Hello, dear reviewers, and welcome to the final chapter of the Basterbine saga. This was an arc that I've been very eager and excited to write for many years now, and to see it finally finished and put out now feels, frankly surreal.
I truly hope that you've all managed to enjoy it. I have a lot more stuff to come up in 2025, so this year is going to be filled with new content for you guys.
Speaking of new content, man, cour 3 of TYBW was amazing. It's certainly giving me a lot to work with, and I'm beyond eager to see what the final portion of the arc will bring us. Given what has been said about it, it's going to include the most new content of the bunch. You can absolutely expect that stuff to be included and utilized once it's finally out
I will mention, however, that the final scene with 'The Bambi's' doesn't change anything in regards to this story. While it may change things in regards to the new canon (and hopefully means that CFYOW is retconed in favor of Orihime healing all of them instead.) I simply don't really have a reason to do anything with it.
Oh, special shout out to those of you who make additions to the TV tropes page. It means a lot, and I check it daily.
Well, I've wasted enough of your valuable time. Let's get onto the chapter proper, shall we?
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Nothing, however, was quite fleeting. Especially as it was something one could not truly experience. The shadowy embrace fell away then, the light welcoming Lukas' eyes as he began to stir.
"Where!?"
He sat up in a hurry, the world around him coming into focus. No longer was he in the grand arena of Domus Flau. Rather, where he lay now could be best described as best described as a makeshift hospital room. He tried to raise up, but quickly found that it was impossible, as neither his stomach, arms, nor legs would move in the slightest. A quick glance down his own body quickly revealed that it was covered in bandages, and his right arm and leg were left in a cast.
"So...I still draw breath," Lukas exclaimed. He tried to move his body, yet despite his best efforts, he couldn't so much as lift a finger. Nevertheless…
"How strange, I would have sworn that should I have survived, it would have hurt much more than this." Lukas exclaimed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Yeah, well, you can thank Wendy for that."
Lukas turned then, catching sight of Bambietta standing beside his bedside. "Looks like sleeping jerky finally awakens."
Whatever relief the young man had felt suddenly vanished, fury began to fill his very being as he glared at Bambietta. "What the hell are you doing here?" He spat.
"Isn't it obvious?" Bambietta answered him, giving him a cheeky grin. "I came to laugh at you."
Lukas flinched, gritting his teeth. He was about to turn, to snap at Bambietta...when he felt a hand rest down atop his shoulder.
"Well, that's what I'd like to say, deep down," Bambietta continued. "But there's a bit more to it than that."
"Then what?" Lukas spat, refusing to allow himself to turn and face his sister. However, his eyes betrayed him, both fighting against his outward instincts and glancing to the side.
"I wanted to make sure Wendy's healing magic had you almost good as new."
Just then, the door to the room slowly opened as one Wendy Marvell peaked her head inside. "Oh, is he awake?" She asked before she fully entered the room before she glanced over towards Lukas. "H-h-hello," Wendy said. There was a pause then, Wendy continuing. "I did it correctly, right, Bambi? He's not talking."
"He's just a sourpuss when he loses," Bambietta said, smiling at Wendy. "He's not used to it, so he's kinda a sore loser."
"That's rich from the girl who-!" Lukas had suddenly whirled around, sibling rivalry burning in him once again. He stopped, however, when he saw Bambietta and Wendy side by side, happy as they could be even in spite of his sudden outburst. "Forget it. Why did you even heal me, Miss Marvel?"
"You…you know my name?" Wendy asked.
"I researched Fairy Tail quite thoroughly," Lukas answered her. "Now, answer my question."
"Because you're Bambi's brother!" Wendy said, shaking her head. "How could I ever let you stay hurt or...or worse?"
"And why do you care?" Lukas said, still not making eye contact with Bambietta. "We just fought to the bloody, bitter end. My blood. My bitterness. Not yours. So if you're not going to rub it in my face with a laugh, then why?"
"Maybe once before I might have done worse," Bambietta sighed. "No, no, I would have. I changed a lot when I left the family for the Wandenreich, but it only made me a lesser person, and that's saying a lot. You…you weren't there when I hit my lowest point. But this world? This guild? This little..."
Bambietta pulled Wendy in a little closer.
"...this Dragon Slayer has helped me be a better me. Because in the end, you and I are the same, Lukas. Victims. Of our world. Of Quincy pride and lineage. Of that monster you call a fath-"
"Don't you say that!" Lukas suddenly contested. "Our father was going to make the greatest quincy ever known! To one day help our kind return to prosperity! Any sacrifice he deemed necessary was-"
"Don't you say that," Bambietta cut her brother off this time, purposefully using the same words. She did not raise her voice as he had, but she did not need to. "We did not have a father, Lukas. Not a father and certainly not a daddy. He was just a stupid old man unworthy of his wives and his children. That's all. I'm not his daughter and you're not his son. We were just his victims, a means to an end to further his damned pride and lineage of a family that could never move on. That's. It. So fu-"
Bambietta paused, realizing how damned close she had gotten to saying something in front of Wendy she would regret.
"-so fluff him."
"Fluff?" Lukas looked at Bambietta at last, furrowing his brow. He glanced over towards Wendy, his eyes narrowing. For a moment, there was nothing but silence,
Then...he chuckled. Soon, said chuckle turned into an all out laughter. It had taken Bambietta completely by surprise, her brother usually completely stoic.
Oh uh, he's snapped. Bambietta thought for a moment. However, she knew deep down this was not truly the case. "Hmph." Bambietta mock pouted. "And here I was just joking about coming here not to laugh at you, yet here you are, laughing at me."
Lukas quickly recomposed himself, his stoicism returning once more. "Apologies for that momentary outburst," Lukas replied, wiping some tears from his eyes. "It's just.., I see you weren't exaggerating how this guild has changed you. At least, from when I last saw you in the Wandenreich."
"Told ya," Bambietta said, putting one hand on her hip. She smirked a bit, then looked at Wendy. "Say, Wendy, can I have some alone time with my brother for a moment?"
"Sure!" Wendy said, nodding. She began to leave then, but looked back one last time. "I'm really glad you're feeling better. Just...be a good brother, okay? Families should stick together."
Then Wendy was gone, leaving Bambietta and Lukas alone.
"You know, that laugh of yours," Bambietta said, sitting down in a chair, "really does remind me of the kid I used to know. I mean, before our father started that damn killing game of his. You used to use it all the time when the staff tried to tell us jokes to cheer us up." Granted, it was usually nothing more than a subtle chuckle than the outright laughter she had just heard, but it was close enough.
"You really should cross your legs in a skirt, Bambietta."
Bambietta flinched, quickly doing just that. "One of the days I decide to not wear tights..."
"Let Miss Marvell know that I truly appreciate her effort in patching me up. I'll be sure to appropriately compensate her for it," Lukas said, looking out the room's window. "But this act of kindness does not change anything, Bambietta. Our father may have made you the strongest our bloodline has produced, stronger even than myself, but I…I simply cannot allow for this to be the end."
"You'd go back on your word?" Bambietta asked, her eyes narrowing.
"No. I'll keep true to my word. If I were to do so, then my reputation would be even further tarnished," Lukas told her. "However, if you think this is the end of our rivalry, then you're sorely mistaken. I'll gather up my finances and challenge you again and again, as many times as it takes until I defeat you and gain the title properly."
Bambietta blinked. "You really think I'd be willing to go through all of this again? You can't be serious." She asked incredulously.
"With the amount of money I'd be throwing your way, I highly doubt you'd be able to find it in yourself to refuse," Lukas answered. "I will achieve my dream someday, no matter the cost."
Bambietta leaned back her head, her eyes closed before she let out a vexed sigh. "Damn it, even after all that, you're still raring to go? God, you really are the biggest victim in all of this."
"I am not-!"
"Yes, yes you are," Bambietta retorted bluntly. "I didn't see it at first. Or rather, I didn't want to see it, but during our fight, I was forced to look at it from a different perspective. Once you started losing, it became so damn obvious. You're only going down this path because it's all you've ever known. Fuck, it's all you've ever had. Let's face facts, you're not really following in that man's footsteps. Even before I beat your ass, you still couldn't find it in yourself to go forward with our old man's cruelty. Honestly that should have been the first sign that you're not like him. All this time you've been struggling and falling behind him, no matter how hard you've tried. You're not our bastard of a father, or like the previous heads of the Wesser and you never will be."
Lukas glared back at Bambietta' desperately wanting to refute her claims despite his current condition. "You think it's that simple? I've worked far too long and hard to simply discard my dream. I am-"
"Alone."
Lukas could only stare weakly at Bambietta, that one, singular word ran through his mind. He grit his teeth, yet the steely gaze in his eyes began to waver, "Alone? Preposterous? I have plenty of staff who work for me back at Sin. I couldn't be-"
"The fact that you have to use your own damn staff as denial just proves my point," Bambietta said, crossing her arms. "Sure, you have people who are willing to work for you, or hang around you, due to your social status. But how many of them actually care about you? Do you have any friends back in Sin? Hell, have you ever had a friend?"
"I…what is your point?," Lukas tried to rebuttal, though his voice was laced with a questionable tone. "I am Lukas Wilberg Basterbine, I have no need for such frivolous things!"
"Really?" Bambietta asked as she looked him dead in the eyes. "Because if I had a choice between all of the wealth in the world, and my friends, I'd choose my friends every damn time."
"That's nonsense!" Lukas shouted. "Without wealth, without status, what would you still have?"
"People who care," Bambietta answered without any hesitation. "People who want to be with me. People to have fun with. People who always have my best interest in heart, people who love me, would be willing to fight for me, and even willing to die for me," The quincy closed her eyes, as visions of all of her friends came to her mind. "As long as I had them I wouldn't need anything else."
She looked down at her right hand, staring at the guild mark placed onto her glove. "Tell me, if you had bet your entire fortune on today's match, how many of your staff would still be working for you? How long would you keep that cushy job of yours? Because I know that even if I had lost today, even if I didn't have a penny to my name, even if I lost all my power, my friends would still be there for me. Unlike you."
(Song of choice: The Will, Solo version Rurouni Kenshin Trust and Betrayal)
He opened his mouth, no doubt preparing to offer up some sort of rebuke to her claims…but try as he might, no words escaped his lips.
Lukas kept quiet for a time, lowering his head as he mulled it all over. She couldn't be right, she simply couldn't be! She may have proven her superiority in combat, but that didn't change the fact that Bambietta was a simpleton compared to him! She didn't know how the world worked at all! She-
Gasp!*
He saw something then, something which stopped Lukas's inane rambling as his breath caught in his throat as he looked upon Bambietta.
What?!
Suddenly, it was not just the two of them sitting in this room. Behind Bambietta were a bunch of young girls, each of them placing a supporting hand on her back. But these were no mere children his eyes were gazing upon…they were his own kin, half siblings just like he and Bambietta were.
Slain by her own hand.
They weren't actually there, the spectors not having a single trace of reiatsu to them, but it left Lukas nonplussed nevertheless. I…I don't understand…Lukas thought, looking upon the ghosts of the past. What is this? How are they here? Why am I seeing them so vividly? And why….why….
His gaze fell upon each of them, the lot of them giving Bambietta a small, yet sincere smile of her own.
Why are they looking at her so fondly!?
She had killed them, drawn upon their souls and taken their power for her own, so why…why were they smiling at her!?His own gaze fell behind himself,perhaps in a vain hope to see his brothers, those he had slain to become heir…
But there were no such ghosts who stood by his side.
His gaze fell back towards Bambietta…only for his eyes to widen even further.
There were his brothers, the lot of them standing not by his own side…but by Bambietta. His hands clenched at his bed sheets as best he could, his teeth grit.
Why?
Why?
Why!?
WHY!?
There had to be a reason for it all, why he was seeing these visions, these ghosts of memories long since past. A reason why they stood by her…and not him.
Could it really be? Lukas wondered, as his gaze fell upon Bambietta once more, the spectors around her fading into the either. That she's right?
His eyes closed, and for the second time that day, tears trickled around his eyes.
In this new world, what am I without my fortune? My power? Were I backed into a corner and lost them both…I truly would have nothing. He felt himself sink back into the confines of his bed, mulling over this revelation. Bambietta's right…in the end…I am alone.
After a solid minute of silence, Lukas finally found his voice, not wanting to show any further signs of weakness. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you're right. And I suppose in the end I am still indebted to the head of the family. If not father, then you. So what will you do with that power?"
"Ungh, give it a rest!" Bambietta said, leaning back in her chair, her head rolling back. "I never wanted to be the heir in the first place! Kids and their dreams! I wanna be this! I wanna be that! And then they get their aspirations fulfilled and it's paperwork and all sorts of other boring stuff! You never hear Natsu wanting to be the Guild Master and I bet that's why! He knows! He knows..."
"Why must you always joke?" Lukas asked wearily.
"Oh, I'm serious," Bambietta said. "No boring busywork for me! I just wanna play!" Bambietta's expression dropped, the quincy willing to be truly serious still. "Lukas, all this time,I didn't want the title, the power or the responsibility. All I wanted was a family. And I've tried so damned hard to have it. The Basterbines, even after my mother passed away. The Wandenreich...and it killed me. But now I have it. Fairy Tail. It's all I've ever wanted, even if it was a world away. And now I have it. And I..."
Bambietta huffed a little, standing up.
"You know what? If I'm the head of the family, then I'll settle this nonsense once and for all. No more of this bloodline nonsense! I've got enough adrenaline in my soul to put that to rest! So that's it! I'm the heiress you say? Then I offer up my first decree!" Bambietta reached out then, offering an ungloved hand to Lukas. "From this moment on, I want you not as a servant, nor as some sort of political consultant or financial aid. No, what I want is for you, me and Estelle to start over, like I did in Fairy Tail. As a family."
Lukas could only stare back at his half sibling in disbelief. "Are you serious? That's…all you want?"
Bambietta nodded. "Yeah. That's all I've ever needed. Our old man may not have had our best interests in heart, but I'd like to think all of our mothers did, at least at some point or another. So what do you say?" Bambietta placed her hand around Lukas's and smiled. "Let's start over and bury the hatchet. No more grudges, no more nightmares. Let's…just be brother and sister, like we always should have been."
Lukas looked at her with incredulity. "Do you really think it's just that simple? To just 'start over'? After all these years we've spent looking down on one another? What's to say that this new relationship of ours will last, or how often we'll even see one another? I have no intentions of leaving Sin, and I highly doubt you'd want to leave your own guild after everything you've just told me."
"If it fails, then it fails." Bambietta replied. "But at least then I'll know I tried. Me and Estelle? We already have a bond. Pretty sure we'll be sending letters back and forth for a while once this is all over. Assuming I can't get her to join Fairy Tail I mean. Hell, I might actually get myself a communication lacrima to make sure we keep in touch if I can't. I'd be more than willing to do the same for you…if you want."
Lukas's eyes looked down at his half sister's hand, trying to process everything she had just said. As silence began to fill the room once more, Bambietta felt her heart beginning to sink. I should have known this idea was too good to be true. Here I was hoping I'd get a brother out of this, but I guess in the end, we'll never-
Bambietta was then taken out of her melancholy when she felt a weak, but nevertheless prevalent grip on her own hand. She looked down, only to see Lukas's own hand gripping over her own.
"I…I accept your offer…Sister." Lukas told Bambietta, his lips curling upwards to form the first genuine smile she had ever seen on her brother's face.
Bambietta in turn smiled back, and gripped his hand in turn. "Thanks…little bro."
His eyes narrowed. "Never call me that. Brother or Lukas will suffice."
"What? But you are my little brother, so why shouldn't I-"
"I'm beginning to regret my decision already. Perhaps I should-"
"Kidding, kidding! God, can you ever take a joke!?" Bambietta shouted, only to notice her brother's smile grow ever more. Her eyes widened, before she chuckled. "Heh, you son of a bitch. Giving me a taste of my own medicine."
"Well, I do have a lot of catching up to do." Lukas replied as he looked back up towards the ceiling, his smile soon fading, and his tone turning dispassionate. "Nevertheless, even despite all of this…I cannot help but lament the end to our family's bloodline. Unless Estelle finds someone she considers worthy of marriage, which, knowing her standards is highly unlikely, then the Basterbine family truly does end with us."
Bambietta sighed, and looked outside of the room's window, her eyes taking in the beautiful sights of Crocus. "...It doesn't necessarily have to, you know," Bambietta said before she looked back at Lukas. "I have a proposal, if you're willing to listen."
Lukas looked back towards Bambietta, surprised. "You mean to tell me that you're willing to…" His words began to trail off then with a mild blush. "I mean, I suppose I should be honored, but I was certain that with you dating Miss Heartfilia…"
Bambietta immediately felt her face turn red as a wave of embarrassment ran over her, and sputtered in chorently before she found her voice. "Not that kind of proposal, you dumbas-" A quick smirk from her brother took her out of her rant, before she huffed. "Aha, Aha. Very funny."
"My apologies, but you simply made it too easy," Lukas replied. "Now, in all seriousness….what is this proposal of yours?"
Bambietta placed both of her hands on her lap. "If you really want to continue the family so badly, fine. I'll let you do so. I only have two conditions you'll need to follow."
"You have my utmost attention," Lukas answered.
"The first is simple. You can't use the Basterbine name," Bambietta told him. "I know you've gone on and on about being the Basterbine heir, but I'm the only one who actually has the family blood in me. I don't really give a shit about eugenics, or the value of the name for Quincy's as a whole. No, the reason I still keep it despite all the horrible shit I went through is because it was my mother's maiden name. That's why I'm still Bambietta Basterbine, and always will be. You have to have your own name if you want to continue on with your bloodline."
Lukas weakly nodded his head. "A hard choice, but one I can easily adapt to. The name certainly doesn't have the same weight to it as it did in our own dimension, even with the quincy who have been scattered across Earthland. Now, what was your last condition?"
Bambietta sighed. This was by far and away the more complicated request. "I…I don't want to see you just dating women for how strong they are, or for the sake of raising a family. I couldn't take the risk of you accidentally falling back into old habits. You want to make a family of your own, feel free. But you have to find a woman that you genuinely love. Strength can play a part if you really need it, but I want you to find someone you'll actually give a damn about. Same for your kids. I don't want to see any favoritism, and certainly no signs of any of our old man's bullshit, even if it is toned down. You want kids, then you have to love each and every single one of them, damn it."
Lukas blinked. "Finding a woman of such caliber…I suppose I'm not against the challenge, and it would be ideal to have a worthy matriarch should I pass on prematurely." Lukas replied before he narrowed his eyes. "But are you sure that's wise? I could easily fabricate such a relationship to convince you otherwise, and with your blessing there would be nothing you could do to stop it through legal means."
Bambietta shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. But I know you'd never go through with that."
"And just how can you be so certain?" Luas inquired.
Bambietta smirked. "Because your pride would never allow you to cheat your way to victory in a challenge that I imposed on you. After all, you are Lukas Wilberg Basterbine, are you not?"
Lukas blinked before he closed his eyes, a small smile returning. "Naturally."
Bambietta rose up from her chair, her smile growing ever so slightly. "Then we have an accord. Though, I suppose you're not going to be Lukas Wilberg Basterbine for much longer if you're really going to go through with this."
"I'll simply take a page out of your book and use my own mothers maiden name," Lukas replied. "It may not have the same weight as the Basterbine name, but it will suffice…and one day, it shall be renowned throughout all of Earthland."
"That's the spirit," Bambietta said before she turned around and began to make her way towards the door. "Anyways, I've kept everyone waiting for far too long. I'll catch you later before we leave, alright? We'll exchange numbers!...Or however the Lacrima system works."
She was a mere few feet from the door as she reached out with her hand, only for Lukas to call out to her one last time.
"Fairy Tail…it must truly be a remarkable guild if it was able to affect you this much."
Bambietta placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it before she gave her brother one last smile.
"Yeah. It really is."
The minute Bambietta had left Domus Flau sickbay she had gone to meet up with the rest of the guild to properly celebrate. As far as she was concerned, there was no better time. Fortunately for Makarov's wallet, Haschwalth had decided to chip in and placed reservations ahead of time to one of Crocus finest taverns.
"Oh man, look at all of this food!" Natsu shouted as a grand buffet of various cuisines laid before the entire guild. "I haven't seen almost half of this stuff before, but it looks delicious!"
"I call dibs on all of the fish!" Happy exclaimed as he flew over to the buffet table, Carla rolling her eyes at the sight. Wendy remained awestruck, not sure where to begin herself.
"Tch, I've seen better," Gajeel lied, not wanting to admit that he was rather looking forward to digging in.
"Suuuure you have." Levy replied, not buying a single word of it.
Liltotto's mouth dropped as she began to unconsciously drool, Erza quickly requiring a napkin to whip it away. Liltotto blushed out of embarrassment before she looked up towards Erza. "Sorry, I -"
"It's fine," Erza reassured her, her own eyes narrowing in on the massive strawberry cake in the distance. ,"Just try to restrain yourself. We want to make sure everyone gets their fair share after all."
Candice couldn't help but snicker at her friend's antics, while Meninas and Mary had already gone over to pick up their food. The Thunder Legion had decided to sit down, currently not in the mood to eat, while Momo simply enjoyed a cup of tea alongside Rukia.
"Well, I'm certainly glad that Bambietta was able to emerge victorious," Momo said as she just finished taking a sip of her beverage. "I couldn't begin to imagine how nervous she must have been prior to her battle."
Rukia smiled. "Bambietta isn't exactly the most levelheaded person I know, but she's not the type to give in under pressure either. I'm sure it was quite difficult for her, but I had faith she'd be able to pull it off despite that."
"Speaking of which, have any of you guys seen her?" Jade asked as she approached. "I haven't for a while."
"I believe she said something about going backstage," Mirajane added, as she, her brother and Ulquiorra sat at the table right next to them.
"Yeah, I bet she's got something really manly planned!" Elfman shouted, slamming both of his hands onto the table.
"Pretty sure if she heard you say that she'd want to beat you black and blue." Gray commented, the ice make wizard enjoying a snow cone... with nary a bit of clothing with the exception of his boxers.
Juvia blushed heavily at the sight while Cana sighed. "Gray, your clothes."
"Aw damn it, not again!"
Meanwhile, while the rest of the guild continued to enjoy themselves, Bambietta had finished her preparations to entertain her guild. Her clothes had been changed out for an identical set of her Wandenriech uniform, save or the Fairy Tail emblem used in place of the Quincy cross, her mother's heirloom remained pinned to her right breast.
"Alright, preparations are complete." Bambietta said with a smirk, looking at herself through a body mirror backstage. "Time to act like Miss Fairy Tail again and knock them off their feet."
"Well, I never thought I'd see you sing again. You really have changed quite a bit, haven't you, Bambi?"
Bambietta almost leapt with surprise as she turned around to see none other than Estelle. She let out a brief sigh before glaring at her half sister. "God, don't scare me like that Estelle. I've had a long enough day as it is."
Estelle smiled. "Yes, I suppose you have, haven't you?" Estelle replied, sitting down in a nearby chair, legs crossed. "An absolutely brilliant display by the way. Seeing Lukas crumble like that was most satisfying. I can't imagine how much joy you got out of it."
Bambietta chuckled. "Well, it was cathartic as hell putting him in his place after all these years, I'll admit to that much. But honestly, I'm just glad he and I finally managed to patch things up."
"You keep saying that, and every time I still find it hard to believe." Estelle told her. "Still, I suppose it's much better to have him as an ally rather than an enemy."
"He was just as much of a victim as we were Estelle, he just hid it better than we did," Bambietta told her. "At least now our fathers 'legacy' is truly dead."
"Indeed." Estelle replied with a sly grin. "I almost wish he was still with us, if only to see the look on his face when he would discover you became a Sternritter. Oh, he would be so furious knowing you took in His Majesty's blood. Though, considering it's you, I suppose I shouldn't have been so surprised that you were eventually accepted into their ranks."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly easy getting there," Bambietta told her before she smirked. "Had to kill the previous occupant to get it for myself. Let me tell you, he was a real piece of work."
"Now that sounds like a story I'd like to hear," Estelle told Bambietta as she got up from her chair. "But alas, you have a performance to put on, and I'd hate to keep everyone else waiting. Besides, I have a train I'll need to catch if I'm to make it back home in a timely manner."
(Song of choice: Hutari No Kimochi, Inuyasha OST 3)
Bambietta's gaze went downward and clenched a fist over her chest. "You're...leaving already?" Bambietta asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "But...I had so much I wanted to show you around the guild. Around Magnolia! You could join-"
"I appreciate the offer, really I do," Estelle interrupted. "But the answer is no."
"But… we've finally run into each other after all this time," Bambietta said as she took another step forward, tears threatening to trickle down her eyes. "We've always been together ever since we met, so why would you -"
"Because I want, no, I need to live a life of my own, Bambi," Estelle told her, though her gaze wavered. "For what you did for me back in Fiorentina, I will forever be in your debt. But I have a life that I desire. One that allows me the pleasures and joys that I truly enjoy. I already have the castle that I always wanted, and soon after that..."
She blushed, before she quickly shook her head and recomposed herself. "And besides all of that, I'm afraid Fairy Tail simply isn't the guild for me. I know they've done wonders for you Bambi, and for that I truly do thank them...but they're simply too unruly and chaotic for my liking."
Bambietta took another step forward, her tears trickling down her eyes. "I...I know," Bambietta weakly admitted. "I kinda figured from the get go that it wasn't probably going to take..." Bambietta took another step forward. "But I don't want to lose you after all this time!"
Estelle smiled. "Come now, it's not like we won't see each other ever again. Besides, I'll be sure to mail you the best communication Lacrima money can buy. So we'll always be able to keep in touch. And besides-" Estelle quickly glanced behind her shoulder as the guild continued to celebrate. "They're your family now. So I know you'll be just fine."
Estelle extended her hand, her smile growing ever so slightly. "Do take care, Bam-"
A tight, powerful hug took Estelle off guard as Bambietta clung to her tightly, tears now falling down her face like a steady steam. "I'm going to miss you, Estelle."
Estelle felt her eyes wide ever so slightly at the sadness she heard emanate from Bambietta's voice as small tears if her own began to form. Her hands quickly wrapped around her sister before she held Bambietta in an equally powerful hug.
"I'll miss you too, Bambi."
Time seemed to freeze for the Basterbine siblings, till at long last they separated, each one giving the other a smile in return. Estelle quickly began to make her way back where everyone else was congregating while Bambietta whipped her eyes with her arm.
"Man… I always hate saying goodbye," Bambietta sniffled as she tried to pull herself back together. "Freaking sucks."
"Bambi, are you alright?"
This time, Bambietta did actually jump before she quickly spun around, her eyes meeting with her girlfriend. "Fuck, what is with today and people sneaking up on me!?"
"I am not sneaky," Lucy said, trying not to waver before Bambietta. "What I am is worried about you."
Bambietta raised an eyebrow. "Worried? What for? I mean, you saw what I did out there, I won!"
"You did, it's just..." Lucy fidgeted a little. "I know what it's like to confront family when things aren't...good within it. And you were there for me with my father and I...I just want to be here for you."
Bambietta's expression softened upon hearing Lucys' words. "Yeah well, it definitely wasn't pleasant, I'll admit that much." The quincy said with a sigh. "Honestly, I never thought I'd have to deal with any of that shit ever again. Estelle I was totally onboard with, Lukas way less so. Him bringing back that tradition...Now that was a bad time."
Bambietta grinned. "But all's well that ends well now at least, right!? I got to kick Lukas's ass, prevented him from starting up my old man's bullshit, and I even got him to turn over a new leaf! As far as I'm concerned, everything's turning up Bambi!"
"Right, there is that," Lucy said, smiling. "Same as how things worked out with my father in the end. I just..." Lucy hugged Bambietta, surprising her. "I just want to make sure things keep turning...up…,well, Bambi."
Bambietta blushed, not expecting such imitate contact, though she was hardly complaining. She chuckled slightly at Lucy's joke. "Yeah, well, I think it's safe to say that things are going about as well as they ever could be."
"Even with what happened with Estelle?"
Almost instantly did Bambietta's positivity deflate. "...You saw that huh?" She muttered.
"I did, yeah," Lucy said, pulling her head back to look into Bambietta's eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Bambietta took a deep breath before she let it all out. "I...I think I'll be fine." Bambietta answered as best she could. "I mean, yeah, it sucks that I won't be able to see her again for a while...but Estelle was right. She's got a life of her own to live now. If I kept her shackled to me, I'd be no better than my old man, and I'm not standing for any of that. So, if she wants to live out her own life, then I gotta respect that."
Her gaze cast downward "...Even if it still hurts."
"Bambi..." Lucy hugged her once more, "I'll do whatever I can to help with that pain, Bambi. if you need my shoulder, it's all yours. And I know all of Fairy Tail is here for you too."
"Yeah...Yeah I know," Bambietta said and looked into Lucy's eyes. "As long as I have Fairy Tail, as long as I have you, then I know that everything is going to be alright." The two women stared at each other for a few seconds before Bambietta grabbed hold of Lucy's hands before she locked lips with her girlfriend.
While momentarily taken aback by Bambietta's bold choice in action, Lucy quickly leaned into the kiss, letting out a low moan as Bambietta held her close, before their lips separated.
"Now go out there and show them what Miss Fairy Tail is made of," Lucy said, winking. "You drop that bomb and show 'em who's boss! "
Bambietta smirked as she turned around. "Oh, don't you worry, Lucy. I'm going to remind everyone why I won Miss Fairy Tail and knock 'em dead!"
Microphone in hand, Bambietta strutted towards the podium with renewed vigor while Lucy hurriedly made her way towards back out. The curtains before Bambietta drew back to reveal herself to the entire guild. Their eyes drawn towards her, Bambietta quickly shot them a playful grin.
"Hey there everyone! How's the food treating ya!?"
A rousing cry from the guild (Gajeel, Liltotto and Ulquiorra withstanding) was all the answer she needed. "Glad to hear! If ya ask me, there's nothing worse than a free buffet with shitty food. Isn't that right, Lil?"
Almost everyone laughed at Bambietta's little joke, and even her small blonde friend smiled a bit before Bambietta continued. "Anyways, I'm not here to provide you all with the Basterbine comedy hour, that's Tuesdays."
Another quick laugh from the guild erupted before it quickly fell silent, prompting Bambietta to continue. "The truth of the matter is, well…I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me. As I'm sure a few of you know, I wasn't exactly an innocent little angel before I joined the guild. I did a lot of things I'm not exactly proud of."
She looked towards Master Makarov. "When I first joined the guild, I thought all that talk about family was a bunch of junk. That it was nothing more than sentimental drivel to keep things together. Honestly, at first I thought I'd just use this place to gather new information and gain fame and fortune before I was on my merry way. Oh how wrong I was."
Bambietta then looked towards Levy and Erza, each of which smiled in turn. "But I had people who looked out for me at the very start. People who believed in the good in me, even when I didn't think I had any left."
She then turned her gaze towards Lucy and Wendy, and her smile grew ever so slightly. "Eventually, I found people to care about, people who I wanted to protect no matter what. At first it started out small, but now-
She looked around the guild then, as Natsu, Gray, Cana, Mirajane, and Jade came into sight. "I have a lot of people that I care about. Because this guild isn't just some place for mages to get work at…It's a family. The first real family I've ever had."
She looked towards Liltotto, Meninas and Candice, and shot them a quick smile."I was able to dull pain that I thought would never go away and repair old friendships because of this place."
She looked towards Jellal, Totomaru, Momo and Rukia next. "It's shown me that today's enemy can be tomorrow's ally." Her head turned one last time, this time towards Ulquiorra and Gajeel. "And it's taught me that anyone can change."
Slowly, Bambietta began to raise the microphone to her lips, her smile still present. "There aren't any words that I could use to properly express my gratitude. But I can at least promise you all this. No matter what happens, no matter what kind of enemy comes our way next, no matter what kind of obstacle we'll face next…I'll always be a member of this guild!"
As she thrust her hand up to the air, index finger pointer upwards, the entire guild began to cheer. Content with the results of her little speech, Bambietta brought the microphone to her lips, her eyes filled with life before she began to sing.
(Song of choice: Fullmetal Alchemist - "Melissa" by Amalee)
Her rivalry with Lukas was finally over.
Her father's horrid legacy, dead and buried.
She had no more need to hold onto that bitterness and pain.
She had no need to let the nightmares of her past disturb her sleep.
She needn't have a nagging uncertainty for the rest of her days.
She was fully and truly free of her father's taint.
No longer was she the daughter of Hayden Wesser.
No longer was she a contender for Basterbine heir.
No longer was she a member of the Wandenriech, and no longer was she Sternritter E, "The Explode."
No longer was she a woman who took the lives of her comrades.
No longer was she Giselle Gewelles undead slave
Now, she was a resident of Magnolia.
Now, she was the divine champion of the gods who sided with humanity.
Now, she was the proud protector of Wendy Marvell and girlfriend of Lucy Heartfilia.
She was now and forever…
A Fairy Tail Wizard.
And so, the Basterbine saga comes to a close. To be entirely honest, I wrote this chapter with the intention that, if I were somehow unable to write or update again after this, that this chapter would functionality serve as the finale.
It's not, to be clear, but I'd like to think that it accomplishes everything an ending for this story would need. I've spent hours, and I mean HOURS trying to perfect the last 5 chapters, and I hope the finished product shows it.
I'll be taking February off. I need a break and chance to let my mind rest so that I can continue writing in my prime. I've got a lot of video games I need to beat too, like Armored Core 6, Rise of Ronin and Gundam Breakers 4.
I would love to get your feedback on your thoughts not on just this chapter, but the arc as a whole. I'd like to do more original content like this once we pass a certain part of the story, so any feedback in this regard would be important.
Anyways, here's hoping that 2025 will be a year that we all find favorable and joyous. And not, well, I hope to use this story to bring every single one of you at least a little bit of joy.
Till next time, and Happy New Year.