Just wanted to send another thanks to all you guys reading this. We wouldn't be here without you all!

Also, with the next two arcs being a bit calmer, we will have some more character-driven filler-esque chapters coming out sometimes. This one won't be, but there are still character plot lines I haven't delved into too much yet that I want to. But this one is one you guys have looked forward too!

Enjoy!

Nothing dramatic happened during the night at Fairy Tail. Those who had been apart of the strike team were left to their own devices, most deciding to go to bed and wait until morning to see if their were any developments with Nashi. Some couldn't sleep and laid awake in the guild until exhaustion put them out, and anyone else still awake in the guild hall was in the infirmary with Nashi.

Natsu watched his daughters unmoving form from her bedside, his face illuminated by Wendy's magic from across the bed. The healer had been working on helping Nashi for hours now, and she had barely spoken a word. Lucy, Luke and Luna were here too, but Lucy had said nothing as she helped Luke sleep and Luna was laying in another bed shivering from the aftereffects of Gray's magic.

"...So how bad is it?" He finally asked, looking up at Wendy. The girl looked back at him steadily.

"She's suffering from malnutrition and dehydration," she said, "as well as extreme fatigue. Lots of her bones have badly healed fractures, and she's got a nasty infection attacking her organs." Natsu just stared at Wendy as the healer went back to focusing on her work.

"I should have her healed up enough for her to heal on her own by dawn," Wendy added finally, knowing the whole family was watching her.

"You're a miracle worker, Wendy," Lucy said quietly to the blue-haired girl. Wendy just smiled.

"I have to be around here," she said, "otherwise you people would die every other outing you have." Everyone went quiet again, either focusing on Nashi or the room around them.

"You should go sleep, Lucy," Natsu said finally, "I can come and get you if she wakes."

"Which is unlikely," Wendy added. Lucy watched Natsu quietly for a moment before she smiled gently at him.

"You should sleep too," she said as she got up, "You were fighting."

"I wouldn't classify what we did there as a fight except for Gray," he said, "Speaking of which, Wendy, how was his leg?"

"Bad," Wendy said, "It's likely he'll have a limp for a while. Might even need a cane sooner than he might want. Nashi completely shattered his knee."

"I'll never hear the end of that," Natsu muttered as he stood. "Come on Lucy, let's go to bed." Lucy nodded, turning to Luna who was watching from her bed.

"Get some sleep Luna," Lucy said as she knelt down, pressing a kiss to their 'other' daughters forehead. "We'll need you in the coming weeks." Luna's face flushed as she nodded, Natsu ruffling her hair.

"You did good down there, kid," he said to her. "Gray couldn't have captured Nashi without you."

"That's a lie," Luna said quietly, "but I appreciate the gesture anyway." Natsu gave her a soft smile before walking up behind Lucy, the pair walking down the stairs silently.

"Do you think things will finally go back to normal soon?" Lucy asked suddenly.

"No," Natsu replied, "they never will." Lucy didn't reply right away, sighing instead.

"Sometimes I wish things would go back to the way they were before you came home," Lucy said, "I don't mean that to sound so rude, but...You know?"

"I do," Natsu agreed with a frown. "Ever since I came home it's been one life-threatening fight after another. I didn't fight Zeref and Acnologia to have things end up like this..." Lucy looked over her shoulder at him, both of them coming to a stop in the street.

"Than we fight to fix things," she said, "so that Luke doesn't have to go through this too." Natsu nodded slowly.

"Yeah," he agreed, "enough is enough."

Nashi didn't want to wake up.

She didn't have any idea how many days she'd been lying wherever the hell she was, but she refused to open her eyes.

She had been fading in and out of consciousness for a while now, mostly just bits and pieces of understanding of the world around her before she blacked out again. But for a while she'd been laying still, eyes closed, unwilling to move.

For the love of God...

She could acknowledge that she was in a much safer place than before, as there was no way Hades would ever put her in a bed or make sure she was safe. She could feel a drip in her arm supplying her with nutrients, but she didn't really care all that much.

...Why can't I die?

Nashi's bodily functions would be denied no longer. Her body had healed up well over the last few days, which was not surprised given her metabolism. Her eyes fluttered open weakly, looking for anything. The roof above her was both familiar and unfamiliar, but she couldn't place where exactly she was. Did it even matter, honestly?

The light from the window nearby hit her eyes, and she winced as the light attacked her eyes. Why was it so bright in here? She wanted someone to pull the blinds back.

"...Hello?" She asked weakly, her voice low and cracking, "can...can someone close the blinds?"

Nobody answered her. Seems nobody was around her. Tilting her head quietly, Nashi looked around the room.

Was this...the guild hall infirmary?

She'd been here an obscene amount of times over the last several years, so now that she got a better look around her she could see where she was. A bud of happiness sprouted in her stomach, but it didn't grow very much. She felt deflated, defeated. Even if she was somehow home, what did it matter?

She heard the door open near her, and she willed her head to look towards it. She saw Wendy in the doorway, looking at her in surprise.

"...Hey," Nashi said after a few seconds. Wendy smiled softly at her.

"Nashi," she said softly, "I'm so glad you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like shit," she admitted, shifting under the sheet. "What the hell happened?"

"What do you remember?" Wendy asked as she came to sit at her bedside. Nashi winced and closed her eyes.

"You don't want to know," she murmured. She felt a gentle hand squeeze her arm.

"It's okay," Wendy said, "you're safe Nashi. We saved you."

"How?" Nashi asked weakly. "How did you find me?"

"Takara and Jason found us," Wendy answered. Nashi's eyes widened at this. Takara and Jason? She had never expected to hear those names again.

"...What?" She asked.

"They found us," Wendy repeated. "Against all odds, and they told us about the prison. We found you and saved you."

It was again Nashi felt the happiness sprout in her stomach, but it didn't go far. She was happy, but she was overjoyed. It scared her how indifferent she was to her surroundings.

"...Wow," she said. "That's...that's great."

"It is," Wendy said, "Here, let me check you out." Wendy's healing light lit up the room even more, making Nashi close her eyes out of irritation. She was not accustomed to the light at all. Wendy hummed a few times as she worked, Nashi's body slowly starting to feel a bit more spry and able.

"You're very resilient, Nashi," Wendy said admirably from her side. "Even after everything you've gone through your body heals so fast."

"Thanks," Nashi murmured. Wendy backed up a bit and smiled down at her.

"Do you want me to tell everyone you're awake?" She asked. "They've been dying to see you." Nashi stared at the blue-haired woman for a moment, not sure what she wanted. One the one hand, she wanted to see her friends so very badly. She wanted to see their faces and know they were okay.

On the other, the idea of them once again seeing her here made her anxious. She didn't want them to see her like this.

"Fine," she rasped, making peace with her desire. "Tell them I'm awake." Nodding, Wendy got up and walked towards the infirmary door, leaving her alone. For the brief time she had, Nashi wondered what had changed. She had been gone for who knew how long. Over a year? How had her friends changed since then, she wondered? Her family? Luke?

She would soon get her answer, as she got a mob of feet rushing downstairs up towards her. Steeling herself and pasting on a fake smile, Nashi looked towards the door opened up and revealed the people who had saved her.

"Nashi?" Her Dad asked, making eye contact with her. He looked older than she remembered, bags under his eyes and the slight wrinkles on his face more apparent then she remembered.

"Dad," she answered weakly, "You look like an old bastard." Tears welled up in her fathers eyes as he rushed further inside, wrapping her in an awkward hug seeing as she was still laying down. Past her father she could see her mother as well, and a variety of other faces in the doorway.

"Mom," Nashi said weakly as her Dad let her go. "You look old too."

"Shut up, you brat," she said weakly, tears in her eyes as well. She leaned down and kissed Nashi's forehead. "We missed you so much," she murmured into her hair. Nashi, however, was looking at the munchkin in her arms.

"Luke's so much bigger," she noted weakly as her parents sat on either side of her. The kid in question was in her Mother's arms, reaching out towards her with a happy expression on his face. Despite the pain Nashi felt inside, she felt happy to see the kid again.

"Hey kiddo," she said as her Mother said him down on the bed so he could crawl over to her and grab at her face. She didn't mind. "You're so big now, huh?"

"Lu-ba!" Luke replied with a happy smile on his face. Nashi didn't know what that meant, but it sounded like he was trying to say something. Kids usually could say words by now, right? How old was he again?

Either of her parents had a hold of her hands, neither intent on letting go. But there was something...off. Nashi had been gone for over a year, and yet they were acting surprisingly kept together.

Looking past her brother and parents, Nashi saw an amalgamation of other people in the guild stuffing their heads through the door, and six stood out to her in the front.

"Don't everyone push at once," she said. "Don't wanna overwhelm me." She got some chuckles at this, her friends pushing through. They had changed so much.

Elise's hair was shorter than she remembered, now shorter and only falling to about her shoulders. Her bangs were longer like her mom's, and she had new piercings above her eyebrow.

Ultear's hair was still long and lustrous, falling down her shoulders like water. Her face had sharpened since she had seen her last, making her resemble her father.

Simon's hair was wilder than before, and he now sported a scar running from his left temple to his neck, which looked old by now. He also somehow managed to look stern in such a lovely situation.

Damien's hair was about the same as she recalled, but he'd somehow grown taller again. His blue eyes were was shiny as ever, and the old scar across his left was faded yet still visible. He looked so grown up now.

Steph looked about the same as before, but her hair somehow looked spikier. her eyes too, shone as blue as the ocean.

And, of course, there was Drake. His hairstyle was still messy and spiky at the same time, but his face was more cut than she remembered, features more defined.

They all looked so mature now.

"Forgive us that we're not excited to see you in the infirmary again,"Elsie said sarcastically, a hand on her hip. Was she curvier than before? Nashi didn't remember her looking like that.

"You could at least act excited," Nashi replied weakly as she played with Luke's hands. "You look like you're just putting up with me."

"We're beyond happy," Drake said, "It's just...There's a lot going on." Nashi frowned at the expression on his face.

"Like what?" She asked, "besides me being broken out of that hellhole." The friends exchanged looks that made them all uneasy. Now Nashi was somewhat worried. "What's going on?"

Before she could get her answer, two other people burst into the room.

"Nashi!" Takara shouted, throwing herself at her and hugging her tight. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"T-Takara?" Nashi asked, Takara nodding against her as she backed up and smiled at her, tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you," she whispered weakly as the tears streamed down her face. "I-I can't imagine what...I'm sorry!"

Nashi suppressed the memories of what happened in Tartarus to smile at her friend.

"It's okay," she said as her voice cracked, unable to hold back her emotions, "I did what I did to save you guys." She looked up at Jason at this, who looked even more upset.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I...I made the choice. I pulled Takara through the portal. I left you behind, she didn't."

"And you saved her and me," Nashi replied, smiling at him. "Thank you for getting her out, Jason." A few tears escaped Jason's eyes at this before he sniffled and looked away, making her chuckle.

"Nashi," it was Drake who spoke, making her look towards him. "There's...There's something we need to tell you." Nashi frowned at this, anxiety welling up inside her.

"What?" She asked weakly. Drake watched her quietly for a second or two, before he took a deep breath, turning towards the door.

"Come in, Luna," he said. Nashi watched the door waiting for the person to appear, wondering what this was about.

And when she did, her whole world stopped.

"Takara," Drake said, walking up to her and Jason at the table they sat at. "Jason, can we talk?" It had only been a few hours since the prison break at Tartarus, and Nashi was upstairs in the infirmary. Takara was trying to focus on her lunch, but to no avail.

"What's up?" She asked him as Luna walked up behind him. The pair exchanged a look, Luna nodding slowly. Drake sighed.

"We need to talk," he said as he sat down opposite them at the table. "But before I say anything, I need to know something; how involved do you want to be in this?"

"In what?" Jason asked.

"What comes next," Drake said, looking towards the blonde man stoically. "The battle is nowhere near over yet. We, or I, rather, haven't been totally truthful with you. Not out of distrust, but to protect you. This entire situation is insane and I didn't want to pull you guys in without your permission. So, I ask again, do you plan on being involved with us further? Do you want to help us? Or will you bow out now? No one would think any less of you if you did."

Takara frowned at the Dragon Slayer, unsure of what to say. She cast a quick glance at Luna, who was avoiding her eyes. She looked over at Jason, and he met her eyes. He seemed unsure as well, but soon he turned back to Drake.

"I have nowhere to go," he said, "everything I've ever known was with The Olympians. If you're saying I can stay here, I will." Drake nodded, looking at Takara. She matched his gaze quietly, thinking to herself.

"Is Tetsu involved?" She asked him finally. Drake nodded.

"He is," he said, "as our friend, he said he'd help with what came next." Takara looked down at the table at this, trying to ignore the pain in her chest at this.

"If he's involved," she said, "than I will be too. So, what comes next?" Drake looked back at Luna at this, who nodded at him.

"There's something you need to know first," he said. "Luna isn't who I said she is." Takara made a face at this.

"And who is she really?" Takara asked as she cast a glance at the pinkette who avoided her eyes. "She looks just like Nashi, so I can't imagine what you-"

"Exactly," Drake said, "that's because she is Nashi. Nashi never had a twin sister. She was an only child."

"What?" Jason asked, looking confused. "What the hell do you mean? Why is there two of them?" Drake intertwined his fingers, resting his hands on the table.

"That," he said, "would be the work of Demon Lords."

And so Drake spoke. He told them about his friends and their battle with The Olympians. He told them of Nashi's sacrifice at Mt. Olympus over a year prior, about how she had given up her own life in order to save them. About how she had been resurrected by a Demon Lord, and been split into two separate entities by another pair called Zoka and Ruli. He told them how the others and him had found Luna, how she had no memories of being Nashi, and how they fought and beat The Olympians during this scuffle.

"And so," Drake said, "the next phase of the plan is simple. We find Zoka and Ruli, and we make them put Nashi and Luna back into the same person. And, honestly, I have no idea what comes after that. But I can only imagine Hades isn't done."

Takara stared at the man quietly, trying her hardest to digest everything he had just told her. It was a lot to believe, she had to admit.

"So, Nashi and Luna are the same person?" She asked.

"Yes," Luna said, finally speaking up. "I feel it when she's near. She is a a part of me, me a part of her...It's hard to explain."

"That's saying something," Jason mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "This is crazy."

"It's somehow easier to believe if you're as involved as I am," Drake said, "Listen, I wanted to tell you guys this because it didn't reel right not telling you. You helped us so much, so it's only fair." Takara had no idea what to say to him. Was there anything she could say that he hadn't answered? Finally, resolving herself, Takara looked up at him.

"Do we know where Zoka and Ruli are?" She asked, making Drake scoff as he smirked at her.

"No, but I imagine we'll know soon enough. We have an insider or three in the Twelve Demon Lords."

Nashi had no idea what was happening.

There, standing in the door before her, was her. Herself. Her own body was there. The woman she saw was much better built than she was currently. Her hair was longer and in a ponytail, as oppose to her short cut. Her eyes glowed with a life and fire she barely felt inside herself.

Moreover, she had her scarf around her neck.

"Wha...What the fuck?" Nashi asked weakly, making her other self wince. "What is this? Wha..? What's going on?"

"It's a long story," Her father said as he rubbed the back of his head. Nashi could barely form any words as she stared at her doppelganger, her lips feeling dry and her tongue a boulder. No words could escape her as Drake walked up to her other self and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nashi," he said, "This is Luna, and she's, for lack of a better way to put it, you."

Feels like it's been forever since a calmer chapter. Probably because it has, honestly. But while I have you guys here, I wanted to ask your opinion on the whole Nashi/Luna thing. It's a weird plot-line, but knowing what it does for their character arc as two people/one person I'm really proud of. What do you think? Leave a review! Let's try and get five!

Chapter 368: Exonerated