Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Makarov announced the guild’s disband, everyone opposed his decision. Nonetheless, he was unyielding, and nobody could do anything. And so, one day in early April, Fairy Tail was no more. The day that followed, Magnolia was a witness to the mages’ departure. They found their own path that Makarov talked about, or at least, they had an idea of what it could look like.

But Lucy didn’t. Her daily life shifted in the blink of an eye, going from loud laughs and friendly brawls to complete silence and unbearable solitude. The loneliness is still new to her, her apartment too quiet for once, bringing her back to her father’s mansion. Natsu and Happy leaving followed directly by Fairy Tail dissolving is too hard to process. She wants to be fine like everyone else, to go on with her life, to be normal about all of this, but it’s too complicated. She’s losing sleep, and leaving her bed is becoming harder and harder every morning. She feels too much and nothing at the same time. The guild disbanding is even more difficult for her without her best friend by her side. She’s sure that he would have been opposed to the guild’s separation, he might even restart Fairy Tail behind Makarov's back. Or maybe he would have started a revolt. She lets out a small and sad chuckle at that thought, because it sounds so much like something he’d do. And of course, Happy would support him, where Natsu goes, Happy follows, that's how it is with them. Gray would have probably followed them — but would never admit it directly — and if Gray joins in, then of course Juvia would too. Lucy knows with absolute certainty that she would have sided with them. She can imagine Erza talking it out with the Master, trying to convince him less… intensely than Natsu. Maybe then the guild would still exist. But it does not, and Natsu and Happy left her behind, as well as everyone. The blond knows that’s not exactly the truth, they did leave, but she can contact most of them still. She just can’t do it, she realizes. Besides, she can’t even reach the one she wants to talk to the most. With him by her side, the celestial mage knows it would be easier to endure, that she wouldn't be so numb and her apartment wouldn't be so thunderously silent.

Yet, she’s alone, and he left her with nothing but a tiny letter. She couldn’t even say her goodbyes, he didn’t even tell her face to face. He probably thought that his absence would be easier to deal with with all of her other friends around. Maybe it would even be unnoticeable. As if she wouldn't have missed him to death no matter who she was with. It doesn’t matter what he thought, he left, and so did everyone, the blond thinks, with more bitterness than she expected. He must know how much he means to her, he has to. So why did he run off like that, leaving her behind ? The worst part is, she doesn’t even cry. She hadn’t shed a tear since the day the guild was no more, her eyes are completely dry. Even all the memories and emotions contained in Magnolia doesn't make her cry. But it also doesn't help her depressed state. Everything in this city saddens her even more. Lucy cut her reeling thoughts short as she feels the numbness making its home in her bones again.

However, her landlord doesn’t care about her mood, only about rent, and maybe some of her clothes she would like to own. So now, Lucy has to move her ass and actually find a job, and pretty soon. Her fridge’s getting empty too quickly for her liking, just like her wallet. Still, she would rather fight Brain — or Zero or whatever — again than do that. Counting her options, she realizes she doesn’t have that many. The celestial mage isn’t ready to join another guild, hers still existed a few days ago after all. Just the idea of enlisting in another group is enough for the static to come back. So, she crosses that one option out, and goes back to pondering. Exploring her other passions, the first thing that comes to mind is literature, books, and anything related, but especially writing. She still wants to become an author someday. As she thinks, she starts to walk around her living room, it always helps her mind. Then, in the corner of her vision, her eyes catch a magazine. Suddenly, an idea blooms in her mind. She could write for a review.

So when Jason from the Sorcerer Weekly reached out to her and asked her to work for him, she was delighted. She would be able to stay close to the magical world while also doing something she revels in. That was the initial plan, however when Lucy comes in for her first day, she realizes that there has been some slight miscommunication between them. She wanted to write about mages and magic events, she didn’t want to find herself at a studio, posing in a bikini. She stops the photographer pretty quickly, gets dressed and goes to find Jason to stop this misunderstanding as soon as possible. She won’t lie, it does boost her ego to be solicited to be a model, but it’s not something she wishes to do anymore  — even less if it’s her full time job and not something she could do on the side, when her wallet feels a little too light. Lucy moved to Crocus to be able to write for the magazine, not pose in it. Once she finds Jason, everything is cleared swiftly and she’s hired as his assistant, even though she feels like she’s more of an intern. Since she changed posts pretty fast on the same day, the reporter had no tasks for her yet, so he let her go early. Lucy beams when he announces that her first day ends before the clock hits 2 pm. But on the way home, she can feel the numbness coming back. She knows that the static isn’t far behind. They always come hand in hand to mess up with her head and her heart. Except that this time, she won’t let them in, she refuses to. She fixed herself a new objective : to move forward, to find her path, like everyone else did.

Once she gets home, she goes directly in the shower. She never takes long showers or baths, her mind would get too busy and too loud. Nevertheless, once she steps out of her bathroom, the complete silence is unbearable. It's always too noisy or too quiet nowadays, but the worst days are when it's both at the same time. Because it's never the good ruckus that is ever present in the guild hall, or the nice quiet that accompanies her and her friends on their nights out. It's just and only the blaring loneliness. However, she knows that she’s not entirely alone, her spirits are still here (except one but she already decided to leave her negative thoughts for another day). Hence, she summons Plue with a smile. Just seeing the celestial spirit is enough to lighten her mood. After all, it was quite frequent to see him by her side, his pleasant company always bringing her comfort. When he appears, he greets her with a big smile and warm, boundless enthusiasm.

"Hello to you too, Plue," she returns his smile gladly, her mood already more cheerful. "How have you been ?"

"Puu, puu-puun !" He exclaims. 

"You’re right, it’s been a while, I’m sorry." Lucy apologizes with a wistful smile. She really missed him, it has been such a long time since they last saw each other.

"Puu !" The spirit speaks with eagerness and passion, his fist raised as always.

"You’re right," she laughs. "We’ll just have to make up for the time we lost."

And so they do. The celestial mage tells him everything that happened in her life, and the little spirit listens attentively. Their conversation lasts long into the night, and Lucy falls asleep with Plue in her arms. She feels a warmth she forgot about.

A few days later, Jason and Lucy are on their way to Dullahan Head, as he told her he wanted to interview them last week. With his usual excitement, he tells her more about the guild. Apparently, they're pretty new, being only a handful of years old. For Jason, that means beginner, but their rapid growth is enough for him to rant about them, and before they know it, they find themselves in front of the guild. They enter the premises, and Lucy notes that the atmosphere is as friendly as it is warm. They can see different groups hanging out in the hall. Some are eating, others are looking for jobs in front of a board and the rest are just relaxing, sometimes chatting. Jason is in charge of the interviews while Lucy has to write about the guild in itself, which she started as soon as they entered. The guild is smaller than Fairy Tail is — was, always was and never is — but the ambience is quite similar, with less brawls and shouts obviously. Lucy is projected back when Jason came to interview her friends. Of course, it’s way less chaotic than her old guild’s interview. After all, no one can top the fairies when it comes to chaos, but the bonds between Dullahan Head comrades are quite similar, she notices. This familiarity brings a nostalgic smile to her lips, but the static that accompanies the feeling isn’t here. In fact, she hadn’t been feeling it as intensely as she had a week ago. I’m getting better, I'm moving forward, she realizes softly . She’s pulled out of her mind by her colleague — boss ? — jumping from one group to another, literally. He’s taking endless pictures while shouting 'Cool, cool, super cool !' the entire time. Jason is really a passionate guy, she notes, I have to give my best too. So the mage sits back to examine everything better and jots down the observations most useful for their article. Once she concludes that she has enough material, she meets with Jason.

"Alright Lucy, since we’re finally done with all the boring stuff, let’s do the coolest part. It’s time for the interviews !" he declares.

They go on with the interviews. It’s easier than when he came to Fairy Tail since the people here are actually… normal. They don’t start random fights over the littlest thing and they certainly don’t destroy their own furniture. Their questions range from the mage’s identity to his opinion on the guild as well as its future. Their day ends early with Chrisack, a wind mage with a strange haircut. He’s bald except for an olive vertical ponytail that reminds her of a tree. His bushy mustache and beard compliments his hair somewhat. Being a mage comes with lots of weird hairdos, Lucy contemplates. She thinks his magic would have been related to plants with that hairstyle, but it could be a tactical bluff. His opponent would be prepared for roots to grab them, but the Dullahan mage would surprise them with a blast of wind. It could work, she thinks. Still, she keeps her musings to herself. Jason is handling the interview, and the blond woman takes light notes, just in case. It’s more to busy her hands than anything else. She stares at her guild mark, still on her hand, with wistful eyes. This day keeps stirring her memories, but she’s not as depressed and helpless about it as she was before. Chrisack’s voice distracts her and she focuses back on his response.

"I hope we will be strong enough to participate in the Grand Magic Games. I know we still have almost a year to prepare, and that’s why we have to train even harder. Everyone in the guild wants to take part in the tournament. Dullahan Head is growing stronger, but there are a lot of powerful guilds out there. As one of the strongest mages in the guild, I’ll probably be in our team, and that’s why I have to improve faster."

"That is if you make it after the first round," Jason remarks.

"Yes, of course. It will be such an honor to participate, and a true accomplishment to win. The Games serve to reveal the strongest guild in the continent, so winning would be the biggest achievement in any mages’ life. It would bring honor to Dullahan Head," he pauses to take a sip of his drink. "The previous tournament was really impressive, and we need to get stronger if we want to be able to compete against them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to watch everything due to some health issues."

"Everything’s fine now, right ?" Jason interjects.

"Yes, I’m completely okay. Nevertheless, I was enthralled by the performances, especially Lamia Scale and Sabertooth." The wind mage continues. "Still, Fairy Tail left quite the impression on me, and a lot of other people too I bet. Their fights were extraordinary, but it was their outlook that struck me the most. I mean, I’m in a guild and the other members are my comrades and friends, but Fairy Tail is a family. It’s deeply moving to see, even more because not a lot of guilds think that way. For example, I may consider my teammates as friends, I don’t think I’ll ever consider them as family, and I’m not sure if I want to see them as such. Still, it’s genuinely remarkable to see. Such a shame that the guild broke up."

He carries on, but Lucy can't hear him anymore. She's diving back in her memories, her hands on her laps and her notepad useless, her vision frozen on her guild mark. Chrisack didn’t even notice that she's from Fairy Tail, because why would he ? It doesn't fucking is anymore, she can't be from a non-existing guild. She feels the static slowly slipping in again and her hard work to get better, to feel normal, crumbling at the same time. All of her efforts, wasted, by a stupid simple interview. She’s frustrated with herself, she should be fine by now, it’s been almost a month. She should be normal, all her ex-guildmates are. They've been perfectly great the day right after the dissolution. So, she has to be fine too. But she isn't, she's spiraling and she's numb and everything brings her back to the one home she ever had. It's gone now, they're gone, they're gon- "COOL !" resounds across the hall, so loud it almost makes the building shake, and it's enough to get her out of her mind. Lucy never thought she would be so thankful for Jason's presence, but she is. She has no idea if he's doing it on purpose, but it's the second time he stops her gloomy thoughts with his never-ending enthusiasm.

"Alright, we’re done for the day. That was so cool ! We’ll sort everything out tomorrow so we can go home early today," Jason tells her. "You were so neat today Lucy, stay peachy !" And just like that, he’s gone.

On her way home, Lucy loses herself in her head. She seems to do a lot of that today. Once her apartment door is locked, she heads directly to the bathroom. She deserves a nice bath after that day. And as she feels her muscles relax, her memories come flooding back. She thinks of her old guild master, how he told them so easily to go their own way. She thinks of her friends and wonders where they could be, what they’re doing. And of course, she thinks of Natsu and Happy. The way they left her, so suddenly and with only a ridiculous letter. 3 little sentences, that's it. It's more of a note really. Is that what all their friendship is worth, all she's worth, a tiny note ? A tiny part of her thinks that at least he warned her, while the bigger claims that he should have told her in person. No, actually, he should have taken her with them, they're a team for god's sake ! But she's stuck here, with the solitude and the silence. She can't even write to them, can't reach them to scold them. Natsu better come back overpowered, or she'll never forgive him for abandoning her. Right now, she thinks she might never forgive him, overpowered or not (she will and she knows it, but not without feeling bitter about it). I hope they’re fine , she sighs in the water. He has to be training hard, and that thought weirdly strengthens her. If he’s improving as much as she imagines he is, then she can’t fall behind. She has to get more powerful too. While the blond dries herself, she thinks of who can help her. Pretty quickly, Capricorn comes to her mind. She'll call the spirit tomorrow to start her training, she decides. Stepping out of the bathroom, she spots Aquarius’ key on her table. The mermaid has been with her for such a long time, her absence is even more unbearable than her friends'. She wants to see her so badly, even if the spirit will certainly chide her. She cradles her key close to her heart.

“I just wish to talk to you again, to fix our connection, your key," she whispers to no one.

An idea forms itself in her head, her body shaking with adrenaline as it grows. Lucy could fix her key. She could even create a new one if she needs to. Suddenly, she finally understands Makarov's words. She begins to see the new path she'll walk on, and she can already spots her mermaid at the end of it. As her new project gains more grounds and a better outline, she starts to organize her free time to accommodate her new goals : fix Aquarius' key and get stronger. Grinning confidently, she feels herself getting all fired up. However, she’s not hot-blooded like Natsu, she needs a concrete plan to proceed. Besides, she actually doesn't know how celestial keys are made. So she calls Crux, his knowledge about anything related to celestial spirits is crucial, and Plue too, because she feels better with the little spirit by her side. Once they appear, one with his usual happiness and the other with his usual calmness, she welcomes them both with an enthusiasm she hadn’t a week ago, Plue notices.

“Hello, it’s been quite some time, Crux. How are you ?"

“Indeed it has, Miss Lucy. I’ve been doing good, thank you for asking. How may I help you ?"

“I need information about celestial keys, anything and everything you can find. More precisely, I want to know their origin, how they appear in my world."

“It will be quite the arduous task, Miss Lucy."

With a small sigh, she apologizes. “I thought so. It’s not urgent, so take all the time you need. Still, the sooner, the better. But don’t pressure yourself, I have time. I’ll investigate on my side too."

“As you wish. There is a lot of information I need to gather, so it’s better that I’ll return now."

“Thank you Crux, you’re a lifesaver," she smiles at him, and the cross-shaped spirit leaves. Lucy turns to the dog-like spirit with a grin. “Let’s get started on the preparations too, shall we ?"

“Puu-puun !"

Since the night has already begun — and that she still has work tomorrow — Lucy doesn’t make a lot of progress in her research, none even. With Plue’s companionship, she writes her course of action. She intends to either fix or forge Aquarius’ key, and for that, she needs to find someone who can repair her key, or that can create a key connecting to the celestial spirits’ world, and she’s not sure if such an individual exists. And if they do in fact exist, she has no idea how or where to find them (a miniscule part of her whispers that she could learn how to forge the key herself). The thought of never finding a person with that ability makes her waver a little, but the notion of seeing Aquarius again strengthens her far more. Besides, Lucy has always been more optimistic than pessimistic. Picking up the broken key, she examines it. She passes her fingers on the embellishments, her fingers stopping on the spirit’s symbol. Another idea shapes itself in her head and she gets up to go find some thread. She enters one end in the small hole at the top of the key, and Plue watches as she wears it around her neck. With her plan clearer on the paper than in her mind, the blond decides to go to sleep. She’ll need all the energy she can get after all. So, when Lucy isn't working, she's either browsing every library she could find, getting ready to travel, or training with Capricorn. After two weeks, she already feels much stronger and she’s rather proud of herself. She may be nowhere near Erza level, but she knows she never will be, that woman has the strength of a God and the determination of a legend. Capricorn, however, doesn’t seem to agree with her.

“You have a lot of potential, Miss Lucy. Don’t sell yourself short."

“I won’t, I won’t," she sighs. “But I always felt like I was the weakest on the team, the others always seem to be saving me . Besides, you've seen Erza fight, she’s the strongest knight to have ever lived, I'm sure."

“Yes, her talent is undoubtedly extraordinary. But you must have noticed the progress you made during all these years. It’s rather difficult to recognize your own strength when you’re surrounded by such powerful mages, that is all."

She smiles, it's small, but it’s hopeful. “You’re right, I’m way stronger than I was when I left Father's property."

“Indeed. You must remember, you’re able to call three spirits at the same time, and from the Zodiac no less. You also summoned the Celestial Spirit King, that’s not something you should forget so easily."

“Right, that’s true. Thank you Capricorn," she beams at him

“No problem, Miss Lucy. Now let’s get back to work, the break is over."

She groans, but still obliges. If she wants to get stronger, she has to work hard, harder than she ever had. Outside of her training, the blond searches for any clue she can get about the creation of the celestial keys. But she found little to no new information. Even when she takes myths and rumors into account, she still ends up pretty much empty handed. There is absolutely no information about the creation of a celestial spirit gate key. At least not in her world, and she hopes that Crux has more luck than her.

A week passes before he contacts her. However, he announces that his research has been inconclusive, just like hers. Lucy's mood drops, but she tries to stay positive. Just because he doesn't have any answers didn’t mean that her goal was unattainable. It just meant that nobody tried before. A lot of mages have created their own spells from scratch, why couldn't she ? Despite the bad news, the spirit also came with good news. He had localized a guild, the one of a kind sort of group, named Ilmari Forge. He explains that even though it’s mainly a craftsman guild specialized in blacksmithing, it also counts numerous mages. In fact, they can receive jobs like any magical guild would, in addition to the commissions they accept. He explains that maybe she could find someone there to help her. The celestial mage is quite surprised to be oblivious of their existence, since it seems like a renowned guild and pretty big one too. Crux informs her that they’re located in Pergrande Kingdom, in the mountains near the borders of Iceberg. And so, with that new information, she starts planning to leave as soon as possible for the guild, hoping to finally be able to see her favorite mermaid.

Finally, around a month and a half after she arrived at Crocus, Lucy is ready to depart for the mountains of Pergrande this time. She trained and she’s stronger than before, more determined than ever. And so, on a nice day in June, Lucy leaves Crocus to find a powerful blacksmith to help her.

When Crux comes back to the celestial spirit world, he finds Aquarius waiting for him.

"Why did you lie to her ?" She immediately interrogates him, and she looks ready to pounce on him. "You know that a celestial spirit key will recreate itself someday."

"Yes, around a year or so after it’s broken," he specifies.

"Why did you lie then ?"

"Miss Lucy needed a goal, not necessarily the truth," the cross-shaped spirit explains.

"Bullshit," she spits with an angry frown. "She had a job, didn’t she ?"

"She wouldn’t be satisfied with it, you know it as much as I do. Miss Lucy likes adventures and magic, she needed to reconnect with that," he patiently explains. "Meeting new people will help her start anew, even if she doesn’t join a guild."

"So you want her to forget her friends from Fairy Tail ?" The mermaid accuses harshly.

"Of course not. Besides we both know that’s impossible, Fairy Tail is a part of her. I want her to have a new objective, something to give her hope and determination, something that makes her want to strive forward," Crux clarifies. "We’ve all been witness to Fairy Tail’s resolve, the guild still exists, its dissolution won’t stop its members from keeping it alive. They’re going to reassemble someday, we all know that. And at that moment, Miss Lucy would be overjoyed to tell them about her own adventures."

Aquarius keeps quiet, before leaving with a grumble about a certain 'stupid girl', and the mustachioed spirit sighs softly.

Chapter Text

As a reporter from the biggest magical magazine, Sorcerer Weekly, Jason was enjoying the Grand Magic Games. Well, enjoying shouldn't be the word to use since he's supposed to work, but it is. He's having a great time right now, really. Mages are really the coolest, he thinks, it would have been neat to have Lucy’s opinion too on the fights. As a mage, she could perceive the battles from a different point of view, a pro one, Jason liked to say. Then, the trumpets sounded, and the two finalist teams entered the arena. This fight pitted Dullahan head against Scarmiglione for the title of most powerful guild of Fiore. Though, he doesn't think that's right, since not all the guilds from the kingdom are participating. Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Saber Tooth and even Quatro Cerberus are no show. And of course, Fairy Tail isn't there either, but for other reasons than the other guilds. The match starts with Scarmiglione going all out and surprising everyone with their strength, especially their opponents. Despite their best efforts, Dullahan Head still loses, and pretty fast if Jason had to be honest. The commentators, shocked by the sudden difference between the two teams, are about to declare the winner when an intruder steps in the arena. The reporter can’t see their features, their coat and hood obscuring his view. Just then, he feels it, immense heat. He can see the Scarmiglione mages retreating, having felt it way before him. He can faintly pick up them asking for their identity, as the coliseum melts more and more.

"Me ? I’m a challenger !" The mysterious person responds, and Jason can hear the cocky grin in their voice. It sounds somewhat familiar, but he can’t put his finger on it. He doesn’t have the time to think about it anyways, as he exits the arena for his own safety.

In the middle of the arena, the mysterious figure stands proudly, alone. The Scarmiglione group ran off a while ago, their clothes melting even more than the coliseum.

"I think you did too much again, Natsu," a blue cat with wings says with a simple smile.

The cloaked figure snickers. "If they were stronger, they wouldn't have run off."

The cat agrees, before noticing how empty the stadium is. "Where are the others anyway ? There’s no way these guys beat Fairy Tail. I bet they wouldn’t even be able to defeat Quatro Puppy."

"Yeah, that’s weird. Maybe it wasn’t the final," the pink haired ponders.

They aren’t granted any more time to think before the royal guards come to arrest them for the ruckus they made. They get dragged by the very furious and tired guards to the dungeon. However as soon as they arrive in the cell, they’re out again. The king still seems to favor Fairy Tail. But the feeling doesn’t seem to be shared by the palace guards, who tell them very clearly to never show their faces here again. The dragon slayer even hears one mumble how they're not paid enough to deal with the likes of him, which he snorts at. Free again, they now have to find a way back to Fairy Tail. The fastest route would be by train, but Natsu is strongly opposed to that idea. As they discuss how to return to Magnolia, someone interrupts them.

"You’re Natsu Dragneel and Happy from Fairy Tail !"

The duo turns around to see who’s addressing them, and they find a strange too eager blond man with a weird vertical strand of hair. In fact, the strand is currently curiously bouncing from right to left.

"Who are you ?" The fire mage questions, his tone annoyed and his eyes squinting in suspicion.

Fearing for his life just a little — but somehow still excited to talk to the Salamander — Jason explains who he is and what he does in life. At some point, he mentions Lucy working with him for a month or two, and the pair immediately perks up.

"You worked with Lucy ?!" They exclaim.

"I didn’t think she would be this low on jewels, the jobs at the guild should be enough."

"Wait, you don’t know ?"

"Don’t know what ?" The Exceed inquires, confused.

"Hum, well…" The reporter hesitates.

"What, spit it out." Natsu’s getting more and more irked by this guy. It's been a whole year since they've seen any of their guildmates — except for Gildarts, but he doesn't really count, it's rarer to meet him than not — they just want to go home and see them, and this rando is delaying their reunion. It's been so long since they've seen their friends that he's even starting to miss Gray. That makes him shudder.

"Your guild… disbanded," He says the end of his sentence so quietly that even the dragon slayer has to strain his ears to hear him. But when he does, shock is not enough to describe what he’s currently feeling. Astonishment, anger, incomprehension, and sadness fall upon him in a flash.

"What ?" The cat asks. "I didn't hear anything."

Jason doesn’t answer, but Natsu does. "... The guild disbanded."

"WHAT ?! Why would Gramps do that ?"

This time, Jason is the one to respond. He explains that it's been a year since the guild dissolution, that everyone was taken by surprise. He doesn't have the time to say more before the duo interrogates him, probing for any little piece of information he could have. They're upset by the news and Jason completely understands. Their life switched in the split of a second, they didn't get any time to adapt. Still, the irony of the situation isn’t lost on him, the interviewer turning into the interviewee. They ask about what the members became and where they are. He answers what he can, but he doesn't know much. He's not a member of Fairy Tail, he just like the group. Nevertheless, in his line of work, one is bound to pick up information one way or another. And so, he tells Natsu and Happy about every rumor he heard that could be relevant.

"Apparently, a few members ended up joining Blue Pegasus. I also heard that there's a dragon slayer at Lamia Scale. I have no idea who it is though, just that they're cool," he informs them.

"What ‘bout Lucy ? You said she worked with you," the pink haired questions rather intently.

"Yes she did, but…" Breathing in, Jason gets the words out, but not without fearing the other’s reaction. "She left Fiore soon after she quitted. I have no idea why or where she went, I swear."

The fire mage's reaction is quite… underwhelming. He looks almost frozen, fully still and quiet, the opposite of his usual self. The Exceed is no better, his mood clearly going from curious and hopeful to depressed and morose. Jason takes this opportunity to flee the scene, scared of what the dragon slayer could do once he recovers. Natsu who hates change now has to face all of these shifts ; the guild splitting, their guildmates moving on and letting Fairy Tail perish, their team disappearing. They just wanted to come back and see all of their mates' faces painted with surprise at their new power. But now, they have to wait even more before seeing anyone. Natsu is a vagabond at heart, but he still cherishes the guild, because he knows that's the only place he calls home. He knows that no matter how long he travels, he'll always be welcomed back, and most importantly, he knows that he'll be able to see all of his comrades happy and relaxed. But now, not only does he have nowhere, he also has no one to return to. Happy's thoughts seem to be going in the same direction as his. The cat's body is caved in on itself, and his ears are completely dropped down. Now that they're alone, they can wallow in misery as much as they want without having to deal with someone bothering them. They also have to decide on their next move. The sun may still be high in the sky, but that doesn't change the fact that they have no place to stay for the night.

However, their goal is clear : reunite with their friends and rebuild Fairy Tail. After pulling themselves together, the pair have to decide where to look first. Their best leads are Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, as Jason told them. Natsu is more inclined to visit Lamia Scale, as Jason mentioned a dragon slayer there. Happy agrees, because wherever a dragon slayer is, an Exceed follows. The blue furball secretly hopes they find Wendy since it would mean seeing Carla. Plus, the idea of seeing Ichiya solidifies his and Happy’s choice to stop by Lamia Scale rather than Blue Pegasus. That guy creeps Natsu out, and his friend tells him that the feeling is shared by everyone that meets him. Thus, they decide, they’ll go to Lamia Scale, hoping to see one or two of their guildmates. And so, to Natsu’s greatest displeasure, they take the train to Margaret Town.

The train ride is quiet, even taking into account Natsu motion sickness. The air around them is heavy with sorrow and uncertainty, and Happy is immersed in his thoughts. The fire mage gets it, they have a lot to process in less than a day. He himself can't grasp the fact that Fairy Tail is no more. His family has separated, his best friend not only left Magnolia, but the kingdom. He regrets leaving the way he did back then, even though he knows he needed to. Still, if he had waited just a day or two, he could have stopped it. Maybe. The pink haired could at least have said proper goodbyes to his guildmates, to his partner. But if he had, he knows that he would have a harder time leaving, which he needed to. He had to go, not only to get more powerful, but also to heal properly from his emotional wounds. And he can't recover when the whole guild is expecting him to protect them, to be strong, to be happy and smiling, always. That's why he went on this journey, only with Happy.

Nevertheless, he knows that seeing Lucy's sad face as tears gather in her eyes would have his resolve wavering, and him not going in the end. The only thing she needed to do was to ask to stay, and he knows he would have. The dragon slayer regrets not taking her with him, but he can't protect her and grieve at the same time. He recognizes that she's a powerful mage that doesn't need his protection, but he likes taking care of the blond and he cherishes the familiarity of her relying on him. A little voice in his head tells him that maybe, she could have been the one to look after him while he mourns his father, while he sort out his feelings. But, he's not used to being vulnerable in front of anyone except Happy, and he's unsure if he would allow her to guard him like he does for her. It's quite difficult to become the protected when you're so used to being the protector, and Natsu would rather not have it another way when it comes to Lucy.

Suddenly, the train makes a harsh turn and his thoughts pause as a wave of nausea rises from his stomach to his mouth. Soon enough, they arrive at Margaret Town station, and he directly kisses the ground, declaring how he'll never take the train ever again.

"You always say that," his best friend laughs. "Come on, we have people to find."

As they make their way to the guild, they hypothesize which dragon slayer joined Lamia Scale. Both of them agree that they would rather see Wendy than Gajeel. Slowly, they start to notice the festive mood of the city. However, for some reason Natsu can’t comprehend, people seem to avoid them, especially him.

"What’s up with them ?" He wonders, annoyed. Happy, not one to stay quiet, makes it clear that he scares people with his incessant questioning and his intimidating endless energy.

"I think it's also because of how you look. No offense but you look like a tramp," the Exceed says with his usual light tone. "Your clothes look like crumbling rags."

The dragon slayer huffs, but he can’t deny what the other pointed out. He’s in a desperate need of a haircut, and he’s lucky he doesn’t smell that bad, despite the fact that his last shower dates back to a few days already. Still, a nice bath and a haircut would be great. They question some more folks who avoid them, until a kind soul takes pity on them and helps them. The stranger explains about the event currently happening : Thanksgiving Day. The duo asks for directions to the Lamia Scale, which they point them to. They thank the person before heading in the direction they indicated.

They arrive shortly after, however they have no way to enter the guild, a large crowd blocking them. It's so big that they can barely see the podium at the front. They force their way forward to have a better view of the stage, and they can now not only hear, but also see the guy with big eyebrows — "His name is Yuka," the Exceed reminds Natsu — introduces the various performances. It seems to be a festival held to strengthen the town and guild's bond. They decide to watch it for a bit since they can't access Lamia Scale for now. The first thing they attend is Lyon's act. They're rather familiar with his magic since they fought him once and that Gray uses the same magic. However, his abilities are entirely distinct from Gray's. The dark haired is specialized in static ice magic, while Lyon uses dynamic ice magic. The pair as well as the audience are completely mesmerized by the liveliness of his ice, the coldest element there is. As his show ends with thunderous applause, Yuka announces the next act. Natsu and Happy watch attentively the dog-like mage's act. They haven't seen much of the other members yet, but Toby's performance is easily their favorite, his silliness putting them in a better mood. Some more shows go by before Yuka introduces the Sky Sisters, and right in front of their confused eyes, the crowd goes crazy, cheering excitedly. And then, watching with astonished eyes, the duo recognizes Wendy dancing and singing along with Sherria.

"Wha-What’s going on ? Why is Wendy singing and dancing like that ?" Happy asks, shocked. But Natsu has no clue either, he’s just as aghast as he is.

"We need to get her back on the right track…" The fire mage says, somehow offended by his ex-guildmates actions.

"And who are you to judge ?" A new voice questions him, coming from behind. Turning around, they're face to face with a teenager. She seems to be around 15 or 16 years old, but no older that's for sure. She has brown eyes and white hair, but her most noticeable trait is the tail and the cat ears protruding on the top of her head. They stand there, confused by this stranger while a clever smile is painted on her face. Natsu has to admit, it's been a very perplexing day for the pair.

"Who are you ?" He asks. She seems to know them, but he has no idea who she could be, even though her scent is familiar.

"What, you don’t recognize me ? I’m disappointed," the girl says. "It’s me, Carla."

Natsu would like to reiterate that this day is not only really disorienting, but also too eventful for his liking, and seeing Carla as a human is absolutely not helping.

Soon after, Carla — still as a human, Happy can't wrap his head around this — leads them to Lamia Scale, where they find Wendy, Sherria as well as Lyon's team hanging out. When the sky mage sees them, she almost bursts into tears. Natsu asks her if she'd grown, because it seems like she did in their year apart, but she responds the negative. The members at Lamia Scale are very welcoming as they prepare some tea for them while they talk with their ex-guildmates, and the pair thank them. Naturally, they talk about Fairy Tail and they ask about the other members. Even though Natsu considers all of his comrades as family, some of them are more precious. The people he grew up with, the friends that made up his team, he wants to find them first. However, neither Wendy or Carla knows anything. Just like that blond guy, they only heard rumors. According to those, there should be a few members that joined the council, Carla — now switched back to cat — explains. Lyon join in the conversation by sharing another peculiar rumor going around. It would appear that there’s a seemingly usual village, if they were to ignore how rain falls without end for months now. The weirdest part, the stranger tells the group, is the fact that it only falls on the small town, not one drop outside its borders. The village is located at the outskirts of the town, to the east. Natsu doesn't know a lot of people capable of that, and he's pretty sure that's the same for the others. So, it seems that Juvia is the next on their list to be picked up.

"Let's get goin' then Wendy," Natsu says, lifting her up and turning to exit the guild.

The others stop him, and once Wendy's on the floor again, she tells them that she's a member of Lamia Scale now, not Fairy Tail. She can't come with them, but she's happy the guild is getting reassembled. They try to convince her, but Carla intervenes, and so they stop, defeated by Wendy's refusal. Still, they have no place to stay for the night, so Lyon offers them a room — shower included he precises — and to Natsu a haircut. It won't be as good as Cancer would do, but he’s probably biased. They accept graciously, thanking him enthusiastically and profusely. They leave for their room, and once the duo arrive, they practically run to the bathroom, in desperate need of a bath. They take their time in the water, processing all of these changes. The team has no guild to return to, no friends to stay with. Just like in the train, it's quiet between them. The silence isn't uncomfortable, their bond so strong that no words need to be exchanged. Nevertheless, the air is heavy with sadness and renewed grief.

"Happy…" the dragon slayer starts.

"Yeah ?"

"The guild's really gone, huh ?"

"… I still can't believe it," the cat responds, with the same disbelief his friend feels. It's silent again, and they get out of the bath. Natsu finds new clothes on the bed, courtesy of Wendy and Lyon he supposes. He changes, once again thanking Lamia Scale and Wendy's benevolence. After a moment, Happy asks.

"... What should we do about Wendy ?"

Thinking for a second, his best friend answers with a malicious glint in his eyes. "Let's kidnap her."

Just when they were about to put their plan into action, a rumble shake the whole city. They run outside, and after reuniting with some of Lamia Scale members, they learn that a horde of monsters are attacking the town, lead by their rival guild, Orochi's Fin. Natsu hears Toby reporting that there's one hundred thousand of them. Natsu, greatly craving action to distract his mind, is thrilled to finally fight. So, they help them take down the guild's opponents.

Quitting Margaret Town and Lamia Scale took a toll on Wendy. Despite Carla, Natsu and Happy's reassurance and support, she's been crying since they left. She's both sad and happy somehow. The sky mage wishes she could be a part of Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale at the same time. But that's not possible, and when it comes down to make a choice, she knows her heart will always favor Fairy Tail over Lamia Scale. Even though she has quite some difficulty to do so, the brunette composes herself and calms down. Rather sooner than later, they arrive at this curious village. Lyon did say that the rain falls only on the small town, but seeing it in real life is certainly quite a sight.

"Wow, it really only rains on the village," Happy remarks. "Look ! Here it rains and here it doesn't !" He says as he moves swiftly from the wet side to the other. Natsu soon joins him in his silliness.

"Nowadays, it's half and half Happy !" He exclaims.

"Do you really think she’s here ?" Wendy asks, watching them. At least, these two are in a good mood, she thinks.

"She has to be, I don't know a lot of people capable of that," Carla says. And so they enter the town, hoping to meet Juvia.

They find her thanks to the dragon slayers' kin senses, and the poor woman isn't in the best shape. She hallucinates them as Gray when they find her, and then she falls unconscious. They take her to what they assume is her house and Wendy treats her as she informs them of her fever. Shortly after, Juvia wakes up. She, very proudly, tells them that she and Gray lived in this village and house together, as Natsu figured out as his scent was still faintly here. She continues, explaining everything they did and how she ended up alone in the village. Once she's done, Wendy instructs her to rest so she can heal faster, and Juvia falls asleep while the group leave the room to debrief.

Then, Natsu suggests going to Saber Tooth. The rest of the group are confused until he discloses what Rogue from the future revealed to him. He explains how he thinks that this could be all connected to Gray, and that they should find the present Rogue to find the ice mage. Carla is a bit reluctant to his plan. Since they changed the present, their future shouldn’t be the same as what Rogue experienced, or will experience. Still, that’s the only lead they have, Wendy argues. And so, Natsu, Wendy and Happy head to Sabertooth while Carla stays by Juvia’s side. To the dragon slayers’ greatest pleasure, they’re able to find mounts to travel, which means they won't have to take the train or other moving vehicles.

Yukino is the first to greet them when they arrive at Sabertooth. She's delighted to see them, and once they proudly announce that Fairy Tail is reborning from its ashes, she's so moved that they see tears forming in her eyes. She looks almost happier than they feel. They talk a bit more, before Lector and a round blond man rush to greet them. Natsu and Wendy recognize him, but Happy is left confused by this familiar stranger running up to them.

"Hello Sting, how are you ?" The sky mage asks politely.

"That’s Sting ?!" The blue cat stares, completely bewildered.

"I’m good, great even ! It’s really nice to see you after such a long time," the blond says. "What have you guys been up to ?"

"Trainin’ mostly. What ‘bout you ?" Natsu questions.

"How did you end up like that ?" The Exceed urges. But before he can answer, he goes back to the shape they're used to.

"We had an eating contest…" Yukino interjects. "It’s a guild’s tradition, we hold a yearly eating competition. As you can see, he gave everything he had."

"Yeah I always do ! But Miss Minerva still won." Sting tells them with a pout.

Happy’s still very perplexed as to how Sting changed so much, not only in one year but also when Yukino intervened. She explains that she was able to change his appearance thanks to Libra’s powers. Her presence makes Lucy’s absence more evident and more hurtful. Trying his luck, Natsu asks if they have any information about their friends from Fairy Tail. Yukino apologizes as she tells them that they have no knowledge of any of their whereabouts. But as she thinks about it, an idea comes to her mind. She could try to ask her spirits to seek Lucy's spirits and they may be able to communicate with her that way. Enthusiastically, the trio requests her to try, but then Wendy suddenly remembers their original goal. She reminds them that they have to find Rogue quickly, and they immediately question the other members for his location, as they notice that he's in fact not there. Confused, Lector informs them that he left not long ago with Miss Minerva and Frosch for a job.

"They're probably at the entrance of the town by now…" The brown Exceed tells them.

"Shit !" Natsu hurries out hoping to catch him. "Wendy, Happy, let's go !"

"Aye aye !" Happy salutes as he and Wendy follow him out, shouting their thanks and goodbyes. They leave puzzled mages and a cloud of dust behind them.

They find the dark magic cult more easily than Wendy thought they would. However, they now have to find a way inside, and she has no idea how to proceed. Thankfully — or not — Natsu is great at plans, according to no one but him. Of course, she has spent enough time with him to know that he’s just gonna barge in and fight anyone in his way ; and she would rather sneak her way in. Happy agrees with her, and the fire mage pouts.

The plan was going on smoothly, Natsu melting a window and them slipping in the church without a sound, looking around for their dark haired friend. And then, all of their efforts went down the drain when a cultist noticed them. They weren’t fast enough to silence him. Now, all the cult knows intruders are hiding in the building, and they can’t escape without a fight. Wendy starts to panic while Natsu looks happier than before, finally allowed to punch someone. He’s really not made for stealth, she thinks desperately. At least, the commotion did some good and brought Gray their way, strange black marks on half of his body. He looks rather fed up, but so does Natsu. She hears the dark haired sighs as he freezes the whole crowd, his expression shifting from annoyed to relinquished, leaving their trio puzzled. She has some ideas as to why he would do that, and she decides to settle on the more hopeful ones. The ones that tell her that he's not actually evil, but somehow got entangled in this mess, maybe even against his will or through brainwash.

"Of course it’s you fire brain." Gray says, then turns and nods at the sky mage. "Hey Wendy, you've grown. I’m surprised you agreed to his plan."

"... I didn’t," she admits, still on guard. "I wanted to sneak in."

"What the hell are you doin' here Gray ? Juvia’s waitin’ for you." Natsu intervenes, pissed off.

He can't believe that he left Juvia to join this evil group. He probably did it for a dumb reason, like getting close to Zeref — as if he would ever check out this insignificant cult — or hunting demons. Okay maybe that last one isn't dumb, but still. He abandoned Juvia and she's now miserable because of him. Natsu would never do that, he tells himself. Except that it's exactly what he did, a small voice whispers. He left Lucy. And he only dropped off a letter at her place, not even meeting with her to explain everything before their departure. Still at least he explained why he left. Not in detail, sure, but he thought he would've been able to tell her about it when he came back. He couldn't have predicted the guild's dissolution, he's not Carla. He focuses back on the situation at hand, waiting for a response from the ice mage.

Gray doesn't say anything, but at the mention of Juvia's name, a remorseful look passes quickly on his face. The teenager can see guilt weighing on him. If she wasn't benevolent (if she wasn't Wendy), maybe she would have felt somewhat good on the water mage behalf, knowing how he feels about deserting her. It doesn't look like he knows about Juvia's current health. And if he did, she knows he would feel worse about his decision. The two of them seem to have really connected, their relationship deepening, but not yet what Juvia wants. Once more, the dark haired sighs before taking out a rectangle object from his pocket that she recognizes as a sort of communication lacrima. He presses it to his ear, calling a certain 'Code Red' and referring to himself as 'Code Blue'. With round eyes, they see the dark marks disappearing from his body. He passes the lacrima to Natsu, and she hears Erza's voice coming from the device. To say that this day has been perplexing is an understatement. They found the rain filled village, then Juvia, she told them that she's been living with Gray for 6 months now, who left her to join a dark cult — or not ? — and now, Erza seems to be involved. It's not that surprising, but that's still a lot of emotions and chaos to experience in approximately 24 hours, even when you're from Fairy Tail.

Now that he's reunited with almost all his team and four of his guildmates, Natsu's enthusiasm urges the others to do their part in reviving Fairy Tail. Since Levy, Gajeel and Lily work at the Magic Council, they should be able to find their guildmates. Besides, she tells them that she kept contact with some of their friends, like Jet and Droy, and to the others' surprise, she also kept contact with Lucy. Only for a short time, she informs them, but it's still better than that blonde dude. The short woman explains that they communicated via letters, but stopped several months ago, as Lucy told her she was leaving Fiore. She relates that she left for the Pergrande Kingdom to find a key, but that's all she knows. Everyone is puzzled, Lucy already has ten out of the twelve gold keys of the Zodiacs, while Yukino has the remaining two. What sort of key could be so important — and potentially so powerful — that she had to leave the kingdom to get it. But then, Erza remembers something that Mard Geer said when he interrupted her fight with Minerva, and she thinks it could be connected. As she explains, the others' faces are painted with shock.

"Wait, wait, so Lucy summoned the fucking Celestial Spirits King ?!" Gajeel's bewilderment matching Lily's.

"I'm not shocked, Luce's very strong," Natsu announces confidently, but Happy calls out his bluff.

"Yeah, but we're talking about the Celestial Spirits King here. I didn't even know that he had a key until now, even less that Lucy has it," Gray interjects, a frown on his face.

"That must be how we escaped from that cube after it absorbed us," Levy guesses, her chin in her hand and her eyebrows puckered in thoughts.

"But why would she need to travel to Pergrande to obtain a key she already has ?" Juvia reasons.

"Maybe she lost it ?" The blue cat tries, but any friends of Lucy know that there's no way she would lose her keys, as it means losing connection to her friends and breaking her word. They have no idea why she would leave to get a key she already has, and they can only make so many speculations. In the end, they're no closer to finding her and bringing her back to Fairy Tail with them.

"Whatever it is, we have all the time to find out later. For now, we need to plan on what to do at the moment," Erza decides. "We need to leave for Magnolia so we can locate and contact the other members and finally rebuild the guild. The sooner, the better."

However, they can't leave this poor town like this, and decide to stick around to help clean a bit. With the help of the Magic Council and the efforts of the inhabitants, they finish quite swiftly. They stay barely two days before they're on a train back to their own town. For once in his life, Natsu almost looks forward to the journey, because it means going back to his home and his friends faster. Still, no matter how much he's eager to be back in Magnolia, the ride is still horrible thanks to his motion sickness.

At least, he's not the only one to suffer, as he notices Gajeel looking sick too. But the iron mage has Levy to tend to him, while he has no one like that, not in the way they do — not in the way he used to, when his team was still assembled. He knows his friends care for him. Erza did look after him multiple times, but her methods were always too much like her to his liking. But right now, he craves Lucy's soft touch, he realizes. It always seemed to ease his nausea somehow, in a way that nothing else could. Troia was amazing and he wishes he could still be affected by it, but when Wendy wasn't around, nothing worked better than Lucy's fingers stroking his hair or rubbing his back. Instead, he's stuck with Gray's stupid and very punchable face right in front of him and this ache in his heart.

Once they disembark the train — and take a moment to let the dragon slayers breathe — they head directly where their home stood, proud and strong. They decided to start with the members they still are in contact with. Levy hypothesized that it’ll probably have a ripple effect, each person contacted informing someone else. And slowly — or not, considering it’s Fairy Tail — but surely, the guild was back up and running in a week, give or take. It's been two or three weeks since Natsu came back and he's already reunited with all of his friends, working hard to rebuild their home. Except for Gildarts, but that's expected since he's always away traveling and training, and the fact that he saw him during his year apart is quite pleasant. Laxus and his team aren't here either and he doesn't have a clue where they could be, but he hopes they come back soon. He misses the reassuring feeling of having them around since they're all very strong and reliable. Natsu loves his friends, and he wants them back, the distance between them saddens him. However, Gramps and Lucy's absence haunts him, he hurts even more when he thinks of them. He desperately wants to see them, and he can see that the sentiment is shared by his companions.

With the old man's absence, they need a new guildmaster too. Thus, Erza is naturally picked for the role. However, it's clear to read the disappointment on her face. She says so herself, the position is temporary, she'll be guildmaster until Makarov's return. And that's when Mest appears. He wants them to save Makarov — which they would have done, whether he asked or not. Then, he turns to Erza, declaring that as the new guildmaster, she has to know about the guild's secret. That's how she finds herself following him to the basement, wondering what this secret might be. They arrive in front of a tall door, and all of her musing couldn't have prepared her for what she sees, the first guildmaster's body trapped in a clear crystal. Mest calls it Lumen Histoire and he starts his explanation. However, it's cut short when Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Juvia and of course, Happy and Carla, fall flat on the floor. Apparently, they've been hiding behind the door, and even though she's a bit exasperated by their antics, she's glad she doesn't have to understand and process everything alone.

She urges Mest to continue despite the interruption, and to facilitate his explanation, he decides to share his memories, which we'll be clearer to understand than just his words. They see what happened that night with Makarov, why he disbanded the guild and more importantly, why he left. Now that they know the truth, they have to establish a plan. They'll bring back Gramps and Lucy. Only then, with everyone reunited will the guild be fully restored. Erza, not only the temporary guildmaster but also the leader of their group, makes the decision to look for Makarov first since they have more clues on his whereabouts. Once that's done, they'll pinpoint Lucy's location and go find her. And just like that, team Erza starts packing up for their infiltration into Alvarez.

Chapter Text

Erza was currently looking around the harbor, trying to find a ship that'll take them to Caracole Island. According to Mest and their plan, they're supposed to meet his secret agent there and get supplies. While their leader was busy searching, the rest of the team hang back, chatting and waiting for her return. Which she eventually did, looking quite pleased. So she found a boat then, and pretty quickly. However, they'll have to stay on the low and not attract any unwanted attention, she explains, looking pointedly at Natsu who grumbles in response. They're making their way to the ship and Wendy hears her pink haired friend mumbles something about 'vehicles' and 'nightmares of the dragon slayers', and she can't help but agree silently with him. The trip passes by hastily and soon enough they arrive at the island of their dream. Well, it would be if Alvarez's troops weren't there too, alarming them. Natsu speaks up through his nausea to inform them that they're here to look for a spy and their accomplices. Their rescue mission is still ongoing then, they'll just have to keep an even lower profile than before. A cover would be great then, and Wendy suggests using Cait Shelter as a front. It works perfectly, and they make it to the island more peacefully than how their usual missions go. Mest goes to meet the spy and Erza, Natsu, Gray and Juvia take a moment to stop at a gelato shop. Erza, particularly fond of sweet treats, is properly enjoying her ice cream, especially since they don't have it in Magnolia. They're chatting with the owner, completely at ease, until the shop explodes right in the middle of his sentence. In place of the shop stands a man with spiky hair and a simple smile.

Erza shouts in anger and lets her magic flow as she tries to change, while the new guy introduces himself, totally unconcerned about the furious woman preparing to strike. But she never does, instead a cloud of smoke slowly gathers around her and she disappears with an alarmed and enraged expression, completely unable to transform. The stranger smiles more and the fairies scream her name in shock, their mouth agape. Not a second after, they shift their stances into battle. Their enemy only continues smiling, his cheery personality annoyingly eerie as he explains his magic. And to illustrate it, Mest appears out of nowhere, crashing into the ground, but without any of the smoke treatment, the guy didn't deem him worthy enough for the theatrics. As they take in his injuries and his unconscious state, their faces twist even more into rage. The sky starts to darken, the sunny island covered by clouds, as rain falls slowly. It's not a downpour (yet), but it's enough for Natsu and Gray to get the message, and they feel the same as Juvia. The Alvarez soldier is taunting them now, his gaze locked on Juvia only, giving her the creeps among the fury. However, his face is torn between liveliness and anger, his smile strained.

They blink and he's gone, appearing just next to Natsu and sending him flying with a punch. Gray and Juvia don't even have the time to react before he disappears again, and this time reappearing behind Gray, kicking him in the back and launching him away. Juvia responds with a water slash, but it doesn't hit as he teleports before it can even skim him. Despite his earlier ruthless behavior, he's not attacking her, but he's back at staring at her creepily. She sees movement in the corner of her eyes, and she goes to attack at the same time as Natsu throws a punch, but neither of them make contact with their target. His space magic is seriously irritating, she thinks. But when does that ever stopped any of them, even more when one of their friends got hurt ? Juvia aims at his legs and Natsu as his head, but the man evades both attacks with a frustrating ease once more. He reappears close to one of the shops and an ice hammer falls on him. However, his magic saves him once again. This time, he's at the destroyed shop, and the trio shares a look, an understanding of a coordinated attack. Half a second pass and they're about to put their plan in action when a sudden overwhelming presence hits them.

The new magic's unbearable, and they freeze, sweat forming on their forehead. A new person approach, walking slowly towards the wrecked mango shop. It's woman, with short green hair and a blasé look on her face. She looks slightly older than them, but still young, probably in her mid to late twenties. She has a long coat, matching her long her dark brown flare pants. She has a crop top, the straps of which are chains linked to the choker on her neck. Their opponent greets her warmly, even going to compliment her appearance, and she responds with a disgusted look. He calls her Brandish they hear, as she tells him — Marin, they learn — to stop fooling around. She makes a bee line for the shops and she ignores everything that’s going on. She's looking for mango ice cream apparently, and when she notices the poor state of the establishment, her face goes from blasé to shock to defeat. And then, she simply turns to leave the island, unconcerned about the current situation. She orders her associate to free Erza, and she turns to leave, not even checking if he actually follows her command. Which he doesn't, instead he starts arguing. Her disappointed expression shifts to annoyance, and he whole island trembles. The fairy trio watches the color on the guy's face drains and he complies right after. They don't even have time to blink before Erza is back with them, unscathed. Juvia and Gray go to check on her. And because he's from Fairy Tail, and also because he's himself, Natsu can't let people who hurt his friends go so easily, even when he's so out of his depth. The others agree with the sentiment, but their new opponent is way out of their league.

"I really hate complicated things," The green haired woman says, and Marin disappears with a 'pop!'. "Here, now we both lost a comrade."

They shout in shock and horror, profoundly offended by her action, Brandish just sighs.

"Listen, I told you, I hate complicated things. I'll tell them that we lost the spy and in exchange, you stay put. Makarov is alive, for now. But only for so long if you don't do as you're told. Who knows what could happen to him though, especially with eleven others like me," she says, and they tense at that. "Consider yourselves lucky Fairy Tail, I won't do anything to you this time, since I owe blondie." She mutters the last part, but Natsu picks it up, his mind going too fast about that statement for him to keep up.

And just like, she leaves, and they're left wondering what the hell was that. She knows who they are, she has a terrifying amount of power, and there are eleven other monsters like her. That's just great, amazing even, Gray thinks. But this only strengthen their resolve to reunite with the old man as quickly as possible. However, Natsu finally caught up with his thoughts, and he has questions. He hopes that the others have answers, even though it would make no sense for them to.

"Did you hear her ?" He asks his friends, rather urgently. "She was talking about a 'blondie' !"

"Juvia didn't hear anything, but do you think it could be…" she trails off, unable to finish her sentence.

"It's a small world but for it to be this small," Erza continues.

"How would she even know Lucy ?" Gray replies, frowning. "It would make no sense, she's supposed to be in Pergrande, it's even further to Alvarez than Magnolia."

"I don't know and I don't care ! If she knows where Lucy is, she has to tell us !" Natsu exclaims.

"No," the redhead opposes. "We're all missing her, but we have to take it one step at the time. First, we get Master back, then we'll go to find Lucy."

Before anyone can reply, the group disappears one at a time, and everyone finds themselves in an underwater temple. They're confused and alarmed again, thinking this is a new Alvarez attack. However, it seems completely desolate except for the Fairy Tail members, including a conscious Mest. He explains that he was the one to teleport them here, in their allied spy's base.

If one were to ignore the whole Brandish ordeal, finding the Master was easier than they thought. They really thought it'll be a bit harder when they take into account their history. But, once again, they're not counting what happened on Caracole Island. So in reality, it was like any missions they ever do : chaotic, never going perfectly according to plan, with a few (or a lot, depending on the day) destroyed properties. But then, even with the Caracole incident, it went better than some of their other missions. They're not the one who destroyed all of the shop, they got to meet with the spy, and they didn't even have to fight Brandish, which they're not sure they would have succeeded against. She just let their group go, even after they were ready to avenge Mest. But her ally did blow up a lot of stands, including the delighting mango ice cream one, which will be dearly missed but never forgotten, Erza will make sure of that (and Brandish too, but the redhead doesn't know that). And then, they managed to sneak into Alvarez and to find Makarov, an almost perfect score honestly.

Seeing and reuniting with the old man is really exhilarating. Their group is overjoyed to see him again after such a long time, and Makarov is moved to tears. After all, it's been a year since he's seen his kids. A really difficult year, of waiting and exhausting himself mentally in enemy's territory, just in the hope of meeting with Alvarez's emperor. An emperor who's never really been one, more of a traveller than a king, but a monarch nonetheless when he finally returns to his throne, crafted from his own hands, after months and years of wandering the continents. Makarov left to talk to him, the man in charge of the war that's sure to break out, a war that shouldn't happen, because on his side, it's not soldiers that he'll send to fight, but his own children, all too young to suffer from the perils of such an horrible and ruthless thing as bloodshed. They all went through enough battles, real and violent conflicts, and they all miraculously avoided dying. But will Lady Death always remain so kind to them ? He doesn't want to know, he doesn't want to see their bright life reduced to a brutal passing, their body lost among the dust and the rubbles, their blood coating the soil, the earth, the vibrant crimson never leaving, forever present in the copper petals of the newly blooming flowers that will grow where their body fell, the roots taking their places and their bones. Their lives lost to protect a ghost trapped in a basement.

This is the reason for his departure, but seeing his kids again, their smiles so warm, he's really happy to see them, a wave of shocking relief and joy crashing into him. He missed them, deeply. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Juvia, Happy, Carla, and Mest, they're his precious children, with all of the others he'll reunite with when he's back at Fairy Tail, where he belongs. His home, that may very well be destroyed in a few months if the war does happen. But, now that he's reunited with some of his kids, he gains a new dream, a new hope, a new goal. They still have a few months according to Yajeel before the attack during which they'll prepare for the defensive and the offensive. After all, no one who dares to touch his family can then go on living without bearing the consequences. But it's only if Yajeel didn't lie to him, which he would have no reason to, and if this mysterious emperor doesn't come back earlier than planned. In any case, their best course of action is to go back home, to Fairy Tail and to its members all of which he missed dearly, and to prepare for the battle they're about to face. He notices then that Natsu and Happy are there, but there's no Lucy in sight. Her absence raises questions and alarms in his mind, because where Natsu is, Lucy is sure to follow and vice-versa. The two have been inseparable since she stepped foot in the guild and it's rather disturbing to not see her when the rest of her team is here.

"Is Lucy there ?" He decides to ask once the warm reunion is over. Everyone shares a look, except for Natsu who looks at the ground with a tight expression. Finally, Erza — apparently the leader of this new team, he notes without surprise — is the one to answer.

"She left Magnolia to find a new celestial key, according to Levy." She explains, but she keeps him in the dark about the fact that she didn't just leave the town, but also the kingdom.

"I see, that explains it," he takes in the information, a hand on his chin and his brows furrowed in thought. "What about the rest of the members then ? Did they leave too ?"

"They're rebuilding Fairy Tail and seeking out the last missing members !" Wendy exclaims, happy to create a diversion from the topic of their missing blond friend.

The conversation continues on the subject, but Natsu doesn't participate in it. The guild doesn't feel complete when any of their members are absent (except maybe for Gildarts, but he's an exception to the rule, and they get news about his adventures every now and then). Lucy is a core member of their team, her, Natsu and Happy started this team together and then Gray, Erza, and Wendy and Carla came along. She's one of the firsts and she's also Natsu's first real partner beside Happy. Since their trio started, he rarely left Lucy alone and she would seek him out almost every day. They were glued by the hips, and as time went on, as battles piled more and more, the thought of losing her has been on the back of his mind more often than not. And then, he witnessed it.

The death of the Lucy from the future shook him to his core. And on the worst days, he finds himself back at that cursed arena, the sight of the color on her face fading, his ears picking up her last breath as she bleeds out, the smell of iron filling his lungs, more and more and more, never stopping until he can feel the red liquid inside his own lungs. On that atrocious day, he didn't have time to grieve, only a few seconds, or minutes he never knew, to cry, to pull her cold body to his and let his tears fall on her too pale skin. It's always been sun kissed and freckled before, but in his nightmares, it's a sickling white turning to grey, to decaying, too light and too heavy, too thin and too empty. He hates the vision, because he always has to wonder when it'll be his Lucy's turn. The worst is when that thought passes in his head, never more than half a second, about how if the future Lucy hadn't sacrificed herself, jumped in front of the knife, died, it would have been Lucy from the present, from his present, from his life. It's a horrible thought that makes him hate himself for allowing it to even exist in the first place, because no matter when she may come from, Lucy will always be Lucy, always be his best friend and partner, his Luce.

He's broken out of his thoughts when a new man appears. He exudes the same magical presence as Brandish, and instinctively, their positions shift to battle without a second wasted. Natsu's left hand clasps the bandages of his right arm immediately, ready to unwarp them at any moment. However, Makarov knows how this fight will go, and he refuses to see any of them lose against Ajeel, because defeat means much worse, it means death. They have to flee now, he orders and they do. But the guy doesn't want to let them go, after all, Makarov still hasn't spoken with the emperor, and now he's running away without even a goodbye, this isn't very proper etiquette for a guest. And just like that, predictably, a fight happens, one the fairies don't seem to be winning. Their attacks have no effect, not when his sand annihilates everything. The best shot they have for now is Juvia, as her water isn't as affected as their magic, but to properly fight and win against him, the woman needs more water, and there's none around. And the moment he calls upon a literal tsunami made of sand, the old man can't help but think that this is the end. That he'll have to leave his kids early, that he'll die with them, and he refuses to. As the master of the guild, as the protector of his family, he won't let Ajeel kill them, not if he can take their places instead. And so, when his children are safe in his hands and screaming at him, he doesn't shake in fear, he only brings them closer as the wave draw nearer and nearer. But it never hit, because lightning strikes faster.

It's only when everyone is back safe and sound at the guild that Makarov really lets himself get moved. And since it's Fairy Tail, of course the ambience is warm, all of his kids overjoyed and emotional at the sight of the old man finally coming back to them, to where he should be, home. They celebrate his returns as they should, with lots of booze, and fun, and even more laughter. The party goes on long into the night, and as the first rays of sunlight peek through the horizon, it's still going. However, a lot of the fairies have gone to sleep, and only a few are up, enjoying the rush of happiness that's only ever present when Fairy Tail is reunited. Erza, Gray and Juvia are chatting idly, sitting at a table together. Natsu is passed out on the floor (gross according to Gray, even though he definitely did the same at some point, multiple times probably), Happy on top of him. Wendy's sleeping peacefully on Erza's laps, Carla curled in her arms. Juvia is on Erza's other side, and she's been switching between talking and sleeping, either on the redhead's shoulder or the table. Gray is opposite of them and he's been doing the same as the water mage, only sleeping wouldn't be the right word, dozing would be more appropriate. Erza is the only one who's been awake the whole night, she doesn’t even look tired. The trio is reminiscing about the year they spend away from the guild and their friends. It feels great, fulfilling, to finally be back home, because that's what Fairy Tail is to them and their guildmates. It's the place where they gather to be a family, where their cherished companions are happy and safe — relatively, they are in a magic guild after all.

Fairy Tail is Gray's home and it'll always be, but during their year apart, he discovered that he could have multiple homes. Because — and he doesn't want to admit it to himself yet, even less out loud to others — that's how it felt living with the Juvia. Their months together have been peaceful, restful. It was nice, living together, just the two of them. He considers her a close friend, and maybe more after they started living together. She's so kind and she has so much love to give. And out of all the people she could have chosen to give it to, she chose him. He feels flattered, but unworthy, guilty of not returning her feelings and her affection back. She's a strong, amazing and beautiful woman, and she chose to stick with him, a cold and pessimistic man who struggles to express his emotions when it matters. She's seen the worst of him, and still decided to love him, and all because he helped her to see the sun. If it didn’t feel like he’s making fun of her, he would think that it’s ridiculous.

She might think he's her sun or something else just as poetic, maybe, but he really isn't. He doesn't shine like that ball of gas. If he were anything he concludes he'd be more like snow. The extreme corniness of it isn't lost on him, but the sentiment is there. Snow slowly falls, and once it touches anything, it melts away, reduced to nothing but a droplet, because it's never cold enough for it to stick around. And that's how his life has been like in his eyes. He's just living and waiting for the thing that will cause him to melt away, to disappear. It's been better after he joined the guild, he's been wishing to fall slower, to never touch the ground, and he noticed when he started to live with Juvia, that he's been feeling more like ice, strong enough to resist the warmer temperature and to not disappear as easily lately.

It makes him think of that one night, when he woke in the middle of the darkness for no particular reason. There was no strange noise alerting him, no nightmare plaguing his mind, those have been happening less and less through the recent years. He woke up and felt like heading outside, so he did, as quietly as possible. And as he stood there, in this deserted village except for two souls, under the night sky, the stars clearer than in Magnolia and the moon glowing brighter than the sun, he felt alive, content. He felt like he belonged there, in the world, like he mattered. Technically, he knows he does, his family would never tell him otherwise. But that night, he truly believed it. He felt like he mattered to himself, that he wasn't just existing waiting for his end, that he wasn't just living because people he loved would be sad if he wasn't, but because he wanted to. He wasn't only existing in a body, a mind and a soul decaying far before his heart stopped, he wasn't just a passenger in others' life as well as his own. He was really living, experiencing the littlest joys and the biggest sorrows. And still he stood there, breathing through his lungs, the winds tousling his hair, the noises of the night filling his mind. He felt alive, good and pleased, at peace and at ease with the fact that he was worthy of living, that he didn't and never had to try and prove that he deserved to live. He was breathing, he was there, he was existing, and just that, it's enough for him to deserve to live. He never forgot how the grass felt under his feet, how the shadows created by the twilight stretched. And when he feels like this peacefulness is melting away through his fingers, he clings to the memory. The way his body felt, the beat of his heart under the moonlight. The certainty that he's alive and deserving as solid as the strongest ice. It brings him back to reality, to the life he built for himself without really thinking, surrounded by people that love him and that he loves back.

And then, his thoughts drift to their missing friend and their conversation dies down. Lucy is one of his closest friends, she's his teammate. And everyone around the table knows that her absence isn't permanent, Natsu won't allow it. They'll find her and they'll come back together to the guild, just like they did with the old man. But the thing is, they have no idea where she could be. Levy's intel is really useful, because that's the only information they actually have, but they still have a whole kingdom to search. And a kingdom is pretty fucking massive, even more since it's Pergrande. It being the biggest land of the continent really isn't helping. It's at least ten times bigger than Fiore, if not twenty, and they have no idea where to look precisely. Just going there will take them a while and the search even longer. If they're lucky and find Lucy in a week top, it'll still take them around a month, and that's if she isn't moving too, Gray thinks. And if they're unlucky, they might as well never see her again, except if Lucy initiates contact with them. So, all in all, it's a pretty shitty situation the one they're in, the ice mage concludes.

Wendy shifts in Erza's laps, and the woman focuses on her. She really feels protective of her friends, as Titania, the Fairies' Queen, she has to be strong for them, but she never felt it as a burden. Erza always has to be the strong one, and she excels at it. And it's the same about Wendy, she deeply cares about the teen. Everyone in Fairy Tail knows about grief and loss, they all experienced it, and it's also why they treat each other the way they do. Rare are the members who have family outside of the guild, connected by real bounds and not just blood. But she was there when Wendy, just barely a teen, still a child like today, lost her family. Cait Shelter raised her, and after their mission completed, they all disappeared. They've never been real, but it all happened so fast, lively ghosts that no longer exist. All Wendy has now is the memories she shares with Carla about them, about Roubaul. He was her guardian, maybe a grandpa, an uncle or a father to her, something that she never had. And now, he doesn't exist anymore. The same could be said about her own friends from the past, the ones she had to build that damned tower with and the ones that died during their rebellion. But at least, some of them are still alive and alright, safe.

Maybe that's why she connected so much with Wendy, she's like a little sister to her. Sometimes, she can see bits of her in the sky mage, the same burning determination that is the core of Erza's strength. Wendy's powerful, she's younger than Natsu and Gajeel by almost ten years, but she mastered her dragon slayer magic to such an extent already. If she was older, like the Master or even Gildarts, she'd say that the guild has a bright future ahead of itself, that the new generation is amazing and will carry the legacy of Fairy Tail with pride. But she's part of that future, she's the new generation, and she'll craft the path to that future with her own hands if that's the last thing she does. However, she thinks that the rest of her camarades wouldn't like that, that they'll prefer to build it together than her wasting herself away to forge it with her bloody hands. So she won't, she'll live long enough to see it happen (and maybe even become one of the Guild Masters).

With Wendy in her laps and Juvia sticking on her side, Erza can't help but wonder how they got here. She replays last night's events pretty quickly, and she notices Mirajane and Lisanna sticking around, then Cana, and Levy, Bisca too, and even Evergreen. Now, as her mind wanders more, she realizes just how many girls and women seem to just… stick to her. This new awareness surprises her, and she has to admit, it makes her feel good, a nice ego boost to her self-esteem. She's not one to have a lot, if any, complexes, but it also means that they feel safe with her, which isn't surprising at all. The redhead is confident in her strength, but the thing is, she didn't grow up as the most feminine woman, she could never afford it before. She doesn't particularly care, and she actually improved a lot during the last ten years. The fact that all her outfits are infused and possess its own magic helps a lot. Still, it's different to hang out with Natsu and Gray, and Lucy and Juvia. She enjoys and seeks both company, sometimes at the same time and sometimes each on their own, but it's nice to have some girl time. It's great and she appreciates to be seen as a powerful and resourceful mage, but she also likes that she gets to be just a girl that adores cakes and sweet treats and that gets shy about love.

Her thoughts get interrupted when Wendy stirs lately, slowly getting up and rubbing her eyes. Despite the low voices and whispering, their conversation must have woken her up. She looks around, her eyes still full of sleep and assessing the situation. Everyone at the table greets her softly, and once she's more woken up, she stands and heads to the bar, where Mira is. Now that she thinks about it, Erza isn't sure if the woman has taken a break to sleep, she may very well be exhausted. But no one really knows with Mira, not even her, and even less from where their table are, not close enough to the bar to see her face. The table carries on their discussion, their voice still low, and before long, the dragon slayer comes back, carrying water for everyone. Her kindness is really a gift that keeps on giving, and they all thank her warmly as she joins the conversation, but not before gently chiding them about dehydration and how important it is to drink after such a night.

They get interrupted when Natsu jumps up from the floor, and no one is really surprised. If they woke up Wendy with just whispering, then of course Natsu will hear them too. Wendy was talking about what it was like back at Lamia Scale and her friendship with Sherria. She was reminiscing about all of her friendships with the others, and of course, the topic drifted to Lucy. Which is probably why Natsu got up. And since all of them are awake, they decide to start making plans to actually find her and bring her back, one that doesn't involve kidnapping Gray emphasizes looking intently at Natsu. And when the ice mage brings up the fact that they might not see her as soon as they hope so, maybe never, Natsu shuts down, very clearly unhappy with the idea, even more than they are. But they can't fault him, they've seen how close he is with Lucy. They're practically codependent at this point. And Natsu has hope, his passionate nature and optimistic perspective are really helping to lift the sad atmosphere that fell on their table. Erza thinks that it's good to have him by their side, balancing Gray's realistic point of view. With his boundless enthusiasm, he tells them they'll find her no matter what, even if he has to flip the kingdom inside out.

Everyone misses Lucy, but no one does like Natsu, everyone knows. But no one in their team regrets leaving the way they did more than Natsu, but they don't know that. Because Natsu didn't tell them, he didn't deem it necessary. Not at all because he feels (overwhelmingly) guilty about it, it has absolutely nothing to do with it. He can justify it however he can, he knows that was a shitty, asshole move. But, in his defense, he couldn't predict the disbanding of the guild. In his head, he would have left for a year with one of his best friends and hand over his letter to his other one. And Lucy would have been with everyone else, taking jobs with Gray, Erza or Wendy, struggling to pay her rent, chatting with Mira at the bar. Not left alone, becoming a reporter or moving to Crocus. And he would have never bet that she'll leave everything behind her, barely slipping a warning to Levy. Though he's the last person who could blame her, he did the same. But ! He stayed in Fiore, he didn't end up on the other side of the continent, in the biggest territory there is. It's better than going to Guiltina or Alakitasia, he guesses. So they have to find her, there's no doubt about that, and the sooner the better.

They might be slightly (totally) hammered from last night, and sleeping on the floor didn't help, but their friend awaits them. Maybe. They're still unsure — as in they don't know since they can't talk to her — of her state. Still, she must miss them like they miss her. Just like everyone else here, Fairy Tail is Lucy's family, she'll come back to the guild for sure. That's what he tells himself to reassure himself at least. He's getting twitchy from the idea to see her again. Sometimes, before he falls asleep, he imagines their reunion. Maybe she'll cry, maybe she'll jump in his arms, maybe she'll smile at him with that radiant smile. Or maybe, she'll hate him, kick him, ignore him. Those are the worst case scenarios, Lucy's not caring about him anymore and never speaking to him again. But he knows that it'll (probably) never happen, because they're best friends, teammates, partners. She's part of Fairy Tail, of their family, so even if she doesn't speak to him ever again, he thinks he'll be okay (somewhat) as long as she's close.

(He won't, it might even be worse to be able to see her, so close, but not being able to talk to her, to be acknowledged by her. The idea of never resting his head on her lap again might drive him crazy. But that's fine, he'll be fine, he just won't be able to sleep in her bed, surrounded by her warmth. But that's nothing, that doesn't matter to him, not at all. It's not like he's been missing her for that whole year, so used to her presence that he kept forgetting that she wasn't there for the first two months, not sleeping as well as when he's with her. Once she entered his life, he can't picture it without her anymore, and he doesn't even want to try.)

Natsu's in the middle of reassuring them (and especially himself) that they'll definitely find her in a month top, maybe even faster, when Master's voice resonates in the hall. He's at his usual spot near the bar, and they're just now noticing that the hall is filled with every member. Makarov gets their attention, and when everyone seems hooked, he starts his speech.

"Hello everyone, it's good to be back. I know I said it yesterday too, but I really missed all of you. I think I owe you an explanation about the disbanding of the guild," Natsu was about to interject, but Erza stops him. "I want you to know that I believed it was the best option at that time. But now that I look at you all, I realize it wasn't. The reason I did it, why I was at Alvarez, is because I was trying to negotiate with its emperor," the first Master appears then, but she doesn't say anything yet, so Makarov continues. "I know you're wondering why, and be prepared for what I'm about to say," he takes a meaningful pause, so his guildmates can prepare themselves mentally, some anxiously swallowing. "The Alvarez empire will invade us. I can not tell you the reason behind this conflict, as I'm not sure myself, but it's linked to the secret passed only to Guild Masters. But, we cannot and we won't let them win."

Mavis steps up then. "Makarov can't tell you, but I will. We think that what they're seeking is connected to me."

She then explains everything, and Erza's group now understand what they saw in the basement. She keeps talking, but honestly, Natsu doesn't listen to everything, it sounds too complicated for him to focus on everything. He gets the gist of it, they have a new enemy to fight. Though, he understands the danger, this time they're just a guild of around a hundred (minus one) against a whole empire. And according to Gramps, they're like, a million soldiers, plus the Spriggan Twelve — their meeting with Brandish and Ajeel was still very fresh in his mind. And that's without counting the emperor, whose like, the ultimate bad guy apparently. So, that's a lot. And he won't turn a blind eye to the fact that it won't be like in the Grand Magic Games, it won’t be civil fights with rules and a referee. This time, it’ll be bloodshed. They could lose their limbs, their lives, their friends. The threat is higher than Tartaros was, and they had the help of the dragons. Without them, their current lives wouldn’t be the same.

Well, without them and Lucy. He was certain back then just like he knows now that she was the one to actually save them when the cube sucked them in. She's strong and she's incredibly smart, but most of all, she's precious to him. So she must be here with them, with her family, or he doesn't know what'll happen. She's indispensable to him, surely she is to the others as well. He does feel bad that he wants her to partake into a war, but she's Fairy Tail, she belongs with them. Her presence strengthens and reassures him, but that's not the main point right now. The point is, she should be fighting alongside her family, protecting the others while they have her back. She's a key element too with her brains and her strength. That's why they should bring her back as soon as possible.

After both the Masters finish their explanation, the fire mage regroups with Erza, Gray, Juvia, Wendy and of course, Happy and Carla to discuss their next move. It's a bit weird to see Juvia here, since he didn't fight with her a lot, but she's a good person. It'll be nice to get to know her better, he muses, and to annoy Gray about it too. After the speech, they're way less shitfaced than before. They're all on the same wavelength, they need to leave as soon as possible to find and bring her back fast, so they can prepare for the war. Because that's what it'll be, a war. For now, their plan is to get to Pergrande by train since it's the fastest. Erza tells them their first goal is Valtava, a city in Pergrande. While they're looking for Lucy, she explains that it would be beneficial to look for new equipment that they could use for the upcoming battle. And that city is host to a blacksmith guild. She keeps to herself that she's been trying to go to that guild since she heard about it, because its reputation is not only abundantly positive, but the guild is huge. And as a knight mage, the more armors and weapons she has, the better. She hopes Lucy’s there, maybe she heard of the guild too and that’s why left for Pergrande, to get a new powerful key. The fact that they'll be able to shop around is an added bonus.

So, that settles it. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Juvia, Wendy and Happy and Carla will head to Valtava first. And if they don't find Lucy there, they'll go to the other cities near the border, Kaupunki or Vaara. Now that their plan is clear, all they need is to prepare themselves for the trip. And inform the Master beforehand too, of course. Erza, Wendy and Carla explain everything and he agrees, he's missing her too after all. They promise to come back before the battle, so in two months, whether they find Lucy or not. It leaves an unpleasant feeling in Natsu's guts, but he keeps it tucked away. They'll be back, in less than two months with Lucy. That's what he tells himself, to not go crazy. After that, they rendez-vous to tomorrow morning to finally travel to find Lucy.

Chapter Text

Living in Valtava is actually not that different from living in Magnolia. In fact, Lucy likes it. The people are just as lively and the atmosphere is just as warm. The weather not so much, but she kind of expected that. Living close to the mountains and a kingdom named Iceberg, she would have been more surprised for the weather to turn out warm rather than cold. Still, she would rather it be hotter, because on the best days, she can get out with only a light jacket, and on the worst, she has to wear so many layers. She heard that it reached a new high last summer, so hot that locals were going around in only tank tops and shorts and still sweating like crazy. And it stayed like that for two whole days, someone told her with shock. For them, the best weather is one worthy of only a warm shirt, whereas Lucy has to wear three layers of clothes. So, she likes the city, but the weather way less. But she agrees with the residents, the best is when the sky is clear and cloudless, the sun shining on them. Still, it would be perfect if she wasn't freezing her butt off, wishing for the sun to warm her more than it actually is. She still remembers the goosebumps she got the first time she stepped foot in the city, or more accurately the train station.

It was in the middle of July and so, since it's summer and because she likes it, she wore a skirt. Her outfit was cute and practical, but it was one of the worst decisions of her life, and she profusely thanked her old self for thinking of taking a jacket. That didn't stop her from cursing her a little, but she proved before that she prioritized cute outfits over a chilly weather, even if she complains how cold it is right after (her first mission with Natsu and Happy in the mountains is proof enough). Now, however, she's starting to reconsider her list of priorities. Besides, it's way warmer in Magnolia and having a fire mage as a best friend tends to build a higher resistance against heat but weaken her protection against the cold, and how easily she forgets about chilling temperatures. So, she had to readjust her wardrobe a bit, but she enjoys her life in Valtava.

She's been here for some months now, and she likes her day-to-day, however strange it is. It's not that the city is weird in any way, it's just that everything around her is so new and so immersed in nostalgia at the same time, creating this odd offsetting sensation. Sometimes, she feels like a piece of her stayed back at Magnolia, in the rubbles of Fairy Tail, and that she'll never feel whole if she doesn't go back there, to them. But they're gone, and she knows going back to Magnolia won't help her retrieve the part of her soul that fell out. Maybe that fallen piece was her grief, her sorrow for a lost time and a lost friend. But after all the grief she experienced in her life, she doesn't think she would leave it behind in the open for anyone to find. She doesn't think it would have fallen in the first place. It's not wise to leave grief for anyone to take. It is not theirs, but hers. She shouldn't let anyone else carry it, she should let people hold her hands and accompany her as she carries it. It should follow her, if she so desires, but never the other way around. She knows it well, grief, loss, sorrow. It has become a companion of her travels and of her journeys, of her mornings and of her nights. She doesn't think she could call it a friend, not after what she has to live through to meet with it once again. She would certainly not call it a stranger however. So, she settles on acquaintance, because she won't let it be more and it won't let it be less. But maybe, unfortunately, it'll become a friend, outliving her current ones. It's a sad thought but she can't help it. They live such dangerous lives, any of them could fall in the arms of Lady Death at any moment. Her too, and maybe it's the best outcome in this scenario. If she does, she thinks, she hopes that the others will bury her grief with her, for it has long become her shadow, and leaving a shadow behind never brings anything good. Maybe she'll never be able to find that part of her again, gone just like Aquarius, just like her family, just like Natsu and Happy. Which is how she got there, isn't it ? To achieve her new goal, to create a new piece that can fill the gap in her being. Why should she wait for others when she can take care of it herself, especially since it's a piece of her.

But she knows she lacks the expertise to fix her key, she knew before she left Magnolia. And that's why she's here, that's why she went and got help from the members of Ilmari Forge. And helpful they were, and a certain team even more than that. Mahina and her friends have helped her so much and they've been so nice with her, it was no surprise that they all ended up becoming friends. Very persistent and persuasive friends who, after a few months, managed to make her join their local guild. Which, technically, is local to the city, but calling it as such feels weird, since the huge guild is the same size as an entire village. So, she has conflicted feelings about that. She has conflicted feelings about a lot of things actually : the size of the guild, the city, her new friends, her new guild, Brandish, Aquarius, the list goes on. So, Lucy thinks that if she starts with the smallest issue, she can work her way up to the bigger ones she doesn't address, slowly and, maybe, surely.

Like the fact that joining a new guild feels wrong, even though it's been half a year since the disband of her old one — calling Fairy Tail that also feels wrong. Besides, everyone knows she won't stay forever. She made it clear, her stay is not permanent. One day, Lucy actually plans to go back to Magnolia, even more if, somehow, she can meet with her old friends. So, the blond doesn't want to give them false hope, but she would love to come back to see them again, and she told them as such, she'll definitely come back to visit them. But she just doesn't know when she'll leave Valtava, just that it's not soon. Aquarius' key still hasn't been forged and she feels like they’re so close to figuring it out. After all, Mahina started working on it almost as soon as Lucy met her.

The woman has been trying different things, all of them failing, and none of them feeling like how her other keys do. So, Mahina tried more and more, while Lucy, with the help of Elina and more research, figured that a new bridge between the two worlds also needed to be created. When she summoned the Celestial Spirit King, the link broke just like the artifact. For her part, Mahina found which metals and materials to not use, but not the right ones yet. They still have quite the list to go on, but they're making progress, slowly but surely. Besides, with how many minerals and metals and ores and any other things in between, Lucy is actually quite impressed at the speed they're going. Especially since no one tried to forge a celestial key before, so they have no records to go off of. Which means they have to do the whole errors and trials thing themselves instead of skipping it. Taking all of that into consideration, the blond thinks they made quite the progress in only five months.

However, she saw how down Mahina looked after each failing attempt, which there are a lot of. Apparently, the materials aren't resonating correctly together or the alloys aren't melding together, everything falling apart. But Lucy likes to be positive, for each failing attempt, you gain understanding on what did work and on what to avoid. And Mahina told her, she sees it as a challenge, something never done before and maybe impossible until someone does it, and she hopes to be that someone. And Lucy too, because it means seeing Aquarius again. She feels more and more hopeful about it as each day passes. They only need to find the right materials and to create the connection between the two worlds. And they're all working on both, Lucy and her new friends going to find what Mahina needs and Elina helping Lucy on figuring out how to build the bridge thanks to her spatial magic, and she's so thankful for these seven kind souls to help her. Because thanks to them, she'll be able to see her favorite mermaid again. She's getting closer and closer to attaining her first goal, and that's why she joined Ilmari Forge. She decided that, for now, she's part of the guild. The three-headed hammer tattoo on the inside of her left wrist made it clear. It's not pink like her other mark, hidden under a glove, but a deep blue that reminds her of Aquarius' scales, in honor of her friend and a reminder of why she's here, of her determination and her goal.

And as for the second one, she's also been working on it. She vowed to get stronger and she made quite the progress. Training with Capricorn helps her to get a better grasp on her magic and to accumulate more of it, something she feels like she's been lacking compared to her other friends. Training with Loke and her friends at Ilmari Forge helps her work on her combat, hand-to-hand and with weapons. Since the beginning, she made it clear that she fights alongside her spirits, but after the battle against Tartaros, she wants to improve even more. She doesn't want to have to lose another friend, another loved one. She wants nothing more than to never have to live through that, for it to never happen again, for the guilt living on the back of her mind and in the slump of her shoulders to go away. She wants to be stronger, strong enough that she doesn't have to sacrifice any of her keys, that she doesn't have to choose which friends to save and which to abandon. Lucy knows that Aquarius isn't dead, but there's a fear installed in her heart whispering in the dead of the night, when insomnia got its sharp claws on her, that she lied, that she told her that just so Lucy will summon the Celestial Spirit King. The same unrealistic fear that tells her that all she's doing is fruitless, useless, impossible, that all she's doing is wasting everyone's time. And every morning after those sleepless and restless nights, she trains even harder, pushing herself to a dangerous exhaustion. Because if she had any more time, any more power, she would have found another way.

And fortunately for her, when she goes too far into that line of thoughts, her friends are here to bring her back. She's feeling so grateful for them, but she can't shake the feeling that she's indebted to them, and that this debt keeps accumulating more and more. Which is silly, friends help each other and take care of each other. But she still feels like she's taking all of their time with her stupid and unattainable project. Even though Mahina finished all of her previous commissions, even though Lucy helps around the guild and its shop, even though she goes to help retrieve any materials may need, even though she pays Mahina her commission fees. Even though all of that, she feels like she owes them something, and maybe it's because her stay is temporary. Maybe it's because she feels like she's just using them to replace her old guildmates, to see Aquarius again, to fill the hole in her chest. And they don't deserve that, nobody does, so she does her best to feel less like she's going to disappear at any point and to enjoy the moment, to feel less bad about accepting their help.

That's also why she didn't join the guild before. Don't get her wrong, she loves the people there, the guild is absolutely amazing and the jobs are high paid. But, it's not Fairy Tail, it'll never be her family. She first got asked a few weeks after she first arrived at the guild. She refused gently but quickly. And after a few more weeks, she got asked again, and this time, she considered it. A lot. She even made a cons and pros list — more than one actually. She asked her spirits for their opinions, especially Loke, he was also a member of Fairy Tail after all. And then, she talked more with the members that wanted her to join. When she puts it that way, it erases their months of friendship. They're not just recruiters, but friends, and a few she feels even more deeply attached to. Mahina, Véga, Lucas, Chayo, Yoko, Elina and Cyrus have been so nice and understanding with her, welcoming her easily in their group and in their team. Something she feels so grateful and touched about, because it's more than just being friendly, it's trusting her to have their backs in fights. They did it so naturally that it almost feels like she could belong there, with them. How to not want to stay there, with her new friends, after that ? Even their first meeting was friendly, the atmosphere really is an echo of the one at Magnolia and at Fairy Tail. Even after more than half a year, she still remembers when she arrived at the guild for the first time.

- - -

It was a bit more than two months after Fairy Tail disband. She arrived in Valtava and immediately spotted the huge guild from the train station, even though it's on the other side of the city. and the only reason she didn't go directly to check the inside was her luggage. So, she went to the hotel to check in, and after her room secured and her luggage taken care of, she headed to Ilmari Forge. It's such an immense building that it's visible from anywhere in the city, almost looming over it, like it's guarding Valtava. If she thought it was big from afar, seeing it close is even more imposing. The building seems impossibly huge, almost never ending, its shadow expanding infinitely. It must be around three or four times Fairy Tail was (was, and not is, she's getting there). In front of it is a wide and nice terrace, starting from the left of the heavy and tall oak doors and continuing on the right side of the building, disappearing around the corner. She sees plenty of tables and there's already some people on a few of them despite the icy weather. That's how she knows that they're local to the city and region, because Lucy's been freezing since she stepped out of the train. The closest group to her seems completely immersed in their task. She's too far away to see exactly what they're doing, but one of the four persons is looking at what she guesses is blueprints while the guy on their left is commenting on them, and the two others present at the table are chatting away. While passing them to enter the guild, she hears the beginning of an argument about magical engineering and forging inconceivable weapons for hypocrite wizards. She's definitely at the right place then, as if the huge sign with 'Ilmari Forge' written in bold letters and the emblem of the guild wasn't confirming it already.

As she enters, she takes in the hall, the atmosphere and the people. The room is also huge and she should really stop being surprised about that, because the building is at least five stories high. She should be used to enormous buildings, with her being a Heartfilia and her father's garden being the size of a pretty big city. His whole property was the size of a country honestly, and now that she thinks about it, she feels faint. But it's been a long time since then. Not only that, but she felt somewhat… small lately. The last time she felt like that was when she was little after her mother's death. Back then, she used to curl up on herself to take up less space, to disappear, to avoid being in her father's way, lest he screamed at her, or possibly more — he never hit her, but the fear was still present. And after everyone left, the want, the need to curl up came back. So yes, the building makes her feel tiny. But for all the negative emotions currently swirling in her heart and mind, she's also captivated by the guild. The entrance doors stand proudly in the middle of a wall, and on the opposite, she sees a long angle counter expanding on the right wall almost to the middle of it, with stools here and there along it. Behind it, she can spot two much more smaller doors, each on a different wall. Right next to where the counter ends, there are stairs and in the corner, she spots what looks like some sort of lifting mechanism, but way more advanced and complex than the ones she saw before in her life. And on the right side of the door, before the elevating machine, she notes two boards for jobs. One reads 'Magic' and the other 'Craft'. She turns her gaze to the left side of the impossibly huge hall and she sees what looks like a corner with all sorts of games, notably a pool table and other things she either doesn't know or recognize. In the other corner, she notes two bookcases, not as big as the ones at the library at Fairy Tail, but not so little either, accompanied by a reading area. And finally, the middle of the hall is filled with tables.

After taking all the new information, she finally notices that the guild seems to be illuminated with natural light. Which is surprising since she didn't spot any particularly big windows. In fact the only ones are on either side of the entrance door. She finally raises her head and sees beams on the ceiling but most importantly that half of it is made of glass, allowing the sun's rays to pour in and shine a warm light in the room, the rays dancing freely in the hall. The sight is so serene and pleasant that Lucy takes a moment to take it all in, to bask in it. The uncomfortable feeling from earlier vanishing as a delicious smell envelops the room. It seems to be coming from the right side of the building, the only indication of a room being there is the door behind the counter. She guesses that it must be the kitchen, and the pleasant smell only adds to the hearty feeling rising in Lucy's guts. She decides to make her way to the counter, the part which looks more like a bar rather than the part protecting the weapons attached on the wall. There's a man here, and if the blond was to guess, she'll say that he's in his forties. She's rarely seen someone who looked more of a butler mixed with a waiter than him, and she's seen a lot of butlers in her youth. Even with all the scars littered on his face, neck and arms, he still looks like he belongs here, taking orders and making drinks. And since she's been traveling for a long time and because she can never refuse a treat, she decides to order something.

"Hello," she greets gently, "I'm, hum, pretty new in the city, and this part of the guild looks like a bar. So, I was wondering if I could order something ?" She feels a bit silly to actually ask that, but she would hate it even more if she's rude for no reason to someone who might not even work as a barman.

"Hello young miss." His face is blank but his tone is warm. She wonders if this is his job, or if he also goes on adventures or works metals, and judging by the scars, the first is probably more likely. "Yes, you can order. Here." He gives her a menu and she decides pretty quickly, so the man turns to prepare her drink.

"Welcome to Valtava, hope you'll enjoy your stay, however long it is." He says as he hands her her order, his face still neutral but not unkind.

She thanks him and as she sips, she thinks that she should ask for the recipe if she could, because this may have just become one of her favorite drinks. While she savors more of the beverage, she wonders if he could help her with her problem.

"The drink was really good, thanks," she says with a polite smile.

"Of course, it's my job," he replies, still with the most expressionless face she's ever seen on someone, but his tone is anything but cold, making it impossible for him to appear apathetic.

"Actually, I'm here for a specific reason. I broke something and I need help repairing it, and I heard this guild is the best when it comes to crafting." She explains vaguely, not entirely sure if she felt like pouring her heart out to this man who never asked to deal with her trouble.

"You are correct, miss. You have to post a commission on the 'Craft' board over there. Someone will then pick up your request and after an explanation, they'll start working."

She thanks him again, and he nods before going back to drying glasses. She finds a paper and writes her request, but stops at what price she should put down. She has savings on the side and she knows that each service deserves appropriate compensation, but those are for paying her hotel room and whatever else expenses she may need before finding a job and potentially an apartment, depending on the cost and the availability. She settles on putting down 'To discuss price in person' for now, it's better than nothing. She goes to hang her poster, pretty glad that no one else is currently at the board to see her doing so. She clarifies that she'll be at the sort-of library or at the bar. That way, she's still in the guild for any of the members to find her and that it's not exclusive to only guildmates. Besides, the barman seems kind enough. Or maybe it's just because it's his job, but he seems like a genuinely nice guy. She should ask for his name, she thinks.

Once she's done, she goes to look at the books the guild has to offer. She still hasn't been kicking out after all, so she's going to stick around a bit more. And what's better than books to pass the time ? Besides, if someone does pick up her request, she needs to be here and to be available. She picks a novel that seems rather promising and she sits on the cushions made for that exact purpose. She opens the book and time loses any meaning. She only reemerges from the story once her hunger makes itself known, and she goes to the bar counter once again, the man from this morning still there, but clearly busier than earlier and not alone. She can see at least four other people behind the counter. It is around noon after all, and this guild has to deal with hungry mages and hungry blacksmiths. She waits until the mass thins, and then makes her way to the bar once again.

"Hi again !"

"Hello once more, miss. Are you here to order ?"

"Yes. Could I please have the same drink I ordered earlier and…" she eyes the menu resting on the counter, and her choice isn't as quick as before, so she settles on a surprise, "and something local ? If you don't remember-"

"I do, don't worry," he politely interrupts her. "Do you have any allergies I have to take into account ?"

"None, thank you," she smiles, he doesn't return it, but his eyes are soft behind the little glasses resting on his nose. "I also wanted to ask for your name. I'm probably going to stay for a while, it would be nice to get to know you and the people here, don't you think ?"

"My name is James, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you James, I'm Lucy," she beams at him and she thinks she can see the littlest curl up of his lips.

As she waits patiently, she takes in the crowd of members and potentially non-members too, lounging on the tables both inside and outside. How they can be in tank tops in this weather is a complete mystery to her, but she guesses that if she was born here then she too wouldn't be bothered by the cold either. But for now, she is pretty bothered by it, so she'll eat inside. And if she can chat with James without getting in his way or bothering him, it's even better. After all, she thinks of staying here for a long time, so might as well find a friend or two. However, the green eyed man surprises her by being the first to start the conversation.

"I saw your request, it's pretty unusual I'll have to admit," he pauses as he focuses on cleaning a particular complex silverware. "To be honest miss, I'm not even sure if it's possible."

She puts her elbows on the counter with a sigh, resting her palms on her neck. "I know, but I would rather try as much as I can than not at all."

He hums before opening his mouth again. "Well, if there's one person who could do it, it would be Mahina. She's the best blacksmith there is."

"Really ?"

"Yes, she's busy for now, but she told me recently that her current order is almost finished. I could tell her about your project if you desire."

"Yes, please do !" She jumps with joy at his words. "Thank you James, really," she beams at him.

"You are welcome Lucy," the corners of his eyes crease just a bit with warmth, or maybe Lucy imagined it with her newfound joy.

Soon after, she finds the same drink she had this morning in front of her and a plate of heavenly smelling food. It's only then that she noticed how hungry she was, and she digs in happily after thanking James. It tastes delicious, even better than the smell, and she'll happily work here if it means being able to eat this everyday, hopefully for free, or almost free. Employees must have some sort of discount after all. She notes the idea in a corner of her mind, just in case, she tells herself. Once she's finished, she pays and goes back to the book she left behind, the plot twist surprised her more than she'll admit.

Without her even noticing, too absorbed by her novel, the sun is setting and she craves a hot tea to warm her up. If it was chilly when the sunlight was shining through, it's almost freezing without it. For the third time today, and certainly not the last for the rest of the week, she goes to the counter, where James is still standing. However, he's not alone like this morning or busier than ever like at noon, but he's chatting with a woman. He sees her making her way towards him, and he informs his conversation partner. She turns around, and Lucy finds herself staring at burgundy eyes. Her skin is a rich brown and her curly hair stops around her neck, some of the short strands pulled back in a tentative ponytail. It's the same color as the coffee Gray always orders, a deep and intense brown, almost black if it weren't for the sepia highlights catching the light. The woman smiles kindly, only her front teeth shining through and she looks very pretty, a gentle beauty caught in her face and figure. She extends her hand to Lucy then, and when the blond shakes it, she can feel callouses through her thin glove.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, I'm Mahina," the woman introduces herself, her voice surprisingly deeper than Lucy would have guessed, "James told me about your request."

"Oh ! Hi, it's nice to meet you too, I'm Lucy," her tone just barely let the others know about the surprise she feels. "He told me about you too. I'm hoping you'll take it ?"

The celestial mage tentatively smiles. She can't help but word it as a hopeful question, because according to James, this is the best of the best, the cream of the top, her only option to ever see Aquarius again. So, if this talented woman — Mahina — can't do it, then nobody can, and she's here for nothing. All that time and hope, wasted on a pitiful and wistful dream, on a maybe that will end up being a never. But Mahina grins a bit wider, and Lucy feels optimistic again.

"Yes, I'm actually very curious about it. Honestly, everyone is, I mean, forging a celestial key ? It's the first time I hear, or even think, of it, it's completely unheard of. Consider my interest piqued."

Lucy laughs. "Yes, I know. I mean, I looked into it before, and nothing came up, no matter how far back I searched."

The older woman hums before opening her mouth again. "Well, I definitely want to accept your commission, but I'll prefer to discuss it more, and it's pretty late. How about we talk about this tomorrow ? Does eleven work for you ?"

"Yes totally !" she replies energetically, almost slipping in a ' can't wait !' that she'll be a bit embarrassed about later.

"Perfect," Mahina smiles, her eyes creasing with the motion.

The rest of the evening passes quickly, Lucy orders food from James again, wanting to expand her palate to Pergande's food. After her dinner, she heads to her hotel for the night, feeling rejoiced but exhausted at the same time. She's really lucky, she thinks, she found just the right person the same day she arrived in Valtava and she made a friend, maybe even two. Mahina seems really nice.

She wakes up the next day with more enthusiasm than she thought she could have these days, and once it's time for their meet-up, she heads to Ilmari Forge. Once she arrives, she spots Mahina pretty quickly, sitting at one of the tables in the hall. She notices her chatting with the woman across from her. The new person is hard to miss with their deep and red hair, a shade darker than Erza's and way shorter than the knight, the thick and frizzy strands stopping right at the base of their neck. They have a dark sleeveless mock neck top, and Lucy can see the light brown skin covered in freckles. As she approaches, Mahina notices her and she aims a gentle smile at the blond. She arrives at their tables and the other woman smiles at her too. She has honey brown eyes and even more freckles on her face, and when she speaks, her voice is mellow and a pitch higher than Lucy expected.

"Hello, you're Lucy I assume. Mahina's been talking about you and your commission."

"This is Yoko, they're my friend and teammate," Mahina explains.

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy greets her as she sits next to Mahina.

And then the conversation shifts into business. Lucy explains more about the research she did before arriving and the price she's willing to pay, as Mahina defines her usual commission fees and asks for more details. Yoko listens attentively during the conversation, asking some questions too sometimes, as curious about the whole project as Mahina. The dark haired point out that there's a high chance that she won't be able to forge the key, but also that if she does, it's going to take a long time. And if she succeeds, it's going to be the talk of the guild for decades, maybe even centuries. At some point, a teen older than Wendy appears with a sandwich, taking the seat next to Yoko, the furthest from Lucy. When her brown eyes meet clear blue ones, the ginger glares at her, for no reason Lucy would like to clarify. Yoko sees him and they elbow his side, just as he takes a bite of his food. Despite the fact that the blow was definitely not hard, even pretty gentle Lucy would say — especially since she hit him with their left arm, the non-metal one — he looks like he almost choked.

"Don't mind him, Cyrus is still pretty young, we're doing our best to educate him properly," she says with a sigh. "He doesn't take so greatly to strangers. He doesn't like to share his friends."

"Hey!" Is the indignant response from the teen. "I'm not even that young, I'm seventeen !" But he doesn't refute anything else that they said.

"Still pretty young kiddo, you know that right ?" Mahina joins in.

Cyrus huffs, taking another bite off his sandwich, and that's how Lucy got introduced to half of the team she decided to join later.

- - -

It was too soon to join the guild then, Fairy Tail was still standing less than three months ago after all. And even a few weeks after, she let them down gently. But after almost three months, a lot of thinking, self-doubts, and conflicting feelings, she decided to be an Ilmari Forge's member. Those conflicted feelings are still there though. Which is what she was actually thinking about. She misses her old guild and loves her new one, just like she misses her friends but loves her new ones. And Brandish too, that silly girl. The woman might (totally) have tried to kill her the first time they met, but who doesn't do that nowadays ? It's the best foundation for a great friendship to flourish. After all, it can only go up from there. Which it did, thanks to a lot of explanation and now, they're on good terms, Lucy considers her a friend. She could even see her becoming something of a sister. Which they could have ended up as such if their past had allowed it. It's been a while since they saw each other, and she misses her. It would really be nice to see her again, the blond only had a week with her new friend before she was gone. Brandish did warn her about her leaving, when and why, and Lucy's really glad for that. She's tired of people disappearing with no words or barely any. And when she had to leave, the green haired asked her to say bye to Aquarius for her. That's when Lucy realizes she has conflicting feelings about the mermaid too. Not exactly about her, but about the situation around her key. She was so scared to never see her again. Still is, because if her plan doesn't work, then she really has no idea what to do. She sighs, her life is really too full of complicated feelings and situations and events and just… everythings.

Still, today is a nice day, not too chilly, which is saying something considering she lives right next to mountains. But the sun is bright, she can feel the rays hitting her with all of their warmth, and it feels nice. She's content, happy even, and today is bound to be a good day. She has rendez-vous with the others, and a skip finds itself in her steps when she heads to the guild. Yoko, Véga, Lucas and Elina have agreed to a mission not too far from where Mahina, Cyrus, Chayo and her will go to find materials Mahina needs. They decided to travel together and working or just hanging out with them usually involves a lot of shenanigans. Just like her old team, so she adapted pretty quickly. It also involves after-job snacking when they arrive back at Valtava. All in all, Lucy was pretty enthusiastic today. Yes, today's bound to be a good day.

Chapter Text

The train ride is absolutely horrendous, Natsu thinks. Though, he doesn't use the word horrendous. Those kinds of words are more Lucy's thing than his. But that doesn't change the fact that moving vehicles are absolutely atrocious, abhorrent and terrible. So, all in all, pretty fucking bad. Not for the first time, he wishes Wendy's spell still works on him. Or that Lucy was there. If she was, he wouldn't suffer that much. Actually, if she was, they wouldn't have taken that cursed train in the first place. So, Lucy's being here would only bring good things, namely not taking the train so much to travel across the whole continent. And even if they, for some weird reason, have to take the train, at least he would have his best friend to take care of him. Lucy always makes him feel better.

They finally arrive and now that they stepped out of the train, Natsu wants to bolt and interrogate every person they see. He's practically jumping with energy. He feels a sentiment of déjà-vu, reminding him of when Happy and him arrived at Margaret Town. However, Erza stops him before he can scare off more people. They're still at the station, waiting for Wendy's state to improve before they leave. The others look around while the teen's nausea leaves little by little. The station is pretty big, bigger than Magnolia's. Gray thinks that if the station is already big, then the city must be huge.

Now that Wendy feels better, they exit the station and he's right, the city is absolutely enormous. One may even call it immense. He sees colorful buildings, large roads, and shops almost everywhere. He spots domes and pillars, balconies and bow windows. In the distance, he notices a huge building, which is telling something when the whole city is fucking gigantic. And then, a bell sound 'ding ding' catches his attention, and when he turns his head towards it, the ice mage sees a smaller looking train coming at a standstill in front of a waiting crowd. He watches as the vehicle goes on smaller rails and thinks It seems rather useful.

As the vehicle leaves, he takes in more of the city. The neighborhood they're in seems to be mostly hotels and shops, with some restaurants here and there, which makes sense since they're at a train station. And still, none of them looks bland or dull, all painted in soft pastels or bright colors. They're all radiant, but not in the way that hurts his eyes, but in the way it brightens a day. Somehow, none of the hundred of colors clash together. The assortment looks rather pleasant, each transmitting the individuality of the owner, as well as their integrity within the city's community. One of his new favorites is what he guesses is a coffee shop covered in an unique dark and soft blue that looks almost gray. A cliché certainly, but he likes it nonetheless.

The group stays still at the station's entrance, taking in the sight of the city for a few moments. No doubts, they look like tourists, but Valtava is quite the scenery. They've seen a lot of settings and spectacles in their adventure-filled life, and they've taken the time to admire each of them. This time is no different. The town and the people are just like its buildings, which would be hard not to be, bustling and lively. Along the road, they spot food stalls. A lot of them actually, maybe more than the restaurants, and Happy's stomach growls. Carla sends him a faux annoyed look, but Gray agrees with the cat's stomach.

"I know we're here to find Lucy, but buying some food won't take long," he says. Juvia, Natsu and especially Happy agree.

"Alright, let's grab a bite," the red haired says. "And then we'll clock in the hotel to leave our baggage. After that, we'll go find Lucy."

Cheers erupt from the team. They head towards the food stalls and they all look very appetizing. Most of the food isn't what they know, some words are even in a language they didn't see before. They decide to get a pastry called lörtsy, all different fillings, and even multiple. In addition, they get arrosticini, which are meat skewers. For dessert, they get gaufres with different toppings for each of them. It's not a real meal, just a quick snack before lunch time, but they still buy a lot. The food looks very good after all, and they realize they're hungrier than they thought. And as they eat, they're right, the food is absolutely delicious. They almost inhale their food (Natsu and Happy actually gobbled it whole to Gray's disgust), and soon enough, they're on their way to the hotel.

The hotel they choose is simpler than the others. It's not as massive, and Erza notices a few balconies and bow windows on the gentle orange facade. Even if the hotel is smaller than the others around, it's still not tiny, but nice and cozy. As they enter, she's surprised to see an inner courtyard. The building seems to be built around the square garden in fact. The entrance seems to be the smaller room of the hotel, with only the reception desk, or so Erza hopes. After welcoming them and a quick chat, the employee takes the keys to their rooms and leaves the desk to guide them. On the left of the desk, there's a double glass door that the employee leads them through, and they find themselves in the courtyard. The red haired can see some benches and staircases that lead to the three other floors. There's a pond in the middle and she's surprised to see a few marble statues scattered around the garden. She can't help but think that the yard doesn't seem appropriate with the climate, but the plants are all still alive, somehow. Erza couldn't tell why — she never had a green thumb — except that magic must be involved. They're told that there are no rooms on the first floor, but the kitchens and the dining rooms, as well as saunas. All the rooms are on the other floors and the group is actually located on the second one. To reduce the costs, they only took two rooms, one for Natsu, Gray and Happy, and another for Erza, Juvia, Wendy and Carla. As usual, Natsu and Gray butt their heads at that, but after one glare from Erza, they settle down.

Happy hopes it'll last for the entire stay, but as he looks at them, he realizes he doesn't have to worry. He sees the tension in Natsu's shoulders. He notices the way Gray seems nonchalant but nervous at the same time. With one glance, he understands that it's just his friends falling into familiar and old habits to make the new hurts less. And he can't blame them, none of them can and ever will, not one that. They're all in the same state and worried about the situation. A lot is going on, but when is it not with Fairy Tail. Still, a war against all of an empire is more than they ever thought they'll have to deal with. Happy's life got flipped over in just a year. Everyone had time to grieve, to make something of their new found sort-of freedom. But Happy came back to his beloved city, to his beloved guild, to his beloved home to actually learn that Fairy Tail is no more, and that all his family left, disappeared even. And now they have to fight a war against a whole empire. Makarov said there are like one million soldiers ! And they have the Spriggan Twelve !! Sure, they have Erza and Laxus and Natsu and a lot of powerful mages (notably Gildarts if the old man decides to show up), but they're barely a hundred. Happy wants to be optimistic, but he's scared. He's scared and he misses Lucy.

He misses her soft hands petting him and her firm arms embracing him. He misses her warmth. It's not the same as his pink haired best friend. Natsu's like a hot summer day, the type of day that makes you want to go to the beach and play on the sand, go swimming and enjoy the water, when it's cool enough to forget about the scorching but warm enough to make you stay for the entire day without freezing. It's scorching in the best way. It's Natsu sharing his energy and passion, spreading to others and filling them up with enthusiasm and zeal. On the other hand, Lucy's warmth is quieter. It's sitting close to a fireplace with a soft blanket and maybe a hot cocoa. It's resting your body next to your friends, sharing and listening to stories, laughter reverberating through the room. It's comforting, enveloping you slowly and allowing you to rest your body and mind. Both are great, it all just depends on the situation. Right now though, Happy wants nothing more than a hug from his blond best friend.

The room is big and nicely decorated, unfamiliar in its decor but not exactly new either. It's generic enough for it to feel common, but the style isn't. It's the same mix of gracefulness and liveliness they saw outside. Which they did expect, seeing as they are in another kingdom, it's only natural for it to be cultural differences. It's honestly rather useful that they speak the same language he thinks, as centuries ago, the different sovereigns of the continent had an agreement to unify themselves on language at least, making trades and relations easier between them. Nonetheless, local dialects are still heard throughout multiple regions. During their journey to Valtava, they crossed a lot of them and heard almost as much unique tongues. Even in Fiore, there are some, mixing with the official language. It's just one of those many things that differentiates each area from the other and helps create their own charm. They already heard and read some of this dialect in Valtava when they arrived and when they ordered food.

Happy wonders if Lucy knows some of the local dialect. If she learnt new phrases that only makes sense to the locals. If she stayed long enough to pick up an unfamiliar accent. If there really is a gap between them now. If that rift isn't just a little crack, but a canyon as deep as it is large, expanding from Fiore to Pergrande. If they didn't make an irreparable mistake when they left a year ago. But, they've been through so much together, fought and laughed so much. She wouldn't run away without looking back at them ever again, she wouldn't leave them without a word, she wouldn't disappear from their life completely, she wouldn't. Maybe that's also why it hurts so much. That she left just like them. But not by choice, but because she couldn't reach anyone, because there wasn't anyone left she could have said goodbye to. Because everyone already moved on, and she just did the same, walking a new different path. Still, Happy wishes she would have chosen a path closer to them.

The four of them enter the room, and Juvia (and everyone too) can tell that their group isn't on its usual footing. She feels it more than anything. She wants to find Lucy too, despite what she shows. Both of them know that the whole 'love rival' thing is just an act at this point. They had a conversation about it after the Grand Magic Games, and it seems such a long time ago now. The two of them sat down with tea one evening, somewhere they knew was safe from any too curious ears and prying eyes. They talked a lot, mainly about their friendships, between the two of them and others. Lucy reiterated that she feels nothing more than friendship towards Gray and that nothing will ever happen between them because they don't like each other that way. Juvia admitted that she knows, she probably knew for a long time. But it was easier to deal with false jealousy than constant rejection. And Lucy hugged her, tightly. The blond told her that Gray was slow about feelings, but also a complete idiot if he never realizes how great Juvia is.

Her friendship with the blond is something she holds close to her heart, it's why she couldn't stay back at Magnolia while the others went to find her. Without the celestial mage, their world tilted just slightly, but way too obvious for any of them to feel perfectly comfortable. It's not at all that they have difficulties working together, not with the hundred of battles they fought. They fall in a perfect formation with ease. But it feels like they have an usually covered spot turned blind they keep forgetting about. And it's not just during fights. Many times the water mage caught one of them, even herself, reaching towards where Lucy could be, ready to interact with her just to find nothing except emptiness and disappointment. It's as if, once Fairy Tail rebuilt itself and that most of the members reunited, they forgot that Lucy isn't here with them like the rest. Ironic isn't it, when her absence is the reason for their travels.

They don't stay long at the hotel, just enough to put their baggage away and claim their beds. And before long, they're outside again and headed to Ilmari Forge. Still, they take their time to admire the city and the life of the people. The architecture is really interesting, Juvia notes. She can see different types of architectures clashing and melting together into a harmony that she rarely or never seen before. The colors are mesmerizing, the bright shades complimenting each other instead of competing against each other. She can see elegant houses, beautiful villas and even gardens. The water mage is surprised at the materials used, a mix of valuable marble and stones and plain and strong woods. In the distance, she recognizes a basilica, just as gorgeous and maybe a bit more larger than the Kardia Cathedral back at Magnolia. She watches as a part of the road separates from the other and rises up, now the little trains riding on aqueducts, cutting through some of the residential areas. Valtava seems to be relying on not only magic, but also crafting and engineering, and she thinks it makes sense with the blacksmithing and crafting guild residing here. It's a beautiful city, and she wonders if the rest of the kingdom is the same way or not. They pass some food stalls and the smells coming from them isn't something she's used to. Suddenly, she's hungry again.

Soon enough, without her noticing, too deep into the sights of the city, they're approaching the guild. If she thought that it was huge before, now that she's closer, it's absolutely enormous, bigger than Fairy Tail is. She can count at least five floors. The building is asymmetrical, the first floor larger and wider than the second, and the third expanding just like the first. She sees a stone pillar connecting the first and third floor in a beautiful arch. The whole guild is simple wood, stone and glass, but the way it was worked, the way it was assembled together is beautiful. The building is humble and imposing at the same time, but also so warm and welcoming. She can see Lucy ending up here, she can feel the warmth that the blond might have searched for emitting in gentle and powerful waves from this building. She understands it, and she would never blame Lucy for it. After all, Juvia was looking for the same warmth before meeting Gray. Not being able to ever see the sun has that effect on people, she supposes.

They're nearing the enormous building when they spot them, her. A group of three on their way to Ilmari Forge, way closer than they are, ahead of them. And one of them is Lucy, and she looks… happy. Really happy, smiling and laughing with her new friends, heading to her — apparently, maybe — new guild. Her hair is longer, held together in a disorganized low bun. She's wearing one of her regular shirts, a jacket and a pair of shorts, with thick and warm tights, and one of her usual pairs of leather boots. They stop for a second, frozen in surprise. Then Natsu runs to her, having recovered faster, soon followed closely by the others. She hears them and turns, her eyes wide. She runs to them, to him , but she doesn't go far as Natsu crashes into her in a hug, spinning her in the air for an instant. She squeezes him tight and he holds her even tighter. For no more than a second, it's just them in each other's arms, their faces buried deep into each other's shoulder and neck. And then, Erza, Gray, Juvia, Wendy and the two Exceeds join them in the reunion in a bone-crushing group hug. The Fairy Tail members sag with relief, joy, and a hundred more emotions that no one can name now. It doesn't matter when finally, they're together again, when finally they have each other.