I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story since I updated it.
Ragnas Bredvolts: Yeah, nakama power isn't really a bad thing per say, but too much of anything is bad, and it really depends on how it's used, and how much. I get why you're not fond of Jellal, but you can't deny that he is important to the plot. As for the Edolas arc, you'll see about that soon enough in the next few chapters. Yes, Bolt is essentially going to give essentially be giving a certain gesture in regards to the Exceed mission. I wouldn't necessarily say that there will be WIDE differences in that arc, but I do have at least a few ideas in that regard. Also, I don't keep up with the 100 Year Quest manga, so I wouldn't know what you're talking about in that regard. Also, I have no idea who Esdeath is, so I can't say for certain whether or not she would beat Gray. That's really all I have to say. I hope I continue to please you with this story, and you have a nice day as well my friend.
Guest: Replying to all of yours at once. Thanks, I'm glad to see you like it. I tried to take a few liberties here and there, but nothing that would mess with the plot too much.
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"The much sought after power source of Nirvana is a powerful spell that is capable of switching light and darkness. Its creator the Nirvits, fearful of this incredible power, sealed Nirvana away a long time ago, and their descendents have banded together to form what is now known as the Cait Shelter guild. But now Zero, the master of the dark guild Oracion Seis, is using the creation of the Nirvits against them, as he currently has Nirvana aimed directly at the Cait Shelter guild hall. Natsu, Luke and the others must do everything in their power to stop Master Zero before time runs out."
"We'll see about that! Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!" Natsu promptly unleashed a full power Exploding Flame Blade.
"Now to the depths of nothingness with you" Zero prepared to unleash his own ultimate spell in the form of a green wave of darkness energy "History shall come to an end before my very eyes, a new era of nothingness shall be ushered in! Now the time has come to open the portal of the demon's wail GENESIS ZERO!" his wave of green darkness energy morphed into a gateway that summoned numerous black phantom creatures "Go travellers of the void, I want you to consume the soul of that man and his memory, I want you to consume every ounce of his entire existence! Devour every trace of him, do it for the sake of your master!"
Natsu was left crying out in agony as he was engulfed by the numerous black phantoms, and he then disappeared along with them, leaving Zero alone where he was standing.
"And now you too have become a traveller of the infinite void of nothingness, and as such I bid you farewell Dragon Slayer."
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Meanwhile, inside the void in question…
Natsu found himself floating through the void in question, his thoughts drifting at about the speed he was 'What the… this sucks… I can't see anything… I can't hear anything… I'm all out of power… What the hell am I supposed to do…?'
"Natsu." a crimson silhouette appeared before him, its eyes burning into his very soul "Tell me, what happened to you Natsu? How could you allow him to defeat you so easily? Such a great disappointment, and you call yourself the Son of Igneel? Never forget the fact that you are a true Dragon Slayer, and that is an accomplishment you should take great pride in. Know that no matter what may happen, I, Igneel the Fire Dragon King, will always hold such great pride in you."
Without uttering so much as a single word, Natsu's body promptly erupted in golden flames as he surged forward at full speed…
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Meanwhile…
"Ice Make: Ice Cannon!"
"Open: Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"
"Lightning Dragon Roar!"
"Requip! Fairy Burst!"
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
Using every ounce of power they could, Gray, Lucy, Luke, Erza and Wendy promptly struck the other five lacrima with full intent on destroying them.
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Meanwhile, with the main battle…
Zero looked on in a mix of awe and disbelief as a certain golden light ate its way out of the void of nothingness "No it can't be, how can this be possible?! How could he have possibly escaped from the void?! Such brilliant golden flames, my magic is being burnt away!"
"And now, IT'S OVER!" with a roar, Natsu burnt away the last of Zero's phantom spirits from his Genesis Zero, his flames taking on the silhouette of a dragon.
'His lost magic gives him the power of a dragon, and in turn the power capable of actually defeating one. This boy… he is a true Dragon Slayer…'
"I hope you're ready you bastard, because I'm done screwing around with you! Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Hidden Fire Form: Flame Lotus: PHOENIX SWORD!" using all of the power left at his disposal by Dragon Force, Natsu soared towards Zero at such speed that he left a river of flames in his wake, the force of his final attack sending Zero flying upwards through several stories and into the final lacrima, destroying it upon impact, the force of which began causing Nirvana's legs to give out.
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Luke looked around at the chaos of Nirvana crumbling around him 'Looks like we pulled it off, we were able to hit all of them at the exact same time, and by extension that means that a certain someone was able to take down Zero. Nice work Natsu, I knew you had it in you. You're gonna keep getting stronger like the rest of us.'
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Meanwhile, in the first chamber…
Natsu spat out some blood to the side as he stood over the defeated form of Zero 'Not gonna like, that turned out to be pretty rough. Who would've thought one lacrima would turn out to be so hard to break? I thought breaking stuff was my specialty, but that doesn't matter now. From here on out there's no more doubting myself, no more losing my nerve, so thank you Igneel. Now I know how to play these things out. Plus on the bright side Nirvana is down, now to get the hell out of here.'
Jellal, having regained consciousness, looked down on the scene in awe and gave a small smile at the sight 'Natsu Dragneel, he really does exceed all expectations doesn't he?' but that was when Nirvana started crumbling around the two of them.
"Aw crap I'm all out of magic power, holy shit I'm going down!" Natsu started panicking like an idiot until he fell through a hole in the floor, only to be caught by Jellal at the last second "Oh crap, that was pretty close."
"Don't worry, I've got you."
"For now anyway, I'm smart enough to know that this spells trouble for you too."
"I'm well aware, now that its power source was destroyed there's nothing stopping it from caving in on the both of us."
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Meanwhile, elsewhere in Nirvana…
Luke bolted back through the hallways of Nirvana at full speed, his mind racing 'Looking back it does make sense for this place to be falling apart, seeing how the power source has literally been blown to hell. For now all I can do is have faith that the others will get out okay, but in the meantime I have to focus on getting the hell out of here myself.'
"Wait for me my noble companions and my sweet honey!" that was when Ichiya showed up on the scene, looking ridiculously buff, only to be hit by falling rubble "Man…"
"Oh yeah, I forgot about you to be honest." Luke picked up Ichiya by the pole he was tied to and promptly hoisted him over his shoulder "Anyway let's get going, Nirvana probably has a few minutes at the most before it gives out. My guess is Erza and the others are on their way out as we speak, if they haven't made it out already."
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Meanwhile, outside…
By this point, Gray had managed to make his way out of Nirvana without being hit by any falling rubble "Dammit, that was way too close of a call. It's going down fast by the looks of it, I hope the others made it out."
"Speak of the devils in question." that was when Luke dropped down near him with Ichiya still hoisted over his shoulder.
"Shouldn't be surprised that you got out okay. What's the the troll doll on your shoulder?"
"That's Ichiya."
"...Oh my god."
"Yeah I know."
"Luke! Gray!" that was when Erza showed up on the scene "And…"
"My Honey!" Ichiya suddenly bulked up like the hulk and started running towards Erza "I'm so glad you made it out safely my blazon haired beauty!"
"REQUIP!" a horrified Erza summoned a spear and pointed it at him "Stay back, don't come any closer or I'll drive this into your heart!"
"I am your beloved and you are my honey, how could you not recognize me? Just look at me sparkle in the moonlight."
"Silence behemot!"
"You know that's Ichiya right?"
"I know, that's why I have a spear!"
"I figured, just had to be sure."
"Looks like her little admirer has become a full on stalker." Gray muttered.
"I think if anyone would know about that then it would be you. You know it's kind of weird when you think about it."
"What is?"
"The similarities between Ichiya and Juvia. I mean with Ichiya it's creepy as hell, but with someone like Juvia it's excused."
"What, you think it's because she's a chick?"
"I would say that's a factor worth considering."
"But don't you guys find it funny?"
"The same could be said about him." their conversation was cut short by the sound of yawning in the distance.
That was when Horologium dropped down onto the scene, with Lucy and Bolt both stuffed inside of him ""So dizzy," she says in a warbled tone of voice."
"Well that figures, it's good to know Lucy and Bolt made it out okay too."
"This is that clock spirit of hers right?" asked Gray.
"That would be the one yeah."
Lucy grabbed onto Bolt and pulled him out into the open "Not that I don't appreciate you saving us back there Horologium, but I don't even remember summoning you, and now that I think about it I don't even have enough magic power to summon you."
"You didn't summon me." Horologium told her "I passed through the gate on my own accord, I hope you don't mind."
"Of couse I don't mind, I really do appreciate the save."
"Your magic is getting stronger by the day Miss Lucy, so it's very likely you'll be seeing more Celestial Spirits doing the same. But with that being said, I'm more useful than others, as I am able to prevent oxygen deprivation, insect bites, inflammation and blemmishes."
"Wait a second, you mean you can prevent acne?"
"Didn't know you had a problem with that." Bolt noted dryly.
"Hey you guys!" that was when Happy dropped down onto the scene "Where the heck did everyone go? The last thing I remember is Gray attacking me and then when I came too everyone was gone."
"...Oh yeah, we all pretty much forgot about you."
"Hey!"
"Thank goodness." that was when Jura showed up with Wendy and Carla "It would seem that everyone is alright and all of you have made it out safely."
"What about Natsu and Jellal, are they here?" asked Wendy.
"I don't see them with the others. Could they still be inside?"
"I hope not."
"I wouldn't worry about them too much." Luke assured them "Knowing what Natsu is like, he's either already out and lost in the woods, or he's gonna show up at the last second. It's kind of a thing he has going for him."
It turned out to be more the latter, seeing how that was when Hoteye burst up from beneath the ground with Natsu and Jellal in his possession "Love is strong enough to drive us to save our friends, oh yeah!"
"Looks like it was more the second one, didn't expect for Richard to show up though. And for the record Jura, we are gonna want an explanation about that later."
"You're okay… you're really okay… Natsu!" that was when Wendy rushed up to Natsu and pulled him into a tight hug "You kept your promise… you're the greatest… I can't thank you enough… you saved my guild… If it weren't for you, then Cait Shelter would've been wiped out for sure.
Natsu blinked, then gave a small smile "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's not like I could've done it on my own, so you really should be thanking all of them."
"I know. All of you saved my guild."
"Well it was mostly a team effort."
"I didn't do too much myself."
"Don't be so modest, you did destroy one of the lacrima by yourself."
"Yeah… Yeah I did."
"Besides, you're a Dragon Slayer so of course you're awesome." this caused Wendy to turn a deep shade of red.
"Hey Natsu." that was when Luke came up to him and patted him on the shoulder with a small smile "Good job, you did well in that fight."
"Yeah, I'm awesome." and then he fell flat on his face "I had that coming."
"Yes you did. All things considered, I'm glad everyone made it out of that okay."
"It was a close call though." Jura noted "Everyone involved did an excellent job."
"As long as nobody tries to ask for a group hug or something, truth be told that would be creepy as hell."
"Speaking of creepy, who's that?" Lucy pointed over at where Jellal was standing a fair distance away from the group "Is he one of the pretty boys from Blue Pegasus, because I think we would've met him earlier."
"Nope fraid not, that's Jellal."
"Wait what, are you kidding me?! Why the hell is he here?"
"Take it easy, he's changed and he's far from being the same guy that we dealt with back in the Tower of Heaven. Plus his memory was pretty much wiped clean, so…"
"Really?" Gray shot him a look "I still don't think we can trust the guy."
"You don't have to, just know that I trust him, at least for the time being."
"You would be wise to listen to him." on that note, Erza made her way over to Jellal "I wanted to thank you, in all honestly we would never have been able to succeed without your help."
"We both know such a claim isn't true." Jellal told her flatly "In all honesty, I didn't do anything worthy of any real praise, far from it."
"Agree to disagree. So tell me, what are you going to do now?"
"Good question. I wish I knew."
"It's alright, I'm sure you're not the only one in that position. Who knows what tomorrow might have in store?"
"...I'm honestly afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of my memories, of them returning to me."
"You shouldn't be. It wouldn't change anything. Even if we were to become enemies again, it would never change the fact that I care about you."
"You do?"
"Yes I do, far more than you know."
"Hey guys?" Luke got their attention "I hate to break up the conversation, but Ichiya apparently got trapped in an invisible box with his face pressing against the wall."
"Meaning?"
"Considering the writing on the ground, I'd say that all of us are trapped in some kind of enchantment."
"Wait what?"
"If I had to guess then I would say that we're stuck in some kind of last resort trap the enemy laid for us." Luke glanced around "I'm not detecting the scent of anyone in relation to the Oracion Seis. Alright, whoever's out there go ahead and show yourself." this was followed by the group being surrounded by a massive group of Rune Knights "Yeah that figures, it was only a matter of time before the Magic Council decided to screw us over and take us out in some kind of unfortunate accident."
"There's no need for any of you to panic, I can assure you that we have no intention of harming any of you." that was when their leader stepped forward, a young man with tied up black hair and a pair of glasses "I must apologize for this, but we were ordered to take measures to restrain you."
"You probably made the right call considering what most of these people are like, but in all seriousness who are you?"
"I am Lahar, the captain of the new Magic Council's 4th Custody Enforcement Unit, and this is my army of Rune Knights."
"They finished reforming the Magic Council already? That was fast."
"Indeed, they made it official earlier today. As for myself, it is my duty to uphold the law and preserve peace and justice throughout the land, so all evildoers must be arrested."
"And I'm guessing in the eyes of the council, that includes pretty much everyone in Fairy Tail right? It's no secret how they feel about us."
"While I do acknowledge that there are a considerable number of members on the council who are not particularly fond of Fairy Tail, I have not been ordered to arrest you, and thus I have no intention of doing so. I have come with orders of taking the Oracion Seis into custody. I must ask that you please cooperate and hand over the member with the codename Hoteye."
"Oh boy. Sorry Jura, but we'll have to do it."
"It's alright, I surrender peacefully." Hoteye stepped forward with a sad smile "The fact is that I cannot fully embrace a life of virtue when my past transgressions continue to haunt me. I have been given a chance to atone for my sins, after all it is for the best that I have a clean slate when I find my brother, so that way I will have nothing to hide. Do you not agree?"
"Indeed I do." Jura gave him a smile "I must ask though, may I continue to search for your brother in your stead while you atone for your sins?"
"You would do that for me?"
"I would be honored to do so, and all I need is for you to tell me his name."
"Of course my friend, his name is Wally, Wally Buchanan."
"...Wait a second!" Natsu suddenly popped up in front of him "You mean that blockheaded jackass who tried to shoot me in the mouth?!"
"I miss him dearly. He was always a good kid, in fact he was the best little brother a man could ever ask for. My brother and I struggled to survive after the loss of our parents, and it was a trying time. We worked with diligence in hopes of growing vegetables in our meager garden, but unfortunately, when it came time for us to harvest, we were left with great disappointment, but despite that we continued to persevere, and I have my brother to thank for that."
"Richard… I know him…" Erza slowly stepped forward "I know your brother Wally."
"You do?"
"Yes I do, he was an old friend of mine. I know for a fact that he's happily travelling the continent right now with a few others."
"So… you mean he's…" tears began streaming down Richard's face "All these years, I just kept telling myself that if I stayed positive, a miracle would fall upon me, and lo and behold it has at last…" he promptly fell to his knees "Thank you… thank you… thank you…" he took a moment to compose himself, and then he allowed the Rune Knights to take him away.
Jura watched him go with a sad smile 'There are such things in life that one cannot help, but at the very least, I can keep my promise to find him and reunite them.'
"I think he made the right call given the circumstances." Luke glanced over at Lahar "Not that I intend to rush you, but I'm sure you've noticed that Ichiya over there is having some problems, or rather he will be if he's stuck in here for too much longer."
"I'm aware of his circumstances, as revolting as they may be." Lahar noted, his tone carrying a small hint of disgust "However, I'm afraid that is simply not an option at the moment, at least not until we capture our true objective."
"I thought you said you came here to take in the Oracion Seis."
"Correct, however that was not our only objective. We have another target, a fiend who was able to infiltrate the Magic Council and destroyed them, as well as fired the Etherion cannon, as well as well as caused torment to all of those present in the Tower of Heaven and manipulating the lives of innocent people for his own personal gain. A villain far more heinous and vile than even the Oracion Seis, truly black of heart."
"...You're talking about Jellal." this wasn't a question.
"Indeed I am." Lahar turned his attention to the man in question "Jellal Fernandez, for your crimes you are hereby under arrest. Let's be on our way, and know that if you resist, we have been given explicit orders to kill you."
Natsu and Wendy were quick to protest this "Leave him alone man, you're making one hell of a mistake."
"The fact is that Jellal Fernandez is a criminal, and the society of Fiore is in danger for as long as he roams free, and as such he must be brought to justice." he then promptly had his Rune Knights cuff Jellal "Now then Jellal Fernandez, you are hereby under arrest for crimes against the kingdom of Fiore.
"No you can't, please don't take him away!" Wendy protested "It's not fair, he doesn't even know what he's done! All of his memories have been completely erased!"
"While such a fact is understandable, ignorance of one's crimes does not erase the fact that such crimes have been committed. This is stated explicitly by Penal Code section 13." Lahar motioned to one of his men "You may remove the barrier now."
"Hold on!"
"It's alright." Jellal was quick to assure her "I have no intention of resisting my arrest. Please forgive me Wendy, I wish that I could remember you, and I'm truly sorry that I can't."
That was when Carla stepped forward "When she was lost and alone, you found her wandering and saved her very life."
"Did I? I may never know the harm that I've inflicted upon you and countless others, but at least I can know that at some point, I did something to help someone." he looked past them towards a certain someone "Erza, I promise you I won't forget your kindness."
Erza gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she tried to force herself not to run 'I can't allow this to happen… I can't let them take him away like this… it's not right… All these years, he was sleepwalking through the darkness… He's finally been let into the light again… They can't just shut him away…'
Jellal allowed himself to be taken back into the crowd of Rune Knights, but stopped when he was next to Lahar "I'm ready."
"Do you have any more parting words for any of them?" asked Lahar "If so, I suggest you speak them now."
"No, I've already said everything that I have to say."
"Good. At the very least you'll be serving a life sentence, and that's if you're lucky."
"And if I'm not?"
"Then you'll be executed. Whatever the case may be, the fact is that you'll very likely never see these people again."
By this point, Wendy had tears streaming down her face "He's gone… I just got him back… and now he's gone again…"
"HOLD IT ONE FUCKING SECOND!" that was when Natsu suddenly started tearing through the Rune Knights "Get the fuck out of my way!"
Lahar was taken aback by this, but he wasn't deterred "Stop this at once!"
"I said get the fuck out of my way! Jellal is one of us and that means he comes with us, I don't give a fuck what any of you say!"
"I said stop this!"
Luke tried to suppress a scream of frustration 'Dammit that idiot, of all the times for him to start acting out, why did he have to do it now?'
"Enough of this, subdue that man at once!" Lahar sent more of the Rune Knights in, but he wasn't the only one to get reinforcements.
That was when Gray, Happy and Carla joined in the fray "Forget it assclowns, there's no way any of you have a chance in hell of bringing down Natsu! This is all kinds of fucked up on so many levels, Jellal is the reason we took down Nirvana! He just saved a hell of a lot of people, and this is how you repay him, by trying to let him rot in a cell?!"
Wendy was more in tears than interested in fighting "No you can't, please just don't take him away forever!"
"Get the fuck off of me!" Natsu shook a number of Rune Knights off of him and tried to push himself forward towards Jellal "Listen to me, you owe Erza big time! She needs you to stay by her side! She did it for you man, so pull your head out of your ass and stay! It doesn't matter what you think or what they think, you're one of us now!"
"Enough of this!" Lahar finally had enough and pointed at Natsu and Gray "Arrest these two for aiding in the escape of a criminal and obstructing the law!" he sent his men forward, but just as they closed in…
"That's ENOUGH!" this was when Luke blitzed onto the scene, his Dragon Force activated in full effect, using the sheer pressure to blow away the Runs Knights, as well as simumtaneously subdue both Natsu and Gray on the ground "What the actual fuck do you two idiots think you're doing?!"
"What do you think, he's one of us and-" Natsu was silenced by Luke slamming his face into the dirt.
"Don't talk, just listen. I don't like the thought of Jellal rotting away either, but can you two look me in the eye and tell me that you can deny the things that he did back in the Tower of Heaven, the pain he caused, the people he hurt, the people that he killed?" this caused Gray to stop struggling and fall silent "At least one of you has sense."
"Man, he speaks the truth." Ichiya finally debuffed back to his normal form "It pains me, but as much as it will hurt Erza, his crimes cannot be forgiven on a whim."
"The creepy troll doll is right, the fact is that Jellal has a lot of sins under his belt and a lot of blood on his hands."
"But-" Natsu was silenced by a glare that made him shrink into the ground.
"You guys keep going and you would've been if you were only charged for treason, you'd be lucky if you didn't end up rotting in a cell. How would Lisanna and Happy feel about something like that?" this caused Natsu to fall silent.
"Your guildmate speaks the truth." Jura stepped forward "While it pains me that he will not be rewarded for the good deeds he's done this day, the fact is that his sins still far outweigh them, and they cannot be atoned for with a single deed.
"Look I get it, the justice system is extremely heartless at times, but you know that I'm right about this." Luke released his grip on Natsu and Gray, deactivated his Dragon Force, and then turned to face Lahar "I apologize for the disturbance on their behalf. All I can really say is they're young, they're stupid, they have a lot too learn, but regardless I take full responsibility for their actions. I highly suggest that you take him away before any of the others get any stupid ideas."
"...Very well." Lahar let out a sigh and called off his men "Since you happen to have a history of cooperation with the council in the past, I'll let it slide this once, but the next time your guild breaks any significant laws like this, they will be arrested without exception."
"I understand."
"Good. Now men, take him away."
As he was led away, Jellal suddenly looked up and looked back at Erza, and he gave her a small smile "I remember now… it was the color of your hair…" and with that, Jellal was finally taken away as the Magic Council took their leave, his parting words leaving Erza shaken to her core.
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Morning came, and the sun was just rising over the skies above.
Happy looked around at the others "Hey guys… does anyone know where Erza went?"
"Don't bother going after her or anything." Bolt told him without even bothering to look in his direction "Given everything that's happened, it's for the best if we just leave her alone for the time being."
"One of those moments where we actually agree." Luke pointed over at where Erza was sitting in isolation on a nearby hilltop, clearly crying despite her attemptes to hide it "I can't even imagine what she must be feeling right now."
"Never thought I would see someone as strong as her break down like that."
"No Bolt, you've got it all wrong. Kaminari once told me that when someone cries, it's not because they're weak, but because they've been strong for too long." Luke looked up at the sun rising beyond the mountains 'The sun, it's strange but I can see this beautiful crimson color like nothing I've ever seen before. I know it may sound strange, but in a way, that sunrise makes me think of Erza, it reminds me of the hope that she carries and the warmth and passion that she keeps in her heart. I want to think that right now, she's looking into that crimson colored sky, and what she sees is the dawn of a new day. If anyone needs to see that right now, I think it would be her.'
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Hours passed, and the group relocated themselves to the Cait Shelter guild.
Lucy and the girls, mainly Wendy and Erza, were trying on some of the outfits gifted to them by the natives "Oh man, this is just adorable! I have to admit, I love the fashion that you guys go for here."
"Everyone in the village is a member of the guild." Wendy told her "Cait Shelter is actually famous for its pretty textiles and clothes."
"So then are these clothes traditionl Nirvit styles?"
"I never actually thought about that before, but yeah I guess that would make the mose sense wouldn't it?"
"Though I can't believe you didn't know that everyone in the guild is a descendent of the Nirvits except for you."
"Well yeah, I'm the only one who joined after it was formed."
"I guess that makes sense." Lucy held up a costume to where Erza was brooding in a corner by herself "Hey Erza check this out, I know how much you love a costume change."
"Hm?" Erza looked up, but the look on her face left a lot to be desired "Yes, I suppose."
'...Oh joy.' Lucy glanced back over at Wendy "So out of curiosity, do you know when Cait Shelter joined the league of guilds with the rest of the guilds? I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but to be completely honest, I had never even heard of your guild before the alliance was formed in the first place."
"Oh, well I don't know about that." Wendy let out a nervous chuckle "But wow, I didn't realize that the Cait Shelter guild had been so obscure."
"Yes yes, this is all very interesting, but in case all of you had forgotten, everyone is waiting on us right now." Carla pointed out flatly.
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About 20 minutes passed, and everyone gathered outside.
Roubaul, the master of the Cait Shelter guild, addressed the members of the coalition, with all of the other members of Cait Shelter gathered by his side "Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and of course not to mention Wendy and Carla. I must commend all of your efforts in not only defeating the Oracion Seis, but saving our village from the wrath of Nirvana. Speaking as the representative our regional guild league, I offer all of you my deepest gratitude, so thank you all for that. Nabura, we are in your debt."
"Don't worry, we were happy to help." Luke stepped forward "The battle was fierce and the opponents were anything but easy wins, but we managed to pull out a win against all odds, and that's actually kind of a specialty for us. And for the record, it was either I say something like that or Ichiya would." that quickly shut up the others.
"Indeed, the battle is at last over." Jura put his hands on Lyon and Xian's shouders "The two of you should know that you've both made me very proud. You truly did right by the name of the Lamia Scale guild."
"Hell to the yeah!" Natsu pumped a fist in triumph "I say we deserve a victory party!"
"For once the flame brain and I agree." of course Gray had already lost his clothes.
"Just put on some clothes on for crying out loud!" Lucy looked over to see Lyon (with bandages covering the stump where his arm used to be) having the same problem "And that one goes for you too!"
Luke glanced over to see pretty much everyone dancing in a way that copied Ichiya and his Trimens, and he just let out a sigh "I know what you're thinking and yes, they're like this pretty much all the time."
Ignoring that, Roubaul just let out a sigh "I truly must apologize, the fact is that I've neglected to tell you about the people of the Nirvits, so please accept my sincerest apology."
"I doubt it will stop them from trying to party or dance like a bunch of idiots, but they're still willing to hear you out."
"Very well."
"It's alright master, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Wendy told him.
"Perhaps, but it is important. I ask that everyone please listen closely to the tale I am about to share with all of you. First, I must clear the air about something. The truth is that we are not the descendents of the Nirvit people, indeed we are the Nirvit people themselves, and many years ago, 400 years ago to be exact, Nirvana was created and fashioned by my hands."
"You mean… you were the one who…"
"Indeed. I thought that if my dream of Nirvana was made into a reality, then I could end the ghastly wars tearing the world apart, and I would do so by reversing the morality of those whos minds were set on the destruction of others. We made our home there, and we took great joy in what we had accomplished through peace. We were a shining beacon of light in a world that was once overtaken by darkness and shadows. However, despite the best intentions that we had held, we could not change the fact that every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Nirvana had brought light to what was once terrible darkness, not by chasing it away, but by absorbing it so to speak. The world yearns for balance and order, and as such the light serves no purpose without the darkness, and vice versa. Light is born from darkness, and darkness is born from light as well, and as such the two of them are forever intertwined."
"Yeah that makes sense." Gray muttered "That's exactly how it played out for us."
"All of the evil in this world, taken from those whose hearts had once been consumed within it, was transferred to the peace loving Nirvit. Such a thing proved to be an absolute nightmare. The people were engulfed by rage and hatred beyond their control, and as such they ended up brutally slaughtering each other until no one was left standing. No actually, that's not quite true, for I am the only survivor. Then again, given this particular situation, calling myself a survivor comes off as somewhat misleading. The truth is that my body ceased to function many years ago. What all of you are seeing before you now is merely a projection of the man that I once was. As a form of punishment for the sins I had committed, and being a powerless spirit, I have stood as sentinel over my creation for the last 400 years, keeping my weary eyes open for the one who would at last be able to destroy Nirvana and consign it to the pages of history." he gave them a smile "And now that such as task has been completed, my post can at last be vacated, for those people have at last been found."
"Why… Why didn't you tell me?" Wendy finally found her voice, only for her expression to shift to one of shock and horror as she saw many of the other members of the Cait Shelter guild beginning to glow and disappear "Wh-What's happening?! No don't go, you can't just leave us like this!"
Luke looked around at those disappearing and shared a subtle glance with Natsu 'I thought something seemed off about this, I couldn't detect a scent from any of the members of this guild except for Wendy and Carla. They must have all been some kind of illusions.'
"Why are you doing this?! Please don't leave me!"
"I've deceived you for so long Wendy, and for that I'm truly sorry." Roubault bowed his head to her "All of your fellow guild members were nothing more than specters. They were nothing more than illusions."
"Wh-What?!"
"Yes, I am afraid that is the case. Following the chaos the creation of Nirvana had brought upon the Nirvits, I spent many years living alone in this deserted village, always being sure to keep a watchful eye over Nirvana. That is, until one day when a boy came to me with a companion in need of aid. His eyes burned with such intensity and sincerity that I simply had no choice but to take the little girl in. I had resigned myself to a solitary existence, but there she was. I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth, so I told her that this was indeed a guild. I filled the village with apparitions so that she would not be alone."
Luke was quick to catch on to what he meant, as were the others, but he was the only one who voiced it "So you used your magic to create an entire guild just for Wendy?"
"Yes, I did."
Wendy was more horrified by this than anything else "So no one I care for is a real person?! How could you do something so cruel to me master?!"
"Please calm yourself my dear, there's no need to fret." Roubault gave a small smile as the last of his illusions faded away, as did his form "Neither you nor Carla need those imaginary friends anymore, because no you're surrounded by real friends who care for you. I promise, there's a bright future that awaits you, so embrace it with open arms." he gave a sad smile.
"Master no!" Wendy tried to rush out to him, only for his image to disappear completely.
"To each and every one of you, I owe you my deepest gratitude. Now I can rest content knowing that Wendy and Carla are in your hands." and then his essence vanished from that plane of existence entirely, taking Wendy and Carla's guild marks with him.
"Master… no.." Wendy could only let out a scream of grief as she fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face, with everyone in the guild.
A hand rested on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, courtesy of none other than Natsu as he pulled Wendy into a gentle hug "Losing a part of your family hurts, I get that better than you think. But it gets better, as long as you let your friends help you. How about this, why don't you come back to Fairy Tail with us.
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Meanwhile, in a dark and gloomy rocky terrain…
Gajeel looked around and sniffed throughout the area, and he let out an annoyed grunt "Alright it's clear, no one followed me."
That was when a Shikigami doll appeared before him, a deep and malicious sounding voice echoing from within the doll "Tell me, do any of they suspect that I was the one who had supplied the Oracion Seis with information about Nirvana?"
"No, as far as they're concerned they figured it out on their own."
"Excellent my boy, I don't desire to show my hand just yet. Listen carefully Gajeel, I want you to go back and learn all that you can about the Lumen Histoire, as well as any other useful information about that pathetic excuse for a guild. Befriend them and gain their trust to the best of your ability, do whatever you can to get them to let their guard down with you."
"Understood."
"Remember my boy, do as I say and when the time comes for us to claim the power of the Lumen Histoire, you shall receive your fair share, as long as you don't disappoint me." and with that, the shikigami doll disappeared in a ball of flames.
Gajeel let out a scoff "Whatever lets you sleep at night, you annoying psychotic bastard." he promptly turned around and found Makarov standing a short distance away "As much as I like screwing with Ivan, you sure that it's a good idea to keep the others in the dark?"
"While I'm not fond of keeping secrets from the rest of the guild, the fact is that right now it's necessary." Makarov told him "Besides, right now Ivan doesn't know it, but his underhanded tactics and attempts to use you are going to lead us right to him and put a stop to his schemes once and for all."
"Makes sense I guess, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, even if those enemies are your own blood."
"Flesh and blood or not, I cannot allow any of those who threaten the lives and safety of my guild to do as they please. The fact is that Ivan must be stopped at any cost."
"Fair enough I guess. So what exactly is this Lumen Histoire thing he keeps going on about anyway?"
"Unfortunately that is a secret that I cannot divulge to you my boy, it's a secret passed down only to masters of the Fairy Tail guild. Perhaps I can tell you when the time is right, but sadly that time is by no means now."
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A few days went by, and the members of the coalition was returning home now that the operation was complete, and they were doing so by ship.
Natsu was looking out at the ocean with a smile on his face "Finally, so this is what it's like to sail the seas without having to puke your brains out! Welcome to the good life!"
"The life of never ending adventure on the high seas?" Luke guessed.
"The life of a character from One Piece! Sailing the seas and punching the crap out of people who have it coming!"
"...That's so fitting it's disturbing."
"Hell yeah, look out vehicles because Natsu is about to ride you hard!"
"And that just sounds wrong, and keep in mind that Wendy said that her Troia spell only lasts for a few hours at a time."
"Look out world, nothing can stop me now-" and then he fell flat on his face "Help… me…"
"Gee, let me think about it. Nope. Goodbye One Piece, hello puking your guts out over the side of the boat like Guy from Naruto. Besides you heard what Wendy said, the more she uses it the less it works, so you want to spread them out as much as you can."
"But how come… you don't have… this problem…?"
"Because I don't stuff my face like someone out of Dragon Ball. Or Toriko. Or One Piece. Or that one guy from Death Note. Wow, now I'm realizing how pretty much ever anime in existence has a lunatic obsessed with food. Speaking of which." Luke picked up Natsu and held him over the side of the boat to upchuck as much as necessary, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere 'The hard fought battle against the Oracion Seis is finally over, so now we finally get to head back home and regain a sense of normalcy. We already said farewell to the wizards from the other guilds, and word is Lyon is going to see some kind of specialist to do something about him losing his arm in the battle against Racer. Lucy's made some progress too, word is that she's gotten three new Zodiac keys. Apparently now that Angel has been taken into custody, Gemini, Airies and Scorpio have decided to form contracts with Lucy instead. I have to admit, everything that happened was kind of an eye opener for all of us, including me. I let my guard down in my fight with Cobra, it didn't matter how much magic power or conviction I had, because his poison still got to me. God Serena was right about what he said before, I can't just settle with the current level of power I have right now, because it's only a matter of time before someone stronger shows up with a taste for blood, and if Makarov can't protect the guild then it's up to me. So once I get back home, it's time to start training again. Like he said, I can't settle when I know I have so much further to go.'
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Another 2 days went by, and the group returned to the Fairy Tail guild.
Luke was quick to fill everyone up to speed on what was happening "So yeah that's it guys, and to make a long story short, Wendy and Carla are the newest members of the Fairy Tail guild, so b sure to treat them right or you'll be answering to us."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Wendy promptly bowed to them, which set off a majority of the perves in the guild.
"Oh joy, now the pervs are into lolies." Luke sat himself down at the bar and gave a nod in the direction of Makarov "Alright then, job done master."
Makarov gave a nod in return "And a job done well, now I believe that things will quiet down for the time being now that the Oracion Seis is out of the picture. I should thank you for bringing two interesting yet powerful additions to the guild back with you."
"Yeah well, Wendy and Carla didn't have any place to go after Cait Shelter just up and vanished, so it was only right."
This was when Juvia started to do her thing, crying at the sight of Gray to the point where she was literally flooding the guild hall "Gray my darling you're finally back, I'm so happy that you made it home! My tears are flowing like waterfalls!"
"Oh for the love of- hey Gray, you mind doing something about your waifu?"
"She's not my fucking waifu you ass!" Gray was promptly submerged
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About 20 minutes later…
After the guild hall was unflooded, Luke took the time to tell Cana about the battle he had against the likes of Cobra "And to add onto the ridiculousness of having a flying snake, apparently he was a second generation Dragon Slayer like Laxus is."
"You realize how insane that sounds." Cana pointed out dryly from where she was downing a mug of beer "A flying snake?"
"Yeah I don't get it either, truth be told I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"Well at least you powered through it." Cana glanced over to see their two newcomers making their way over to them "So you're the new girl in the guild huh? Call me Cana."
"Oh wow, it's really you!" Wendy looked on in awe "I can't believe that this is actually happening, first I met Luke and Erza and now I'm actually meeting Cana Alberona!"
"I'd be flattered if I wasn't kind of drunk already.
"...Oh."
"Forget it, it's kind of my thing. Anyway I'm guessing your cat over there uses the same kind of magic as Bolt and Happy, so what kind of magic do you use?"
"Well…"
"Now wait a minute!" Carla promptly rounded on her "Don't you dare think about comparing me to that furry little horn dog and that snarky little-"
"Don't mind Carla, she means well most of the time. I use healing and support magic, and I'm actually a Sky Dragon Slayer." Wendy was met with various looks of shock and stunned silence, which left her worried "Did I do something wrong already?"
"Just give it a second." Luke told her.
"What do you-"
"Holy shit that's awesome!" Macao and Wakaba and the others started losing it "We've finally got another Dragon Slayer!"
"As you can see Dragon Slayers are pretty well liked around here. Anyway I think I speak for everyone when I say this Wendy, welcome to have you aboard." this was met with her blushing and giving a shy smile "Okay guys you know the drill, now that we have two new members we need to welcome them in the way that only Fairy Tail can: By celebrating and getting drunk to the point where only anime characters should be able to survive it!"
What no one noticed was that Gajeel was looking over the antics of the guild from the second floor, though he had a particularly aggravating pet peeve 'It's not fair! I mean seriously, I'm a Dragon Slayer too aren't I? Why the fuck do I not have a flying kitty cat to call my own?!'
Another thing no one noticed was that Mystogan was looking over the typical antics of the guild from his own place on the second floor, though he seemed particularly interested when his eye was caught by the sight of Wendy 'Of all the guilds for her to join… I suppose it was only a matter of time before she and I would see each other again… I was just hoping that she wouldn't end up being caught in the crossfire of what's to come. I can only pray that she and the rest are ready.' and then he disappeared from the guild hall entirely, something that didn't go unnoticed by either Natsu or Gray.
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Meanwhile, in the airship of a certain dark guild…
"Hey Hades." a certain Dragon Slayer, mainly Noah in this case, made his way into the throne room of the airship "I have the reports that you were asking for."
"Is everything as I expected?" Hades inquired.
"For the most part, the coalition of official guilds took down the Oracion Seis and destroyed Nirvana without suffering any casualties."
"The coalition was as capable has I had anticipated, our objective remains unhindered. The inevitable destruction of Nirvana is but a ripple in the vast sea of the scheme we have in play at the moment."
"Yeah, as fucked up and delusional as it might be. You just keep telling yourself that if it helps you to sleep at night."
"You continue to try my patience Noah."
"It's part of my charm, but in all seriousness the destruction of Nirvana might serve as the cause for an effect of something even bigger. With ⅓ of the big three out of the way chances are some of the smaller dark guilds are gonna make a move of their own. Raven Tail is the one that's caught my eye for the most part."
"Such a thing is worth little notice, but it may prove entertaining. You aren't afraid are you my boy?"
"Be realistic Hades, if I'm not afraid of you then why would I be afraid of them? Frankly I'm looking forward to it, but not as much as going at it with a certain other of my kind." and on that note, Noah turned and made his way out of the throne room 'I hope you're ready Thunderclap, looks like things are about to get pretty interesting.'
A/N:
And with this chapter, not only do we reach the end of the Oracion Seis arc, but we also reach the end of the second season of my Fairy Tail fic, and what a season it's been hasn't it? Looking back, while the Oracion Seis arc still isn't my favorite arc in Fairy Tail, it's a lot better than I remember, though it does drag on in a few areas here and there.
A few things to note in this chapter include the change to the scene where they take on the Magic Council, since Jura, Luke and Ichiya stand down along with Erza, since they're more professional, so really it's only Natsu, Gray, and the cats that take part, but that doesn't last for very long.
So yes, I'm making it so that in this fic, Ivan and Raven Tail were the ones that supplied Brain and the Oracion Seis with information regarding Nirvana. The main reason for this is because I'm trying to give Raven Tail more build up, at least before the time skip.
Just throwing this out there, I'm skipping the Daphne arc because, well to put it simply, in my opinion, it sucked, as is the case with a large majority of filler in most anime. I'm replacing that with what I think is some good filler, some backstory into Luke's 18 months of training before the story began, showing one of his struggles against a certain quartet in leage with a certain dark guild.
Also, just so you guys know, it's been confirmed for me that because of the corona virus, all of my college courses for the rest of the semester are going to be online, so while I still have a lot of work to do for each class, I'll be at home for the time being, so that also means I have more time for writing.