~~~Author's Notes~~~

Hey I'm back... Again! I was busy with moving out on my own for the first time as well as a ton of personal stuff that needed my attention. I hope you all enjoy this relevantly short chapter. I will say that the next one will be quite long so I hope you look forward to that.

If you have any feedback, please leave some! I'd love to hear what you think!


Not much activity had transpired in the town of Magnolia ever since the day Hahlos showed up and the Fairy Tail wizards set off to Exahelm. The guild was still noisy as ever, but with a significant amount of less violence due to the absence of their most aggressive members. The guild master, Makarov Dreyar, made an explicit order that no one should set out on any jobs and stay at the guild. Due to the attack at the guild and many members not being present, it would be safer to have all of them together until they all return.

"It's already been two days now…" Lisanna stared at the guild entrance, waiting for her friends. "They're going to be okay, right…?"

Elfman approached his younger sibling from behind and patted her shoulder. "Do not stress, dear sister! They made a promise! And as men, they will fulfill that promise and return safely!" He assured her, flexing with his right arm.

"Some of them are women though…" Lisanna whispered under her breath. But still felt comfort in her older brother's words.

Over on another side of the guild, Levy was currently sitting across from her two partners from her team Shadow Gear. Jet and Droy were conversing themselves while Levy noticed Lily, Gajeel's Exceed partner, pacing aimlessly around the guild appearing disgruntled.

"You're still upset about not being able to tag along, huh?" Levy teased with a chuckle.

Lily snapped out of his emotions and turned his attention to Levy. "Of course I am!" He crossed his arms with a huff. "I would have provided great support due to my ability to fly. It frustrates me that I'm stuck waiting here for the others when I should've joined the fight!" He grumbled.

Levy smiled. "I know many people share your feelings, but I have faith in them." She assured him.

"Hmph, I suppose I shouldn't complain too much." Lily hopped on the table and sat down. "However, next time… I won't be relegated as standby."

Levy chuckled. "That's fair."

By the guild bar section, Cana was currently sitting crossed legged on top of the counter while handling a comically large barrel full of alcohol. She was currently conversing with the guild guest who was requested to stay behind, Meredy.

"So Meredy, how did you like the Fairy Hills dorms?" Cana asked with a smirk.

"It was really comfortable! Though do they really cost 100,000 jewel a month?" Meredy inquired. "How do you girls even earn that much money?!"

"I don't really know about the others, but I have a saving strategy." Cana explained before holding up two fingers. "There are two things I only use my hard earned cash for. Rent, and booze. That's all I need in life!"

Meredy had a sweat droplet leave her temple. "I-I see…" She nervously chuckled.

Around the other side of the bar, a green haired mage was currently clenching his fist furiously while his face read full of regret.

"To think that while all of this transpired… we were out on a job helping out at Yajima's restaurant…!" Freed heaved, tears comically flushing from his eyes. "On behalf of the Thunder God Tribe, we are nothing but shameful! Will you ever forgive us… Laxus!?"

Laxus was leaning on the counter with one arm. "You know that I wasn't around too right? No need to act so dramatic…" He sighed.

Bixlow, another member of the Thunder God Tribe, approached Freed from behind and patted his back. "Yeah! How about taking it easy and having a drink instead of being such a drama queen." He offered a small cup of alcohol.

"Drama queen! Drama queen!" Bixlow's wooden dolls that hovered around him mimicked his last statement.

Freed gave a glare at his companion. "And *you're* acting too careless." Despite this, he takes the drink offered to him and chugged it immediately.

Laxus sighed at his guildmates' antics and took his attention elsewhere. He turned over to his grandfather, Makarov, and noticed that he was spacing out and appearing deep in thought.

"Old man, is something up?" Laxus wondered.

Before he could answer, Mirajane approached the two and inserted herself in the conversation.

"I bet you're worried sick about the others, huh? Mirajane teased with a giggle.

Makarov shook his head with a grumble. "...No, that's not it. I just have a… uneasy feeling all of a sudden."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "You too huh…?"

Abruptly, the moment was interrupted as Warren barged through the front door and pointed outside. "Everyone! There's something going on outside!"

The guild members all took their attention to Warren's announcement and collectively went outside. To their shock and confusion, they witnessed an unnatural phenomenon in the sky. Many of Magnolia's civilians gathered outside and watched on. The clouds appear to be shifting at abnormal speeds from all over. Given their trajectory, it seemed that the clouds were gathering in a single spot.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's going on with the weather?!" Macao exclaimed.

"It's like… the weather is being controlled!" Lily pointed out, clenching his paws.

Meredy clenched her teeth and focused some magic towards her head, trying to contact Jellal. "... Urg! I still can't reach him!" She grunts and slowly looks back up. "You're okay… right, Jellal?"

Elfman gave a side eye to Laxus. "You wouldn't have anything to do with this, right?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous." Laxus denied.

Makarov was absolutely stunned, sweat intensified as he was in disbelief at what he was currently witnessing. "There's only one possibility to explain all of this… But how can someone still…" He choked mid sentence.


Up in the mountains lies a large town called Gazania, where the Sabertooth guild is located. Due to being at a higher elevation compared to most towns, the people living there got a more clear look at the events currently transpiring in the sky.

By the Sabertooth guild entrance stood Lector, Frosch, Yukino and Minerva. All were Sabertooth members. The two Exceeds returned to town after the message was sent to the guild about Stings and Rogues departure.

"Wh-wh-what's going on?! I don't think clouds are supposed to move like that!" Lector panicked.

"Frosch thinks so too!" Frosch agreed, the two Exceeds were huddled by each other.

Yukino gathered her hands together and stared above. "Sting… Rogue… Please, be okay…"

Minerva, on the other hand, clenched a fist tightly. "Those idiots…! I don't know what's going on up there… But once they return, I'm giving them a piece of my mind!" She huffed.


Down by the river town of Margaret Town, the waters that surround the town form into small waves that crash on the town's floors. Small floods begin to cover the town as many of the town's residents evacuate on inside.

Members of the Lamia Scale guild begin to gather outside as they plan on assisting the town with the floods. While they begin to split up, Lyon lagged behind as he currently stood on the guild's roof. He watched the unnatural weather with an intense stare.

"... Chelia." Lyon squinted his eyes, focusing his attention towards the direction of Magnolia. "Just what's going on…?"


What used to be a field of flowers had turned into an unnatural storm. The skies were completely covered by dark gray clouds that continue to gather together. The clouds twist around each other, creating a colossal dark hole. The winds were blowing at abnormal speeds, causing much greenery to be blown away as well as trees falling over.

Natsu covered his face with one arm. He attempted to get a good look at Izanagi but the harsh weather made it difficult to do so. "What's with this guy's magic?! It wasn't like this before!" He questioned.

"This is definitely different from how Juvia changes the weather!" Gray pointed out. "It's like he is bending the rules of the sky to his very will!"

"He has Cloud Magic!" Lucy revealed, attempting to cover her whole body. The three Fairy Tail wizards turn to her. "He has the ability to create and control clouds! The magic was abolished decades ago! Because it caused weather phenomenons, as well as the climate of the world!"

Erza turned back at Izanagi and squinted her eyes. "I recall Hahlos having a similar ability… but he was only able to create artificial clouds." She explains before glaring at the sky god. "His, on the other hand, are definitely the real deal…"

Izanagi was completely unaffected by the current climate. He stood on leg on a small boulder on a small cliff while he bent his body slightly downward, staring down at the Fairy Tail wizards. His expression was impossible to read as only his glowing brown eyes could be seen as well as his long blue hair blowing through the winds.

"...You look surprised." Izanagi noted, which caused all the wizards to turn back at him. "Have you forgotten my role?"

The wizards get on guard, glaring intensity at Izanagi. The shadow of the clouds cover the area, making it appear as it is night time.

"I am the god of the skies, the very air you breathe…" Izanagi clenches a fist while staring down. "The heavens bend to my will. I answer the prayers of eternal peace…"

The clouds above shift around more and more, causing the air to spin around the area. Lightning flashes in the dark hole above, enlightening the area for just a brief moment.

"Because of my role, it is my duty to whatever it takes for the sake of the world." Izanagi brushes his hair. He stares back at the four wizards with an intense glare. "... You all had already taken the world from us, I will not allow you to take another. You shall all-"

"I'm sick of hearing your preaches!" Natsu interrupts, pointing directly at Izanagi. "You say *we* took the world?! How can you call yourself a god when you don't even realize just how blind you are?!" He accused.

Erza summons a broadsword and clenches it with both hands, aiming the tip of the blade at her opponent. Lucy pulls out her golden keys and prepares to swap her outfit. Gray smacks his fist on his palm and begins charging his ice magic. Both of Natsu's fists burst into furious flames as he clenches them tightly.

Izanagi doesn't flinch at the sight of his opponents preparing to strike. His hair swiftly fades from a dark blue to a bright pink. He stands up straight and spreads his silver wings wide.

"...Blind, you say?" Izanagi cocks an eyebrow.


During all of this, deep inside the essence of Izanagi, Wendy remained in the endless space inside the god. She no longer was drifting aimlessly but was standing on practically nothing. However, something else was keeping her attention, which had her eyes gawking widely.

What appeared to be a glittery blue aura earlier, morphed into someone Wendy immediately recognized. And the moment she laid eyes on them caused her to tear up.

"I-is that really you…G-G-G-" Wendy stuttered.

The large figure chuckled at Wendy's reaction. She spreads her large wings covered with feathers and wraps them around the small dragon slayer. Her soft blue eyes met with Wendy's brown eyes, smiling softly at her.

"It is, I'm happy to see you again." Grandeeney greeted with her soft elderly voice. "You should see your face. It's like you've just seen a ghost!" She joked.

Wendy's shocked expression shifted to a genuine smile. More waterworks break out as they travel down her cheeks. "... I missed you…"

Grandeeney nudged her head against Wendy. The sky dragon slayer felt the familiar soft feathers she used to feel so often as a child. She gently hugged the dragon's head and took a deep breath.

"I missed you too, my dear daughter. You've grown so much." Grandeeney notes. She slowly raises her head back up. "However… I'm afraid this isn't the time for happy reunions."

Wendy gets caught off guard at her foster mother's sudden change in emotion. But the moment she saw her transparent arm again, she quickly realized why. "... Right." She shakily sighs. "So if I'm seeing you… then I must be already…"

Grandeeney shakes her head. "Not exactly." She corrects, much to Wendy's confusion. "I've made myself into a spirit so I can enter Izanagi's mind. I've done this many times when visiting the other dragons like Igneel when he used to reside inside Natsu." The sky dragon explains.

"So… if I'm not gone yet. Then why are you here?" Wendy wondered.

Grandeeney raised her claw towards her mouth and chuckled. "Why, isn't it normal for a parent to check in on their child who is clearly troubled?"

Wendy reels back and looks away by instinct. She clenches her teeth as her hair covers her eyes. Her mother could always read her very easily and given the circumstances, she felt even more upset that Grandeeney had to see her like this. The sky dragon noticed this and gently knelt down with a warm smile.

"You were placed practically in a lose-lose situation. Picking whom to save." Grandeeney explains. "In response, you've made a choice that should've saved everyone. However, that didn't appear to be the result you had wished for, am I right?"

Wendy doesn't respond nor budge. Grandeeney prompted herself to continue.

"Tell me, Wendy. Who do you *really* want to protect? Your friends and home? Or the country of Exahelm?" The sky dragon asked, slightly tilting her head.

Wendy flinched in response to the question. She gripped her fists tightly, beginning to feel frustrated. "...What… What kind of question is that?!" The blue haired girl shot her head up, her expression reading of desperate frustration. "Why can't I protect everyone?! Why does it have to be just one…?!" She vents, just as a memory enters her mind.

"Is this really how you want this to end?! Wendy!"

"... Even then, I had already made my choice. It didn't work." Wendy lowers her head. "I can't protect anyone, not even myself. Because I'm too weak…" She laments, tears forming under her eyelids.

"Are you sure that's the case?" Grandeeney pondered, which got Wendy's attention immediately. "I don't think you've done any saving… at least not yet."

Wendy wiped her eyes and stared at her foster mother. "What… What do you mean…?"

The sky dragon chuckled. "Don't tell me you've been laying around doing nothing the whole time." She joked. "You have been listening… this entire time, am I right?"

The bluenette lowered her head slightly. She slowly closed her eyes as even more memories faded in her mind. This time, it was the memories of someone else.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Your friend however, is nothing like you. She used her magic for a selfless act that benefited the innocent! That is why she'll be remembered as a hero! Do you intend to take that away from her?!"

"Is this really the world you all desire to live in?! A world where dangerous people like this man roam the streets freely?! A world where your homes and lives are at constant risk?!"

"For a moment earlier, I began to wonder if humanity had really changed. But it appears even this new generation is still filled with selfish desires."

"It's still the same… The world…continues to be in a state of madness…"

"I FOUND NOTHING! THE WORLD REFUSED TO CHANGE…!"

~~~Flashback End~~~

"... Of course I've been listening." Wendy confirmed, opening her eyes and looking back at Grandeeney. "I can see it too… My friends have been fighting him." She raised her hand and glanced at it. "I revived him, but he never gained any shred of hope for the world… Or people…" She glances back at the sky dragon. "Not even my own memories are strong enough."

"I agree." Grandeeney nods. "Izanagi seems to be a man filled with nihilism… and fear.

"Fear?" Puzzled Wendy.

Grandeeney lays down on her stomach and lowers her head, resting her chin on the nonexistent ground. "To truly protect everyone, you must save Izanagi. From his nihilism and fear." She eyes beside Wendy, staring off in the distance. "And you have the key in doing just that… His memories." She revealed.

Wendy follows the sky dragon's gaze and also stares off in the distance. "His memories…"

"Much like how he can see your memories. You too, can see his. Look through them to understand why the land of Exahelm exists today. And why Izanagi is the way he is." Grandeeney instructed. "Once you understand, then you can truly save him and everyone."

Wendy takes a deep breath and places a palm on her chest. She recalled her first meeting with the god during that moment, and it became more clear.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Oh! My mother, Grandeeny, taught me." Wendy answered with a soft smile. "She was the sky dragon and she adopted me several years ago."

Hahlos raised an eyebrow. "A dragon you say?"

However, Izanagi only held an expression of annoyance.

~~~Flashback End~~~

The young girl nods and smiles confidently. "You're right! The job I was tasked to do… Hasn't been completed yet!" She realized.

A bright light shines in the distance, similar to that of a portal. Wendy began to walk towards the light, showing no signs of looking away.

Grandeeney raises her head and smiles. "I believe in you, my dear daughter."

Wendy continues marching forward, slowly shutting her eyes for a moment. "... Everyone. After what I did, I don't deserve to be a Fairy Tail wizard. But I thank you all… For fighting so hard for my sake."

The sky dragon slayer stops in place, opening her eyes. "However, I can't stand by and let it end like this…" She reaches her hand out. "So… Wait for me. I have one last job to do…"

Grandeeney watches as Wendy enters the memories of the sky god. The young girl fades into the bright light and vanishes from sight. The sky dragon lowers her head and sighs.

"... You must hurry, Wendy."


Natsu stretches back and charges towards Izanagi, Lucy, Gray and Erza following behind him. The four let out battle cries while Izanagi continues to stand in place without moving a muscle. The god began muttering to himself.

"... It can take years upon years to create a civilization. To make a world worth living in." Izanagi says, slowly shutting his eyes. The god lifts both of his arms.

Erza took quick notice in his movements. She warns her teammates. "He's preparing something! Keep on gua-"

Black feathers lightly brush between the swordswoman. The sound of the harsh weather became mute as the color wiped away from her perspective. Erza gasps and before she knew it…

She was sent hurling back several feet back with a harsh indent in her armor. The winds gained more intense, pushing her at a quick pace. She crashed right into a mountain and coughed out loudly. Izanagi stood behind the other three wizards with his back turned towards them.

"Yet… It can take only a single night to crush all of that. A single night can change the perspective of the world…" Izanagi continued to mutter.

Natsu, Gray and Lucy shakily turned their heads back. Their expressions read of shock, horror and confusion on what just happened. One of their strongest wizards, who was just fully healed, was taken out in a blink of an eye.

Izanagi turns around and faces the three.

"Four hundred years ago… One night changed everything." Izanagi spoke out loud. "The world had changed into something it could never turn back from. The cause… Was the hubris humanity gained after being given the gift of magic…"