(Edited 05/12/24)

I do not own Fairy Tail Hiro Mashima does

The Five Hour War

*POTD*

"G-GENERAL! GENERAL," a panicked voice cried, as a scrawny young soldier sprinted through the crumbling palace corridor, entering what appeared to be a war room. "GENERAL ANTILLES SIR!?"

Standing at the end of the room was a six foot five, middle aged man with a slightly muscular physique, thinning grey and chestnut brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He had lightly tanned skin and wore a dark grey uniform with several medals pinned to the upper left of his chest.

The man slowly turned around, sporting a thick greying mustache and a monocle, though it was cracked on the lower right side, and a cigar in his mouth.

"G-General Antilles Sir," the soldier panted, dropping to his knees as the other officers in the room all looked between the pair nervously. "Alvarez forces just wiped out Xantar and Gorrum!"

"Let me guess… No survivors?"

"N-None Sir! We tried to evacuate the civilians, but the moment they tried to flee, they were targeted directly!"

"It seems then that the evacuating civilians are a priority target for them then," the General sighed, gently tweaking his mustache before removing the cigar from his mouth. "In fact, based on the sheer devastation they're leaving in their wake, Alvarez seeks the complete eradication of the country and her citizens…"

The room fell deathly silent at the General's words, since they all knew them to be the truth. No matter what they tried, Alvarez slew every town to the last, refusing to negotiate or even entertain the idea of speaking with them.

"Soldier. Return to the barracks and rest up for now… You'll need it for what's coming later," General Antilles murmured, as the panicked soldier managed to slowly walk out of the room, his movement almost robotic, his face as white as a sheet.

The General moved toward a Lacrima on the nearby table, activating it as a projection appeared at the center of the war room table.

His fingers trembled as his eyes surveyed the footage from the moment Alvarez first arrived, the sheer destructive power so overwhelming that he knew the war was lost before it even began…

Yet still, he watched the footage once more, as he steadied his resolve for what needed to be done.

*POTD*

Northwestern Coast Of Bosco

2100 Hours

16/07/X799

The following footage was recorded by Mage Flynn Dorfan, Commerce Guild, 9th Escort Division

…

…

"O-Oi! The heck are you doing!? We've gotta keep this thing nice and steady," a voice from the left of Flynn's Lacrima hissed, as it abruptly turned to show an older, portly man wearing basic knight armor. "There's a massive payday in this from the Sultan, so I'm not about to let you screw this up!"

"O-Okay Sir," the young voice of Flynn replied hastily, as the Lacrima footage turned back toward the area before him.

A sizeable force had been amassed upon the Northwestern Coast of Bosco. Numbering almost four hundred thousand in total, the force was comprised of many local Guilds. From the Merchant's Alliance Guild, to the local Mage Guilds under the directive of the Bosco Magic Council, to even the Royal Bosco Army.

The weather was rather poor, as rain lashed the assembled forces, souring any form of will to fight among the already leery force. They all knew who their foes would be, and they weren't all too keen on fighting the Alvarez Empire to begin with.

But orders were orders, and many were under contract, forced to enter the battlefield lest they void their lives to their masters.

Through the heavy rain, lightning illuminated the Sea of Ghosts, the treacherous ocean to their North, along with something else. Something much more worrying…"

"O-Oi… Is that what I think it is," one of the nearby Royal Army soldiers asked shakily, as multiple silhouettes could be seen descending through the stormy clouds.

"Bloody Hell…"

"Ten…Twenty…Thirty… No, that's got to be at least fifty airships," the portly knight next to Flynn whispered fearfully, as several soldiers around them already began to panic. "Just how many did they need to send!?"

The airships of the Alvarez Empire descended downward, as all eyes looked to the one in the lead. The footage shook as it turned toward the portly knight, who held a spyglass in hand, zooming in to see who was on the airship.

"No way…"

"W-What is it!?"

Before the portly knight could respond, the Lacrima footage abruptly snapped back to the assembled forces below, as many people at the head of the army started screaming. And then, a tremor sent Flynn up into the air, along with everyone else, the footage just barely capturing the image of a lone figure leaping from the airship and landing in the shallows of the sea.

As Flynn hit the ground hard, he could be heard breathing heavily, staving off a panic attack as he scrambled toward the nearby railing. Grabbing hold, he dragged himself upright to get another visual on the battlefield, only to freeze in place…

The lone figure was emerging from the sea, as the order to attack was called from somewhere behind him. He watched as the allied forces charged the figure, bombarding his position with an endless stream of destructive spells and powerful Magical Artillery.

"Flynn! Flynn! Keep your eyes on that one there," the voice of the portly knight barked from the right. "That's August, the guy who trashed the Scarlione Empire's capital city!"

What the portly knight didn't know was Flynn simply couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of August, watching as the Mage seemed to just walk right through the bombardment like it didn't even exist.

Once August had made landfall, he seemed to stop in place, the bombardment continuing to deal no damage to him as he slid his left leg slightly backward, his right bending ever so slightly as a giant Magic Circle manifested in the air behind him.

"Oh shit! What the Hell is he-!?"

The sound of people vomiting and passing out could be heard all around Flynn, as the Lacrima sustained a crack through its viewing lens, distorting the footage slightly.

"T-That can't be right!? No way he's that powerful!?"

Flynn looked toward the portly knight, who just dropped a large MPF reader, the index still displayed prominently for all to see, now captured on record by the Lacrima…

August Dragneel (Base Form Heavily Suppressed) – 500 Trillion MPI

Fear ran rampant through the allied ranks all around Flynn, as many started running for their lives. As they began to scarper away with their tails between their legs, an amused voice rang out across the battlefield from the lead flagship.

"Pathetic Boscian scum! The Heavens themselves have ordained your destruction, and Emperor Spriggan is their advent! Fleeing shall do you no good, for all shall meet the same ghastly Fate! GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"That voice… I recognize that voice," the portly knight stuttered, raising his spyglass once again. "That's God Serena, one of the Ishgar Four!? Why the Hell is he on the side of Alvarez!?"

"Isn't it obvious, a rather gruff voice laughed bitterly. "The bastard up and defected… We've gotta get the General on the line since the Ishgar High Council will need to be informed."

"This is a disaster! God Serena was virtually unrivaled, with only the former Saint Dragneel possessing the power to challenge him," the portly man cursed bitterly. "But those foolish bastards on the Fiore Magic Council had to go and call for his execution!"

"Demon King E.N.D or no, he was one of the few nice ones. With him in exile, and God Serena defecting to Alvarez, there's no hope left for Ishgar…"

"Scarlione and Fiore were the only two nations who had Mages with the potential to fight back against them. Scarlione is gone, and Fiore have gotten complacent, choosing to stamp out anything they consider Dark Magic, driving off the good Mages they had!"

"We need reinforcements," one of the soldiers nearby cried out, as the Lacrima snapped back toward the battlefield, catching footage of August simply pointing at a battalion of Mages, as they were wiped clean from existence.

"There won't be any reinforcements," the portly man hissed, as more of the people around them started to run for it. "We've got to order a full retreat! We can't fight that!"

"The Royal Family won't like that-!"

"To Hell with the Royal Family," the portly knight roared in response, as the Magic Circle behind August started spinning rapidly, before firing off a gargantuan blast of non-elemental Magic that blew away half the army in an instant. "They can die on their thrones if they think THAT is beatable!"

No one argued with the portly knight's assessment, as everyone started making a run for it. Flynn however continued to record August massacring the allied forces, until the portly knight physically grabbed him, tossing him to the ground.

"Flynn! What the Hell are you doing!? We've got to run for it!"

The Lacrima moved up and down several times, before Flynn started to follow the portly man to the exit of the bunker they were in. Stumbling, he fell to his knees, unbeknownst to the portly knight, who kept on running out the bunker doors.

"…"

The sound of Flynn's frightened panting could be heard, as a wave of Magic blew away the stairs ahead of him, along with the bunker door exit, exposing it to the outside elements. Rain instantly lashed his form, quickly coating the lens of the Lacrima, as Flynn retreated deeper into the bunker, bumping against the dropped MPF, before quickly sliding underneath a command console.

The MPF seemed to be scanning the area where the bunker door had been, identifying something it could produce a result for. The machine beeped several times, before a shadow covered the exposed entrance, the sound of heavy footsteps eliciting a faint whimper from Flynn, as he curled into a ball, a lone eye peeking toward the MPF as it spat out its reading…

Sentomaru Abuchi (Pure Progression Heavily Suppressed) – 500 Trillion MPI

In the time it took for him to read the MPF, an older looking man was now towering over him, a neutral expression in his aged eyes.

Flynn's breathing halted, as if his body thought doing so would convince the monstrous Mage to leave him be. The Mage didn't blink, simply staring at him, like a common Mage would a bug.

Then, in the time it took for him to blink, the man was gone.

Flynn refused to move, though he did begin to shakily breathe once again, even as he heard the sounds of his fellow Boscians being slaughtered all around him.

The monstrous power and destructive Magic moved over his location, striking deeper into Bosco territory, the roar of airship engines soon fading to a dull hum, along with the antagonistic jabs from God Serena becoming little more than echoes in the far distance.

And yet, Flynn still refused to move, far too frightened to be caught by the monsters of Alvarez as they tore his homeland to shreds. As the hours passed, the feed from his Lacrima began to dull, as the Magic within started to run low, the footage being streamed through it becoming almost completely corrupt.

The last thing audible in the footage that managed to travel through to Bosco High Command, a distorted popping noise, which was immediately followed up by the sound of something being knocked over, before the feed cut out entirely.

*POTD*

As the footage on the Lacrima faded away, the General slowly rose to his full height, fists clenched as the final sound on the footage replayed itself over and over again in his mind.

"That was from the Mage known as Flynn Dorfan, correct?"

"Y-Yes Sir," one of the officers in the room replied quickly. "Why?"

"Tell me, how old was Flynn Dorfan?"

The room fell deathly quiet at the General's question. Several of them knew the answer, but they hadn't actually taken the time to consider it. One officer in particular decided to blurt it out without thinking.

"Fifteen Sir!"

"Fifteen," General Antilles muttered, his fingers gently tapping the hilt of his sheathed sword as he looked over to the window in the corner of the room. "Fifteen years old…"

"General," a panicked voice cried out as yet another soldier burst into the room. "General Antilles!?"

"What is it solider," the older man sighed tiredly, his mind weighing heavily upon him as he looked down at the young man.

"T-They're here!"

"I see," came the rather curt response, as multiple explosions rocked the outskirts of the capital. "Tell me, how old are you?"

"U-Uh… I'm sixteen years old Sir!"

"Sixteen," the General repeated, a sour look on his face as the tapping to the hilt of his sword increased in its intensity. "Tell me soldier, have you made peace with whatever God it is you believe in?"

The General's question caught the entire room off guard once again, with the soldier in particular beginning to tremble as he tried to respond.

"F-Fuck… This is it, isn't it Sir!? W-We're all gonna die, aren't we?"

"I'm afraid it is Son," the General replied quietly, walking up and placing a hand upon the young soldier's back. "The truth is, we never stood a chance against these bastards. Over two thirds of our forces were wiped out in the first thirty minutes of fighting, the rest either fleeing, or being cut down shortly thereafter. But despite all that, the Royal Family demanded we continue to fight."

Walking past the young soldier and toward the door he came through, the aged General turned and looked back toward the young man, a deep frown on his face.

"Tell me, young man… How would you like to come and meet your true executioners?"

"M-My true executioners? Y-You mean the R-Royal Family?"

The General nodded stiffly, watching as the teen slowly stepped forward, silently indicating his agreement with the idea, even if he had no confidence to say it aloud.

"Come with me," the General said calmly, as they left the war room, walking down the long hallway toward a set of ornate golden doors.

Pushing them open without a second thought, General Antilles marched into the throne room, the young soldier at his heels. They were greeted by the sight of the Royal Family seated on their thrones, Servants holding up platters of food for them to casually eat off of at their leisure.

"Ah, General Antilles! How goes the war!?"

The General narrowed his eyes at the morbidly obese Sultan, the man wearing nothing but a pair of baggy white pants and his crown. The King was clearly spoilt lavishly, alongside his almost identically obese Son, who stuffed his face next to him.

Looking toward the guards, they all nodded stiffly in understanding, seeing the look in the General's eyes as he approached their Sultan. Halting just before the two portly males and the detestable woman next to them that was the Sultana, the General silently nodded to the castle staff, who immediately ceased what they were doing and stepped away.

"Guards, please leave us," General Antilles asked, as they all immediately did as he instructed, much to the shock of the Royal Family.

"Hey! Where do you lot think you're going," the portly Prince snapped as the serving girls immediately cleared their distance from him. "Come back here at once!"

"Antilles! I demand you explain yourself," the Sultan roared, though his threat went completely ignored.

"You've sent millions of Boscians to their deaths today Sultan when we had an opportunity to save our people. Our forces, combined with those of the Kingdom of Fiore, could have worked together to fight the Alvarez Empire, yet you chose the path of selfishness and greed over your own subjects lives!"

"What in the world are you blathering on about!?"

"Be silent you obese fool," General Antilles snapped, shocking the Sultan momentarily, before he seemed to regain his bearings.

"This is treason Antilles! I'll have your head for this-!"

"No you won't you absolute buffoon! The nation of Bosco is about to fall, and all of us slain to the last," the General snapped back in response, as the portly Prince pointed toward the young soldier next to him.

"Father! Father! We should kill him too! He's an ally of the traitor!"

"Fool," Antilles huffed, as several of the servants grabbed the Prince, dragging him away from his parents, who were quickly restrained by the rest. "Soldier. Make the fat one who ordered your execution just now learn what it means to kneel."

"With pleasure Sir," the young soldier growled, drawing his sword and stabbing the portly Prince through the left kneecap, as he dropped like a tonne of bricks, screaming.

"ANTILLES! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY SON YOU TREASONOUS-!"

"Treason? Treason implies you rule over something," General Antilles laughed cruelly, drawing his own blade in response. "Treason implies you rule over something, doesn't it? Last I checked, you don't have an Empire anymore…"

Bringing his sword down, Antilles decapitated the spoiled fat child of the Sultan, as his parents cried out in a mixture of shock and horror. However, before they could do anything, Antilles barked out his next command to the clearly pissed off servants.

"The Sultana goes next for her crimes against the Boscians!"

"Y-You can't do this Antilles! I'M THE SULTAN-!"

"You were the ruler only so long as we allowed you to be, fool! For too long have you used and abused this kingdom, clearly to its oblivion! You are a vile and disgusting individual who has doomed us all… And now, now you'll pay."

The young soldier stabbed the Sultana through her kneecaps, as she dropped to the ground, screeching like a banshee as the hate fueled glares of the serving staff showed her no pity. With barely a glance, the Sultana was silenced via decapitation, as he rounded his blade on the Sultan himself.

"Let not the Heavens suffer this man, lest it be eternally tainted by his vile stench, forevermore…"

Swinging the blade horizontally, he decapitated the Sultan, as the small group watched his head roll to join those of his family.

Adrenaline still running high, Antilles slowly turned to face the staff, who all didn't seem all that bothered by what they'd just taken part in. The General smiled in understanding, before gesturing to the doors.

"You are all free to do whatever you wish from this moment forward. I would pray for your escape, but I sincerely doubt that such a fate is possible at this point for any citizen of Bosco. Regardless, my thoughts and prayers are with you all in these final, dark moments. Let us pray the end is swift and merciful…"

The staff silently exited the room, leaving just General Antilles and the young soldier, who still clutched his blade tightly.

"You are free to go as well bo-no… I believe it would be disrespectful to call you anything but a man at this point. Please, go and enjoy your final moments as a man well should…"

"I understand Sir," the young teen saluted, tossing his sword aside. "It was an honor to serve under your command, General!"

The teen quickly departed, leaving Antilles alone in the room with the corpses of the Royal Family. The older man sighed, lighting a cigar with a small flame at the tip of his finger, as a flash of lightning heralded the arrival of the two he'd been dreading to meet the most.

"A most interesting performance…"

"It appears that his Excellency was right, and there were a scant few within Bosco who were half decent people?"

Turning around, sword still in hand, the General came face to face with August Dragneel and Sentomaru Abuchi, the Twin Generals of the Alvarez Empire.

"Was that meant to be a compliment? Sorry, I guess it didn't translate well over the sound of you two butchering the people of my homeland to the last."

"Admittedly, the actions being taken here tonight are…regrettable," Sentomaru admitted slowly, clearly picking his words with great care. "But necessary."

"Bosco houses one of the largest population centers on the Ishgarian Continent. Emperor Spriggan refuses to allow it to fester and become a cancer within the Alvarez Empire."

"The Boscian Nation is one of corruption, sin and vice. It is one that openly practices general slavery, has racism built into its founding legislature, and its Magic Council is the greediest of the lot."

"Point being, Alvarez doesn't want nor need anything Bosco has to offer."

"And that just gives you the right to exterminate us!?"

"No," August replied calmly. "No, it doesn't."

"But your weakness, that certainly does."

"What…?"

"When facing Scarlione, grand battle plans and complex stratagems had to be drawn up just to even gain a foothold on the continent. The same goes for the Kingdom of Fiore…"

"But Bosco? Emperor Spriggan decreed no such plans be drawn up."

"Wipe out Bosco to the last was the decree from our Emperor. No more, no less."

"And so, we serve, as we have always done."

"T-That's sheer insanity!?"

"Perhaps," August again agreed, clearly not too bothered by it. "However, it takes the craziest of minds to formulate the craziest of stratagems."

"And Emperor Spriggan, well, he's the craziest of us all," Sentomaru chuckled lightly. "A plan almost eight hundred years in the making to slay the mightiest Dragon on Earthland could only be achieved by him and him alone…"

"What…? Y-You're talking about Achnologia, aren't you!? You mean to say that Spriggan's conquest of the world is all to eventually face Achnologia!?"

"Far more than just that," August replied neutrally, as Antilles gripped his blade even tighter. "But the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse is our primary target, yes."

"You're all insane… How many have died at the hands of your Empire, and for what!?"

"Many more shall die yet, or the whole world and more will eventually be lost," Sentomaru replied sternly, as Antilles shook with unbridled fury.

"Y-You monsters… How dare you-!"

Before Antilles could even contemplate moving, his head was on the floor, his senses just now catching up to the gentle tap of wood to the side of his now non-existent neck.

Faster than Antilles could ever have hoped to perceive, August had appeared behind him, decapitating him with a light tap from his wooden staff, a demonstration of the old man's absurd physical strength.

"N-No," Antilles whispered, as the life quickly left his eyes, leaving just August and Sentomaru alone.

"Well, that brings the total up to ninety-nine-point four percent of the population," Sentomaru muttered as he turned to look out the window. "The rest seem to be hiding in highly fortified bunkers?"

"Let Serena have them," August replied neutrally, as the two older men shared a nod of agreement. "I find myself growing rather bored of all this walking for no payoff."

"Fair enough. I suppose we'll contact Zeref and inform him the job is basically concluded then?"

"Indeed. I assume he'll need our forces to quickly deploy along the Bosco/Fioran border?"

"I thought as much too. We'll have them do so now, and leave Serena to hunt down the fleeing trash in our stead."

"A fitting job for him," August replied, as the pair walked toward the exit of the throne room. "General Antilles was an…interesting man, wasn't he?"

"Agreed, he most certainly was. But I do have to ask myself, what kind of man was he to only do the right thing when all was lost? I don't quite understand it?"

"Ah… Well, that is simply a trait of Humanity," Sentomaru replied honestly. "You'll never know the true self of a person until you see them at their absolute lowest point. Only then, when their barest self is on display, can you truly claim to know them."

"And is that why Lord Zeref trusts you implicitly," August asked curiously, with the Leichart Commander smirking silently in response. "Is that a yes?"

"It is whatever you wish it to be, August," the old man chuckled, casually catching the staff of his Spriggan counterpart, as the entire capital shook violently from the sheer power of the pair. "Settle down August…"

"I'm merely testing you, as always," the old man sniffed, though he made no move to pull back his staff. "Compared to every other member of Lord Zeref's inner circle, you are the largest unknown variable."

"Oh?"

"One day, fifty years ago, Lord Zeref goes out for a walk and comes back sporting battle damage, carrying you under his right arm… You've always been suspicious."

"Is that because you genuinely are concerned with my origins? Or, is it because you're jealous you aren't the only one with overwhelming power among the officers anymore?"

"Don't test your luck. You know exactly what I'm talking about," the Spriggan General huffed, relenting with his staff. "Come, we have work to do."

"I know," the Leichart General chuckled in reply, as the pair vanished from the castle in an instant, headed for parts unknown.

Time Elapsed Since The Beginning Of The Invasion of the Bosco Empire

4 Hours, 32 Minutes

Number Of Casualties Sustained By Bosco

911,877,841 Individual Human Casualties

Number Of Casualties Sustained By Alvarez

0 Individual Human Casualties

Cleanup Of Survivors Status

Ongoing

Estimated Time Until The Conclusion Of The Bosco/Alvarez War

5 Hours

*POTD*

Meanwhile, across the continent, Team Natsu arrived back in Magnolia, though not at the Guild Hall itself.

Instead, Natsu had brought them to the steps just before the Guild Hall. Elise and Mira took one look at his face and immediately knew something was wrong. His face was pale, his skin glistening with sweat and his Hybrid's Eyes fully active.

"Natsu… Are you alright," Elise asked slowly, only for Mavis to float in-between them, shaking her head. "First Master?"

"Natsu has very good reason for being so shaken," the First Master replied seriously, as she turned to look out to the West. "Something terrible has happened…"

"You can sense it too, Mavis," Natsu asked shakily, looking like he wanted to be sick. "So much death… My senses…!"

"Death? Natsu, what are you talking about," Mira chimed in, only for Mavis to once again answer on his behalf.

"It appears that Zeref was quick to respond to what Fairy Tail has done to three of his officers. I-I don't really know how to tell you this, but… It appears that in retaliation, or perhaps merely out of a necessity to prepare for the war… Zeref has had the entire country of Bosco wiped out."

"What-!?"

"Oh my goodness!"

"…Of course he did," Seilah murmured, startling the others with her seemingly blunt and cold response. "Master has finally proven himself a credible threat against the Alvarez Empire, viciously dominating Jacob Lessio with no effort, and stepping in to effortlessly dispatch an Etherious Demon that could easily have borne the title of Demon Lord. This is a statement by Lord Zeref, showing that he too is ready for this war, and that no amount of carnage will be enough to deter him from that course."

"That's actually a fair assessment," Elise begrudgingly agreed, finding no fault in her logic. "But to massacre an entire country like that…"

"That's just the kind of foe we're facing," Erza ground out as she slowly sat up, startling the group, with Natsu immediately at her side. "I'm fine… But listen, you know what this is, don't you?"

"…"

"Natsu?"

"Erza-!"

"He's trying to shake you," his Wife spoke firmly, silencing the man before he could make any sort of retort. "Zeref wants you to be shaken, uncertain of yourself… Weak. You can't let his actions weaken your resolve Natsu!"

"…I know."

"All of us know that you're going to be the one leading the charge against Alvarez this time Natsu. Not me, Elise, Mira, or even someone like King Toma or Master Makarov," Erza continued, as she shakily rose to her knees, cupping his cheeks firmly with her hands. "You are the man who'll lead us to victory, and Zeref knows that! Calm yourself Natsu…"

Pressing her forehead against his own, the pair knelt in silence for several moments, as Natsu felt some of the stress that had been piling on begin to recede. Erza knew even the simplest gesture from her would alleviate some of his worries, and she'd be damned if being recently possessed was going to stop her from helping her Husband!

"Now then… I need a bucket!"

"A bucket," Natsu asked, a look of mild confusion on his face as Erza abruptly separated from him, leaning off to her far left and vomiting rather heavily. "Oh-!"

"Can't say that's a surprise," Elise sighed, conjuring a bucket made from ebony, as Erza quickly started filling it. "I've heard full body possession feels like shit."

"Ngh… Is Erza alright," Wendy asked groggily, her first sight upon waking being Erza vomiting her guts out into a bucket. "Eww…"

"She should be fine in time," Elise replied, helping Wendy to sit up as Natsu gently rubbed Erza's back. "You and Jason should probably use your Healing Magics to give her a full body flush out later on though?"

"Soon would be good," Erza moaned. "I feel like crap…"

"You're definitely getting more rest once we get back to the Guild Hall Erza," Natsu sighed, slowly rising to his feet as he looked up the stairs, his eyes registering many signatures within. "Mmhm…"

Everyone noticed the Hybrid's demeanor shift abruptly, as all eyes moved up toward the Guild Hall along with his own.

"It seems like Makarov got all of Fairy Tail back together," Seilah noted, deciding to just get the obvious statement out in the open. "You're nervous about it, Master?"

"Not really," came the blunt reply, as he slowly rose to his feet. "I know this might sound cold, or heartless of me… But honestly, I just don't care what they think of me anymore. The simple fact is, I've got far more important things to worry about than the opinions of a few people who turned on me at the drop of a hat."

Without even giving the group and chance to rebuff his response, Natsu made for the stairs, clearly intending to get the whole interaction over and done with.

Spurring the rest of the group into action, they all quickly followed after him. Erza, Elise and Mavis pulled up the rear, with the former clenching her bucket a little less tightly than before. As they ascended, Mavis looked up to Natsu's form, a neutral look in her eyes.

"I can't blame him if he chooses to simply reject them," the First Master sighed sadly, her eyes moving toward his enhanced Guild Mark. "After all he'd done for Fairy Tail, he was abandoned in an instant by many of those who are inside right now. Can any of you truly say you wouldn't do the same in his position?"

To that question, no one had a genuine response.

And how could they? After all, it wasn't like they'd ever had to experience what Natsu had gone through. Out of everyone in the history of the Fairy Tail Guild that they knew, none had suffered more than Natsu.

As Mavis watched him from her place at the rear of the group, her mind churned as she contemplated something. She knew that he now knew the Guild's greatest secret… HER greatest secret. But could he play a part in solving it…?

"Perhaps," the First Master whispered to herself, sensing his gaze fall upon her through the Hybrid Eyes. "Perhaps it is worth a try?"

Resolving herself to speak with him regarding her idea, the group arrived at the top of the stairs, now standing before the closed doors to the Guild Hall.

With an audible sigh, Natsu placed his hands upon the doors, pushing them open with practiced ease, as Team Natsu returned home.

And home is where anyone would want to be, when one is upon the eve of all out war, is it not?

For the Second True Hybrid, such an answer no longer came easily…