"Am I dead?"

Natsu's voice echoed in the void. His feet wre submerged in a thin layer of water that reached up to his ankles. It was cold.

"What did I tell you about asking stupid questions?" Igneel scoffed.

Natsu exhaled loudly. "I just watched you die. Now, here I am, speaking to you. And this place..." he gestured around "What else could I think?"

Igneel blinked slowly. "I am not the same Igneel you just spoke to. I am a ripple left behind by hiding inside you for the past eight years. A ghost."

"So you were hiding inside of me all this time..." Natsu said. He clenched his fists. "Why?"

"It can't be explained that easily." Igneel said.

"Try me." Natsu said and dropped to the floor, where he sat down and crossed his legs. He used his heat to evaporate the water around him and make himself a comfortable hole in the thin surface. "I've got nowhere to go."

Igneel groaned. "As stubborn as always."

"Don't get me wrong." Natsu cut him off. His tone sounded flat, cold even. "My world won't end if I don't hear about your reasons. I'm just looking for an excuse to listen to your voice for just a bit longer. Since I won't hear it ever again."

Igneel exhaled sadly. "Acnologia needed to be stopped. 400 years ago us, the five dragons, signed a binding contract. Each of us were to take up and raise a human, and teach them magic. Then, once they were ready, we would enter their bodies an travel into the future, where our bodies and magic could freely return to their peak strength. All in order to kill Acnologia."

Natsu's ear twitched. Something behind him whimpered.

"Well, you've done it." he said, unbothered by the noise. "Acnologia is dead. And so are you."

Igneel nodded. "Yes, that was the expected outcome."

"It would've been nice to be included into that plan." Natsu said coldly. "If I knew you were this close I wouldn't have spent all this time looking for you, wondering where you'd gone."

"No words can fully express how sorry I am." Igneel said.

Natsu remained quiet for a moment. "You could at least try." he said as the sound of a drop of water falling into a puddle echoed across their domain.

"If this doesn't settle soon, we'll all be crushed by his magic power!" Gray yelled out to everyone else. The fiery pillar was growing both bigger, as well as hotter. "I'm going there!"

"Be careful!" Makarov said and sent him off by throwing him with his Titan hand.

As Gray flew over the forest, he enhanced himself with his new-found powers. They proved to be of little help in this heat, but he didn't care. He had a bad feeling in his gut and if today was any indication, it was not to be ignored.

"I ain't buyin' it."

Gajeel scoffed at his father's explanations, deeply irritating him. He, along with the other three Dragon Slayers, was gathered around together with their dragons, who had decided to relay the information to their children.

"What do you mean?" Metalicana asked him. "Acnologia had to be stopped. If we-"

"Not what i meant." Gajeel cut him off. "I ain't buyin' yer reasons for not including us in yer plan. None of us were told a thing. Even Salamander. Had we known, we coulda helped ya."

"It was crucial you didn't know." Grandeenay chimed in with her soft voice. "Another reason we had to stay inside you undetected was to suppress the inevitable process of dragonification that would turn you into a dragon, like Acnologia had been. It is the predetermined fate of every natural Dragon Slayer left without aid of their parent. Many great Dragon Slayers had to be put down in the past, because they had lost their parent, as well as teacher prematurely during the war. More often than not to Acnologia himself."

"Is that what's happening to Natsu?" Sting asked Weisslogia. "With Igneel gone, he's turning into a dragon?"

The dragons looked at one another. "No. That is something else entirely." Weisslogia said. "It is not a tale meant to be spoken by us."

"Bullshit." Gajeel scoffed.

"It really isn't." Metalicana said sternly. "It's not something that can be put into light words. A single misstep could lead to a catastrophe. You of all people should know I never lie, kid."

Gajeel clicked his tongue.

"There will come a time where all the pieces will be laid out before you." Skiadrum said. "It is simply not the time. Some of them will remain hidden, for the world may suffer otherwise."

"So, what is happening over there?" Rogue asked and pointed at the pillar. of flames.

"Igneel's last stand." Grandeenay said. "Even from the afterlife, his role must be carried out. Just as his physical body has decayed, so will his spirit. But not yet."

"Natsu must also play his part." Weisslogia nodded. "If his choice is poor, if the pain and darkness in his heart win, the consequences will be dire."

Wendy bit her lip.

"Natsu..."

"Natsu!"

Erza shook him violently, her ears nearly bleeding from his screaming. The flames his body continued to pump out were so strong and heavy even her improved Flame Empress Armor was about as useful as a paper napkin. Her hair caught on fire, which she quickly patted down, her ends sizzled and twisted.

He was barely recognizable, covered in shadows and disfigurements on his hands and head. His pupils were gone and the whites of his eyes were slowly turning yellow. His magic power no longer resembled that of his own, instead replaced by something that could only be described as black, slimy, and heavy. The unbelievable heaviness made it the hardest to be near him, yet despite all that Erza hugged him tight from behind and continued to whisper into his ear.

"Please, return to me...!"

Igneel lowered his head with a small smirk. Natsu pretended to not have heard a thing, his face pale. "So, tell me about this Erza. From the looks of it she's one hell of a girl."

Natsu looked at his feet with a saddened expression. "She really is." he said quietly. "I'm crazy about her. Every time I see her my heart beats faster, and my whole body feels warm. I keep wondering how I got so lucky, to have her by my side, you know?"

Igneel paused for a second, then erupted with loud laughter.

"The hell are you laughing at?!" Natsu yelled at him.

"What the hell are those words that came out of your mouth just now?!" Igneel continued to laugh. "When has this brat decided to speak like an adult?!"

"You asked, you bastard!" Natsu yelled and threw a fireball at his father, which knocked his head upward. "Stop laughing!"

Igneel massaged his chin and took a deep breath. "You've really grown, Natsu." he said. "Partially thanks to that girl. I saw bits and pieces, but wasn't entirely sure. But I am now. Your words and your heart are as clear and bright as the sun."

Natsu's face relaxed, reverting back to the slight frown. "Yeah." he mumbled.

"I am glad you managed to meet someone like that. Especially since I-"

He was interrupted by loud groaning coming from behind Natsu. He slowly turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the sight. "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask...who's that?"

Behind him, in a darkened corned of the void said another Natsu, only the spot-on version of the one currently rampaging outside. He was rocking back and forth on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees and his eyes glaring at the two before him.

"I saw him. Back in the torture room with another one. I think I sorta merged with that one back then, though..." Natsu said and scratched the back of his head. "Igneel... Talk to me."

Igneel released a sad sigh. "I suppose the time is as ripe as it will ever get. Do keep this in your mind, however; once our time is up, you will most likely not remember this conversation. It will always be within you, dormant, but how long it will take to bear fruit I do not know. You may never truly find out the truth about yourself. Are you content with that?"

"Yeah." Natsu said shortly. "Lay it on me."

Makarov's hair stood up as cold wind hit his neck. His eyes widened and his throat dried out, as he tried to remain composed. He slowly turned his wheelchair around and began to roll towards the forest.

"Where are you going?!" Macao asked him.

"To take a leak. Nobody dare follow me!" he yelled back with a wave of his hand.

"At a time like this... I can't wait to be this old. You get to not give a crap about anything, even the end of the world!" Wacaba laughed.

"Don't exaggerate." Romeo told him off.

Elfman blinked and quickly paled. "Hey, where is that guy?!"

Rickard quickly snapped his head and paled - Mard Geer was gone, having left his crater a bloody, cracked mess. A bloody trail was left behind, as he followed after Makarov into the woods.

Makarov wheeled up until he hooked up with a big tree. Behind it sat a young man with black hair. He closed his book at the elder's arrival and stepped outside, the faint smile on his pale face glowing in the moonlight.

"I should have expected to find you here today." Makarov said. "Are you here for Face? Or perhaps to kill the dragons... Zeref?" he asked.

Zaref waved his hand. "No to both." he said. "I am merely observing the unfolding fate of our world."

"You knew this would happen." Makro said, much to Zeref's surprise. "You wanted Acnologia dead, but weren't sure you could do it yourself. So you orchestrated it so that the dragons inside those kids handled that for you. Two weeks ago, when Acnologia was at our doorstep during Grand Magic Games, that was you who stopped him. I could feel your magic all the way in the stands."

Zeref's face was swallowed by shadows, as his red eyes gleamed menacingly. "Oh? You've picked up on that?"

"Not until all the pieces laid scattered on the table before me." Makarov said. "But I knew we'd meet soon."

Zeref let out a short laugh and clapped his hand in a genuine fashion. "Like father, like son. I applaud you. It is exactly as you say. I needed Acnologia out of the picture for my own needs. But make no mistake. I am not nearly as cunning in this as you paint me. Call this a... team effort. You see-"

Zeref stopped abruptly, his face growing into a disgusted grimace. Makarov looked behind and spotted Mard Geer, at his death's door, clinging to a tree for his dear life. He was covered in wounds and blood, wheezing like an animal. His eyes were glued to Zeref with an unpleasant fascination and bloodlust. His bloody hands were once again clutching the book of E.N.D, which was weirdly pulsating and steaming. Zeref noticed this and his expression changed to concern.

"You're still breathing." Zeref noticed, his eyes still on the book, which then shifted towards the fiery pillar in the distance.

"I am." Mard Geer replied quietly. "How did you like my plan?"

"You mean kidnapping and turning thousands of people into demons so lowly even calling them as such is an insult to your kind? Or the disruption of Magic Council and your hold on Face? My feelings are mixed." Zeref said.

"I was created to stand in your way, to end your life. Surely you are not displeased with me?" Mard Geer asked.

"I shall be a hypocrite and say; yes, I am. But it is not your fault. You did a splendid job. For an imperfect product, that is."

Mard Geer grinned. His fingers lingered over the book, caressing and squeezing it. "And what about your perfect one? It doesn't look like he's doing so well-"

Makarov flinched at both the sound and the sight of Mard Geer's body exploding into tiny bits, as the ground beneath his feet was rendered a deep crater, his remains splattered on the inside like a melon. Zeref's extended fingers pointed at the crater for a second longer, before the dark wizard took a deep breath and readjusted his robes. "Pardon me." he said and cleared his throat. "That was unsightly."

Makarov wiped the blood off his face and swallowed with his dry throat.

"Do you condemn. Makarov?" Zeref asked him. "Let me ease your mind. He was never truly alive. He's a being that I created in a lab, rid of a soul, or a purpose. Fueled by a program I'd ingrained in his mind."

Makarov blinked slowly and inhaled. "I suppose this answers my next question, then." he said.

Zeref smirked. "Careful. Even my favor has its limits."

Makarov abandoned the question. "So, what do you intend to do now?" he asked him instead. "I reckon there's a reason you lured me in here instead of making an appearance. Afraid the remaining dragons will tear you to shreds?"

"To some degree." Zeref said with a small chuckle. "Wouldn't kill me, though it would be extremely unpleasant, for all parties involved. I lured you in here as a courtesy for you and your friend, whom I presume has been missing for a while now."

Makarov gripped his chair. "Porlyusica..."

"She's fine, as far as I know. But she's rather.. .tired after the past year. She was in Tartaros' custody for a while, it is thanks to her they created this... army. But now she's elsewhere. Possibly on my orders."

"And you wouldn't happen to be willing to just hand her over, correct?" Makarov asked.

"Not yet, no. Although if you happen to free her at your own expense, I wouldn't pursue you. My use for her is mostly complete." Zeref said and scratched his chin. He then approached the crater and grabbed the fallen book of E.N.D, before wiping blood off its cover. "I'll even give you a hint. Up until recently that place was a hive of scummery and disorder. Now, it is an empire."

Makarov frowned. Zeref smiled again and turned on his heel. "It's time. I'm afraid I can't stick for long, I got what I wanted, after all. Until we meet again, Yuri's son."

With that he stuffed the book into his sleeve and vanished in the shadows, as a murder of crows flew from behind the trees and right past Makarov, who watched them get high into the sky. He heard footsteps behind him and noticed Rickard and Elfman, both panicked.

"He's gone." the elder said and wheeled past them, as they observed the gory crater, both of whom disturbed. "We've got work to do."

"I died?"

Natsu was currently pacing back and forth, unable to contain the rush of mixed emotions coursing through his mind. Igneel watched him patiently all the while.

"I was born 400 years ago to a pair of wizards..." he began, his throat dry. "But then I died together with my parents, and Zeref brought me back to life?"

"In a very shortened version, yes." Igneel replied. "He didn't bring you back as is, however. You're an Etherious, precisely like the late members of Tartaros. Necromancy was, and most likely still is, beyond even Zeref. He never would have brought you back if he wasn't sure he could bring back his brother, not a mindless puppet."

"Then why did he make me like those monsters?!" Natsu snapped, which was much later than Igneel expected. "Am I going to turn into them?! Kill people like ants, laugh at their misery?!"

"Zeref called you the only perfect Etherious." Igneel said. "Those demons you fought today, they came before you. Before them came even more, more twisted and monstrous. It took him decades to perfect the process, and bring you back."

"You say that, but I'm still that!" Natsu yelled and pointed at his other self, still rocking back and forth whilst whimpering.

"I am not defending Zeref. I'm stating facts as they had been presented, for it is something you deserve." Igneel sighed. "Zeref had two goals in bringing you back. To see his beloved younger brother alive and smiling again, and to create a weapon capable of killing him down the line. To die has been his dream for a very, very long time. He believed to have created a being capable of this feat in you."

"Yet he still gave me away to you." Natsu said. "I'm glad he did, Igneel. I never would have traded our days together, for anything. But it makes no sense. If he loved me, like you said, why give me away?"

"That is a question I can not answer. Zeref never shared everything with us. Our ties began and ended in him giving you up to me, alongside four other Dragon Slayers. It was all a plan to kill Acnologia. To train five Dragon Slayers, prevent their natural dragonification, and then, with the help of a descendant of the Heartfilia family send them forward in time to a time that is rich in Ethernano, enough for us to regain even half of our strength and put an end to Acnologia. Such our pact was sealed, the pact of Magna Carta. The eradication of the Dragon King, Destroyer of Worlds."

"And dragons as a whole." Natsu finished, almost by instinct. His eyes then widened. He shifted them onto Igneel, who had a similarly surprised expression, albeit his faded away sooner.

"Yes." he said shortly.

Natsu gulped. He dragged his hand across his tired face. "I'm becoming him, aren't I?" he asked and pointed behind.

"That depends." Igneel said. "Right now you have two choices. There are two seeds inside of you; the dragon seed, which both you and I had been nurturing for years, through all the training, memories, and emotions, and the demon seed, the dormant one placed inside your body against your will, waiting to sprout at the opportune moment. Right now both of these seeds are fighting for control, triggered by various means. All the trauma, pain, and stress you've experienced today had pushed over the tide that had been slowly building inside of you for the past eight years. It is up to you whether you give in and become what had been destined for you, or prevail and continue down the path you'd carved out for yourself with your own blood and sweat."

"The answer is simple, though." Natsu said. "I don't want to be him. There must be a catch, then."

Igneel chuckled. "Sharp as ever. Yes. It is not you who shall choose, but your subconscious. Right now you, the representation of Natsu's soul, is in here, speaking to me, a remnant of the real Igneel. The real you is out there, suffering from pain and grief."

Natsu frowned. He closed his eyes and tried to reach into the void. What hit him with the impact of a hundred punches was heartache and grief so hard it nearly swept him off his feet. He staggered back, his breathing heavy and cold sweat breaking out on his brow. He clutched his chest and chuckled nervously. "I'm in so much trouble." he said quietly.

"With that said, the fact you managed to calm down here is a good sign." Igneel continued.

"Only because I got to speak to you again." Natsu admitted. "I know this isn't the real you, and I can accept that. But the "what if" will always haunt me. What if I helped you from the start? Maybe then we could have-"

"Whatever happened outside was no faulty of yours." Igneel interrupted. "You've become powerful, perhaps even more so than I could have ever anticipated, but it still wouldn't be enough to put Acnologia away. I, too, wish things turned out different, but I've made my peace with it. I knew the moment I appeared would be the moment of my death. The regrets that I have are inconsequential in comparison."

"Maybe if you had more time-"

"The time was not ideal for my powers, but it was ideal for Acnologia's mind. The years of solitude, the time he spent as a dragon rendered him a mindless beast. Acnologia didn't slaughter my kin by the hundreds through sheer power alone, he combined it with his wit. I've never seen battle instincts as sharp as his. There had been dragons more powerful than him who found themselves under his heel. You may be right, that if given more time I'd have enough power to kill Acnologia myself, without throwing away my life and sustain myself in this world, but at the cost of you and your world collapsing. I am proud of my choice."

"And I am proud of you." Natsu added.

Igneel smiled. "Don't get cocky, kid." he said, which made Natsu laugh. It faded quickly, however.

"So, what's next for me? Granted I choose right."

"That's not for anyone to say but you. I can't, nor will I promise anything. But, in principle, you should remain as you were."

Natsu snorted lightly. "Only without a purpose in life." he said flatly.

"Get real, kid. You've stopped actively searching for me years ago." Igneel scoffed, almost as if he were offended. "You got blinded by your hatred and obsession to catch those dark wizards. I shall pass no judgment, for I couldn't bear look myself, but do not pretend my demise holds something that wasn't there for years."

Natsu's head dropped. Igneel immediately realized his mistake and cleared his throat.

"I can not with light heart tell you not to mourn, nor feel pain. That is inhumane, even for us dragons. However, do not mourn my passing for the wrong reasons. Cry, ache, scream if you must, but once you're done, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move onto better, happier things. You've got more in life than you realize."

Natsu's ears twitched, as the sounds breaking through from the outside reached them again. Igneel smiled. "See?"

"I can't cool him down!"

Gray's screaming was barely audible, even when aimed directly into Erza's ear. She was currently hugging Natsu from behind, still clad in her fireproof armor. Gray, who'd just arrived, put his Devil Slaying Magic on full blast and attempted to freeze Natsu and his flames, but to no avail. Although his screaming had stopped, his magic output was still the same. He was now staring ahead with a blank expression, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes empty.

"Keep trying!" Erza ordered Gray. "We must bring him back! No one else will be lost today!"

Gray nodded and roared as he unleashed his full remaining magic power. His ice began to spread on Natsu's chest, only to immediately keep melting. Whatever melted was placed back, and at this point it was a game of endurance.

Natsu sighed and stood up. He massaged his tired eyes and looked at his father. "I suppose I can't sit here forever." he said.

Igneel smiled. "No, you may not."

Natsu glanced at his other self. "I might forget all of this, right?" he asked.

"Or nothing at all. It is not for me to say. However, even if you do forget, your subconscious will always remember this. Nothing can take our time spent here away from us. Sooner or later you will learn the truth, and that time it shall stick. Whatever happens then is up to the future you." Igneel added.

"What would have happened if you didn't step in?" Natsu asked Igneel.

Igneel's face dropped. "Your sole purpose in life would be killing Zeref, by whatever means necessary. Even if it meant stepping over those close to you. You'd still be Natsu, but your programming would impact your decisions and priorities. Resulting in tragedy, in worst case."

Natsu pouted and nodded. "Then he's never getting out." he said, then smirked. "I wish Acnologia were still alive, so that I could beat the living shit out of him for what he's done."

"Well, you can't. I beat you to it." Igneel smirked back.

Natsu smirked. "Guess I'll find someone else to take my anger out on, then. Zeref sounds good."

"I just told you you still have family left and the first thing you do is try to beat them up?"

"He's no family of mine." Natsu said, this time serious. "Family doesn't do things he did. Family doesn't scheme and plot behind your back." he added, then pointed up. "My real family is out there, waiting for me. I can't leave them hanging."

Igneel nodded. "Well said."

Natsu's body began to glow. He looked down, surprised, then back at Igneel. "Looks like you chose the right path." the dragon said.

Natsu gulped. "I love you, Igneel." he said. "You were the best dad I could have asked for."

Igneel closed his eyes and smiled. "Where was this honesty when I was alive, you brat?" he asked with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "Go and live your life well. For the both of us."

Natsu nodded. He then pointed at his other half with his thumb. "And don't worry about him. I'll figure this out."

"Be careful." Igneel warned him just as Natsu was about to vanish. "What happened today will leave a permanent mark on your soul. I don't know how, but you won't be the same after today. No matter how bad things get, you can tough it out. A part of me will always be with you. Make sure you remember this."

Natsu nodded and gave Igneel one last thumbs-up before everything went black.

The black flames vanished, almost like a light-bulb being turned off. The magic power subdued, and the shadows surrounding Natsu's body dispersed. His eyes returned to their usual, onyx color, and stared ahead for a second, before growing misty from exhaustion and pain. He began to collapse back, but his body leaned on Erza's front, who quickly adjusted him and placed his head in her lap.

She Requipped out of her armor back into her casual clothes, her burnt hair dangling over his face. She looked at Gray, confused, but also relieved.

"What the fuck is today?" Gray asked quietly and dispelled his magic, before collapsing to the ground himself. "What was that?"

Erza shifted her eyes at Natsu's peaceful, sleeping face, as she stroked it with his thumbs. "I don't know." she said flatly, weirdly even. Gray picked up on it but was too tired to say anything. "Thank you for coming back to me." she whispered with a small smile.

Somewhere in the wilderness, Zeref smiled sadly. "Not the right time, huh? My beloved brother." he asked under his breath and jumped down the boulder he was sat upon, before vanishing into the darkness.

"It appears Igneel's child has made his choice." Metallicana said and lowered his head. "Our time has come."

"Is there really no way to make you stay with us?" Sting asked the dragons with sadness in his voice.

"Prolonging the inevitable is unsightly." said Weisslogia.

"We'd much rather bid proper farewell and leave in dignity, than wait for our bodies to decay on their own." Skiadrum added.

"We, too, wish things were different, but that is the price of our pact." Grandeenay said as she gently stroked Wendy's crying face with her claw.

"Don't glare at me like that, brat. As always, it's mean as all hell." Metallicana said to Gajeel.

Gajeel snickered. "Heavy bastard." he said with affection.

The dragons' bodies began to glow, and soon dispersed into hundreds of light balls, which then carried into the light sky. Gajeel and Sting patted Wendy on her shoulders in reassurance, one they needed themselves. Levy approached Gajeel and grabbed his healthy hand, squeezing it gently. He returned it.

"They're really gone..." Lucy said quietly. She then shifted her eyes to where Natsu was. "I hope it's all over now."

Mirajane emerged from the forest, confused and aching. "What did I miss?"

Her siblings and other friends ran up to her to greet her, their explanations merging and blending together.

Laxus sat up in his futon and gently punched the ground, ashamed and angry.

Makarov pulled up with his wheelchair and sighed tiredly. "Don't expect a report, because you won't get any. I have no idea what happened myself." he told Rickard.

"I was present. I can make something up on my own." he said and sheathed his blade, then cracked his sore neck and sighed tiredly. "What matters is no one got hurt. With the exception of some minor damage to the city and a few injuries from the debris, Magnolia is safe. No demon made it past the main gate, my men made sure of it."

He then glanced at the silent elder, before gently patting him on the shoulder. "No harm will come to your guild, Master. You were attacked, protocols can go to hell. I can't think of anyone even willing to begin thinking about punishing you guys, not with how chaotic things are for us at the moment."

"That's not what worries me." Makarov said hoarsely. "We were attacked, again, and put others in danger. Our sole presence is a threat to innocent people."

"If you'd made this argument years ago I would have agreed with you, but your guild has successfully wiped out the Baram Alliance tonight. Tartaros was the last, and the most tricky corner of that filth."

Makarov looked at him.

"Oracion Seiss is reforming, Grimoire Heart are in hiding, Seven Commandments are either dead, or in jail, and Tartaros had been completely wiped out. Fiore is safe, all thanks to your sacrifice." Rickard said. "So cheer up, Makarov. There's a silver lining to everything, you just gotta find it!" he added with a small laugh and left to take up reports from his incoming officers.

Laxus groaned and stood up. Elfman quickly ran up to prop him up, which he appreciated. "Get a status update on everyone." he told Warren, who nodded and began to search for the scattered Fairy Tail members. "I want everyone in one place as soon as possible."

"Laxus-" Makarov started.

"I'm fine, old man." Laxus interrupted. "There are more important things here than my pride. That can wait."

Makarov smiled gently and nodded proudly.

Soon after, one by one, groups of Fairy Tail began to appear. Kagura and the Twin Dragons were welcomed with warmth and kindness, as they were immediately tended to, even before the Fairy Tail mages. Gray, Erza, and Natsu arrived last, with the latter knocked out on Gray's back, sleeping with a peaceful expression on his face.

Lucy quickly ran up to them and embraced them in a group hug, followed by Wendy. The two grunted, but welcomed their embraces and returned them.

"How is he?" Lucy asked Erza and nodded at Natsu.

The redhead sighed. "Too early to tell." she said, her voice low. "He's been like this ever since he calmed down.

Lucy nodded. "And how are you?"

Erza smiled. "I'm fine. Truly." she said. "I might need a couple of days, but nothing more. No need to dwell on it."

Lucy smiled as well. Juvia noticed Gray from the crowd and opened her mouth to speak up, but no words could find their way. She reluctantly backed up into the crowd.

Gray noticed it, but thought nothing of it. He addressed Wendy instead. "I heard you destroyed Face all on your own." he said proudly.

Wendy shook her head. "I got lucky. The air there helped me. If it wasn't for that-"

"But it was. So stop moping already." Carla stopped her by placing her paw on Wendy's mouth. "You were the right person at the right time. Let yourself be proud of your actions!"

Wendy nodded slowly, which amused the rest of her team. Erza ruffled her hair and went out to meet the rest of the guild.

Soon after, the Fairy Tail guild was all in laughs and smiles, as if last night did not even happen. They did not take it lightly, nor did they pretend otherwise, but for now, all they wanted was to sit down for a moment and enjoy their peace.

Several days later, Fairy Tail bid farewell to their neighboring saviors. Kagura's wounds required an additional day to fully allow her to travel, so she left alongside the Twin Dragons.

"No words can truly portray how grateful we are to you all." Makarov said as he shook Sting's hand. He then shook Kagura's.

"It's the least we could do. You may not understand it, but you've done more for us than we could ever repay you." Sting said. He then shook Laxus' hand.

"We can all choose to look past the gratefulness and write it down as a first solid step towards an alliance between our guilds." Rogue said.

"I like the sound of that." Kagura added with a nod.

"I'll still be grateful." Erza said with a smile. Kagura cracked a small one herself.

"Will you be okay? You guys lost your dragons, too." Mira asked them.

"We'll manage." Rogue said.

"If anything, I'm starting to look at it in positive light." Sting added. "I lived with the thought I'd killed Weisslogia for years. To find out that I didn't, and to speak with him one last time was a gift. I got closure." he said with a smile, one that infected even Rogue. Sting's quickly died down, as he spotted a pink head of hair standing behind Erza. "Natsu, the next time we meet I will want that rematch!" he said with a shade of awkwardness in his voice.

Natsu smiled faintly. "You better train hard, then!" he said. He tried to sound casual, but the pain in his voice was apparent.

Sting laughed. "Straight to the point! Wouldn't have it any other way." he said and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Well, then, we're off. Take care everyone! Hopefully we see each other in different circumstances soon!"

"Take care." Kagura said with a short bow and left alongside the Twin Dragons.

"See ya!" Fairy Tail saw them off with waves.

Erza smiled and turned around in order to propose dinner. But, as she expected, Natsu was gone. With his obligation fulfilled he vanished, once again leaving her alone and wondering where and what he was up to.

And it made her feel lonelier than ever.

December 13th, X791

It'd been a week since Tartaros' destruction. The Fairy Tail guild was once again hard at work rebuilding their home. The past experience and the consistency with which they had to do it made it a much easier task than previously, as the building was already erected and finishing touches were underway.

Erza, who'd once again taken up duties as an overseer, put down her construction helmet and massaged her sore neck. She sat down on a log outside and admired their work with a smile on her face.

"So, who's winning?" Mirajane asked her as she brought them both a cup of lemonade. She handed Erza hers and then sat down on the grass next to her, sipping from her own cup.

"I'm sorry?" Erza blinked.

"The board competition. Who nailed the most, Gray, Natsu, or Gajeel?"

"Oh, that. No one, they're not playing." Erza said and took a sip.

Mira blinked. "Huh."

"Gray left two days ago to visit his hometown, Gajeel isn't interested if it's just him, and Natsu... let's just say he's more focused on getting us wood than actually using it. He disappears into the forest for days and only comes back at night to drop off whatever he'd found. I hardly see him these days."

Mira smacked her lips. "Your bed's empty?"

"Yeah."

Mira inhaled through her nose. "You guys good?"

"I think so. At least I can't think of a reason why we wouldn't be." Erza said as she played with her cup with her thumbs. "He's been...distant. He can't look me in the eye, almost like he's ashamed. I just don't know of what, or why."

Mirajane looked at her, almost in disbelief. "Look, I didn't want to say it, because I didn't think it was my place, but... Think about it from his point of view."

Erza looked at Mira with a slightly confused look.

"He begged you to switch places with him and then you got kidnapped and tortured. That sucks on its own, but then you should also keep in mind, that if he were there instead of you, neither of us would have been taken. He would have smelled whatever shit that old cunt poured into our cups and beat the breaks off of him. And he knows that."

Erza lowered her head.

"Not to mention he's the one who found you." Mira added and took another sip. "Then he watched his own father die, despite trying to help him. No wonder he snapped."

Erza bit her lip. Having noticed this, Mira decided to back down. "I'm not trying to make you feel like shit, Erza. But whatever he's going through, I can guarantee has nothing to do with you. He's hurting as a man, and no matter how silly it may look to us, we will never understand it. Best thing you can do for him is either leave him alone, or tell him you do not blame him."

Erza snorted sarcastically. "I didn't think I'd have to state the obvious." she said.

"Well, men are idiots. For all we know he thinks you hate him right now."

Erza let out a small laugh. "Thanks, Mira." she said. The Demon nodded and stood up.

"I'm going to go scare Elfman. I see he's aligning the walls again." she snickered and ran off.

"Please don't, I don't want gaps in foundation again!" Erza moaned, but was too late. She sighed gently and stood back up. "I guess I'll go, then."

Natsu groaned and punched the trunk of a tree, breaking it with his fist alone. The tree began to collapse back, until it snapped off completely and fell to the ground with a deafening sound.

The Dragon Slayer stared ahead, where the tree was, only past it, way into the distance, dissociated from what was happening at the moment. Ever since he'd woken up he felt a storm of emotions, constantly bashing at the inner walls of his head. Images and flashes of events he was certain did not, or at least couldn't have happened haunted him, as Igneel's words he swore he'd never heard before bounced around his ears every waking moment.

Go and live your life well. For the both of us.

With a loud roar of grief he struck the tree next to him, snapping it in half with one, clean motion, as the crown flew back and landed on top of another, smaller tree, toppling it as well. Natsu panted heavily, more from the anxiety in his chest than fatigue. He then felt a cold sensation on his neck, as well as an unpleasant presence standing right behind him, almost as if someone stood in his own shadow. He quickly snapped his head back but saw nothing but the wilderness and a pair of squirrels running up a tree.

Cold sweat dripped from his chin onto his shoe, splashing with a loud noise. Natsu exhaled loudly and bent down to pick up the toppled log before him. This again. It's been like this ever since... he thought to himself as he threw the log onto an already big pile. Did Igneel leave me a message? I can't remember...

He grabbed the other one and tossed it on top. No. He didn't. He got out, then got killed. All because of me.

He groaned and kicked the third tree to break it into smaller pieces, which he then tossed onto the pile as well, the last of this spot. He grabbed the nets and began to wrap them as tight around the big pile of wood as he could with their limited remaining space, the product of his work.

The memory of one of his best spells simply splashing on Acnologia like a stream of water on a plate was still vividly present, burned into his irises. The sheer image made his blood boil, as he gripped the ropes so tight they squeaked under his grip. No... I was already exhausted. I had nothing left-

Excuses.

Natsu's head snapped. He never thought of himself as a smart man, at the very least not an educated one, but he was pretty damn sure people couldn't break their train of thought with a second voice. The revelation wore off quickly, though, as the hurt settled in.

Then there was Erza. The sight of that room, the chains keeping her upright. Just how the memory of Igneel's demise haunted him during the day, they haunted his dreams. A never-ending cycle of torture, alternating on a shift basis like two wardens of hell specifically designed to bring every last living fiber of his being to heel. Even when he could no longer ward the sand in his eyes off, that room haunted the very brief moments of disconnection from the world.

I should have forced her to switch with me through force.

Natsu grit his teeth. The ropes in his hands fell to the ground. He clenched his fist, set it ablaze, and smashed it straight into his jaw, effectively making himself take a couple steps back. Blood began to drip to the ground from his open lip, as his eyes shook in terror, as well as disgust. He couldn't believe such a thought could have formed inside his mind.

"I don't know who you are, but get the hell out of my head." he snarled under his breath, his voice shaking more with fear than anger.

"Natsu...?"

The familiar voice snapped him out of it. He quickly turned around to see her kind, warm, brown eyes stare at him widely, her face confused, but mostly concerned. Realizing she must have seen the whole thing, he quickly wiped his lip into his shoulder and picked the ropes back up. "Hey, what's up? I was just about to return to the guild." he said after clearing his throat.

She stared at him with wide, blank eyes. "Right." she said shortly. "I wasn't sure I should say anything, but seeing this has made up my mind. Come, sit next to me." she gestured at the grass as she plopped on it.

Natsu gulped. He wanted to protest, but Erza's intense stare convinced him. He dropped the ropes and sat next to her with a loud grunt. The redhead turned to face him and grabbed his hand, cupping it with hers.

"There is not a single cell in my body that blames you for what happened back then." she started straight to the point, "I listened to your concerns, I acknowledged them, yet still disregarded them and paid the price. What happened is nobody's fault but mine. I put myself in that room, not you. Do you understand that?"

Natsu stared at her, dumbfounded. "Yeah, I do." he said flatly.

"As for Igneel..." Erza said, this time softer and more uncertain. Her thumbs lingered over his hand nervously. "There are no words I could say to ease your pain. I can't really put myself in your position to even try. But I am really, really sorry, Natsu. I know you must be hurting, and I understand that. I am always here for you, to help you in whatever way I can. So if it's space you need, that's okay, but please, tell me that before you start disappearing for days."

"Stop." Natsu said. He took her hand out of hers, which made her heart drop. "That's not why I'm avoiding everyone." he admitted and stood up. He sighed deeply and anxiously. "I keep seeing that moment every time I close my eyes. I can't sleep, and I can't stop moving. But most importantly, I am terrified that if I let those emotions out, it will happen again." he said as he gestured to Erza's still singed hair. "Ever since that moment I've been feeling off. I hear...voices. I see images I have no recollection of ever happening, and it's all wrecking my mind."

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" Erza asked softly.

"Gramps told me it is possible to leave messages through magic, that can trigger at certain times. But he said I'd have complete clearance of what it was, and when it happened. All I have is a couple still images and a voice repeating the same phrase every now and then." Natsu said as he kicked a rock in frustration. "And I keep thinking... things. Things I never would have thought of before."

"What things?" Erza asked.

Natsu hesitated. "That I should have forced you to switch places with me that day." he admitted.

Erza blinked. "I see." she said after a brief pause. That explains what I walked in on...

"I wish someone could just take my brain out, clean it, and put it back in." Natsu said, almost like a child, and plopped back on the grass. "Or at least knock me out for a week so that I could have some peace."

Erza smiled gently. "I don't think it'd be as helpful as you think." she said. She then laid her head on his shoulder and leaned into him, much to his surprise.

"Are you sure?" he asked with concern. "Don't force yourself if it's still too much."

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm better now." she said and snuggled even closer. "We could go away, if you'd like. Leave on a small trip and try to use our energy on something fun and positive." she said after a brief moment.

Natsu looked at the top of her head. "Where?"

"It doesn't matter. Just... away. Take our things and walk wherever our feet take us. I sure could help some distractions myself."

Natsu stiffened. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. "I was so focused on myself I never checked in on you. I'm sorry."

Erza shook her head gently. "You had a pretty good reason." she said. "Perhaps we could search for the one person who could always help you."

"She's been missing for a long time. I really don't think there's a happy ending here." Natsu said slowly.

"Master Makarov claims he's got a lead. We could at the very least see it through."

"Maybe."

Natsu looked at the gathered wood. "Let's get this back to the guild, then hit the hay. I'm starting to forget what a bed feels like." he said.

"Very well. We'll get back to this topic tomorrow." Erza said and let herself be helped off the ground. The two then grabbed some wood and slowly dragged it back to the guild, as the sun began to descend in the horizon.

Lucy swirled the broken key in-between her fingers, her eyes lingering on the glistening gold. She kept pulling it out every now and then, as if expecting it to magically fix itself.

"It won't regrow, you know."

Lucy jumped and nearly dropped the key. She noticed Loke standing next to her with a smug smirk on his face.

"What... How are you here?" Lucy asked him before giving him a hug, one he very much enjoyed.

"Being the Leader of the Zodiac has its perks." he chuckled and pulled back. "But I can't stay for long. I wanted to check up on you."

Lucy shrugged. "I'm not crying into my pillow if that's what concerned you. It's not like you died. We'll see each other again. Other than that, I'm managing, I think. Still can't sleep well, but I think that goes for everyone."

Loke nodded. "You'll pull through. You're strong. Even our King thinks so."

Lucy smiled weakly. "What will happen to you now?"

"Like you said, it's not like I died." Loke said and put his hands in his pockets. "What comes next is a given in the life cycle of a Zodiac Spirit. After a certain amount of time my key will regenerate and re-appear somewhere in the world, ready to be found and bound by another Celestial Wizard. Until then I will remain in the Spirit Realm and just wait."

Lucy's face dropped. "I thought so."

"Even if we can't see each other, I'm still with you." Loke said and poked Lucy's chest with his thumb. "The power I left you is still here, you just need to learn how to use it. And who knows, maybe you'll be the one who finds my key. Then it'll be like good old times."

"Can't wait already." Lucy said and smiled. "Do you know where it might be? Your key?"

"No, but if I ever do learn, I'll let someone give you a hint or two." he said with a grin.

Lucy chuckled. "It's settled, then. I'll be going to search for you."

"Oh, you better. Otherwise I'd be extremely disappointed."

Juvia breathed on her cold hands, which despite being hidden inside mittens were still freezing. She pulled her scarf up even further and looked back again. His figure stood over two graves, so still the snow began to pile up on top of his head and shoulders.

The guilt in her chest was growing unbearably heavy, yet she still hesitated. Not even after six times could she push through and approach him with the truth regarding Silver's death. She turned back around and pulled on her hat in shame, wishing the earth had just opened and swallowed her whole.

Gray stood over the graves of his parents, his father's gravestone refreshed and updated. His hands were clenched, hanging by his sides. He stared at the two gravestones in silence, his chest heavy and hurting. He still remembered the weight of his father's hanging body pressed against his chest. His fist still felt his cold, stiff cheek. The cold reminded him of the spears that burst out of Silver's chest. All those memories brought out anger, that burning, unyielding wrath that came with the knowledge, that he never got to lay his hands on the necromancer who'd done this to his father. He perished, but not by his hand. It may as well not have happened.

"Um..."

Juvia's voice startled Gray, whose head tilted in her direction. Snow fell off his head with a soft plop. She stood there, not far from him, looking pained and afraid.

"What is it? Do you want to go back?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "That's not it. I... have a confession."

Gray frowned. For some reason his chest tensed up, for reasons he couldn't think of yet.

Juvia took a deep breath and braced herself. "It was me who killed the necromancer who controlled your father."

Gray's eyes widened in shock. "What...How..."

"Your father spoke to me and told me about his condition. He said, that once Keyes the necromancer perished, so would he. I defeated Keyes and caused your father to pass away."

Gray grit his teeth. His fists clenched, and as they did so did Juvia's throat. She took half a step back, not out of fear, but in preparation to run away in shame. But he was faster.

He quickly closed in on her and pulled her into a hug so tight her breath was knocked out of her chest. He wrapped his arms around like, almost child-like, and breathed into the nape of her neck.

"It was you... You..."

Juvia carefully embraced him back. "Yes."

"Thank you." he mumbled, which crushed the enormous boulder resting atop Juvia's chest. As it did his, for their guilt and anxiety had vanished completely. "Thank you..." he said again.

They stood in silence in a tight embrace, as the sky gently peppered them with snowflakes. No more words were needed. It was just perfect.

The next day Erza found herself sitting in front of Makarov. He sat behind a makeshift desk, sipping the tea Erza had made for them. He smacked his lips with a pleasant look on his face, then put down the cup. "So, you're leaving." he said.

"Yes. Not permanently mind you, but we're going away for a bit." she said.

Makarov nodded slowly. "Why tell me? Everyone else went to Laxus. Is your case special?"

Erza frowned. "Everyone else?"

"Laxus told me he was approached by Juvia and Gray, as well as Lucy, all of them declaring they were leaving on their separate trips after Christmas. Did you not talk about it?"

"First time I'm hearing this." Erza shook her head.

"Huh. Well, no matter. I'm sure going away for a big will do you all plenty of good. But, why tell me?"

Erza gripped her mug. "Natsu is...not well. Neither am I, frankly, but his case is special. I'm sure he mentioned his issues to you already."

"He has, yes. Am I safe to assume you're going to go after Porlyusica on your journey?"

"That was the idea, yes. If not to help him, then to help her. She's been suffering ever since we were lost at Tenrou. It's time to bring her back."

Makarov leaned back in his wheelchair. "I'd love that more than anything else right now, but this matter is delicate. It's not something I can just sanction over a cup of tea."

Erza frowned in confusion. Seeing this, Makarov explained further. "If I'm connecting the dots in the right order, then Porlyusica is most likely in the custody of the Alvarez Empire. A country of mages to the west, run by hundreds of independent guilds before they were all conquered and united under one emperor. That's where she's currently being held up."

"That does sound troublesome." Erza pondered.

"Indeed it does. If we take a wrong step, we will be faced with the possibility of war. A war we would most likely lose, unless the rest of the peninsula united together. The Alvarez Empire tried to invade Ishgar, I'd like to say... a year ago? But some sort of falling out amongst their ranks saved us from waking up to find ourselves under their rule. Tensions are still rather high."

Erza lowered her head in defeat. Makarov grumbled at the sight under his mustache. "That being said... I haven't heard anything about them worsening. If anything the Council has been doing a lot of repairs in the relations between our nations. Last I heard they'd lifted the borders and allowed Ishgardians to travel west freely."

"But we're not regular travelers." Erza chimed in.

"No. I'm sure Grand Magic Games lit a lot of lights on you all, not to mention this recent mess. Despite how lucky we've all been, this was still a catastrophe. The Council is under a lot of heat yet again, and even we are being pressed, despite our status as victims of an attack. Laxus is at a meeting as we speak, trying to fix whatever is being thrown at us." Makarov said and sipped his tea.

Erza gripped her mug. "I was not entirely aware of what was happening outside the ruins until the very end... How could this happen? How could so many people vanish?"

"This took years. I spoke to one of the Captain's who's in charge of the medical Division. She claimed the bodies varied in mutations and age, some were years old and severely underdeveloped, others fresh and nearly unrecognizable as former humans." Makarov said "If you think about it, six thousand people going missing over a span of 7 years is hardly a chink in the usual statistics. On top of that nearly all of them came from poor regions, where the Council isn't as present. Can't investigate something that was never reported."

"One of the guilds I ran into with Natsu must have been their supplier." Erza noted. "There's got to be more of them. I'd like to look for them on our journey and save those people, even if only a handful."

Makarov sighed. "So you're still insisting on leaving." he said. "Can't say I'm surprised. But I do ask of you this one thing. Stay until Christmas. The Council will most definitely ask to speak to every one of you who'd faced a member of the Nine Demon Gates. If not for that, then stay for the rest of the guild. So many of you are going away, who knows when will be the next time we're together again."

Erza smiled. "I have no problems with that."

Makarov cracked a smile of his own as the two sipped their tea.

December 18th, X791, Fairy Tail Guild

"And I'm telling you, no!"

Erza opened the door to their new, still incomplete guildhall, to find Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Laxus stand in a circle in the very middle. Each was holding a hammer and had nails pouring out of their pockets.

"I am not going to let you idiots play your game! We don't have any wood to spare." Laxus repeated himself to the three.

"Counting game?" Erza asked as she took her coat off and approached Lucy, Juvia, Levy, and Lisanna's table.

"Yup." Lucy said shortly and took a loud sip of her mead. She then straightened her newspaper and turned the page over.

"Anything interesting?" Levy asked her.

"Council's building back up. They asked for resources from neighboring nations and they got tremendous support. Also, dark guild activity has dropped to the lowest in 25 years."

"No wonder. With the exception of the Baram Alliance and their pledged banners dark guilds are harmless. A bother at best. Without the backing of a much bigger name they will not step outside their own shadow." Erza said with a nod.

"Actually, according to this article...hold on... " Lucy cleared her throat, then read out loud. "a vendetta against the currently recovering guild of Fairy Tail was planned, but was crushed by combined forces of two different groups. One of which is rumored to have been the mages of the now disbanded guild Raven Tail, and the other that of the escaped convicts formerly known as Oracion Seiss, led by a blue-haired individual with a tattoo on his right eye, most likely the former member of the Council as well as the infamous Seven Commandments. Both parties have been briefly encountered on site by the 4th Division led by interim Captain Mest Gryder. It's stated roughly 117 new prisoners have been captured from the combined efforts of the two sides of the magic world. Is this a message? Is the criminal known as Jellal planning on building his own army, or is this an effort much more honorable in nature?"

"Saved by former Raven and Oracion... what a timeline we live in." Cana chuckled whilst standing up. "Need more booze..."

"We've made some great allies since our return." Lisanna said with a smile.

Erza smiled. "Yes, we did."

"Why do you assume we will waste it?" Natsu asked with a frown, which brought the girls back to reality.

"Yeah!" Gajeel added.

"Because last time you burned, broke, or peppered with nails more boards than you placed properly!" Laxus told them. "What are you laughing at, stripper?" he asked Gray, whose chuckling immediately stopped. "Yours rotted away after a few days because your ice scaffolding melted and drenched them in water!"

"Dude, just go train your new magic." Natsu said to Gray.

"We don't need you here." Gajeel said, as Natsu nodded along.

"Why are you two morons suddenly banding together?!" Gray exclaimed and pointed at them with his finger. "They rotted only because this idiot would get heated up whenever he missed a nail!" he pointed at Natsu. "And he would start over on a nail every time his first strike was, and I quote, Trash. Why am I getting scolded the most?!"

"Dude, their dragons just died." Cana said as she walked past.

"Yeah." Laxus nodded. "Give them some slack."

"So did my dad!" Gray yelled out.

Laxus' face dropped, as did those of the rest.

"I'm sorry." Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray said in unison and banded together into a joint hug.

"This is so dumb..." Levy sighed as she buried her face in her hands. Lisanna and Lucy simply laughed, while Erza smiled widely.

"Looks like I'm no longer alone in my "dead dad" club." Cana said as she sat back down with the others. She blinked at the sight of them all staring at her and shrugged. "Gotta cope somehow." she added and drank from her mug.

"No, I am." Laxus said and raised his hands. "Go do your thing. Just make sure to make every board count, we really don't have any to spare. If you screw up, we're left with a hole in the wall until someone brings some job money along."

"What happened to our win purse?" Natsu frowned.

"It got blown up." Laxus said.

"Didn't you have stashes full of cash all over the country?" Gray asked Natsu.

"Yeah, but most were either found or ruined." Natsu said and scratched his chin. "Maybe I could take one up from the board and get more."

"Also blown up."

"Why not just do your usual forest trip and bring more wood?" Gajeel asked him.

"Because I'd received a note from the mayor that if we took any more trees from the forest he'd have us fined and reported." Laxus said. "Which makes sense, that place suffered enough this past month."

"If only we still had Laki..." Gray sighed and grabbed a few boards off the stack.

"Well, we don't. So stop moaning and be responsible for once." Laxus said as he did the same. The four left to their posts and began to nail the wood down, carefully and with precision.

"I heard you're all leaving soon." Cana said to the rest of the girls.

"Yup! Mira is taking me and Elfman into the mountains to train. We all figured we could use it, plus we'll still be close enough to home to pop in whenever we want to." Lisanna said. "I'm both excited and terrified. Mira got her hands on a new Soul."

"Oh, no." Erza breathed out. Lisanna simply nodded in slow motion.

"We've decided to take you up on your invitation, Erza." Juvia said. "We never really had a destination in mind, and if we're to travel, we'd rather do it with everyone else."

"Ditto." Lucy added.

Erza smiled. "That's great news! Now all I need is confirmation from Wendy and Carla and we'll be all set."

"You guys really want to go to Alvarez?" Evergren asked them as she walked past. She'd almost recovered from her disease. "Who knows how they'll react to you guys."

"We'll be careful." Erza said. "And if we need to use force at some point, we'll make sure to do it in the most professional, least problem-causing way possible."

There was a short pause before everyone burst out laughing.

"I give you guys a week." Cana said and took a swing of her beer.

They then watched the boys work whilst sipping their drinks.

Evening of December 27th X791

After a very modest, but enjoyable Christmas celebration, Erza found herself packing her bag. After a rather heated argument that ended up with a competition of fisticuffs, Natsu managed to make her stand down from her usual habit of bringing way too much luggage and limited her to one bag. He himself was packing his own bag, although much smaller than hers.

"Do you know where my other set of pants are?" he asked her as he stepped out of the bathroom with his toothbrush and towel. They were currently staying with Lucy, who was out doing errands herself.

"I'm pretty sure they are all over the forest." the knight said as she pondered which book of the two she was holding to bring. Feeling a judgmental glare on her neck, she painfully tossed aside the spicy one and instead settled for a murder novel. "We need to buy you more clothes. I need a winter coat myself."

"Can't say I can relate." Natsu said with a small smirk and pushed his shirts down into his bag.

"Very well. You'll carry me on your back, then." she said with a smirk.

"Yes, dear." he said flatly and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

The front door opened and Lucy entered the apartment, tired and shaking. "Finally home." she moaned and kicked her boots off. She then took her gloves off and approached the couple, before hugging Natsu from behind.

"I should start charging you all for this." he said, not amused.

"No rent, no complaints." she said and pressed her cheek against his back to warm it up.

Erza chuckled and shook her shirt. "I told you." she said to Natsu and packed it away. She then closed her bag and assessed her situation. "All things considered I feel ready. I guess I truly didn't need all those suitcases after all."

"Sorry, could you repeat this so that I can rub it in someone's face later?" Lucy asked as she pulled out what looked like a recorder. Erza shook her head with a smile and pushed it away. "When are Gray and Juvia set to arrive?"

"They'll meet us at the station." Natsu said.

"I was with Wendy just now, she'll come here first thing in the morning." Lucy added and took her coat off, now all warmed up and comfortable.

"Coffee?" Natsu asked as he pulled out the kettle.

Lucy blinked. "Sure. When did you learn to brew coffee?"

"She taught me." he motioned his chin at Erza, which made Lucy pale. "Then Lisanna saw us and taught me over." he added, which made Lucy relax. Erza, on the other hand, looked annoyed.

"Coffee is supposed to taste bitter!" she said.

"Yes, it is, but not to the point of turning your stomach over with one sip!" Lucy said.

The snow raged on behind the windows, as they bickered and laughed. Soon they fell asleep, excited for their upcoming adventure. Some more than others.

Natsu stared into the ceiling, wide awake. He dreaded sleep, for he knew what awaited on the other side. At this point he knew the procedure step by step. First he'd watch Igneel lose his arms, then get impaled. Then he'd watch his Roar splash on Acnologia like water on a spoon, before passing out. He'd wake up to himself staring into his soul, only disfigured, burned, his eyes hanging out of their sockets with two other similar looking corpses right next to it. Followed by Igneel's voice and a flash of light so bright it'd wake him up, covered in sweat and out of breath.

He turned to the side, where Erza was sleeping. She looked peaceful, her mouth slightly agape and hair scattered over her face. It's been a while since she'd had a peaceful night herself, her sleep interrupted or shallow. He blinked and gently run his finger across her cheek as to not wake her and got out of bed.

He entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the counter, before turning the tap on.

"Can't sleep either, huh?"

Lucy's voice startled him a little, which amused her. She was sitting in the window, covered with a blanket and holding a mug of what most likely was a sneakily brewed cup of green tea. He nodded and sat down next to her as she scooched.

"Nope." he said and drank his water. "You?"

Lucy shrugged. "Just can't fall asleep. Nothing troubling me, though."

"Must be nice."

"It is, actually."

Natsu's thumbs wandered over the glass. "Do I ever talk in my sleep?" he asked her.

"Sometimes." she said after a pause. "Mostly nonsense."

Natsu slowly nodded. "But other times it's Igneel's name, isn't it?"

Lucy tensed up. "Not always his." she said awkwardly and drank up. He merely smiled. "Look, I know it's probably not my place, but after I found out my dad died I also dreamed about him every night. And I'm in no way comparing us!" she added quickly "But I think it's natural to dream about things we think about the most. I'm sure if I thought about pretzels all day I'd definitely dream one up!" she added with a short laugh.

Natsu smirked. "Well, you did dream about pie the other day."

"Must have been Mira's. I guess cooking runs in their family, who would have thought she could bake like that!"

"I know, right? Almost makes her look human."

Lucy laughed. "What do you expect from this journey?" she asked him, now serious.

"Peace, hopefully." he said and leaned his back against the window. "I just want a break from fighting. It feels like there's been some sort of war ever since I joined the guild."

"If it makes you feel better it's been like that ever since I joined, too." she assured him.

"It does, thanks."

"But I know what you mean. It's exhausting fighting some big threat every few weeks. I really hope we can travel the country and rest up without much problem."

"I think that will get harder and harder as we get deeper into the mainland." Natsu noted. "Impossible once we cross the border."

"I know. But I'll cherish every day of peace we get. Even now, as I'm sitting here with you in my own apartment in my pajamas and tea in my hand I'm paranoid this window will suddenly explode and force us into another battle we didn't ask for." Lucy said with short sigh. "Even though it's been weeks."

"I'm the opposite." Natsu admitted. "I've been on the move for so long that sitting still makes me uneasy. It's not conflict I seek, it's the action. I need to get busy every day, no matter if it's fighting, or chopping wood, otherwise I'll go crazy."

Lucy nodded slowly. "You can gather wood and hunt for us?" she suggested. "That should scratch that itch."

"Good idea. And we could train in the evenings, all of us!" he added with a joy that similar of a child's

Lucy groaned. "The gap is so wide it's not even funny. I'd die." she said with dread.

"Nah, we're gonna train, all of us. Everyone else will when we're gone, we can't fall behind. I heard you started to learn hand-to-hand, I can teach you some moves.

"Great, can't wait." Lucy said flatly and took a big, loud sip of her tea.

Natsu smiled. He stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna try sleeping again. Thanks for keeping me company."

"My pleasure."

As he laid back down in bed his eyes started to feel heavy, as if touched by a magic wand. As the voices started to resurface, they were soon smothered by darkness, as his troubled mind shut down and finally went to sleep.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, they found themselves rushing through the train station - as always, they were late. Just when they were about to take the last corner they bumped into Laxus' huge frame, which startled everyone involved.

"Oh, there you guys are." he said and patted his chest down.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked him in a funny voice, as he clutched his aching nose. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah. Everyone's still sleeping. I wanted to see you off before you left. And thank you." Laxus said.

"Thank us for what?" Erza asked.

"I did jack shit during the fight, and I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me. But you guys pulled through, and for that I am grateful." Laxus said. "You were there to clean up my mess, probably not for the last time. So, thanks, and great job."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Gray chimed in. "As harsh as this will sound no one had any expectation of you whatsoever. You were bedridden with a deadly disease. If anything we should be singing you praises, I've heard you tossed those demons around like ragdolls."

"Nevertheless" Laxus interrupted him, seemingly immune to taking any credit "I wanted to thank you, and wish you all good luck. I hope you find whatever, and whoever you're looking for."

Erza smiled. "Thank you. Give our regards to the guild."

Laxus nodded. "Sure thing." he said and waved them goodbye as he left.

The group got aboard the train and took their seats. As Gray loaded his baggage overhead he took a deep breath and sat down next to Juvia. "Where to now?" he asked Erza.

"Hargeon. Then a very long way by ship." she said, much to everyone's dismay. "We're going across the sea."

"That's... far." Lucy noted.

"It is. It's also dangerous, which is why we need to be on our best behavior." Erza said. "But I believe if we keep our wits about us, we should find no trouble."

"This isn't just a relaxing, adventurous trip, is it?" Juvia asked quietly.

"No. But I will share more later. Right now we need to secure a ship. Then we shall speak."

Natsu sunk into his seat and closed his eyes, dreading the upcoming trip. He then slowly shifted his head towards the window and opened them. As he did, he saw a pair of white, empty eyes staring back at him from the reflection.

Natsu's fists clenched on their own, then flinched, as Erza placed her right hand over his and gave it a solid squeeze. He looked to his side and spotted her looking at him with a smile on her face.

"It'll be okay." she said and squeezed his hand again. "I promise."

He looked back to the window, but the reflection was gone.

"Yeah." he said as he looked back at her, now with a lighter chest. "Yeah, it will."

As the train started to move, their new adventure has officially begun. Little did they know that this would be the last time they left this station as it is - busy, loud, and full of life.

For next time they stepped foot in here it'd be nothing but rubble and death.

I've got some more ideas to write, but I'll be honest, this story turned to shit years ago. I've lost track of where I was going with it, wrote myself into a corner, and refused to dig my way out.

If you'd like I can write those ideas out in much shorter chapters from time to time. I had planned on having the gang hook up with a small town in Alvarez ran by a gang stuck in a turf war with another gang (guilds, just renamed and more lenient towards bending the law and territory). Obviously they'd get involved and as it'd turn out the opposing gang would have someone related to Ajeel, one of the Spriggan 12. The conflict would act as catalyst for the Alvarez war, which I was going to write, but I ust don't have it in me to do it. It'd take a long time and energy to write.

To give you some taste of what I'd planned for Alvarez, some of my changes from canon involved killing off Juvia, Mirajane, and Gajeel, making each and every Spriggan a mini-boss that could simply NOT be defeated by an individual (with one or two exceptions), changing said Spriggans to make more sense, or spice them up: Dimaria would possess a fragment of Chronos' soul, and her main fight would be against Cheria (God Slayer, so natural enemy) and Wendy + Ultear (Ultear would die, Sky Sisters would ultimately lose), Invel would be an Ice God Slayer, Larcade would be an Etherious Angel), as well as changing Zeref's goal from dying by himself to going back in time to undo literally every bad thing ever caused in history of mankind. He'd be fine with nuking Isjgar because it would "never happen" once he achieved his goal. Obviously, that'd mean erasing most, if not everything the FT gang has bult up and been through, so they stubbornly fight back to preserve their previous memories and bonds, even if it means holding on to the pain as well.

For the "main" story, this is it. Sorry I wasted everyone's time over the years, and I hope you liked at least some parts. I poured my soul into some of those chapters. Until we meet again.