Souls Betwixt (Dark Souls / Fairy Tail) (Complete)

[Naron]

A deep pressure struck everyone surrounding Kyoka in the moment before it happened. Even Priscilla felt as if the very air made its best attempt to crush her. She knew this sensation, but only when the Etherious began to glow did she recall. By the time she formulated a response, Kyoka was gone. Simply dissolved into nothing, vanished.

The horned woman she comforted before looked around frantically. "Where did she go?" she demanded weakly before her eyes came to rest on Kalameet. "Did you...? What happened? Where is she?"

She turned around herself as if Kyoka would leap out of hiding any moment now, but they all knew better. Mavis was just as stumped. Meanwhile, Priscilla's suspicion grew more pronounced by the fact Kalameet recognised it as well. As did Quelaan and only Quelaan. Quelana by her side gave no indicator of recognition.

"Thou felt it before?" she inquired, just to be certain. The malformed witch nodded hesitantly. Kalameet was already deep in thought. Priscilla was too, meaning they both followed the same idea. "Tis the same sensation as the moment before I arrived in this world."

"Indeed," the other dragon agreed.

Neither paid any mind to the assortment of humans still nearby. Kalameet did not much care for the remaining Etherious' worried inquiries, either. Priscilla drowned them out to focus on what was important. Then she realised what she just did and forced her agitation down; although a member of Tartaros, she surrendered and was pacified. She deserved a chance. So she knelt before her and explained gently: "All three of us are not born of Earthland. An unknown phenomenon dragged us from our world and to this realm. If the reverse is also true, then she will be perfectly fine, if unreachable."

The far smaller woman slumped forward and more tears glistened in her eyes. While Mavis took over comforting her, Wendy approached the dragons with a severe expression. "Thou could not sense it," she began quietly, voice carrying only to their little group, "but this was native magic. I felt the surge of Ethernano." Precht nodded to give her words credence and Wendy frowned. "Moreover, I recognised it. Faintly, but I have felt something almost like it before. Ah!" She snapped her fingers as the memory resurfaced. "There is a device beneath Crocus. We found it while exploring the catacombs."

Priscilla was intrigued. She had no idea what kind of device could have such an effect, but she intended to find out. "Would you lead us there?"

"Of course."

The group split after a quick discussion; Warrod and Quelana remained to watch over the unconcious Yukino and Solano, as well as a strangely quiet Flare. Mavis took the other Etherious, Seilah, away to stay at Fairy Tail's guildhall for the time being. Priscilla, Precht, and Kalameet were led down into the catacombs by Wendy. Her perfect memory ensured that no map was needed to find the device. No light was needed for the three of them to see, but Precht provided it for himself regardless.

However, Priscilla knew what it was the moment she laid eyes on it. Though imposing, neither of the true dragons was intimidated. "Eclipse," she murmured, but her voice carried in the cavern. Two heavy gazes hit her back, their curiousity crawling over Priscilla's skin. "Tis the device that brought thee to this time, Wendy."

"I see."

The aspiring dragon kept her silence for several seconds, digesting these news. Then her brows furrowed. "Hold. I arrived in this time through a creation of Zeref?"

"What, pray tell, makes you believe Zeref built such marvel?"

Her deflection was measured, but Wendy's unamused look told her the other woman knew it for a fact. "Aries told me," she deadpanned. "I wonder how thee learned of this fact without ever laying eyes on the device before."

She could keep the secret, but Wendy was already involved anyway. If anyone deserved answers, it was her. So Priscilla shrugged. "Zeref told me."

Wendy blinked in surprise, much to her amusement. Priscilla went on to confuse her more: "He taught me how to wield Earthland's magic. I am also the one who killed him, although of this I am not proud."

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Wendy echoed her earlier tone. "Just about anyone on Ishgar would be overjoyed to hear such accomplishment."

This, on the other hand, was none of Wendy's business. So Priscilla held her silence.

Precht did as well, far more interested in Eclipse. "How peculiar," he muttered as careful probes of Ethernano flickered between his fingers and the pristine steel. "Metal woven from magic and anchoured to a position in space. This device is completely immutable and immovable unless dissolved. I can barely grasp the foundation, much less its inner workings."

Despite his words, he was clearly eager to study. Then again, so was Priscilla. Zeref's greatest accomplishment lay before them. Not to mention, what did it have to do with the vanishing of Kyoka? Or their own arrival in Earthland?

They examined it for the better part of two hours. Even Kalameet was stumped for a time, having to go over everything step by step to grasp its composition. Being more familiar with Zeref's works and this type of magic in general, Precht figured it out before either of the dragons. When he did, he was almost reverent:

"Eclipse taps into the root world, where Lordran lies. Time is too stable here to be outright broken. Opening a portal between two eras is impossible, regardless the power provided. So instead this device sidesteps the problem through a stable pathway to the root, mapping the correct point in its time, and then connecting a second pathway to that same point on its second activation. Incredible!"

Priscilla wholeheartedly agreed. Even Kalameet bent his head toward this marvel of human ingenuity. Wendy did not quite grasp the genius of what Zeref did beyond that time travel was hard, but she was impressed nonetheless.

"But how does this connect to the Etherious' disappearance?" Precht went on. "Is it intentional?"

"No," Kalameet rumbled in response. His voice shook the cavern some, then he prowled forward to study the device some more. Several minutes passed in silence before he explained: "I understand now. The disposition is unintional. Indeed, I doubt Zeref even knew. Upon activation the components establishing yonder gate tear into our origin. Yet to anchour themselves, they find purchase not in a place but a person. A being of power. An Everlasting dragon, perhaps, or the child of a Lord." His implication was clear. "Only the mighty suffice. Likewise, the device attempts to counterbalance by anchouring a being on this side also. The interaction of various forces switches them. Zeref did not intend for it. He never realised because he could not test the device."

An introspective silence followed. Priscilla looked upon Eclipse in a new light again. Not only was it Zeref's masterpiece, it inadvertedly set her free.

A quiet question from Wendy broke the silence: "So someone else landed here?"

"So it would seem," Priscilla agreed. "Though it does not quite make sense yet. Us dragons and Quelaan make three, yet the device was only activated twice." She could not quite wrap her head around how this was supposed to work. It felt like the answer was on the tip of her tongue, but it eluded her still. In the end she decided it did not matter for now. "Regardless, we ought to demolish this contraption. Playing with time is ever inadvisable, especially if one employs a device of another, greater mind's make."

Kalameet snorted; a puff of smoke blossomed from his nostrils, but he did not challenge her statement beyond that. Meanwhile, Precht nodded his agreement. Wendy hesitated before doing the same. No one had to know and no one would know. Priscilla addressed her fellow dragon again: "Kalameet, will thou dismantle it?"

"Dost thou feareth failure?" he challenged, although he already rose before Eclipse. Her answer mattered little. Priscilla chuckled over the attempted banter, though.

"Not quite. Thy powers art most precise, a fine knife that is better suited than a hammer."

"Thou took ample inspiration from lesser beings."

So saying, Kalameet's gaze began to sink into Eclipse. Everyone could feel reality shudder as the device was expertly cut apart at the seams. Kalameet severed connections and steel began to dissolve into mist. The twelve golden keyholes wavered before collapsing, a link to the celestial spirit world broken.

Then Precht and Wendy tensed. Priscilla noticed instantly, but none of their warnings were spoken in time. The glimmering Lacrimas lining the gate discharged in an explosion of light. The released energy surged through dispersing spell-lattices, just moments before they vanished. The gate hummed to life for but a moment... and they all felt the same pressure again. They all felt something of fire and darkness passing nearby. A sense of eternal winter took its place right after, emptiness and loneliness. Insanity, perhaps. Moments later it was lost in time.

She realised what happened just a moment too late. Priscilla's legs gave out and she sunk to her knees, burying her face in her hands. She had no words for the colossal mistake just committed. The wound in time kept pulsating weakly around them, too.

When Wendy nudged her after a short while, asking what happened, she could not even meet her gaze. "Tis my fault," she whispered. "Stupid, stupid Priscilla! If I just gave it more thought! The flow of time is convoluted in Lordran and the device was only activated twice throughout its entire existence. Of course the presence of three people transpositioned implies a future activation!"

"Hold, what about the fourth?"

"There is no fourth," Precht answered in her stead. "From what I gathered, the third arrival just came through." He frowned thoughtfully. "Would the odd flow of time even allow to change arrival times?"

"Indeed. T'was I who just passed through from the other side." Despite it all, she managed a small if mirthless smile. "It seems the fabric of time in Earthland is less sturdy than thou assumed."

"Hm."

It was her fault. A woman who went through hardship and became a better person was now gone. Sent into this hellish place Priscilla called her origin, bereft of family and friends. This was wrong, it was not fair. And it was her fault. How could she undo this? Travel to Lordran was infeasible at best, she simply could not afford the risk of never returning. Or to be set upon by the Lords, having left Ariamis' painting.

Another pulse of strained time echoed into her gloomy thoughts. A sound almost like the clink of glass on glass broke the silence. All four of them perked up from their own musings, Wendy the most confused.

"What is this?" she questioned while space around them continued to warp. She could feel it like Priscilla and Kalameet could, but lacked the frame of reference to understand.

Contrary to the dragons' expectations, Precht understood. Well enough to explain, at that: "This is time out of tune. See these welts over there, as if the wall were layered over itself? There are theories that time and space are linked. If you distort one, the other follows to an extent. We just partially activated a time travel device, tearing a hole in the endless stream of time. It tries to self-correct and close up. I saw similar phenomena when Mavis and I devised Fairy Sphere. Only this time it seems more erratic."

"Likely because the fabric of time is sturdier here," Priscilla ventured thoughtfully. "So a reaction to a breach would be stronger." Considering that her past self just passed by, the latent, reality-bending might of a dragon may also affect it. But something Precht just said gave her pause. "Hold, if time is straining...."

She was interrupted by a sound akin to cloth tearing. Space turned inside out for a moment, up became down, light and darkness reversed. Priscilla beheld every moment of this place since the beginning of time, all in the span of an instant. Even her perfect memory could only grasp a handful of impressions beside the yawning void that first was; Wendy and Precht likely failed to remember anything at all, both of them going to their knees with bleeding eyes and ears.

And then, without so much as a noise, the cavern was filled with people. A trail of dispersing Ethernano surrounded the group; they held hands, encircling the four of them. Only a single space was open among the exhausted and bruised bodies.

Priscilla stared at her Fairies, just like they stared at her. They were there, all of them. Makarov, Natsu, Lucy, Mirajane, everyone. Only Erza was amiss, long since returned.

It was the master who overcame her surprise first. Her smile was earnest this time. "Welcome home, everyone."

Silence answered her.

"The hell am I looking at?" Laxus drawled in the end, more confused than annoyed. Makarov by his side was still taking in the sight, giving his grandson the chance to keep going: "Isn't that the old fart we beat up earlier? With our Master. And a dragon. You know that guy, Natsu?"

"Beats me. He doesn't smell familiar. Hey Pris, hey Wendy!"

The Dragonslayer let go of Lucy's and Gray's hands to wave with a grin. Then he sniffed again and turned to Wendy. "Whoa, you look awful." Helpful hands were slapped away as the annoyed blunette glowered at him. Natsu's eyes narrowed while Wendy pressed both hands to her temples and started to heal the damage. "Actually, you smell different, too. And what's with the scales?"

"...Natsu. As happy as I am to see you well, I just had all of time explode in my face. Please, a minute."

"Oh, sure... what's that mean?"

Others were also asking questions, some about where they were, some about Acnologia, others about the slowly rising Precht. Wendy tended to him after she was done with herself, earning a few words of gratitude. Priscilla spent that time summarising their brief vacation in time.

"Unfortunately, it has been three and a half years since your disappearance," she closed. The uproar was immediate and went ignored, Priscilla just raised her voice. "The worst estimate was a decade, so this is less awful than it could have been. I had your belongings stored at my place and everyone helped look after your pets."

Especially Levy breathed a sigh of relief; her cat was eight years old now, Priscilla remembered that well.

"That said, worry not about Erza. She returned on an alternate route, although it took her a bit longer than three years." It was then that Priscilla realised Eclipse must have taken Erza as well, which explained Fairy Sphere's instability. She did not let that stop her, though. "Now, if I may make introductions: over here is a fellow dragon, Kalameet." Who completely ignored the smattering of greetings and waves. "And this is Precht Gaebolg, former master of Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart, and now a famous member of the Bureau of Magic Development."

The second announcement drew mostly confusion. Priscilla smiled leniently and waved off inquiries. "We can speak later. For now, you are all exhausted. It is time to bring you home. Precht, Wendy, would either of you wish to join us?"

She did not even bother asking Kalameet. Wendy hesitated, but Precht shook his head immediately. "I would merely intrude. Although I may drop in sometime this week, if time permits."

"I should look after Flare and Yukino, too," Wendy added right after. The crowd around them allowed both to leave and made a great deal of space for Kalameet.

"So," Gray asked while looking around the empty cavern. Eclipse long since vanished. "Where are we? And how do we get home?"

"Below Crocus, and easily." Priscilla threw him a cheeky grin and began to channel Ethernano. "Three and a half years were a decent amount of time to learn." Her spell circle formed all around them. Before completing the spell, Priscilla inclined her head toward Precht. "Until next time." And then they were off; only a moment passed before the lot of them stood in Magnolia, right in front of the guildhall.

"Fascinating," Makarov murmured. He leaned heavily on his cane and Mira. Just about everyone was leaning on someone else, only Laxus stayed standing on his own.

Priscilla paid no mind. She stepped over Juvia and Gray to push open the door with a shout: "I have returned and so have our lost wizards!"

Her voice echoed through the entire building. Everyone in the taproom was standing at once, their cheers not quite drowning out the pitter-patter of feet carrying others there from the entire building.

Their lost lambs wandered inside and were urged to sit. Elfman cried, twirling his big sister around. Jet and Droy bowled Levy and Gajeel over in their exuberance, hugging both into the ground. Even Mystogan joined them for a while, clapping Laxus' shoulder. Drinks and food were brought aplenty, devolving into a party within minutes. A measured one though, what with everyone being too tired to fight. On the other hand, word of their return spread to all of Magnolia as well. They had an impromptu festival on their hands before long.

Priscilla could not help but smile over the merry atmosphere. She even managed to forget her own folly for a time. It was as if they never left.

"I'm almost done with my studies," she heard Elfman tell his sister. He made the white coat he took to wearing flutter for effect, too. Only to lose any semblance of grandiosity when she began to pet his head.

The Thunder Legion and Laxus were conferring with Mystogan about recent events, she noticed. Right next to them, Cana and Gildarts clacked their mugs together without a care in the world. Then there were Natsu and Lucy, surrounded by a small crowd of amused guildmates. Macao had a finger right under the younger man's nose, grinning like a loon. "When were you thinking to tell us you're an Etherious?"

"Wait, what?" Lucy was about as surprised as her boyfriend. Priscilla had to chuckle as she left the human members to explain what took place earlier.

Her gaze wandered over Levy, who congratulated Alzack and Bisca on their marriage. Gajeel hovered nearby, absently growling responses to whatever Juvia told him. Gray sat with them as well.

Then, during a lull in conversation, an unfamiliar voice drew Priscilla's attention: "Is this truly necessary?"

Heads turned to Seilah, prim and pristine in a brand new maid dress. Mavis kept pushing her into the taproom. "Absolutely!" she cheered, completely unrepentant while the flustered Etherious fidgeted. "You look great!"

A number of wolf whistles from the crowd conveyed general agreement.

Nobody missed her obvious horns, however. They were ochre, almost golden, and thicker than her arms. Natsu tensed for a moment, only to relax when nobody else made any hostile motions. Then he stepped out of his small bubble with a big grin. "Heya! Nice to meetcha, I'm Natsu. Welcome to the guild!"

"Huh. I...." Seilah trailed off the moment she focussed on him. Clearly recognising a fellow Etherious, she was stumped. "You, you are-"

"Natsu, I just said that." He clapped her shoulder jovially, then left the gaping woman to stare after him. His next destination was Mavis, who waved cheerfully. "Did you bring her here?"

"Ayup. She didn't have anywhere to go, so I thought, August needs a nanny anyway. Why not hit two birds with one stone?" Mavis beamed while the woman in question grumbled something unintelligible. Natsu laughed.

"Heh, sounds like fun. Also, who's August? Did someone else have a kid?" He glanced around between the various older members, but no one gave any indication. Then a small bundle slammed into his side with a cheerful trill. Natsu immediately swooped him up. "Oh, so you're...."

This time it was for him to trail off, staring at August with wide eyes. The boy laughed at being held in the air, kicking his legs until he stood on a magical platform. "I'm August!" he said excitedly.

"That he is," Mavis agreed while gently taking him from Natsu's arms. Her expression had grown pensive for a reason Priscilla did not know. Then a spark of Ethernano had the doors shut and sealed off the area. "And seeing that you can't keep the secret anyway," Mavis teased with a hint of levity, "I better get this over with now. He is my son, and your nephew. I know you can tell."

An air of confusion followed her announcement. How would Natsu know the identity of August's father? She thankfully did not have to ask, seeing how Jet made the same inquiry. Natsu was still too confused to respond, but Seilah managed to regain her composure: "Etherious can tell their creator apart instinctively. Apparently, the same is true of his descendants."

"I was meaning to keep this secret tight," Mavis apologised to the quietened room. She held her son protectively. "Just me, Pris, Precht, and Warrod. But it was bound to come out eventually, I guess."

"I don't really care about that." Natsu made a dismissive motion before pointing at August, who grabbed his finger. "He's a kid, not Zeref. I don't get how he's my nephew."

Even Mavis was flabbergasted by his easy acceptance. Then she started giggling and set her son down. "Oh, Natsu. Never change. You are in effect his brother. And that makes you my brother-in-law as well. I never gave my name, did I? Mavis Vermillion-Dragneel, at your service." She curtsied, then leapt to embrace Natsu.

With the serious mood ruined, the entire guild congregated on them. A lot of curiousity followed, but Mavis carefully ignored the more intrusive questions about Zeref. Priscilla kindly took some of them off of her. The guild took to accepting August well enough, but Makarov had to hold a short speech on keeping his ancestry a secret.

Once this was all done and Lucy found herself having to entertain Mavis while August led Natsu around by the hand, Priscilla allowed herself to relax. This went better than expected. For some reason however, Seilah sought refuge near her.

"It will be alright," Priscilla soothed the Etherious. "You will fit right in before you know it. It was the same for me." This earned her a mean look but little else. Her expression softened further. "My apologies that it had to be this way."

Before she could respond, a cheerful Jet appeared between them, one arm slung around Seilah's shoulder. "Bah, stop it with the heavy stuff already. We're having a party here!" He ignored the distasteful look the Etherious threw him. "Besides, Mavis is right: the dress looks great on you." Distaste washed away in favour of embarassment. "Alicia can show you the ropes in no time, don't worry!"

"Ah." The blonde had been nearby and hesitated, glancing between them. "Shouldn't Mira, now that she's back?"

Having heard her name, Mirajane turned their way and waved; Seilah took a single look at her and fainted.

Jet caught the unconcious woman with a shout, just as befuddled as the two barmaids. Priscilla picked her up gently and explained: "Having enjoyed effective immortality, a Take Over wizard keyed to Etherious is their worst nightmare made manifest. Do be careful around her until she gets to know you, yes?"

Mira nodded at once. "Of course, can do. Everything for my cute coworker."

They shared a chuckle over that and the party continued.

Despite the merriment, Lucy could not help but worry. She had not even managed to come to terms with losing three and a half years when they learned she was dating an Etherious demon. Moreover, Natsu was directly related to Zeref himself. That Zeref was alive until recently, she already knew. Silver linings and all that.

Regardless, her thoughts kept racing throughout the evening. Priscilla may have stored her belongings, but she no longer had a place to stay. The same was true for just about everyone else; only Makarov owned the house he lived in. Natsu and Happy sidestepped the issue by having built a little cottage just outside of town. Lucy spent most of her free moments planning her next steps; she needed to get back on her feet and quick. She refused to depend on someone else's hospitality for any longer than necessary. Nobody would mind hosting her as a half dozen offers made quite clear, but that did not deter Lucy.

As she ran through her options, the most tempting one tied closely to her cheerful boyfriend. Natsu was the heart of the party despite it all, wherever he took all that energy. They had only been dating a few months, but Lucy could not stop wondering. Would he mind? Was it a good idea? The fact her mind kept tallying the costs did not help; not only was it the most romantic option she could think of, it was also the cheapest.

In the end, after a drag from her tankard, Lucy bid a chattering Levy to wait and wandered over to where Natsu was playing with August. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Lucy motioned awkwardly, hesitant. Maybe a little embarassed. "I was thinking. Do you mind if I stay with you for a while? Maybe, I mean, maybe if things go well I could move in?"

Natsu paused. He had focussed mainly on his nephew thus far, but Lucy's question distracted him thoroughly. August seemed to realise playtime was over, curiously looking between the two adults. They had locked gazes, both well aware that this was a big step.

Then Natsu's surprise faded. He shrugged and gave a thumbs up. "Sure. That fine with you, Happy?"

"Aye!" the Exceed cheered from the table next to them, a half-eaten fish in his paws. "But it will be kinda small for three people."

"Eh, we'll make it work."

Lucy's heart fluttered at how easily he went along with her. How could anyone be this pure? She impulsively leaned forward to kiss him. Sparks showered the both of them, courtesy of August. And maybe the catcalling flustered Lucy a bit, or a lot, but she could not care less. Natsu really was worth admiring; he saw the world in much simpler terms than she did.

It turned out soon after that Happy was right. Their cottage had no room for her, at least not as it were. Not to mention that it lay dormant for three years.

Lucy stared at her temporary, mayhaps permanent home with an awkward grin. "Who would have thought this is where I end up," she joked, mostly with herself. Lucy was tired after the ordeal and then the party. But sleeping in a dust-covered bed did not appeal, either.

"Come on," Natsu soothed her brightly, "it's not so bad. We just slap off some dust here and clean up tomorrow. Maybe Levy can... hey, how about you let Scorpio blow all that dust away?"

"That's... actually a good idea." Lucy conceded the point immediately, wondering why she did not think of it. Though tired, her magical reserves were good by now. She gingerly removed Scorpio's key and called for him. "Open, gate of th-aaaaah!"

Only to be dogpiled under a near dozen Celestial Spirits. Virgo and Leo, Aquarius and Scorpio, Cancer, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, even Lyra, Plue, and Crux were there. Horologium and Taurus stood nearby, flanking Capricorn and Aries.

Buried under far too many bodies, Lucy could only wiggle in distress while various happy greetings washed over her. When no one made any attempt to free her, she sighed and felt for her magic again. A swift buck of her hips later, the entire crowd went flying. Finally free to breathe, Lucy rolled onto her back.

"Really, you guys."

Her annoyance already faded; they had not seen her in years, the warm welcome was more than a little touching. "Not everyone at once, please."

"Will you punish us for our transgressions, Princess?"

"No," she deadpanned. If Virgo was disappointed, she did not show it. Natsu grinned over her plight in the background. Lucy rose to her feet, threw one look at Capricorn waiting to meet her, and raised a hand. "I know it's been a lot longer for you all, but I am barely staying awake as is. How about we do this-" A massive yawn cut her off there. "-tomorrow? I just wanted Scorpio to help dust off the place."

She made a vague motion for Natsu's cottage, which prompted a lot of scrutiny. Aquarius sneered and muttered about indignity of some form. Virgo and Lyra began to whisper with each other, calculating looks thrown her and Natsu's way. All the rest seemed equally more interested in her relationship upgrade than anything else. Meanwhile, Scorpio laughed. He gave her a wink and lumbered forward. "Sure thing, Lucy. But you guys probably wanna have someone look at that. Place looks like I could blow it over with a single breath."

"Please don't."

Her deadpan prompted more laughter. Thankfully, Scorpio regulated the storm he produced with his metal tail. A strong gust flowed through the entire building, carrying a cloud of dust out the windows. Before he could even announce being done, Virgo was through the door while dual-wielding dusters.

"Worry not, Princess. Everything shall be in perfect condition by the time you wake."

Lucy just heaved a sigh and indulged her. Natsu and Happy did not seem to mind either way. Her friends returned to their own world in ones and twos, each after wishing her a good night. Excepting Aquarius, but even she held a rare smile.

Soon enough it was just the three of them again. Then Happy flew off with his basket to sleep in the tiny living room. Virgo being there to deliver pets may be related, but Lucy could not care less. She did not question the gleaming nightgown already laid out for her, either. Instead she just imitated Natsu, shucked off her clothes, and climbed under the sheets. It was a tight fit with the two of them, but pleasantly warm in exchange. Lucy snuggled against Natsu and was off to dreamland before he even wrapped an arm around her.

She hardly even regretted her choices in the morning. Only a little bit, upon realising that things may move a bit faster than she was comfortable with. Natsu all but leered at her naked self, but restrained himself to just a possessive hug, a searing kiss, and a few cheeky gropes. That alone almost changed Lucy's mind, but the faint memory of a metric ton of work yet to be done deterred her in the end.

After getting dressed and enjoying a quick breakfast, courtesy of Priscilla coming by to bring their belongings, Lucy got started. While she met with her spirit friends however, Natsu wandered off; it took a while for him to return, at which point the general catching up was over. Her friends already celebrated in the Celestial Spirit world that past night. The lightshow of her forming a contract with Capricorn drew a whistle from nearby, however.

"Damn," Gildarts said, "I never thought I'd get to see actual spirits. Hey there, folks!" He joined them with a cheerful grin, Natsu and Happy right behind. The spirits greeted him in turn, though notably less enthusiastic than they did Lucy. "Weird spot to have your party or whatever, though. Perfectly fine guildhall thataway."

"Have you not heard?" Loke inquired with mock seriousness. Lucy batted his shoulder, but could not stop him from spilling the beans. He cheekily pointed at his summoner. "Lucy is moving in with Natsu."

"Oh. Right. There was something about that last night, wasn't there?" Gildarts scratched his chin in thought, then laughed. "Hah, can't remember much. No idea where my baby girl got that iron stomach from, but she can take more than me!"

No one acknowledged Lucy's halfway aborted pout, nor Natsu's embarassment. He yelped when Gildarts clapped his shoulder, accidentally slamming him into the ground. "But now I get why you want to expand. Place is too small for two. Or two and a half, rather," he corrected with a glance to Happy. "Hm. Go get Cana, will you? If I'm building for a woman, the place should have a woman's touch to it."

"That's awfully nice of you," Lucy thanked him while the Exceed flew off. She felt a little bashful, but also worried about the bill. Expecting a guildmate to work for free was just about unthinkable to her. Construction was expensive. "Money may be a bit of a problem."

"Pft, money." He waved her off with a grin. "I've got money out the ass, don't worry. Best builder wizard in the country means something, y'know? Just leave it to me."

"I...." She wanted to protest, maybe insist on some other kind of recompense. Then Natsu wrapped an arm around her shoulder. His reassuring smile told her exactly where such an argument would go. Lucy slumped against him. "Alright, but please don't make it too big. I had enough of big mansions."

Just then, Happy returned carrying an enthusiastic drunkard. Cana dropped right next to her father, hips cocked and an evaluating look in place. "I heard you need some help building," she drawled coyly before saluting. "Sure thing. Now go do couple things, we're having it handled. Come on, old man, we're burning sunshine!"

"I'm not that old yet!"

Father and daughter cheerfully went to work dismantling the place, bantering back and forth. Natsu and Lucy were forgotten after being effectively kicked out. They stared at each other momentarily, only to break into laughter. It was just too funny; Lucy did not even know why.

As they began to walk away and into the forest, Natsu slowly grew more serious. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the Etherious thing before," he began after a while. "I didn't really tell anyone, just Happy. Mira found out on her own some time ago 'cause, y'know." He made a vague motion with his hand and mimicked a hissing sound. Not particularly accurate, but Lucy got that he meant her Take Over.

"It is alright," she assured him. "I was mostly just surprised about it." Considering her own situation, she really could not throw stones. And thinking of that, now may as well be the time to put her constant struggle to rest. Lucy fell behind her boyfriend for a bit, but now she caught up and grasped his arm. "Actually, there is something I have to tell you, too."

Much to her relief, he was not mad about Lucy and Priscilla keeping the secret of Eclipse. The dragonslayers' origin gave him pause, though. Lucy explained in as much detail as she could while they strolled through the woods, from her mother's letter to Zeref's plan.

She was just about finished when a teasing lilt interrupted them: "Now look at that, a romantic walk in the forest?"

True to form, Levy accosted them with a sly grin. But also with Gajeel in tow. He loomed behind her, though only with his resting scowl and not the aggressive one. Lucy arched a brow at the sight of her friends. "More like you are mad that we stole your idea."

"As if." Levy sauntered over and playfully slapped her shoulder. "You couldn't make this walk half as romantic as I can."

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yes."

They kept repeating the same lines back and forth for a while at that point. The men merely shrugged at each other until Lucy stopped their playfight. Sighing, the taller woman glanced between them. "Well, good thing either way. Gajeel should hear this, too."

"Nah," Natsu denied. Lucy immediately turned back to him, as did Levy, but he ignored them both. "Long story short, they taught us Dragonslayer magic to kill Acnologia, and Lucy's grand-grand-whatever-grandmother sent us through a time travel machine. We're actually like four hundred years from the past."

Gajeel frowned through the explanation. While Levy's expression kept growing more incredulous, his remained much the same. When Natsu finished, he merely grunted. "Huh. Explains a few things, I guess." He fell silent afterward. Both women stared at him in abject confusion, prompting a deeper scowl. "What?"

Lucy wet her lips cautiously, uncertain how to phrase the question. She spent months agonising over this information and he just... took it like nothing was wrong? "Are you not surprised? At all?

Gajeel shrugged. "Kinda, but what does it matter? We're here now and I wanna beat that asshole's face in anyway."

He stared at her as if to challenge the statement. Lucy could only heave a sigh, though Levy chuckled and tip-toed to peck Gajeel's cheek. "You're such a dork."

"They both are," Lucy quipped. Natsu grinned along.

However, once they said their goodbyes and separated, Gajeel wordlessly wandered off. Levy quickly sped up to keep pace, surprised and a little worried. "Where are you going?" No answer. "Gajeel?"

He still gave no indicator of having heard her. His feet carried him to a nearby lake, where he sat down to stare at the still surface. Levy's bewildered stare received no reaction. She glanced between the lake and her boyfriend, then back to where Lucy and Natsu vanished. Sighing, she settled next to Gajeel. "You can just say that it bothers you, you know?"

"Get off my back."

There was no heat in his growl. Levy giggled softly and shook her head at his antics. "Boys. Come here." Reaching out, she gently pulled him backward. Gajeel let himself be moved until his head rested on her lap, buffered by that unruly mane of his. Levy gently stroked his spiky hair. "I'm here for you," she reassured him, "as long as you need me."

At first Gajeel only snorted, but he soon closed his eyes and simply enjoyed Levy's ministrations. By herself, the blunette admitted that this was not quite what she imagined this outing to be. Getting to spend some tender time of another sort with him however, that was perfectly fine.

Meanwhile, a fellow blunette wandered Magnolia on her lonesome. Juvia's mind was on similar subjects as Levy's. Or rather, she kept stewing on the issue Lucy raised for her the previous night. Hearing that her friend moved in with Natsu, she realised that she wanted the same thing. Quite viscerally at that. Juvia wanted to be close to Gray, to cook for him, to sleep in the same bed, all these things she read about but never thought she would get to do herself.

Unfortunately, taking a step back and asking Cana for a second opinion made it very clear that Gray was not ready for this yet. He and Natsu were different in that regard.

Now she was looking for a place to stay. Priscilla hosted them all and did not mind doing so again, but Juvia did not want to impose. Fairy Tail already gave her so, so much that she refused to be a burden on them for any reason. Unfortunately, her old haunt was since rented to someone else and she found few affordable places thus far. The fact she cut back whenever one of her guildmates had interest in one probably did not help, but Juvia still felt a little guilty.

"Oh my, are you house hunting as well?"

Mirajane's voice snapped her out of her musings. Juvia's gaze focussed on the other woman, whose smile was infectious. "I am. Not much luck so far, but I'm sure it will be fine. How about you?" After a momentary pause, she realised her guildmate did not even have to find a place of her own. "Actually, didn't you stay with Elfman?"

"I did," Mira confirmed, "but still. He may be older than me now, but I am still the big sister. And I am not going to force my little brother to provide for me. Not to mention, I think he is seeing someone." The last part was whispered cospiratorially. "So I rather he have his privacy." Then, all smiles, she went on without giving Juvia a chance to ask questions: "I actually found a nice place earlier, but it is a tad big for just me. So I was thinking of rooming with someone, assuming anyone is interested. Cana comes to mind, but, well." She motioned for the city surrounding them. "I haven't seen her since yesterday."

Juvia nodded along. The idea made sense. She immediately wanted to ask about being part of this, but something held her back. Why should Mirajane want to share a place with her of all people? So instead of asking, she ventured carefully: "Did you have any expectations for that? Or preferences, more like?"

"Hmmm. Well, having a boytoy nearby would be nice," she joked while licking her lips suggestively. Juvia averted her gaze, prompting a chuckle. "But no, anyone is fine with me. I doubt there will be trouble."

"Then... how about, well... me?"

A flood of doubt followed the hesitant proposal. Mira needed a moment to work through the implications, enough time for Juvia to open her mouth.

"Oh, absolutely!"

But before she could start babbling, take back the request, or anything else, Mira already waltzed over it. The purity of her beaming smile was almost blinding. Meanwhile, Juvia's mouth hung open uselessly, all words dead on her lips. Tentatively, she began to smile as well. "I would like that a lot," she finished softly.

"I would, too. Happy to have you," Mira agreed. Then her smile grew mischievous. "We just need to figure something out for when one of us brings a date over. I would not want to intrude on you and Gray~"

Juvia flushed immediately. Nonetheless, she was so incredibly happy that the embarassment faded within moments. Fitting in to the point someone else could imagine sharing a home with her, it was like a dream come true. Even if it was not Gray, she still felt like crying tears of joy.

The sudden and short downpour that soaked just about everyone in Magnolia, Mira would tease her about for a while.

Just like Juvia, Lucy, and Levy, all the returned members began to settle back in. Though still jarred by how years passed like nothing for them, it felt like they never left. Even with their return however, fines paid for collateral damage remained at an all-time low. Ultear Malkovich was their saviour, quickly exalted to an honourary member of Fairy Tail. As word of their return spread, various old friends came to Magnolia to welcome them back.

Unfortunately, it was not just friends who sought to pay them a visit.

 

[NightmareWarden]

Interesting, interesting. Of course Mira was on the island, they needed S-class members for the later tests. Hooray for Juvia too, though I think Gray will deal with have a harder time with the teasing than Gajeel does.

A lot of explanations were skipped, which is the best solution for the pacing of the story, however this would be the first time Mira got to see Elfman's regrown arm. Important parts like Erza's status was covered after all.

Out of curiosity, I wonder if any of the silk clothing or the bioengineered critters themselves could be used to contact Kyoka. Sympathetic magic isn't a core part of Fairy Tail, but we've seen how magical traditions have expanded over the course of the story.

Acnologia is awake. The source of Etherano, Manus, is deceased, though his story has not ended. What is coming next?

 

[Naron]

Less than two weeks passed until Earthland's nightmare arose once more. Powerful nostrils flared as he took in the scent of his prey. Jet black wings propelled an equally dark body, scales lined by errant streaks of dark, gleaming blue.

An hour after July 7th began, Acnologia fully awakened. At noon he closed in on the area he first felt the power that, to his mind, only a dragon could possess. The hundred thousand humans closeby went ignored, as a god did not concern himself with the matters of ants. The vermin attempted a few bombardments of various magics, but it slid off Acnologia's scales like water.

Slamming into the ground with a challenging growl, he sniffed the air again. Just like before it smelled of Igneel's prince. Another, almost familiar scent mixed with the plethora of traces on this hill, but he disregarded it. Had the dragon king paid more attention, he may have recognised the remainder of Grandine's princess.

As it were, he had no chance to do so. A boulder half his size hammered into Acnologia's flank. The force of impact sent splintered stone everywhere, projectile obliterated. His head snapped around to the human city and a puff of breath destroyed the boulder coming straight for his face. Secondary lids protected his eyes from dust while the irate dragon made to lumber forward, only to stumble. No one saw amidst the slowly dispersing cloud, but he knew. His hind leg was dented, sprained by the previous impact.

The impossibility of this injury gave Acnologia pause. Long enough for a third boulder to graze his right wing. Had he not stumbled sideway, he would have lost it entirely. The membrane was strained before snapping back painfully. The dragon king screamed his anger at the defenders and propelled himself upward. Another boulder flew by right underneath him.

As he corkscrewed upward, any notion of punishing the vermin faded away. He saw exactly the strength of their defenses; a dozen giant catapults were adjusting their aim, each one loaded with dozens of these boulders. They rose on magical platforms across the city, hidden underground when he first arrived. Only two had shot at him thus far.

With his wing already damaged and maneuverability hindered, Acnologia decided to mete out punishment later. He had dragons to kill first.

While he raced toward the horizon, another scaled face revealed itself from the cavern he just stood before. Another black dragon, smaller but grander still. Kalameet's growl shook the earth, his unfamiliar scent the only reason Crocus was saved from becoming a battlefield. "Kinslayer," he drawled, insult and judgement alike. His ethereal eye shone in otherworldly orange, the primal calamity's gaze following one bound for death.

For an instant, a pang of worry for his nestling made Kalameet consider pursuit. But he had already set the correct order of events into motion. She stood next to Priscilla and that was enough. He could only snort derisively when the defenders' cheer reached his ears. They thought the beast had fled, never realising they were not even a consideration to him.

In Magnolia meanwhile, Lucy slurped her drink and tried not to groan. She was sore in places she never thought she could be sore. Then again, she felt great at the same time. She tried her best to ignore an adult Wendy's coy grin, well aware the dragonslayer knew what she was up to last night. At least she kept quiet about it. Gajeel did too, thankfully.

"It is still weird that you are suddenly my age," she told the blunette and heaved a sigh. "But I guess it puts into perspective how long we were gone."

"Quite," she agreed. A band of aquamarine scales gleamed on her temples when she pushed her hair back in place. "Although much more than that changed over the years. I am glad to see you alive and well nonetheless."

"Aww!" Levy leaned over and threw an arm over Wendy's shoulder. "We love you, too! Same for your friends!" The dragonslayer allowed Levy's presence. She was right, too: Yukino shily talked to Mirajane and Seilah while Flare animatedly spoke with Natsu. August was sat on her lap, cuddled against the ever-warm woman. Bisca nursed little Asuka a table along, fussed over by Alzack and Makarov; the baby was only weeks old, barely born when they returned.

Into this tranquil moment, a surge of Ethernano ran. Lucy could feel it crashing all over Magnolia like a wave, forming a dome of sorts. Priscilla and Mavis stormed in from the back a moment later, but they were too late. The guild snapped alert as the ground shook. The very air began to shake as well. And then everything became light. Lucy flew back from the force of whatever hit them, a distant cluster of Ethernano. The earth rumbled and something heavy slammed into the ground next to her.

When her vision adjusted, Lucy could only stare in shock. The guildhall collapsed around her. Tons of rubble hovered above them, quickly pushed aside by Priscilla's magic. Flickering shields died around the building, all of Fairy Tail alive.

But the town around them was in ruins. Every house devastated, every person on the streets annihilated. No, not everyone. The runes Freed placed so long ago threw sparks and died as she watched, sustaining shields that saved a few. So, so few. All the people she met on a daily basis, the merchants and tailors, their homes, all gone in an instant. Wiped away.

Lucy had to force her gaze away from the horrible sight, up into the sky where he awaited. Black as the night and larger than life. Acnologia circled above them with a scream of challenge. The sight of him made her legs give out entirely. Lucy crashed to the ground, unable to avert her eyes.

Oblivion came after them once more.

In the dead silence, the guild stared at the dragon above. Hopelessness overcame her, the despair of impending doom. Instinct screamed at Lucy to flee while she still could.

Then it was all drowned out by something foreign. It settled over Lucy like a searing blanket, subsumed her until all she felt was all-consuming rage. Her gaze slowly fell down again, to Priscilla. Her guild master stood tall, tail curled around itself and expression a rictus of fury.

When she screamed out at the dragon up high, the earth shook. Her fury drove despair from Lucy's very soul, igniting her own anger. She stumbled to her feet, growling. Then she shrieked, joining Priscilla. Wendy's voice joined theirs a moment later, then Juvia, Gray, Levy, Gajeel. One by one, Fairy Tail's roar rose and reverberated across the land. The only ones silent were Seilah and August, the former clutching the latter and fleeing to safety with him. She grabbed Asuka along the way, quietly soothing the wailing baby.

Their challenge was answered when Acnologia aligned in the air. His roar shook the heavens, only to be repelled when Natsu joined them. Then, as if in response to his wrath, the sunlight faded. For just a moment, pitch blackness covered everyone and everything. Merely Priscilla's and Wendy's glowing eyes spent light below, as did the gleaming pair up high.

When the sun reignited, Natsu was wreathed in black flames. His slitted pupils were trained on the swooping dragon as if to take his challenge alone. He did not have to. All the rubble rose once more and shot off to bombard Acnologia, who had to abort his attack to dodge. Some still clipped his bad wing and a foreleg, adding more small injuries. The barrage of spells that followed had no effect, but it gave them time. And Lucy needed it to get a hold of her rage.

So many people hurt, her friends in pain. She refused to allow it. She did not accept it. She screamed again, in body and soul alike. And from within, her magic answered; from the depths of her blood it drew on all her line ever knew. Zodiac gates aligned around her. Not one or two, but all twelve. She needed no call, for they arrived on their own, as one. All the zodiacs, even those she was not contracted to. They stood as honour guard while Lucy screamed at the heavens.

"Oh zodiacs that are my birthright, I call upon thee! Cast open the gates and grant me audience with the Eternal King Unto Heaven! I implore thee, grant me the strength to strike down this abomination!"

Her words echoed through the boundaries of reality, she knew. For a moment Lucy stood before the Starlit Throne once more, staring up at the spirit king. A god in His own right. And He smiled upon her. His light shone onto Lucy and filled her very being; it soaked into her skin, permeated flesh and bone, all the way into the deepest parts of her soul. "Your wish is granted," His voice echoed across the sky. "Cast open the starlit gate."

But Lucy did not. Another circle opened, unfitting yet oh so true. The very base of her own technique, unaligned to any spirit. Under the force of her will it overlayed with the thirteenth gate. Time crawled to a halt as all her spirit friends' expressions changed to surprise and even horror. But He merely nodded. The light that since filled her was not conducted as it ever had been before. No, it began to manifest as gleaming armour and a greatsword the size of Lucy herself. She lifted it effortlessly, its edge rending space.

"Star Dress! Celestial Spirit King!"

She roared the conclusion of her spell, unheard amidst Fairy Tail's wrath. No one paid mind to her unparalleled feat. With His might came knowledge, allowing Lucy to propel herself heavenward. A slowly mending wound in space followed her sword's ascent.

She was not alone. Four leatherey wings sprouted from a spell circle on Wendy's back, lined with sapphire scales. With the instincts of dragons she claimed the sky as was her birthright, tutored by Carla for the past years. Priscilla rose with her by the same spell on a pair of white gossamer wings. Natsu followed right after, carried on wide, obsidian pinions. The air hissed and warped around them all.

Soon there were dozens of each of them. Mavis remained static on the ground, channelling her illusions into filling the sky with replicas of her friends. Acnologia may be invulnerable to magic, but his senses could not tell fake and reality apart. Magical and physical projectiles kept peppering the beast's resilient hide to no effect.

Acnologia reared back for another mighty beam. He aimed at the tightest cluster and extinguished them along the tip of a distant mountain. He turned to continue his work until the true enemies were destroyed. But in doing so, he never saw Laxus coming from below. He never expected a mere man to so much as injure him. And yet the mighty punch to his good wing taught the dragon king a painful lesson. The membrane barely held against this impact, strained painfully. A quiet crack, unheard by all, told of the underlying bone being broken. Laxus' hand was also, but he cared naught for it.

Acnologia whirled around in mid-air to deliver a devastating spinkick, sending the vermin back from whence he came. Any lesser man would have died from the ground-shattering impact; even Laxus was out of the fight with just that much. But the damage was done and what was more, he gave the dragons time to reach.

Wendy and Natsu rammed into Acnologia's wing like vultures, clawing at the vulnerable membrane. It tore under their irate assault, well and truly impairing the dragon king. He shook them off, only to have divine sword and scythe slice through the other wing. Acnologia screamed in anger more than pain on his descent.

Halfway down, Lucy appeared by his side. Time dilated under her will, slowing the dragon's fall to a crawl. A momentum otherwise unimaginable propelled her kick into Acnologia's face, changing his trajectory. He did not fall on the ruins of Magnolia, but rather slammed into the mountain he damaged earlier. Tens of thousands of tons of stone rained down on the beast. Lucy let time resume, carefully rolling her aching foot.

Silence fell for an instant. All stared at the broken mountain and still rubble. Yet no one believed for even a moment that this much could end the dragon king. True to their expectations, boulders began to shake and a mighty beam shot skyward. It evaporated the rocks and cast away the clouds for dozens of kilometres.

Alas, Acnologia's rage could not hold against that of the guild. Gajeel swept in on the grounded foe, carried by Happy. His metal fists hammered into dragon scales, barely scratching them. Natsu and Wendy descended from above while the beast was distracted, once again tearing chunks out of his wings. Fire and starlight ran deep gouges into Acnologia's back.

Just as his massive tail made to slap Wendy from the air, Lucy darted in again. She spun around herself for momentum and lunged with a scream; her sword cut through Acnologia's scales like a hot knife through butter, removing the tail at its base. To all else she was but a golden blur, already gone before the dragon understood what happened.

Projectiles kept annoying the pained Acnologia from a distance, but the presence of four distinct threats gave him no chance to act against them. Above it all however, Priscilla held back still. She waited for her moment to strike, aware that her stasis field would not work on a being this powerful. No, she and Lucy protected her dragonslayers. This was their purpose after all.

As the dragon king kept raging against their assault, he slowly began to flag. Furious swipes with claws and teeth lost their force. Crushing tackles cost the beast ever more energy as the dragonslayers deftly dodged. The entire area was devastated by the end of it, every single combatant breathing heavily. All of them fought to mobilise just that tiny bit of power to overcome their opposition. Even everlasting anger could only push one so far.

Had it only been three on one, the dragon king would have persevered. Singed, torn, broken he was, but every single one of his opponents had been brutalised. Their protective shells barely held; bruises and small wounds covered their bodies. Wendy favoured her left hand after being smashed through a rock and having the right broken.

That was when Priscilla heralded the end. A deep sense of fear ran through every living being, announcing the presence of death. And then the everpresent scream of anger was amplified. From one moment to the next, the empty sky above Magnolia filled with dragons. All beheld their splendor and all heard their wrathful roar. Not quite real yet undeniably present. They demanded death, retribution, annihilation.

But it was not just the Everlasting dragons.

Heaven and earth shook when Earthland's dragons joined the call, merging their faded powers with that of their greater kin. The dragon king stood frozen once he realised: every dragon he ever slew now glared down at his battered self. Chief among them the kings and queens of the many swarms. King Igneel stood tallest among them, leading the choir of vengeance. Not one, but two dead races screamed down their wrath and let it fill Priscilla. Fairy Tail joined them, as did the few survivors around town.

Only two voices were absent. Mavis had been struck mute by the incorporeal form of Zeref. He appeared before her with all the rest. While the aria of death reached its crescendo, he wordlessly took her hand and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Through the broken earth Priscilla raced, coming straight for the scared dragon. All her being sung, the wrath of her kind channelled through ebony scythe. "Fury of the Fallen!" she roared. "Lifehunt!"

Acnologia recoiled from her, instincts screaming to flee, but it was for naught. The scythe connected, outright ignored his formidable resistances, and cut into his body. The wrath of a hundred thousand dragons, conducted through the greatest of them all. It rampaged through Acnologia, rending his very soul asunder.

Thus the dragon king fell, well and truly dead. Black blood began to leak from his many wounds, tainting the earth.

A deafening silence followed. All eyes lay on what, to them, was a fallen god. Insurmountable he had been in life; even in death many could scarcely believe it was over. Spells faded out as the surge of pure emotion drained away. Spite, anger, and the determination to protect kept them all going beyond their limits. Dragonslayers fell to their knees in exhaustion and so did Lucy. The last vestige of starlight left her body, Star Dress fading. Her memory of the battle was blurry, power too great to comprehend having pulsed through her mortal self.

Her body was numb, as was her heart. The raw emotion keeping them all in the fight left her drained, almost empty. It took many minutes before the first tear pricked at her eye. Many more before it fell. Natsu weakly wrapped an arm around her, supporting Lucy while being supported by her in turn. Wendy and Gajeel were much the same and similar scenes repeated across the ruins of Magnolia.

For Priscilla, this was a day of remembrance and rejoicing. The menace had been ended for good. Yet the price was steep. Thousands of lives, taken in an instant. Her guild remained whole by some miracle, even though they lost most of their guildhall again. Of the town surrounding it, only the foundation was left. Buildings had collapsed wholesale.

Her silent vigil ended before anyone else finished weeping. She could not continue to do nothing, not when there were survivors in need of aid. But just as the giantess began to stride forward, her fairies rose. Wendy stood with them, their determined expression telling Priscilla exactly what they thought. It made her smile, this stoic desire to help. A wave of her hand sent all of them airborne and toward the city. She could clean up the mountain later. Yukino and Flare joined them from the rear lines.

Word of Magnolia's fate spread quickly; just about every wizard guild sent aid in some form of another. Even Jiemma and several of his bulkiest men and women arrived to carry debris. Makarov's son Ivan and his newly founded Raven Tail joined as well, ferrying supplies in their cars. Master Jenny, freshly appointed, brought all surviving members of Blue Pegasus to survey the damage and pitch in with money for rebuilding. They all arrived days before the kingdom's official support, though the sheer amount of men and material Princess Hisui led in had it all be forgiven.

The few hundred survivors were hosted in and around Priscilla's mountain home for the first week. It was a tight fit for the lot of them. Not to mention disconcerting due to the swarm of crows and ravens living around the entire area. Some swore the birds were eyeing them with unnatural intelligence. Others saw them congregate on Acnologia's remains; they did nothing beyond staring at the dead dragon until the Magic Council had him transported away for study.

Rebuilding began in earnest once the railways were repaired. Trains arrived to deliver various goods and people, including a frazzled Gildarts. His reunion with Cana was tearful, as he did not know who made it out before stepping off the train. Mystogan reappeared from his own mission also, apologising for being absent. Erza, Ciaran, and Quelana soon joined them as well, having traveled the continent together with Dusk; it was the first time Priscilla got to meet the erstwhile princess. Her reaction to the ruin was to leap at the nearest construction site and help carry supplies. Her wiry frame belied strength obtained over two decades of travel.

Despite the bleak outlook, Fairy Tail also rebuilt. First there was but a lonely guildhall, but soon more houses grew around it for the members. It did not take much longer for new settlers to arrive, merchants who realised there was a demand for goods. Blacksmiths and tailours followed, as did a variety of others. More came with them as the city grew.

Much to Lucy's initial annoyance, one Jude Heartfilia had a hand in Magnolia's rapid expansion. He offered cheap loans to anyone willing to move there, not to mention free business consultation. Priscilla did not know what the two of them said when her charge went to confront her father about it, but he did not stop doing it. Within two years the man owned a sizable part of Magnolia and the peoples' respect; he even set up the main office of Heartfilia Business Consultation basically next door. Brazen indeed, but successful.

She could not help but smile, looking out at the budding city from the steep hill her home rested under. This, right there, was what the Everlasting dragons failed to understand. No matter how often these lesser beings were crushed underfoot, they always dug themselves back out. They always rebuilt. Such vigor and determination were revitalising to an eternal being such as her. Just like Atlas Flame told her so long ago: their lives were short, yet blazing in their glory.

However, while the world was safer than ever, the many life-or-death struggles left their mark on its people. By the time three years had passed since Acnologia's death, Lucy, Levy, Juvia, and just about any other young woman of her guild had at least one child. Those three in particular each had two and Lucy already carried a third. From what Priscilla gathered, many of her Fairies ended up wondering why they should wait when death could wait at any corner. So they went for it. She was happy for them either way.

Although Wendy deserved her condolences; she apparently tried hard for the same, but ended up finding out she was barren. Much the same for Flare.

Mirajane and Seilah were among the few who had no children of their own; rather, they played aunts for the avalanche of toddlers. The Etherious in particular found her calling in child-rearing, having all but taken over the local orphanage.

Even so, she could still see the remains of the city that once was. Rebuilding Magnolia to its old size alone would take a lot longer than just three years. But Fairy Tail was undeterred. This was their home, no matter what.

By herself, Priscilla lamented the fact they would all turn to dust before long. Their short lives would end, leaving her alone. The prospect scared her a scant few years ago, but by now she realised it was alright. A life well lived was all they needed. It was all she needed of them. In Priscilla's perfect memory, they would live forever; every generation, every single person, until the life-giving sun fell dark for good and beyond.

"Do Fairies have tails?" she mused idly on her trek down the hill. The question with which Fairy Tail once began. Never answered, an unending journey. "I wonder about that." Perhaps she would one day meet a fairy. But where Priscilla was concerned, the journey would never truly end.

She still wept for those flowers plucked too soon. She still raged about the myriad of beings and people who sought to harm such wonderful people. Within her welled an iron determination to craft them a home that would last eternal. And so Priscilla descended the mountainous hill, striding toward the new center of town. No one paid her much mind, unaware of the momentous decision they were about to witness.

Scraping a smattering of dust off the scales on her forehead, Priscilla spread it. The tiniest bit of herself was allowed to spread across the earth. To join with it, become one. Her nature took hold of the area, forming new life in the soil beneath all this cobblestone. The seed had been set. In time an archtree would begin to rise and claim the heavens. Before her mind's eye she saw a sprawling city reach through its entire length.

Nothing would stop her, no matter who or what.

While the Everlasting went about her plans, the rest of Earthland was not idle. The absence of Emperor Spriggan had thrown Alvarez into civil war. The realm beyond the sea would eventually splinter into a number of feudal states, much like Ishgar still was.

These news were shared over a bottle of berry whine by two ancient men. Both now gray and fragile, they still smiled. Precht Gaebolg and Warrod Sequen would die soon; even magic could not keep them going forever. But as Warrod himself summarised: "We had a good run. Now it's time for the next adventure. Do you think Yuri waited for us on the other side?"

"Knowing him, he will complain what took us so long," Precht joked back.

Meanwhile, Flare quietly stood before the cold shrine her once home was built around. The pain never truly left, but it grew easier to bear over time. She leaned faintly against her partner, Totomaru the fire wizard. When the two of them realised their feelings for each other, neither knew.

Much like them, Ultear and Meredy continued to travel the lands. Only they had a sisterly bond instead, slowly casting away the shackles of a life spent in darkness.

Erza lived in Magnolia once more, though most of her time was spent teaching. Her friends Ciaran and Quelana spent most of their remaining lives traveling. Meanwhile, Quelaan struck up a friendship with Dusk and soon found herself a friend and companion. Kalameet was much the same, having stayed even after Wendy moved out to stay with Yukino in a more concrete relationship.

And lastly, a six-year-old August followed his mother up a nondescript mountain. He did not know where they were going yet, only that it was important. He did not really care, either. Mavis, for her part, ached when they crested the final hill. She saw the unmarked grave Priscilla told her about. It was the first time she went. August stopped babbling at her, having caught the heavy mood. He obediently followed until they both stood before the spot.

Mavis went on her knees, aware there were no gods she could pray to. Rather, she smiled at the heavens. Earth rose under her will, daintily forming into a monument for 'the greatest wizard to ever live'. She did not care for how truthful the statement actually was.

"We will meet again one day," Mavis told the stone with a watery smile. Even if he could not hear her, it felt good to speak the words. "But I can not leave yet. There is still much to do."

She hugged August to her side, the boy looking up at her without understanding. "But today, Earthland has become a little better. Just like you always wanted it to be. Thank you for standing guard for so long. Your dream is finally coming true."

They stood in this spot for a long time as she told her son about his father. She was absolutely certain that he would one day be just as great, if not more so.

In the end, even to great sacrifices, all had become better.

 

[HeyaUser]

Did they just kill Acnologia?? Damn

 

[Naron]

Her world was dark. Ever since the moment a force beyond her understanding stole her away, Kyoka had only seen night.

Strangely though, her eyes still worked in the darkness. Her reserves of Ethernano slowly replenished over time, returning to the state they were upon her arrival. But it meant nothing in the endless black.

Eventually, she began to walk. Up and down colossal trees, atop pathways of branches and dirt paths beneath their roots. Her steps produced no sound, her single attempt to call out did not carry. No one and nothing reacted, so she kept wandering. Sometimes she met things crawling on the ground. People, she thought at first, but they only resembled the human form. Emaciated they were; even when Kyoka helped one up, they merely stared at her with empty eye sockets. Weak fingers pawed at her, unable to convey a desire the thing did not even know. She tried to heal them, only to realise this was their natural state. The thing could not speak or otherwise communicate. After a while it kept crawling along.

Another all but clung to her as long as E.N.D.'s tome emitted warmth to soothe her forlorn thoughts. Tears clung to Kyoka's cheeks, a constant blanket of despair weighing down every step she made.

She was alone in unending darkness. The passage of time became warped, for she needed neither sleep nor sustenance. But unless her sole remaining friend warmed her, she was cold. So, so cold.

Then she found a dragon. And not just any, but a pitch black dragon. The sleek head and occasional orange glow on his forehead identified him beyond doubt. He stood upright and still, all but frozen to the world. An attempt to speak to Everlasting Kalameet yielded nothing, however. E.N.D.'s tome earned a passing moment of interest, only for the dragon to dismiss them from his vigil. Neither being was significant enough to earn a spot in his perfect memory.

Dejected, Kyoka left him behind to stew in darkness again. Her bitter tears kept rolling, thoughts circling around the realm she was taken from. August and Mavis, Seilah, Jenny. She wanted them back so, so bad. But the path home was barred by uncountable hardship. Impossible hardship, in fact.

At some point Kyoka realised that time stood still. Nothing changed. All returned to how it once was, like the sea washed away one's footprints in the sand.

In this unchanging, eternal realm, Kyoka could live forever. Settled deep within an archtree, surrounded by pitch black, all she had to do was nothing. But she could not.

Dwelling within this static world saddened her; it hollowed her mind and soul the longer she existed in it. Nothing happened. Unless something monumental took place, nothing ever would. The mere idea was paradoxical to her, born in a world already in motion. Now she was here, the calming weight of E.N.D.'s tome in her arm. A faint heat emanated from it, warming her.

She did not want to live forever. Rather, the more Kyoka thought, she began to understand what she must do. What worth was in a world like this, if not one she gave it? A new desire began to burn within her, to give purpose to a world which had none. To give it change.

And so she began to whisper to the book, speaking for the first time in what might be days or centuries. This time her quiet words rang painfully loud in the silence. As if the world itself already knew what was about to happen. Each sentence made the tome emit more heat. Soon it glowed, flipping open to release all the power it contained.

Heat burst forth, driving away the cold. Flames spilled from its pages, breathing life into a dead world. Beautiful light shone for the first time, casting shadows that melded into the dark beyond its reach.

The kneeling figure was consumed ever so slowly, her body shriveling and fading as it became fuel. A sliver of death fell from her, flaring within the blaze. The tome in her arms became fire well and true, its remnant a mere memory of but one ray of sunlight. And from the demon Kyoka, at last, fell a tiny shard of darkness. The four flickered and flared, nourished by the fire until they all were molded to its form.

The flame burned bright, an end and a beginning.

Then from the dark they came, and found the souls of Lords within the flame.

---

Thank you for reading.
As an additional treat, in case you forgot: go back and check the Prologue.

 

[HeyaUser]

O_O AY YO ITS A TIME LOOP

 

[Syqadelic]

As an additional treat, in case you forgot: go back and check the Prologue.

Click to shrink...

Wha- did you have this planned the entire time?

 

[Naron]

Wha- did you have this planned the entire time?

Click to shrink...

Indeed I did

 

[NightmareWarden]

And I think this explains why the Life Lord Soul started making demons (rather than anything else) after the war. Because Kyoka was a demon. Too bad neither the Witches nor the demons inherited her appreciation for weaving clothing.

A new desire began to burn within her, to give purpose to a world which had none. To give it change.

And so she began to whisper to the book, speaking for the first time in what might be days or centuries. This time her quiet words rang painfully loud in the silence. As if the world itself already knew what was about to happen. Each sentence made the tome emit more heat. Soon it glowed, flipping open to release all the power it contained.

Click to shrink...

But what did she say? What sorts of wishes, recalled memories, or sagacious axioms could represent Change itself? Or Change as envisioned by miserable, cold Kyoka?

Hmm. I wonder if Seath's research into the soul uncovered anything about the true nature of the world.

 

[Desdiv_Eight]

3 weeks might be necroing im unsure, but i finally got around to finishing this. Loved it.

You truly are the fairies tale.