Chapter 39

A Guild For One

"Speech"

'Thoughts' / 'Telepathy'

"Magic"

Flashback

Location / Date / Time Skip

Everyone on the crumbling city naturally began to panic once it started falling around them. It was only by a miracle that they all got out. Gray ran out of the city before jumping off a leg and sliding into a clearing. "That was too close." He looked up as the city hit the ground. "I just hope everyone else made it out..."

"Gray!" He looked over as Erza ran out of the smoke. Lucy and Happy fell onto the ground behind him as Rose floated down next to him, exhausted from carrying the two. A horribly muscle bound Ichiya ran towards Erza, only to get punched in the gut by said knight.

"Everyone's okay!" Jura shouted as he, Wendy and Carla raced over to them.

"Natsu and Jellal, are they here?!" Wendy asked.

"I don't see them, or miss Laki." Jura mumbled looking around.

"I'm getting worried." Lucy said before Gray started calling out for them.

'Natsu, Jellal, Laki... I know you're alive...' Erza thought as she looked at the smoldering ruins of Nirvana.

Lucy walked behind her before the ground shot up from under her, making her trip and fall. Everyone stared at the muddy ball as it fell back down, showing Natsu and Jellal in Hoteye's arms, and Laki on his shoulder. "Hey guys!" She shouted back as Richard put them down.

"Hold it, are we just gonna over look the fact that a Seis member saved them?" Rose asked, making Carla nod in agreement.

"Don't worry about that." Jura said to the cats. "It's a long story, but all that matters is that he's on our side now."

Wendy ran forward and tackled the other slayers, tears rolling down her face. "You saved my guild. You two are the greatest. I can't thank you enough..."

"It wasn't just us." Natsu chuckled back. "Everyone pulled their weight here. Including you, Wendy"

"I didn't do much..." Wendy mumbled back.

"You kidding, you destroyed a lacrima yourself, didn't you?" Laki asked back. "That was awesome." Wendy smiled at the girl before the three traded high fives.

"Well, looks like we all made it out alive." Rose said.

"An excellent job, everyone." Jura praised.

"One question, then." Gray and Lucy turned around to Jellal, sitting on a rock. "Who is that guy? Another Pegasus playboy?"

"Why didn't we meet him earlier?" Lucy asked.

"That's Jellal." Erza said matter of factly, scaring Lucy.

"You're kidding!?" Gray shouted back.

"This isn't the same Jellal we faced." Erza explained.

"He's lost all of his memories." Wendy added.

"I still don't think we can trust him." Gray said back.

"Please, I'm telling you that he's different now." Wendy begged as Erza walked over to the bluenette. "He's a good person!"

Jellal looked over as Erza sat down next to him. "I want to thank you for your help. We couldn't have done this without you."

"Erza..." Jellal started before turning away. "There's no reason to thank me. I didn't do anything to earn your praise."

"So tell me, what will you do now?" Erza asked.

"I don't know." He answered.

"It's alright." She patted his back in comfort. "The answer we seek won't ever be found easily."

"I'm afraid..." Jellal mumbled. "I'm afraid of getting my memories back..."

"Don't be." Erza calmly said back as two goblins cuddled. "It wouldn't change anything if we went back to being enemies. I would still care about you. More than you know."

"Ow!" Both looked over as Ichiya was stuck against an invisible wall.

"Hold on... this is a little too, familiar." Laki mumbled before she pressed her hand on the 'wall' before looking down. "Damn it! We're stuck in another Enchantment!"

"A what?" Rose asked.

"Its a magic wall written by ruins." The glasses wearing girl explained. "We have a member who can use them all the time."

"Who did this?" Carla asked.

"Well, it's not Freed's because it's a lot stronger than his." Gray mumbled.

"But that doesn't answer how we get out." Lucy said back.

"Okay, who did this!?" Natsu shouted. "Come on out!" On cue, a whole battalion of Rune Knights stepped out of the woods and surrounded them.

"Who are these people?" Wendy asked, shaking like a leaf.

"There's no need to panic." One knight in glasses said as he stepped forward. "We don't mean you any harm, but we were forced to do something."

"Who the hell are you?" Rose shouted.

"My name is Lahar." The knight said back. "I am the head of the new Magic Council's Fourth Custody Unit."

"There's a new council already?" Laki asked in shock.

"It is our duty uphold law and order as decreed by the council." He said. "All criminals must be arrested." Everyone started either objecting or panicking. "I'm not here for you." Lamar said, calming down the Fairy Tail group. "I'm here to take the Oraciōn Seis into custody. So please, cooperate and hand over the one called Hoteye."

"Never!" Jura shouted back.

"Its fine, Jura." The former dark wizard stepped forward. "I'll surrender."

"Richard!" Jura turn around, shocked at the response.

"I cannot live a life of virtue if my hands are soaked in blood." Hoteye said back. "This is my chance to atone for my sins. Better to have a clean slate when I find my brother. That way I won't have anything to be ashamed of."

Jura let out a sigh before giving his new friend a soft smile. "Agreed. May I continue the search for your brother for you?"

"You would do that for me?" Hoteye asked back.

"Indeed." Jura nodded. "All I need is his name."

"It's Buchanan." Hoteye said. "Wally Buchanan."

"Wally?" Erza asked.

"Who is he?" Natsu asked Laki.

"He's the guy who shot you in the mouth back at Akane Resort, remember?" She answered.

Natsu stared at her for a moment before his memory clicked on. "The blockhead?!"

Erza stepped forward and caught Hoteye's attention. "I've met your brother."

"You have!?" He asked, making her nod.

"Hes an old friend of mine. Right now, he's traveling the continent with some other friends." She explained.

Tears filled up his eyes as Hoteye dropped to his knees, crying. "It has to be a miracle. All these years I told myself I just need to stay positive, and fate has rewarded me... thank you." A few knights breached the barrier and led Hoteye into the wagon.

"I feel a little bad for him." Lucy mumbled.

"It might be hard, but he made the right decision." Carla added.

"Okay, you have your 'bad guy'." Rose said. "Now please, LET US OUT OF THIS GODDAMN BARRIER!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Lahar explained. "You see, there is one more person we need to capture. Someone who infiltrated and destroyed the council. Someone who tricked them into firing the Etherion Cannon." He raised his hand and pointed at Jellal. "Jellal Fernandez, you are coming with us."

Erza stared at the ground, wide eyed and in shock. "Know that if you attempt to resist, we have orders to kill you." Lamar added as the knights tightened the grip on their weapons.

"Leave him alone!" Wendy shouted.

"Watch it, pal..." Natsu growled out.

"This man is a criminal." Lamar said back. "As long as he is free, society is in danger. He must be brought to justice." Two guards walked into the runes and cuffed Jellal. "Jellal Fernandez, you are under arrest."

"You can't do this!" Wendy shouted. "He's lost all his memories, he doesn't even know what he did!"

"Lack of knowledge for ones crimes is not an excuse." Lahar said back. "Article thirteen 13 of the penal code says that." He glanced over to another knight. "You may remove the barrier now."

"Stop it!" The girl shouted.

"It's fine." Jellal spoke up as he turned around. "I have no plan to resist arrest. I guess I never did remember you. I'm truely sorry, Wendy."

"She told me you saved her life along time ago." Carla said, walking forward.

"I see..." Jellal mumbled back. "I don't know how much harm I caused to others. But it's nice to know I helped at least one person." Natsu and Laki glanced over to Erza, who just stared at the ground the whole time. "Erza..." The red head looked up as Jellal called out to her. "I won't forget your kindness."

Erza closed her eyes and huffed in anger as Jellal was lead to the wagon. 'I can't let this happen... I have to stop them... this isn't right... he finally woke up from sleepwalking in the darkness, and they're just going to shut him away!"

The Knights stopped Jellal in front of Lahar. "Any last parting words?"

"No." Jellal answered.

"You'll be lucky if all you get is life in prison." Lahar said. "You'll never be able to see them again." The Knights resumed the walk towards the wagon.

'I will not let him go!' Erza growled in her head.

Before she could act, Natsu charged the Knights and pushed two to the side. "Not gonna happen!"

Erza and Jellal stared at him as Laki joined the assault. "He's not going anywhere!"

"Are they insane?!" Gray asked.

"This is the council you're dealing with!" Lucy shouted.

"Stop this!" Lahar shouted as the army started to push the two back.

"After everything he's done to help us, we're not gonna let you treat him like an animal!" Laki shouted.

"Laki, Natsu... Wendy mumbled.

"Don't do this." Jellal said.

"Arrest them both, now!" Lahar shouted as more Knights charged the two.

Erza's heart skipped a beat as Gray charged the Knights and took one out. "Move it, you two!"

"Are you insane, Gray!?" Lucy asked as he kicked another knight away.

"You guys can't stop them even if you want to." Gray said as they charged forward. "Besides, this pisses me off! Jellal helped us take down Nirvana, and this is the thanks you give him!?"

Jura cracked his knuckles as his aura flared around him. "Arresting a man who does a good deed. Where is the justice in that?" Both he and Ichiya charged the mob and started punching the Knights.

"You can see I'm not hitting you, right?" Lucy asked as she flew her fist around weakly.

"Please don't take Jellal way." Wendy begged as one knight grabbed her

"Get your hands off her!" Carla shouted as Rose jumped up and head butted him in the gut.

"Let him go!" Natsu shouted as Knights swarmed him and Laki. "He owes Erza big time! She needs you to stay by her side! We're all here for you!"

Erza stayed silent during the whole situation as Lahar had enough. "Arrest them all! They are obstructing justice and aiding a fugitive!" Even more Knights charged the two.

"If it's a crime to help people, then put us in jail right now!" Laki shouted.

"Stop this now!" Erza shouted, shocking everyone. "I apologize for everything. I take full responsibility for everything that's happened. You may..." The next three words were the hardest she ever had to say in her life. "Take Jellal away..."

"Erza!" Natsu protested.

"Sit down!" Erza ordered and out of fear, Natsu obeyed.

The knights seemingly let bygones be bygones and continued to led Jellal to the wagon. "I remember..." Jellal stopped and looked over at Erza. "It was the color of your hair." Erza stared at him as he stepped into the wagon. "Goodbye, Erza."

"Goodbye..." Erza repeated as the Knights left. None could see Erza's face under her hair as she turned around, walking away.

The sun began to rise as the other sat down, waiting for Erza. "So, does anyone know where Erza went?" Happy asked.

"This sucks." Natsu complained as he rested on Laki's lap. "I don't know she made us stop. We could have taken them all."

"Did you think that was easy for her?" Laki asked. "She's suffering, even if she won't show it. Right now, she just needs to be alone."

On a nearby cliff, Erza sat against a piece of Nirvana, thinking back to the tower.

Tower of Heaven

"My name is Jellal Fernandez." A young Jellal said.

"That's a though name to remember." Wally joked.

"Says the guy named Wally Buchanan." Jellal joked back.

"So, red, what's your name?" Wally turned to Erza.

"I'm Erza." She said back. "Nothing else, just plain old Erza."

"You have to have a last name." Jellal said back. "We can't just call you Erza." He walked over and started playing with her hair.

"Hey, let go." Erza pulled her hair away.

"What, I've just never seen hair so red before." Jellal said. "It's almost like a scarlet. That's it. How about 'Erza Scarlet'?"

"Because of her hair?" Wally asked. "By that logic, we should call you 'Jellal Azure'."

"I... actually like it." Erza confessed. "So I'm Erza Scarlet now."

Present

Tears started to drip down her face as the sun came up over the mountain. The light was a beautiful shade of red, the kind the world only sees once in a life time. Erza broke down and grabbed her face before crying out aloud, unaware that Wendy was watching.

Cait Shelter Guildhall

Lucy stared at her reflection as she modeled her Cait Shelter outfit. "This is adorable."

"I assure you, mine if far cuter." Sherry said back, posing in front of her mirror.

"Everyone in the village is a member of the guild." Wendy explained. "Cait Shelter is famous for its pretty textiles and colors."

"So, these are traditional Nirvit styles?" Lucy asked.

"You know, I never thought of that." Wendy confessed as Erza sat on a bench, sulking about Jellal. "I guess that would make sense."

"I can't believe you had no everyone but you was descended from the Nirvits." Sherry said to the girl.

"Well, I am the only member who joined from the outside." Wendy said back.

"Come try this on, Erza." Lucy said, walking over holding a Nirvit outfit. "I know how much you like pretty clothes."

Erza looked up and responded, depressed. "Yes, I suppose..."

"And I'm guess you don't know when Cait Shelter joined the guild league either?" Sherry asked. "Not to be rude, but I hadn't even heard of this guild until we were all put together."

"Come to think of it, me either." Lucy confessed.

"Is that right?" Wendy nervously chucked. "I didn't realize we were so obscured."

"This is all very fascinating, but everyone is waiting for us." Carla reminded. "So why are we still here?"

"I am not wearing this!" Laki shouted from behind the curtain.

"That's why." Sherry told the cat.

"Laki, come on. How bad could it be?" Lucy asked before the curtain was pushed aside.

Laki was in a croptop held in place by a ring between her breast. A SHORT skirt covered her bottom half as her arm hugged her body in a proper cast. "I look like a cheap date!" Laki said before looking down at Rose. "Why did I let you put a blindfold on me?"

"To surprise you." Rose said, holding back a laugh. "You wanna impress Natsu, don't you?"

"Not like this!" Laki closed the curtain and few seconds later, stepped out in her torn outfit. "Okay, lets go."

The girls left the tent and joined the others in front of the whole Cait Shelter guild. "Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus. And of course, Wendy Carla, and Rose. I commend you on not only defeating the Oraciōn Seis, but saving us from Nirvana's wrath." Roubal, the master of the guild said. "As the representative of the guild league, I can only offer my deepest gratitude. We thank you."

Ichiya started bragging about how he lead the charge and the Trimen only fed his ego. "He lead us? Wasn't he captured, like right of the bat?" Gray asked.

"You forgot 'after he got his ass kicked in the bathroom'." Laki added.

"So, it's finally over." Sherry mumbled.

"I'm proud of both of you." Jura said, putting his arms on their shoulders. "You did well."

"Thank you, Jura." Lyon said back.

"I think this calls for a party!" Natsu cheered. Ichiya started singing, through a carrot of all things, and everyone punched Natsu for the god awful tune that was sung. The tubby troll turned to the Cait Shelter guild, only to find the whole guild staring at him.

"I'm truely sorry." Roubal spoke up. "I failed to inform you about the Nirvits. You have my sincere apology."

"Master, it's not like any of us mind that." Wendy spoke up.

"It is important that you listen to what I have to say." Roubal said. "First, let me clarify something. We aren't descendants of the Nirvit people. We are the Nirvits, themselves." The Alliance members were utterly shocked at the revelation, none more so then the members from Cait Shelter themselves. "Many years ago, four hundred to be exact, Nirvana was constructed by my hands."

"You made it!?" Lyon asked.

"Four hundred years ago?" Happy asked.

"How are any of you alive?" Laki asked as Natsu staired dumbfounded.

"I thought if my dream of Nirvana was made real, I could end the wars that were tearing the world apart." Roubal explained. "I would do so by changing the personality of those set on destroying others. We made our home there, and took joy in what we had made. We were the beacon of light in a once dismal world."

"But despite our best efforts, we cannot change the rules of nature. For every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. Nirvana had taken the darkness from people's hearts and absorbed it instead of changing it. The world yearns for balance and order, light serves no purpose without any darkness to oppose. The two forces are eternally bound to each other"

"That's how it played out for us..." Gray mumbled as he thought back to the changes.

"The darkness we thought we removed swallowed the peace loving Nirvits." Roubul continued.

"No..." Wendy mumbled in fear.

"It was a nightmare." Roubal said, thinking of the horror of that day. "We were engulfed in rage and slaughtered each other until we were extinct. Thats not true... I alone survived. Then again the word 'survived' might not be the best word for it. My body gave out years ago. What you see is nothing more than a specter of the man I once was."

"As punishment for my sins, I, nothing but a powerless specter, stood watch over my horrifying creation for four hundred years, waiting for someone, anyone to destroy Nirvana." A small smile graced his lips as he looked towards Laki and Natsu. "And now, my task is over."

"No... why didn't you tell me?" Wendy asked. The master glowed softly before the members started to fade away. "What's happening? Don't go!"

"You can't just leave!" Carla shouted.

"Maguna! Pepel!" Rose called out the names of the members that left.

"Everyone's just disappearing?" Hibiki asked in shock.

"Why are you doing this?" Wendy asked a mob that left before her eyes. "Please don't go!"

"I've deceived you, Wendy." Roubal spoke up. "For that I am truely sorry. All the other guild members were nothing but illusions I created."

"Seriously?" Natsu asked.

"Illusions with their own personalities?" Jura asked. "That requires serious power."

"For years, I stood watch over nirvana alone in this village." Roubal explained as the last of the members faded away. "But one day, a boy showed up with a friend that needed help. His eyes burned such sincerity that I had no choice. I had resigned myself to a life of solitude, but there she was."

"Hey mister, where am I?" A young Wendy asked the apparition.

"Well, I, uh,.." Roubal mumbled.

"He lied to me.." Wendy said, starting to tear up. "Jellal told me he was gonna take me to a magic guild!"

"Right, this is a guild." Roubal said, thinking on his feet. "A wizard guild fro people of all kinds."

"Really?" Wendy asked.

"Yes, of course." He nodded. "Go and see for yourself. Your new friends are outside waiting for you."

"I filled the village with apparitions so she wouldn't be alone." Roubal explained to the other.

"A whole guild, just for one person?" Lucy asked.

"Everyone I care for isn't real!?" Wendy asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "How could you do this to me?!"

"Don't fret." The ghost said as he started to fade himself. "The three of you don't need those imaginary friends anymore." He raised his hand and pointed to the group behind her. "Now you have real friends. This is just the beginning of your life. Embrace it."

A chucked left him as Wendy ran towards him. "Master!"

"To all of you, I owe you my gratitude." The last of the old man faded away. "I can rest easy, knowing that you will watch over the tree of them."

Wendy could only cry as the emblem on her shoulder left. Rose was on the ground crying as Carla tried to act tough. Wendy dropped to her knees and cried out to him, but he didn't return.

Tears poured down her face before Laki walked over and hugged her. "It's alright, Wendy. Just let it out." Wendy grabbed her arms and hugged the wood dragon Slayer tighter. "I know how hard it is when your family leaves you, especially when you don't want them to. But now, I can be there for you. We all can. You all can come with us to Fairy Tail."

The Magic Council. Real tough of them to show up AFTER the fighting is done. And I doubt Lahar is gonna tell the council that Jellal helped stop Nirvana. There is a meme online that says 'Magic Council ruins the most intense moments.' It shows Jellal getting dragged away by the council, and Erza crying on the top half, and Kinana on the ground as Mest and Lahar take Cobra away on the bottom half. DING, DING, DING, DING, DING! That is sooo true.

Honest answers. DID ANYONE SEE THIS REVELATION COMING? I know I didn't. This scene was so sad, I actually cried. Yes I admit it. A grown man can cry if the scene is right. I cried when Dinobot died, I cried when Nia faded, at Guilty Crowns end, during Sword Art Online. I'M A HUMAN, we have feelings.

Well, next is the start of Daphne's story. Hope you'll enjoy my twist on it.

Beta read by Natsu is Awesome.