado that quickly dissipated but created a ring of fire around Wendy and Zancrow, separating them from the main battle between their guilds.
"Looks like that was a mistake little Dragon Hunter. You just made the playing field so worse for you and so much better for me," Zancrow taunted with a malicious grin as he was illuminated by the dim light from the black flames.
In a tree on the edge of the chaotic battlefield, the man who formed from the darkness sat on his haunches, carefully watching over the fight between the Dragon Slayer and God Slayer. 'Show them what you are capable of Wendy, this is your time to shine, my Little Sister,' Natsu thought as a soft smile etched its way onto his dark figure. Unbeknown and undetected by Natsu a child of light with very long flowing blond hair hovered next to him, her focus more on the dark figure that intrigued her curious mind, rather than the chaotic mass of spells being thrown around below.
"This fight will not be the same as last time, a lot can change in a short time," Wendy said as she focused her magical container on the heat around her. "Burning Sky Dragon Mode" Wendy declared proudly as her hair started to lighten in colour before changing completely to a light pink while her eyes gained an orange tint, around her hands and feet little white flames appeared in the shape of feathers along with two small white flames on her back.
There were only three witnesses to the birth of the Burning Sky Dragon, two of which were brimming with pride while the third held confusion in his mind that was quickly taken over with excitement and glee.
"This is even better, I always wanted to show you Dragon Hunters that a God is always superior, but ever since we heard of that hot head leaving your ranks I thought I would have to go search, yet here I see a little Hunter conjuring up some fire. Now the kiddies' gloves come off," Zancrow cackled at first before turning uncharacteristically deathly serious at the end.
'Even though he isn't here, I know this is his power that he somehow gave me. I will show you that I am worthy of being your little sister Natsu,' Wendy promised to herself before giving Zancrow her undivided attention.
"Fire God's Bellow" Zancrow called out as he released a large torrent of black flames. "Burning Sky Dragon Searing Roar" Wendy quickly countered with her first dual-element spell. From her mouth, a twister of white flames erupted, that quickly met the black God's flames. Zancrow was surprised when he didn't hear any screams in pain and even more so when he saw that the power of a God was struggling against the little hunter's attack.
"You brat, you dare not wither away by my flames?" Zancrow shouted in anger as the two attacks eventually cancelled each other out. Not wanting to show any form of weakness, Zancrow prepared his next spell. "Fire God's Kagutsuchi" Zancrow bellowed in anger as he formed a black flame in between his hands before spreading his arms and allowing the flame to grow into a massive ball of fire that expanded outwards, creating a hellish landscape around the God Slayer.
"Burning Sky Dragon Searing Breeze," Wendy countered, releasing a wave of hot air at the base of Zancrow's attack, forcing it up into the sky where it could dissipate harmlessly. Taking her chance to go on the offensive, Wendy covered her hands in hot air, calling out, "Burning Sky Dragon Searing Gale" and delivering a heatwave-covered punch to Zancrow's unsuspecting body.
The blow forced Zancrow to the edge of their burning arena where he quickly came face to face with yet another spell as Wendy called out, "Burning Sky Dragon Searing Wing Attack". A grin formed on Zancrow's face as he saw two whips of fire approaching him. Opening his maw and sucking in, Zancrow was surprised when the flaming attack didn't bend to his will and wasn't siphoning to his mouth to feed his magic power. It was only when the attack landed that he realised what happened.
'The brat tricked me, encasing the fire in an air bubble. Let's see if those tricks work when I consume her entirely,' Zancrow thought in anger. Slowly getting up and discarding the tattered remnants of his shirt-like garb that covered his left side, Zancrow formed a half-maw in each hand as his eyes lost what little sanity they once held.
"Fire God's Supper" Zancrow cried as he rushed forwards and with a speed, Wendy wasn't prepared for, encased her in the burning maws of his spell.
"Burn to ash you worthless runt," Zancrow shouted as he started to feed all of his power into his attack, determined to end this battle and the Dragon Slayer in his grasp. His grin morphed into a massive smile as the sweet screams of his victim reached his ears.
'The power of a Dragon surpasses that of a God. There is a reason why Dragons ruled the land for thousands of years. Stand tall little one and topple the false god,' Natsu thought as he continued to observe the christening battle of the Burning Sky Dragon Wendy Marvell.
'I hope you will be proud and accept me when we meet again. I will not lose here,' Wendy steeled herself and fought through the pain. Zancrow gained a frown as the screams no longer reached his ears.
"That wasn't very satisfying. Ah well, I do hope there is still some prey left for me," Zancrow said in a disappointed tone with hints of disgust at the Fairies' weakness. Stopping the constant feed of magic he provided the attack Zancrow felt a significant drain on his magic but ignored it and turned to seek his next victim.
"I told you this fight won't be the same as last time," Wendy's voice sounded from the remnants of the black flames Zancrow conjured in his last attack. Spinning around Zancrow was surprised by the amount of power this girl managed to build up and before he could react, Wendy released her final attack.
"Burning Sky Dragon Secret Art: Incinerating Gale: Inferno Sky Drill" Wendy shouted, releasing a gyrating column of blue air and white flames that rocketed straight towards her target, kicking up the scorched rubble from their battle carving a path as it advanced.
The power behind the attack was too much for Zancrow as he was propelled against a thick tree trunk, continuously assaulted by the combination of the dual elements of the Burning Sky Dragon. He succumbed to blissful unconsciousness a few moments before the attack ceased and the blue-haired girl sank to her knees, exhausted.
"I did it, big brother," Wendy breathed out with a proud yet exhausted smile.
"And soon we will finally meet again," Natsu softly replied, confident that no one heard before he slipped into darkness and vanished from Fairy Tail's sacred Island.
"He sure is a strange man, and even though he is shrouded in darkness I can't sense any malice in him," The girl with long flowing blond hair said to herself in amusement before turning her attention to the mages who stood victorious below.
"My children, we have repelled the threat of Grimoire Heart from our sacred Island and once again declared to the world that Fairy Tail is not to be messed with," Makarov declared as he raised his hand into the air with his index finger in the air and his thumb pointing outwards, the Fairy Tail hand sign. Cheers erupted from the mages as they quickly mimicked the hand sign, beaten but not broken, bruised but not defeated, exhausted but victorious.
Master Hades had used a teleportation spell to evacuate his defeated mages once he saw the last of them fall, specifically his second-in-command, Bluenote, who couldn't rival the power of Gildarts Clive. A shameful defeat, but motivation for vengeance. Unbeknownst to him though, a certain black-haired man also appeared on his ship with a displeased expression and a single thought, 'You must pay for condemning this world to the fate you have bestowed upon it'.
The celebration didn't last too long as the tired mages calmed down to tend to their wounds. Gildarts and Cana had left to a more secluded section of the island because Cana had something to discuss with the Ace, the Thunder Legion had jumped Laxus who arrived close to the start of the final battle and evened the odds, Erza had moved to check on Wendy while the rest of the mages gathered near Makarov.
"Wendy, I must congratulate your strength and conviction when you defeated Zancrow. I would have loved to see the growth with my own eyes and I expect to see it soon," Erza praised her with a smile.
"Thank you Erza, do you need any healing?" Wendy asked as she tried to stand up but her exhausted body simply refused.
"You need to recover first, then we can come back to your offer," Erza softly smiled.
"Master, do you know what happened to that Dragon that showed up, it just suddenly vanished after we case our defence magic?" Levy asked.
"Hmm, it seems to have disappeared have disappeared but the power it extruded should have caused devastation, yet the only damage to the island was caused by us or Grimoire Heart," Makarov answered with a frown.
"I heard their Master saying something about a Fairy Sphere, whatever that is," Gajeel grunted.
"Fairy Sphere, Master Mavis are you still watching over your Guild?" Makarov asked in surprise, softening his tone at the end.
"The geezer also mentioned whoever Mavis is," Gajeel commented offhandedly.
"We truly are blessed to have such a benevolent First Master," Makarov cried in joy.
"I didn't do anything, I merely converted the powerful bonds, the trust in one another and the conviction to your guild to case the defensive magic Fairy Sphere," a soft angelic voice said as a girl with long blond hair that reached her feet revealed herself.
"First Master," Makarov said in amazement as the rest of the guild stared in admiration at one of the founding members of their guild.
"Though there are some drawbacks to the spell that prevented the Apocalypse Dragon from sowing utter destruction," Mavis said in a less cheery voice.
"Whatever the downside, it's a worthy price to pay for our survival," Makarov replied thankfully.
"What is the drawback to one of the Great Fairy Spells?" Levy asked, her thirst for knowledge coming to the forefront.
"It would be much more fun for you to find out on your own," Mavis giggled in reply, causing all the mages present to face vault because of her childish nature.
It wasn't long thereafter that the Tenrou Team figured out what happened when a group of mages, seven years older than the last time they saw them, which they thought were only a few days, arrived on the island. With a joyous reunion with some of the old members, more so for the aged Fairies than the Tenrou Team, the guild returned where they found the state they had fallen to during their absence.
The joyous atmosphere returned to the Fairy Tail guild, Makarov resumed his role as Master after Gildarts was given the role and only made two decrees, one was to rename Makarov as Master while the other was to reinstate Laxus as a member much to Makarov's chagrin, though secretly he was indeed relieved and happy.
"So, how will we get the word out there that Fiore's best guild has returned?" Makarov wondered out loud as he shared a drink with Gildarts, Macao and Wakaba.
"Not to be a downer but we are currently seen as the weakest guild in Fiore," Macao said with a downcast expression.
"Ha, you sure worked hard for that goal. But to be serious, it will be hard to reignite a guild that has been pretty much inactive for seven years," Gildarts joked but turned serious.
"If only there was a way to broadcast our return to the rest of the world," Makarov complained as he downed his drink.
"Even if that was possible the question on how we will do that while showing our strength at the same time," Gildarts mentioned, downing his own drink. The two powerful mages didn't see the look Wakaba and Macao shared, but that didn't matter as a certain young teen walked up.
"What are you talking about, there is a way to do exactly that," Romeo said as he strolled up to the four older mages.
"I've told you a million times now Romeo, we will never do that again," Macao instantly rebutted.
"We have faced enough humiliation as it is Romeo," Wakaba said in a softer tone.
"It won't be the same as the previous times, just look who we have on our side this time," Romeo said as he indicated towards the Tenrou Team.
"I already made my decision, we will not join under any circumstances, I forbid it," Macao declared.
"It doesn't matter what you say, dad, your not the master anymore," Romeo countered.
"Calm down you two, now Romeo what is this you are talking about?" Makarov asked.
"The year after you all disappeared, the Crown started a new tournament to determine the best guild in Fiore, The Grand Magic Games. It's a tournament where mages battle it out for the top spot in a large array of games and battles," Romeo explained.
"Hmm, that is a convenient solution, though I'm not sure if we can achieve it with the current state of affairs here," Makarov said thoughtfully.
"There is also a thirty million jewel prize," Romeo added.
"We will claim back our number one spot with the Grand Magic Games," Makarov shouted in greed.
With three months left before the tournament Makarov ordered the mages to train, to grow stronger so that they can reclaim their spot on top of the magic world.
-Griffin's Heaven-
Maz made his way back to the guild after he stood confused on the field for an unknown amount of time. As he entered he saw Yuihara and Izayoi having a chat while Samantha was having a drink at the bar. Izayoi paid him no mind but Yuihara quickly noticed him and called out to him.
"Maz, how was the training, you're back quicker than normal. Did Natsu pummel you so bad that you had to run?" Yuihara teased with a little grin.
"You need to increase your level of power to stand by his side," Samantha commented without looking away from her drink. The environment that Samantha grew up in where power meant everything still had a tight hold on her behaviour. She had a personality that was as cold as her magic but she had become considerably more tolerable of the other members, willing to have short conversations or a spar every now and then, but that was usually only when Natsu was around. She also held respect for Mira after the Guild Master delivered an unspeakable punishment that caused her to be more pleasant with the client.
No one truly knew what Mira did, but to see Samantha going from fully destroying someone's property and threatening them after she caused some collateral damage to actually paying to repair it within a day... Well, no one wanted to find out.
"Last I recall I am ahead of you in our matches Samantha and no, Natsu didn't pummel me, he just suddenly disappeared into his darkness and vanished," Maz retorted as he continued on his way to Mira's office.
"So he just disappeared without a word?" Izayoi asked while Samantha turned to actually look at the mage.
"No, he did say one thing, but I have no idea who this Wendy person is. I need to let Master know," Maz said in confusion.
While Maz reached his destination as he finished and knocked on the door, neither he nor the other three heard the clatter of plates from the kitchen or the sharp intake of breath. After he heard Mira allowing his entrance and entering her office, Lisanna's head popped out of the kitchen with a concerned look.
"Did Maz just say that Natsu said Wendy and disappeared? Where is he?" Lisanna asked with a concerned tone.
"He did, but who is that and why do you look worried?" Yuihara asked.
"I'll explain later, where is Maz now?" Lisanna asked, not seeing the blond anywhere in the main hall.
"Master's office," Samantha answered while critically eyeing Lisanna. With a slight nod, Lisanna made her way to Mira's office, not waiting for a reply she entered to find Maz sitting across from Mira.
"So you are saying that Natsu stopped dead, whispered 'Wendy' and then sunk into his darkness and hadn't returned since?" Mira asked.
"Yeah, I was about to attack him, but he suddenly ceased up and before I could land a hit he was just gone," Maz confirmed.
"Mira, you don't think..." Lisanna said, hearing the confirmation but not wanting to think about what might happen.
"This seems different, so no. I'm not sure what is happening but I don't think this will be a repeat of last time. Now Maz, can you tell me if there was anything you felt, like a shift in his magic, maybe the tone in which he spoke?" Mira comforted Lisanna before returning to questioning Maz.
"I don't think there was any change in his magic and he kinda sounded happy but I can't be sure since he spoke so softly. What is going on?" Maz asked, the situation and question making everything more confusing.
"This is definitely different, but for now we will have to wait for Natsu to return. There is no benefit to speculating. Thank you for informing me Maz, you can go now," Mira decided before motioning to Maz that he is dismissed. Once the confused mage left, Lisanna closed the door and dropped into a chair in front of Mira's desk.
"Do you think they somehow survived?" Lisanna asked.
"I won't get my hopes up, but in the world of magic strange things happen," Mira said as she formed two small orbs, one white and the other dark purple, in her hand and allowed them to circle one another.
"I do hope he finds her, he would be so happy," Lisanna said with a hopeful smile.
"We can only wait and see," Mira said as she closed her hand, encasing the orbs in her grasp and bringing them to her chest before they disappeared. The two sisters left the office to gather in the hall where Mira informed the guild to hold their questions until Natsu returns.
The wait was filled with hours of silence but as the sun dipped below the horizon the guild doors opened to reveal a smiling Natsu. In an instant, Lisanna was hugging him with all her might while Mira took a more composed approach.
"Natsu?" Mira asked, a simple question, but enough to get the true question across.
"She was there," Natsu answered as tears of joy formed in his eyes, quickly followed by Lisanna and Mira.
It took a while for Natsu to explain what happened to the guild and enlighten the newer members of his history with some specific members like who Wendy was, after the explanation was done there was one question left that needed to be asked.
"So what are you going to do about all this?" Maz asked.
"I have a feeling that the Grand Magic Games this year will be very interesting," Natsu answered as he looked over to Mira.
"I think we can put it to a vote again," Mira said with a smile as everyone quickly agreed that they should try and participate this year.
"There you have it, Mira, now the ball is in your court as to the team," Natsu grinned.
"Anyone who doesn't want to participate?" Mira asked.
"I would rather cheer on the sidelines this time," Lisanna said as Yuihara seemed unsure whether she wanted to participate which Mira quickly picked up on. Maz was obviously excited about it as well as Elfman, the latter declaring something about 'Manliness', while Izayoi held a content smile. Samantha had her gaze locked on Natsu, ready to follow whatever choice he makes.
"Since a team consists of five mages and one reserve, Yuihara can be our reserve while the rest of you can take up the mantle of our representative team," Mira smiled.
-Crocus-
Three months flew by in a flash as Natsu took charge of ensuring that his guildmates would be able to show their full potential at the games. Griffin's Heaven took up residence in a little inn on the quieter side of the blooming capital, opting for a quieter environment since the town they call home is a quiet town, this isn't that surprising.
"All right everyone, you are all free to explore the city, just remember to be back before midnight and to behave yourselves," Mira announced. The guild members gave a nod of acknowledgement and made their way into the bustling City, Elfman, Izayoi and Maz taking a stroll down the main street, Yuihara somehow managed to convince Samantha to join her on a shopping expedition, Lisanna opted to explore the food markets after she had a quick chat with inn's kitchen staff and finally Natsu opted to go sightseeing where the crowds were thinner.
And there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and the return of Fairy Tail. Just a quick note on the power levels of the Grimoire and Tenrou mages in this chapter. They all still felt the drain from their battles before their stasis, so don't expect Natsu to be able to completely counter a Gildarts level mage like it's nothing. I hope you all enjoyed the focus on Wendy in this chapter, I will try and have her more active during the games, but we will see. Anyway, next chapter I will have a bit of interactions between some of the mages at the GMG and then I will most likely skip over the Preliminaries and jump straight into the opening ceremony. Please leave a review with your thoughts and I will see you all next time.