"Ngh…" Wendy was exceptionally restless. She was constantly plagued by a nightmare. What else was on her mind? Her nightmare consisted of being helpless…helpless to save Cynthia. Though she was getting over the initial sadness, the emptiness still remained in her heart. So much that she couldn't sleep as well as she used to. It was the middle of the night and she was still wide awake, just staring out of a window into the dimly lit town of Magnolia. "Ha…Cynthia…I'm so sorry…" This happened every night; it was becoming a routine for her.

Carla was also up every night for this…it pained her heart to see Wendy like this, but she didn't know how to approach her about it. So she just remained silent until Wendy eventually fell asleep, though with what happened a week prior, it was hard to imagine she was having the easiest time. "…."

[Flash back: One Week Ago. ]

"Is everyone okay…?" Mira asked once everyone safely returned to the guild. "That was quite the ordeal and a rather close call…if anyone is hurt I'll do my best to patch them up…"

"We're fine, Mira." Laxus said while waving a hand. "Nobody's too hurt, just exhausted from having magic used too much…"

"LAXUS!" Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen exclaimed, immediately clinging onto the Lightning Dragon without delay. "WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE SAFE!" This emotional reunion was quite comical, and even Laxus couldn't feel annoyed at this…well, maybe at the fact that it was public and everyone was watching.

"H-Hey…get offa me, woulda…?" Laxus grunted while attempting to push all three of the Raijinshu members off of him, but to no avail. He was stuck with them.

"We had some injuries fighting…but nothing a few bandages won't fix." Lucy said while rubbing the back of her head. "I'm really glad that's finally over with…I hope we don't have to deal with that madman ever again…"

"I could've taken him!" Natsu pounded his fists together, fiery sparks emitting from his being.

"You were unconscious the entire time…" Gray sighed. "I don't wanna hear it."

"You wanna hear this fist in your face?!" Not even five minutes back and Natsu and Gray were at it again…but what else was new?

And then Erza stepped into headbutt the two mages together, causing them to crumple to the ground in agony. "That's enough out of you two. I don't want to hear it for the rest of the week, understand?"

"Y-Yes…Erza…" Natsu and Gray both spoke in anguish as comical steam rose from the newly formed bumps on their foreheads.

"Idiots…" Lucy crossed her arms and let out a small huff. Still, there was a tiny smile that crossed her lips; she was relieved to see that everything was going back to normal…well, as normal as things could be, all things considered.

"I'm glad to see that everyone is safe and free from harm…" Makarov let out a sigh of relief. He knew it wasn't going to be long before the Wizard Saints started talking about this…and as one somewhat related to the incident, he knew he was going to have to discuss this. "Now is the time to relax, my children…"

"What happened with Sabertooth…?" Elfman questioned. "They seemed like they were really worried about something…"

"Minerva was the only one who was unaccounted for after the tower collapsed…" Erza explained. "It is very unlikely her to just vanish for no reason…I can understand why Sabertooth is worried, but I'm sure it's nothing. She'll turn up sooner or later."

"For now…" Lucy plopped down on a chair, completely falling over onto the table, yawning loudly after. "I'm spent…I don't even think I'll make it back home tonight…" She then turned to Jack, Spark, and Ace. "What about you guys?"

"We'll probably be heading back once we feel rested." Ace said, stretching his arms over his head. "...Tia's gonna kill us, though."

"Her one rule was for neither of you to get into trouble." Spark said while lifting a finger. "And that was precisely what you did."

"We didn't have a choice!" Jack was already defending himself. He whispered to Ace. "We have to get our story straight. She's definitely not gonna excuse the situation despite the circumstances!"

"We can come up with something believable." Ace nodded in response. Lucy could hear all of this, as could Lisanna. They exchanged glances before shrugging. Tia's wrath was not their problem.

"Still, thanks again for your help." Mira said with a gentle smile.

"Anytime!" Ace gave Mira a thumbs up.

"I'm also glad Lisanna was unharmed as well." Mira's smile still remained. But something about it was cold and threatening.

Ace felt the chill. Mira could sure be a scary person. "Of course, I wouldn't let any harm come to her! In fact, she was the one who saved the day. So you had nothing to worry about. Your sister is coming along just fine in terms of strength!"

"Awww, you're gonna make me blush..." Lisanna said with a small giggle.

"Mm…" Wendy nodded slowly. As the rest of the guild began to return to normal, she secluded herself while thinking back to that one incident as the tower was beginning to collapse. That scent was forever burned into her nose and she would never forget it no matter what. "Cynthia…"

"Wendy, what's the matter?" Erza sat across from Wendy wearing a worried expression. "You've been quite distant since we've come back. Is something bothering you?"

"Yes." Wendy admitted quickly. "Erza-san…please tell me you saw her too."

"Saw who…?" Erza tilted her head.

"Cynthia! It was Cynthia!" Wendy placed her hands on the table and stood up suddenly. "I know for a fact that was her, you can't tell me otherwise! That voice…that scent…she saved me back there! I know it!"

"W-What do you mean...?" Alex rubbed her arm. She was busy with Hyde and Aiden, so she didn't really have any time to see what Wendy was referring to.

"Cynthia was there!" She turned to Alex. For the first time in nearly a month, Wendy's eyes had some glimmer of hope within them. Everyone that looked at Wendy found it hard to say anything. She actually looked alive when she talked about this. "She saved me again..."

Erza paused. Unfortunately…she herself had no way of knowing who it was that saved Wendy at the last second. There was a part of her that pained her to think that Wendy was just imagining things, though. "Do you really think it was her?"

"I know it in my heart…" Wendy said while placing a hand on her chest. "I felt it earlier. My heart started to beat differently while I was there. I think it was trying to sync up with hers again."

Wendy did seem certain of this…and as much as Erza wanted to believe her, there was still a detail that was bothering her about it. "If it was Cynthia…where did she go…? I think we both know that Cynthia would have come back with us if it really was her…"

"I…" Wendy bit her lip. "Mmmpgh…it had to be her…"

"Wendy…" Erza frowned. "I know you miss her the most out of us all…"

"Wendy..." Alex wasn't sure what to say. Was Cynthia really alive? She wanted to believe that with all her heart. Something about it just felt so strange...but Wendy was closer to Cynthia. The closest person. If she was saying she was alive, she might have been. "...Maybe it was her. I don't think that's the kind of thing someone can make up." Then again, Wendy could also just be in denial...

"It had to be…" Wendy repeated, not exactly wanting to hear anything else saying otherwise. "S-She's out there…maybe she just can't come back to me…to us yet? Maybe that's it…! Either way…I know she's alive, I feel it!" Even though she was so young, she was never more certain about something in her entire life.

Ace crossed his arms, looking to Jack. "...What do you think?"

"...I dunno..." Jack said with a small shrug. "It'd be nice if that's true, but if it isn't..." He was a little worried that Wendy's denial would set her up for even more heartbreak.

"I was going to leave tomorrow...but I guess I'll stick around a little longer." Alex rubbed the back of her head. She had to see for herself if the Cynthia that Wendy saw was real or not. There was a part of her that wanted it to be true...but she also had to temper her expectations...

"Then she must be alive." Erza firmly nodded. That somewhat dull look Wendy held since Cynthia's death was replaced with a slight gleam of life; it was enough for Erza to finally smile now. "And if she is…then I'm certain she'll show her face to you again soon, Wendy."

[End Flashback]

Those were words Wendy hoped would come true soon…but time passed and there was nothing. Maybe it was just an illusion in the end…? She was slowly starting to lose heart in her assumption, but she never wanted to give up on Cynthia no matter what. "I'll wait for you…I-I promise…"

.

.

Hisui yawned quietly, cycling through some important papers. With a moment to finally breathe and not be drowned in important political affairs, or being hounded by the unlikely and annoying duo of Ashnard and Waltz, she could focus on something important. "Ha…it's too late….but I won't have the chance to do this again anytime soon…"

It wasn't long before Emeraude appeared, clad in something a little more…royal casual; how she obtained it, only she knew. The enigma snaked her arm around Hisui's neck in a too friendly manner, displaying a smile to accompany it. "…Hisui dear, what are you doing up so late? You should be getting some rest for the days of end, little Jade Princess, you've been so busy these last few days, you deserve a little sleep."

"Oh…Emeraude…" Hisui responded with a gentle smile. Now, which was stranger? The fact Emeraude was in the palace like she belonged, or the fact that Hisui greeted her so familiarly. These questions aren't going to be answered just yet…Emeraude works in mysterious ways. "I'm just looking through some things…you've seen all this stuff before…"

"Hmmm…" Emeraude took one of the paper's glancing over it intently despite what Hisui just said. "Oh…the Eclipse Gate…yes, I do remember this…" Her attention was nearly solely focused on the device Hisui constructed that nearly brought about the end of the world at one point. "Quite a daring plan you enacted…no wonder Pregrande has been breathing down your neck in particular as of late."

"I know…" Hisui sighed heavily, resting her face in her hands. "What I did was horribly miscalculated…and as a result that country has been hanging over everything Fiore does. It is my fault…and I haven't been able to catch a break with all these evildoers wreaking havoc one incident after another…"

"You poor dear…" Emeraude mused quietly before moving to give Hisui a shoulder massage. "You work too hard, and get so little in return. Worry not. I will do my to make sure you don't have so much to deal with. It is the least I can do."

With a sigh, Hisui relaxed and closed her eyes. "You've always been such a big help…"

Nearby, Arcadios was watching the exchange between Emeraude and Hisui. This was a normal thing…it happened quite a bit…but the knight was still bothered by it. Emeraude was known around the entire castle as a friend to Toma and Hisui for years now…and that was exactly it. Something about this bothered him. His head was fuzzy, but he couldn't quite remember when Hisui and Toma invited Emeraude to the castle…his memories were fuzzy, but he wasn't going to say anything about it just yet. "…"

.

.

Thanks to Zalen, the White Eclipse guild was built and even better than ever; just a few renovations just as some more rooms and whatnot. Mary was standing at Calium's desk, arms crossed over her chest. "So, it's safe to assume I'm finally passing on this torch back to you?"

"It appears that way." Calium nodded while shuffling through some paperwork. "Thank you, Mary, for taking care of the guild while I was gone. I trust that things went well in my absence?"

"Pretty much." Mary nodded. "The veterans have been keeping up with their training, the rookies are still getting adjusted to life here, but I think they've been managing well under my initial training. As for those kids…they're still getting used to everything. But they've been trying, so that's all I can say on that."

"I see…" Calium gave an understanding nod. "That's good to hear. Sidney filled me in on the Isle of the Dragons. For an event that took place within the span of two days, it was really quite something."

Mary let out an exasperated sigh recalling that event. "Don't remind me. For a second it really looked like those kids weren't going to make it. I haven't heard everything that went down, but I just know I'm too old for dealing with stress like that." A mere joke that even Mary couldn't help but crack a smile at. "You've done a good job with these kids, Calium. All I did was make sure your absence didn't lead them astray. It looks like they didn't even need it."

"And you have my thanks on that. I knew if anyone could keep this guild going, it would be you." Calium then offered a small smile while setting his papers down. "Things are going to change soon."

.

.

Alex was sitting outside of Fairy Hills. She was currently rooming with Wendy, but there was something on her mind that meant she had a hard time sleeping. She stared up at the night sky. "..."

"Is something bothering you?" That voice came from Mira. She took a seat next to her, flashing a gentle smile.

"Oh, hi, Mirajane." Alex turned to Mira, forcing a slight smile. "It's okay, nothing worth mentioning."

Mira didn't buy that for a second. She shook her head, presenting herself gently. "You can talk to me. I'm an older sister too, you know. So I can tell when something's wrong." As such, Alex wasn't going to escape her that easily. She wasn't going to force it out of her, but she did want Alex to talk to her.

There was silence for a few minutes, before Alex ultimately sighed. "I've been wondering if I've really changed after all this time."

"What do you mean?" Mira tilted her head.

"It's just...until two years ago...I was stagnant." Alex said quietly. "I was supposed to be a big counter to Cynthia in case her powers went out of control. That's all I was ever seen for when I was younger. And when I finally got a chance to fight Cynthia, I lost. I was never stronger than her, despite that. I actually don't know how strong I really am. I was told that I'd always be second place. A prototype..." She stared at her hands, frowning. "I'm Cynthia's older sister. I was supposed to be there for her when she's in trouble. But instead, she's gone, and her other half is hurting. I wasn't able to do anything to help her...I couldn't protect her..." There were tears welling up in her eyes. She thought she'd shed as many tears as she could over her sister, but there was still a lot left.

Mira gently placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I think you have changed, Alex. Change isn't something one can notice or undergo right away. I remember what you were like when you fought her. I don't see a trace of that hate within you anymore."

"Because of Cynthia." Alex sniffled. "She saved me. I harbored so much hatred for her, but she went out of her way to help me time and time again..."

"That's what younger siblings are for." Mira said with a small giggle. "They know you better than you know yourself...so they help keep you from going astray. And don't say you're not strong. I feel weak at times, too. I...I don't like to fight as much as everyone else does. But I keep thinking that if I took part in the Fight for Fiore, maybe she'd still be here with us." It wasn't something she could say for sure, but the mere possibility kept her awake. "I know the pain you feel. When I lost Lisanna, it felt like my heart would never heal..."

"But..." Alex wanted to say that Lisanna was alive. That wouldn't be fair, though. Because the pain was still real. "No, you're right. I get it. It's hard. Wendy's hurting even more than I am..."

"Your feelings are just as valid." Mira leaned over, wrapping her arms around Alex for a hug. She looked like she needed it. "I know you miss Cynthia. Everyone does. But you are helping her, even now. I'm sure she's extremely grateful that you've gone out of your way to keep Wendy company. She'd want nothing more than for Wendy to be happy." Even if making Wendy happy right now was a challenge, the effort is what mattered. "Strength is more than just physical prowess. I'm sure Gaia would tell you the same thing. Strength of heart is equally important. You're more than what Hyde and Aiden say you are, and you've proven that already. You're not a prototype...you're just...you."

"Me..." Alex mumbled those words. She returned Mira's hug. She really did need one.

"And you were the one to kick Hyde's butt, weren't you? He's no pushover. So the fact you did it all by yourself is impressive!" Mira smiled. "You're not an S class without reason, right? You're an adult, after all!"

"Yeah..." Alex giggled, pulling back to wipe away some of her tears.

"Your strength is helping, even if you can't see it yet." Mira said with a soft tone.

"Thanks, Mirajane." Alex sniffled. She still had some tears falling, but they weren't as sad...

"You can call me Mira. Everyone else does." Mira tilted her head cutely. Alex just giggled a bit.

"Okay, Mira." It felt weird, but it was something Alex would get used to. She brushed some of her red hair back behind her ear. "I feel better now. I think I'll go to bed."

"Are you going to stay for long?" Mira asked. Alex had been around for a while, and she knew she had to head home eventually.

"...I think...for a few more days." Alex answered. "Wendy...she really believes she saw Cynthia, and I think I believe her. If that's true...I want to see her, too." Ulttimately, even she couldn't deny the idea of her sister being alive. They did have no idea how Cynthia died, after all. It was a glimmer of hope she couldn't resist. "For better or worse...I have to know."

"I understand..." Mira understood that more than anyone. "Hey, what do you prefer? Pancakes, or waffles?"

"Waffles!" Alex beamed. "They hold syrup so well...! And the fluffy goodness is spectacular. Blueberry waffles are the best..."

"Then I'll make some for you tomorrow." Mira responded with a gentle smile.

"You would!? You're the best, Mira!" Alex grinned, and with extra pep in her step, she stood up. Alex gave her a nod, and went back into Fairy Hills.

"Goodnight, Alex." Mira remained outside a bit longer herself. "...Cynthia...I hope you're okay, wherever you are..."

.

.

"The preparations are nearly completely. Marde Geer sat upon his throne, one leg crossed over the other while resting his face against his fist. There was a small smile etched onto the Demon King's lips as he slowly began to kick one leg forward. "It is almost dawn." He was speaking to himself, but even so that grin of his slowly began to widen with each passing second. Just outside, the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon, the morning light shining down on all of Fiore. "I do hope you humans enjoy this light while it lasts…because this is the final dawn that you are ever going to see." Marde then stood up, taking up the book of END in his grasp.

Daityas was standing on the other end of the throne room, a sinister smirk curling onto his lips. "Are you finally ready to get this hellish party started?"

Marde simply nodded. "Master END shall be revived…and he will drown the human world in a sea of flames, leaving behind nothing but ash in his wake. You disgusting humans have had the luxury of breathing only because I have allowed it for so long. But that will change today. Relish in this morning, insects…for this dawn signifies despair for what lies ahead. Things are about to change."

.

.

Next Time: Flames of Despair.