A/N: Episode 265.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT: THAT'S THE POWER TO LIVE

Makarov still stood in front of Lumen Histoire with his eyes closed. "The dragons saved us. I didn't have the courage. The courage to use Lumen Histoire..." Makarov stated.

"That's fine." Mavis's voice was soon heard. "That means it wasn't yet time..."

After the battle was finally over, Metallicana, Grandeeney, Zirconis, Weisslogia, Skiadrum, and Zeldris gathered in front of Fairy Tail and the Dragon Slayers.

"Grandeeney..." Wendy muttered.

"Everyone's courage and Igneel repulsed Acnologia." Grandeeney said.

"Dragons are our allies... I got such a feeling of superiority right now!" Jet exclaimed.

"Yeah, right?" Droy agreed.

"But I heard there were thousands of those Faces..." Romeo mumbled.

"The dragons destroyed all of them?" Macao questioned.

"Incredible!" Wakaba added.

"You did well destroying one of them." Grandeeney told Wendy.

"That's because Carla was with me." Wendy stated, wiping her eyes.

Gajeel stared at Metalicana, who stared back. "This is Metallicana?" Lily asked.

"Gajeel..." Levy muttered.

"As always, you've got that look nasty look in your eye." Metallicana commented.

"Shut up!" Gajeel shouted in irritation.

Lucas stared up at Zirconis as Ace was with him. "Zirconis..." Lucas mumbled.

"I see you finally gained back your memories, Lucas." Zirconis stated.

"Huh? You knew who my biological family was?" Lucas questioned.

"Of course." Zirconis responded.

Lucas chuckled. "Still, it's great to see you again, old man." He admitted, making Zirconis grin.

"You're Shiro's guildmate, correct?" Zeldris asked Lucas. "I noticed he's not around. So could you relay a message to him?"

"Sure thing."

"Tell him I'm proud of the Slayer he's become." Zeldris said as Lucas nodded in understanding.

Sting and Rogue stared up at their dragon fathers. "Weisslogia... I killed you..." Sting claimed.

"And I saw you die before my eyes too, Skiadrum." Rogue added.

"Human memories can be falsified in any number of ways." Weisslogia said.

"Although Igneel was against it... At the time, we intended to give you Dragon Slayers the memory and achievement of slaying a dragon." Skiadrum stated.

"So you're saying... you planted false memories in Sting and Rogue's minds to make them think they killed you when you actually sealed yourselves into their bodies?" Lucas asked.

"Correct." Weisslogia replied. "That being said, saying we died isn't too far from the truth."

This grabbed Sting's attention. "We are already dead." Zirconis announced, confusing Lucas.

"Long ago, Acnologia's Dragon Slayer Magic ripped out our souls. So inside your bodies were objectives. 'Protecting against turning into a dragon,' 'defeating Acnologia,' and extending our own lives." Grandeeney explained.

"What?!" Wendy spoke in confusion.

"Once we left your bodies, we became unable to return there. Today we showed you our power for the first and last time. And we want you to understand why we couldn't show ourselves until now." Skiadrum continued.

"Not even Igneel could defeat Acnologia. But... even Igneel only had the last of his power left before dying." Metallicana added.

"Humans, please do not allow the majesty of the Fire Dragon King to be tarnished." Zirconis said.

Gajeel glanced over to where smoke was emitting from the ground. "There is no dragon braver, nor one who loved humans more, than Igneel." Zeldris finished as Natsu was in tears.

"Dad... You promised me... You said you wouldn't go anywhere. Don't go back on your word! I..." Natsu started to say, wiping his face. "I've looked for you all these years. I finally learned how to write. I learned how to use Magic more, too. I've made lots of friends. And I'm working, too. I... I... I wanna talk to you more! Igneel!"

Natsu continued sobbing as Happy watched from afar with tears also flowing from his eyes.

"We have not told you everything that should be said, but the time has come. The time to part ways." Grandeeney said.

"No..." Wendy mumbled.

"I am sure you will encounter many more hardships in the days to come, but I have confidence that all of you will get through them." Grandeeney told Wendy.

"Don't go, Grandeeney! Don't leave me!" Wendy begged.

Gajeel placed his hand on her head. "Let's see them off with our heads held high." He told her as Wendy hiccuped.

Grandeeney raised her wings in the air as her and the other dragons began to take flight. "Humans, memories of war and hating one another are things of the far past. On this day, we were able to work together hand in hand." Grandeeney said.

"The Age of Dragons has reached an ending of sorts." Weisslogia claimed.

"From here on out, human power shall create the future." Skiadrum continued.

"400 years ago, the Magna Carta, a pact between humans and dragons, was formed, and in accordance with that... we dragons will continue to watch over humanity!" Zirconis finished as a bright pink beam shot up in the sky. "For eternity..."

"Grandeeney!" Wendy cried out.

"I love you, Wendy!" Grandeeney exclaimed as she began to fade away and Porlyusica watched.

"You've got that nasty look in your eye." Metallicana told Gajeel once more as he faded away.

"Those are your last words?!" Gajeel shouted in irritation. "Dammit..."

Lucas waved his hand in the air. "Farewell, Zirconis." He bids farewell. Zirconis grinned down at him before fading away as Zeldris soon followed.

"Thank you, Weisslogia." Sting thanked.

"Skiadrum..." Rogue mumbled.

Weisslogia and Skiadrum stared at them as they faded away. Makarov watched from afar. The pink beam finally vanished.

Pink orbs soon surrounded Igneel as he faded away as well.

"Igneel..." Natsu muttered.

"Don't cry, Natsu."

Natsu continued sobbing. "Come on. What do you do in times of sadness? I told you that, remember?" Igneel's voice said.

"I know." Natsu said.

"Then try it. Get on your feet."

Natsu then stood up. "I'll always be with you. Even now, from now on, all the way down the line. Show me more of how you've grown, of the way you live..." Igneel said.

Tears fell from Natsu's eyes. "Okay. I'm gonna keep livin'! I'm gonna get stronger! I'm gonna beat Acnologia!" He declared to the sky.

"That's right. Speak of the future. That is the power to live."

By nightfall, Lucas, Atlas, and Ace returned to the God Pegasus guild.

"Lucas, Atlas, and Ace, you're back?!" Fera questioned.

"Yeah, sorry it took us so long." Atlas responded. "How was the clean-up here?"

"It went surprisingly smooth. Though, I'm sure our town wasn't as bad as Magnolia was." Rialle replied, making Lucas and Atlas frown.

"Um... Shiro." Lucas spoke up, getting Shiro's attention. "I met Zeldris."

Shiro widened his eyes as did Blaze. "You did?"

Lucas nodded. "Zirconis, Metallicana, Weisslogia, Skiadrum, and Grandeeney were there, too." He said. "Before he departed, Zeldris wanted me to tell you that he's proud of the Slayer you've become."

Shiro stays silent before tears ran down his face.

"Huh? Shiro, are you crying?"

"S-Shut up, crystal breath!"

"Luke, don't be a dick and let him have his moment."

Meanwhile, Zeref was sitting in a room, glancing out of the window.

"Try to surpass me, Natsu. That is... Etherious... Natsu... Dragneel." Zeref spoke.

The Book of END was placed on the table, shining in the moonlight.

A/N: And that concludes the Tartaros Arc! I'm probably going to do a 'Throughout the year' chapter where Wendy, Laxus, and the Raijin Tribe have joined God Pegasus after Fairy Tail's disbandment before jumping into the Avatar Arc.

I'm going to be honest with y'all. I don't think I'll be doing the 100 Year Quest Arc for this book because, well, I literally have no idea how to add this guild in that Arc. So this book will most likely end with the Alvarez Empire Arc.

Also, since Wendy never joined Lamia Scale because she met Fera instead of Sherria, I'm gonna need a filler on how Natsu, Lucy, and Happy help God Pegasus. I was thinking of making some of the Lunar Fang members return, but I already did that. So let me know if you got ideas!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kaleb.