(Edited 06/09/24)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does.

The Trouble With Fairies

*POTD*

It had taken Natsu and Juvia just shy of a week to reach the ruins of Nirvana. The journey had been a rather clear sign that the Magic Council were out of control, as the pair were forced to avoid countless Rune Knight patrols, or the various Legal Guild checkpoints dotting the countryside.

But eventually, the pair made it, standing before the dilapidated structure, as Natsu took in the sight.

"Seems like a lifetime ago that Eliza and I beat Ravus' ass here," Natsu sighed wistfully. "The place held up pretty well after what we ended up doing to it though, have to say?"

"Well, it was an ancient city built with Divine intervention," Juvia shrugged, as the pair made their way inside.

"If we walk through this Magic channeling chamber, we should end up at the center of the weapon."

"I thought you only came to Nirvana once? How do you know where you're going?"

"Let's just say I've got an extremely sharp memory," the man chuckled, shaking his head. "The place didn't feel as big last time though, since I could fly and all…"

The pair stopped upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. Sharing a look, the pair were on the defensive as Cobra of the Oracion Seis stepped out to greet them.

"Well would you look at that? Come crawling back to the land of the living have you," the man smirked, running a hand through his long spiky hair. "Been waiting for you, big boss."

"Big boss? The Hell are you talking about Cobra?"

"It's Erik now," the man replied seriously. "None of that Oracion Seis code name crap anymore. Same goes for the others."

"Fair enough then… Erik. But why are you calling me big boss?"

"Well, you are the one who has us searching the whole damn country for one chick, aren't you?"

"Wait, you still haven't found her yet?"

"We've got leads, but she's seriously buried herself," Erik replied, motioning for the pair to follow him. "Come on, Jellal can tell you more than I can. I just do the grunt work."

"Fair enough," Natsu replied, nodding to Juvia as the pair followed the Poison Dragon Slayer.

"By the way, just a fair warning, the others are probably gonna freak out seeing you," Erik warned him, as the rounded a bend. "Mainly Seilah."

"Did she explain what happened that led to my disappearance?"

"Yep. Gotta say, you're one lucky son of a bitch boss man," Erik chuckled, shaking his head. "Gods, Devils, Demons, all kinds of shit all revolving around you? Man, I get why you folded my shit in when we first met."

"I think Erza finished you off though, didn't she?"

"Tch-! Well yeah, obviously," the Poison Dragon Slayer snorted in response. "Got the damn scars to prove that!"

The trio continued to discuss more idle topics until they reached the center of Nirvana, arriving at a reinforced door Natsu didn't remember being there back when he traversed the place.

"Just a little added security, seeing as this is one of our main bases and all," the man smirked, holding up his right hand as a dark purple Magic Circle manifested on the door, before it unlocked and swung open. "Welcome to Crime Sorciere!"

As they walked in, Natsu couldn't help but marvel at the rather high-tech setup they had inside the Nirvana ruins. Spread out across the walls were countless Lacrima projections which appeared to be streaming footage from all across Fiore.

"Damn… This is actually really impressive," Natsu replied honestly as he took the place in. "You guys really went all out, huh?"

"Yeah. Jellal wanted to make sure Crime Sorciere was the most effective deterrent to Dark Guild activity in Fiore, seeing as the Council don't seem to give a rat's ass about it anymore," Cobra scoffed. "They're too busy hunting you and oppressing their own people, so we stepped up. Oh, and it also is helping us with that task you gave us too."

Natsu nodded as Cobra led them up a flight of stairs to the second floor, where the sound of a heated argument was drifting down toward them.

"-can't let this continue Jellal! His foolishness is bordering on Dark Guild activity!"

"We can't make a move on him without more manpower Ultear, we've been over this! The way Gray is, he's liable to kill most of us!"

"Oh, not again," Erik groaned, gritting his teeth. "Will those two ever shut up!?"

Natsu's mind wasn't fully focused on Erik's unfortunate predicament, having heard them discussing the possibility of taking out Gray, which likely meant Fairy Tail as well. The fact that they mentioned his actions bordered on Dark Guild activity was definitely a grim sign.

"Oi! Will the two of you shut the Hell up," Erik snapped, silencing the pair ahead. "I've got sensitive hearing; you bastards know that!"

"Sorry Erik, but I need to talk some sense into Jellal," Ultear replied, as the pair both stormed out of the room they were in. "He simply refuses to acknowledge the fact that-!"

The pair froze, Ultear dropping her crystal ball as it shattered into pieces on the hard stone floor, her mouth wide open. Jellal was no better, eyes wide, as he placed a hand on the nearby wall to steady himself.

"Hey guys, guess who isn't dead," Natsu joked, only for the pair to remain frozen in shock. "Is it always going to be like this?"

"Probably," Juvia shrugged in reply. "It is rather shocking, I won't lie."

"Is that really you Natsu," Jellal blurted out, trying to regain some measure of composure.

"Yeah, it's the real me," Natsu laughed weakly. "Apparently back from the land of the dead I'm told?"

"Seilah might cry when she sees you," Ultear spoke up, clearing her throat. "She's been worried sick ever since you disappeared."

"I'm not surprised. I didn't even know I was gone for about seven and a half years," Natsu replied, looking down at his hands. "I'd have stopped by faster, but I can't actually use any of my powers at the moment, so I had to hoof it here-."

"Wait, you can't use the power of a Devil anymore," Jellal asked quickly, with Natsu shaking his head.

"I still have all my power and abilities, I just can't access any of it," Natsu replied honestly. "After what Seilah, Eliza and Xicor did, it nearly killed me. The gist of it all is that until my power stabilizes and adjusts to what they did, I just have to rely on this sword here."

"As concerning as it is that you can't use your powers, at least you aren't dead," Ultear sighed, shaking her head. "Though this does cause some problems since a lot of people want you dead."

"So I've been told."

"Things are looking rather grim from almost every conceivable angle Natsu," Jellal admitted quietly, as the group moved to sit down in an open area with some couches. "We've got Achnologia who has been attacking neighboring countries, seemingly searching for something, the Alvarez Empire are confirmed to be massing their armies for an invasion of Fiore…"

"The Dark Guilds since the fall of the Bharam Alliance have rallied behind a new leader, and are now openly attacking towns and smaller cities, meeting no resistance from the Magic Council. Said Council are too busy looking for you and extorting the populace," Ultear added, as Natsu felt a headache coming on.

"That's not even all the problems, but you get the idea. Things aren't looking good for Fiore, Natsu. The looming Alvarez invasion isn't even being discussed by the Council, they refuse to even acknowledge the threat," Jellal sighed tiredly, clearly frustrated by how things were going. "And then there's the Fairy Tail situation…"

"Juvia gave me a summarized version of that on the way here, but what do you guys know about it? I heard the both of you arguing about Gray and Fairy Tail doing borderline Dark Guild activities? What's all that about?"

"I'll tell you what it is… It's a damn mess," Ultear growled, with Jellal sighing an pinching the bridge of his nose.

"As you likely know, Gray now possesses the same Magic his Father did back when we saw him in Tartaros-."

"The power of the Ice Devil Slayer… Master."

Everyone's attention snapped toward the stairs, as Seilah stood there, a nervous, yet also clearly upset look on her face.

"Seilah," Natsu said, quickly getting up out of his seat and walking over to her. "Seilah, I'm-."

Natsu was interrupted mid-sentence as the Demoness pulled him into a firm hug, his face pressed between her bust.

"Master… If I had known what would happen, I would never-!"

"It's okay," Natsu huffed, managing to free himself so he could speak. "None of you could have truly known what would've happened."

"Master… I can't sense our link?"

"I'm not surprised," Natsu replied quietly. "After what the three of you did to me, I did nearly die. Only the intervention of the Primordial entities Lord Life and Lady Death saved me. They fixed the process, but until it finishes, I'm not able to use any of my power."

"I'm so sorry Master," Seilah sniffed, clearly holding back tears as he took her hands into his own. "If I had known-!"

"You were only doing what you thought was right Seilah, I couldn't have asked anything more of you," Natsu smiled in response. "You all only wanted to help me gain an edge over all the powerful enemies we seem to be facing, right? How can I fault any of you for that?"

Reaching out, Natsu gently pet her head as she leaned into his touch, flashing her a small grin.

"That being said, I'll definitely need to rely on you a lot more until my power starts returning. So, expect to be put to work, Seilah!"

The teary-eyed Demoness sniffled, nodding her head as Natsu shifted his focus back toward Jellal.

"So, Ice Devil Slayer Gray Fullbuster?"

"That's right," Jellal replied, as both Natsu and Seilah rejoined the group over on the couches. "From what Eliza told us, A Devil Slayer could actually pose a significant threat to a Devil. Given your currently weakened state, you wouldn't stand a chance against him-."

"Now hold on a second Jellal," Natsu replied quickly. "I may not have access to my Magic, or my Aura just now, but I still have many other attributes like my speed, endurance and heightened senses. You can't fully strip those away."

"Even if that's the case, you aren't just going to have to deal with Gray. Not only is he the Guild Master of Fairy Tail, but he's also got an Independent Guild by the name of Avatar backing him as well."

Who said I planned on facing Gray alone? I came here to ask you where the others were, so that I could reform my team and fix Fairy Tail," Natsu replied, surprising everyone in the room. "When I randomly met up with Juvia, I was shocked that she was having to go from town to town as an Independent Mage, living off of what she could get. Me forming this team is to bring back the safe place for all my friends, from Juvia, to even you guys if you ever need it."

"Natsu," Juvia muttered, clearly fighting off tears. "Thank you…"

"Well Master, assembling most of the others will be an easy task," Seilah chimed in, as all eyes moved toward the Demoness. "Erza, Mirajane, Elise, Laxus and the Thunder Legion, as well as Gajeel and Levy, are all within Fiore now. Eliza can easily find and bring them here."

"And what about Wendy," Natsu asked, immediately noticing her name was left out of her list. "Where is she?"

"She's in Fiore too right now, so Eliza told me… But she's not spoken to any of the others since she ran off with Porlyusica nearly eight years ago."

"But she's alive, right?"

"Yes, of course she is," Seilah replied quickly. "I haven't seen her myself, but Lady Eliza said that she's… Well, she's certainly grown up."

"I might see if Eliza can go and bring her back here too," Natsu replied thoughtfully. "I want to at least make sure she's doing alright-."

"Is that what I am to you all? A glorified taxi service," Eliza's voice chimed in, as she appeared right behind Natsu in an instant, plucking him out of his seat by his coat.

"Hey Eliza! Long t-!"

"If you say long time no see, I'm going to punch you," the War Goddess said sharply, examining his body using her God's Eyes. "So, that's where you went?"

"You can tell?"

"I can see the influence of Life and Death over your body," the War Goddess nodded, stepping back from the couch as she placed Natsu on his feet before her. "I'm not going to apologize, because no apology is good enough for the catastrophic mistake we made-."

"Shut up Eliza," Natsu replied, quickly wrapping the War God up in a hug. "You've done so much for my friends and I, what's one case of accidental murder?"

"I don't like how you worded that," the War Goddess mumbled in reply, holding him just as tight. "I am glad you're okay though…"

"Yeah, me too," Natsu joked, as the pair separated. "So, do you think you can grab the others for us?"

"Of course I can. Though Seilah is correct about young Wendy, she's certainly different from the teenager you last saw. Though I don't doubt that if I tell her you asked to see her, she'd come. It'll just be a bit awkward for her and the others, seeing how she ran off without telling anyone?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Natsu chuckled, when the form of Racer from the Oracion Seis suddenly popped into the room.

"Oi Jellal!"

"What is it Sawyer," Jellal asked, as both he and Ultear rose to their feet. "What's wrong?"

"We've got a massive contingent of the Magical Enforcement Unit marching on this place," Sawyer replied sharply, as he pointed to one of the monitors. "Don't have a clue how they found the place, but its obvious they know we're here."

"They probably noticed Juvia and Natsu heading out this way," Ultear sighed before quickly addressing the pair. "Not that we're upset or anything with you two, it's just going to be annoying having to pack up all this stuff and relocate."

"They've suspected we were in this area for some time anyway," Jellal added, looking toward one of the monitors showing the approaching Rune Knights. "Sawyer?"

"Yeah?"

"Go and let Macbeth know we need him to help Ultear quickly pack everything up please?"

"On it Jellal," Sawyer replied, vanishing in a burst of speed.

"Ultear, you get started on the documents room."

"Will do," Ultear nodded, as she walked off into one of the back rooms.

"Eliza. I'd strongly suggest advising the others to meet us at the Crocus safe house instead? This place is going to be crawling with Council goons in about half an hour…"

"Fair enough. The last thing any of you need is for them to know about me," the War Goddess replied, before looking to Natsu directly. "I'll see you in Crocus alongside the others, alright?"

"See you then Eliza," Natsu replied, taking her hand before she could leave through her Gate. "And listen, I'm not mad about what you guys did, alright? Just make sure I'm at least conscious before you do something like that next time, okay?"

"That's a promise I shall attempt to keep, but you know how things are," the War Goddess smiled in reply, departing right as the rest of the former Oracion Seis members entered the room, alongside Meredy.

"Is that Natsu!? Wow, you're alive," Meredy cheered, skipping over to hug him, only for Jellal to intercept her with a single finger to the forehead, keeping her in place.

"I'm afraid that has to wait Meredy, we've got serious trouble coming."

"The Council," Macbeth sighed, floating into the room on a Magic carpet. "Where do you want me Jellal?"

"I want all the tech stored away, along with Nirvana's core."

"Consider it done," Macbeth replied, floating off downstairs.

"Alright," Jellal sighed, looking around the room as everyone began preparing the area to be stored away. "Once everything is in boxes, the rest of you need to get out before we're pinned in. We're relocating to the Crocus base."

"Seriously," Sorano huffed, flicking a stray lock of her white hair over her shoulder. "I literally just walked all the way back here from New Oshibana!"

"Sorry Sorano, but you know we don't have much of a choice…"

"Ugh! Richard!"

"Yes," the excessively tall man replied cheerfully. "What do you require?"

"You're carrying me!"

"Of course I will! After all, that would be the most honorable thing to do for a comrade in need, wouldn't it!?"

"You're such a pushover Richard," Cobra snickered, as he looked over toward Jellal. "We're basically done already."

"Good. Once you're all done, get the Hell out of here and head to Crocus," Jellal replied, as everyone in the room started clearing out.

Eventually, the entire area had been completely stored away, leaving absolutely no trace of Crime Sorciere's presence whatsoever. Even the massive security door had been taken. Once he was satisfied, Jellal turned toward the small group that remained, which consisted of himself, Juvia, Ultear, Natsu and Seilah.

"So Jellal, what's the plan now," Natsu asked curiously. "You gonna try holding them off?"

"I am."

"I'll come with you then," Natsu replied, raising his hand before the man could protest. "I'm still leagues above Council grunts Jellal, trust me on that."

"I'll help escort Ultear to Crocus along with Juvia, if that's alright with you Master," Seilah chimed in, somewhat surprising Natsu, though he made no comment on it.

"You two be careful, alright," Ultear spoke up, hugging both of them, before kissing Jellal on the cheek. "No stunts!"

"Yes ma'am," both men chorused, before the three ladies left, leaving the pair alone in the now abandoned hideout.

"So Jellal?"

"What?"

"I'm surprised you didn't ask them to join us? Ultear was pretty strong last I remembered, and I know Juvia and Seilah are strong?"

"…I keep forgetting how long it's been," Jellal sighed, as the pair left the central control room, making their way back down into the tunnel Natsu had entered the ruins. "Ultear and I are married now."

Natsu's jaw dropped as Jellal showed Natsu his wedding ring, a slightly satisfied smile on his face.

"Of course, we never got to get married in a church or anything, but we made do."

"Ultear Fernandes… That's gonna take some getting used to man, not gonna lie."

"It's alright," the blue haired Mage smirked in response. "I've had almost six years to be comfortable with how it sounds."

"Alright funny guy, rub it in," Natsu chuckled, shaking his head. "So, you sent her away because she's your Wife?"

"No," Jellal replied, his tone dropping several decibels as he came to a stop just before the exit. "I sent her off with Seilah and Juvia… because she's pregnant."

"Dude… You're shitting me?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Jellal fucks?"

"Shut up," the Mage laughed, lightly shoving Natsu. "We only just found out not too long ago, she's just about to get through her first trimester."

"Congratulations man," Natsu laughed somewhat awkwardly, as the two left Nirvana and made their way into the forest. "You've honestly shocked me man. Nice job!"

"Thanks, Natsu. Not many outside of Crime Sorciere know about it."

"Well, now we've got even more reason to kick the shit out of these Rune Knights, don't we?"

"You bet," Jellal grinned, as the pair took off deeper into the forest.

*POTD*

It didn't take Natsu and Jellal more than a few minutes to reach the oncoming force, boldly confronting them head on as the Commander of the Rune Knights ordered his small army to a halt.

"Jellal Fernandes," the Commander scowled. "We've been looking for you. Yet we couldn't have expected just how low you'd fallen to consorting with the Demon King E.N.D!"

"Spare me your righteous yawp," Jellal scoffed, his body becoming coated in a bright golden light, as Natsu slowly drew his blade. "This is your only warning… Leave now, or we'll destroy you all!"

"We don't barter with criminals and Demons," the Commander snapped back in response, eliciting an annoyed sigh from Jellal.

"Well, we tried? Guess there's no other choice," the blue haired Mage said as he looked to Natsu. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah! I'm right behind you," Natsu agreed, extending his sword out to his right as he slowly advanced toward the unnerved soldiers.

Jellal shot past Natsu, leaving a bright golden trail of light in his wake, seemingly moving to face the Commander head on. Right as he was about to make contact, he suddenly made a forty-five-degree turn, darting around the entire enemy force and smashing into their rear flank.

Natsu smirked as the back half broke formation, as panic tore through their ranks. The Commander never took his eyes off of Natsu however, knowing full well the Demon King would surpass Jellal in power.

"Just remember, you were warned," Natsu smirked darkly, suddenly closing the distance between himself and the Commander, cleaving the man in half with a single vertical slash attack.

The Rune Knights behind the Commander were horrified to see their superior so effortlessly slain, but had no time to contemplate it. Natsu's single swing fired off a powerful aerial slash attack that tore a gaping hole right through their ranks.

'Soldiers of this level won't stand a ghost of a chance against even the weakest of the Alvarez Army,' Natsu thought to himself as he effortlessly hacked his way through the Rune Knights, blocking a strike from a soldier before kicking him in the knee to throw him off balance, running him through the neck before twirling around and slicing down two more. 'The only real hope Fiore has are its Guild Mages…'

Within a matter of minutes, Natsu and Jellal had cut down the Rune Knights, leaving the pair standing amidst a forest full of corpses. Jellal looked toward Natsu, who was panting ever so slightly, but found himself even more in awe of his power.

"Even without access to your Magic or Aura, you're still so strong Natsu," the man said, as they met up in the middle of the bloody road. "I didn't even know you knew how to use a sword?"

"I'm a knight, remember? All knights have to learn how to use one," Natsu replied easily. "Unless the knights in Fiore are so rubbish that they don't even have to adhere to that basic requirement?"

"I'm not too sure honestly," he shrugged in reply. "We should get moving, before any more of them arrive?"

"Agreed. Not that they're a challenge, but I'd rather not waste any more time than we already have."

Jellal nodded in agreement as the pair quickly left the area, heading off in the direction of Crocus.

*POTD*

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with L," Jellal smirked, as Natsu pondered it for a moment.

"Hmm… Well, only thing I can see that starts with the letter L is a loser named Jellal," Natsu snickered, as Jellal shoved him playfully.

"Piss off!"

"Walked right into that one Jellal, don't deny it!"

"Yeah yeah! Just play the game properly!"

"Fine! I'll play the damn game properly," Natsu groaned in an overly exaggerated manner.

"Was that so hard?"

"Yes," Natsu replied with the same smug grin. "Alright! I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… C."

"Something beginning with C? Hmm, that's a tough one…"

"Yeah, for a big L like you, it would be, wouldn't it?"

"Seriously Natsu!? I'll kick your ass!"

"Bring it on you blue haired bastard!"

Natsu and Jellal began to comically brawl, when the two suddenly felt eyes upon them. The pair looked up to see the gathered Crime Sorciere Guild, as well as gathered members of Fairy Tail. Natsu's gaze however was stuck on the one person he really wanted to see out of all of them…

"Erza," Natsu whispered, as she slowly strode forward, stopping in front of the two men.

Natsu had to admit, she'd aged like fine wine, and was looking really similar to Irene now in terms of her figure. Her hair was also much longer, going down past her thighs, and was done up in a long braid, with her fringe swept to the left to partially obscure her left eye. She was wearing what appeared to be a modified version of her Heart Kreuz Armor, and her face had several new scars across it, including one that stretched from her left eyebrow, across her eyelid, and down to her nose.

Without a word, Erza picked Natsu up by the collar with one hand, a rather impressive display of strength, as he shot her a goofy grin.

"It's been nearly eight years since we last spoke, hasn't it? My fiancée…"

"To be fair, I didn't intend to be gone that long," Natsu replied, somewhat flustered at being held up by her. "But I'm sorry."

"Eliza explained the gist of it, so I know you didn't have any real choice in it," Erza sighed, looking him over. "Your Magic is dormant still?"

"Yeah. Dormant until…I actually don't know?"

"So, your Magic is still dormant, yet you decided to take on an entire battalion of the Magical Enforcement Unit, armed with nothing but a sword?"

"…Jellal made me do it."

"I did not!"

"You and I are going to be having a long, hard discussion once we find somewhere to sleep," Erza whispered, which sent shivers down his spine.

"Are you drooling?"

"It's been eight years… I don't even care if I'm drooling," the scarlet haired Mage huffed, as Natsu kissed her on the cheek.

"Just keep in mind I'm not at my peak physical form, okay?"

"No promises…"

"I don't know if I should be aroused, or scared?"

"Did you just forget that the rest of us are here or what," Laxus coughed, dragging the pair back to reality.

"Ah… Right," Natsu laughed awkwardly, as Erza put him back down. "Hey everyone!"

"You haven't changed at all Natsu," Elise smirked, as Natsu had to do a double take.

"Are you Elise, or Eliza?"

"Don't you start that," the near identical doppelganger of the War Goddess smirked, with even her voice being similar. "It's only funny when I joke about it… dear."

"It won't fully work on me," Natsu laughed, bumping fists with her. "You don't have anywhere near the number of scars she does."

"Not yet."

"Its so nice for all of us to be together again after all this time," Mira chimed in, with Natsu again needing to do a double take of her appearance. "I haven't changed all that much Natsu, have I?"

Mira had gained more muscle in the time she'd been away with Erza and Elise, and her hair had grown slightly longer to hang down her back, which she had done up into a messy ponytail, leaving a full fringe that was swept slightly to the left. Like Erza, she also had a few new scars on her face, and likely more in other places.

"Looks like you three really knuckled down and got some solid training done," Natsu chuckled, only for Jellal to cut through their laughter.

"I hate to break up this little reunion, but we can't really afford to be out in the open for too long? We should head to the Crocus hideout and continue this there?"

Everyone agreed with Jellal's assessment of the situation, and began making their way toward Crocus, when Natsu noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Wendy? Eliza said she was going to retrieve her?"

"Mother told us that she'd found her, but there would be difficulties in actually bringing her back right away," Elise chimed in, as Natsu looked back on the path they just came. "She's been gone from us a long time; I hope she's alright?"

"So do I Elise… So do I," Natsu muttered to himself, as they made their way down into the city.

*POTD*

After managing to sneak into the city, the group reached the Crocus hideout and quickly got the place in order. Once they were sure they weren't being watched or followed, everything continued from where it left off, as the large group all began catching up on the last eight years.

Eventually though, Natsu knew he had to bring the group back to order, since there was serious business they all needed to discuss. Though he was rather nervous, since Wendy still hadn't shown up yet.

"Alright everyone, settle down for a minute," he shouted out, silencing the group. "We've got some business to discuss before some of you get too drunk!"

"What business specifically," Mira asked curiously as she took another drink from Laxus. "The business of finding out why Gray trashed Magnolia and turned Fairy Tail into a borderline Dark Guild?"

"Or the business where the old geezer is missing," Laxus added, arms crossed and clearly not happy about Makarov's disappearance.

"Or are we talking about this Avatar Guild," Jellal chimed in, with everyone sharing rather grim looks.

"Look, all of you just shut up a minute and let's start from the top, alright? Let's start with the Gray and Fairy Tail situation," Natsu sighed, shaking his head. "What do we know?"

"Around five years ago, Gray took over the Guild Master position by force, kicking out the Council puppet they put in charge," Ultear spoke up. "He then kicked all the civilians out of Magnolia, along with anyone else who wasn't willing to do as he told them."

"Virtually unopposed too," Meredy added grimly. "Since all of the S Class Mages were gone, along with Makarov, Ur and Gildarts, Gray's rise went completely uncontested."

"Since then, Gray has allied with the Avatar Guild, another massive problem, since they're basically filling the spot the Bharam Alliance used to," Jellal spoke up. "They've got the remaining Dark Guilds, as well as the Bandit, Assassination and Blood Magic Guilds under their control too."

"I've heard about those guys," Laxus chimed in. "Apparently, these guys are trying to resurrect some sort of ancient force? No one knows what is its though, only that they've been using every last resource they have to get as much manpower and Lacrima as possible to get it done."

"So, we've got two major problems that need taking care of? Avatar definitely needs to be stopped, even if what they're chasing is bogus. But we also need to figure out what the Hell is going on with Gray," Natsu replied, considering both scenarios carefully. "Even if he hates Demons to the extent that he sided against me, I can't see Gray willingly siding with Dark Mages?"

"Natsu's right, Gray was never like that," Erza agreed. "I don't believe for a second that Gray would help a Dark Guild without some sort of reason. I've had a long time to consider what happened back in the Guild Hall that day, and the more I think about it, the less it all made sense."

"So, we're in agreement that we need to find and capture Gray, find out what's going on with him," Natsu asked, as many in the room nodded in agreement. "Alright. So, looks like we need to split into two teams for this?"

"Wait a minute Natsu, what about the old geezer," Laxus asked, bringing a slight from to his face.

"Laxus, I get you're worried about gramps, but these two situations take priority. Once we have Fairy Tail back, we might be able to find some idea of where the old man went?"

"…Fair point," Laxus sighed, before turning to Jellal. "The Thunder Legion and I will help you guys with this Avatar Guild-."

"I'll help you all as well," Mira chimed in quickly. "Natsu won't need many to deal with Gray by himself, even if he is wielding these Devil Slayer powers, so I'll help you all with Avatar."

"Fair enough," Jellal nodded appreciatively to the pair, before looking back toward Natsu. "That fine with you?"

"Yeah, I've got no problem with it," Natsu agreed, before looking toward Juvia. "You don't have to come if you don't want to-?"

"No! No… I think I'm obligated to be there with you all," Juvia replied, steeling herself as she rose up to her full height. "Gray is my boyfriend, and the man I wanted to be my Husband… I have to see this through. It's my duty."

"Say no more Juvia," Natsu smiled, patting her on the shoulder lightly. "You're in."

"Room for one more," a rough, yet somewhat feminine voice asked, as all eyes moved toward the entrance to see Eliza walk in, along with a barely recognizable woman slightly behind her.

"No way," Natsu muttered, eyeing the woman in shock.

Standing at an impressive nine feet tall, the woman had a slender, yet muscular form marred in scarring. She had medium length, messy dark blue hair with her bangs braided with red ribbon. Her face was marred in battle scars, one of her brown eyes slightly duller than the other.

She wore a pair of faded blue jeans, black combat boots, a dark red crop top which showcased her sizeable assets, along with her six pack and the multitude of battle scars along her stomach. She also wore a black leather jacket with a pair of worn sleeveless black gloves, and a red ribbon tied directly around her neck, a golden pin of the sun and moon pinned onto each half of it.

"Wendy… Is that really you?"

"Hey Dad," Wendy smirked, showing off her rather pointed teeth, similar to his own, as she gave him a mock salute in greeting, pressing two fingers to her forehead. "Been awhile, huh?"

No one spoke, not even the members of the Oracion Seis who remembered the young girl from all those years ago now looking like a veteran Mage.

"I'm gonna have to come up for a new nickname for you, aren't I," Natsu joked, noticing that currently she was actually taller than he was. "Not so little now, are you?"

"Well, not like I'm a kid anymore," Wendy replied, making her way toward the group. "Eliza told me you're nerfed to shit Dad, yet you still want to go fight Gray?"

"Long story," Natsu chuckled weakly, as the pair quickly hugged. "You've done good Wendy… You've done real good."

"Are we all just gonna act like this isn't the craziest shit we've ever seen," Laxus asked, looking to Mira who hadn't so much as blinked since Wendy walked in, her mouth agape. "Guess not?"

"Are you really Wendy," Erza asked, stepping up to the Dragon Slayer. "Wow, you're taller than me now!"

"I told you'd I'd beat you all out eventually," Wendy smirked, as Erza was dragged into the hug. "I heard Natsu proposed to you, right? Guess you're Mom then?"

"W-W-What," Erza spluttered, her face going red as a tomato, as both Natsu and Wendy burst into boisterous laughter. "Stop laughing!"

"What the Hell were you doing these last eight years Wendy," Elise grinned stepping up to the Dragon Slayer as she lowered her own height to nine feet using her Aura. "We only heard you ran off with Porlyusica?"

At the mention of Porlyusica, Wendy's tomboyish and playful demeanor dulled, as she pulled away from the hug, placing her hands on her hips, looking down at the ground.

"You just reminded me about her," Wendy sighed, moving a hand up to the ribbon on her neck, as Natsu immediately put two and two together.

"No…"

"Yeah. Porlyusica died two years ago," Wendy replied quietly, shocking the entire room, with even Laxus stepping back as if he'd been struck. "Though saying she died is a load of bullshit. She was killed while I was out hunting for us…"

"Who did it," Natsu asked, all the Fairy Tail Mages sharing dark looks, as Wendy gazed up to meet them, her eyes hard. "Who killed her?"

"The ones who actually killed her are dead, because I tracked them down and tore them apart," Wendy replied angrily, clenching her fists as she turned to look out the window. "But it was Lahar and the Council that ordered her death."

"What," Erza hissed. "Why!?"

"Just like they've been hunting Natsu all these years, they've been hunting Master Makarov too, since he's a rogue Wizard Saint they want to get rid of. Everyone knows Porlyusica was once part of Team Makarov, and they assumed she would know where he is."

"Those bastards," Natsu snarled, before suddenly realizing something. "Wait, what about-!?"

"Master Bob and Master Goldmine are fine. They weren't suspected since they were in Crocus at the time and had alibis," Wendy replied quickly. "But Yajima wasn't as fortunate…"

"Don't tell me they-!?"

"No. I wasn't about to let that happen," Wendy replied, shaking her head. "I helped Yajima escape with the help of Solomon, Alyssa and Shrikke."

"So, he's hiding out in the Scarlione Embassy?"

"Yeah, the lower levels. The Council are too stupid to check there, and they wouldn't risk it without Serena there anyway," Wendy scoffed. "Either way, you better believe I'm not going to forgive the Council for what they've done…"

"Nor should you," Jellal spoke up firmly, shaking everyone back to reality. "The truth is Natsu, the Council have been doing acts such as this ever since Crawford Seam took over. Mages who disobey their commands are immediately arrested. Resist, they just go after your loved ones to get to you."

"After we've sorted the Fairy Tail and Avatar situations, we all need to reconvene and discuss this issue about the Magic Council," Natsu muttered darkly, as he turned to face the rest of the group. "I dare say there is something that can be done about it, but we need Fairy Tail and gramps back to make it happen."

"Then its settled," Jellal stated firmly. "Natsu and his team will go and depose Gray and restore Fairy Tail, whilst my team and I will begin investigating and taking down Avatar!"

The room exploded into a chorus of agreement, as everyone moved off to go to bed, leaving just Natsu, Erza, Wendy and Elise in the main room.

"To answer your first question by the way, of course you're coming with me Wendy," Natsu said, as the two Dragon Slayer's bumped fists. "Gajeel is gonna cry when he sees you."

"You think?"

"He's a big old softy inside. Doubly so if he's spent the last eight years with Levy?"

"Guess we'd all better go get some sleep then, eh," Elise chimed in, looking over toward the doorway where Eliza was waiting. "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow."

The trio waved Elise off, as Natsu looked toward Erza, taking her hand into his own.

"Now, I know I made a promise the last time we saw each other-?"

"We'll get married when things aren't on the brink of collapse," Erza giggled, kissing him on the cheek. "I know for a fact you weren't going to back out on that promise."

"I still figured it was only right to mention it?"

"So Dad?"

"What?"

"Since you're my Dad and all, can I have your last name?"

"Yeah, sure," Natsu replied easily, as Erza broke out into a fit of giggles. "What?"

"That was so casual, I just can't help but laugh!"

"Shut up Erza Dragneel!"

"Make me, Natsu Dragneel!"

"I have one way of shutting you up," Natsu growled huskily, grabbing her chin to make her look his way, the cheeky smirk on her face only growing.

"Well Wendy Dragneel is getting the fuck out of here because she doesn't want to watch Natsu Dragneel and Erza Dragneel do eight years of fucking in one night."

"You know Wendy, the word fuck loses its charm if you overuse it?"

"Goodnight Dad," Wendy smirked, giving him the finger as she entered one of the vacant rooms.

"Can you believe that was Wendy?"

"Not really, no," Erza replied, shaking her head as the pair entered another of the vacant rooms, shutting the door. "I'm just glad she's alive. I was so worried about her for all those years…"

"Well, now you can dote on her all you want, even if she doesn't want it," the Dragon Slayer smirked in response as the pair shared a chaste kiss.

"Well, before I dote on her, I've got eight years' worth of doting to do on you, don't I, my future Husband?"

"Just don't shatter my pelvis tonight, I probably can't regenerate it," Natsu grinned, as Erza roughly pushed him onto the bed, moving to straddle him as her Armor vanished in a stream of bright light.

"No promises~"

*POTD*

Meanwhile, over in Era, a meeting was taking place in the office of the Chairman of the Magic Council. Ordinarily, such a thing wouldn't be suspicious. However, when the meeting is taking place at one in the morning, some eyebrows would surely be raised in suspicion…

"That concludes my report Chairman," Lahar said calmly, as Crawford Seam stroked his overly large beard thoughtfully.

"So, Jellal is indeed still roaming about? And now Natsu Dragneel is working with him?"

"It seems that way Chairman," Lahar agreed, nodding stiffly. "The biggest takeaway from the Nirvana Ruins attack is that Natsu has seemingly decided to reveal himself to the world."

"He's clearly confident he can do something," Seam replied, clearly annoyed. "But we won't let him!"

"Of course not Chairman. I've informed the Wizard Saints of his return, though most chose to ignore me…"

"They've become quite arrogant as of late," Seam muttered darkly in reply, looking over toward the other member in the room. "Pull them in line Serena!"

"I've got far more important things to do than to bully weaklings like them," Serena scoffed in response. "In fact, you should all know, I've been summoned back to Alvarez for an important meeting."

"Wait… WHAT," Seam gasped, launching from his seat. "Does that mean you won't be here in Fiore for some time!?"

"What else would it mean?"

"B-But what am I supposed to do!? Most of the Fioran scum won't do as I say if you're not backing me!?"

"The summons of the Emperor take priority over you, Seam," Serena replied coldly, before looking to Lahar. "I'll be leaving you some instructions from Invel to carry out whilst I'm gone."

"Of course," Lahar nodded, something which seemed to anger Seam.

"What instructions!? I demand to know what' going on-!?"

"Shut up," Serena snapped, flaring his power for a brief moment. "You're nothing more than a puppet, so know your place! Unlike you, Lahar actually gets results!"

"Someone has to," the man sniffed, shaking his head as he looked toward the Chairman. "We are working for Alvarez, Chairman, not you. Remember that the next time you try and poke your nose where it doesn't belong…"

"You're quite easily replaceable," Serena added darkly, dragging his finger across his throat to get his point across. "Now then, I'll make sure the instructions are left in the usual spot Lahar."

"Understood."

"Good. Remember, we need Avatar to succeed in their plan to further destabilize the region. Use everything I've given you to get it done."

"Of course, Sir," Lahar nodded, as Serena rose to his feet. "Will that be all?"

"Just know that Emperor Spriggan is pleased with your progress in destabilizing Fiore, Lahar. Rest assured; you'll have a place in our armies once Fiore is taken under the Empire's wing."

"I'm eagerly counting the days Sir," Lahar replied, bowing slightly as Serena swept from the room without even acknowledging the Chairman any further. "Believe me, I'm all too eager for Alvarez to take over…"

*POTD*

Several days later, and the newly revived Team Natsu stood atop the hill overlooking the city of Magnolia. However, the city was barely recognizable, as a great blizzard had blanketed the city and the outer forest in a thick coating of snow. The eye of the storm itself appearing to be centered around the Fairy Tail Guild Hall itself.

"This is why the citizens abandoned Magnolia," Juvia muttered quietly. "His Ice Devil Slayer Magic drove his mastery of ice to new heights… I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew we were here-?"

Juvia was interrupted by the sound of someone slowly clapping. All eyes immediately turned to the pathway leading down to the city, as Gray stood there, a playful smirk on his face.

"Juvia…my not so loyal girlfriend," the man purred, stopping several meters before the group. "So good to see you again, even after you ran out on me…"

"I-I had no choice Gray-!"

"Of course," Gray replied cheerfully. "Of course you didn't!? Why would you choose to side with me, the one trying to save Fiore from the Demons, when you can side with them instead!? Eh!?"

"That's not fair Gray," Natsu cut in, as Gray, continued to laugh. "Leave her alone."

"And there he is, the man of the hour!? I was wondering when you'd finally return, Demon?"

"Gray, what are you doing? You aren't the type of guy who'd pull a stunt like this," Natsu asked, ignoring the jabs the Ice Make Mage was shooting at him. "What would Ur think-?"

"I don't care what any Demon thinks," Gray snapped in response, his pupils dilating ever so slightly.

"Come on Gray, what's gotten into you? Look at what you've done to Magnolia? To Fairy Tail!?"

"Fairy Tail was screwed the moment Makarov let both you and Ur remain in it, despite knowing what you both truly were! There's no place for your kind in this world Demon, and I'm gonna make sure to rectify Makarov's mistake!"

"Then I'm gonna have to rectify your mistake in kind, Gray," Natsu shot back, stepping up to the man. "You've turned your Magic on the town, and your Guild… I can't let you get away with that."

"I'm so scared," Gray smirked, before bursting into a fit of laughter that had Natsu taking a step back to really take in his old friend's appearance.

'There's something wrong with him… His eyes are dilated, hollow and bloodshot? His body is skinnier than I remember it… We need to capture him and figure this out?'

"You think you can take ME down," Gray continued to laugh. "Don't even bother trying to convince me you could! I know you don't have any of your powers! Without them, you're nothing!"

Natsu was shocked as Gray's left eye glowed Crimson Red, the black mark across his face widening slightly as the snow around them flicked up. Suddenly, in a matter of moments, the team were surrounded by multiple copies of Gray, all with the same black markings on their bodies.

"Fine then, you asked for this Gray," Natsu growled, as he drew his blade, pointing it at the lead Gray, as the others moved to protect his sides and flank from the copies.

"Let's see what you can do Natsu!? Devil's Aura: Ice Make – Storm Arrows!"

"Devil's Aura: Ice Make – Cold Excalibur!"

"Devil's Aura: Ice Make – Powder Snow!"

The main Gray attacked alongside the copies, with the team leaping into action, each clashing with their respective copy, whilst Natsu crossed blades with the lead Gray. Despite the fact the pair struggled against one another, the lead Gray continued to smile manically.

'I swear I've seen this behavior before… Where have I seen it!?'

As Natsu slowly began to push Gray back, he managed to angle his sword so that he was narrowly able to pull off a successful stagger, landing a brutal slash across his chest.

"Yeah…I figured as much," Natsu sighed, as the gaping hole in Gray released snow instead of blood.

"You see that Natsu!? You don't stand a chance of winning against me without your power," Gray taunted, as his form shimmered and dropped back into the ground, moving off in the direction of Magnolia. "I'll make sure you learn that the hard way!"

"We'll see about that, Ice Prick," Natsu snapped in response, as he ran through the deserted streets, the blizzard raging on all around him. Luckily, he had just enough visibility to see where Gray was going, turning down onto one of the main streets.

Stopping in his tracks, he noticed the street led toward the Guild Hall, and he realized that Gray was purposely trying to get him up there, and alone. Shaking his head, he trudged on, determined to see his task through, even if it meant he'd be walking into a trap.

As he made his way further up the street, visibility worsened, as Natsu was forced to avert his gaze from the Guild Hall. As he looked to his right, the man was shocked to see the café both he and Erza frequented was perfectly fine, two occupants sitting at a table drinking tea.

Lord Life, and Lady Death.

"Tick tock goes the clock Natsu…"

"…for the return of strength heralds a new beginning, middle, and end…"

"…or, so they say?"

"Wait, what do you mean," Natsu asked the pair, clearly confused. "What are you-?"

Before Natsu could fully ask his question, Lord Life flicked a blue colored marble at him, striking him in the forehead so hard, he was sent flying through the nearby shopfront window.

"What indeed Natsu? That is the real question," the pair spoke in unison, before fading away, leaving him with more questions than answers, and a sore head.

"What the Hell was that about… No, I don't have the time to deal with that right now," Natsu growled, rubbing his forehead as he continued to make his way up the street. "I need to deal with Gray first!"

As he walked, Natsu was unaware that Life and Death were watching him from atop a nearby rooftop.

"Are you sure we can't just tell him Brother?"

"We told Zeref, and look at how that turned out," Lord Life replied, shaking his head. "No, this is the way it must be."

"But is our statement even correct? What if the formation of the Second True Hybrid doesn't change him like it did to A-?"

"Refer to the riddle, Sister… It leaves it ambiguous at best, hence why we used it to begin with."

"Maybe so… But still, messing with his head isn't the best way of getting things done, surely?"

"Come now, surely you jest Sister? You know as well as I that we cannot directly interfere," Lord Life replied, idly tossing a marble into the air and catching it. "Through vagueness, we can assure he is at least given some form of guidance so he can figure out what needs to be done…and what's to come."

"But aren't those spoilers?"

"What are spoilers to a Primordial?"

"I do wonder," Lady Death hummed, as the pair vanished in wisps of black and white smoke respectively, leaving Natsu to his own devices for the moment, as the blizzard raged on, consuming all in its path…