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Chapter Text

Volume Twenty-Seven: Countdown

Earthland-1, Mt. Hakobe, X791: Meredy

"We surrender," the pile of defeated Vulcans begged, the smallest of them waving a tiny white flag from the bottom of the mound.

Meredy snorted. "Good choice. Perverts." Seriously, what is it with Vulcan males?

The skinny wizard glared at Jellal, shaking his fist at their guild master. "You have made an enemy that you could not afford to, outlaw. All the creatures of this icy world are mine to command!" Jellal ignored the white-robed sorcerer, instead examining the Vulcans and snow octopi. "I am the Hakobologist, you fool, and when next we meet–"

Mom shut him up with a swift chop to the back of the neck. He collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. "Please tell me we didn't sound like that," Ultear sighed.

Jellal chuckled. "Don't worry, Ultear. You had far more style than him."

A vein twitched on Ultear's forehead. "Somehow, that doesn't comfort me."

"Hello?" Meredy heard her own voice echo around them. "Is this thing on?" She giggled at the memory of her own words coming back at her. For them, it must have been forever ago.

"Meredy, enough," Ultear-2 sighed. "Nee-san? Are you there?"

Ultear-1 smiled and looked towards Hakobe's peak. "Yes, world-sister. Is everything all right on your end? If you're able to contact us, you must have caught up."

"Things are dandy here," Wally explained, causing Meredy to giggle again. "Natsu hasn't burned down anything expensive in almost a year." Wow. That's progress.

"We're calling on your behalf," Beth interjected, "not ours. The Oracion Seis of your world has escaped in secret, and is manipulating Fairy Tail and the Zentopia church to steal something called the Infinity Clock." Mom gasped. "You know what it is?"

"It's a temporal super-weapon," Ultear whispered. "I considered using it myself, but it proved too powerful and inflexible." Jellal glanced at her, eyebrow raised. Mom grimaced and looked away. "According to all my research, the Infinity Clock cannot be used to travel through time on anything resembling a human scale. It is intended to reset time entirely."

Jellal's eyes widened, as did Meredy's. That sounds bad, she thought. "In other words, it would destroy the world," Jellal summed up, confirming Meredy's fears. Ultear nodded.

"They're in a Zentopia crypt on the northern end of the Waas Mountains," Erik explained. "You can't miss 'em. They're replaced Brain and Hoteye with Erigor and a weird machine."

Jellal nodded. "We'll drop off the Hakobologist and head right there."

Meredy could hear their Earthland-2 counterparts blinking. "The what?" Ultear-2 whispered.

"Welcome to our world," Ultear drawled. Meredy laughed.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

"It's a clever plan," Ultear said, hand on her chin, as she looked over the Zentopia crypt. "Insane and suicidal, of course, but I can't help admiring the execution."

Meredy and Jellal looked at each other, but said nothing. Her big brother shrugged, and she returned her attention to the running battle Natsu's small team was having with the Zentopians. Meanwhile, Jellal focused on the likewise-concealed Oracion Seis, the dark wizards (and slot-machine teddy bear) apparently enjoying the spectacle of Fairy Tail battling Legion Corps.

Crouched on a rocky perch shrouded in shadow and Crime Sorciere magic, the three wizards prepared their intervention. Jellal was setting up a chain of spells that would protect the two rival forces while disabling the Prayers. Mom prepared crystal orbs that would erase their control of the Clock and divide it between other teams. Meredy forged the bonds necessary to activate links between teammates, Maguilty Rays gathering in one hand. I hope we know what we're doing, she thought, frowning at the smirk on Midnight's face. They're still bad guys in this universe. If Jellal's wrong about them, this is going to be seriously not fun.

"So if I beat him, it's like beating Gildarts, right?" Natsu grinned.

From atop a giant land-octopus with a huge snout, Duke Byro glared down at Salamander, Romeo, and Happy. "I will eliminate you all," he said, with the calm of a man ordering lunch. Meredy gulped. Jellal? she sent. Shouldn't we do something?

There are candles all around them, Jellal pointed out. Natsu will be fine for now. We'll intervene if any of them end up in real danger. He summoned Formula Eyes, concealing the light from them under his hood.

For now, though, Ultear added, it's important to maintain the element of surprise. For all his bluster, Duke Byro doesn't want to harm anyone. The Oracion Seis are without question the greater threat.

Meredy nodded, forcing her nerves (and lunch) to stay where they belonged. Every minute the octopus-thing spent batting Natsu around made it harder. While Salamander argued with the Legion commander, runes began to glow on the clock. Ultear? Jellal asked, eyes narrowing.

It's the Oracion Rebuild, Ultear replied, looking into her main orb. They're preparing to make their move. Ah – the battle for the final clock part is taking place right now. Fairy Tail has already claimed most of the others. She peered more deeply into her crystal. Cracy has the last two here, but the Rebuild has inscribed the large one with the kanji of their name.

Rebuild? Meredy shook her head. Never mind. Why would they do that?

It's a ritual of ownership, Jellal explained, Formula Eyes scrolling faster. It gives them mystical and technical control over the Clock piece. Ultear, can you erase it with your Arc of Time?

Ultear snorted and grinned. Please. I could've done that when I was twelve. Her smile vanished as the octopus, apparently named Kanaloa, thwarted a Natsu-Romeo combination attack without Cracy's help, and the Legion commander explained the threat of the Infinity Clock.

...which got them throwing accusations at each other again. Oh, this is bad, Meredy realized. I really need to thank Fairy Two. Ultear chuckled, and Meredy winced as she realized she'd let her thoughts go through their Sensory Link. Sorry, Mom.

It's fine, Ultear replied, watching as Natsu's team turned the tide against the octorok. We're all happy that we can help Fairy Tail.

Jellal frowned. Duke Byro is truly overconfident, he noted, watching Kanaloa fall. He could have intervened with ease. Are the Prayers interfering? I don't sense any mental magic.

Almost pure manipulation, Ultear explained. I'm picking up some residual suggestion on Lucy, but the rest – they didn't need magic. That's why I kept you away from the world, Jellal – someone might have spotted Nemesis. This is just preying on fear. It's what the old me would have done. She crouched lower. Be ready. Fairy Tail now has all the parts aside from the two they're fighting over down here. They winced as Byro utterly dominated the Fairy Tail wizards, nullifying every spell they tried. Jellal? Can your Meteor Wave handle that zealot's magic?

I believe so – it should nullify his nullification – but I'm not eager to find out. Until we can outmaneuver the Oracion Seis, our only priorities are the Clock and protecting lives, Jellal insisted. Meredy couldn't help but smile. Jellal responded with a wry grin. Besides, I wouldn't dare interfere with one of Natsu's fights. He'd be furious.

Even Ultear couldn't help a smile of her own when Natsu's words echoed Jellal's. My, my. He truly is a stubborn one, isn't he? I never truly had the pleasure myself. After experiencing his fist on Galuna and watching him defeat Siegrain – Nemesis – I had no intention of engaging Dragneel pointlessly. Instead, I fought Gray. You know how that ended.

"Divine Arrow!" Byro chanted, snarling. That stopped their conversation cold. Jellal prepared a Solid Seal, but Ultear grabbed his wrist. What– Meredy wondered, but when the light faded, the arrow missed – the speedster girl Coco had diverted his attack. Zen God, he's going to kill her!

It's all right, Jellal replied. Even after six years of adventure and family, Meredy had only seen him smile like this once before – when Tenrou returned. I know this magic. They watched as Erza interposed her Adamantine Shield between Coco and the attack.

I'm happy too, Ultear added, her eyes flickering towards Gray, but we have a problem. Fairy Tail just made a tremendous mistake.

Yeah, Meredy jumped in, her smile growing at the sight of Juvia, but we're here, so it's going to be okay, right?

Of course, Meredy. Jellal agreed. All the same, he watched with a gaze that could have carved through magic. Then, somehow, Byro managed to wear on Jellal's infinite patience. He only now mentions that the Clock was theirs? Just how deep does this manipulation run? Watching the man neutralize an entire Fairy Tail barrage didn't help, causing their guild master's eye to twitch. It can't be much longer now. They don't dare risk one of the pieces being damaged or taken away.

There! Ultear warned. Time – the Clock is already warping Time itself! The pieces of the Clock glowed a blinding golden, then flew above them all in the far end of the room. Its gong rang out, loud enough to make any of them wince, but Mom hugged herself and gritted her teeth. Time...is ringing...

At last, the Oracion Rebuild strode out of the shadows. Great, now Mom's got me doing it, Meredy realized. Jellal-nii?

Don't do that, Jellal grumped, his smile vanishing when she used Fairy Two's slang, and it should just be a few minutes more.

Meredy pouted at the thought of more waiting, but she obeyed anyway. None of them were surprised by their elaborate, melodramatic reintroduction as the "reborn Oracion Seis," and Erigor's presence wasn't too strange, but Midnight as "Brain II" was a bit of a shock to Meredy. He's nothing compared to the giant teddy bear slot machine, Meredy decided. That's just disturbing. Wait, he's kind of like a primitive Jackpot.

There. The kanji on the Clock, Jellal noted. Ultear.

A moment, Ultear sent, while both Fairy Tail and the Legion Corps attacked. Midnight, or Brain the Second or whatever, warped both the stalker-knight's mirror shield and Byro's nullification spell. Alone, he sent the attack force flying.

Ultear, now would be a good time, Jellal urged, while the Oracion Seis monologued and gloated. That blonde with Miss Lucy – is that Imitatia? Ultear only nodded, her eyes focused on the Clock. Okay. That complicates things a bit. I need to solidify her reality. Meredy, I'm going to need you to create Maguilty Rays between the teams. Watch out for Midnight's Reflector Magic.

Meredy's pout redoubled. I know, Jellal, I'm not a child any more! His gentle smile didn't help. Just say when.

Racer charged at Fairy Tail, his speed as genuine and powerful as his Earthland-2 counterpart's. Cobra used an unfamiliar sound magic to drive Natsu back with his own scream, scattering the entire assembled force. Ultear, Jellal repeated, his mental voice strained. "I can hear your despair," Cobra announced. Ultear–

Now! Ultear cried, one orb lancing out at the Clock. "Arc of Time: Restore!" she chanted.

The Infinity Clock shuddered once, clicked five times, then flew apart, Mom's magic erasing the Oracion Seis' marks. Jellal's telekinesis sent the face and circles to Duke Byro and Coco, the hand and bell to Lucy and Gray, and the engine and legs to their perch, landing behind them. "Be judged by the Seven Stars–" Jellal chanted. Midnight and Erza both gasped, though the sounds were night and day to Meredy.

"Maguilty Rays!" Meredy joined in.

"–Grand Chariot!" The shining combo threw back all six Prayers. Even Racer found he had nowhere to run in the all-encompassing radiance, and was forced to retreat to his comrades. While they were blinded, Jellal wrote new marks on the Clock parts, matching the groups he'd flown them to. Yeah! Meredy cheered.

"Ultear?" Gray whispered, his eyes wide and trembling. His shirt, miraculously on until that moment, dropped behind him. Meredy grinned and waved to his team. Lyon stared, as frozen as any of his creations.

Juvia gasped. "Meredy? Is that you?" Meredy gave her a thumbs-up.

"Jellal," Erza breathed, tears trickling from one eye past a trembling smile. "You've come to help us?"

"Fairy Tail," Jellal replied, still smiling as he looked halfway over his shoulder. "Please don't be offended, but we wish to offer our aid."

"Crime Sorciere," Cobra gasped. "I can hear them. Brain, we need to go!"

"Crime Sorciere?" Jet and the fat plant guy – Oh yeah, that's Droy-1, Meredy remembered, he overeats in our world – asked as one. Then they hugged each other and cheered. "We're saved!"

Natsu blinked. "Cream Source Ears? Did they turn into cats or something?"

"Definitely not," Happy sighed. I missed you guys! Meredy thought, fighting back tears of joy.

"We're not leaving without the Clock!" Midnight howled. "Racer, attack!" He held out his hand, Reflector and Darkness Magic combining for another assault. Jellal intercepted Racer while the speedster was halfway to Ultear. Racer gaped at the palm blocking his fist just long enough for Meredy to see it, then Jellal threw him into Teddy-pot. Mom time-reversed Midnight's spell away.

"Maguilty Shell!" Meredy chanted, filling herself with the violet light of her magic. Small blades formed on her knuckles, elbows, shoulders, and feet. Then she concentrated, using telekinesis to yank the coins away from Angel's hand as they formed, then threw Erigor into Racer and Jackpot while the latter two tried to stand. "You're lucky Master Jellal is so nice, or you'd be leaving here on stretchers for the Rune Knights!"

"Everyone, attack at once!" Midnight ordered. "We can still–"

"Blitz Ball!" Jellal ordered. "Pleiades!"

"Maguilty Eyes!" Meredy chanted, her ten spheres joining Jellal's seven stars.

"Flash Forward!" Ultear joined in. Their seventeen seeker spells became 170 inescapable arcs of super-fast magical force. They pierced Reflector, hunted down Racer, and tracked Cobra no matter how well he could hear them. Mom smirked. "In case you were wondering, that is what actual teamwork looks like."

"Oracion Seis," Jellal added, floating overhead, sheathed in Meteor Wave. "I wish to help you, but while I draw breath, you will not hear despair from anyone!"

"Brain!" Cobra cried. "I can hear them. He's letting me hear them! If we're gonna have any chance at this, we've gotta escape! Now!"

Midnight snarled, teeth bared and clenched. "You'll pay for this, Jellal!" With that, he surrounded his team with a mix of Reflector and Darkness, and they vanished.

"Oh, for..." Meredy strode over to Jellal. "'You'll pay for this' is the best he can do? That was almost as bad as you trying to be cool."

Jellal jumped back, staring at her. "What?"

"Admit it," Ultear added, striding over with a grin, "you were showing off, just a little." Meredy giggled while Jellal babbled something about mercy and efficiency. I love helping our friends in Earthland-2, she thought, but it's good to be home.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Zentopia Crypt, X791: Lucy

"You've heard of Cream Source Ears?" Natsu asked Droy, scratching his head. Lucy smiled. Oh, Natsu.

Levy pouted at him. "Crime – Sor – ci – ere," she enunciated.

Droy nodded. "Everyone's heard of them. The Magic Council doesn't want to admit it, but they saved Fiore from a mind-controlling traitor named Caine!"

"They freed Pergrande from Baroque Crocodile, and their guild master could turn into a sandstorm!" Jet gushed. Meredy's blush grew as her Maguilty Shell faded.

"They stopped Ghost Scythe from killing everyone in Joya," Droy continued, eyes gleaming.

"We even heard they stopped Demon King Uta from stealing a sword called Decalogue and creating Grim on Earthland," Jet blurted, head whipping from one guild member to the next. "Is that true?"

"Not quite," Ultear grumbled, closing her eyes as a vein throbbed on her forehead. Jellal chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uta managed to steal Decalogue before Jellal stopped him. Sweetie, remind me to tell Erza about that later." Lucy gaped. Erza's smile vanished.

Meredy laughed. "Mm, mm," she agreed. Wow! Lucy thought, jaw dropping a fraction. They've really changed, haven't they?

"Foolishness!" Byro snapped, glaring at the trio. "They are wanted criminals, more evil than the Six Generals!" He pointed his staff at Jellal. Erza Requipped into her Black Wing Armor. Not again, Lucy worried, swallowing. "You will surrender and return the Clock parts you stole, or face the wrath of Legion!"

The air roared, and Jellal appeared in front of the Legion commander. He'd grabbed Byro's staff, yet that blue Meteor aura still rippled around him. "We can discuss that after the Prayers have been dealt with," Jellal replied. "We have seen exactly how important it is to keep the parts of the Infinity Clock separate. For now, dividing them between our three forces is the wisest course of action."

"I guess that makes sense," Natsu admitted, crossing his arms, "but those parts belong to Lucy."

Are you kidding me? Lucy boggled, eyes bulging. "They can hold on to them, Natsu! Isn't it obvious that the Oracion Seis tricked us?" Jellal started turning towards her.

"That is irrelevant! Divine Arrow!" Byro cried, his spell taking form above him.

Jellal tightened his grip, the sapphire aura flaring upward. Byro's spell shattered, and the blue-haired prodigy returned his attention to the Legionnaire. "'Acknowledge your sins; don't hide from them,'" he said, and Cracy's eyes widened. "'Atone by dedicating yourself to the good of others.' I may be of the Old Ways, but those guiding Zentopian principles lie at the heart of Crime Sorciere. Why won't you acknowledge yours, Duke Byro?" The Legion commander stared at Jellal, his unbending glare shaken at last. Is this the same man who made Erza cry? He can't be!

"Master Byro," Sir Dan said, striding up to his commander, "with respect, sir, I think we need to acknowledge when we're outmatched." He dashed to a shocked Meredy, his heart-eyes rivaling Juvia's. "Besides, I think I've finally found 'her!'"

Jellal and Ultear both punched Dan on top of his head, leaving another crater in the ground. "Stay away from Meredy," they said as one, their eyes swallowed in shadow and their voices sending chills up Lucy's spine. Overprotective parents!

"I'm going to be a spinster," Meredy sighed. "Though it'd still be better than him," she added, looking down at the swirly-eyed Dan Straight.

"Mm, mm," Lucy agreed. She, Meredy, and Juvia laughed together.

"You criminal scum–" Byro choked out, shaking as he glared at Jellal.

Ultear appeared behind him and knocked him out with a single orb to the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Jellal, but he wasn't going to be reasonable," she explained. Coco darted to her commander's side, holding onto him and looking up at Ultear with watery eyes.

"It's all right, Ultear," Jellal replied, "you didn't harm him." He turned to Fairy Tail again with a haunted smile. Why do I feel this way? Like I know everything's going to be all right, but I want to cry anyway, Lucy wondered. "I apologize for this interruption, but we have little time before the reborn Oracion Seis make their next move."

"I liked Oracion Rebuild," Ultear muttered. Gray chuckled. Lyon looked from Gray to Ultear and back. Ultear took one look at the Lamia wizard and bowed her head, expression hidden by a curtain of purple.

"Take us with you!" Natsu demanded, breathing a jet of flame to the vaulting crypt ceiling. "I wanna fight that Midnight Brain jerk again!"

"I'm sure you would find a way to triumph, Natsu," Jellal said, smile growing, "but I want to do more than defeat the Six Prayers. The things they really want – speed, wings, sleep, a lost friend – those are not evil. I believe I can reach them, and I have a duty to try."

"I have that duty, Jellal," Ultear insisted, throwing a weary glare at her guild master. What's that about? Lucy wondered.

"Explanations must wait. There is one more thing we can do to aid you, and after that we must leave," Jellal insisted. Erza sighed, then froze – alongside Lucy – when the star wizard turned to look at Michelle.

Lucy did the same, and Michelle met her eyes with a sad gaze. "What's wrong, Michelle?"

"Lucy..." Michelle looked away, then back at her with a determined gaze. Her right eye glowed with a pink light, the brief flicker becoming an aura to rival Meteor's. When the spell faded, the Fairy Tail and Legion mages gaped at a woman dressed in leaves and vines, with green gloves and boots. A rose patch covered her right eye. Vines shot from her hands, reaching for Lucy! "...is mine! No one is going to take my sister from–"

Sapphire blue Letter Magic burst to life around Michelle, stopping her vines before they could reach halfway to Lucy. Eep! She leaped back, Cancer's key in her hand. "Hello, Imitatia," Jellal said, not looking at all surprised. "Hermetic Formula Nine: Culmination."

"Luminous Minutes," Ultear added, the runes whirling around Michelle – Imitatia? – Lucy wondered – in an unreadable blur.

All at once, the spell ended, and the woman Lucy had befriended fell to her knees. "Michelle!" Lucy gasped, rushing over to her. Gray stared, then snarled and planted his fist in his palm. Erza quivered, looking from Jellal to the transformed woman and back. Natsu sniffed the air, then scratched his head. "Michelle, are you all right?"

"Guys, calm down!" Levy yelped, literally jumping between Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail. "Culmination is a curative spell, used when a curse or disease made someone less than whole."

"I..." Michelle touched her chest with the tips of one hand's fingers. "I'm real." She looked up at Jellal, whose smile had grown. "Why did you do that?"

"I will not abide chains on anyone," Jellal explained, "not if Heaven itself would fall without them." Erza stopped trembling as her smile returned. "I don't know what the Prayers told you, but you don't need to take Lucy anywhere to be with her. Lucy, do you remember having a doll you named Gonzales?"

Lucy's jaw dropped. "How – how did you – well, yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Gonzales?

Michelle grabbed Lucy's shirt, tears streaming down her cheeks – even from the rose. "Why? Why did you leave me behind? I was all alone! Why did you leave me?"

"But...but you were a doll..." Lucy realized she was crying too. "...just a doll..." Oh, no...

"EHHH?!" her guild mates blurted, all at once.

"Michelle – Imitatia – Gonzales – how many names does she have, anyway?" Natsu wailed.

"This is Midnight's doing," Jellal explained. "He awoke the spirit within Gonzales, filled her with longing based on her years in storage, formed from the grief and loneliness in his own heart. I've...seen this before." He glanced at the ceiling for a moment. "The Oracion Seis used her to infiltrate and manipulate you, but there is love at the heart of her." He turned to Titania. "Erza. Do you believe Lucy will be safe with her friend?"

Erza looked from Jellal, to Lucy and Gonzales, then back. "Mm, mm." She strode over to Lucy, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take care of this. Lucy, will you accept Jellal's guild facing the Oracion Seis on our behalf?"

For a moment, Lucy couldn't believe what was happening, even after almost a year as a Fairy Tail wizard. She closed her eyes. My father sent us after this freaky clock. We had to fight the biggest religion in Ishgar. The whole thing turned out to be an Oracion Seis plot. We were just rescued by three of our most powerful enemies. Now Gonzales is alive? She held her head. "This is too much..."

"You called me your little sister," Gonzales sobbed. Lucy's eyes flew open again. The rose, over her eye. I remember... The former doll held Lucy's hand in hers. "I just want my sister back..."

Lucy threw her arms around Gonzales. "Mm!" she agreed. "It's all right, Erza," she whispered, not daring to let go. "They can...I'm grateful." I'm so sorry, but I'm going to make this right! She heard Crime Sorciere disappear with a gentle pop. I'm not going to leave you behind ever again!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Nirvana, X791: Jellal

It is, without question, an impressive fortress, Jellal decided. The ruins of Nirvana sprawled across Worth Woodsea, the legs long since cleared away, but the central tower remained upright and intact. Rune Knights were still dragging unconscious colleagues to safety, while someone – Midnight, most likely, Jellal thought – had taken their staves and used them to create a warding circle around the tower. The Rune Knight weapons generated a constant shield, glowing with their signature purple symbols. "So they had a fallback point," Ultear observed, smirking. "That shows foresight. Not that it will stop us."

"I find the state of the Rune Knights more interesting," Jellal replied, scanning the defeated Council force. "The Prayers didn't take a single life. A curious ambivalence for a Dark Guild determined to end the world, isn't it?" He permitted himself a wan smile. Even the Knights noticed, he thought, noting their confused glares towards Nirvana.

"Okay. Sure," Meredy said, though the flat line her lips made clashed with her words. "The problem is, let's say they decide to try and atone. What do they do, form Crime Sorciere Two? Or is that Three?" she wondered, looking up. The chuckles from beyond were a welcome echo. "God, that's creepy. I wish I'd known that when it was us."

"It's comforting," Jellal countered, "knowing that friends are watching over us. Let's go. Meteor Wave." The new spell, comforting in its sapphire blue embrace, blazed to life around him. Ultear. Thank you. He floated a few centimeters up, watching the rune barricade. "Meredy?"

"Maguilty Shell," she chanted, her own protective aura forming around her. Together, they crouched, bracing to charge. "I'm all fired up!" Jellal's smile grew.

Ultear lashed out with one hand. "Arc of Time: Revert!" she chanted. The half of the circle of rune staves in front of them collapsed into wood, crystal, and bronze. "Go!" As a single force, they raced over the tower and onto the command platform at its peak. The King's Summit, Jellal remembered.

It was empty. "Aw," Meredy pouted, looking around. "They're already gone."

"Don't be so sure," Jellal cautioned, pointing to his unmarked eye.

Meredy rubbed the back of her neck with a tiny grin. "Oops. Maguilty Eyes." Her probes slid into the throne room below, peering down into the enormous marble-white chamber. Ragged remnants of Nirvit banners dangled from golden hooks in the walls. Networked through Sensory Link, they could all watch through Meredy's creations.

They...they haven't noticed us, Jellal realized, a sweat drop forming on his cheek. The Oracion Seis were glaring at each other over a six-sided table. "Circle Ears," he whispered, the rings of symbols inscribing themselves over the sides of his head.

"–should have known," Erik growled, pounding the table hard enough to crack it. "This is exactly the sort of crap Crime Sorciere is famous for. They barge in during a Dark Guild's third act and screw everything up!" Midnight slumped in his seat, holding his head in his hands while resting his elbows on the table.

"They were on the opposite side of the Waas Mountains," Sorano objected, her voice even. She brushed aside loose strands of hair. "It shouldn't have been possible for them to find out about us, especially with that idiot we set up to keep them busy." Jellal's smile vanished.

"But we didn't know who they really are!" Jackpot wailed, holding his giant teddy bear head in his hands, mouth hanging open. "It's Jellal, and Ultear, and even Ultear's brat! This isn't hot at all!" Meredy glared down at them.

"Too slow," Sawyer hissed, trembling in place fast enough to wear grooves in the brick. "We're too slow. We were supposed to have the Clock by now."

Erigor bobbed in place, eyes glazed over. "The wind...their wind blows from beyond the world," he mumbled. "It whispers to them, revealing us from a distant storm."

Macbeth straightened, looking at Erigor. "Beyond the world..." He held up a hand, Reflector whirling around it. Be ready, Jellal warned. "Someone was watching us," he said. "No...watching Fairy Tail. Different versions of them, from another place, another time. Easy enough to block, now that I know of them." Silent Seal, Jellal chanted quietly, creating a force wall around the arch farthest from the ruined throne.

"Who cares!" Erik demanded, slamming his fist into the table again and glaring at their new guild master. "Those jerks have the Clock! Unless you've got another plan to erase time, we're screwed!"

Macbeth glared back at Erik. "Calm. Down." Cobra straightened, eyes wide. "Crime Sorciere is not invincible. Both Ghost Scythe and Demon Guard nearly destroyed them. Now that we know who they are, we can model their behavior – and weaknesses. Meredy needs to prove herself, making her aggressive and reckless." Jellal's smile returned. Thank you, Macbeth, he thought, while Meredy made a fist. "Ultear is overconfident, relying on her power and skill at manipulation. Rattle her for even a moment, and we can overcome her." The guild master's eyes narrowed. "Jellal is overprotective – attack his comrades, and he will do anything to protect them. Cobra, you said he let you hear him. What did you learn?"

Erik shook his head. "I shouldn't tell you. It was an attack on our conviction, our purpose."

"Was he able to lie to you, Cobra?" Sorano asked, a hint of surprise bringing light to her shadowed eyes.

"No. That's the trap," Erik insisted. "It's how he turned Imitatia! He's sincere."

Now, Ultear sent. Jellal nodded, and the three flew in through the archway, landing on the edge of the meeting hall opposite the throne. "It's not a trap, Erik," Jellal insisted. All six of them leaped to their feet and whirled on Crime Sorciere. "It's hope."

"Hope is a trap!" Erik raged, tears flying from his eyes. "Poison Dragon ROAR!" The blast struck the Silent Seal, swirling for a moment before dissipating. He stared, jaw dropping a fraction.

Macbeth made a fist, gritting his teeth. "Reflector!" he chanted, crushing the Seal into a marble-sized sphere. "It seems I misjudged you, Jellal. You are the overconfident one."

"Perhaps," Jellal replied, lowering his left arm and commanding Hermetic Formula Six to form around it. "I prefer to think others have underestimated you." Sorano and Sawyer looked at each other in surprise, eyes widening.

"What are you talking about–" Macbeth began.

Erik rushed them. "Don't listen to him!" he cried. "Poison Dragon–"

With a burst of Meteor speed, Jellal dashed in and chopped Erik on the back of the neck. "You can hear me, Erik," he said, careful not to do real harm as he left the Poison Dragon Slayer paralyzed on the floor. "She's out there, waiting for you." He turned to the others, one by one. "I will definitely answer...your prayers."

Sorano reached up and summoned a horde of gnashing, feather-covered maws. Sawyer blurred in place, the hum of his speed unraveling the chair beside him. Erigor floated above them, scythe held high as he created a miniature storm over the weapon. Jackpot gulped and put its hand on its lever. Macbeth snorted. "Our prayers?" he demanded. You?"

"I – we," he amended, feeling Ultear bristle, "owe you a debt. We cannot give you the time you have lost. Not even the Infinity Clock can undo what was done to you. What I can give you, is a future. Purpose. Happiness. Freedom."

"What, by surrendering to the Rune Knights?" Sorano mocked, making a fist with her raised hand. The swirling maws flowed into each other, becoming a winged knight with an feather-formed sword. "How did that go for you, 'Master' Jellal?"

"Your sister hasn't forgotten you, Sorano," Jellal replied. Sorano froze, staring, and her angel-knight fell apart. "Have you forgotten your prayer? Even Sawyer runs now, but where are your wings? Can you fly to her without them?" Feathers floated down around her.

"Angel asks a fair question," Macbeth said, a Dark Spiral forming around one hand. Erik threw off his paralysis, forcing himself to one knee. "False hope is worse than despair. We learned this from Nirvana." He smirked. "What would you have us do, 'Master' Jellal? Where on Earthland is there a place for us?"

"I would have you live and struggle, Macbeth," Jellal insisted, holding out his right hand. "Asking you to surrender while we evade the Rune Knights would be the height of hypocrisy. I want you share our path." His smile returned. "Never forget your crimes, but use the memory of them to atone by helping others. Never let your past overwhelm you, and believe in a day when you'll be forgiven. Join Crime Sorciere."

They all stared – his teammates and rivals alike. "EHHH?!" everyone gasped in time.

"So this was your plan," Ultear sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead. "I should have known. You really are relentless, Jellal."

"You won't make us your pawns so easily!" Jackpot announced, pushing its lever. Three smiling suns with fierce eyes appeared. "Demon Flash!"

Jellal's smile grew as he reached out, taking control of the light as it gathered to erupt. "There's a flaw in your magic, Jackpot," he explained, firing the blast at the mechanism. Jackpot only had time to gasp before Jellal turned the eruption on its creator, destroying the absurd shell to reveal Klodoa. "You reveal your spell with the symbols on your slots. That is, of course, aside from the disadvantage of not controlling your own spells. An exploding star against a Heavenly Body Mage? Unfortunate." He turned back to Macbeth while the animate staff crawled out of the wreckage of its armor. "He claims I would make you pawns while using you as his." Erik gasped, standing in an instant.

"It is my loyal servant," Macbeth retorted, then looked at Erik with a raised eyebrow. "Cobra?"

"No way...I can hear..." Erik turned on the quivering staff, clawed hands trembling as he glared. "You! What are you up to, Klodoa?"

"It's just obeying its master," Jellal explained. "Ultear-2, since you're listening, would you mind opening portals to Cardinal Lapointe at the Grand Temple, and Brain's cell in Black Vox? Large enough to see through, but not large enough to use for travel."

"Me? Um, okay," she replied. The Oracion Seis looked up in surprise as the Earthland-2 mage did as Jellal asked, creating the portals across Fiore-1.

Cardinal Lapointe and Brain both smirked at them. "Well, well," Lapointe mocked. "You finally worked out who's been watching from the side and enjoying your hobby, Jellal." Macbeth stared, eyes wide, legs quivering. "And you. After taking my name and looking good with it, this is where you end up?" Lapointe shook his head. "I'm disappointed, Midnight."

"But...but...you're my puppet..." Macbeth whirled to stare at the imprisoned Brain. The Black Vox prisoner waved, smirk growing, then shrank into a tuft of hair. So I guessed correctly. Was that always his plan, or is this another effect of our Earthland-2 intervention? Jellal wondered, while Macbeth turned back to face Lapointe. "I don't understand. I was never going to see you again..."

"You sacrificed the sight of your father," Lapointe – the true Brain – sighed. "I killed him twenty years ago. Come, Klodoa." He held out his hand, and the staff vanished, reappearing in the grip of the 'Cardinal.' Brain laughed, Macbeth's calm collapsing as he shook and wept. "Honestly, you still thought you were my son? I'm ashamed of my skill as a teacher." He turned to face Jellal, dark magic swirling around him. "You can keep them, my lost disciple. Thanks to Earthland-2, I've found being Cardinal Lapointe far more useful than leading the Six Prayers by the nose. To have the Archbishop dancing in my hand – an entire army of zealots at my fingertips – a Dark Wizard couldn't ask for more!" Again, he laughed.

Jellal glared. "Ultear, would you please send one of your orbs to Duke Byro with a recording of this conversation?" Brain's laughter died in his throat with a choked rattle.

Ultear smirked back at him. "I'd love to." Her glare made Jellal recoil, even knowing it was for Brain. "You think I've forgotten your hospitality, monster? One day, I will thank you for the kindness you've shown us all!" Brain gasped and slashed at Ultear-2's portal, causing both to collapse.

"Midnight," Erik whispered. "Brain was using us. Again. Klodoa, the Clock, it was all for him. The bastard never wanted our prayers answered. Not even this one." He looked at Jellal's hand, still outstretched, then to Macbeth. "Even though I can hear him...even though he let me hear her, at last...I'm afraid, Midnight."

Macbeth closed his eyes. "So am I." He opened them again, looking at his comrades. "You all placed your faith in me. I chose this path because I thought there was nowhere in the world for us." He swallowed, then straightened and looked at Jellal's hand. "Hope. I don't remember it."

"It's blue," Meredy giggled. Jellal carefully didn't sigh. "We'll help you find it."

The pause went on long enough to make Jellal sweat. Macbeth. Please. Let me help you. Just when he'd truly begun to worry, Macbeth reached out and took his hand. "Midnight. Call me Midnight...and I will follow you." Jellal shook the offered hand, smile returning in relief. "The names we chose are for our freedom. We will try to walk in your light, your 'hope,' but we won't give up our rebirth." The others nodded...except for the "Grim Reaper."

Erigor shook his head. "I'm not coming." The other Prayers turned to look at him, clearly surprised. "I gave up my memory for this power. Now I don't know why I wanted it in the first place. If you've abandoned the path you gave to me, I want to find my own before I go down someone else's."

"That's fair," Jellal admitted. "If you hurt others, though, I will have to find you."

"Yeah." Erigor floated higher. "I might want to fight that fire guy, but he looked like he'd enjoy it. Anyone else – I guess I tried to hurt people before, huh?" He shrugged. "There doesn't seem any point to it now. I just need to know...myself. And call me Erigor. I'm no Grim Reaper." With that, he flew off. I can sympathize, Jellal decided. Good luck, Erigor.

"Is that gonna be okay, Jellal?" Meredy asked.

Midnight nodded. "He'll be fine. Maybe he'll rejoin us one day. For now, he can choose his own path." The former guild master looked at Jellal. "You allowed it. I won't forget that."

"Then we should leave, before the Rune Knights muster a larger force," Jellal suggested, glancing outside. "I have a promise to keep to Fairy Tail. Then, we will decide together where to go next." He frowned and looked east. "Bosco's human trafficking remains a problem. So long as their slave traders have work, so do we."

"That sounds like fighting the tide," Angel complained.

Ah, this one, Jellal thought, smile returning. Cobra groaned. "Once upon a time, an old man came across a girl on a beach. She was throwing starfish into the ocean."

Ultear chuckled. "More mouths to feed," she sighed. It's better this way, Ultear, Jellal thought, continuing his story. We will answer each other's prayers. Together.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Kardia Cathedral, X791: Erza

Erza Scarlet. Titania. S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. Erza crushed a metal cup in her hands, unable to stop her stomach from tying itself in knots. It's all a bad joke. She hardly noticed Natsu and Gray backpedal from her outburst, though she did see Mira stop them before they tripped over one of the pews. Jellal. Is it really you? Has a miracle brought you back to me, or am I being more a fool than ever?

She raced in front of Jet and Droy again. They squeaked, the world's largest mice trembling before an armored cat. "Tell me again. The short version, this time."

"It's the fourth–" Droy began.

Jete proved wiser, clamping his hand over Droy's mouth. "We heard our first rumors of Crime Sorciere about six months after you disappeared. Have you heard of Vash Sevarem, the Trigun Wizard?" Erza nodded. Bisca sighed, smiling, while Alzack turned white and gaped at his wife. "The official word from Queen Strife's court is that he defeated the Gung-Ho Knives single-handed, but our first stories of three heroes in blue cloaks come from there. Also, Vash – the Prince-consort, now – keeps slipping up and mentioning them."

"The one confirmed sighting was back in X786, in Joya," Droy continued, brightening as he pulled Jet's hand down, "fighting Ghost Scythe in the town of Karakura. The stories agree they picked up a fourth member there. Their elite necromancers, the Espada Diez, were trying to kill everyone in the country with some ritual. Crime Sorciere and Zanpakuto – Karakura's magic guild – teamed up and stopped them." Erza noticed a scribbling sound, and looked to her right to find Levy taking notes at incredible speed. Lucy couldn't manage the same pace, but kept her own record all the same. "Levy, you're amazing!" Droy gushed.

"Keep going," Levy insisted, saving Erza the trouble.

Jet sighed. "The year after that, they came back to Fiore, where they stopped a coup by the Secretary of State, Zash Caine. He used mind control to enslave the royal family, and hired the whole Death's Head Caucus to kill anyone who resisted."

"We took a mission to help protect Princess Hisui," Bisca added, pointing to Alzack and herself, "but our memories cut out right after our arrival. We came to our senses standing outside the gate, two days later. All three members of Trinity Raven were tied up at our feet, with a note to be more careful about working for politicians in the future."

Jet grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oops. Forgot that part," he admitted. "Anyway, they went all the way to Pergrande in X788, where they joined a crew of sand pirates to free the whole kingdom from Baroque Crocodile!"

"They're not sand pirates," Droy objected for the fourth time, "they're sea pirates!"

Erza clapped her hands once. Both men quivered and stopped. "You sound quite sure of Pergrande," she pointed out. "Why is that?"

"The Merry Sun," Droy explained. "That's the name of the pirate ship. They bragged about their wizard friends in a bunch of ports. Uh, except Captain Monki kept complaining that they wouldn't join her crew." The plant mage looked up, eyes glinting. "Oh, that's also when the fourth guy left. He probably went back to Karakura."

"You heard Miss Ultear mention Demon Guard," Jet interjected. Erza nodded. "That was about a year and a half ago, in Bellum. No one was sure it was them before, but there's a huge crater where the Tower of Din was, and the Rune Knights still have the whole place cordoned off." The speed wizard rubbed his chin. "Story is, the tower got turned into a portal to the Demon Realm. Then legendary heroes called Rave Warriors closed it, with the help of three wizards in blue cloaks."

"Until I faced Master Jellal myself," Duke Byro said, walking over to them, "I would never have believed such a tale. He is...extraordinary." The tiny Archbishop followed, smiling up at them.

"Man...I wanna fight him," Natsu complained, dropping onto one of the pews and crossing his arms. "He's gotten strong."

"Natsu, all of us together couldn't win against Duke Byro," Happy pointed out, shaking his head, "and Jellal stopped him after beating up the Oracion Seis."

Natsu whirled on Happy with one of his ear-to-ear smiles. "Exactly! Beating Jellal would mean I could beat Byro too!" Happy face-pawed. Erza couldn't help a chuckle. You never give up, Natsu.

Gray, Gajeel, Levy, Pantherlily, and Carla all looked at Natsu. "Not a chance," they agreed in one voice. Natsu wailed and breathed a jet of flame at the ceiling.

Proving that he'd mastered his wisdom, Cracy ignored Natsu and turned his attention back to Erza and Lucy. "Fairy Tail. I must apologize to you," he said with a bow. "We allowed ourselves to be deceived into working for dark ends. Please excuse us, and allow us to make amends."

"It's all right, honest," Lucy insisted, holding up her hands. "I'm really grateful you're not pressing charges against Michelle. Let's just make sure we split up the Clock and keep it safe, okay?"

"That's a spicy plan," Sugarboy agreed. "We will definitely work together to make the future sweet." Lucy's smile wavered, and she rubbed the back of her neck and stepped behind Erza.

Mary's head was bowed, eyes closed. "We were used," she whispered, clutching her hand-shaped wand to her chest.

"Maybe more than one guild should help with the Clock," Lyon said, walking over to them. "Lamia Scale has Saint Jura. We can keep one of the pieces safe. I'm sure of it."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Lucy added, shaking her head, "but Blue Pegasus helped out too. Maybe they could fly one somewhere secret with Christina." Master Makarov grinned.

"We will trust Fairy Tail with the hand given you by Jude Heartfilia," the Archbishop said, looking at the pile of Clock parts piled in front of the altar. "If Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus agree to share this burden, we will give each of them one of the pieces taken by Crime Sorciere. Zentopia will take responsibility for the other three."

"Their new hiding places," Duke Byro swore, "will absolutely surpass the old. The Legion Corps will carry this burden to the end of our days."

Samuel, their Exceed strategist, adjusted his glasses. "We will dedicate ourselves to the world's safety, and live up to the church's principles. This time, I will calculate all possible variables."

"Just remember, Sammy," Pantherlily said, flying over to perch on Gajeel's shoulder, "people cannot be calculated like rocks or trees. They can always be unpredictable."

"That sounds like our cue!" Meredy cheered, a whirling portal opening beside the main doors. Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy walked through – followed by Midnight, Cobra, Angel, and Racer. All seven were wearing the guild's trademark blue cloaks. "Our recruitment drive was a success!"

"Is she always like this?" Angel sighed. Cobra nodded, rubbing his forehead. The Legion Corps glared at the former Oracion Seis members. The four new Sorciere wizards responded by dropping into defensive stances.

"Everyone, please, calm down," Jellal cut in, stepping between the Zentopian forces and his guild. "We have the last two pieces of the Clock, as promised." He gestured, and they flew to the pile, Crime Sorciere's guild mark vanishing from them. "Please excuse their behavior, and permit me to take responsibility for my guild mates."

"Nakama!" Meredy cheered, one fist punching toward the sky. Jellal quietly facepalmed. Erza let out a tiny gasp, remembering Millianna practicing the word with Simon and Shou. Nakama. Comrades. A family of bonds.

"Why was this a good idea, again?" Racer grumbled.

"How are you feeling?" Ultear asked him. Racer huffed and looked away.

"Jellal Fernandes," Byro intoned. Everyone froze, Erza included. If this goes bad, my only real chance is Armadura Fairy. I hope my repairs to it can withstand Byro. Or Jellal... The Zentopian duke strode towards the young guild master. Master Makarov walked to Erza's side, scratching his head. "I am inclined to give you this chance. However, I understand you promised Fairy Tail an explanation. Zentopia would hear it as well."

Jellal and Ultear shared a look, their movements so like Erza and Gray working together it made Titania's heart ache. "Of course," Jellal agreed. "Shall we sit down? Even the short version will take some time." A mix of shrugs and nods resulted in several pews being moved to create a circle, and everyone sat facing each other. Natsu munched on a torch. I'm not asking him where he got that, Erza resolved.

"About five and a half years ago, I was a prisoner in Black Vox–" Jellal began.

Ultear glared at him, that vein on her forehead throbbing again. "No," she demanded. "We're starting with the Tower of Heaven. You can insist on your guilt after I tell my version of events." Jellal sighed and nodded. Erza blinked when Ultear's ferocity vanished, the time mage's eyes dancing away from Titania. "Fifteen years ago, one of the vilest crimes against humanity ever conceived squatted in the Great Ishgar Sea. Though I bear much of the responsibility for this horror, it was Brain who devised its name. 'Tower of Heaven.' Jellal, caught rescuing Erza from the tower's torture chamber, was punished in her place." Erza hugged herself, failing to hold back even the fragments of memory she had of Jellal's rescue.

Ultear paused. "Zen God, Erza, I'm sorry," she said, their eyes meeting at last. Though the Sorciere wizard's expression was almost neutral, Erza could see the ocean of guilt behind her gaze. "I can skip the details if you want–"

"No," Erza insisted, one hand moving towards her artificial eye before she could stop herself. "I don't remember much. I'd like to know. Please."

Ultear's head dropped, hands pressing against one another. "You saw it when you fought Master Hades. Nemesis." Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy all gasped. Erza managed not to, but she couldn't help but wonder if shock stole her voice. That monstrous dark mass oozing from Jellal! Oh, gods... she thought. Ultear let Erza gather her wits, then continued. "Once you had been – prepared – I cast the spell on you. For some reason, I didn't sense your tremendous magic potential. Once you were completely engulfed in Nemesis, I thought you were useless, so I...released the spell. You remember the Zeref symbol in Jellal's eye?" In spite of herself, Erza shuddered again. "Since I saw no purpose in keeping you, the magic, well, left your body." Jellal made fists, but looked away, saying nothing. "Jellal insists that you were too strong for me to turn. He doesn't think I'm lying, mind you, merely that I justified releasing you to myself."

Erza shook her head. "I had no strength left. Then Jellal..."

"Losing hope isn't the same as giving in to hate, Erza," Jellal insisted, fists clenching.

"Nemesis can possess anything, from pebbles to giants," Ultear continued. Watching her ignore Jellal's frustrated glare almost made Erza smile again. Nakama. Definitely, she decided. "Once the overseers had broken Jellal down to the point I felt confident, I sent Nemesis and used Mind Control Magic at the same time, all fueled by the Devil's Heart. The ultimate toxic cocktail of possession. The Fernandes line has always wielded incredible heavenly magic, and..." this time, she glanced at Jellal, who nodded. "...his father was Master Hades." Erza gasped, staring with most of the others. "We knew he'd be the perfect subject from the beginning."

Makarov trembled, growing twenty centimeters before controlling himself. "Master Precht. Did he do this?" He looked from Ultear to Jellal and back, jaw shaking. "All of it? To his own son?"

"Oh, yeah," Natsu replied, looking up and scratching his cheek with one finger. "That Faust guy looked a lot like Master Hades, didn't he?"

"That's right!" Wendy agreed, turning to her fellow Dragon Slayer. "Now that you mention it, didn't they smell kind of similar, too?"

"Right!" Natsu yelped, nodding. "That explains a lot!"

Pantherlily looked at Jellal, one paw on his chin. "Except King Faust didn't have Possession Magic at his disposal. In retrospect, that was most fortunate for Edolas."

"I'm sorry, Master Makarov," Ultear continued, sighing, "but while you've worked out Jellal's past, Master Hades isn't a concern any longer. He angered Zeref. We don't know what happened to the others, but we traced Zeref's Death Magic along our airship's retreat path. He's dead."

Master Makarov bowed his head. "Master..." he whispered. Erza longed to reach out to him, in spite of all the pain the Second Master had caused. Mercifully, Mirajane was there for the rest of them, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Ultear wilted, and Erza looked around to find Byro glaring at her. "You mean to tell me your guild master forgave you this?" he demanded, pointing his staff at her. "Titania joined Fairy Tail in X776, and Jellal was arrested in X784, which means you bound him in this evil sorcery – more vile and unforgivable than any other magic known–"

"For eight years," Jellal replied, bracing himself to stand, "and yes, Duke Byro, I have forgiven her."

Ultear huffed, half-glaring at him again. "When you admit that nothing human could have resisted Nemesis in your state, I might feel forgiven. How many times have we gone over this, Jellal?" she demanded, hands on her thighs.

"Too many," Jellal retorted. "I remember all my monstrous sins, every obscene joy I took from them." Erza clutched her skirt to avoid reaching out to him. Oh, Jellal... she thought, but her voice failed her. "I murdered my best friend while trying to..." his eyes skipped over Erza and Natsu. "That's not possession. I was weak."

"Please," Meredy breathed, "not again." She looked at Cobra, who shrugged. At some point, Kinana had worked her way to Erik's side, and she stroked his back with one hand.

Byro looked between Jellal and Ultear, then lowered his staff. "If I remember my demon hunting studies correctly," the duke interjected, still glaring at the time wizard, "Nemesis is unique in its functionality. It merges with its victim, creating a twisted and monstrous version of its host. Inanimate objects become mindless soldiers with resilience and speed based on the substance. Living beings are transformed into the cruelest potential version of themselves. The demon force does not merely join flesh, but thought, emotion, and even spirit. Once a dark wizard forces Nemesis into a human being, that person is imprisoned in a never-ending nightmare, forced to betray all they love while a tiny spark of their true self can do nothing but watch." Ultear looked down, fingers gripping at her leggings. "How can you even call yourself human–" he began, starting to raise his staff again.

Jellal called on Meteor's speed, on his feet and between the two in an instant. Gray was on his feet a second later, fist in palm. "You haven't heard the rest of the story," Jellal said, his eyes meeting Byro. "It's my turn now. Two years before any of this, when I had already been a prisoner in the Tower for almost half my life, Ur Milkovich went to the Bureau of Magical Development, desperate to save the life of her only daughter."

"What?" Lyon blurted. "That's impossible! Master Ur's daughter..." he stared at Ultear, going pale. "...died..."

"That's what they told her," Jellal explained, his tone gentle. Then, for the next few minutes, he told them all the story of how Ultear had been imprisoned, experimented on, and tortured. Jellal's explanation of her escape was brief, but when Gray and Lyon turned nearly dead-white, Erza knew they'd filled in the gaps just as she had. "Brain only influenced her mind in that one moment, but had she spoken that one word – one word to change the world – everything would have been different. Instead, he silenced her, and Ultear returned to the Bureau, convinced by his dark magic that she had nowhere else to go."

The rest went by quickly – her second escape, joining Grimoire Heart, and her plan to reverse time, which gave her license to do anything required to succeed. "The more sins I committed," Ultear interrupted him, "the more willing I became to commit more and worse ones. I was desperate to undo what I'd done, to hurt my mother, to save my mother." She shook her head. "None of that excuses how far I went into the darkness. I enjoyed the power, making the mighty dance as I played, fooling would-be masterminds and dragging them down with me." She looked at Lyon again with a ghost of a smile, then turned into Zalty.

"Aah!" Lyon jumped back. "Th-that was you?"

Natsu sighed. "Oh, right, you couldn't smell him."

"Her," Erza said, with Gray, Lucy, Jellal, and Meredy echoing her in perfect unison.

Natsu blinked and looked at Ultear. "Are you sure? He fought like a guy wearing perfume."

"I'm a woman." Ultear sighed, turning back toward Vastia with lowered eyes. "Lyon, I know I took three years of your life–"

"I was in Crocus when Secretary Caine made his move," Lyon replied. Ultear stopped, her expression neutral in an instant. "Funny story – I got cornered by that sword wizard, but she collapsed just before she could cut me in half."

"Oh, that was me," Meredy interjected, waving. "Happy to help." Lyon raised an eyebrow, and Meredy's smile broadened. "Caine got you. Mom unwound his spell." Ultear's eyes widened. "Didn't you wake up on a balcony–"

"Meredy," Ultear growled.

Meredy shrugged. "They're a teeny bit overprotective. You might've noticed."

"That reminds me, what about her–" Hughes began, pointing at Meredy with her wand.

Jellal and Ultear leaped between Meredy and the Legion wizard. "She was underage," they both said, eyes flashing with magic to shake Fiore. Mary lowered her wand, gulping.

"See?" Meredy added.

Lyon chuckled. "This once, Gray, I'll admit you got one up on me." He pointed at the now-shirtless Gray with a thumb. "This guy snapped you out of it, didn't he?"

"Our mother's light lives on in him," Ultear said. Gray huffed and looked away. Erza smiled again at last. "Though I owe as much to Meredy and Jellal as I do to Gray. All the pain I caused them, and they gave me every chance to atone."

"Which you have done," Jellal replied. "In case any of you have not guessed, I regained most of my memories, then Ultear broke me out of Black Vox–"

"In spite of your best efforts," Ultear quipped with a faint smile.

"–and since there was a chance that a Councilor wanted to have me killed, I remained a fugitive with them to repay my debt." He smiled at his two original guild mates. "Over the years, we've become a true family – nothing to compare to Fairy Tail, of course, but we've made Crime Sorciere a name we can be proud of."

Natsu sniffed at them, a dragon's growl rumbling in his throat. I understand, Natsu, Erza thought, her eyes drawn to Jellal even as she wanted to back away. I want to believe, so badly, but they've deceived us before. The Dragon Slayer stood and pointed at Jellal. "Join Fairy Tail!" he demanded. Erza blinked. Happy facefaulted, while Gray settled for the less troublesome facepalm. Master Makarov's jaw dropped. Titania chuckled. I should have known.

"I'm afraid that's impossible right now," Jellal explained, smiling at the fuming Salamander. "We are the most wanted criminals in Ishgar. Our only rivals in this matter are Tartaros, and no one knows their identities or numbers."

Cobra cleared his throat. "We know a few things about them," he muttered.

Jellal looked at him. "Mm. That will definitely help." He looked back towards Natsu. "The only reason we can meet without endangering Fairy Tail is Zentopia's hospitality. So long as we're in Kardia Cathedral, we have sanctuary. If we associate anywhere else, the Magic Council could charge you for that."

"Rest assured, they've gone back to looking for any excuse to bring Fairy Tail down," Ultear added, standing. "If you have any other questions, this is the time. Javert – I'm sorry, Lahar–" she continued, her smile making it clear she wasn't at all sorry in this instance – "must be on his way. Honestly, any sane man would have given up by now."

"The spell," Master Makarov said. Jellal and Ultear both froze. "Nemesis. Can you show it to me?" he asked the time wizard.

"How would that help?" Jellal interjected, taking a step towards Ultear.

Makarov clasped his hands behind his back. "I don't question your forgiveness, Jellal. Regardless of the spell's strength, you recognize that it affected you. All the same, I'd like to judge its effects for myself. I feel that someone must remain impartial here."

"Impartial?" a woman's voice blurted from above. Gray and Lyon shot upright, staring above with lantern-wide eyes. "Those three children are Fairy Tail wizards in every way that matters, and you're talking nonsense about impartiality. Why the First Master hasn't slapped you yet, I can't imagine."

Master Makarov cleared his throat. "And you are?"

"The Fourth Master of Earthland-2's Fairy Tail," she replied, "Ur Milkovich." Erza stared upward, looking for the source of the sound. Ultear quietly held her forehead in her hand. "Never mind all the good they've done in your world. They've been our friends in countless battles, and that should be enough for a Fairy Tail wizard in any world!"

"Aye sir!" a chorus of voices echoed behind Master Ur. Fairy Tail, Erza realized.

"Master?" Gray whispered, trembling. "You're...a Fairy Tail wizard?" He turned to Ultear. "Our Ur. Is she–"

"Gone," Ultear sighed. "I'm sorry. We went back to Galuna, but her soul has gone wherever souls go. The ocean only had a last – essence, of her, I suppose." Lyon closed his eyes and looked away. "That is not your fault, Lyon Vastia," she snapped, folding her arms. "I'm already dealing with Jellal's idiocy, so kindly don't add to it." Jellal turned to face Ultear again.

Makarov cleared his throat again, more loudly this time. Ultear summoned one of her time orbs. "Do not touch the crystal," she warned. "Nemesis shouldn't be able to reach through it, but it is unlike any other power I've ever encountered, and we fought the Demon King. Arc of Time: Rewind!"

They watched the ritual play out from both ends. Young Ultear summoned Nemesis from the Devil's Heart chamber in her old guild's airship, wielding the Book of Zeref in one hand and her orb in the other. Young Jellal stared, bound to the lightning rod in the Tower torture chamber, paralyzed by its mere arrival. Erza nearly convulsed as she watched the horror force its way into Jellal's eye, her fearless protector's mouth locked open in a silent scream. None of the other wizards moved, as frozen staring at the orb as the past Jellal. The young Ultear spoke to him through Grimoire Heart's magic, one spell dominating his mind even as the other poisoned it. Oh, gods...oh gods, that was me, and then – Jellal –

"Enough!" Makarov barked, and the scene vanished. He looked away. "I've seen enough." The tiny guild master bowed his head, eyes closed. "Precht. What possible reason could you have had for this?" Ultear opened her mouth, closed it, then banished the orb. "I'm satisfied. Master Jellal, you vouch for the members of your guild?"

"I do," Jellal assured him.

Makarov nodded. "Then everyone, make your peace while you can. We cannot know when this opportunity will arise again." Erza swallowed. He didn't say, she thought. What did the Third Master see?

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Kardia Cathedral, X791: Gray

"You didn't turn me into the Cold Emperor, you know," Lyon insisted. Ultear shook her head. Gray couldn't help a rare smile. Lyon. You've come so far. I have so many regrets in my life, but I think the seven years we lost have finally surpassed my sorrow at what my stupidity did to Master Ur. We missed so much. The people who love us grieved so much. His fellow student sighed a grunt. "Yes, I was easy to manipulate. Yes, Zalty enabled my folly. I chose that mask long before we met."

"Honestly," Ultear sighed back. "My life is a theater of the absurd." She turned a half-hearted glare on Lyon. Gray felt a hand grip his heart. So much like Ur, getting weary with us, he thought. Even the way they sat facing one another reminded him of Ur's lectures. "Just tell me you're not punishing yourself without need," she demanded. "I'm at my wit's end when it comes to that."

Lyon chuckled. "You needn't worry about that, Master Ultear," he said. Ultear's jaw dropped, the color fading around her. "Lamia Scale...it's a fine guild. I found everything I was looking for there, except love." He turned to Juvia, making heart-eyes at her. "And now I've found that too!"

Ultear slapped him on the back of the head. "Behave," she commanded. "Stalking doesn't suit you." Lyon pouted and rubbed where the blow landed while Gray laughed. Ultear looked around the church. "Come to think of it, where is the rest of Lamia Scale?"

"He came here to show me up," Gray explained. Lyon fumed to the point where Gray could imagine the smoke rising from his hair, so he pretended to ignore his rival. "I don't even mind, now. I'm glad you two met." Lyon stopped fuming, and he smiled at their sister. "Tell me about your guild, Ultear. I heard about some of your adventures from Jet and Droy, but what about the rest of the time?" Lyon nodded.

"Meredy is my pride and joy," Ultear said, turning to where Meredy was talking to a large group of his guild mates. Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Elfman, Lisanna, Natsu, Happy, Coco, and Dan were all sitting in a semi-circle around the pink-haired wizard as she told a story. Meredy's gestures were wild and sweeping as she described some hectic battle. "She's grown into a wonderful woman, an amazing wizard, and a true hero."

Ultear's smile grew as she watched Meredy's storytelling grow more bombastic. Natsu's mouth fell into an "O" of amazement. Lucy gasped. Coco winced and covered her eyes, then peeked through her fingers. "She's brilliant, strong, and caring. My only complaint is that she still feels a need to prove herself. Meredy's always comparing herself to us, even though she's so much younger, and feels like we're too protective."

"You've been a fine mother to her," Gray said, his own smile spreading. Lyon nodded again, his smile matching Gray's. Master Ur is smiling with us, wherever she is. Our Master Ur, at least.

However, Ultear shook her head. "No. I've done a passable job, but I owe – we both owe – so much to Jellal." She turned her attention to the blue-haired wizard. Fernandes was talking with Master Makarov, Duke Byro, the Archbishop, Midnight, and Mirajane in a corner. "Miss Mirajane?" Ultear asked, head titling sideways a fraction.

"Mira runs the guild almost as much as Master Makarov," Gray explained. "I don't know how Macao managed without her."

"Not well, I'm afraid. Fairy Tail's fallen on hard times," Lyon said, grimacing and looking down again. "We offered to pay some of their debts, but they wouldn't have it. You were talking about Master Jellal?"

Ultear watched the group of team leaders for a few seconds, then nodded. "He's always been there for us, not just in battle. When we're alone in woods or deserts, hunted by the whole world, Jellal keeps us going. He ran training sessions to improve our teamwork, developed classes to fill gaps in our education, found ways for us to hide and relax – he was even a therapist of sorts when the guilt threatened to swallow us whole."

Her smile, which had been fading as she spoke about Erza's old friend, vanished. "It's the greatest frustration in my life now. For all my sins," she breathed, looking at her trembling hands, "all the blood I've shed, all the souls I've torn, there are none I've hurt more deeply than Jellal. He's been a beacon of hope for us, but I haven't been able to do the same for him. He loved those children in the Tower. He still loves them, and he won't forgive himself for what I did to them through him."

"Tch," Gray snorted. "He sounds as stubborn as Natsu." His eyes flickered to Erza before he could stop himself. Erza was standing beneath a stained glass window depicting Mikardia, the angel knight holding her sword aloft. Titania just watched Jellal talk with his group, eyes narrowed, lips pressed together in a narrow line. She wasn't even wearing her armor, just her blouse and skirt. "Is this about that Simon guy? Or Erza?"

"'That Simon guy?'" a Fairy Two wizard said, his voice deep even whining. Gray looked up.

"You were never in Fairy Tail over there, honey," Ultear's voice replied from above. Their Ultear winced and looked down. Wait, was that Simon?

"You left the mic on, children," Ultear said. Both Fairy Two wizards gulped, then went silent. "It's about both of them, Gray. He still insists that he killed Simon. He loves Erza with all his heart, but he's convinced that he's condemned by the darkness I cursed him with. He cares about Fairy Tail as much as I do, but believes he would stain you – Fairy Tail, his old family, the friends we've made in our adventures, Erza above all else – with that darkness, so he wraps himself in his guilt. He only accepts those of us who took malice into our hearts and were cast out by the world." She chuckled. "The archer fooled him, but that was years ago now."

"The archer?" Lyon asked, blinking. "Wait, wasn't there a Quincy mage in Karakura?"

"We can't speak directly of those not hunted by the Magic Council. Associating with us is a grave crime all by itself," she explained. Lyon grimaced and slapped his forehead. You always were thick when it came to this kind of stuff, Lyon, Gray sighed. "In spite of it all, Jellal's led us to great victories. We've freed entire kingdoms from dark wizards. He may be Ishgar's greatest hero." Ultear sighed. "He should have always been the Shield of Fiore." Gray blinked. The what now? "In worlds where I didn't violate him, Jellal is Ishgar's greatest hero. I could endure it if he wasn't so..." she chuckled again and looked up, turning a half-smile towards Gray. "Actually, he reminds me a lot more of you than Salamander."

Gray gaped. EH?! he thought, but his mouth just made little twitches, no sound coming out. Lyon laughed. "She's got you there, Gray. Juvia can do much better than a boorish stripper like you, but I have to admit, you're the one Master Ur would be proud of. You never give up...on any of us."

What is he talking about – wait a minute! Gray thought, not quite catching the parts Lyon admitted. "You're a stripper too!" he objected.

"You're missing the point," Lyon drawled. What point? Gray raged, fists forming.

Ultear chuckled again. "Boys," she said, and they both stopped. Images of Erza pounding him and Natsu into the floor convinced Gray to let it go. "Gray. You blame yourself for the choices of others, carrying the burden of a lost loved one. You push away all but a few, and cherish those few above all things. You go to any length to save a lost soul before you, no matter how cruel or cold-hearted your enemy. And you give light to all around you, keeping none for yourself." He yelped, recoiling again. Is that what she thinks? Gray wondered. "You and Jellal really are a lot alike."

Gray recovered in an instant. Hm. He looked at the small knot of leaders. "Is that so?" He stood, the others doing the same. "I'm gonna go talk to him. You two should keep catching up."

"Be nice, Gray," Ultear warned. "Jellal might rival a God of Ishgar in battle, but he's fragile when it comes to his past." Gray nodded and walked over, looking over his shoulder once to be sure Ultear and Lyon were talking again. Satisfied when he saw them sit down, he approached Mirajane and the Third Master.

"...my greatest concern is Zash Caine," Jellal said. Byro and Midnight both nodded. "He's currently the Minister of State in Stella. How he tricked King Animus into trusting him is beyond me, but Caine is not to be underestimated merely because Ultear could handle him."

"Her power is overwhelming," Midnight added. "I couldn't do more than bend it a few degrees, while she snuffed out my Reflector with ease. Judging him by his loss to Ultear is pointless."

"Well, you did say Brain sent her to Grimoire Heart because he thought she was too strong to control," Mirajane agreed. "Don't worry, we'll take Caine seriously."

"It is more complicated than that," the Archbishop warned, shaking his head. "Relations between Fiore and Stella are tense at the moment. Since Caine joined their government, they've been more tolerant of Bosco's...more unusual forms of trade."

"No way..." Mirajane gasped, hands covering her mouth. "That's horrible!"

"From what Jet and Droy said," Gray interjected, the six others looking at him, "this Caine jerk brainwashed everyone in Mercurius, including Alzack, Bisca, and Lyon. Treating humans like property obviously isn't a problem for him. He's not someone we can treat lightly, either in power or cruelty."

Jellal's nod was slow. "He was going to force Princess Hisui to marry him. Even Captain Arcadios could do nothing but stand there and watch." The star wizard made a single, trembling fist. "Caine is almost as vile as I was."

"Master Jellal!" Byro objected. "We all saw that spell in Ultear's crystal." The two glared at each other again. "It is noble of you to forgive her, but–!"

"Now, now," Makarov said, waving them both down. "That's all in the past. Let's worry about the future. Jellal, Midnight, I believe we can trust the Stella situation to you for now."

Midnight lowered his head, looking away. "Even after everything we've done?" he whispered, fists clenched at his sides. "We tricked you...used you...if Crime Sorciere hadn't arrived when they did, we would have destroyed the world."

Master Makarov shook his head with a wide grin. "For someone who can bend the world how you wish, you're not so good at hearing, are you? Didn't I say that's all in the past?" Midnight's head whipped back up, and he stared at the Third Master.

"Exactly," Gray agreed. "Erza told us about what you went through as children. If you've changed the path you're on, then let's move forward together."

Mirajane nodded. "Mm, mm. It's true that what you did was wrong, but you were trying to help your friends, right? You wanted to end their pain." Midnight nodded. "I know what it's like, to want to run away from the grief, to want to fly, or sleep and forget, or listen for a voice you think you'll never hear again." She turned towards where Cobra and Kinana were talking. Kinana threw her arms around the Poison Dragon Slayer, and he blushed, hugging her back in a tentative embrace. "Sometimes, we're given miracles we don't feel like we deserve."

Gray knew where Mira's eyes would go next, and he watched her turn to smile at Lisanna, who cheered while Meredy used her magic to create a miniature fight between Ultear and a muscular, cigar-smoking villain. "The rest of the time, we have to rely on our friends to help us move forward." Her smile outshone the sun. "Right?"

Midnight blushed and looked away. "Er. Right. I...thank you." Gray's smile returned. Mira just got another fan. The Reflector Mage turned to Jellal. "We shouldn't stay much longer. If the Rune Knights work out a way to block our Hyperspace spell, we'll be in trouble."

"Agreed." Jellal's eyes flickered toward the doors. "I need to finish making arrangements with Master Makarov and the Archbishop. Then we'll go."

Gray's smile vanished. "Oi, oi, you still haven't talked to Erza."

Jellal flinched and looked away. "This isn't a good time. Crime Sorciere just doubled in size. The Magic Council is going to be in an uproar over this. Lahar must be on his way with an army. He always is." He shook his head. "I won't cause Fairy Tail more pain than I already have."

For an instant, Gray wanted to punch the man in the face. That's not gonna work, he realized. Ultear's right – he's not like Natsu. Instead, he snorted. "Ultear talks about you like you're the most wonderful person in her world." Jellal looked up in surprise, so much like the way Midnight had, Gray felt deja vu. "She says you saved her, day after day, when the pain threatened to destroy her and Meredy. That's the way Erza described what you were like in the Tower as kids."

"That's...they're both very kind," Jellal whispered.

"Listen," Gray demanded. "Erza and Ultear are as dear to me as anyone in the world. You're that dear to them." Jellal's eyes widened. "I get that you want to bring light to people lost in the dark. Just...save some light for yourself, okay? You're not doing them any favors by torturing yourself." He looked down at his hand, watching frost drift along his palm. Is she right about me? Damn it. He made a fist. "I don't know enough about mind magic and demonic curses to tell you how to feel about what happened. Just, let them care about you, okay?" He met Jellal's eyes again. "They're not going to stop, no matter what you do."

Jellal looked down. Then, to Gray's surprise, he smiled. "Neither of them ever gives up. It's something they have in common. Sometimes, though, you have to change course."

"Tch," Gray complained. "Did you even hear me?"

Jellal nodded. "I'm sorry, Gray. I didn't mean to dismiss your feelings. I will remember your words." He turned to the Archbishop. "Your Holiness, I regret asking you for a favor, let alone one of this magnitude, but I would be grateful if we could use Kardia Cathedral to meet with wizards who walk in the light. That way, we could share intelligence on dark guilds with those who need it."

Remembering them isn't the same as listening to them, Gray grumbled while Byro jumped in. "That is an excellent suggestion, Your Holiness. I ask that the Legion be given this assignment once the Clock pieces are secure."

Gray headed towards Erza while the others worked out the details. Maybe I should try this from the other end, he thought. Erza was so focused on Jellal, eyes locked onto him, that she didn't even notice Gray approach. Once he was at her side, Gray cleared his throat. "Kya!" Erza cried, leaping into the air. She hung there for about a second before dropping back to the ground. "G-Gray! For shame, sneaking up on a teammate like that!" He couldn't help a chuckle while Erza composed herself. "Did you have a question?"

"Yeah." Gray crossed his arms. "You gonna talk to him or not? He doesn't have the guts, so it's up to you." Erza sighed and bowed her head. A lot of that going around, Gray observed, frowning. "Ultear says he still cares about you. What about you, Erza?"

Her smile was a frail thing. Erza shouldn't look like that, Gray thought, frustrated. "Are you really the one to ask me this?" she asked. "You still can't properly express yourself around Juvia."

"Wha–?" Gray blurted. "Are you kidding? How many different ways do I have to come up with to say 'no' to be clearer?" He blinked. Grim. She got me, he realized, shaking his head. "You're changing the subject. I'm not telling you how to feel, but I don't think you should let Jellal go without at least settling things with him."

"Settle? No." Before he could react, Gray found himself in a thorough Erza hug. What the– he wondered. "I am truly blessed, to have friends like you," Erza continued, and Gray gasped when he felt her trembling, "but I can't settle anything with Jellal, surrounded by people, when he is in this state. Still, I'm grateful to you." She let him go, looking more uncertain than Gray had seen since Nirvana. When they took Jellal away, he realized. "Jellal is free and doing good, with a warm guild that loves him. He is a friend to Fairy Tail, who came in our time of need. As things are, I can't ask for more."

"Hm," Master Makarov said, walking over with Mirajane. "Well, I hope this will help all the same. Based on what I saw in Miss Ultear's orb, Jellal is innocent." Erza gasped. Gray's eyes flickered away from the Master. That's good, I guess...but what does that mean for Ultear? he wondered. "Nemesis locked away the person he'd been, replacing it with a Grim mockery. It would be no different if Jellal had been imprisoned, an impostor taking his place. In a very real way, that is exactly what happened."

"Then why? Why does he still insist on his guilt?" Erza half-demanded, half-pleaded. "Good or evil, Jellal has always been brilliant. Surely he would know what Ultear's spells can do."

Makarov's sigh was ancient and heavy. "I'm sorry, Erza. A father should have answers when his children ask questions like that, but there is much in this world that I don't understand." He shrugged. "All I can suggest is that it is easier, somehow, to believe that he is guilty. No matter how painful that guilt is, maybe accepting his innocence would be worse. That's why I didn't confront him with it. Until he is ready to face that terrible day, forcing the issue could make matters worse."

Erza hugged herself, looking over to where Crime Sorciere had gathered. "D-does he care that deeply for Ultear?" she asked, biting her lip.

Don't laugh, Gray ordered himself, coughing to cover the impulse. She'll kill me. He shrugged. "I think he loves Ultear as much as Lyon and I do," he said, watching Erza relax a fraction, "but if Jellal was trying to protect her, he'd just accept her explanation. Ultear hates watching him punish himself. I don't know what it is, either, but it's not for Ultear's sake."

"Th-thank you, Gray," she whispered, bowing. Then she straightened, blinking. "And I apologize for my behavior! It was shameless of me to bring Juvia into the discussion. You may punish me as you see fit."

"Please don't turn into Virgo," Gray moaned. Makarov and Mirajane both laughed.

Music Cue: Aftermath (Atarashii Yuujou)

"Fairy Tail," Jellal said at last, the seven members of his guild standing at the church doors. "Legion Corps. I am glad that we can all part as friends. However, Rune Knights have arrived in Magnolia, so we must leave before they force a confrontation."

Samuel flew to the forefront of the Legion team. "Your strategy came from peerless calculation, Master Jellal. All participants emerged victorious, even the Oracion Seis."

"Oh, I'm sure Brain isn't feeling too victorious right now," Erza added, her smile one of proper Titania ferocity. Most of the others laughed, Gray included.

"We have jerks to track down, but you'll hear from us again one day," Cobra promised, not quite looking at Kinana.

"You'd better!" Natsu roared back, a flame-brain to the end. "I wanna fight you again! You too, Jellal!" Then he paused, eyes darting around. "Or was that even you I fought? Ai-yah! Now I wanna fight you even more!"

"I'm sure we can manage something," Jellal replied, smiling. "Until then, Fairy Tail." Ultear and Midnight opened the swirling gate, and the seven of them vanished through it.

They all looked at the empty space. Gray felt a little empty himself. Tch. I know life's not fair, but this bites on a whole other level. Makarov took in a long breath, let it go. "Well–" he began.

Lahar burst in through the doors, a horde of Rune Knights behind him. "Halt!" he demanded, then looked around, grinding his teeth as his glasses glinted in the light. "Grim. They escaped again..."

"You dare?" Byro rumbled, holding up his staff. The Legion Corps rushed to his side. "This is the cathedral sacred to the angel-saint Mikardia, who brought light to earth from the stars. You dare defy the blessed sanctuary of this place?"

Captain Lahar adjusted his glasses. "Surely you were not protecting that vile traitor Jellal, or his wicked accomplices." Gray glared at the Rune Knight, fist in his palm before he realized it. If they weren't with the Council...

"Jellal Fernandes is neither vile nor a traitor," Duke Byro retorted. "He and his 'wicked accomplices' saved the world by claiming the Infinity Clock from the Oracion Seis and returning it to our holy auspices. We did give him sanctuary, as a result." With each sentence, Lahar reddened and trembled, looking like a thermometer about to explode. "Crime Sorciere has left, but that does not excuse your trespass!"

"Trespass–" Lahar choked, glaring. "Zentopia and Fairy Tail are already responsible for this conflagration. Your Cardinal Lapointe is a known accomplice of the Oracion Seis!"

"Oi, oi," Laxus said, striding up to join the Legion Corps. The Thunder Tribe was right beside him. "I'm no expert on Council law, but I know 'sanctuary' means 'take a hike.' Don't you have to back off now?"

"Hey!" Natsu cried, dashing to the front of the group. "Does that mean we can beat them up without getting arrested?" He punched his palm, and all the Rune Knights except the captain recoiled.

Damn it, flame-brain – Gray froze. "Wait. Duke Byro, is Natsu right for once?" Byro nodded, still glaring at Lahar. "Is that so. What did you call Ultear, Rune Knight? 'Wicked accomplice?'" He strode next to Natsu, frost streaming from his hands.

"And what was Jellal?" Erza asked, joining them. She Requipped into her Purgatory Armor, eyes glowing a furious crimson. "A 'vile traitor,' you say?"

Lahar shuddered, his eyes hidden by the light blazing from his glasses. "Though I would welcome the chance to teach Fairy Tail a lesson, unfortunately, your thunder wizard and Duke Byro are correct. If Zentopia has indeed granted those vigilantes asylum, then we must–" he turned to go, then stared, jaw dropping. His Rune Knights had all fled a block away from Kardia, a few dozen staves dropped in the street in their wake. Natsu laughed with Gray. Losers. They can't stand a fair fight!

Only Doranbolt was there, dressed in civilian clothes. "Forget it, Lahar," he said. "They slipped away again. At least we rescued all those Celestial Spirit mages. Come on." He smiled. "Let's go back to Era. You can buy lunch, and I can get my uniform back." Lahar sighed and nodded. Doranbolt put a hand on his shoulder, and they both vanished with a 'pop.'

Yeah, Gray thought, smiling with Erza, looking out the doors while Natsu and Lucy high-fived each other. Ultear. We'll see each other again, without a doubt.

Chapter Text

Volume Twenty-Eight: Training For Tomorrow

Earthland-1, Bosco, X791: Midnight

"We can't run!" one of the small fry howled, pointing his staff at Midnight. "It's Crime Sorciere – they'll hunt us to the ends of the earth! If we use all our magic together, though, we can still win!" The Reflector Mage sighed, holding his forehead. Who do they think I am?

"You heard the boss!" another cried, and they all joined up in a wall of staff and gun magic, aiming at Midnight. The warehouse gave them enough room to line up in passable numbers. Water-stained wood creaked as battles raged in different parts of the building. "Together! FIRE!" The volley of lethal force lanced out at him.

Midnight held out his hand and wove all the beams into a single ball of seething magic power. They gaped, weapons shaking as they faced him. "You should give up. I didn't get enough sleep last night, and Master Jellal won't be happy if I take it out on you too harshly." He reached out with his magic, searching until he found the teammate he sought. "Cobra? You said they had more than foot soldiers."

"F-foot soldiers?" one of the slavers whimpered.

"The boss says we gotta wait," Cobra replied, using his Sound Magic to respond. "There's still 'merchandise' in the lower floors. We can't smash through them until all their victims are safe." Midnight's jaw tightened.

"What's this?" Bora the Prominence, dressed in his usual finery, strode up. He had bandages on his nose and right arm. "Is the great Midnight slumming down here with mere working stiffs like us?" He leered at the former Prayer. "You know, Crime Sorciere is attacking at this very moment." The other wizards, sweat drops rolling down their cheeks, retreated – right into Meredy, who hit them with an ring of Maguilty Blades. "You help us out with them, and we'll give you the best of our latest catch. I've even got friends in the Magic Council. They convinced the Rune Knights that I was just an 'overly enthusiastic glamour model recruiter,' can you believe it?" He created an arrow with his fire magic, pointing at the ceiling. "From what I hear, your guild always thinks big. We've got to have something in stock you can use, right?"

Midnight blinked at him, then reached for his cloak. It wasn't there. Right, I lost it fighting that rock wizard. He crooked his finger, and the blue cloak flew back to him. Bora's smirk gave way to gaping horror, his eye twitching as he took a step back. "You're right about one thing, Prominence. Crime Sorciere always thinks big. You should give up now."

"Master Hamudo!" Bora wailed, turning to flee. "We need the dragonoids!" He saw Meredy before she could Maguilty him into unconsciousness. Bora screamed and fled down another corridor.

"Wait, did he say dragonoids?" Meredy blurted, putting two fingers to her temple. I missed something, Midnight decided. "Jellal! They might have dragonoids!"

What? Jellal sent. Never mind. We'll deal with that after the prisoners are free. Midnight, traps are disabled. Peel the Grape.

Midnight smirked and reached up. He soaked his Reflector magic into every slat of wood, every nail, every speck of tar and every roof shingle; they all bowed before the will of his wizardry. Midnight made a fist, and the entire building curled out onto itself, recoiling down to the foundation. Only a handful of paths remained where Crime Sorciere wizards stood. Someone caught the slavers in mid-fall with telekinesis.

Midnight's smirk vanished when he looked down. Dozens of shivering, wide-eyed people, most of them young women, were chained to concrete walls in what had been the basement. "Zen God," he whispered, reaching down to crush the chains with his power.

Racer was faster. There was a blur of red and black, and all the captives were free. "Sue!" One of the few men cried, this one tan and bald. He ran to a green-haired woman.

"Boze," she replied, and they hugged. Racer appeared at Midnight's side, looking down without expression. "Let's get those bastards." The bald man nodded. Meanwhile, Jellal flew to Meredy, and they nodded to each other. Status, their guild master sent.

"Place is secure, boss," Cobra reported, flying over with the wing-harness Angel had created for him. Or did she summon it? I can't keep track any more, Midnight sighed. "Captives are free, slavers are running."

"That's what you think!" With earth-shaking, metallic crashes, three mechanical dragons landed, one red, one white, and one black. "You face the death dragons of Master Hamudo!" His laughter brought back memories of Midnight doing much the same. His fingers twitched. Master Jellal was right. This is the path we sought all along, he decided.

"Jellal! Those look like Dorma Anim!" Meredy cried. "Not as big, but they're the same shape–"

"Not as powerful, either," Jellal noted, "but dangerous enough. That is an odd design for Earthland. Formula Eyes." Magic script swirled like an infinity symbol over Jellal's face. "Daphne? That explains it, but how did they kidnap her from Black Vox?" Kidnap? Midnight wondered.

Does it matter? Ultear asked. My only concern is that she's not a willing accomplice.

She's a prisoner, bound in some magic harness, Jellal reported, and clearly unlike her Earthland-2 counterpart. It seems obvious that we dismantle her creations, rescue her, and leave this band of villains to the Rune Knights. Their guild master crouched, Meteor Wave roaring around him. "This is your one chance, Hamudo! Yield, or fall!" he ordered.

"Open fire!" Hamudo replied, all three dragons' maws opening. Red light burned in all three throats, their paint jobs irrelevant to their power.

Midnight reached out, but anti-magic shielding prevented him from ending the battle with a gesture. Master, I can only neutralize one of them, he warned.

"Good!" Cobra snarled, flying to join Angel above the battle. "I can hear them, and gods I want to shut their brains up!"

"Midnight, Racer, Meredy – white dragon, Road Spike. Ultear, Cobra, Angel, black dragon, Wing Rush." Jellal floated backwards. "I'm going to recruit two of the captives to deal with the red one."

Midnight nodded and reshaped the road to form a curving path around the white dragonoid. Racer ran up and down the path, pounding on the weapon, and Meredy shoved Maguilty Blades wherever Racer left cracks. When the power in the dragon's mouth gathered to fire, Midnight turned his attention to blocking it. That stopped it cold, just before Meredy's magic shattered the machine. He didn't catch what Cobra's team did, but the black dragonoid rocked and stumbled, falling sideways.

The red dragon tried to fire, but a mirror spell much like Midnight's magic sent the blast back through its mouth, blowing its own skull off. A howling scream left the central dragon shuddering, then Jellal flew in through the opening left by the loss of its head, emerging with a cable-bound woman under one arm. She also wore a headband encrusted with crimson lacrima. Jellal landed next to Midnight, unraveling the cables, snapping the headband, and floating a pair of round glasses over to her. "Daphne, I believe?" he asked, helping her to her feet and smiling.

"Y-yes," Daphne stammered, standing on wobbling legs. Boze and Sue ran over, dragging a bound Bora behind them. "Thank you – Jellal, right? We were neighbors for a while." She recoiled as a green-suited man with a bowl haircut pried his way out of the red dragonoid wreckage. "Hamudo..."

"You miserable brats!" The middle-aged slaver held up both hands, a tiny sphere of water forming between them. "I will drown you one by one with my magi–"

There was a blur, and Racer snapped to Midnight's side. Hamudo flew into the air, then crashed to the road, unconscious. "He was taking too long," Racer said, shrugging. Midnight surprised himself when he smiled. I...I think I like this.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Bosco, X791: Ultear

"We'll get them to Fiore," Sue promised, nodding. The train of former slaves handed out clothes and packs with food as they prepared for the trek to the border. The road ahead stretched over hills into the distance, nothing but rolling grasslands to either side. "What about that treacherous scum Bora? Leaving him in Bosco is way too merciful. He'll probably bribe his way out of trouble again. You know what this country's like."

All too well, Ultear mused. "Then he'll lead us to more trafficking bases," she assured the former Phantom, holding out her hand and summoning an orb. Boze whistled when Bora appeared in the crystal, frowning as he struggled, bound back-to-back with Hamudo. "We have a tracking spell on him. Bora's been quite useful."

"We can't travel openly with you," Jellal added, "but rest assured we'll watch over you until you reach Fiore. King Toma is a generous monarch. He'll get refugees home, and find places for those with nowhere to go."

"We'll join Fairy Tail, if they'll have us," Boze added, gesturing to his partner with one hand. "She wanted to before we ran into Bora. We didn't travel with him often, but we thought he was a friend, and–" the bald wizard grabbed Jellal's hand and shook it hard enough to leave Jellal shaking. "I can't even imagine a way to thank you enough."

"You just did," Meredy insisted, smiling in a way that reminded Ultear of Fairy Tail. One day, she will be free to join them, Ultear swore. "Get going. We've got your backs."

"Um..." Daphne looked at Jellal over the tops of her glasses, head lowered a fraction. "I'd like to go with you guys, if it's all right. The Magic Council denied my parole every time, yes. I got along with all of you, didn't I?" She wilted when Meredy whirled to peer at her, Sensory Link glowing around the pink-haired psychic. "Please? Being Hamudo's human Archive, all of you fighting to stop them – I learned my lesson, yes, yes."

Cobra chuckled. "Relax, cowgirl. I can hear you. She ain't the one from that other world, Meredy." Ultear watched Meredy with discreet concern. Careful, baby. We have no right to seek revenge.

Meredy sighed and looked at Jellal. Their guild master smiled and offered his hand to Daphne. "Never forget your crimes, but use the memory of them to atone by helping others. Never let your past overwhelm you, and believe in a day when you'll be forgiven. If you can live by that code, welcome to Crime Sorciere." Daphne shook his hand, her smile Natsu-wide.

"Six years with only one new guy," Meredy chuckled, "and in less than a month, we start turning into Fairy Tail. Tenrou landed on our lives like Sema, huh?" Ultear smiled at her daughter. That's my girl.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1: Akane Beach

Crime Sorciere watched from a nearby cliff while Mirajane summoned the guild stamp. "So, where do you want your guild marks?" she asked, smiling at Boze and Sue, while Gajeel hugged each of them in one arm. The Iron Dragon Slayer had an enormous, goofy grin. The bunch of them were at a camper's hut with Mira's siblings, card wizard Cana, and Gajeel's eternal companion Pantherlily. Night covered Akane, the only light around them from stars and magic.

"J-just like that?" Boze asked.

"Don't be stupid," Gajeel retorted. "They let me in, right? So you two are a cinch!" He let them go to permit Mira to stamp them. "That reminds me. Weren't you traveling with some model agent? Bolo the Cromulent?"

"Bora the Prominence," all three Strausses replied. Oh, here we go, Ultear thought.

Sue shuddered. "We only traveled with him once in a while. It turns out he was in the slave trade, after all," she explained. Boze shook his head. "We caught him at it a week ago, so he decided to trade us, too." Gajeel snarled. "If it hadn't been for Crime Sorciere..."

Gajeel snorted. "Been hearing that name a lot since the Clock thing," he noted.

Pantherlily nodded. "They have been a scourge driving away all evil," he said. "I would expect no less from Earthland's Prince Jellal." Ultear grinned at Jellal, who hid his face in the shadow of his hood. The Exceed looked up at the stars. "This is so familiar, like a recurring dream. Prince Jellal, fleeing unjust enforcers, leaping between two worlds to save them both." He turned to face his partner. "I want to help him, Gajeel." Ultear's smile grew. You have many friends, Jellal.

Gajeel looked at Boze and Sue. "Yeah. Me too." He grimaced and looked at the stars. "They were right, though. Not much we can do when just saying 'hi' will turn Fairy Tail into a dark guild. Damn Magic Council." Jellal turned to meet Ultear's eyes. Friends of other Jellals. Gajeel's right, Ultear, he sent.

The time mage sighed, looking down one last time. For now, she said, while Boze and Sue high-fived each other. One day. Believe in a day we'll be forgiven. She turned towards Crocus. At the moment, we have a greater problem. Eclipse.

Chapter Text

Earthland-2, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Ultear-2

Ultear Mikazuchi munched popcorn from a bucket while she watched Fairy Tail One train for the Grand Magic Games. "The down side of synching our timeline to theirs," she explained, Kagura at her side, "is that we're going to be competing at the same time. At least Mom's okay with splitting up the guild this year so we can keep an eye on things over there." Kagura nodded.

Simon walked over, little Shou squirming in his arms. "It must have been weird for their Jellal-nii to do this with us. It feels a little like peeping."

"I'm going to ignore you not mentioning my world-sister," Ultear shot back, eyebrow twitching. Her husband grinned. "Anyway, this is doing for them what they did for us. I know things got really different here, but we can still help." She watched Natsu-1 run with concrete wheels tied to his waist, then turned her attention to where the rest of Team Erza had gathered.

Virgo-1 emerged from the sand, right under Lucy's butt. "Princess. Emergency," she reported. Huh? Ultear wondered, using her Arc windows to look for trouble. After some chatter, Virgo explained with uncharacteristic brevity: "The Celestial Spirit World is in danger of being destroyed. Everyone...please help us."

Ultear leaped to her feet, popcorn flying in all directions. "Guys! We've got a problem!" she shouted. The afternoon brawls came to a screeching halt. "Virgo just asked Fairy Tail One to help save the Celestia–" Virgo erupted in a vast shaft of golden light. "Crap! Gotta move!" She leaped through the portal.

"Ul!" Simon gasped, then Ultear was on Earthland-1. No time! she decided, casting out her Dimension Arc to follow Virgo's beam and link the two worlds. Have to...synch up space and time, or we could lose them for weeks, she thought. Let's not do that again. She ignored Jet and fat!Droy staring at her, and concentrated.

Her portal opened to a platform where the golden beam shined down. They were already dressed in Celestial outfits. Once Ultear's Arc was complete, Team Erza (and guests) floated down and landed. "Too close," Ultear breathed, gritting her teeth. "Guys, are you all right?"

"Ultear!" Lucy gasped. Gray's eyes widened. "Is it okay for you to be there?"

"Relax, Lucy," she replied, winking, "I'm Ultear-2. You heard me a couple of times through my Dimension Arc. We've been watching out for you."

"Thank you, Ultear-sama," Virgo replied. "Sama?" Ultear wondered. "However, your assistance should not be necessary."

"Necessary? If they're in the Spirit World for more than a day, they'll miss the Grand Magic Games!" Ultear pointed out. Virgo's expression went blank. "One day in your world is three months in ours – er, theirs – remember?"

"EHHH?!" Erza's group yelped.

Ultear grinned at them. "Don't...worry," she insisted, straining to hold the portal. "As long as I hold this gate open, you're on 'one day equals one day' time."

Simon appeared from her shadow, his magic supporting hers. "I'll help. You guys go save Heaven. We've got your back."

"Simon," Erza breathed, trembling. Natsu stared, paralyzed.

"Er." Virgo turned, and Lucy's entire group of contracted spirits appeared behind the maiden, Seireio joining above them all. "Oh dear."

"Oops," the other spirits all said, in a single chorus.

Ultear's smile vanished. "Define 'oops.'"

Mighty Seireio, King of Heaven, rubbed the back of his neck, his smile more sheepish than Aries' whole body. "It was meant to be a party." His eyes lit up, while the Fairy Tail One wizards stared at him, bodies bleached out. "Smile!" he announced, as he...well, smiled. "However! Thanks to your otherworldly friend, we can all visit you."

"Wait!" Lucy blurted. "Isn't it dangerous for you to come to our world?"

"Don't worry, Lucy," Leo replied, walking up to her with a kind smile. "As long as we're not forbidden to return, coming back is as simple as falling into bed."

"Yeah!" they all cheered, wizard and spirit alike, and charged through the portal. A small army of Plues carried an enormous table covered in food. Seireio shrunk down to about four meters tall to allow himself passage into Earthland-1.

Ultear and Simon let the portal collapse, leaning on one another and grinning. "Let's not do that again," Simon chuckled. "Don't worry, I left Shou with our Mira and Lucy. We should be back before they can spoil him too rotten."

Virgo dropped to her knees before Lucy, then bowed until her head and arms were on the sand. "T-true punishment time, Princess? I beg your forgiveness..." Ultear glared at the spirit. Oooh. So tempted.

Lucy gaped, then waved her arms in the air, fluid as cooked noodles. Zen, that's been a while, Ultear thought. "It's okay, really!" she insisted. "It turned out all right, after all!"

The party quickly sprawled across the beach, vacationers staring at the wizards and spirits as they celebrated. Ultear-2 shook her head as they ate (except Natsu, for some weird reason), danced, and otherwise did what Fairy Tail does. As the party went on, more Fairy Tail One wizards streamed towards the raucous celebration. Ultear stiffened for an instant when Master Makarov dashed in, leaping onto the table and holding up a mug like a trophy.

As evening approached, Natsu walked over to Simon and stared at him for several seconds. Then he poked Simon in the chest, repeatedly. "I'm real, Natsu," Simon sighed.

"Ai-yah!" Natsu cried, leaping back. "So, you're not a ghost from the Spirit World or anything?"

"We're both from a different Earthland," Ultear explained. "You went to Edolas once, right?" Natsu nodded. "Well, it's a bit like that. Our world used to be a lot closer to yours, but we're still different versions of the people you know." She grinned again, pointing at the white guild mark on her right shoulder. "Except we're Fairy Tail wizards, and always have been!"

"Well, almost," Simon added. "Our Erza and I were still prisoners of the Tower of Heaven. Ultear was captured by the Bureau. In our world, Fairy Tail rescued us all, and we've been members ever since."

"So," Erza said, Ultear and Simon both leaping back, "your Jellal was never..."

"Mavis, Erza, don't do that," Simon breathed, holding his chest while Ultear laughed. "Some things don't change on any world. Like a shinobi, I swear..."

Ultear shook her head. "Nope! Jellal's the pride and joy of Fiore, an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, and..." she paused. Maybe I shouldn't mention their family, Ultear decided. "...well, the rest can wait for another time."

"You're alive," Erza breathed, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stared at Simon.

Simon chuckled. "Last time I checked." The brief laugh died, and he looked out into the ocean. "Though there are times...I'm married to Ultear," he explained, holding up his left hand. His wedding band gleamed in the light of the sunset. "We have a son. We named him Shou."

Erza blinked. "Congratulations," she replied. "Why is that..."

"I understand," Simon replied slowly, "that your Shou is traveling the world with Wally." Her husband glanced back at the party, as boisterous as when it started. "I'm not familiar with everything that went wrong with your Jellal and Tower, but I know he blames himself for my death here." He turned back towards the ocean. "Grimoire Heart made a copy of our Jellal. Siegrain." Natsu and Erza both gasped, the Dragon Slayer letting out a hiss. "Yeah. It was a mess. He hid a different project as a clean-up site over the old Tower ruins. I almost did die, at the end. Shou was there, though. He got in front of me, tried to block Altairis with his cards. It was enough to save me. It was even...almost enough to save him."

"Oh, Simon," Erza whispered. "I'm sorry."

"That was years ago for us, now," Ultear explained, forcing a smile. "We mourned Shou, terribly. We held a wake, too – threw a party to shame Seireio himself." She nodded towards Lucy's Celestial celebration. "Then we kept moving forward, because that's what Fairy Tail wizards do."

"Both Jellals blamed themselves, because Jellal," Simon sighed. "Ours got better. I don't know about yours. Your Crime Sorciere saved us from more than I can even explain, but they weren't able to save everyone, and, well." He shrugged, and Ultear hugged him. "You know how Jellal-nii is."

"Jellal's a knee?" Natsu asked, blinking. Ultear couldn't help a laugh when Simon facepalmed.

"It's a term from Simon's native language," Erza explained. "Nihonese became one of our few hobbies in the Tower. I hadn't thought about it in years, until Meredy said 'nakama' in Kardia Cathedral. 'Jellal-nii' means 'big brother Jellal.'" Natsu thought for a moment, then nodded. Erza brightened, her brave face so familiar to Ultear it ached. "So!" she blurted, smiling. "You two are married? How did that happen?"

"Ultear likes muscular guys," Simon chuckled, "and has the patience of ten saints."

Ultear shook her head. "It's a bit more complicated than that," she said, "and Simon's about nine of those saints. I'm a handful."

Simon waggled his eyebrows. "I like your handful." Erza's eyes went round, her jaw sagging. Natsu laughed. Gods, he's such a boy.

Ultear-2 blinked. Mavis. He is a boy. I keep forgetting, they lost seven years. They're all so young... She didn't mention any of that. "Ignore him," she replied instead. "Simon is just naughty enough to not be boring. Besides, we're not going to turn into pumpkins in the morning. We can talk then. Have fun with Lucy's heavenly bodies."

"You did not just make that joke," Simon objected.

Erza looked between them. "You'll be here tomorrow," she said. It wasn't quite a question.

"Unless Kane the Merciless attacks our Fiore, I promise, Erza," Ultear swore. Natsu cheered and rushed toward the party, throwing an arm around Gray and pointing at the duo. Gray spat out a mouthful and stared. Oh, my. Tomorrow's going to be interesting.

That was when Master Makarov waddled over to them, a mug in one hand and a roll of beef-on-the-bone in the other. "Hi there!"

"Third Master," Ultear whispered. "I-it's good to see you." Simon nodded, but when his mouth moved, no words came out.

"Are you sure you're Fairy Tail wizards?" Makarov chuckled, pointing at the feast with his meat. "A party like that, and you're standing over here watching it."

Simon frowned. "It's complicated, Master. Did one of the others tell you where we're from?" Makarov grinned and nodded. "My counterpart's dead here. That still causes your Erza grief." He grinned back. "Besides, if we joined in, how long do you think it would take the rest of our Fairy Tail to show up?" Makarov yelped, taking a step back. Ultear laughed with her husband. "Exactly! I don't know if any world could survive two Fairy Tails throwing a party together."

"Y-yeah..." Makarov agreed, shivering. Then he shook his head clear, his smile vanishing when he looked up at them. "Ultear. Simon. I need to talk to you about how events played out in your world." Ultear gulped. I'd almost forgotten what Third Master could be like, she thought. "The Jellal of this world had little time to speak of it. From what I have learned, I'm not sure my children should hear everything yet. Tell me first."

"Yes, Third Master," Ultear demurred. "My story begins in X774, and that's where our worlds began to change..."

-FT- -FT- -FT-

"....with the phoenix and Eclair gone, Dyst became their new guild master," Ultear explained. "A bunch of us wanted them to join Fairy Tail, but...." she shrugged. "Mom was philosophical about it. 'It's not about being in our guild, it's about being a guild,' you know?" Wendy-2 nodded.

Beth chuckled. "That was the last big situation we found ourselves in, and it wasn't even ours. We were guest stars in a Phoenix Grave adventure." The former Prayer shrugged. "Ever since Acnologia, things have been a lot calmer. Not boring, thank Zen, but we haven't had to save the world since then."

Most of Fairy Tail One was gathered around them in a semi-circle, sitting and staring. Their last magic images faded back into the ether. It was afternoon, yet the only time anyone had interrupted was when Droy-1 had insisted on lunch. Both Mirajanes were prepared, and the leftovers from the Celestial Spirit party had been enough for everyone. Ultear-2 giggled. Watching a Natsu turn down food was weird. They'd built him a campfire instead, and Mira-2 had returned to their world with toddler Shou still squirming in her arms.

"So!" Ultear clapped her hands. "I hope everyone remembers Master Makarov's ban on spoilers," she said, gesturing to where he sat to the side of the mismatched groups, "but that aside, are there any questions?"

Cana-1 punched the air, a mug in her hand. "Crash Sisters!" she smirked. "I love that. You've already told our Ultear she's family, even though Gildarts isn't her father, right?" Ultear-2 nodded. "Good. I don't wanna have to deal with her being ridiculous." Thanks, imoto, Ultear thought.

Gray raised his hand. "Devil Slayer magic," he said. Ultear facepalmed. "It's not like that, Ultear. Deliora's already...gone, in our world." Ultear lowered her hand, stomach churning. Try not to be a jerk, Ultear, she admonished herself, while Gray-1 continued. "The way you described that other Gray, he cut through Tartaros like Erza through cake. I'm not the only one, either. Lyon's a God Slayer."

"Jellal too, right?" Wendy-1 asked. Wendy-2 nodded, smiling.

Makarov cleared his throat. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The wizards of Crime Sorciere are fugitives–" he turned on Gray, "–and Lamia Scale is the competition! What are you thinking?" Ultear hid a smile under her hand, while several others laughed. I miss Makarov priorities.

"With respect, Master," Gray replied, grimacing, "I think we could end up fighting a whole graveyard's worth of undead dragons." Makarov huffed and looked away, arms crossed. "I want us to be ready. All of us."

Natsu snorted. "We're doin' this wrong," he said, looking away and pouting.

"Ah, Natsu logic," Simon chuckled. "What are we doing wrong–"

Natsu leaped to his feet and pointed at Simon. "Not you guys!" he cried. Simon's eyes widened. "Look at them!" He turned to his Fairy Tail, pointing in a wave between the four Fairy Two wizards. "Can't you guys see it?" The other Fairy Tail One wizards looked at each other.

"Oh!" Lucy gasped. Ah, the Natsu-to-Ishgaran translator, Ultear mused. "All of the Crime Sorciere wizards are in Fairy Tail on Earthland-2. That's what you mean, right, Natsu?"

"Yeah! To Grim with that fugitive stuff – they belong in Fairy Tail!" Natsu roared, fist punching at the sky.

Makarov sighed and stood, brushing the sand off his legs. "And how do you propose to deal with that 'fugitive stuff,' Natsu?" he asked. Ultear was careful to hide her glance towards Erza. Titania was looking down, fists on her legs, still sitting while others were moving to stand. "Let's say we can prove Jellal's innocence. Meredy was still a child as a Grimoire Heart wizard. The others committed the crimes they are wanted for. What are we supposed to do about that?"

Natsu rubbed his chin and looked into the distance for a few seconds. Then he brightened, smiling with an 'aha!' look that Ultear swore came with a musical sting. "We beat up the Magic Council!" he declared. Somehow, he missed most of his nakama staring at him, pale and sweat-dropping. "Let's fight them! Then we'll be the Council! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Only Mira was smiling, and even she looked embarrassed.

"That's not how it works," a chorus of voices replied. Natsu's look of triumph vanished.

Makarov glared at the Salamander. "Natsu!" he barked, and the Dragon Slayer leaped back, staring at the guild master. "This is a complicated and delicate situation. It would be difficult even if Jellal and Ultear hadn't been on the previous Council. They embarrassed the administration in Era. Gran Doma wants to make an example of them."

"I guess I can understand that," Natsu pouted, scratching his cheek with one finger. "If it was Fairy Tail, I'd be angry too." Again, the look of triumph returned. "So you're sayin' we've gotta be smart about it, right?" Makarov blinked and nodded. Natsu whirled around, and pointed at...

...Levy. The little genius blinked. "Me?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered. If anything, the stares he got were more incredulous. Probably because it's a great idea! Ultear decided. Way to go, Natsu! The Dragon Slayer's smile grew. "You're the smartest wizard in Fairy Tail. You can think of something, right?"

Levy gulped. "Um...." She closed her eyes, jaw tight, one fist clenched. Then she turned on Ultear. "Your Jellal and Levy are friends, aren't they?" she asked.

It was so sudden Ultear was caught flat-footed. Huh? she wondered. "Uh, yeah," she agreed. "Yeah, they've been friends just about forever. Sorcerer Weekly called them our 'blue brain trust' after the War," she explained.

"Mystogan was my friend," Levy said. The surprise at that was muted, but it was obvious from the looks she got that few of her nakama had known. "He stayed on the second floor, but he'd use a staff to talk to me about magic theory, science, politics, stuff that most of you aren't interested in. Introverts unite, you know?" She sighed, while Lucy walked over and put an arm around her. "It made me feel special. Even then, Mystogan didn't let me see who he was, but I could tell how much he cared about others."

Ultear nodded. "Hope is blue," she quoted. Most of Fairy Tail One stared at her. What has Myst got to do with it? she wondered.

"There's no shame in having any skill," Levy-1 continued, and Ultear felt like the bookworm's eyes pierced her soul, "as long as you don't use it to hurt people. This world's Ultear is a brilliant mastermind, capable of manipulating certified geniuses. Do you have any of that talent?"

Oh! Ultear smiled, fingers steepled. "Oh, yes," she assured Levy. "The Magic Council used to come after our Fairy Tail, too. They don't do that any more."

Beth shivered. "Scary," she gulped. Several Fairy Tail One wizards nodded.

"Okay. We'll have to disguise you, so our Rune Knights don't arrest you by mistake. Mira, I'm going to need your help too," Levy announced. The She-Demon's smile mirrored Ultear's. For some reason, her nakama started backing away, even Elfman and Lisanna. Oh, for goodness sake. We're not that scary. Levy nodded. "Natsu, you're going to have to be patient. We'll need at least a few weeks."

"Okay!" Natsu cheered, one of the few not terrified by the trio of schemers. "Everyone, let's train hard! It's time for Fairy Tail to be the number one guild in Fiore again!"

"And we'll help!" Simon added, fist in the air. "Crime Sorciere might have to wait, but we're not going to stand on the sidelines if Fairy Tail wizards need us, right?"

"AYE SIR!" Both guilds cheered. Ultear smiled. That's my guild.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Akane Beach, X791: Lucy

Lucy watched, shaking her head with a smile, as Natsu stacked his enormous cement wheels. "You know that's some crazy training, right, Natsu?" she asked.

Natsu grinned at her. "Yep!" He shrugged. "Ul-Two says the other Natsu's on a mission, so I'm just gonna have to work as hard as I can until he's back. Right, Happy?"

"Aye!" Happy agreed, one paw in the air. Lucy couldn't help a giggle. "We're gonna win!"

"Mm!" Lucy nodded. "I can't wait to meet that other Lucy, too. They've had some amazing adventures, huh?" She looked at her guild mark. "Seven years..."

Natsu snorted. "Don't worry about it, Luce. We'll catch up." He gave her a thumbs-up.

"Sure," Lucy agreed. "Ultear had to give us the summary, so I'm looking forward to hearing more, but – aren't you even a little curious about what Natsu-2 is like after seven years?"

"I already know," Natsu grinned. "He beat up Acnologia and found Dad!" Then he pouted. "Except Gramps called how he did it a 'spoiler.' Ai-yah!" he wailed, fire popping from his mouth while he stamped his feet. "I wanna know where Igneel is!"

"You'll find him," Lucy insisted. "I'm sure of it. Even after my father was gone, he sent Gonzales to me. It's like...I still have a part of them, now. Mom and Dad." Natsu's tantrum died away, and he and Happy turned their attention to Lucy. "She's been helping me train. My little sister. I always dreamed–"

"Hello, Imitatia," Jellal said, not looking at all surprised. "Hermetic Formula Nine: Culmination," Lucy remembered. "Say, Natsu, what made you decide that helping Crime Sorciere was so important, right now?" Natsu looked down, and Happy blinked, head titling sideways. "I mean, I want to help them too, but shouldn't we concentrate on the Games?"

"They're family. Ultear is Gray's sister, and Meredy's her kid. And...'Jellal-nii.' That's what they call him," Natsu whispered. It's always weird when he gets like this, Lucy thought. "I want him to help us train, but...it's more than that. I owe him."

"Huh?" Lucy blinked. "For Michelle?" Natsu shrugged. "Stopping the Oracion–"

"No way!" Natsu howled, fists pumping in the air, and Lucy recognized him again. Happy snickered behind his forepaws. "I wanna fight Cobra again! And Erigor! And Midnight! He owes me for that!" Again, the tantrum vanished as quickly as it came. "Nirvana," he said.

"Oh!" Lucy nodded. "Because he helped you with Zero, right?"

Natsu shook his head. "That'd be enough, but...." he swallowed and looked away. "When Jellal showed up, he was just there to bring me fire – and Dragon Force. He didn't ask me to forgive him. He didn't ask for a chance to fight. All he wanted was to help me win." He took a deep breath, swallowed, let it go. "I didn't listen. All I cared about was Erza's tears."

"Natsu," Happy whispered. Oh, Natsu, Lucy agreed.

"I should've known," Natsu snarled. "Lots of things about the way people fight are important, but you can tell if someone's bad pretty fast from one part. Bad guys wanna hurt you when they fight. That guy in the Tower, he was all about hurting you. Jellal – he took a blast for me. Exactly like Simon did for Erza. The bad guy in the Tower wasn't him, Lucy."

Lucy gasped. "Natsu, even the Master isn't sure–" she began.

"He is," Natsu replied. He is? Lucy wondered, and her mind wouldn't wrap around the thought. "I figured it out, and Gramps is smarter than I am about this stuff." He shook his head again. "It's not just Nirvana. In the Tower, he tried to cast Abyss Break, then stopped in the middle when one of Erza's cuts flared up. I didn't knock him out with my last attack. Someone used magic to send us back to Akane."

Natsu straightened, looking up again. "'For a Fairy Tail wizard, the true sin is averting your eyes, and not being able to believe in people.' In Nirvana, all I wanted to do was beat him up. Jellal had to take that shot for me because I was too busy hating him while he put all his power into believing in me. When everyone needed me to be a real Fairy Tail wizard...for a minute, I wasn't. The whole guild's alive because right then, he was." He held up a fist. Natsu...every time I think I know you, you show me something more, Lucy thought. "So I'm gonna save his guild. I'm gonna believe in them, no matter what, because guild marks or no guild marks, they're Fairy Tail wizards."

"You mean Levy's gonna save them," Happy said, grinning.

Natsu, to Lucy's surprise, smiled again. "Yeah! I'll beat up the Magic Council if we have to, but that'd be a problem, right?" Lucy felt a drop of sweat roll down her cheek. You could say that, she thought. "So it's like when we first met." Lucy blinked. Huh? she wondered. "I came to save you, but I needed you to save me. I couldn't do anything on that ship, so you had to get it to shore!"

"Oh, right!" Lucy remembered. "I get it now. We use our strength to help where our guild mates – nakama – are weak!" She smiled, bowing her head. "It can be really hard, asking for help sometimes, but that's why it's important to be there when they need us." Natsu nodded. She threw her arms around him, smiling when he gulped. And to let them be there...for us. She remembered her father, and Natsu at her side every moment while she faced her grief. Thank you, Natsu.

Chapter Text

Volume Twenty-Nine: Gaming the System

Earthland-1, Akane Fields, X791: Levy

"Solid Script: Fate!" Levy chanted. The word formed from micro-cables and spider webs, threads pulsing around the letters' edges. A cool breeze blew through the sparse woodlands, easing Levy's nerves. Her ritual book glowed with silvery light in front of her lap, the grass warm beneath her. "Freed?"

"Jutsu Shiki: Resolution Field," Freed chanted, his runes forming around her word. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. "I feel the need to remind you that magic of this sort cannot be controlled with absolute precision," he explained, wiping his forehead with a kerchief. "Also, while not illegal, the Magic Council will likely frown on this ritual if they find out."

"Hmph," Levy grumbled. "We can't risk even the slightest legal misstep, but the Council can frown until the Apocalypse for all I care. This is to set things right. We've been over this, Freed." Pantherlily nodded from his perch on Gajeel's shoulder. Probability Magic. It's a risk, but I can't think of anything more reliable for this.

"We know there will be consequences," Mirajane admitted, smiling, "but to save members of our family, we can accept them, right?" She clasped her hands, and Freed bowed his head.

"Mavis, Freed," Ultear-2 huffed, wearing the form of a tall, thin woman with jet-black hair, "it's been seven years, you're not still on about–" Her eyes widened, and she threw her hands over her mouth. "Sorry," she whispered. "I forgot..."

"Oi, oi," Laxus cut in, "it's fine. This is all weird, but Mystogan and I talked about this other world stuff years ago. It's not my first Jellal with a messed-up life."

Evergreen flew to hover over Elfman's shoulder, her smile more gentle than Levy had expected. "Besides, we know how fickle their 'justice' really is," she said, descending until she could lean on Elfman's shoulder. "So, what do we do next?"

"I'd like to find Crime Sorciere," Mirajane said, her smile growing. The others stared, sweat-dropping. "We've worked on the Council end as much as we can, I think."

"Uh, wouldn't that be one of those legal misstep things, nee-san?" Elfman asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd rather be manly about it like Natsu, but we've gotta be careful with this, right?" Evergreen looked at him in surprise, but at their respective angles, Elfman didn't notice. If this keeps up, I may join Team Elfever.

"I'll go," Ultear-2 said with a nod. "Your Crime Sorciere hasn't committed any crimes in my world – just the opposite. We owe them everything. It's a cheat, but it's technically legal."

Levy grabbed her book on legal esoterica and her Gale Force Glasses. A quick run-through proved Ul-2 right, if only just. "Okay, just be careful," Levy insisted. "The Council could try to arrest you anyway, and then we're looking at a two-world mess."

"Relax, Levy-chan," Ul-2 replied, winking, and vanished.

Levy groaned and let herself fall backwards into the grass. "It's been a month of this," she sighed, "and I don't feel any closer to an answer. We can argue extenuating circumstances until we're blue in the face, but the Magic Council is judge and jury. A serial killer without magic gets a fairer trial than a wizard who messes up an enchantment."

Mira sat down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Gajeel gulped for some reason. "Don't worry, Levy," she soothed, stroking her shoulder. "We'll think of something."

"I think so, but – look at the Infinity Clock mess," Levy reminded them. "The Legion Corps attacked us out of the blue, the Oracion Seis ran circles around the Council to manipulate everyone, Crime Sorciere saved the day, and they made the whole thing sound like it was about Fairy Tail." She held her forehead. "It's all politics. I can't magic or logic my way through that."

Mirajane looked towards Crocus, barely visible in the distance. "Then let's use it." Levy sat up in surprise. "Politics isn't evil," she continued, smiling at Levy, "it's just another skill."

"We're gonna out-politics the Council?" Gajeel asked, crossing his arms. "I don't know. That's asking a lot, even for Fairy Tail."

"We don't have to beat them," Mira explained. The wheels in Levy's mind were already spinning. "Politics is an art of compromise, give and take. It's not that different from the mission system, except instead of money, people trade laws, favors, ideas."

"If the Council can get a victory out of it," Laxus agreed, "then they can let Crime Sorciere off the hook." He held his chin. "We're gonna need a carrot and a stick, Mira."

"The carrot's not hard," Levy said. "My counterpart and Jellal-2 built an airship that turned into a giant robot. We can probably fix Etherion together." The others gaped at her. Levy noticed just enough to shrug. "It's just numbers and resources. We can manage. I'm more worried about the stick. Where are we going to get leverage against the Magic Council?"

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Akane Fields, X791: Jellal

Jellal couldn't help but smile at the training exercises shared by the Fairy Tails of two worlds. The twin Natsus did battle with such delighted ferocity that their blows drove them into the air, as though flying. In contrast, the Lucys spent most of their time either talking or meditating, peppered with summoning practice. The Grays spent their comparatively rare time together helping Gray-1 claim Devil Slayer magic. Wendy-2, meanwhile, seemed to have adopted her young counterpart as a little sister, and the two trained constantly.

The Gajeels got along well enough to surprise the Heavenly Body mage, grinning and laughing amid the sounds of clashing steel. By contrast, the Thunder Tribes seemed to butt heads regularly, their training devolving into brawls on more than one occasion. I wouldn't have thought it of either Freed, Jellal mused, but they seem to be the worst of the lot.

He stepped closer to the cliff's edge. Neither Erza was anywhere to be found. His heart pounded. Is something wrong? Jellal worried. "Formula Eyes." The magic brought the world of ether to life, colors sharpening, distances shortening at will. Nothing. Where–

"Jellal?" Erza called. The mighty leader of Crime Sorciere leaped and whirled in place, having to work not to stumble over the cliff. "Be careful, Jellal!" Erza cried, rushing halfway to him before he caught himself. "Are you–"

"I'm all right, Erza," he reassured her. One look had told him that this was the Erza of Earthland-1. (Not "his" Erza. Never his Erza.) She was in a simple sundress, not even wearing her usual breastplate. "You shouldn't be here. The Rune Knights–"

"To Grim with the Rune Knights," Erza snarled. Jellal recoiled, eyes widening. "We need to talk, and Kardia is no place to have a private conversation." She made a fist. "Besides, Lahar stalks the cathedral like a jackal. He cares little for Zentopia's sanctuary."

"The situation with Cardinal Lapointe gave him reason," Jellal noted. "Erza–"

To the end of his days, Jellal could never work out what happened next. One moment, Erza was five paces away; the next, she was before him, holding his hand. He stared at her grip, paralyzed by her touch. "You said that most of your memories have returned. Does that include Simon?"

"Yeah," Jellal admitted. He tugged at his hand, but Erza wouldn't let go. "The only part I don't remember is the time between Natsu defeating me and waking up as Brain's prisoner. The rest...Erza. I don't know what to say." He looked down at their grasp, avoiding her eyes. "There is nothing as dreary as merely existing, day after day." You were my favorite toy. I drank in the desperate fury writ across your face and body like the finest wine. I reveled in your struggles, your despair. In an instant, the salvation he'd spent years striving for felt as unreachable as the most distant star.

"Nirvana, then?" Erza asked.

Jellal nodded. "It's strange, remembering that I had amnesia. Like seeing a hole even after it's been filled."

"Can I think of you as the old Jellal, then," she asked, her grip tightening the slightest fraction, "and talk to you in that way?"

"I wish that were possible," he breathed, crushing the yearning that howled in his soul, "but I have done things that can never be undone. I tormented you for eight years. Deceived our family and put them in shackles as binding as the Cult's. I murdered Simon." "You were still crawling around here, you little pest?" Gazing down on Simon's broken body, unable to muster the contempt to even be angry. It was annoyance, delay, inconvenience. He looked towards the sunset, away from Erza. "Even if there were no Rune Knights, I would think you should keep your distance. If it were not for promises I have made to my guild," he continued, "I would let you take my life, if you wanted it." Ultear. Midnight. You are both too clever.

Erza let him go, then stood beside him to watch the sunset. "Do you think that's what Simon would want?" she asked, turning to face him again. "You formed a guild to protect the innocent and rescue the lost from darkness. You've liberated entire kingdoms from evil, even saved the world." She made a fist, took a step closer. No. Erza, please, stay away. I will poison you with my shadow, he prayed. "That's how you're making up for your sins. That's how far you're prepared to go!"

I thought so once, too, Jellal thought. With Erza there, her kind words reaching out to him, the perverse logic of guilt only made him more certain of his self-condemnation. She said my sins. She knows it wasn't Ultear. That it was me. It was a twisted relief to hear. "I don't know," he admitted, even knowing it would only inflame her further. Better that than outright denial.

"What?" Erza blurted, whirling on him.

"Don't worry," he replied, that perverse impulse making him smile without mirth. "I know I am not allowed to die. I don't have the right."

The moment Erza began to tremble, Jellal knew he'd made a mistake. "'Allowed'...'the right'...what the Grim are you talking about?!" Erza demanded.

"When we first created Crime Sorciere, we wanted to make amends for our sins, certainly," Jellal explained. "Now, though...'redemption'...it's impossible for me. I can never make up for my actions in the Tower of Heaven. Yet I am banished from death." "Only I can hear Zeref! I am his chosen one!" Nothing would stand in his way. No one could stand in his way. He would create a world of freedom, even if that meant drowning it in blood first. Jellal shook his head. "That would betray my guild, and your demand. 'Live, and struggle.' I haven't forgotten," he reassured her. "All I can do is spend my life atoning for betrayals that can never be forgiven, being punished in this life and the next–"

She slapped him. It was hardly a surprise. "How can you be such a coward?" Erza demanded, her voice shaking. "Remember my words, you say? How dare you!" She stood in his path, fists half-raised. "You speak of a life without joy, without hope! That is not living! That is not struggling! Don't you dare stand before me and claim that was my wish!"

"I cannot die," Jellal whispered, looking away, "but I have no right to a life, either."

Erza grabbed his cloak, shaking him. "You're not the old Jellal," she accused, glaring at him. "You're not the Jellal who never surrendered, who gave us all hope in a living nightmare!"

Jellal slumped. "You're right," he confessed. Pieces of his soul stitched together over years of strife came apart in despair.

"You–" Erza shook him harder, her sandal slipped on the wet grass, and she fell on top of him. They slid down the gentle slope of the hill, coming to a halt with Erza still lying on his chest. Scarlet hair cascaded around him, her eyes wide, locked onto his.

The void of despair that grasped at him was overwhelmed and banished by the light that shone from her. "You're always right," he whispered, all his willpower turned to fighting the desire to reach up and caress her cheek.

"That's not true," she said, her fury from a moment ago lost to the void she'd banished. "I just live my life to the fullest, even when I'm unsure of myself. That's all." She smelled of strawberries and sea salt. He could feel her heart beat through his breastplate. The light of sunset trickled through her hair, tinting the world that sacred color.

"Erza," he breathed, still paralyzed while she covered her eyes with one hand.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered, then reached down and cupped his face in her hands. "Jellal." Erza spoke his name like a prayer, a plea to defy everything between them. The world. Fate. Sins beyond redemption. How can I overcome all that? Jellal wondered, only for his thoughts to freeze when a stream of tears trickled from her natural eye.

It was the matching tears from her other eye that wore away his resistance. His hand reached up, and before he knew what had happened, Jellal had wiped the tears away. Her lips parted just a fraction, and she guided him up (didn't she always?), drawing him to her. Erza was divine. She was irresistible. She was light and joy and salvation, the very breath of her mingling with his–

"If there is one who can be called evil in this world, then it must be Jellal."

He pushed Erza away before his weakness could betray her again. What was I thinking? How could I? Is there anyone in this world more contemptible than me? Though he looked away, there was no escaping the confusion on her face, the longing and sorrow he'd caused her. Again. Say something. An excuse, a reason, something, anything that won't be another obstacle for her to defeat. Maybe, if there was someone else – a girlfriend's too casual, I don't have the wedding band for a wife – yes, a fian–

DON'T YOU DARE! Ultear-2 howled in his mind. Jellal winced at the eruption in his thoughts, clutching his head. "Jellal! Are you all right?" Erza grabbed his hand again, and her tears returned. "I'm sorry! I went too far–"

"No," Jellal insisted. "That was just telepathy. Loud telepathy." This time, he was able to extract his hand. He summoned her sandals with telekinesis and handed them to her. "I'm going to see what that was about. Please excuse me." Oh, don't you dare use me as an – Ultear-2 raged in his mind.

Meteor Wave brought her to her hiding place at the edge of the woods. Ultear-2 yelped and leaped back. Then she glared at him. "Seriously, Jellal? Are you brain-dead, or just blind? And a fiancée? All the reasons you already have for keeping your distance–"

"Yes, it was stupid, I'm aware," Jellal retorted, "but I was being rushed. I'd thank you for the interruption, were it not for your purpose."

"I'm trying to help you, you great howling martyr!" Ultear-2 snarled, crossing her arms. "How long are you going to keep hating yourself for things you didn't even do?"

"'That's how you're making up for your sins.' Mine, not your world-sister's, not Brain's, not Hades'. Leave this be, Ultear." He stared back with as much calm as she could muster.

"Ai-YAH!" Ultear-2 wailed, pulling at her hair and stamping her feet. An impressive Natsu impersonation, Jellal noted. "Oh, for – I love Erza, Jellal-nii, but even she's not perfect! Are you really going to march to the headsman over one slip of the tongue?"

"No," he whispered. "I am banished from death." He turned and walked towards the Crime Sorciere camp, hidden in one of the area's many caves.

So when the pop of Ultear-2 teleporting away was accompanied by its echo near their base, Jellal flew over. He perched in a nearby tree as two Ultears looked each other over. "Based on that expression," Ultear-1 noted with a smile, "you've been beating your head against the edifice of guilt known as Mount Jellal." Jellal's eyes narrowed.

"How do you deal with it?" Ultear-2 asked with a deep sigh. "I'm ready to scream until my throat gives out, and that was after five minutes of him."

"You didn't destroy him," Ultear-1 pointed out. Jellal swallowed a sigh. It might not have happened without you, Ultear, he thought, but I should never have been weak enough to give in. Ul-2 huffed and glared, but Ultear-1's smile only grew. "I will endure for as long as it takes to free him from this false guilt."

"That'd be great, if I didn't see you starting in on yourself," Ul-2 retorted. "Have you thought that maybe you can't deal with his guilt by making it a contest?"

"I was planning to rely on facts," Ultear-1 replied, shrugging. "On every other topic, it's quite effective with him." She looked away from her counterpart. "It doesn't help that we're still on the run. If I thought it would work, I might even try surrendering myself again." Jellal clamped his hand over his mouth before a gasp gave him away. Ultear, don't you dare! he pleaded.

"You see? This," Ul-2 growled, teeth bared. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! Even if it worked, and you managed to free the entire guild, do you think turning yourself in would solve anything? They'd just come after you!"

"Not any more. The former Prayers are big on freedom of choice," Ultear-1 explained, her smile returning with a smug edge. Jellal made a fist with enough force to hurt a bit. "I think they could get the others to accept it." She waved Ul-2 down. "Relax, world-sister. Chairman Doma's an idiot. Three times, I tried to get him to believe the truth. He shot me down every time."

Ul-2 glared at her native counterpart for a moment. Something in the ether stirred. Then she swiped an orb, leaving Ultear-1 staring in shock, and tapped in the code for Era. "Chairman's office, how may I direct – Zen God," the secretary whispered. "J-just one moment. please don't kill me," he begged.

"Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not a monster," Ul-2 sighed. Ultear-1 watched with a raised eyebrow. What are you doing? Jellal wondered. "I can wait." Hold music played from the crystal. "Ugh. I'd forgotten how much changed when Hyberion became Chairman."

Gran Doma appeared in the crystal. "Ultear Milkovich. I wasn't expecting you to call again."

"Hope springs eternal," Ul-2 said, her smile cool and sharp, her tone dropping a fraction to match Ultear-1's. "I don't suppose you've seen Lahar's reports on the Zentopia incident."

Doma's eyes narrowed. "I fail to see the relevance."

"I showed the magic I used to possess Jellal to Duke Byro," Ul-2 continued, raising an eyebrow. They've become mirror images, Jellal observed. "Are you capable of caring about the truth?"

"You despicable traitor!" Doma raged, shaking as he glared. "How dare you mock anyone on the subject of truth after burying the old Council in a mountain of lies!"

"He said, refusing to face the subject," Ul-2 shot back. Doma quivered, then took a breath and mastered himself. The ether shifted, and Ul-2 blinked. "Let's forgo the debate for the moment. If you accepted my surrender, how would that work?"

"Things haven't changed that much since your time as a Councilor," Doma replied, eyes locked onto Ul-2. "Turning yourself in would result in some small leniency." His eyes glowed for a moment, and Jellal felt magic wash over him. What is he doing? Jellal wondered. That wasn't a location spell. He can't find us with whatever he just did – oh. Analysis. Curious. Meanwhile, Doma looked at Ul-2 more closely. "Hm. I suppose...you deserve the truth, if nothing else." Ul-2 blinked, her facade dropping for a second. "Even if what you've told me in the past is true – which, to be clear, I do not remotely believe – your surrender would not be enough for the Council to justify letting the rest of your guild go free."

"Why not?" Ul-2 demanded. "Are you saying that justice doesn't matter because I'm a small fry?" Jellal and Ultear-1 grimaced in time with each other. Ul-Two, what are you doing? He felt the ether hum. Wait. Something's happening. Jellal let sensory formulas flow between his fingers. Fate Magic? Strings of probability, playing havoc with perception, intermingled with Rune Magic. What is going on?

"Siegrain was a prodigy unheard of when he joined the Council," Doma pointed out. "He was the future of magic. When he was exposed as Jellal, his infamy equaled his fame. Whatever schemes you may have concocted, Ultear, you are remembered only as his accomplice, his tool."

Sweat beaded on Ul-2 forehead. "Please," she snapped. "You're beyond trusting. What shocks me is that you want Jellal back that desperately. You're not getting him."

Doma smiled. Jellal shuddered. It's as cold and terrible as any villain's, he thought. "And I would say that you have proved your sycophantic devotion to your guild master...if you were Ultear." Ul-2 gasped. "I am the Chairman of the Magic Council. Did you think you could fool me with Transformation Magic?"

"Actually," Ultear-1 replied, grabbing the orb, "that's her original appearance. She's my counterpart from another world, like Mystogan for Jellal."

Doma gaped. "Two of you?" he blurted.

Ultear-1 shrugged. "At least I know you're not worth talking to, now. You just admitted that politics are more important to you than justice." She reached out to cut the connection while Doma fumed, then paused and smirked. "I wonder if Sorcerer Weekly would be interested in hearing–"

"Wait!" Doma blurted. Ultear stopped. "Wait. Understand, Milkovich, that I have no use for you, but I want you to see that I loathe such political necessities." He looked from one Ultear to the other. "Let us pretend that the Cracy Report is not another of your fabrications. It would still be a hard sell of the highest order. How do you take Jellal's place as the villain of the modern age?" Ice to surpass Gray's froze Jellal's heart. Ultear, no! You promised us!

Ul-2's head whipped from her world-sister to the orb and back. Ultear-1 ignored her. "I put on a show at the trial. We don't mention that I turned myself in. I play the unrepentant monster. It'll have to be quick, to keep Jellal from doing anything stupid."

"I don't believe this," Ul-2 blurted. "You know, let's forget the whole 'breaking your word' thing for a minute, do you really believe this creep can be trusted to release Meredy, let alone any of the others? I didn't do this just to enable your martyr complex!"

"You did it to convince me it was pointless," Ultear-1 replied, smiling. She closed her eyes. "That I had no choice but to 'live and struggle.' Daughters and brothers. When I think about it, there was always someone there for me. It was more happiness than I deserved." Her eyes snapped open, meeting Doma's with irresistible force. "It will also take an ironclad legal document that states the innocence of Jellal and Meredy, and provides pardons to Daphne and the Oracion Seis, Brain excepted. Do that, and I will purge the Council's sordid past by claiming it all for myself." Jellal braced himself, ready to race in. Ul-2 gathered her Arc of Space, glaring at the Earthland-1 Chairman.

"Hm." Doma stroked his beard. "I believe something like that could be arranged. I will, of course, make a single amendment. A pardon for Ultear..." he looked into the trees, very near where Jellal was. "...for the surrender of the worst traitor in the history of the Magic Council."

Ultear-1 looked up, her fierce resolve giving way to horror. "...no..." she breathed.

Jellal darted to earth, landing by the orb. "Look me in the eye, Chairman. Make me believe you would do that." Ultear-2 tried to warp him away with Arc of Space. Jellal parried with Wave.

"Of course I would," Doma huffed, straightening in his chair. "Your 'Crime Sorciere' has too many friends for me not to – but now, they will know the truth." His smile returned, a fraction less awful than before. "You could free them by surrendering yourself, but you won't, will you? You can't. Perhaps they will see what you really are, now."

"Jellal, I beg you–" Ultear-1 choked, dropping to her knees.

"You promised me, Ultear. The only promise I ever asked of you." Jellal met Doma's gaze without flinching. "When. Where."

Doma blinked. "Crocus. Tomorrow, 10 AM, at the east gate. The paperwork will be ready."

"Full exoneration for Meredy. Full pardons for the others, Richard included. No loopholes, no tricks. Don't play with me, Gran Doma. My patience is not as endless as some might think," Jellal warned, the fire of rage he'd kept stamped down for so long threatening to burn again.

"Done," Doma replied. The orb went dark and fell to the ground. Before either Ultear could stop him, Jellal called on Meteor and vanished into the night.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Akane Fields, X791: Makarov

"He what?" Natsu raged. Levy put a hand over her mouth and shook like a leaf in a storm. Erza stood frozen, in absolute contrast to their resident genius. Master Makarov sighed, downing a mug of ale and shaking his head. These children. Honestly.

"I messed up," Ultear-2 sobbed. "I just wanted to get them to stop trying to sacrifice themselves, but it all went wrong – it just spun out of control, and – oh, Zen, what are we going to do?"

"What have I done?" Levy whimpered. Freed took a step toward her, arm outstretched.

Makarov clapped his hands before they could spiral further into premature grief. "Levy," Makarov said, and she looked at him. "Do not assume this was failure. It may yet be possible to convince the Council of Master Jellal's innocence. You have spent much of the last month directing possibility to a just end. This is likely a part of that process." Levy swallowed and nodded.

Gray snarled and shook his head. "The Magic Council wouldn't know justice if Natsu hit 'em in the face with it. We've gotta find Jellal and snap him out of this." Natsu punched his palm and nodded.

"No," Makarov ordered. Several of his children stared at him, mouths hanging open. "He has made a choice to protect his guild, one I cannot disrespect by sabotaging it. There is still a significant chance that we will be able to prove the truth. If that fails, we have other options. Executing a man who surrendered of his own accord would be poor form, and too much of this is already about appearances." The tension flowed out of his children, leaving them concerned but not in despair.

Better, Makarov relaxed. "Now. Levy, Lucy, Freed, you will study the relevant law as quickly as possible for the boy's hearing. Ul-Two. Contact your counterpart and her guild, tell her to call in every relevant favor they have for the trial, then meet us in Kardia Cathedral at 9 AM. Cana, I want you to perform the most thorough divination reading you know, try to determine what effects the Fate rituals have had, if any." He looked away. "If anyone can think of another way to help tomorrow, speak to Mirajane on the matter. I will have her gather suggestions. Otherwise, rest. Tomorrow could be a troublesome day."

"Master," Erza whispered, "what if they do sentence him to death?"

Zen God, Makarov sighed. That was sooner than I would have liked. He patted Erza's hand. "That is what I am going to work on. Ultear, before you go, kindly transport me to 8-Island. When you've completed your assignment, please return there."

"Yes, Master," Ultear-2 obeyed, opening a gateway to the Hargeon restaurant.

"All right! The Master's got a plan, so let's get ready!" Natsu cheered, as the disguised Ultear led him through the portal.

"Aye sir!" his children replied, and the gate closed.

Ultear-2 smiled at the sight of 8-Island. "I took a mission to waitress in my world's 8-Island once. Is this Yajima-sama's place in your world, too?"

Makarov nodded. "I need his advice. Today more than ever."

"You'll save him, Master," Ultear-2 replied, her smile gleaming like a silver moon. "I'm sure of it." With that, she vanished again. Makarov slumped. I hope so, child. He strode into the restaurant to find himself in luck – the place was empty, in between the lunch and dinner rushes. Delivery mages were bringing food out, but no one was inside except staff.

Yajima curled out from the kitchen, using his flattening magic to ride the heat to Makarov. "Macky?" For a moment, his old friend's smile outshone young Ultear's. One look at the guild master's face banished Yajima's smile. "What's wrong?"

"I need your advice, Yaji," Makarov muttered. "I don't want you getting involved directly, but–"

"What?" Yajima gaped at him. "How bad is this?"

Makarov told him.

It took several minutes, the conversation retreating further into the kitchen as it got increasingly sensitive, and Yajima's look of disbelief grew by the second. At last, Makarov reached the current state of affairs. "I can't drag you into this, Yaji, not after everything you've already done for us. I know your history with those two is difficult. With your experience, though...it's all brambles in the dark for me. I hoped you could shed some light."

Yajima's chuckle managed to surprise Makarov, even after all those years. "Brambles? That brings back memories. Remember your pretty swamp witch? Oh, Porlyusica was furious at how she turned your head." Makarov stammered and blushed, trying to resurrect long-buried excuses, but they were lost to decades past. "I'll do anything I can, Macky," Yaji continued, his mirth vanishing, "but I'm afraid it's not much." He shook his head, old weight pressing on his shoulders. "It was difficult enough to judge Siegrain – Jellal – and Ultear fairly. I won't deny that part of me still holds a grudge, even if their plot freed me to follow my dream. Now, though...knowing Jellal was dear to Rob, that he's Master Precht's son...are you certain about this spell?"

"Yes," Makarov said. "It shames me to have even the slightest uncertainty in his resistance. I can still hear that brave, helpless child screaming in his mind, raging against the horror forcing itself into him, fighting, begging...." he shook his head. "The smallest part of me can't help but wonder if he could have struggled harder. The rest is sickened by the thought. Crime Sorciere saved Fairy Tail, Yaji, and most of the terrible things done to them were born from Precht's fall. Possibly all, depending on where Brain comes from. I have a responsibility to do everything I can to set this right. At the same time, if this trial goes badly, my children may go to any length to save the boy – and destroy Fairy Tail in the process. I can't let that happen either."

"It's a mess, without a doubt," Yaji admitted. He waved to the kitchen, and his staff sent two bowls of ramen (each with exactly 12 strips of barbequed pork) floating over to them. Makarov, never one to turn down a free meal, dug in without hesitation. "If Fernandes hadn't already offered himself, I would have suggested trying to convince the Council to accept Ultear's offer. Our Ultear. Gods." He sighed and swirled ramen around a pork strip, vacuuming it in with practiced ease. "I take it letting the Council have the boy isn't an option."

"I am ashamed to say that I considered it for an instant," Makarov admitted, his stomach churning in spite of Yaji's magnificent ramen. "It would betray everything Fairy Tail is. Even if I could let myself sin that deeply, there are already too many members who care for him. It would be unforgivable and impractical. Every member of Erza's team is fond enough of him to go to war even without the bond those two share."

Makarov closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let it go, looked at his old friend again. "Erza herself loves him, with all her heart." Yaji coughed, nearly spit-taking a pork strip across the room. "When he had amnesia, and there was still a risk that he would remember himself back into evil, the others fought to free him. It crushed Erza to stop them. Now, when he may be the greatest hero of his generation? She will either lead them against half of Ishgar, or abandon him again. One would tear down all order, and the other would tear out her heart once and for all."

Yaji gulped down his ramen before he lost it. "Titania is extraordinary," he agreed with a nod. "What about Ultear? If what you say is true, she bears the most responsibility for what happened. Her time-travel rationalization does not excuse her, to my mind."

"Though her mind was altered for only a single moment, I would say Precht and this 'Brain' bear the brunt of the guilt," Makarov argued. "Regardless, she has truly changed, and Doma is being an idiot about her anyway. While she has made fewer friends among the children, Gray alone would be enough to make giving her up impossible, even if I were willing to consider it."

Yaji snorted. "You considered Jellal but not Ultear?" Makarov gaped, eyes round, then blushed. "I see your weakness for a pretty face hasn't gotten better over the years." The Sixth Master chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Critical hit, he admitted. "At least I can help you there. The Bureau of Magical Development was a branch of the Magic Council." Makarov gaped again, but this time, the red building across his face was no blush. "It would be most embarrassing for the Council, even with its current membership, if that information were revealed. They won't want to try Ultear, that much is certain."

"They were in league with Brain?" Makarov hissed, trembling from the effort to control himself. And they dare pass judgement on my children! I should crush them flat, raze Era to the ground! He saw Yaji swallow and go wide-eyed, then composed himself. "Ahem. That will be useful. Thank you, Yaji."

Yajima shook his head. "I don't know if I deserve thanks. I'm not aware of the Council creating anything so vile as that during my tenure, but we did a lot of things I'm not proud of. I always voted against such measures, but I watched the Council's closet fill with skeletons and said nothing." He turned a wry smile on Makarov. "How do you think I was able to protect Fairy Tail for all those years?"

"I'm more grateful than I can say, Yaji." Makarov finished off his ramen, brushed his pants clean with his fingers, then leaped to his feet. "If you have nothing else, then, I should be ready for my next stop. Let me know if I can ever return the favor." His chuckle felt dry and empty. "I already owe you more of them than either of us could count."

Yaji's chuckle was heartier by far. "Don't underestimate me, Macky." He blinked, then put his ramen aside and stood. "'Underestimate'...Doma's staff." He turned to Makarov. "If you are certain Jellal is innocent, convince the boy to permit Doma to examine him with his Staff of Revelation. It's the Chairman's last resort, but if a defendant requests it, not even the Council can refuse. If you're right, the truth will be inescapable, even to that pack of unbending fools, and mind control is a valid defense."

Makarov laughed and hugged his old friend, patting him on the back. "Yaji, you sly noodle! I knew I could count on you!"

"Don't be too confident," Yaji warned as they parted. "If there really is a sliver of doubt, someone on the Council will try to use it. Be ready."

Ultear-2 appeared while Makarov nodded. "I won't forget this, Yaji," he promised, then turned to Ul-2. "Now, my dear." He grinned at her. "I want to visit Earthland-2!"

Ultear stared at him for a moment. "Um, okay." She created a gateway to his office in the Fairy Tail guild hall – the proper one, in Magnolia. Well, there's a welcome sight for old eyes, he thought, following her toward the portal.

"Macky," Yaji called. Makarov turned. The old cook held out his hand. "That'll be 250 Jewel for the ramen." He grinned.

"WHAAAT?!"

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-2: Fairy Tail Guild Hall

"Can't believe he pulled a stunt like that," Makarov grumbled, looking around his old office, "pretending to charge me for...." He trailed off, looking around the cleaned-out yet dust-filled room. "Oh, that's right, the other me died."

Ultear-2 swallowed and rubbed her eyes. "Y-yeah." She cleared her throat. "Master, I know you're not him, but – I'm still glad to..." Mak suddenly found himself being hugged. She's a daughter she's a daughter she's a daughter, he told himself, gulping. "I'm glad you're here." She let him go with a sniffle and stood. "So. If we're going to go into the hall, I should prepare them."

"That may not be necessary," Makarov replied. "I would like to meet your Jellal."

Ultear stared at him for a moment. "Sure. Okay," she agreed, then opened a portal to a beautiful two-story house with blue walls and a red roof. It had a short round tower on one corner with a conical top, and an arsenal where another family might have a garage. "Let me prepare him, all right? You...our Master Makarov was the man he thought of as his father." Makarov nodded as they went through the gate, which swirled away behind them. I should prepare myself as well. The Jellal of our world is little more than a stranger to me. Ultear went to the door and knocked, while Makarov waited up the path to the house.

When Jellal-2 answered, Makarov was stunned to see him with two children. A scarlet-haired boy was running around his legs, while he held a blue-haired girl who looked like a tiny Wendy. Twins, he realized. Jellal smiled like a living sun. The smile that kept Erza alive in Grim? Makarov wondered, eyes wandering to the sidewalk leading to the house. It was adorned with a prodigious amount of chalk art, with an equal mix of child's boundless creativity and master's intricate ward glyphs. Chalk, Makarov mused, smiling.

The two talked for about a minute, Jellal's smile fading as he went a touch pale. He shooed the children inside, and Ultear waved for Makarov to approach. Okay. Do this right, Mak. He grinned as he walked up the stairs. "Jellal Fernandes, S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, eh? Pleased to meet you!"

"Third Master..." Jellal swallowed and wiped his eyes. "Of course. The honor's mine. Please, come in."

"Thanks," Makarov agreed, entering the house. The love shone through in every corner, from the portrait of the joyous parents with their newborns, to the children's books on a well-worn couch, to the smell of bread wafting from the kitchen. Glad I already ate at Yaji's, he mused. "You don't have to hide the children, you know. I'm not that kind of giant! Ha ha!" Makarov noticed a picture of Jellal being invested as a Wizard Saint, barely visible on an end table behind another portrait of their family. Another picture had the young man standing beside a tall, thin fellow about Makarov's age. I wonder who that is?

"I know, Master," Jellal replied, voice choked. Ultear looked from her friend to the old man, and waved for Makarov to...do something, he imagined. "So! Would you like some lunch? I was just making Hodras stew and cardamom bread." His smile grew stronger again. "Erza should be back soon, if that Vulcan controller didn't give her too much trouble, but I always make extra in case of guests."

"Leftovers!" the girl cheered. "Leftovers!" The boy raced in, running up to the oven and peering through the glass. He licked his lips while his sister giggled.

"I don't think so, Anna," Jellal said, picking her up to more giggles and placing her in a toddler's chair. "Not this time."

"Auntear!" the boy cheered. "Wanna pop, Auntear!" Ultear grinned and looked at Jellal, who nodded. She teleported the redhead into his chair. Both children squealed with laughter, kicking and cheering.

"Behave for your father, Robby," Ultear added, mussing the boy's hair. It was Makarov's turn to feel choked up. Rob...

"Father?" Jellal chuckled. "And here I thought I made Erza a good wife."

Ultear's grin vanished, her eyes darting from the pot to the cook. "That's Laxus' fault! I joked about it once. Once! I was drunk!" she objected.

"You can have some stew, Ultear," Jellal reassured her. She exhaled with dramatic force. "Gajeel called Freed Laxus's wife at their wedding," he explained, and Makarov blinked, "and Laxus has been needling the rest of us about it ever since."

"Laxus and Freed?" Makarov asked. Jellal nodded. "Mm. Well, after meeting Miss Beth, I shouldn't be surprised that there are other differences besides the ones our world created." Jellal looked over the Master's head at Ultear.

"Laxus-1 is straight," Ultear explained.

Jellal's head tilted to one side, then he shrugged. "Weird, but, okay." He turned off the stove and oven, levitated the bread to a rack, and started pouring the stew into bowls with more telekinesis. Makarov was about to object to serving food that hot to anyone, let alone toddlers, but the star wizard was cooling the food with his magic as he moved it.

Makarov stared when Jellal started slicing the bread with his telekinesis on top of everything else. "Would you like some butter, Master?" he asked.

"Yes, but I can get it, thank you," Makarov insisted.

Ultear raised an eyebrow him, then chuckled. "Right, Earthland-1. Master, Jellal isn't even pushing himself."

"Victory is ours!" Natsu cheered from outside.

"And that means stew is ours!" Gray joined in.

"Aye!" Happy added.

"Boys," Lucy and Erza said in unison. I can hear their smiles.

Ultear looked from the door to the Master. "I'll intercept them," she said, vanishing before anyone could reply.

Anna looked from Makarov to her father. "Daddy? Is stuff okay?"

Jellal brought both children plates, each with one large slice of bread and a bowl of stew. "Stuff's fine, Annaberry," he said, rubbing the back of her head. "Eat up." Both children tucked in, only a bit messy each. No surprise the redhead messier, Makarov thought. "Come on, Third. They'll be okay for a few minutes."

They entered the living room just as the door opened. Team Erza stared at him, eyes comically wide. Happy was Lucy's height, but the others all looked identical to his children, except Gray didn't have the X-shaped scar on his torso. "MASTER!" they cried as one, all leaping to hug him at once. He grew to about seven feet tall, just enough for them all to gain purchase. You brats, Makarov thought, fighting back a sniffle of his own.

As suddenly as the hug began, it ended, all four humans staring at him with blazing eyes. "Don't you dare consider your life to be insignificant," Erza ordered. Then she walked up to Jellal, kissed him, and went into the kitchen to toddlers' cheers. The other three relaxed as well. (Happy was already at the table, helping himself to stew and bread.)

"So, is this about your Earthland, Master?" Lucy asked, fingers brushing her key pouch. "Training's going well, last I checked. Your Lucy can't pull off a Star Dress yet, but it's only a matter of time."

"I can't believe I was so annoying," Natsu sighed, deflating.

Gray chuckled. "I can." Natsu glared at him. "After stew, flame-brain. I ain't missing–" he stopped when Natsu vanished in a tiny whirlwind, reappearing in the kitchen. Gray yelped and rushed after him.

Lucy chuckled. "They've actually mellowed a lot since they got married," she explained. Makarov blinked. "Oh, not to each other. Though you should read some of the fan fiction! If they weren't so in love with Lisanna and Juvia, I'd be tempted to pair them up myself!" Her grin sent chills up Makarov's spine. Just like the She-Demon, he realized. Jellal ignored the diabolic expression and levitated a plate to her.

"What about Wendy and Carla?" Makarov asked. "Aren't they–" he stopped when Happy froze. The Exceed pushed his meal aside, then let his cheek drop to the table and wept short rivers of tears.

"Oh cut it out, Happy," Gray grumbled. "Carla's crazy about you." He turned to Makarov. "Wendy felt like we were being overprotective, so she and Meredy joined Shadow Gear. Carla actually tried to talk her out of it." Makarov took a quick look around the room. It's all so...normal, he thought. As though this world is the right one, and ours the Earthland thrown off its axis.

"I've taken her place," Jellal added, "though with the nursery so full, I spend a lot of time here making sure Rob and Anna have a proper home."

"Oi!" Natsu objected, licking his lips clean of stew gravy. "Dad's home is proper!"

"Yeah, for dragons," Gray sighed. Makarov stared, eyes wide. What?

"Unca Igneel! Unca Igneel!" Rob cheered. Anna kicked and giggled. Erza sighed, though she smiled as she collected their plates. Clean plates, messy children. That brings back memories, too. He saw Ivan at their age, a proud smile on the boy's face as he held up an empty cereal bowl and ignored the milk mustache shimmering above his lip. "Visit Unca Igneel!"

"Auntie Grandine!" Anna joined in. "Mama, daddy, can we go visit?"

Makarov pushed away the grief that followed any memory of Ivan. "Uncle Igneel, eh? I trust he has human help running his Fairy Day Care?"

"Dunno why anyone thinks Dad needs it," Natsu pouted, crossing his arms. Rob laughed and mirrored the Dragon Slayer's pose.

Jellal chuckled and held his forehead. "Natsu, he thinks headbutts are an essential part of a child's education," he pointed out. Makarov couldn't help laughing.

"Who says they're not?" Natsu objected.

"Master Mavis," the adults all replied.

Makarov blinked. "Did you say Mavis?"

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-2: Fairy Dragon Nest

Eighty-nine years, and I'm still seeing things that remind me how big the world is. Worlds? Makarov rubbed his eyes and stared more intently. Zen God.

Igneel, Natsu's titanic father, was laughing and playing with a blur of young dragons the size of ponies, their number fluctuating between four and seven as various things caught their attention. One, a teal dragon-girl with feather down on her horns as well as her wings, flew up to Makarov and sniffed at him. "Unca Natsu, this one smells weird. Right, but weird."

"How many times I gotta tell you, Chayara," Natsu said, picking up the hatchling and hoisting her overhead, "Weird doesn't matter, only 'right' does." He carried the giggling dragon off, pausing only when she burped a small wind storm.

"So," Mavis said, leaning over with a wide smile, "what do you think of our Fairy Dragon Nest?"

Makarov looked around. A clearly pregnant Lisanna was talking to Grandine while the older dragon pinned a hatchling by its tail. A woman who looked like an older Lucy was scrubbing a mix of tar and brambles off another hatchling with scales the color of Natsu's hair. Freed was atop one of the far hills, Jutsu Shiki shining around him. The whole thing was situated in a bright green glade between three hills, a river snaking past at the glade's edge. "I have never seen anything like it," Makarov breathed. "It's amazing."

"Then you should live," Mavis whispered, "to see more such amazing things"

Makarov sighed and sat down. "First Master, I am sorry that my counterpart caused you grief. Nevertheless, I am certain that he would be glad to know his sacrifice helped create a world like this for his children." He met Mavis' enormous, quivering eyes. "I promise you, I will take the feelings of my children – nakama - into account." He looked at where Team Erza was watching Natsu wrangle dragon toddlers, Jellal and Ultear alongside them. Ultear and Gray were standing together, laughing as Natsu chased a pale blue dragon that used speed magic, while Erza and Jellal sat with their children on a picnic blanket. Jellal pointed different hatchlings out to the children while Erza smiled and polished Armadura's breastplate. "Tell me about Jellal and Ultear."

"Our Jellal and Ultear are Fairy Tail wizards," Mavis replied, clasping her hands. She's taking my measure, Makarov realized, working out how much like my counterpart I am. She glanced at the Fernandes family. "You shouldn't need more. Though...well, a guild master works to avoid having favorites. Even so, Jellal's plan saved Zeref. It took all of Fairy Tail, and more, to make it succeed, but still." Her smile surprised Makarov at how tiny it was. Zeref walked up from behind her, and they sat down together, holding hands. Makarov couldn't help staring. "If anyone had a right to resent him, it would be Jellal. Tower of Heaven. Cult of Zeref. Tartaros. Yet he delved into his father's notes and emerged unstained, using love to succeed when Precht's despair failed. Now, after a hundred years, I am whole, and can finally, truly live. He even spared Precht, and helped save him."

"Your pleading could move a stone's heart," Zeref replied, smiling at her. Mavis' smile grew

"What of their counterparts from our world?" Makarov asked while Zeref took Mavis' hand. She did not appear surprised. "I suspect you know them better than I do."

"They may not bear the marks," Mavis sighed, turning back to face him, "but they, and Meredy, are Fairy Tail wizards in every way that matters. Many wrongs of our world were set right because they came to help us." She shook her head, smile gone again. "Why are you asking these things? You want to help him. I know you, Makarov. You are the son of my heart, even though I have no right to say so."

"You have every right, Master Mavis," Makarov replied, looking down. "I hardly know the boy. Until this past month, all I truly knew of him was from Erza's tears. Though I have my worries, by all rights I should be more concerned that he will cause her heartache again, not less." He couldn't help looking at Earthland-2's Erza and Jellal. They were laughing while their twins stomped around the blanket, the children pretending to be giants striding through a village. "I will always love Yuri, but Master Precht was my father in every way that matters. To know that he made his son into the – how did they put it – cornerstone, of such an abomination? His mother murdered in front of him. Six years a slave in body. Eight more, a slave in mind and spirit. A year tortured by the Magic Council. Six more running from the whole world – and that gives him the freedom he'd never known. What does he do with it?" Makarov made two tiny fists, careful not to increase his size. "Our world lives because of him. Fairy Tail lives, because of him. It isn't a lack of desire to help him, First Master. That isn't the problem at all."

"Oh!" Zeref blurted. Then he smiled. Makarov was reminded of Natsu, somehow. "You're afraid of how much you want to help him." Makarov nodded. Mavis stared, amazed. "That is wise. I broke the world to save Natsu." He smiled at his little brother, the Fire Dragon Slayer rubbing a rust-colored dragon's belly and laughing. "I suppose it's fair that he welded it back together, but a little caution wouldn't hurt."

All at once, Mavis' smile burst out, a sun burning away all clouds. "Why didn't you just say so?" she asked.

Makarov chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, er, didn't exactly realize it myself until now." He punched his palm twice. "It's taking far more effort than I would like to resist Natsu's 'smash the Council' plan. That would turn the magic world upside down, and if your world is any indication, our Ishgar still has at least three great dangers to face." He looked at Mavis, seeking hope. "Can you help me, First Master?"

Stars of mischief came to life in Mavis' eyes. That, Makarov realized, his own smile returning, is a yes.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magic Council – Fiore Branch, X791: Jellal

Lahar and Doranbolt led Jellal to the Council chamber, the rectangular handcuffs familiar by then. One last time, he went over the writ of pardon in his mind. No loopholes. No tricks. As promised. He glanced at Captain Lahar. The man who'd hunted him for six years looked less satisfied than Jellal imagined he'd be. Lahar even let me examine the documents with Formula Eyes, to ensure no invisible markings for unpleasant surprises. He cleared his throat. Lahar turned a glare on him as cold as Ice Slayer magic. "You do not seem as pleased as I would have thought, Captain," he admitted.

"I do not question the Council's decisions, Fernandes," Lahar replied, straightening his glasses with two fingers. "It is not as though the pardons exonerate your...guild. We can, and will, monitor them. We can, and will, bury them in Era's prison forever if they step one foot out of line." Jellal nodded, shoulders relaxing. No more Black Vox. Gods be thanked, he prayed. "I will admit, however, that I am concerned about what harm they could cause before we catch them."

"I assure you, Captain, that they all wish to atone," Jellal promised. Lahar's eyes narrowed. Doranbolt chuckled. Though light streamed through the corridor windows, the world was leaden shadow to Jellal, all weight and darkness.

"He's not convinced," Doranbolt said. I would never have guessed, Jellal sighed, but said nothing. There isn't really anything I can do, is there? Lahar is not the type to let anything go. He almost smiled. In another life, we could have been friends. He thought of Jellal-2, and the other Lahar's sudden, tragic end at Tartaros' hands. Or perhaps not. It hardly matters now.

The doors swung open. Jellal blinked in surprise. Chairman Doma and Councilors Org and Otto were physically present. The others, as was tradition, attended by Thought Projection. Three of them, here personally? What possible reason could they have?

"You," Kagura whispered, and Jellal froze. He turned, eyes wide, to find the Kagura and Millianna of Earthland-1 watching him, with Araña and two mages from Earthland-2's Phoenix Grave behind them. Millianna glared at him, hissing, while Kagura's gaze was one of cool resolve. Her hand rested on – no, not Defender, but a weapon of similar might – and her fingers twitched. Mermaid Heel, he remembered. In our world, they're Mermaid Heel wizards.

On a bench next to them sat Shou and Wally. Like Millianna, Wally glared, though his fury was either muted, or hidden behind his sunglasses. Shou's eyes shifted from the Mermaid Heel team to Jellal, and the star mage couldn't guess what he was thinking. Less consumed by hate, I hope. Please, all of you, be free of me.

Somehow, the presence of Bosco's King Bradley depressed Jellal even more. The tyrant smiled at him, his one good eye narrowing when Lahar helped Jellal to the dock. In spite of his guilt and powerlessness, he couldn't help glaring back at the slave trader. What is that monster doing here? At least I have my answer regarding the Chairman's physical presence. He's here to keep order.

"Jellal Fernandes," Gran Doma intoned, the rest of the Council arrayed on either side of him. All of them were either glaring or smiling, save Org, whose eyes were fixed on the rail before him. Mermaid Heel watched him with predators' focus. Bradley's smile grew to a wide smirk. Jellal tore his eyes away from the villain to face the Chairman as he deserved. "Have you any final statement before we pronounce judgement?"

Jellal blinked. "I was not aware that there was any judgement to pronounce. Was my sentence not already determined?"

"Deliberations were still proceeding before your, ah, removal from Black Vox," Org explained. "Your amnesia–"

"Alleged amnesia," Councilor Johann interjected with a sneer.

"–made a final verdict difficult," the elder councilor finished, glaring at his colleague.

Erza. Ultear. Meredy. I'm sorry. He straightened, mouth set in a grim line. "I remember it all now. I infiltrated the Council with the purpose of resurrecting Zeref. That he lives is irrelevant. I betrayed Erza, tricked my friends into remaining at the Tower, stole eight years of life from everyone who'd trusted me. I murdered Simon Mikazuchi." Kagura flinched. Millianna hissed again, claws flaring out. Somehow, there was enough left of Jellal's heart for it to break again. Oh, Millianna, forgive me. Jellal bowed his head. No. I do not deserve it, but at least live on, free of me. He took in a long breath. "There is no excuse for my cruelty. The woman who once trusted me most in the world described me thus: 'If there is one who is evil in this world, it must be Jellal.' I am ready to pay for my crimes." Gran Doma glared at him. In spite of the grim moment, Jellal couldn't help his curiosity at the older man's fury. Is this not what you wanted, Chairman?

"You do not claim magic coercion?" Org asked, his voice little more than a whisper.

Jellal shrugged. "It is irrelevant. I was weak." Millianna's eyes narrowed, her claws sliding back into her fingers. She turned to Kagura, whispering something to the duelist. Simon's sister flinched away, still glaring at Jellal.

"Hmph!" Doma stood, pointing his serpent-crook staff at the former Wizard Saint. "Manipulative to the very end. Well, it will not avail you this time, Fernandes." Purple energy swirled around the staff. "You claim you wish to be judged? I call your bluff without hesitation!" It was an effort for Jellal not to sigh again. His skepticism doesn't matter. At last, this is over.

Portals tore past the Magic Council's wards like daggers through gauze. Oh, for love of the gods, Jellal grumbled. Then he looked up and froze.

Two – no, three entire guilds' worth of Fairy Tail wizards emerged, from both Earthlands and Edolas-2. Earthland 1's Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, Earthland-2's Phoenix Grave and Sabertooth, the Edolas-2 royal family and guard, and both Extalias' leaders were there as well. In addition, King Toma, Queen Meryl, Princess Vivi, Mayor Kanonji, and Sir Haru had arrived from their respective lands, along with their friends and retinues. Within seconds, the room was packed from wall to wall and floor to top balcony with wizards, royalty, and other heroes. The titanic eyes of six furious dragons blazed in the shadows behind Fairy Two's gateway. Uryu's already summoned his bow, Jellal realized, lips tightening. Not good. Bradley gaped at them all.

"Wally!" Richard cheered, tears streaming down his face. Younger brother stared at older, blocky jaw dropping. "At last!" Wally pixel-rushed to his brother's side, and the two hugged each other, bawling without shame. Jellal couldn't help a smile, even amid the chaos. One final, undeserved joy, he exulted. At least that was one wrong thing I could make right at the end.

Ultear-1 strode to the front of the group, glaring at Gran Doma with her arms crossed. "No advocate. No press. No witnesses, except for those who want him dead." She sniffed. "No surprise, really. You were never any better than Seam, Chairman Doma."

"ORDER!" Doma roared, banging his gavel hard enough to snap it below the head. "Your lack of gratitude defies belief, Milkovich!" Kagura turned her attention to Ultear. Wally let go of Richard, head whipping around to look from Kagura to Jellal and back. He looks...lost, Jellal thought.

"Lack of – why in the name of all gods do you think I'm here, Doma?" she retorted, her lips curled into a snarl. "This isn't a trial. It's a gallows!"

"Fernandes has already confessed–" Doma began.

"–because of his trauma!" Ultear roared back. "Jellal is innocent, you towering hypocrite!"

Ultear's accusation left Doma so paralyzed in twitching fury that Master Makarov had time to stride to the front of the assembly. "Chairman Doma, if I may," he said, clearing his throat. Doma turned one final glower on Ultear, then nodded to the Sixth Master. "I have my own sympathies for the young man, yet I also have concerns about the situation. Might I suggest that the Staff of Revelation could resolve this dilemma?" Jellal gasped. Oh, no. That would expose everyone who associated with Crime Sorciere!

Doma snorted, his beard quivering. "The accused seems less than pleased by the notion."

"Crime Sorciere saved my kingdom," Queen Meryl announced, her Prince Consort flashing his goofy smile and nodding. Jellal broke into a sweat. "They overthrew the vicious Gung-Ho Knives. I worked with them, as did Prince Vash." Most of the Councilors stared in shock. Org grinned. Johann rubbed his chin, his enormous column of white hair wobbling.

"Hi, Jellal!" Vash called down, waving to him. "Long time, no see! You should really come visit before summer. The heat gets terrible by then." Jellal buried his face in his hands. Great Zera, he groaned.

"I joined–" Uryu began, his Quincy Bow glowing more brightly..

"Enough!" Jellal barked, then sighed and bowed his head. "Enough. You have all made your point." He looked back up. "I submit to the Staff of Revelation."

"Submit?" Doma asked, leaning forward. "You should remember Council trial procedure."

Jellal pivoted to watch Team Rukia. Uryu gestured for Jellal to continue. Orihime's shy wave to him was a bittersweet reminder of better times. He turned his attention to Master Makarov, whose grin would have had to work at it to be more self-satisfied. "This was your idea, I take it, Master?" Jellal asked.

"Actually," he explained, pointing at the second balcony, "it was First Master Mavis'." Jellal looked up to where the ancient heroine with the teen's body waved. At least she's fully grown now, he thought, a trickle of relief flowing through him.

"Everyone helped," Mavis-2 insisted, her smile so pure and bright it scattered the pieces of Jellal's shattered heart. "Everyone is here because you were there for us when we needed you most. Now we have all come for you. That is what family means." No. Not when you all needed me most, he thought, unable to look at Erza, or the others from the Tower.

"Even you can't carry others all the time, nii-san," Jellal-2 added, and the Councilors gaped at him. "Let us be there for you, this once."

"Please, Jellal." It was Erza. It was a whisper.

It was impossible to deny her. At least this will end it, Jellal decided. With one last deep breath, he took the plunge. "Chairman Doma, as the accused, I formally request that I be examined using the Staff of Revelation. Per Council trial regulations, I waive my right to privacy of thought for the purpose of this examination, and submit to absolute depth of mental access to ensure that justice is served."

Doma stared at him for painful, silent seconds. Levy cleared her throat. "Councilors, as assistant to acting advocate Dreyar, I would like to remind you that if you find Jellal not guilty, that exonerates those whose only crime would be association, per Section–"

"Do not quote law to me, child," Doma rumbled. This time, his staff glowed blue. "I grant your request, Fernandes. Though the law obliges me to do so, rest assured that in this case, I am more than willing. Prepare yourself."

The entire chamber glowed the same blue as Doma's staff. Script so ancient Jellal only knew it from untranslated text glowed on the walls, in the air, above and below. Power to rival a dragon's hummed in the heavens and earth alike. The force of the magic pulled Jellal into the air, and he let himself relax, surrendering to truth and justice. Memories flowed from the deepest corners of his mind, even long-forgotten ones rising to the surface, going by in flashes...

-FT- -FT- -FT-

"I wanna, though. I wanna protect people," Jellal insisted, smiling at the face of the goddess he called mother.

"Smile," Vistara pleaded, Jellal screaming as she fell.

"I'm sorry," Millianna sobbed, shivering under Jellal as he stood over her. The whip came down again and again, tearing gashes in his back, but he would not move. "I'm sorry."

"Why don't we call you 'Erza Scarlet'?" he asked. She deserves a proper name, he thought. It's one of the few things they can't take from us. Erza looked up, and he smiled for her. "It's the color of your hair; that way, I won't forget it!"

"There is no such thing as freedom in this world." The horror forced its way into him, mocking him, singing to him, a reverse vomit through the eye marked with his birthright as it stole magic rightfully his. Barbed chains made of shadow and runes the color of blood pulled away the spark of his identity. An ocean of the monstrous stuff infected his life, his dreams, his hope. He fought. He screamed. He begged.

He fell. For eight years. An ultramarine spark, all but powerless, could only banish Erza before the horror could kill her. That amused someone, and she lived. It bound his family in lies, and all he could do was make their chains less terrible, convincing the thing – the Nemesis – that it was more efficient that way. "Jellal" became nightmare venom, a liquid alloy made from Nemesis shadows poured over the tortured spark.

Brain taught alloy-Jellal power, cruelty, deception. He learned spells of supreme self-mastery and utter annihilation. He learned to balance hope and terror. He learned to be in two places at once, and alloy-Jellal had a name: Siegrain. The spark could do nothing but learn alongside Nemesis and wait.

"I am pleased to be of service to you, Master Siegrain," Ultear smirked, dropping to one knee and bowing to him. The spark of him howled in agony, knowing her for what she was, but Nemesis saw only another tool. He should have looked in the mirror for that. The demon alloy that called itself Jellal thought it found a partner.

"I have no control over my body. The ghost of Zeref possessed it." The truth, to serve a lie. The spark meant it for a warning. Siegrain lured Erza to her death. Time was their enemy. Kill me and live, while you still can, the spark begged. Nemesis knew she never could.

"Free yourself! JELLAL!" The blow burned through all his magic, through Nemesis, through–

BROKEN LIGHT BROKEN DARKNESS BROKEN

Erza. It was the only truth, until another word intruded. Nirvana. Light into darkness. An abomination that must not exist.

"I believe in the man Erza believes in," he told Natsu. Hope was fire and light and fury; Jellal kept none for himself.

"It was the color of your hair." He surrendered to a Grim end to save the hope that was Fairy Tail. He was content.

The guard thought to torture him. Jellal had suffered far worse as a child, but his body lacked the strength or space to resist. It didn't matter. Scarlet pain existed somewhere else, and it consumed him. "Don't lose...Erza...!" She didn't. He smiled.

"We can never rejoin society," Jellal said, shrugging. "Even had we not committed our many crimes, we were all taken from civilization very young and raised to be the barbarians they fear." For the first time since his rescue, he had a reason to live. "I propose we use that to our advantage."

"You're wrong, Legato!" Jellal roared, magic blazing around him. Meteor pushed the dark wizard's knives out of his flesh. "It's monsters like you who turn people into slaves – and I will not allow it! Pleiades!"

Orihime looked Plateado in the eyes, jaw quivering, arms outstretched, refusing to budge. The guild master's sword flew at her throat. Like Grim! Jellal swore, racing in to catch it with Meteor, less than two centimeters from her neck. He ignored the tear of flesh, the hollow threatening to dig into his spirit. "Hello, Arturo," he whispered.

With a twist of his arm, Jellal threw Kama to the floor, sending his blades flying with a glance. "You'll thank me later," he insisted, pressing his hand against the Garou Knight's forehead. He passed out. Jellal exhaled and stood. The other four knights were still unconscious, Caine's foul magic fading from them. "I hope." Ignoring the gashes, broken rib, and bruised lip, he raced into Mercurius. Ultear. I'm coming. Hang on.

Jellal held out his hand to Robin and smiled. "I've been trapped in the darkness too. I think you'll find that it's only a trap when you're alone. Please, let me help you."

"Why?" Jellal held onto Decalogue, forcing himself to ignore the Demon King's claws in his gut. "Because I have sins to atone for. There are people I must protect. I have seen evil, King Uta – been evil – and I will never yield to it again! Castigation of Water!"

"Fairy Tail," Jellal replied, smiling at Erza. "Please don't be offended, but we wish to offer our aid."

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Music Cue: Power of Justice

"Enough!" Doma blurted, and Jellal's feet returned to the floor. "Gods, enough." He shook his head. "How...that is..." The Chairman stared, leaving the sentence unfinished. Most of the other Councilors were reacting in similar manners: gaping, weeping, burying face in hands. Kagura had taken her hand from her sword hilt, and looked him over anew. Shou was standing, and for some reason he was smiling. Wally just looked confused, turning from Richard to Kagura and back.

Only Otto, with his curly mane of black hair and round glasses, and Johann, the skull-faced man with the huge nose and tower of white hair, looked worried. "Ah, Chairman," Otto began, "please tell me that you are not seriously considering a verdict of 'not guilty,'" he mumbled. "I am aware that the psychological aspects of this case–"

"Shut up, you self-absorbed coward," Org snarled, looking up to stare daggers at him. "Could his innocence be in any way more self-evident?" Jellal gaped. What? Makarov hushed a few pre-emptive cheers.

"Org's right," the Councilor with the fangs conceded. "That was...who could imagine...Nemesis. It's real. I cannot believe I am saying this, but politics be damned."

"I can't believe it either, Victor," Otto interrupted. "Do you have any idea how it will look–" Six dragons and a dozen dragon slayers growled. Otto stopped talking.

A powerfully-built man with gray hair and a spiked shoulder guard glared at Otto. "If we convict him after that, no one will believe we stand for justice." He crossed his arms. "And that is because we won't!" Wait, WHAT?!

"Indeed," the older woman in the lavender dress agreed. "It is troublesome, but how can we rule otherwise and claim authority over the magic world?"

"Emil, Raven, please," Doma sighed. "Master Fernandes. You still consider yourself guilty?"

Jellal stared, unable to believe what he heard. "I...how could I not? You saw what I did."

(((ANNOTATION: I gave all the Councilors without canon identities the names of Marvel villains: Otto Octavius, Johann Schmidt, Victor Creed, Emil Blonsky, Raven Darkholme.)))

"Zera, Chronos, and Ankhseram, Jellal, none of it was you!" Racer blurted. "I went without a soul for a year, and even I wanted to cry after that!"

"Then, what, the devil made me do it?" Jellal snapped, pounding the desk. "That's an excuse for madmen and cowards!"

"We live in a world of magic," Ultear pointed out. "There is a reason that mind control is on the books as an extenuating circumstance. If I had kidnapped you and replaced you with a double – like Earthland-2 Siegrain – would you think it was your fault then?"

"No..." Jellal mumbled. That's still...not quite right...

Ultear looked to the ceiling in supplication. If she noticed Otto's furious glare at her, she didn't let on. "Oh, for God's sake! Even the Council can see it! Why can't you?"

"Is it truly easier for you to believe you were a monster than to accept that you were still a slave?" Erza whispered.

Jellal's hands slammed onto the desk again. "YES!" he cried.

They stared at each other in disbelief, Erza's mouth an "O" of shock, Jellal's eyes painfully wide. That – that came out wrong, the star mage thought, looking away. "Erza, I'm not worthy of redemption. I don't deserve hope."

Ultear strode to his side and grabbed one of his hands in both of hers. "Damn it, Jellal, we just proved this – you don't need redemption, and no one deserves hope more."

Doma cleared his throat. "Order in the court." He looked away. "'Even the Council'? Zera have mercy," he whispered, though enough wizards heard him that a few chuckles rippled through the court room. "Ahem. Before we reach a verdict, there is one outstanding issue. One memory was buried deeply enough that the Staff of Revelation could not pry it free in a general reading."

Gods, why not? Jellal decided. "Its absence has troubled me," he admitted. "I would welcome its restoration, if that's possible."

"Then brace yourself," Doma warned. "This may prove difficult for you."

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1: Tower of Heaven, X784

Where am I? An ultramarine spark stirred, testing freedom it hadn't dreamed of for as long as it could remember. The body that was its prison rose, its captor-bonds pulling the Jellal-flesh up by its right side. It was her. Erza. There was a boy, fierce and bright as the sun. And– Horror flickered through the spark. Oh, gods...Simon! The Tower shuddered and cracked, eight years of lacrima fusion falling apart around them.

"Where is he?" Nemesis gurgled, pulling the Jellal-flesh towards the Tower's control lacrima. Erza was inside it, falling, surrendering, sacrificing herself. No... The sun-bright boy forced his hand into it, diving after her. He'll never make it, the spark thought, but Nemesis laughed. "You beautiful, vicious little bundle of rage. You've turned yourself into a bullseye. Perfect."

The spark brightened. Nemesis? it whispered. Siegrain? Nothing. Its thought aren't my thoughts. That's never happened before. Is Siegrain gone? Dead? Was there ever really a Siegrain at all? Watching, the spark twitched the left corner of the Jellal-flesh's lips while the mass of runed shadows dragged them forward by the right side. "Eight years, and this little snot's never stopped resisting." Terror dimmed the spark. Bound in the dark forever, watching from a cocoon of chains and cables while Nemesis used the Jellal-flesh to hurt everyone the spark loved. No. NO! I won't go back! Nemesis shadows slithered towards Sun-Bright while the boy burrowed further into the crystal after Erza. "You, though...oh, Dragneel, with you I will become the god of this world." What do I do? The Jellal-flesh never does what I want–

"There's no turning back now. We have to fight."

The spark blazed. Scarlet light and golden flame gave it strength and purpose. That's right. Back then, I didn't have magic, and when they came, there was nothing I could do. Now– Nemesis had almost reached Sun-Bright. Only Dragneel's foot remained outside the crystal. If the rune-shadows grabbed him then, the boy wouldn't stand a chance. –now, I can finally–

"meteor!" the spark forced the incantation to whisper through the left side of his mouth. My mouth? Yes! That's right! Nemesis – he's not Jellal–

The aura exploded to life, pushing Nemesis out of everything except his right arm. "I am!" Jellal declared. The spark was alive, roaring with light and power. At long last, after eight years bound in the dark, he was free – he was Jellal!

"No!" Nemesis wailed. "Dragneel – I can still–" Tentacles of the dark mass reached for Sun-Bright Natsu.

"Starburst!" Jellal howled, golden explosions from his left hand driving the tentacles back. "Get away from him!"

"Fine! I'll take you again!" The mass splashed against Meteor, threatening to douse it. Jellal's body convulsed, the beating Natsu had given it threatening to drive him to his knees. No. I won't yield. I refuse! Using Meteor and willpower to force himself upright, he pushed Nemesis back, driving it into the lacrima around them. Burn. BURN, you monster! The demon ghost thrashed and panicked, lashing out in all directions. "You can't save yourself, Jellal. You betrayed them all – tortured your love – murdered your best friend!"

Step by step, Jellal forced his way to the control crystal. The Tower's quaking was growing worse, even with Meteor's speed slowing the world around him. Nemesis kept fighting, tearing at his flesh, his mind, his heart. Jellal forced his way through the pain and the memory. Each step forced more of Nemesis into the Tower lacrima. Eight years. I couldn't do anything for eight years! Now, I can – and no matter what happens to me, I will finally save my friends! They'll all live free of this place, together!

"Forget it, brat!" Nemesis snarled, Siegrain's form appearing a dozen times over in the crystal around them. Almost there, Jellal thought, ignoring it. "Simon's deader than plaid. You can't fix that!" The Siegrains all looked up when another tremor struck, fear replacing the anger. "We can escape, though. Together! I'll – I'll even let you go, find some other sucker to ride." Jellal reached the crystal just as Natsu's foot flowed into it. As though I'd let that happen, he raged, glaring at his reflection. "Animal! I'll find an animal or something! Don't do it, Jellal!"

"The R-System," Jellal whispered. Siegrain-Nemesis recoiled a dozen times over around him. He gripped the last remnant of the rune-shadows in his right hand while tapping commands into the crystal with his left. "It's damaged, so its effectiveness is limited. I'd need to want to resurrect someone who had only died recently, whose body was intact and already in the Tower!" He slapped the crystal, giving it his second to last order. Erza and Natsu vanished, to reappear on Akane Beach. I love you, Erza. Thank you, Natsu. Goodbye. He looked up and stabbed a fierce smile at Nemesis. "Now all we need is a Wizard Saint." The demon ghost screamed just before Jellal dove into the control crystal.

For the first time in fourteen years, Jellal was at peace. Blue light enveloped him, and he floated in a cool, gentle embrace. If only... the wizard shook his head. There were a million "if only"s in his life. He reached out, giving the Tower one last command with a gesture and a choice. Simon.

The blue light swirled, taking the form of steel and robes and flesh. Jellal removed the eyepatch with a thought, directing the systems to repair the damage. Simon opened both eyes, staring at the former master of the Tower. "You!" he barked. "Is nothing sacred to you? Not even death?"

Jellal's happiness died. "Simon," he whispered.

"No. I won't let you use me against Erza. Where is she?" Simon demanded, raising his fists. He looked around, fists unclenching, one hand going to his newly-repaired eye.

"Free," Jellal explained, reaching for Simon. "You can join her. Just take my hand."

"This is...it's a trick," the Darkness Mage said, looking around. "I was in a golden field. There was a city, in the distance. My parents..." he gasped and looked at his hands. "...died, when the cult attacked Rosemary..."

"It's the R-System," Jellal explained. "I killed you, but I can make it right." He reached farther, fingers outstretched. "Please, Simon. You and Erza belong together. All of you belong together, free of this place, and me."

"Never," Nemesis hissed, a tendril of blood-cursed shadow coiling into the blue light. "You died, Simon. There are rules. You have been to Heaven. You must know them."

Simon looked at the tendril, then at Jellal. His eyes widened, and he backpedaled through the azure light. "You...oh, gods. You were possessed." He pulled away.

"No!" Jellal cried, forcing himself towards Simon. The more he tried, though, the farther Simon receded. "Simon, please, I was weak, but I can make it right!"

"You?" Simon squeezed his eyes shut and turned away. "You were weak? Were any of us possessed? Did even one of us believe in you when you needed us most? Years of kindness, courage, devotion – and my jealousy–" He shook his head and floated up. Gods, are you blaming yourself, Simon? Have you lost your mind?

Terror roared through Jellal. The tendril reached for him, but the star mage didn't need an incantation to burn it away. "This isn't your fault, Simon. It's mine. You deserve to live!"

Simon nodded. "I do. I died, and it wasn't fair. I'll never get the chance to tell her...never get to reconcile with Shou, Millianna, Wally...I wanted to see Kagura again, just one more time." He locked eyes with Jellal. "Here's the thing. You deserve life too, Jellal. I died. You didn't. It wasn't your fault, and sometimes, that's how the world works." He glared at the Nemesis tendril. "That thing. It did this."

"I – it was me, Simon – I was it, Siegrain, Nemesis..." Jellal shook his head. Something felt wrong with that. A blue spark insisted that he was wrong. Doesn't matter. I have to save him. One last time, he reached out. "Please, Simon. I can't live with this. Please."

"You have to. Jellal, this is a rule even you can't break," Simon warned, the golden glow around him growing brighter by the second. "This is a power than can wreck the world. It already did once. I can feel Heaven warning me. You have to let me go." When the golden light became too bright for Jellal to see Simon any more, he knew his friend was right. Jellal let his arm drop. Somehow, a smile shone through the light. "It was always you, Jellal. I wished it was me, but – things really do work out, in the end. Golden light from a swift sunrise, silver glass atop an eternal green country, and love that never dies. Just...would you look out for Kagura for me, please? She's going to need a brother, more than she'll ever admit."

Jellal nodded. "I promise," he whispered.

"No," the tendril snarled. "I won't let you!" It stabbed Jellal in the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. It felt like the whole universe exploded.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magic Council – Fiore Branch, X791: Ultear

Jellal collapsed against the desk. Erza dashed over before Ultear could finish catching him. Together, they helped him upright. "Urh..." He swallowed twice, leaning on them both. "ow."

Ultear scanned the room. She earned a few hateful stares – earned is right – but not a single member of the Council could look Jellal in the eyes. Makarov cleared his throat again.

Doma's staff shone with silver light. Telepathic conference? Why would they need to do that? Otto made a brief choked noise and Johann scowled. The others nodded. Okay, that ought to be a good sign, but would even that stone-cold jerk Doma go private if he thought they were going to find him innocent?

"The Magic Council," Doma began, and the whole room stood at attention. He paused, taking a long breath. Jellal closed his eyes and held his head high. "Due to overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence, the Magic Council finds the defendant not guilty on all charges–" Jellal's eyes flew wide open, even as tears blurred Ultear's sight – "on account of mind control, and extenuating circumstances deriving therefrom."

The cheer deafened Ultear for a moment. She caught Cobra wince in the back, then she couldn't see anything except Fairy Tail wizards rushing to hug Jellal – and, for some reason, her – in an unstoppable wave. Erza, having gotten there before the rush, settled for wrapping herself around him like a second skin.

Richard picked up Ultear, Meredy, Gray, and Wally in his massive embrace. "A miracle!" he sobbed, smile beaming as he hoisted them all up in a super-hug. "A miracle of the light!" Ultear let them hold her, let the tears flow free. Yes. A miracle of the light. Thank you, Mom.

"Order," Doma tried, banging the bottom of his staff against the floor. "Order!" He gave up, shrugging and leaning back. King Bradley snarled, leaped to his feet, and stalked out, his entourage following with timid obedience. Org's smile felt like salvation. "Oh, what the Grim," Doma sighed. "It's not like they're going anywhere just yet." Ah. That's why he used Mind Magic. He needed to bring the dissenting Councilors in line, and didn't want it to become a spectacle.

There was an awkward moment when Richard dropped them, and Wally glared past Gray and Meredy at Ultear, but then he rushed to where Shou and Erza had piled on Jellal and joined that hug instead. Ultear took a step away from the mound of human joy and looked at their allies cheering above.

King Jellal d'Edolas and Erza Knightwalker – Queen Erza, if her crown was any indication – watched the eruption with gentle smiles and arms around each others' waists. Gods, maybe they belong together in any world. Ichigo and Chad each had an arm around Uryu, the taller men grinning, while their more serious-minded archer friend was stoic as he endured it. Captain Arcadios peered down, hand on his sword hilt, imperious...then flashed her a thumbs-up. Ultear swore she saw sparkles around him as he did so, even though he didn't smile. That is just weird. Haru and Elie cheered, dancing in place. Vivi sobbed, hands over her mouth – while a third hand stretched out from behind her with another thumbs up. Ultear was careful not to boggle. Monki D. Lucy, don't you dare tell me you came–!

"We did it, nee-san!" Ultear-2 cheered, tackling her with a teleport-hug. Jellal-2 and Erza-2 piled on as well, her Meredy laughing and dancing around the group. Ultear's smile returned. Yes, we did. I hope you can see this, Mom. I know it's selfish, but please be proud of me, just this once.

After several minutes, when the cheering, sobbing, and general carrying on died down, Doma tapped his staff on the ground once more. "Order." This time, the mass of extended family obeyed. "We will remove your restraints momentarily, Master Fernandes. First, a minor order of business. While you are to be commended for your courage and restraint while exiled from society, there is no legal precedent for an 'independent guild.' Crime Sorciere will therefore either register as a legal guild, or disband, its members joining other guilds to find employment." He cleared his throat. "As neither you nor your young associate Meredy Goto has a criminal record, I will add that you are both eligible to apply to the Council for positions in service."

"Of course. Thank you, Chairman," Jellal mumbled, still sounding dazed. He took in another breath, and Ultear thought he might continue, but her friend just let it go unspoken. Millianna glared, taking a step towards him, but Kagura put a hand on the cat-girl's shoulder and shook her head. Good. One of them knows what's going on, at least.

"There is one final, far more grave matter to address." Doma turned to face Ultear, eyes shining with limitless wrath. "Ultear Milkovich!"

"I tried to tell you," she said, shrugging. Meredy gasped, followed by most of the crowd.

Chairman Doma growled, staring at her for a moment. Then he relented, deflating. "You are correct. I misjudged your sincerity and acceptance of your crimes. However." He banged his staff against the floor. Both Grays were at her side, frost emanating from their twin Ice-Make stances. Meredy joined them, Maguilty Blades orbiting her fists. You need to let me go, Ultear thought, but said nothing, lest she inflame them further. "To speak of lenience would value too highly the importance of your confession, and understate the immense gravity of your crimes." Jellal looked from Ultear to Chairman Doma. She could almost hear his confusion. "I presume that you will not resist?" She gazed back with as much calm as she could muster and shook her head.

"What? No," Jellal said, taking a step towards Ultear. Erza released him, then moved to stand by his side. "You pardoned her."

"On condition of your guilt," Doma explained. The other Councilors looked at each other in surprise. Org's smile grew. "Now–"

Jellal snarled and turned his wrists. Wave Magic flared and threw the manacles off. Lahar yelped, he and half his squad turning their staves on him. Jellal ignored them. "No! The pardon was not conditional. I checked it five times." Ultear gasped, turning to look at Jellal, then back to the Council. Could they have really given Jellal that much – her thoughts stumbled to a halt when Otto's eyes bulged enough to be seen past his glasses. He began working his way past the Thought Projections of his colleagues. Org's smile grew further. "I would never have submitted to this if you'd left such a trap in our agreement!"

"I have a copy of the entire document right here, Your Honor," Levy added, holding up the writ. "None of the pardons have any such conditions, Ultear's included."

"Otto," Doma grumbled, then turned to find the other Councilor halfway down the stairs. The younger man froze. "The writ, Otto." Doma held out his hand.

Otto chuckled, face beading with sweat. "Ah, Chairman, perhaps we should discuss this in a private, sealed meeting of the–"

Doma gripped his staff. The serpent top flared red this time, and Otto's copy flew to Doma's free hand. The Chairman read it, paused, put on a pair of Gale-Force Reading Glasses, and read it ten more times. There was a second pause. "Master Fernandes' conditions were most specific," Otto whined. "You were quite certain of the situation yourself, Mr. Chairman. Sir."

A speed-streaked shadow formed around Gran Doma, his eyes going round and blank, mouth wide and teeth jagged. Even Ultear couldn't help a chuckle, while most of the others laughed. Then hope – undreamt of, forbidden hope – rekindled in her heart. That means — but, could they really, could I really – if I'm honest with myself, I'd be forced to admit I don't have Jellal's death wish. I want to live, she realized, please, I really do...want to live!

King Toma cleared his throat. "I suppose I could pardon her, if it would help, Chairman." Ultear turned and stared up at Fiore's king. His daughter smiled and nodded from his side. Did they see me, when I freed them from Caine? That shouldn't have been possible!

The papers fell from Doma's hand, spilling out to the floor in slow, lazy arcs. The Chairman of the Ishgar Magic Council blinked, swallowing twice. He wiped his brow. "You...are free...to go, Miss Milkovich," he conceded, every word dragged across sandpaper.

Music Cue: Eternal Magic (Eien no Mahou)

The cheer roared up again, and a second round of hugs ensued. "Remember!" Doma warned, Ultear wondering if she and Jellal were the only ones paying attention. "Accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt. One misstep, one toe across the line of the law, and all your crimes will return to haunt you!"

This time, for some reason, Ultear-2, Levy, Freed, and Mirajane formed the central knot of the second largest hug. Ultear herself was surrounded by her guild and her Gray. Meredy and Jellal lifted her on their shoulders, and she found herself atop a circle of Sorciere wizards. Live...I can live. She wiped her eyes, letting tears long unshed free at last. I will! I'll live my life to the fullest. I don't know if such forgiveness awaits me in the next world, but in this one – Mom, I'm going to accept the joy you wanted for me. At last.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fiore Branch Magic Council Exterior, X791: Erza

Erza couldn't remember ever feeling so happy. There wasn't a single moment in her life she could even compare.

Jellal in one arm. Shou in the other. Richard and Wally, together behind them. Natsu and Gray, laughing and cheering, with Gray's beloved sister Ultear at his side. Meredy, Juvia, and Mirajane forming a knot of gentle mischief behind them. Lucy and her sort-of-sister Michelle comparing notes with Michelle's creator, Midnight. Erza's whole guild was with her, their counterparts from Earthland-2 beside and behind. Makarov and King Toma, laughing arm in arm, while Princess Hisui and Captain Arcadios followed them with quiet smiles. Jura's team from the Nirvana incident remained as well, Lyon near Ultear at all times. Most of the others had gone home. A few stragglers remained – Queen Meryl Strife and her husband Vash were the most notable, though Sir Haru and Lady Elie felt like long-lost cousins. This. This is how it always should have been.

She glanced at the monarchs following them, then chuckled. Well, some elements may be excessive. I will chalk it up to making up for lost time. Wendy ran in front of them, giggling and waving to them, then darted away around the other side. Wendy-2, a full-grown woman nearly identical to her Edolas counterpart, chuckled and followed, one Carla over each shoulder. "Mavis, was I really such a child?" the older Wendy asked.

"Yes," Mavis-2 replied, her cloak-concealed friend firmly in tow. "You were." Erza-2 and her team laughed while Wendy-2 pouted at them. Then she stuck out her tongue at them, and grinned when they laughed even louder.

"So!" Erza turned to Jellal and Shou, one after the other. "Now that you are both here, what are your plans? Shou, you were traveling the world, were you not?"

Shou nodded. "We've seen amazing things, nee-san. Wally and I had some unbelievable adventures!" He grinned. "Then we heard about Jellal-nii's trial, and Wally called in a favor with a transportation mage from Skara Brae." Erza blinked. "That's the capitol of Minstrel," he added, smile growing. "When Millianna was still with us, we saved the city from the evil wizard Mangar!" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, Wally and Milli did, mostly. I spent half the time trying not to get turned into an icicle."

"Don't listen to him," Wally called over, still arm-in-arm with Richard. "Shou's become an extraordinary wizard. He's the one who defeated Mangar!" The brothers both smiled to match Shou. "Mangar was a summoner. Shou just kept swallowing up the monsters with his cards."

"I heard about that," Jellal added, his voice soft. "From the tales the bards told, it was quite the quest. The stories say they won't take your money there, almost six years later." (((ANNOTATION: Bard's Tale I reference)))

Shou nodded back. Erza rejoiced at the slow grin that spread across his face. "You know, Jellal-nii, we went there looking for you, back when we thought you were a villain. None of us ever saw you, but a golden light stopped Mangar's Endless Winter spell when it was about to wipe us out." He leaned around Erza, one eyebrow going up. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, nii-san?" Titania's smile grew to match Shou's when Jellal blushed and stammered, rubbing the back of his neck and looking skyward. Still a terrible liar, I see, she realized. Somehow, the thought warmed a heart already overflowing.

"Our wandering was dandy, but now it comes to an end!" Wally cheered, pumping a fist that turned into his rifle. "If your Master will have us, we are here to become Fairy Tail wizards!" Shou nodded, eyes gleaming in the midday light.

"You're – you're here to–" Erza stammered, her natural eye filling with tears. Is there such a thing as too much joy? she wondered, then released Jellal to sweep the two of them up in a whirling, laughing, crying hug. "You're home! You're home," she gasped, hanging on as though they would disappear if she let go.

Meredy cleared her throat. The three turned. "While you were busy blue-napping the boss," she added, her own smile beaming, "the rest of us talked it over. Since Crime Sorciere can't be an independent guild anyway, we'd like to join Fairy Tail too." She looked at their Earthland-2 counterparts and giggled. "I mean, Fairy Tail as well. This one. Here." The former Oracion Seis laughed. Ultear chuckled behind one hand. Daphne leaped over to Meredy and put a Metamo stick in her hand. Erza twitched, wondering if an excess of happiness could make her explode.

"Hold on, just like that?" Jellal blurted, turning. Erza's joy quivered on the edge of a cliff. "Crime Sorciere doesn't have to disappear. We could work as a legal guild quite well." With a reluctance torn from the earth itself, Erza was forced to nod. He...he has every right to have pride in his guild, its accomplishments.

"Don't be absurd," Midnight replied, shrugging. His eyes were closed, but Erza could feel the intensity around him as a dark, flowing aura. "Large guilds have smaller groups in them, like Shadow Gear, the Thunder Tribe, and Titania's team." Without looking, he pointed to Cobra, Richard, and Ultear. "You can't expect them to leave their loved ones behind, can you?"

"You're not thinking of Sorano – Angel," Jellal rumbled. That forced Midnight's eyes opened. "It's not as simple as that." Oh. Oh! Erza realized, her heart growing lighter.

"It's all right," Angel replied. She looked out over the horizon, towards Crocus. "I don't trust Sabertooth. The only one who treats her with respect is that shadow mage, Rogue. You already know about their guild master."

Ultear-2 exuded an aura that made Midnight's feel like Wendy's Cure Magic. "Jiemma..." she snarled, Crash Magic making the air crackle around her. Cana-2 rubbed her back. Several of her nakama backed away.

"Exactly," Angel continued, shrugging. "If I need to get Yukino out, with Crime Sorciere gone, there's only one guild I trust to help me protect her."

"Accept it, Jellal," Ultear-1 added, glancing at Erza for a moment before smiling at Jellal. "This contest is over." Jellal bowed his head, and both Fairy Tails cheered again. Her joy stepped back from the cliff, exalted in blue light.

"Then it is time," Kagura announced, "for another contest to begin." Both guilds turned to face her. Simon's sister was staring at Jellal, eyes narrow, her hand on her sword hilt. Millianna was by her side, hunched down, claws out. Their three friends were lined up behind her. The vegetable wizard looking unsure, but the other two were fixed in place by determination. She has their loyalty and devotion, Erza realized, readying an Adamantine Requip. This could become ugly. Kagura moved into an iaijutsu stance, ready to draw in an instant. "Jellal Fernandes." He stepped forward, and Erza braced herself to dash in between them.

"Step aside," Kagura demanded. Jellal gasped, but it was quiet enough that Erza could hear Ultear exhale in relief. "I accept your innocence, but not your protection of the guilty!"

"What?" Millianna blurted, retracting her claws to put both hands on Kagura's arm. "No! You can't trust him, Kagura-chan. That's what Jellal does! He makes you think he's the most wonderful person in the world, then plunges you into darkness!" Kagura sighed, but Millianna shook her head. "He's too clever – you saw how easily he broke free of those Council handcuffs. He must've fooled the Council's magic, he must have!" Jellal bowed his head. Erza swore she could feel the fragile beginnings of his ability to forgive himself shatter. He shuddered with every word, each one a dagger in his heart.

"Archenemy would have known." Kagura patted the hilt of her katana. "I monitored the entire interrogation. That was Jellal. That...was Simon..." A single tear trembled in one eye before she wiped it away. "Simon was precious to him. He...was precious, to Simon."

"Please, Kagura-chan, don't listen to him!" Millianna begged.

Jellal sighed. "I killed Simon," he said. Ultear slapped her forehead. I'm beginning to worry she's going to hurt herself, doing that, Erza mused. Then Titania turned her attention to poor Millianna, who looked confused and heartbroken for an instant, before dashing into a tree and hiding amid the leaves, only her eyes visible. That must have been difficult, for all of them.

"I did not say your protection is unforgiven," Kagura replied, "merely unacceptable. You are traumatized by your possession. I have seen this before." Araña flinched. Erza blinked, while Millianna looked from her teammate to Jellal and back. We clearly missed many adventures in our absence, she noted. "However, the woman who murdered Simon is behind you, and you remain standing in the path of my blade." Several Fairy Tail wizards, including all of Crime Sorciere, formed ranks around Ultear. It was no surprise to find Gray at the front of them, shirt gone and frost swirling around him. Lyon was only a moment behind him.

"It was not Ultear," Jellal said, magic seals swirling to life beneath his palms, "but if it was, I would still stand between you. I have forgiven her," he continued, stepping more fully between Kagura and Ultear, "but even had I not, I would still stand between you. She has become my sister over the past six years, but even if I had never met her, I would still stand between you."

"Why?" Kagura trembled, the power from Archenemy making the world shudder as the blade threatened to awaken. "Why would you protect that woman?"

"I trust Ultear, and have every reason to protect her," Jellal replied, "but even if I had none, even if she deserved the death you would deal so readily, I would stand between you. Ultear was pardoned, Kagura." The other Mermaid Heel wizards gasped. Archenemy dipped towards the earth. "If you strike her down, if you even harm her, the Council will come for you. If you run, Lahar will hunt you to the ends of the earth. If you yield, they will seal you away for all your days. I will not allow that." Jellal's calm slipped, and he, too, trembled. "I remember now. I made a promise. My last promise, to Simon." Kagura flinched and looked away, Archenemy's tip dropping nearly to the ground. Jellal made a trembling fist. "I will protect you, Kagura. Even from the darkness I poisoned you with. I will not fail in this. I refuse. I made a promise."

Kagura whipped Archenemy back up with speed that surprised even Jellal. "Gravity–" she chanted. Erza Requipped into her Adamantine Armor and darted in front of him.

Kagura-2 leaped in front of Erza, Defender raised. "–Change!" they both finished, the spells cracking the earth between them as they cancelled each other out.

"No!" Simon blurted, appearing out of a tree's shadow to stand beside the clash. His magic flew up from the rip in the ground, the darkness within rising to form a wall between the counterparts. "You're better than this. I know you are. Your Simon wouldn't want this!"

Kagura-1 stared at her brother's counterpart. "Simon..." she breathed. All at once, her spell vanished, Kagura-2's version rippling away as well. Kagura-1 straightened, sheathed her sword with polished expertise, turned on her heel, and walked back down the path. Her three nakama on the ground looked at each other, then turned and followed. Millianna's eyes glowed golden in the tree tops, then vanished when she followed her guild.

"Well." Kagura-2 sheathed Defender and shook her head. "It appears that, deep down, there is an S-Class jerk buried inside me."

"Your counterpart is grief-stricken. She has reason to be," Ultear-2 whispered. Simon flowed to her side, taking her hand. Ultear-1 flinched and ducked under her cloak.

Shou gulped, then sighed. "I'll try talking to her later," he said, smiling at Erza again. It was weaker this time, but still brave and bright. "We can't betray Simon's feelings either, right, Wally?" Wally looked at Shou with his head tilted sideways. The blond's smile faded. "We weren't possessed. We let Nemesis lure us into darkness, didn't believe in Erza-nee, didn't believe in who nii-san was. If he forgives Ultear-san, who are we to question it?"

Wally gasped. "'Did even one of us believe in you when you needed us most?'" he quoted.

Shou nodded. "Mm, mm. So I'm going to believe in them now." His smile returned, wide and bright as any Natsu ever flashed. "That's what Fairy Tail wizards do, right, Erza-nee?"

"Aye SIR!" the guild cheered. For a few seconds, Erza's heart soared again, and she set aside her fears for another day.

Wait.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1: Akane Beach

Erza hugged herself and watched the sunset from the cliff where she and Jellal had nearly kissed. She suspected it was a spectacular sight, reds and oranges and purples splashed across the sky on arcs of cloud. The sun was just starting to reach the horizon, the ocean rippling with golden light. All Erza could focus on was trying not to cry. It wasn't going as well as she wished. "Did even one of us believe in you when you needed us most?"

Did even one of us believe in you–

Did even one of us–

Erza smashed her fist into the ground, reducing a rock to powder. I was so happy. So relieved. So proud, that I helped Jellal with encouragement and forgiveness. She buried her face in her hands. He blames himself for being weak? I abandoned him – abandoned them all – and was too afraid to ask for help. Eight years in Fairy Tail, and I couldn't...

Another thought pushed her down the spiral of despair. He saved me. Again. Nemesis was going to kill me, and Jellal... Tears dripped through her fingers. He needed me! Eight years, helpless and alone in the dark, while I felt sorry for myself! If Natsu, Gray, and Lucy hadn't come for me...if Shou, Wally, and Millianna hadn't believed in me...

"I thought we'd find you here," Ultear sighed.

Erza gasped and leaped to her feet, wiping her eyes. Ultear and Gray were at the base of the cliff, looking up at her. "I'm fine," she lied, taking a step down.

"Like Grim!" Gray roared, a pace away from Erza before she knew it. A fist trembled at his side, though Erza knew that was mere frustration. "You gonna talk to us, or what?"

"I...there's nothing to talk about," Erza insisted, taking a step around Gray.

"You're blaming yourself for Jellal's captivity, aren't you?" Ultear asked, holding up one hand. Her orb floated over it. Erza grimaced. "I know you've done this to yourself before. You and Jellal really are two of a kind."

"I should have known," Erza insisted, making a fist and looking away. "In the darkest pit, Jellal was our light. Then, all at once, he becomes a monster? On the day he most needed me to believe in him, when there was no one else to be his light, what did I do? I cowered, sobbed, begged – I fled, and left him trapped in that evil nightmare! I should have known!"

"Ice-Make: Dunce Cap," Gray chanted, and indeed, Erza felt a cold ring settle on her head. "No one would have had their head on straight in a place like that. You were a kid. He threatened your whole family, what were you supposed to do?"

"I didn't control your mind, Erza," Ultear added, the image of the worst day in Erza's life playing out in her orb, "but I was reading it, and I fed that information to Nemesis. It had access to all of Jellal's memories, and all of his experience in giving hope." She wiped at the air with her hand, and the crystal vanished. "Just as Crime Sorciere used our dark knowledge to help others, Nemesis turned Jellal's gift for salvation against you. You could not see because we blinded you." Erza pulled the ice cap off her head and stared at it. I don't know...I...

"You gonna give your brothers and sister this much grief too?" Gray demanded before Erza could say anything. She blinked at him. But...that's different.... He huffed and glared back at her. "You think you can snap Jellal out his stupidity when you're like this?"

"Do you forgive me?" Ultear asked. Erza spun to face her, eyes wide. Ultear's expression was so flat and empty, it wrenched Erza's heart. "For six years, I've had to manage with half of true forgiveness from Jellal. Sometimes, I think he does it partly to protect me. It doesn't help. Yes, Brain and Hades twisted me. Yes, Nemesis was an entity unto itself, cruel and vicious. I did this."

Gray gasped and took a step towards his sister, but Ultear held up a hand, and he stopped. The ice cone fell from Erza's hands. "Not in some metaphorical way," she continued. "Not by being 'weak' in a place where any form of strength was a miracle. I bound Jellal for eight years, I deceived and banished you, I lured your friends into malice. I did it out of spite and jealousy and pain." Ultear shivered once, then mastered herself, watching Erza with eyes on the edge of death. "Do. You. Forgive. Me?"

"Yes!" Erza cried, grabbing them both and pulling them into a hug. A corner of her mind was glad that she had forgone the breastplate for once. Plunging herself into the grief and guilt of her sins to pull me out of despair...our brother reaching out, as he always does...what am I doing? She held them, letting her tears flow. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not daring to open her eyes. "It's just, it's been hard, and when my family was finally, finally reunited...I was so happy, and then..."

"All the drama in the world comes down on you," Gray agreed. "That's why we're here, remember?" Erza nodded.

"You...really..." Ultear breathed, then hugged Erza back with a ferocity she hadn't expected. Erza felt tears not her own on her shoulder. "...thank you..."

Erza sniffled and let them go. Then she sniffled a little more. Ultear's eyes had begun to clear. Gray had tossed his shirt aside, and the dunce cap melted beneath it. "Of course," Erza said, managing a genuine smile. "We're Fairy Tail wizards."

Ultear's hand went to her shoulder. Her guild mark, Erza realized. "Erza. Now I understand. Why it's you," she whispered. For a moment, Titania didn't understand. Jealousy, she remembered, and in a flash, understanding came to her. I hope I'm not blushing too badly, she thought.

"That's more like it," Gray added, grinning. He pointed with his thumb at the Fairy Tail encampment. "Now all we have to do is knock some sense into the blue guy."

"Oh, is that all?" Ultear asked, chuckling. "I've been working on him for six years, Gray. Meredy's been helping me for five. He's as stubborn as Erza."

"Oi, oi, don't underestimate Titania," Gray objected. He crossed his arms and walked right up to Ultear. "No one can stand against her in willpower!" Erza couldn't help a smile. Your faith means so much to me, Gray, but we all have our weaknesses.

"'Stubborn' isn't always a good thing, Gray," Ultear replied, stopping him cold. "Look how quickly Erza came to her senses. In her words, 'this contest is over.'" Erza laughed outright at the array of expressions that crossed Gray's face. After several seconds, he settled on a scowl, a huff, and a half-turn away. "Jellal's determination is amazing. It saved the world from the Demon Realm once. The problem is, it comes with a fault. Whenever Jellal believes he's failed, he refuses to let it go."

"Strength and weakness, you say," Erza muttered, inspiration rising from the ashes of her despair. It isn't that the guilt or sorrow is gone, but if I can make use of it... She put the knuckle of one finger on her chin. "Ultear, do you think you could find a world where I believed in him?" Gray and Ultear turned to look at her, blinking in unison. "On that day."

Gray's jaw dropped, his teeth jagged. "You're doing this again?!" he wailed.

"Not at all." Erza smiled again. "You both helped me face my feelings. That doesn't mean they've disappeared, but maybe I can use them to help Jellal." Gray calmed down while Ultear brightened. "If we can show him that all he needs is someone to reach out to him, perhaps it will help guide him from the maze of grief he's still in."

"I'll try anything sane, at this point," Ultear agreed. "What did you have in mind?"

"To use my weakness as a strength," Erza said, then began to explain. There's no magic cure, even in our world. Not for this. But maybe...just maybe...we can be blessed with one more miracle.

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty: What a Guild Is For

Earthland-1, Akane Beach, X791: Natsu

"Again," Jellal ordered.

"Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode!" Natsu chanted. His body erupted in thunder and fire. Lucy, Happy, Michelle, and Daphne watched, the last two chowing down on Daphne's Metamo sausages. Man, those are makin' me hungry, Natsu thought, mouth watering even through the flame. I'm glad she's a good guy now. I gotta grab some later.

Jellal hit Natsu with a palm strike that sent him into the makeshift wall of their training field. "Look out, Natsu!" Happy wailed. Gee, thanks, Happy, Natsu grumbled, pulling himself out of the wall and getting back on his feet.

"You're not paying attention," Jellal noted, moving into a more fluid stance. Ready to attack or defend, Natsu realized. Dang, he's gotten good in the last seven years. Meteor Wave expanded around the star wizard, blazing more intensely. "Dragon fire can burn through anything. Even magic that blocks magic, that smothers it or drives it back, is not immune to the flames of Igneel. That's how you overcame Genesis Zero."

"I know already!" Natsu wailed, leaping at Jellal again. "Dragon Iron Fi–"

Jellal caught Natsu's blow before he could finish the incantation. "You can't rely on raw force all the time, Natsu. Focus." Jellal opened his hand, and his palm flared with star magic. The blast flung Salamander away, almost throwing him into the wall again. "You won't always have a source of fuel like Etherion or the Flame of Rebuke. Don't just burn hotter, Natsu. Read your enemy, sense his magic." Jellal's eyes glowed golden, and the Meteor Wave aura doubled in size. "Ignite the ether itself. I know you can. Every form of magic has its own...song, its own scent. Match your fire to that, and you can burn down Acnologia himself. Again."

"I can't believe his trial was just this morning," Lucy said, while Natsu threw himself at Meteor Wave for a fourth time. Jellal straightened a fraction into a defensive posture, pouring magic into his palm block. "This is so...natural. So normal."

"Aye!" Happy and Michelle cheered as one. Daphne made an agreeable sound around a mouthful of sausage. Natsu roared and threw punches at Jellal's shield, rapid-fire style. He's not even moving! Salamander raged, increasing the speed and ferocity of his volley.

Nothing. Jellal stood there, watching, like he was waiting for something. After a solid minute of punching the damn Meteor Wave, Natsu doing as much good as he would against Laxus (as in, none), he let his arms drop and panted. "Man...S-Class trials are gonna suck this year," Natsu whined. Happy laughed, the little traitor.

Jellal cocked his head like a confused dog. "Why?" he asked. Natsu sweat-dropped. You've gotta be kidding me.

"He thinks you're going to win," Lucy explained with that smile that made Natsu feel warm inside. Warmer. Whatever. "Easily."

Jellal scratched his head. "Master Makarov did say something about wanting to talk about that, when Erza and I were done working things out."

"Working what out?" Natsu asked. Lucy face-palmed. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard, right? That's all you need to know." Daphne snickered. Oh, for–

"It's not quite that simple, Natsu," Erza said, walking up. Natsu turned, sniffed the air, and stopped before saying anything else. She smells like tears and happiness and sweat and worry, he noted. Wasn't this a good day? He swallowed. Erza doesn't still think it was him, does she? He shook his head while she walked up to Jellal, Ultear and Gray behind her. Nah. Erza's too smart for that, and her confusion doesn't smell like she's afraid of him. The knight held up one of Ultear's orbs. "Jellal and I just have some old...issues to get past."

"Erza?" Jellal asked, leaning over to look into the orb. Lucy and the others jogged over to watch, Happy landing on Natsu's shoulder to get a better view.

"Please brace yourself, Jellal. I promise, this isn't meant to hurt," Erza explained. Then they appeared in the orb as children, in that torture chamber where Nemesis had taken over Jellal. The star mage recoiled, eyes locked onto the crystal.

"I understand now. Temporary freedom is not enough. True freedom...comes from Zeref's world." Little Jellal's smile was way too creepy for a little kid. Little Erza gasped, staring with one eye and backing away. Then the scene changed from history, with the creepy black and red Nemesis stuff poured out of Jellal's mouth. He choked, grabbing his throat, gagging and shaking.

"Jellal!" Little Erza rushed over to him, shaking him by the shoulders. "What's wrong? What happened to you?" Little Jellal couldn't say anything. Instead, the Nemesis stuff formed tentacles, grabbing the two nasty overseeers and smashing them to bits. "Oh, no! They did something to you, didn't they?" She summoned a sword and slashed at the tentacles, but they just splashed away and repaired themselves, snaking back into the boy. "Fight it, Jellal!"

"F...fight...this?" Little Jellal asked, chuckling. Nemesis Jellal, now, Natsu realized, blood-colored mist rising from his body. 'Why would I...do that...." He spasmed, then fell to his knees, left eye wide and staring, right eye narrow. "Erza...run..." Then he fell to the floor, thrashing.

"No! I won't leave you!" Little Erza ran over and hugged him. The tentacles poured from his right palm and lashed at Erza, but each blow only made her hold on tighter. "Everyone's waiting for us, Jellal – we can't lose you now. I won't!"

"You won't?" Nemesis snarled, dragging Jellal's body upright and throwing Erza back. All pretense of merger vanished, and the liquid demon formed above the boy, tendrils holding him like puppet strings. "You little brat. You weren't even worth taking! I was going to spare you for a while to keep the chosen one from resisting, but if you're going to stand in my way, then you can die right now!" Jellal's head lolled back, eyes rolling upward. Atop the mass of tendrils was the swirling, stylized "Z" that had once formed in Adult Jellal's eye. The monster pulled Jellal's hands forwards, a deep purple magic seal forming in front of them.

Little Erza stared, trembling, then looked at her sword. She let it go, and the blade disappeared. With a calm that impressed even Natsu, she walked up, removing the breastplate, and hugged Jellal again. "I believe in you, Jellal," she whispered. "I won't let them take you away again, ever. No matter what."

A tentacle reached down and snaked around her throat. "Then die right now. Die, still believing in him!" Nemesis howled. Erza didn't let go.

Little Jellal screamed. A massive golden magic seal burst to life at his feet, freeing them both. He fell to his knees while Nemesis literally splashed against the wall, sliding to the ground. Little Erza yelped and jumped in between them. Jellal held out one hand, careful to aim around Erza. "S-starburst," he choked out, and the familiar volley of golden streaks smashed into the demon. "Hello, Zeref." Erza gasped and looked from Jellal to "Zeref" and back. "It's his ghost. He wanted my body to be his vessel, to be reborn. If you hadn't saved me, it would have worked."

The impostor-ghost dissipated, wailing as it turned to mist. "Miserable god-born. You will never escape your doom..." It disappeared, and Erza clung to the shuddering boy, her tears now in relief.

Jellal shook his head as the scene shifted to little Ultear in the Grimoire Heart airship, the girl glaring in fury. "I don't understand. Why show me this?" he asked.

"It's from yet another world," Ultear explained. "One where Erza was given the chance to see what I'd done to you." She drew the crystal's sight away from her younger counterpart, to show her glaring at Kain Hikaru writhing on the deck, knees squeezed together. "That version of me was interrupted. Hikaru was looking for the bathroom, the moron." Natsu couldn't help but laugh.

"I wanted to show you that you weren't weak," Erza explained, her eyes locked onto his. "That all you needed was someone to believe in you. Even you couldn't escape that nightmare on your own – but whether it was eight minutes or eight years, one hand reaching out to help was enough."

"Or one fist, in Natsu's case," Gray quipped.

Happy snickered. "Aye!"

"That was all you needed to break free, against all the power of Nemesis and the Devil's Heart." Erza smiled again, but.... It's weird, Natsu thought, like she's happy and sad at the same time. More happy than sad, I guess. Still... "Believe in yourself, Jellal," Erza insisted. "Believe that you are a true Fairy Tail wizard. Have faith that no matter what happens next, we will all remain beside you. We will always come for you, with the power to believe in you as friends. As family."

"Friends..." Jellal looked down, then back at Erza, and he smiled. It was the exact same smile she had. Ai-yah! What are they sad about when they're tryin' to be happy? Natsu wondered. "I'd like that, Erza."

"It's a start," Ultear muttered. Natsu sighed. I don't get any of this.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Akane Beach, X791: Lucy

You don't get any of this, do you, Natsu? Lucy wondered, then bit back a sigh at Erza and totally-not-the-love-of-her-life. I guess "friends" is as good a place as any to start over, though.

"Hey, are you guys done with the drama for now, yeah?" Daphne asked, raising her hand. We're not in school, Daphne, Lucy sighed. "I just remembered, Master Jellal wanted me to tell you something, Titania."

"Oh, right," Jellal grumbled. "It's important, Erza." Erza nodded.

"So Brain's the one who kidnapped me out of Black Vox, when he escaped, yeah?" she explained. Oh, no! Lucy thought, her throat seizing up for a moment. "He wasn't able to make me do too much stuff for him. That's why he sold me, yeah?" The summoner quashed a sudden desire to beat up Brain with his own staff. "Problem is, he was able to force me to build one new design for him. He wanted a member of his 'Oracion Seis 3.0' to be able to take you on, since you beat Midnight. So he forced me to build a you, yeah." Ehhh?! Lucy gaped.

Erza merely blinked. "A 'me,' you say?" she asked.

"Yeah. He combined the magic Midnight used to make Imitatia with my Copy Magic lizard-man design. He calls her 'Knightwalker.' She can do the sword thing, but she doesn't swap out her armor, yeah." Daphne explained. Lucy paled. The Fairy Hunter, she remembered, while Daphne continued, sounding like she didn't have a care in the world. "Instead, she can change which enchantments her armor uses. That way, she's always got the basic strength and protection, but can add magic arts from your other suits. Knightwalker's got your limitation, otherwise – only one suit's magic at a time."

"No offense, Daphne, but there's no way a crystal copy's gonna beat Erza," Gray retorted, grinning. "Sure, she's powerful, but it's not power that makes her Titania."

"Brain made a Nemesis-style imprint of her mind," Daphne continued. The others stared, eyes wide. Lucy felt light-headed. Are you kidding me? she quailed. "Reversed her personality, kept all the drive and skill, like the Earthland-2 Siegrain. Apparently, he used that guy as a prototype." The inventor's casual demeanor faded, her eyes hardening. "That other Daphne made him. She was a real mess. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, so I'm not going to let Brain hurt you guys with her, yeah?"

Lucy took a step back and watched while the others all thanked Daphne, reassuring her that she was, in fact, a Fairy Tail wizard. I almost thought her old mistakes didn't bother her, Lucy thought, but she cares too. Maybe knowing how far the other her fell helped. Daphne chuckled. "Okay, okay, I'm not gonna Blue it up, yeah? I don't need to punish myself." Jellal sighed while the others laughed. Lucy didn't feel like laughing. Her eyes flickered to Michelle Gonzales, the little sister she never dreamed she'd really have. It's not fair, she grieved. "That reminds me of the other thing. Master Three-Six had me make something for you. Come on, yeah?" Daphne headed towards the main camp, waving for the others to follow.

"Three-Six?" Natsu asked, trailing after the cowgirl.

Jellal's smile returned just before Daphne vanished over a hill. "Master Makarov's the Third and Sixth Master, so Daphne calls him Three-Six. It's not the weirdest thing I've seen in Fairy Tail. The other me collects chalk."

"Ah! You're back, excellent," Makarov said when they reached the top of the hill. Gray whistled. Ultear smiled to match her teammate. Lucy stared, wide-eyed. "Good timing."

A labyrinth filled the field at the edge of the camp houses. Made from translucent crimson energy projected by hemispheres of lacrima, seals glowed and turned in several places where the maze paths crossed. At the center of the labyrinth were Mirajane and First Master Mavis. Both ladies waved as they grew closer, Mira with a gentle smile and one hand, Mavis leaping in place and using both arms. Most of the guild was around the maze, but near the entrance were Cana, Levy, Elfman, Juvia, and Freed. Lucy blinked. The S-Class trials competitors? She glanced at Natsu and Gray, who continued towards them without reaction. That's right, they were interrupted. Wait, Cana! With Gajeel, Evergreen, Lisanna, and Bickslow already just behind the group, Lucy rushed to her S-Class partner. "Cana, is this what I think it is?"

Cana shrugged and took a swig from her bottle. "It makes sense," she replied, swaying just a bit. "Oi! Natsu! Gray! Get down here – and bring your clothes, ice boy!" Gray yelped and turned to look for his shirt, only for Ultear to hand it to him. Natsu laughed.

Makarov cleared his throat when their group arrived. "Ahem. Shortly after the conclusion of today's trial, the First Master reminded me about an obscure guild rule that has only become important today." He held out his hand, and the Fairy Tail rule book appeared over it. It's too thick for Master Mavis or Master Makarov to have written most of it, Lucy mused, then glanced at Jellal. He was eyeing the book in a way that reminded Lucy of looking for traps. Master Precht, she realized. "It is a common guild rule that a Wizard Saint who joins a guild automatically becomes an S-Class wizard." Team Sorciere grinned, as did Wally from Richard's side, and Shou, who waved to Jellal's small group.

Jellal's eyes widened. "Sir, I–"

"Ahem!" Makarov interrupted, and Jellal fell silent. "I am pleased that you realize Nemesis, or Siegrain if you prefer, was not you. However!" Makarov pointed skyward, though not in a Fairy Tail salute. Jellal opened his mouth to speak again, but Ultear dope-slapped him, and he stopped as a few mages laughed. "The rule specifically says 'one who has officially been given a Wizard Saint seal by the Magic Council,' with no particular regard to circumstances. You were given the seal, and due to the phrasing, your name, state at the time, and revocation of title are irrelevant." Levy pursed her lips for a moment, then nodded. "This is meant to entice Wizard Saints, current and former, to join guilds." He waved at the rule book, which vanished. "I presume you wish to object at this time?"

"Entirely aside from the circumstances of my ascension to the Wizard Saints, it hardly seems fair to bypass..." Jellal trailed off, looking at the X784 contestants, then the maze. "...oh."

Makarov nodded, grinning. "In consultation with First Master Mavis, we have therefore prepared this substitute for the trials interrupted by Grimoire Heart and the Rune Knights. Miss Daphne was generous enough to donate this trap-filled labyrinth." He indicated the maze behind him.

"What?" Lucy blurted, turning to Daphne. "You just had a lacrima maze trap laying around?"

Daphne chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck, eyes closed. "A-heh...I may have designed this as a 'plan B' for kidnapping Dragon Slayers back when I was a bad guy. I figured I'd fill the center with a bonfire or high-grade steel or something." Her eyes flew open, and she waved her hands at the others. "It's not dangerous any more, yeah! I turned all the traps down to 'capture.'"

"Like that woulda worked on me!" Gajeel objected, stamping his foot. Pantherlily chuckled, and Gajeel turned to glare at him. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Ahem!" Makarov cut in. Gajeel stopped there. "This competition is similar to the one on Tenrou. You must navigate the maze, defeat the S-Class wizard in the center, and claim the prize from First Master Mavis. Two rules changes are in place. One, contestants may drop out if they wish." Mirajane smiled and waved to Elfman, who shuddered and gulped.

"Why would we do that, First Master?" Levy asked, biting her lip and gazing at Mirajane.

"The second rule change: no partners!" Makarov's grin turned diabolic, shadows seeming to loom over him. "You must face Daphne's labyrinth and the She-Demon herself, alone! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!" Lightning crashed behind the Sixth Master. Pantherlily covered his ears, eyes swirling. Are you kidding me?! Lucy thought, jaw dropping.

Freed retreated so quickly, Lucy didn't see his legs move; he seemed to fly back to the Thunder Tribe, propelled by sheer terror. Bickslow laughed at him, tongue lolling out, but Freed didn't appear to notice. Laxus formed out of the lightning, darted to the trio, and patted Freed's shoulder. "Maybe next time, Freed," Laxus offered. Freed nodded, still staring at Mira.

Juvia gulped, then joined Meredy and Lisanna. "J-Juvia will also wait until December."

"Same here," Levy agreed, and Lucy turned to find her best friend already standing next to Gajeel. "I'm not crazy enough to fight Mirajane by myself."

Elfman looked at the maze for a few seconds after that, then turned and walked away, head hung low. "Even I'm not enough of a man to face those odds," he admitted, joining the others.

Evergreen nodded, patting his arm. Elfman looked down in amazement. "There's such a thing as acknowledging your limitations, Elfman," she said, offering him a thin smile. Aw, Lucy thought. You know, Mirajane's right. When they're not at each others' throats, they are a cute couple.

Elfman gave Mirajane one last look, then nodded back at Evergreen. "You're right." He looked at the heavens. "She's too manly for me!"

"And you ruined it!" Evergreen screeched, batting at Elfman's head with her fan. The 'retreat' group laughed. Lucy sweat-dropped. Speaking of ruining it...

"Well, I'll face those odds," Natsu said with a grin, pounding his palm with a blazing fist. "I'm all fired up!"

"If Natsu's going in, so am I," Gray agreed, crossing his arms. He'd lost his shirt again. Ultear sent her orb out to pull it into the crystal somehow. "No way I'm going to lose to flame-brain."

Cana hiccuped. "Eh, why not?" She tossed her bottle aside and pulled out her deck of cards. "It wouldn't hurt to show off for the cute blond." Wait, who does she mean? Lucy wondered, looking around. Then Cana winked at Shou, who blushed a brilliant crimson.

Though most of the others laughed, Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy all sprouted hard, determined expressions. Ultear and Meredy looked at each other and nodded. I missed something else, didn't I? Lucy decided. Then she turned her attention back to Jellal, who tore his focus from his old friend to face the Sixth Master. "I take it you wish me to face this challenge, Master?" he asked. Makarov nodded. Jellal rubbed his chin – then leaped back when Erza darted in front of him. "E-Erza?"

Erza stared at him for a few seconds with wide eyes and a tight jaw. "P-please do your best!" she stammered, bowing to him. Jellal gulped and joined the others.

Makarov strode to stand beside the maze entrance. "Do not activate any of your magic until the contest begins!" he announced, holding up his hand. "Three!" he counted, and all four contestants braced themselves. "Two! One! Begin!" Makarov commanded, hand chopping down.

Natsu roared and charged in, fire burning from his feet to propel him. "Ice-Make: Slide!" Gray chanted, following on his creation.

"Six of Swords! Chariot! Three of Wands! Fate Rider!" Cana chanted, her deck forming a boat beneath her. She raced ahead of both boys, only halted by the first trap. A seal unleashed a mass of tendrils, all reaching out to grab her, then Natsu and Gray when they caught up.

"Formula Eyes," Jellal chanted, still at the entrance. Several of the others were staring at him, and Lucy guessed they were just as confused as she was. Erza, Shou, Meredy, and Ultear were all smiling, though, while Wally nodded. "Hermetic Formula One: Astrology." A blue seal burst to rotating life over his head. Makarov gaped at the star wizard. "Meteor Wave." With that, he charged into the maze, rocketing past the other three.

Lucy, finding that she only had Happy for company, went down to where Michelle and Ultear had joined Meredy, Juvia, and Lisanna. "Meredy? What's Hermetic Formula One?" Lucy asked, watching as Jellal destroyed every trap in his path.

"Astrology, the view of the stars that watch from on high," Meredy explained. Jellal's big on teaching, huh? I can almost hear his voice in hers, Lucy mused while Meredy continued. "Jellal draws all kinds of crazy power from Heavenly Body – Cosmic Magic, but the first use of astrology is insight."

Lucy nodded. "Oh, right! My mom used to say the same thing." When she turned back to watch the challenge, Jellal had already reached the center of the labyrinth. Natsu was howling in frustration; while Lucy couldn't make out the words, she was sure he was challenging Jellal to fight again. Natsu! She thought in frustration.

"Lady Mirajane." Jellal bowed, then slid into some martial arts stance Lucy didn't recognize. "I am ready to begin when you are."

"Lord Jellal," Mirajane replied, bowing back while Jellal gulped. "Take Over: Satan Soul – Sitri!" Elfman and Lisanna gasped as Mirajane grew a few inches, packing on muscle. Golden horns spiraled out from the sides of her head, while a uniform of blue and white swirled around her. Metal gauntlets ending in claws formed on her lower arms. Her hair flowed out in a wild, thick mane. Her smile changed, becoming a thin, sharp-edged challenge to Erza's beloved. "Show me your might, Shield of Ishgar!" Huh? Shield of Ishgar? From the way Jellal stared for a second, he was surprised, too.

Elfman and Lisanna gasped as one. "She didn't," Lisanna whispered.

"Poor Jellal," Elfman agreed, gulping. "How could she be so merciless?"

"Hey!" Meredy objected, whirling on the siblings. "Don't you underestimate Jellal. He's beaten all kinds of powerful enemies!" Mirajane fired a blast of black lightning at Jellal, and he deflected it by holding up a palm. "See?"

Indeed, Elfman stared in shock at the display. "No way..." he breathed.

"That was Evil Spark!" Lisanna added, mouth falling open.

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed, appearing as if by teleportation. "Don't worry, either of you. Jellal won't harm Mira." They both turned to gape at her, disbelief growing. "This should be interesting."

Music Cue: Fierce Magic Battle

Lucy stared as the two flew higher, spells clashing in great bursts of sky-shaking might. Evil Explosion clashed with Starburst. Darkness Stream collapsed against Cosmic Storm, but Mirajane parried with Sitri Flame. She counterattacked with a demon blast that Jellal dodged. He threw lightning swords, which Mira held off with Dark Deflector. When Mirajane spoke again, they were too high up to hear, but the Soul Extinctor she unleashed made her intent clear enough. Jellal dropped back, firing off seven beams of light that circled out from his fingertips. Then Mirajane's spell swallowed him. Lucy gulped. "Jellal's attacks didn't even come close. Can he handle Soul Extinctor?" she asked.

"No," Freed whimpered. Shou frowned.

Meredy snorted. "It won't even slow him down, rune boy. That spell he cast was Pleiades. Just watch."

Again, Meredy's confidence proved accurate, for the most part. Soul Extinctor had penetrated Meteor Wave to some extent, if the black wisps trailing from Jellal were any indication. When Mirajane smirked and dove to follow up with claw strikes, though, the seven beams of light all curved around to fly at her from behind. She froze, then turned, but by that point the flying stars were too close, and all she could do was cover her body and face with her arms.

Pleiades hammered Mirajane into the ground, dazing her. Doesn't look too bad, though – wait, what are those seals in the air? Lucy wondered. The smiles of those who cheered Jellal on grew as lines formed between each seal. Oh, the Big Dipper...but it's also known as–

"Be judged by the Seven Stars! Grand Chariot!" Jellal chanted, aiming with a cool overhand / underhand evocation. Beams of starlight crashed down on Mirajane before she'd finished standing. That knocked her out of Satan Soul, leaving her lying in the grass again. Wow...

"Using Pleiades to draw Grand Chariot? You really want to show off, don't you?" Ultear chuckled.

"I yield," Mirajane said, smiling. "That was wonderful, Jellal." He ducked his head for a moment, then offered her a hand up. She accepted, standing on wobbly legs. Jellal nodded to her and strode to the image of Master Mavis.

"Maze battle, halt!" Makarov ordered. Cana, Gray, and Natsu all stopped, looking through the walls to stare at the end of the battle. Cana and Gray gaped, jaws dropping, while Natsu snorted and sat down on the grass, arms folded.

Mavis held out her hands, a golden light glowing above them. Erza and Ultear stopped smiling, looking at each other. The First Master said something to Jellal, but again, they couldn't hear it. Several seconds passed. At last, Jellal nodded and reached for the light.

It took a few seconds more for Jellal to raise his hand enough to grasp whatever it was Mavis held out. An eruption of light and darkness consumed all sight of him, roaring through the center of the maze. "Jellal!" Erza cried, taking a step towards them before stopping herself.

Everyone watched. No one moved. The howling column of clashing magic whirled and crackled, shrouding Master Mavis and Jellal. Seconds passed, Lucy's teeth clenching. Over a minute went by, the air whirling around them as the shaft of power turned faster. "Come on," Meredy demanded, fists pumping once. "Come on," she pleaded, biting her lip. "You can do it, Jellal!"

There was a strange crack, like backwards thunder. The column of magic force imploded and vanished. The maze collapsed after it. Jellal fell to one knee, holding up his right arm with his left. There was a tattoo glowing with golden light on his arm. It looked like a stretched Fairy Tail logo inside an arch with three lines protruding from the ends. Lucy couldn't help but think of wings as the light faded to leave the symbol there inscribed in scarlet. That's – Fairy Glitter! Lucy realized, recognizing it at last. Mavis clapped her hands. "Pass!" she declared, raising one arm before vanishing.

Makarov laughed and mimicked her pose. "Ippon! Congratulations, S-Class Fairy Tail wizard Jellal Fernandes!" he cheered.

"AYE SIR!" the guild joined in, all of them throwing out the Fairy Tail salute. Jellal's friends all rushed out to him, forming a circle around the star mage.

Meredy leaped in to hug the stunned Jellal, who was still staring at the mark on his arm. "That's showing them, boss!" she exulted.

"That was a dandy result, without a doubt," Wally agreed, tipping his hat to his old friend.

"You should be proud," Erza joined in, her smile a relief to Lucy. The sadness is...okay, it's not completely gone, but she's better now, the Celestial Spirit Mage decided.

Jellal ran his fingers along the Fairy Glitter mark. "This morning, I was on my way to spending the rest of my life in a cell under Era. Now...I'm free. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard," he muttered. "An S-Class Fairy Tail wizard. What happened?"

"Your nightmare is over," Erza gushed, tears shining in one eye. "Now your life can start over, as it was meant to be." Lucy nodded, wiping a few of her own tears aside. Yeah.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Lucy's Journal, X791: Lucy

June 22, X791

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm sorry that I haven't written since the trial, but we've been really busy. The training's been crazy, but really worth it. There's so much to tell you, I'm not sure where to start!

Normally, I'd begin with my progress, but I guess I should tell you about Second Origin first. It turns out that Ultear has this amazing magic that can double a wizard's ability to store ethernano. It took twenty-seven days of intense training on a strict regimen, but I almost can't believe the results. We've all gotten so much stronger, I'm actually looking forward to the Games now!

(Okay, you can also do it in one night of sheer agony. Natsu insisted on it, which meant Gray did too. They screamed all night. I won't lie, Mom, I had nightmares.)

Anyway, I can summon two spirits at once now. At last! Being able to double-team dark wizards opens up so many new possibilities. Plus, I can send one spirit after an enemy while another one protects my friends. Aquarius is less grumpy now that I can summon Scorpio with her. And that's not even the best part. You know how the Lucy from Earthland-2 has those Star Dresses? Now I can do one too! Sure, it's "just" one, but that's the Aquarius dress! I can fight for myself, with my own magic, now. There were times I was afraid I was going to hold the team back, but I finally feel like I've earned my place on Team Erza.

Erza. I've told you guys a lot about her, right? Levy's my best friend and Gonzales has become my little sister for real, but Erza's my big sister – "nee-san." And she's been really, really weird lately.

I don't think she's ever been so happy. We're still Team Erza, but she spends a lot of her free time with Shou and Wally. Sometimes Richard tags along. Every once in a while, they even get Jellal to go with them. I've never seen her so carefree. When she's with her friends from that place, they enjoy every moment. Like the whole world's a miracle, and they're going to embrace it. I love seeing "Erza-nee" like that.

Shou and Wally are a lot of fun, too. It's clear that they're happy to be in Fairy Tail, but their friendship is as strong as any I've ever seen. They're always training together, fooling around together, getting into trouble together. Like if Natsu and Gray stopped fighting, almost. It's been kinda cute, watching Wally and Mira play matchmaker for our card wizards. Cana's been flirting with Shou – seriously, she doesn't have a milligram of shame – and he just turns into a stammering wreck, the poor guy. He actually hid behind Ultear once! Crazy, right?

Crime Sorciere – Team Sorciere, now – they've really jumped into the Fairy Tail life. They split off into smaller teams for jobs sometimes, while the rest of us are training full-time, but they're obviously still a family inside our family. They always hang out together, like Team Erza or the Thunder Tribe. It's not a problem, though – they're all working hard to help the guild when we need it. Which, I have to admit, we kind of do.

Midnight and Angel are this weird, aloof duo. They act like they're above it all and only care about the job rewards, but they're inseparable, and they're always looking for missions to rescue people from slavery. Angel's still worried about her sister Yukino, but she's one of Sabertooth's aces, and she has the other two golden keys! Midnight's got the opposite situation – his only "family" was that world-class monster Brain, and it was a lie, so all he had was the Oracion Seis. He was their big brother, and Jellal aside, he still kind of is. I think Midnight really loves Fairy Tail now, and just has trouble admitting it. In a way, they remind me a little of Erza and Gray.

Richard and Racer are definitely the odd couple – and they might actually be a couple, it's hard to tell when Racer's so standoffish – but they make a devastating team, with Richard creating paths for Racer, and Racer pulling enemies into Richard's traps. I can't really get a read on Racer. He acts like he doesn't care about anyone most of the time, but then he'll do something really sweet like running across half of Fiore for Asuka's medicine. And Richard is just this enormous, blocky teddy bear. You know, who can fight a Wizard Saint as an equal.

Meredy and Daphne are the odd mages out. Meredy is everyone's kid sister, and she's obviously conflicted about it. On the one hand, she's the most well adjusted of all of them, and loves the whole team. On the other hand, Jellal and Ultear were super-protective of her, and it kind of spread to the rest of them. She'll always be family, but Meredy might end up teaming with Juvia if things go on like this. Daphne's kind of on the other end – they adopted her pretty fast, but she's the new gal, and she's compensating by building anything for anyone if they need it. Or maybe don't, but she thought they'd like. She's still dragon-crazy, but "normal for Fairy Tail" crazy instead of "mad scientist kidnapping people for her experiments" crazy. So that's good.

Cobra and Ultear get along great, which freaks me out a little considering that he was the one screaming that they had to get away during the whole Infinity Clock thing. Then again, he's crazy in love with Kinana, and Ultear has definitely become Mirajane's partner in crime when it comes to shipping. At least he's not being stupid about it. Ultear...I'm still figuring her out. She caused so much of their pain, but now she's...well, she's a hero. It's been a weird kind of fun watching her and Mira become friends, with Ultear being scary with a sweet streak to mirror everyone's favorite She-Demon. I think the hardest thing for her is not being as overprotective with Gray as she's been with Meredy. Of course, Gray's almost as bad with her. I can't say they're inseparable, exactly – they're on different teams – but they spend a lot of time catching up together.

I can't avoid him forever. Jellal. He's this...big, blue elephant in the room. I know why they – we – all love him. He's become everyone's nii-san, just like Meredy said would happen. He ran the Second Origin clinic and helped me earn my Star Dress. He's been there for so many of us, too. Droy was having a lot of trouble staying on the Second Origin regimen, until Jellal had a talk with him. Gajeel's finally starting to accept Levy's friendship with his help. Maybe something more, too, but I'm not rushing that, Fairy Tail wizard or not. Wendy knows he's not Edolas Jellal, but she loves him without reservation, and he's done wonders for her self-confidence. Natsu challenges him to fights all the time, but that's just Natsu for "welcome to Fairy Tail" when you're a magic monster like Erza or Laxus. And he gave Michelle true life!

Gray's the one that who freaks me out the most, though. I knew he cared about Ultear, but I had no idea how much. Now that he's settled the past with Jellal, it's like Gray thinks he can do no wrong. I mean, Gray doesn't act like that around Master Makarov! He's still Gray, of course. He doesn't say it out loud; he's still the quiet guy when Natsu isn't in his face about something. Whenever someone comes sniffing around with a grudge about Siegrain or the Oracion Seis or Grimoire Heart, though, he's right there with an ice wall and a stare that sends them running.

But Erza. Oh, Mom, I see her when she's looking at Jellal and he doesn't know, and there's this...longing, just hopeless, endless yearning for something she thinks she'll never have. Someone. It tears her apart that he won't let them be together. God, it tears me apart. I'm mostly glad that Mirajane and Ultear are working on them, I really am, but if he's going to be like this, maybe Erza should let him go?

Who am I kidding? This is Erza we're talking about. She'll fight the whole guild to defend a slice of strawberry cake, and win! There's no way she's giving up on the person she loves. I'm really glad she realized that starting over as friends was a good idea, and she's being patient, but she can't leave it there. Not Erza. Except, no matter how much he does for everyone, Jellal just hates himself so much. It's such a mess. If this were a romance novel, they'd be the main characters.

It might not be so bad if it weren't for Mermaid Heel. Their ace, Kagura, is Simon's sister. She accepted the verdict at the trial, but Jellal and Ultear really are inseparable, and I guess Ultear's the one who killed Simon when you get down to it. Dad, I think Kagura really wants to kill her. Gray's beside himself worrying about his nee-san, and Erza – Simon's sister wants to kill Gray's sister, and Jellal's caught in the middle. Erza's going crazy worrying about all of them. Then there's Millianna. I like her, a lot, but she can't accept what happened with Jellal. She thinks it's all a brilliant, evil trick. I know she's wrong. She has to be, right? But...what's she going to do, when even her beloved Kagura thinks Jellal's innocent?

Knows. Knows Jellal is innocent.

Okay, enough of that! I've managed to avoid Mira-nee's efforts to drag me into "Team Jerza," and I'm pretty sure nobody's going to be killing anyone in an arena, so let's talk Grand Magic Games! Natsu hasn't developed any new "super-moves" or anything, but he's become more powerful than ever. It's crazy how strong he's gotten. Wendy may not have caught up with him, but considering where she was when training started, she's probably developed the most out of all of us. Our Sky Sorceress has become the sweetest force of nature who will ever kick your butt. Well, my butt. Yours is in Heaven, so it's un-kick-able, right?

Gray's improvements haven't been as obvious, but his ice magic is colder and tougher, and he can make enormous waves of it. He's frustrated, though, because he hasn't been able to become an Ice Devil Slayer, even with Gray-2's help. Something about "becoming one with the demon energies" that he's reluctant to do. I'm not going to blame him for that – we're not fighting any demons in Crocus, right?

Even Happy and Carla have joined in. They can both grow to human size now, just like Pantherlily! Well, they're not as big, but Lily says that's because they're still young. Carla developed some Air Magic, which is perfect for helping Wendy, and Happy's actually gotten strong! He can do these claw attacks that cut through the air at enemies, and he's learned to fight up close with incredible strength. As for Erza, well, Master Makarov says she's gotten more powerful too. It's hard for me to tell, because she always seems so invincible, but if anyone would know, it's the Master.

It's not just us, though. Everyone's been working and training hard so we can climb back to the top! It's hard to pick anyone out – Alzack and Bisca, Shadow Gear, the Thunder Tribe, the Take Over Family, "Team Sorciere" (I'm going to be honest, I think it's a cute name, even if Natsu hates it), everyone's been getting stronger – but if I had to choose someone, it'd be Gajeel. He's been pushing himself to the limit every day, demanding Jellal push him harder and faster at every session. He's been relentless. It's kind of hard to watch him training to get tougher, so he can protect his nakama. I can't even see the Phantom Lord wizard from last year. Seven years ago. You know what I mean.

"Nakama." Levy and I talked to Shou about this word a few weeks ago. It sounds like Nihonese is a complicated language. It means "comrades" in casual use, kind of like "comrades in arms." But to our world-sisters and brothers on Earthland-2, it means guild. It means family. I know Master Makarov needs the money from this tournament for something serious, but I can't help but feel like that's what we're really fighting for. These Sabertooth wizards, they don't live up to that – not in our world. We can't let them be the face of magic in Fiore, not if they're going to be bullies. That's why we have to win. So Ishgar knows what a guild really is.

Love you,

Lucy

OXOXO

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Makeshift Guild Hall, X791: Laxus

"Oi, oi, this ain't right," Laxus insisted, careful to keep his watch on Lahar casual. "Your own Council said he was innocent."

"It's just a request. It's okay, Laxus," Jellal muttered, looking down.

"Like Grim it is," Gray retorted. Laxus nodded. Erza, as was increasingly typical (not to mention maddening) with all things Jellal, looked away. The woman was twiddling her fingers. Freaking Erza was twiddling her fingers, like Wendy or something.

Gramps cleared his throat. "Now, now, let's hear the man out, shall we?" The old man put on his best "I'm a harmless old man" smile for the Rune Knight. We're gonna talk about this later, geezer, Laxus thought, but let it go for the moment.

"As Mr. Fernandes noted, this is no more than a request," Lahar explained, looking only a little nervous. If he didn't look at least a little worried, Laxus mused, noting that most of the guild had surrounded him with glares and crossed arms, I'd think he was nuts. "The Magic Council would not attempt to force a wizard in good legal standing to conceal his identity. Nevertheless, the media have been debating his situation since the trial. It would make our lives easier if Jellal were to keep a low profile for a time. Your blue Sorciere cloaks will no longer suffice, either. To your devotees and detractors alike, they've become your signature."

Jellal stared at the captain. "'Devotees?'" he whispered.

"Whatever my personal opinions on your vigilante methods," Lahar said, adjusting his glasses before Laxus could punch them into his face, "the fact remains that you protected more than a third of Ishgar's nations from threats they could not overcome themselves. Even that calculation does not account for the potential global threat represented by the Decalogue incident." He shrugged. "Team Sorciere is popular across Ishgar. At the same time, those who dislike you tend to hate you. King Bradley wants you all destroyed. We would appreciate it if you minimize the chances of antagonizing such agitators during the Grand Magic Games."

Gramps frowned. "I would like to have Jellal in Crocus with the rest of the guild, Captain Lahar."

"Even without the God Slayer magic that was my birthright, I remain unable to use the most basic Transformation Magic," Jellal sighed.

Laxus stared at the tattoo on Jellal's face. "This face will cause problems no matter which brother I am mistaken for," Mystogan said, the two of them looking over the S-Class mission board together. "Better that no one see it at all." He scratched his chin. "Mystogan," he muttered.

Jellal's eyes widened, then he facepalmed. "I'm an idiot," he sighed.

"We knew that," Ultear quipped. Meredy giggled. Laxus glanced at the older woman. Damn, she looks good for older, though, he noticed. "While we were on Earthland-2, Jellal used the Mystogan disguise as well." The time mage smiled at him.

Laxus let himself smile back a little. "That's a relief. It means I don't have to teach him everything." He put an arm around Jellal, who stiffened, and steered him towards the back door. "Oi, Mira, could you bring Myst's stuff? I dunno where they put it, and you knew him best after me."

"Be right there!" Mirajane cheered, vanishing into a store room.

"Do not forget the energies we've sensed around the Grand Magic Games, Captain," Jellal called over his shoulder. Laxus guided Jellal outside while Gramps pointed Lahar at Erza. Titania started to read the Rune Knight a polite riot act just before Laxus pushed Jellal out the door.

It was a sunny day, and the fields around them were nice even if their makeshift guild hall was kinda lame. Laxus let the blue guy go and walked around to face him. "Let's start with the obvious one. Do you know how to use Mystogan's magic?"

"I never became an expert in it," Jellal explained, "but I learned to wield each staff, and the collection as a whole, with passable skill."

"Okay." Laxus nodded. "You don't have to act like him exactly, because screw the Council, but you should be more confident and aloof." He looked Jellal up and down. "We've only got a few days to get you trained up, so we're going to focus on Myst's signature moves: Mist Life, Mirror Water, and Sacred Song." The Lightning Dragon Slayer smiled with mischief. "Myst liked Erza too. I figured he had one of his own back home. So you don't have to be any more stupid than you already are." Jellal sighed. "Less would be better."

"There isn't going to be anything between Erza and myself," Jellal insisted. Mirajane had just emerged with Mystogan's clothes and staves, the She-Demon pouting at his response. "I'm grateful beyond words that she thinks me worthy to be her friend. I will not risk her by considering more."

Mira threw Myst's outfit at the back of Jellal's head. Hard not to get a guy's attention with that, Laxus thought, smile growing with Mira's pout. "Erza – loves – you," she accused, pointing at him and jabbing towards him with each word. Then she put her hands on her hips, and Laxus' smile vanished. Uh-oh. She's more ticked than I thought, Laxus realized. "If you didn't love her, you'd just say so. You do love her, which means you're being an idiot."

"I am aware that our – childhood infatuation – remains, in spite of the years and pain. Perhaps because of the years and pain," Jellal picked up Mystogan's clothes, unwinding the bandages with telekinesis. "If no one objects, I'm going to reduce the width of these pant legs. Zera, how did he move in this?"

"Erza's the only one who cares about your damn pants," Laxus snarked. Jellal blushed, eyes wide. "It ain't no infatuation, Jellal. Titania can't do anything halfway. You must've noticed."

Jellal glared at him. "I – if the Council is wrong, I abused her for eight years." Mirajane threw Mystogan's fan staff at him. Jellal winced when it collided with his head. "Fine, let's allow for the other possibility. If the Council is right, she hasn't seen me since I was eleven. Either way, to bear such feelings for so long in the face of all that evil is irrational."

"Love isn't supposed to be rational," Mirajane argued, holding up Myst's eye staff like a club. "Don't you think Erza deserves to be happy?"

Jellal turned to face her, and Mirajane flinched at whatever she saw. "There is nothing in any world I want more," he insisted. I believe him, Laxus decided. "I have caused her – I will cause her – nothing but pain."

"Except for Nirvana, and the Infinity Clock, and the last few months of training, and saving Fairy Tail from that creep Caine, and whatever the Grim you did for two years that made her fall for you in the first place," Laxus pointed out. Jellal took a breath to argue again, so Laxus held up a hand. "Let me finish, okay? I'll give you a shot after that." The blue guy sighed and nodded. Man, that was a lot like Myst, Laxus thought. "Look, I know love can be messed up. Freed still loves me, which is freakin' crazy, 'cause I'm straight and I still managed to screw him over. Levy's thing for Gajeel is just plain weird. Doesn't have to be romantic, either. I still love that jerk Ivan, even though I hate his guts, too. Gramps knows everything he's done, but he'd probably welcome the creep home with open arms if he just said he's sorry." He looked at Mira for a second. She's smiling. That's a good sign, right? Laxus wondered. "Erza's crazy about you. I don't get it either, but you ought to know her well enough by now to know she doesn't give up, ever."

"I gave up, once," Jellal whispered. "Never again." Laxus stared for a second. Oh, crap.

Mirajane snorted at the last bit and threw the eye staff at Mystogan. He caught it, but the She-Demon didn't seem to notice. "Jellal, even when she thought those people had broken you, Erza knew that it wasn't who you really were," she insisted. "I didn't make up that 'Shield of Ishgar' thing, you know. That's what people have been calling Crime Sorciere's leader for the last year."

"The Starburst," Jellal muttered. Huh? Laxus wondered.

"When awful things happen to people, sometimes their minds don't work right for a while," Mira continued as though Jellal hadn't said anything. "It happened to me when I thought Lisanna died. It would be bad enough if you were punishing yourself for breaking under torture after six years in that – that place," she continued, tears starting to shine in her eyes, "but it wasn't you! I know demons and Take Overs when I see them, and Nemesis took you over."

"You say that," Jellal replied, "like it helps." He shook his head. "If I had really loved Erza, I would–" he stopped, teeth clenched, eyes closed. "This conversation is over." Laxus' eyes widened. Mira's hands went to her mouth. That – that's it. Whatever he was about to say, that's what's killing him inside.

Mira took a breath to lay into him again. "Let it go, Mira," Laxus jumped in. "We've helped as much as we can. More's just going to make it worse."

"Thank you, Laxus," Jellal said, grabbing the staves with his telekinesis. "I'll be right back." He darted behind some trees, making a curtain by holding up his cloak and surcoat with more TK.

The look Mirajane threw Laxus was serious enough to surprise the lightning mage; neither pouting nor furious, it made Laxus feel like he was being judged. "Every moment is precious, Laxus," she argued.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we should forget patience," Laxus explained. "He's a mess, Mira. He was kidnapped when he was five, and stayed some kind of captive for fifteen years. He almost told us what's really eating him up, did you notice?" Mira nodded. "Whatever it is, he can't say it. Not yet. So we've gotta take our time, help him deal with it when he's ready. We push too hard, we'll break something."

After a few seconds, Mirajane nodded. "I'm sorry, Laxus. Erza's just so miserable over this, and Jellal – it's awful, seeing a Fairy Tail wizard with such a good heart torturing himself." She bowed her head. "Everything I've been through, and I can't even imagine what this is like for them." She looked back up again, lips tight. "Do...do you ever feel like we don't deserve everything life's given us? We're S-Class Fairy Tail wizards. Our magic came from outside. Being blessed with a family like Fairy Tail...getting Lisanna back..."

"Don't overthink it," Laxus shrugged. "Life's a crap shoot. Some people roll sevens, others get snake eyes. That's why Gramps doesn't put just any job up on the board. Fairy Tail isn't just about us." An old memory of a reporter he dated once sparked in his mind. "'Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.' That's us too. I know you want to give back, especially to Erza, but there's plenty we can do, even while Blue's being stubborn."

Laxus stumbled at the shining smile Mirajane flashed at him. "Laxus Dreyar, is that you?" she joked. "You're a man I haven't seen in years!" He gaped at her. She got me! Laxus realized, then gave in and laughed. Mira joined in.

"Mystogan" emerged from his makeshift changing room. He'd taken in the thighs to the point where they were a bit like armor, just a thick layer over his legs, but in every other way it was perfect. "So. How do I look?"

"Like a fashion victim," Laxus quipped, "but that ain't your fault." Jellal blinked while Mira giggled. "His Highness got his ideas about Earthland clothing from hero manga."

"The sandals feel a little loose," Jellal admitted, "compared to the rest of the garb. Did he use magic to keep them on?"

Mirajane's giggles turned into gentle laughter. "Just wrap a bandage under them," she explained. "Myst did that sometimes when he was worried about loose ground." Huh. I didn't know that.

Gramps cleared his throat and walked into the clearing. "Children." He looked Jellal up and down, then grinned. "Now that brings back memories. And with the magic of that arsenal combined with your Heavenly – er, Cosmic Magic – Fairy Tail has a new secret weapon!"

"I will do everything in my power to protect the guild, Master," Jellal said, bowing.

Laxus and Mira sighed in perfect time. "He's Mystogan, all right," they said as one.

Gramps chucked, ignoring Jellal's sweat drop. "I had no doubt of that, my boy, but I came here with something else in mind."

All three of them stared at Gramps and his growing, diabolic smile. "I thought you were gonna send Team Erza to compete," Laxus noted.

"It turns out that this year, guilds are allowed to send two teams each," Gramps explained. Grim, now that sounds like fun, Laxus thought, he and Mira growing smiles to match Makarov's. "The three of you are obvious choices. We just need to pick two other members who can be powerful and discreet."

Myst held his chin. "Gajeel and Juvia have seen some of the most progress in the last three months," Jellal said, "and they are quite reliable in matters of discretion. Wouldn't you agree, Sixth Master?"

Laxus kept his expression neutral. Does he know about Gajeel's assignment? the Dragon Slayer wondered. Gramps' poker face was perfect, no surprise there. "Mmm. So." The old man's grin returned. "Let the games begin!"

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X791: Mirajane

Mira bounced on the bed, laughing. "Comfy!" she cheered, eliciting chuckles from Juvia, Cana, and even Laxus. Gajeel snorted, but grinned.

Mystogan was on the balcony, staring at Mercurius, "This feels familiar," he muttered, eyes flickering to the nearby Honeybone for an instant before looking into the sky. "Why do I think I should recognize this?"

"Will you relax?" Mira pleaded, falling back into the bed. "We're all here, and there's plenty of time before midnight." She sighed, dreaming of deep red eyes and black lipstick.

Cana laughed, swaying where she sat on the foot of her bed. "We all know how much you like getting to Midnight, Mira," she laughed, only for Gajeel and Juvia to gape at the She-Demon, and Myst to stare. Cana blinked a few times. "Or maybe it's just me and Laxus. Come on. Mystogan's boring – it's his job. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and Mystie's gotta be a killjoy." She shook her head and took another swig. "What does Erza even see in you?" The She-Demon rose in Mirajane before she could stamp her down. Why you–

"I have no idea," Mystogan replied, facing Mercurius again.

Juvia rounded on Cana, glaring at the card wizard enough that she fell back onto the bed. "Jellal-dono is like Gray-sama," she insisted. "He makes the rain go away." Mira clapped, relieved. "He even went a little overboard with Lyon." Myst sweat-dropped.

"What's that about Lyon?" Mirajane asked, worried for Juvia and happy for a chance to tease Mystogan. "Did he do something?"

"He tried to force Gray and Juvia into a wager, where Juvia would be forced to join Lamia Scale if they won," Mystogan said. "I pointed out to Lyon that he was treating his supposed love like a thing instead of a person." He cleared his throat. "There...may have been threats involved." Juvia chuckled. Mira joined in.

"Ehh?" Cana asked, sitting back up and blinking. She peered at Myst, then back at Juvia. "Oh, yeah, I see it now. That whole 'I'm too cool' thing until a sob story drags his heart out of the deck." Juvia nodded. "I just figured Erza would want someone a little spicier, you know? Not like the Vanilla Knight over there."

"Spicier?" That got Mystogan's attention again, and he looked over his shoulder at them.

Cana laughed, holding up her bottle and letting her arm sway back and forth with it. "Oi, Mirajane, have you told the blue virgin about Erza's ero–" Mirajane leaped over and pinned Cana to the wall, one hand over the woman's mouth, the other hand on her bottle so the spirits wouldn't spill all over the room. Cana's eyes went wide. "mmph!"

"finish that sentence," Mirajane whispered, the She-Demon alight in her eyes, "and i will tell erza you're getting between her and her man." Cana whimpered in desperate submission and nodded as much as Mira's grip allowed. "do not screw this up, cana." She let her old friend go, then smiled at the others. All four wizards were staring at her with wide, round, blank eyes, even Jellal. "It's nothing!" she insisted. Cana gulped, stoppered her bottle, and put it away.

"Scary," Gajeel and Juvia both whispered.

"She-Demon," Laxus explained.

"I'm not a virgin," Myst said, looking away again.

They all stared at him. Cana's jaw dropped. "So...many...questions..." she breathed. Still, she glanced at Mira and closed her mouth. Not that I blame her for–

Mystogan's eyes went wide. "Wendy? No – Meteor!" He was gone in a flash.

"Iron Dragon Scales!" Gajeel chanted, his armor forming over his skin. He growled, teeth bared. "If someone hurt Wendy, I'm gonna smash them to paste!" Mirajane paled. Wendy? Who would target that wonderful child?

Cana pulled out her cards and started laying out a reading. "Edge of darkness," she mumbled, frowning. "Greed, jealousy, hatred. Huh. Team Sorciere said there was something nasty here."

With a snap, Mystogan reappeared in the room. "Wendy and Carla were attacked by a small, magic draining monster," he explained, eyes tight and narrow. "They'll be fine tomorrow – I interrupted their assailant – but I wasn't able to get there before they lost most of their magic."

"So she can't compete," Laxus rumbled. Sparks crackled around his body. "Convenient."

"I ran into your siblings on the way back," Myst continued, looking at Mirajane. "Elfman's going to take her place on Erza's team. Lisanna went to stand guard over Wendy with Cobra and Richard. No one's getting to her a second time." They all relaxed. Then Myst turned to Laxus. "Laxus, have you heard anything about Raven Tail being declared a legal guild?"

For a moment, the wide-eyed pain in Laxus' eyes broke Mirajane's heart. His expression became stony and flat an instant later. "First I've heard of it. Why?"

"They're allowing two teams...there are a number of different circumstances, but on Earthland-2, in X787, a member of Raven Tail named Obra attacked Wendy and Carla before the elimination round. Their Jellal had set up wards around the city, so he was able to reach them in time, but the effect was similar. Possibly identical." Laxus sparked more furiously while Jellal continued. "I didn't recognize the energies for several seconds, hence the difference." Mira forced herself not to snap at him. Jellal Fernandes, don't you dare blame yourself for this!

"It's not like Ivan talks to me much any more," Gajeel added, "but I haven't heard anything about them joining the Grand Magic Games."

Myst's nod was slow. "Porla's still in prison, so he won't have 'Alexei' as a secret–" Gajeel stared at Myst, eyes bulging. Juvia gasped as well, but their reactions were different enough for Mira to tell that Gajeel had more context. "Gajeel?" the masked wizard asked.

"Alexei's the guild ace," Gajeel explained. Mystogan's eyes widened, and he called up an Archive screen. "Wears a full suit of armor. Even I don't know who he is."

"According to the Council, Porla's still in his cell," Mystogan muttered, mug shots of the former Phantom Lord master appearing on his Archive. "Then again, we've seen that before, with Brain."

"Master Jose," Juvia whispered, eyes locked onto the magic screen until it vanished.

Gajeel patted her on the shoulder. "You know he didn't care about any of us, Juvia."

"Juvia knows...but, as awful as Phantom Lord was sometimes, it was the first place that gave Juvia a home. He was the first person to welcome Juvia." She looked out at the stars. "Gray-sama made the rain go away, he made it possible for Juvia to know happiness, but Master Jose–"

The clock rang midnight. "Okay, everybody up," Laxus ordered. "Now we find out – whoa!" The inn shook, then rose into the air, towering above Crocus with dozens of others. "What the Grim?"

The pumpkin-faced mascot of the Games appeared as a giant image over the city, explaining the elimination round and why they were implementing it. Mystogan tossed Gajeel a chunk of iron. The Dragon Slayer ate it up. "Karma Demon: Meteor Iron," he chanted, and his body glowed a dark blue.

"Take Over: Satan Soul – Halphas!" Mira chanted. I'm sure Master Makarov would want me to use my fastest form, she justified to herself.

"Juvia may be the slowest member of the team now," Juvia said, biting her lip.

"We'll be fine," Laxus insisted. "It's a maze. Fast isn't enough. Mystogan, star-eye mode."

"Hermetic Formula One: Astrology," Myst chanted. The blue seal formed over his head.

"Sky Labyrinth...begin!" the mascot cried.

Together, they raced up the path to the spherical maze. It was easy to bypass most of the competition, the few foolish enough to attack falling to Evil Spark, Starburst, or a Dragon Roar. Juvia pouted as they advanced, the others' long-range attacks literally beating her to the punch. Mystogan called up another Archive screen, automatically mapping the paths as they went through. "We're doing well so far," Laxus said, "but I taste electricity in the air. Be ready for–"

The whole thing shook and turned, nearly throwing Gajeel and Juvia off the path. Mystogan caught Juvia, and Mirajane caught Gajeel, before they could drop too far. "–anything," Laxus drawled.

Mystogan peered over the side. "At least that 'lives lost' business was a bluff," he observed. "They used magic to catch the teams that fell off."

"We've gotta worry about our own situation," Laxus insisted. "Forward!"

"Aye!" they all cheered (except Mystogan, who nodded), and they surged ahead. In under a minute, they'd reached a fairy tale landscape, with castles and rivers and a painted sky. In the distance, just visible, was...

"Sabertooth!" Laxus roared. "Let's beat 'em to first place!" He transformed into lightning and rushed ahead.

"Juvia is finally in her element!" the water wizard cheered, merging with the river and darting to keep up with Laxus. "Fairy Tail will emerge victo–"

"Needle Blast!" "Crimson Hair!" "Sand Rebellion!" an enemy guild chanted, all three spells lashing out at once.

Mirajane gasped. "Dark Deflector!" she chanted, her barrier straining against the triple attack.

"Three Layer Circle: Mirror Water," Mystogan joined in. Together, their shields threw all three spells back at their attackers. "Raven Tail," Myst added, eyes narrowing.

"Fairy Tail," Alexei intoned, glaring down at them from one of the higher paths. The rest of his guild was gathered behind him. "You will not claim victory. You will not even claim opportunity. For you, this tournament is over." Mirajane snarled, Evil Explosion gathering in her hands. Gajeel crouched, claws growing. Mystogan pointed his fin staff at Alexei.

"OI!" Laxus shouted. "We can play with them later! Win this thing first!"

Mystogan sweat-dropped again. "Solid Seal," he chanted, an enormous barrier forming between the two guilds.

"What's this?" Alexei complained, firing a beam of dark power at the wall. It didn't budge.

How embarrassing, Mirajane thought, the three wizards flying to catch up. I should've known better than to let those jerks distract me. Mira looked at Gajeel and grinned. "You can fly, huh?"

"I forgot," he mumbled, blushing even through his iron scales.

It took them less than a minute to reach the goal. "Congratulations, kabo!" the pumpkin-man cheered. "You have passed, and taken second place!" He bowed. "I, your host Mato, am honored to welcome you to the Grand Magic Games, kabo."

Mira giggled and bowed back. "The honor is ours. Mr. Mato." The mascot straightened, blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"How the Grim does a pumpkin blush?!" Gajeel demanded.

"What's this?" Rufus Lore turned and stared at the Fairy Tail wizards. "You were that close behind us? I don't remember anyone chasing our team this well."

Sting turned, a huge grin on his face. It vanished the moment he took them in. "Oh. Natsu's not with you. Oh well." He turned and walked away.

"Oi!" Gajeel shook his fist. "Don't you tun your backs on us, you–"

"Don't worry," Rogue said, meeting Gajeel's glare with a cool gaze. "I will face you. And I will defeat you."

"Ignore them," Laxus said, nudging Gajeel just as he started to grin. "This is just the starting line." He strode off. "What matters is who reaches the finish first." Mystogan and Juvia nodded. Mirajane smiled while Gajeel continued to shout at Sabertooth, Laxus towing him away, and Raven Tail came through the goal gate behind them. Laxus. I'm so happy the real you is back.

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-One: Playing To Win

Earthland-1, Domus Flau, X791: Gray

Gray leaned against the column, dreaming of Iced Shell. Master Ur. Is this what I've made of your teachings? I couldn't protect Wendy...I couldn't get Fairy Tail a single point...Juvia...Lucy... He didn't even have the energy to hit something. He watched as "Mystogan" strode out to face Jura. Jellal. Can even you beat the fifth Wizard Saint?

"What's that look?" Ultear asked, walking up to him.

For once, he didn't want to see his sister's face. "Nothing," he muttered.

"Stop it, Gray," Ultear sighed. "You and Jellal really are two of a kind. He's beating himself up because he should have remembered this." She shook her head. "I really don't know how. It was X787 on Earthland-2. Things shouldn't be so similar." Gray turned and looked at her. "We're pretty sure Ivan used his illusions to trick you and Juvia in Hidden. We know Raven Tail cheated against Lucy."

"What?" Gray leaped to his feet. "Why aren't we beating the crap out of them?!"

"Because we can't prove it," Ultear explained, folding her arms and leaning on the column across from him. "Jellal's taken some extra precautions against Obra. We shouldn't have any more problems with him." Gray made a fist. "I know. It's driving me crazy, too. On Earthland-2, we could investigate freely, but here, I don't dare step 'one toe out of line.' Fortunately, Meredy's on the case with Lisanna and the Thunder Tribe."

The gong rang out, and humiliation or no, Gray wasn't going to sulk while a Fairy Tail wizard was fighting for the guild. He stood and focused on the battle, Ultear by his side. What's wrong with me? This, Ultear being a Fairy Tail wizard by my side, this is more than I had the right to ask for. We've got four more days to–

Jura knocked Jellal into the air with his magic, but none of his columns could touch Jellal as the S-Class wizard dodged. Mystogan sent the staves out to surround Jura, hitting him with Sacred Song. "Zen God," Gray whispered. "He's not even using his magic yet."

"You'd better not be showing off for Erza, Jellal," Ultear worried, jaw clenched.

Gray's amazement grew when Jura shook off Sacred Song to counterattack with a rock fist. Mirror Water deflected it, but Jura just turned his attack around again, and Jellal went flying. "What are you doing? Get serious, J–'Mystogan!'" Gray shouted.

He got serious.

Activating Meteor Wave, he raced around Jura, pummeling him and avoiding all the Lamia Scale wizard's attacks. He shot into the air to avoid a volley of bricks, but one attack knocked him out of the sky. Jellal had already drawn Grand Chariot, though, unleashing it as he landed. Jura defended with a giant rock statue, which managed to survive the fantastic assault while the entire stadium shook. They stared each other down, Jura watching Mystogan with a thin smile. Seconds passed.

All at once, Jellal dropped into a magic gesture Gray had never seen before. The raw power emanating from the star mage rippled through the coliseum. Mystogan's staves lanced out to the edge of the arena, reinforcing the walls. What the Grim? What kind of crazy magic is Jellal– "True Cosmic Magic: SEMA!"

"Jellal, you didn't!" Ultear blurted. She leaned over the side and looked up. The rest of the audience followed suit, Gray included. The sky went dark. A massive seal turned over the stadium, surrounded by clouds. A light burned through the darkness, growing by the second. "Zen God. He did." Ultear grabbed Gray's arm, Honeybone appearing in her crystal orb.

"Ultear! What is he–" Gray froze, eyes bulging in disbelief, as he saw what had panicked Ultear. A meteor was descending on the arena. An actual, full-size, city-killing meteor. With Crocus less than half a kilometer away from the stadium.

The meteor burned with a red-gold light, the massive sphere shrinking as it descended. Wait...it should be getting larger, not smaller, Gray realized. Jura's Rock Mountain reappeared, glowing with a white light. "Rumbling Mount Fuji!" he chanted, and his beam of power lanced up at the descending meteor.

"It's Jellal. He compressed the asteroid," Ultear whispered, staring as the still-house-sized meteor smashed through both of Jura's spells and struck the center of the arena. Gray couldn't make anything out but gasps and screams amidst the explosion.

When the light faded, there was a hemisphere of red-hot stone and metal in the center of the stadium. Mystogan floated above the fallen asteroid, staves returning to his back. Jura was on his back, eyes white and blank. Myst held out a hand, and a chunk of the iron tore from the star stone to float over his hand.

"J-Jura's down! Jura – is – down! What an upset! What a comeback!" Chapati cheered. "Ten points for Fairy Tail B Team!"

Mystogan flew down, levitated Jura to float beside him, returned the Wizard Saint to his team, then flew to the tunnel where the rest of his team was cheering. He tossed Gajeel the meteoric iron. Probably more than a snack, Gray guessed. The rest of Fairy Tail was cheering as well, the whole guild going nuts from their balcony. Lucy had rejoined them, Michelle fussing over her, and from the look of things, it wasn't just B Team who'd gotten a boost from the victory. "Ah, Jellal," Ultear chuckled. "You really can't do things halfway, can you? Come on, Gray. Something tells me your guild's going to want to go crazy after that."

Gray looked out at the audience. In spite of the incredible spectacle, they were staring in shock. A few people applauded, but just as many booed. Most of them were just quiet. "Yeah," he said, tearing his attention away from the complete lack of respect. "Yeah, the Master's gonna want to throw some party for that win."

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Honeybone, X791: Erza

Erza could see Jellal's blush right through Mystogan's mask. Master Makarov had planted him in the middle of the room, the whole guild celebrating his stunning victory. Meredy took particular joy in poking his cheek, giggling at his shrouded embarrassment. Knowing you, this will only be a single step toward showing you that you belong here, Erza thought, smiling, but I will take every step I am given.

"Now now, let's not gush over Mystogan too much," Makarov said, waving Meredy down. Ultear snatched a mug from the Maguilty Mage's hand as she walked past. "After all, he ruined a perfectly good losing streak. It's not going to be nearly as exciting climbing back to the top now!" He laughed, and another thing Erza could see through the mask was Jellal's sweat drop.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that," Lucy replied, rubbing the back of her neck. Michelle was still planted by Lucy's side, two vines rippling around the former doll's waist."A Team's still at zero points..."

"True enough! Let's hear it for climbing from the rungs we're on!" Makarov cheered.

"AYE!" the guild cheered back.

Cana fell over, eyes swirling. Eh? Erza wondered, turning, to find Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus fighting Macao and Wakaba. Cana's top fluttered to the ground as they all fell. Jellal darted through the falling men to retrieve the top and throw a cloak around the plastered card wizard, then glared at Bacchus in a fury. Shou appeared at Jellal's side, his own deck to hand. "Bacchus?" Erza called.

The Drunk Falcon leaped to his feet. "Yo! If it ain't Erza. *hic* You're a fine babe as always."

Jellal shot to Bacchus' side, Meteor Wave roaring around him. "You have overstayed your welcome, I believe."

Bacchus giggled, eyes rolling. "Ha! I knew cape boy had a thing for you," he smirked. "You wanna have a go too, Mystie?" Jellal didn't react, looking to Erza instead.

"You reek, Bacchus," Erza sighed. "It's been a while."

Lucy walked over, Michelle glaring at the Falcon as she followed. "You know him?" she asked. Erza nodded.

"Gone for seven years, huh? That's a drag," Bacchus hiccuped. Shou remained at Cana's side, both decks swirling around them, while he glared at the Drunk Falcon. For a moment, he glanced at Ultear, but then returned his attention to Cerberus' S-Class wizard. Hm.

"True enough. It seems you're not representing Quatro Cerberus in the Grand Magic Games," she probed. Which is odd. He's their ace.

He laughed. "Well, I thought I'd leave it to the kids this year, but after War Cry got fried, my manly soul couldn't be silenced." He leaned in, voice dropping, breath stinking. "So, yeah, I'm on the team." He hiccuped again.

"Congratulations," Jellal snapped. "If you need help finding the door, I would be happy to assist you." Ultear, Laxus, and Mirajane all chuckled. Cobra and Laxus even fist-bumped.

"Get 'im, nii-san!" Meredy encouraged him, staggering from her own celebrating.

"Oh?" Bacchus turned, grinning at Jellal. "Mystie thinks he can take me, when he's just...on staff?" He laughed at his own joke, then turned and leered at Meredy. "Mmm, and your fangirl's a cute one. If you think you can take me, how about you put something precious on the li–"

Before Erza could react, Jellal slammed an uppercut into Bacchus' jaw. He – he got him! Erza realized, eyes wide, as the Cerberus ace went flying through the wall and over several blocks. Several jaws dropped, Lucy's and Meredy's included. Natsu and Gajeel laughed. Jellal's eyes glowed for a few seconds. "I kept him from landing anywhere unfortunate, Ultear," he explained. "Would you please..."

"Arc of Time: Restore," Ultear chanted, repairing the Honeybone in an instant. "You saved me the trouble, Jellal."

Jellal looked away. "Erza. I hope you did not take this as impugning your skill in any way."

"You were defending Meredy," Erza assured him, grinning, "after she cheered you on. Since you brought it up, Bacchus and I clashed on several missions, neither of us ever getting the upper hand. To defeat him in one blow? Well. One should expect nothing less from the man who defeated Saint Jura." He slunk back to his seat to more laughter.

Erza turned to cheer him up, but saw Gray glaring from the far corner of the room. She walked over to the ice mage and leaned on the wall beside him. "This isn't like you," she admonished.

"It ain't about me," Gray rumbled. "Jellal's match was one of the most amazing fights I've ever seen. Did you see how the audience reacted to him?"

Oh. Erza smiled. "I appreciate your concern, Gray. Jellal's innocence is something people are still grappling with. Give them time."

Gray snorted. "The Magic Council's stupid plan is working, Erza. They don't know it's Jellal. All they know is that 'Mystogan' beat one of their favorites. How are we supposed to become the number one guild again when that's how Fiore treats us?"

That...is not a bad question, Erza was forced to admit. "We'll find a way," she insisted.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1, Domus Flau

"Th-they really should have listened to us," Meredy stammered.

Erza glared at the scores for the Chariot competition. I cannot deny that Bacchus' victory was impressive after Jellal made such an impression on him, she thought, but Raven Tail is another matter. And Gajeel...Team Sorciere was right about him, too. All Dragon Slayers, eh? She glanced up at Laxus. That explains a few things about the Thunder Tribe's travels.

"Well, at least things are different now," Meredy exhaled. "The sand-mimic-guy fought Sherry in Earthland-2."

"Wow," Simon laughed. Erza froze. "That brings back memories."

Meredy turned, grinned, and waved. "Simon! Shouldn't you be at your Games?"

"Eh, Gildarts decided to compete this year," Simon-2 explained. Meredy's jaw dropped. "Yeah, it's kind of amazing that any of the other guilds are still in the running." He walked up to the wall, where Gray, Lucy, and Elfman smiled at him as well. "He did it so we could support you this year." His own cheer faded as he watched. "Besides, if we're right, the parallels between the time our Games went wrong, and this year in your world, could be trouble. Jellal-nii told you about the weird Zeref magic, right?"

"Y-yeah," Erza admitted, while Kurohebi overwhelmed poor Toby. "We still haven't found any trace of them, yet. The only hint so far has been Sherria, and she's an innocent." Then Kurohebi destroyed Toby's sock, and the world tinted red. Gray and Simon managed to hold her back before she could slice the creep into snake-kabobs.

Then it was Bacchus against Elfman. Simon chuckled. "Poor sod," he sighed, shaking his head. "Still, this is for Fairy Tail. Don't hold back, okay, Elfman?"

"R-right." Elfman swallowed, nodded, and marched toward his battle. Their lives are so different in that– Erza was unable to stop herself from flinching. Oh, Simon.

Simon looked at Erza, eyebrow raised. Then his eyes went wide. "Oh, crap. Erza, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting–"

Erza hugged him. "Having any Simon in my life is a blessing," she insisted, then let him go. "I don't know how powerful your Elfman is, but in our world, he's going to struggle against Bacchus. That man is dangerous."

"Jellal beat him with one punch, after fighting Saint Jura," Lucy jumped in. "Bacchus can't be that powerful, can he?"

Simon shook his head. "You can't judge any opponent because they lost to Jellal-nii," he insisted. "Ours is the number one God of Ishgar, and yours is probably at the same level." Lucy stared, mouth falling open. "We'll just have to cheer Elfman on." Right!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Domus Flau Infirmary, X791: Natsu

The sounds of fists on steel woke Natsu, and he sat up. Cobra was holding Wendy, Angel covered Carla with a wing, and Racer was standing over four battered guys in red suits and weird masks. "If you idiots were any slower," Racer snapped at the mask-guys, "you'd be going backwards."

"What's going on?" Natsu blurted. "Who are those guys?"

"Mercenaries," Cobra explained, trying to put Wendy back in bed. She clung to him, and he sighed. "Their skulls are so empty, I can hear the echo. They think Raven Tail hired them." He shook his head. "Thing is, they screwed up. They were hired to grab the girl who was in the infirmary."

Natsu gasped. "Lucy."

Cobra nodded. "Lucy."

Why? Why Lucy? Natsu growled, running his mind over the question until they brought Elfman in, every part of him but the left half of his face covered in bandages. "Elfman?!"

"He was amazing!" Lisanna cheered, while Erza and Simon-2 hauled him onto the bed. Natsu half-listened while the others praised Elfman's victory against Bacchus. Man, something about the attack doesn't make sense. He let the others steer him out while the Thunder Tribe offered to stand watch.

"Huh?" Racer scratched his head. "We're doing fine, in case – hey!" Natsu snickered when Cobra and Angel each grabbed an arm and started hauling him with them. "What're you doing?"

Cobra snorted. "Gettin' a chance to watch the Games, motor-brain."

"Learn to read a room, Racer," Angel piled on, looking at Evergreen. Then she used one of her flying mouth-things to close the door behind them. Everyone headed back for the arena, still complaining about Raven Tail.

"I still have my doubts about what happened," Carla said. "One of their members has the power to drain an opponent's magic. They've got a wizard whose magic is perfect for kidnapping another mage, so why wasn't he part of the operation?"

"The rules state that all the participants have to remain in the arena, so they're ready if they're called to a battle," Gray pointed out.

Wendy smiled. "You're over-thinking it, Carla," she assured her partner. Lucy nodded.

"Oi, oi," Cobra cut in, "is this that famous Fairy Tail support you all talk about?" The others all looked at him in surprise. Yeah, he's got a point, Natsu realized, while his fellow Dragon Slayer kept going. "Even Natsu isn't as stupid as he looks," he grinned, and Natsu glared at him, "but how many teammates have you got that are full-on smart? Before Team Sorciere joined, Carla there was probably the biggest brain in your guild. On top of that, she's got that super-rare clairvoyance magic." Carla looked up at him, eyes widening. "Maybe you shouldn't just blow her off. Just a thought."

"I'm sorry, Carla!" Wendy blurted. "I just–"

"–didn't want me to worry, I know," Carla finished. She smiled. "I'm fine, Wendy."

"That still doesn' t make it right," Gray sighed. "Ah man, we just got lectured on being Fairy Tail wizards by the Poison Dragon Slayer. Not living that one down any time soon."

"There's still that mysterious energy Crime Sorciere sensed," Erza pointed out. "It could be Raven Tail, but there is every possibility that we are facing a larger and more dangerous foe. We mustn't let our guards down, and we should travel in groups whenever possible."

Cobra was looking at Carla again, while Erza handed out instructions. The cat's smile was gone. The others headed into the arena. "Oi," Natsu said once the others were around the bend, then the two of them looked at him, "you two gonna tell me the part you're keeping to yourselves?"

"I don't go blabbing everything I hear in people's heads, torch-head," Cobra snapped. Carla gasped, paws going over her mouth. "I didn't do that when I was a bad guy."

Natsu crouched. "You saw something, didn't you?" he asked.

"It's probably not a vision," Carla insisted, but she smelled too worried for that to be the whole story. "Just a dream." Natsu squatted there and waited. "It was Mercurius, crumbling, and Lucy, either singing, or...screaming." She shook her head. "But it wasn't like a normal vision. It's blurry and hazy. I don't always see much, but they've always been clear before."

Natsu nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna say maybe you should talk to Ultear about it, but that's it." He grinned. "It's like Cobra said, we've got to trust each other, right?"

Carla looked away, then back at him with a fierce nod. "Right." Natsu's smile spread across his face. That's better!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Domus Flau, X791: Angel

"What is she doing?" Angel gasped, staring at her little sister. She'd just wagered her life against the Mermaid Heel ace's. "Yukino! Take this seriously!" she shouted. Yukino's eyes flickered towards her for a moment, then snapped back to the Mermaid Heel wizard.

"You're the one who told her she couldn't have a murderer for a sister," Cobra pointed out. "Tch." Angel – Sorano – trembled. Don't act so reckless over me! Cobra snorted again. "It ain't you. It's that whole Sabertooth thing. If she loses, she figures she might as well be dead anyway."

"WHAT?!" Natsu howled. "What kind of messed-up guild are they?"

Simon-2 grimaced. "Your Kagura's issues aren't the only reason my Ultear's watching from our reality. She took down Jiemma years ago, and she still hates his guts." Angel's stomach became a maelstrom as the shadow wizard made a fist surrounded by darkness. "He's a monster. I don't have the heart to tell you what he did to his own daughter." Angel turned to ask, but stopped when Kagura accepted the wager, and the duel began.

At first, Yukino was doing well. Kagura did nothing but evade Pisces, so Libra put an end to that. Then Kagura got serious. Her counter drove back Pisces, then crushed Libra's gravity magic with her own. Yukino... Sorano held one hand below the wall. I know I'm not supposed to use the coins any more, but if it's the only way to protect her–!

The angelic portal vanished even as Sorano reached for it. "You're going to make me open the 13^th Gate, aren't you?" Yukino asked. How...that's...you found it? Pride and terror warred in Sorano's heart. You're amazing, imoto, but why didn't Brain go after you? Did he care? Or did he have something even worse than usual in mind? She relaxed, watching the titanic avatar of the world-serpent fill the arena. At least I don't have to worry about this match, now. I've never felt power like this from a Celestial Spirit. Surely, only the Spirit King himself could–

It was over in a flash. Without even unsheathing her monstrous blade, Kagura sliced Ophiuchus length-wise, then knocked Yukino to the ground with a simple pommel blow. Sorano couldn't move. Something crushed the breath out of her. "Your life...your life belongs to me," the Mermaid announced.

"Then come and get it, bitch!" Sorano screamed, landing on the field between her sister and the bloodthirsty mermaid. The crowd cheered for some reason as Messengers filled the arena. Barakiel, Shamsiel, and even Raguel took form above her, unbidden. Kagura turned halfway around, and the flat, empty look she turned on Sorano made her blood boil. "You even point that sword at Yukino again, mermaid, and you'll know the power of a fallen angel!" Barakiel floated down and offered Yukino its hand. She didn't move. Maybe Shamsiel should do that, Sorano thought, noting Barakiel's long, taloned fingers.

Jellal appeared between them, but Sorano couldn't hear him over the roar of the crowd and the pounding in her ears. Kagura turned the rest of the way around to face her. The Mermaid ace tightened her grip on the hilt, and a wave of gravity pushed Master Jellal aside a few centimeters. That left the way between them clear. Whenever you're ready, Sorano growled. "This girl is precious to you? Foolish. She is your enemy," Kagura said, straightening. "Blood means nothing in this arena. You are a Fairy Tail wizard. She is Sabertooth."

"I know that," Sorano snarled, holding back tears that wanted to flood the world. "I pushed her away. I gave up what I love most!" Yukino gasped. "Precious to me, Mermaid? You know nothing. I went to Grim for her, and even after everything that happened, I'd do it again!" She held out her hand, and a silver-white sword came to it. "But there's blood on my hands, and I can't face her like that. Is that what you want to show your beloved Simon when you see him again? A Grim-stained reaper as lost as any demon? That's the path you're on!" Kagura's calm slipped, and her eyes narrowed, lips parting enough to show a thin white line. "This is a warning from someone on the other end of that road. There's nothing here but death. You will gain nothing, and lose everything!"

"So says greed, to justice," Kagura hissed back. "You sister spent her life cheaply, so cheap will I value it. Keep her for now. If you stand between me and my true prey, 'Angel,' you will find that you can fall farther still." With that, she turned on her heel and strode away.

Sorano exhaled, then turned to find Yukino standing there, watching her with a trembling lip. Every angel vanished, but Team Sorciere was around them, watching her back. "Sora...no..." Yukino breathed, then shook her head and composed herself. "If I have a sister, I would be happy to speak to her later. Right now, I must answer to my guild master." She walked away.

"Yukino–" Sorano pleaded, reaching out.

Cobra put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "After. Trust me," he said. "Her head's a mess right now. I can't make out one thought from another."

Angel took a breath, let it go, then nodded. "Very well." She turned and bowed to Jellal. "I apologize, Ma – Mystogan," she said, then rose to stiff attention. "It will not happen again."

"I hope not," Jellal replied, watching the top of the circular wall. "That got the Rune Knights' attention." Angel looked up, and saw that several Knights had taken position above them, each with a glowing staff at the ready. "If you need someone to help your sister, remember that we all joined Fairy Tail for a reason." She nodded, and Team Sorciere rejoined the rest of the guild. She was surprised to find most of them grinning at her. I think I'm the only one who's surprised, though.

A pang rippled through Angel, so unfamiliar that it took the entire trip back, and a little longer besides, to recognize it. Guilt. Jellal was afraid to be in Fairy Tail, to be with Titania again, but he agreed because the only one who might want to join another guild...didn't. She looked at her teammates, to find Ultear of all people watching Sabertooth like the team's own sentinel. Angel couldn't help but follow suit. Yukino. What are they going to do to her?

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Angel leaned on the balcony railing, dreaming of falling upward. No bars, no cuffs, no hounds – but are we really free? she wondered, rubbing a wrist. Her mind went in circles, returning to her prone, beaten sister again and again.

With a sigh, she turned her attention to her teammates. Midnight was fast asleep, to no one's surprise, though Racer snoring in the next bed over was. Richard was reading a book on paying off loans, for once not on the l-comm to his brother. That's right, we owe that Ogre guild a lot of money. Daphne was tinkering, her latest project unrecognizable to Angel. Ultear was going through images in her orb and frowning. That strange Zeref magic, Angel realized. Still no sign of it. Cobra leaned back in a chair, smiling even as he murmured. Ah, talking to the ex-snake, she thought, permitting herself a grin.

Cobra opened his artificial eye. The scar over his face made the sight striking. "I can hear you," he grumbled.

"Play a new song," Angel retorted, "that one's getting old." She turned back around, gazing at the moon. "Guys...I know we've been given a lot this last year."

"Surely, your sister will feel the strength of your love! Yes?" Richard said, putting down his book. "If you believe Sabertooth will harm her, we stand ready, yes." Angel almost smiled.

Ultear shook her head. "That's not their M.O. for members who fail," she replied. "Humiliation and excommunication, yes, but they only use violence against traitors." More images flickered through her crystal: the twelve spirits, living dragons, skeletal dragons, Mercurius falling, Lucy screaming. This time, Angel recognized the pang. Lucy. She's been...so nice to me...

Cobra stood. He turned to face the Honeybone, then waved for Angel to follow. "Your sister. She's with the cheerleader." Sorano didn't hesitate, trailing after him in an instant. "She went to offer her the other two gold keys." Sorano tensed. "Relax, Lucy turned her down."

"Do you want backup? Yeah?" Daphne asked, holding up her contraption. "I've got a few eyes in the air, if you want 'em."

"We must all be careful," Ultear reminded them. "One toe, remember? I'll contact Meredy and Gray. They'll – oh, Zen God," she sighed. "I am going to pound Lyon flat."

Cobra chuckled. "Relax. Like the boss would say, we'll be enough." They left the room, threading their way through the capitol. A majority of the night life watched them with eyes and jaws quivering, but no one gave them any trouble.

By the time they reached the Honeybone, Yukino was already down the street, rolling a single piece of luggage behind her. They almost collided into Natsu and Happy – or rather, from Angel's perspective, the other way around. "Oi!" Natsu yelped at Cobra. "Watch where you're going!"

"Yeah!" Happy added, paws pumping in the air.

"Hello to you too, Salamander," Cobra drawled.

"Natsu-sama, Hap – Sorano?" Yukino gasped, staring. "I – I don't understand."

"Well, I don't know what these two are doing here, but I came out to apologize," Natsu explained, rubbing the back of his neck. He turned his attention back to Yukino. "Sorry about before. You're not a bad person after all!"

Fury poured through Sorano. "What – did – you – say?" she snapped. Natsu leaped back, trembling. Cobra laughed.

"Ah! It's not as bad as it sounds, Angel!" Happy pleaded, waving his paws in denial. "Natsu just thought she was a bad guy because she's in Sabertooth!"

"And that's why I'm here apologizin'!" Natsu complained to Happy, his fear of Angel forgotten. He smiled at Yukino. "My bad!"

"That was pathetic!" Happy objected at his partner.

Cobra shook his head. "How do you fit that much noise in a space that small?" he chuckled.

"I know," Happy sighed, shrugging. "For Natsu, this is actually pretty mature."

Natsu whirled on them both. "What the Grim does that mean?" he objected.

"I meant you too, furball," Cobra added. Happy bleached out, head bowed.

Throughout the whole exchange, Yukino just watched the three boys, motionless. Then her head dropped a fraction. "You came to find me, just for that?"

"Well, not Angel. Or Sorano, when it's you," Cobra explained. Sorano swallowed, but said nothing. Maybe this won't be so bad.

"Yeah, well, I thought I might have gotten you down..." Natsu stammered, beads of sweat forming on his face.

"It wasn't you," Yukino whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Whoa, whoa, you're not supposed to apologize to me," Natsu objected.

"No kidding," Sorano rumbled. Then Yukino began to cry, and Sorano froze. Oh, no, what did I do? She tried to reach out to her sister, but her arms felt soaked in lead. "Yukino, what happened? Was it Sabertooth?"

"I can't hold it in any more..." Yukino sobbed, falling to her knees. Sorano discovered she still had a heart to break. "...no one's cared about me like this since...since my sister..." They all stared at the summoner. Cobra's growl was soft enough that Sorano almost missed it. "I always wanted to join Sabertooth, and I finally earned my place last year...but now, I can't go back..."

"They excommunicated you," Sorano hissed, Ultear's words lashing through her.

Yukino nodded. "I lost once...and they kicked me out..." Cobra put his hand on Sorano's shoulder. "...they made me strip...and use my own magic to erase my guild mark...it was awful, and humiliating...Master Jiemma crushed my dreams and self-respect...and now, I don't have anywhere to go..." Yukino shook her head, lost in tears and grief. Sorano realized why Cobra had his hand on her shoulder. So I don't turn their guild into an ABATTOIR!

Instead, Sorano dropped to her knees and gripped Yukino's shoulders. "What do you mean, no place to go? You can join Fairy Tail!"

Yukino gasped and looked up, still wiping away tears with one arm. Natsu made a weird choking sound. "I...I can?" she asked, eyes wide as they went from Sorano to Natsu to Cobra and back.

"Of course you can!" Sorano insisted, giving Yukino a gentle shake. "You're a brave, wonderful woman, with an incredible gift and a sharp mind. They took me, after everything I've done – I can't imagine them turning you away."

"I'm an idiot!" Natsu wailed at the sky. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You put the answer before the question," Cobra sighed, pinching his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Gray's too nice when he calls you a flame-brain." Natsu whirled on Cobra. Sorano concentrated for a moment, and a school of Messengers circled them from overhead. They both stopped talking.

Yukino stared at her mini-angels for a moment. "I could...if..." she looked at Sorano, and the pleading in her sister's eyes stitched her heart back together. "...if I have a sister."

"Yes!" Sorano cried, and the two sisters hugged each other, sobbing. One more miracle! Sorano exulted, the thought her prayer of thanks to the true heaven.

"You two get her to the Honeybone," Natsu said, pounding his fist. "Mira can give her a guild mark. There's something I've gotta go do." Sorano nodded, unable to form anything coherent.

"Don't be an idio – tch, never mind," Cobra grumbled. "Angel, can you get your sister to Fairy Tail? I'm going to stay with the Salamander so he doesn't get us kicked out of the city." He looked up at Lucy's apartment, mouth moving. Lucy, Michelle, Wendy, and Carla rushed down the stairs towards them, Meredy close behind. The boys headed off, probably to do something amazingly stupid. I don't care, Sorano thought, hugging Yukino closer. We're home.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X791: Meredy

"You want us to investigate the kidnapping attempt, First Master?" Meredy asked, looking at Jellal (still disguised as Mystogan) and Shadow Gear. I'm glad to be able to finally do something here, but... she glanced at Jellal, whose eyes were downcast.

Master Mavis nodded, smiling. "I've asked Cana to fill in for 'Mystogan' while he's working on this special project for me," she explained. "Don't worry, I've also asked Ultear to record the day's events, so you won't miss any of the action."

"That shouldn't be a concern, Master Mavis," Jellal shrugged.

Mavis's eyes did that starlight thing that always made her look adorable to Meredy. "My calculations suggest that Erza Scarlet will compete in the first challenge," she replied. Jellal reached up and checked his mask. Blush Magic, confirmed, Meredy grinned.

Levy looked up at Mercurius, then back to the massive green doors. "Given Carla's suspicions, it's wise to look into the matter. There are two things that bother me, though. One, why swap Mystogan for Cana, and two, why are we here?"

"Mystogan and Meredy understand the threat in the caverns below, and are skilled investigators. No one in Fairy Tail is better with a mystery than you, Levy McGarden. Shadow Gear has proven discreet before." Her smile broadened. "Also, I want to boost Cana's confidence. Mystogan performing the feat ahead would be impressive. For Cana, it will be a reminder that she is worthy to be S-Class." The smile faded away, Mavis joining it. "Mystogan will explain what lies below the castle once you are beyond these doors, and they have closed behind you." She vanished.

Meredy half-pouted at the massive doors. Right. So how are we– She gaped when Jellal pointed the fin-staff at the doors, and they creaked open. Oh yeah, Jellal. Levy stared, mouth opening a fraction, while her boys' jaws dropped, eyes bulging like cartoon characters. "We should hurry," 'Mystogan' said, the fin atop his staff glowing pale gold as he entered the darkness.

"I thought I was used to him," Levy said, staring after him for a moment. Then she followed, muttering under her breath about parallels or something. I wonder if she means Edolas-1 Jellal? Meredy thought. It's a shame we can't meet him, but I guess we have enough alternate worlds to worry about. She jogged to catch up, Jet darting to Levy's side and Droy gasping to keep up.

"Jellal? What are we looking for?" Meredy asked, scanning the area. "Maguilty Eyes." Her roving constructs floated out, searching the area.

"Yeah," Droy chimed in, patting a dragon rib, "There's nothing down here except these old ruins. It's creepy, how much these columns look like bones."

"They are bones," Jellal replied, removing his mask. Jet and Droy screamed, leaping away. "This is a dragon graveyard. Perhaps the dragon graveyard. Formula Eyes." Levy stared around them, awestruck, while Jet and Droy hugged each other and trembled. "We're looking for signs of necromancy. It could be human magic, or a demon's curse. Be on your guard."

"I see," Levy said, her attention settling back on Jellal as he took off his cap. "Earthland-2. This is one of Master Makarov's spoilers, isn't it?" Jellal nodded. "You're worried that this is one of the differences, and he doesn't want us thinking we know what will happen next."

"Correct. Master Mavis trusted you with this secret," Jellal said, "so I will explain." As they worked their way through the labyrinth of caverns and fossils, he told them the short version of Tartaros' "Grim Invasion" of Crocus on Earthland-2. Ick. Bringing back memories isn't always a good thing, Meredy thought.

Her Maguilty Eyes swirled around one part of the graveyard. "Jellal, I've found a spirit, but it's under the castle, so we'd be trespassing," Meredy reported.

Jellal stopped and turned to face her. "Only one?" he asked. She nodded. "Hm. That's–" he stopped, turning towards a movement in the shadows just as another of her Eyes caught it. A figure in a black cloak very much like their old Crime Sorciere ones darted away. "Wait! Meteor!" he chanted, rushing to catch up. Meredy ran to follow. Jet vanished, almost exactly like Racer would.

There was a sound like a waterfall crashing against steel, and Jellal flew back towards them, reeling. What the Grim? Who could stop Jellal like that? Jet returned in the same instant, recoiling from whatever he'd seen.

Erza walked out of the darkness, striding towards them in a suit of armor Meredy had never seen her wear before. It was more ordinary than any of her Heart Kreuz suits, no more than a series of metal sheets held on with straps. It was any soldier's mixed-plate battle gear. For all that, her Maguilty Eyes registered power from the armor rivaling Armadura Fairy's. "Jellal Fernandes," she sneered, "I didn't think I'd get to meet you so soon." Several silhouettes appeared in the darkness behind her.

"Knightwalker," Meredy realized. "Maguilty Sodom!" Her eyes vanished, replaced by her most powerful weapons. "Maguilty Shell!" Her psychic armor formed on her skin.

"Knightwalker?" Levy blurted. "That's not the queen of Edolas – is she Brain's evil Erza?"

Jellal righted himself, landing to face Erza's artificial doppelganger. "So it would seem," he said, floating an inch off the ground. He hadn't upgraded to Meteor Wave. "What are you doing here, impostor?"

"Well, I was doing something that's none of your business," Knightwalker smirked, "but there you are, Jellal, standing right in front of me. Requip!" Twin katanas formed in her hands. "Not that I'd kill you right away, oh, no. I'll cut down the rest of your pathetic guild without hesitation, but you, 'hero' – your death, I intend to savor!" She charged at Jellal with a mad smile. Behind the knave, her forces charged out. Naked Mummy, Meredy recognized.

"Starburst!" Jellal chanted, firing a volley of golden blasts. "Shadow Gear, take down Naked Mummy with Knock-Out Blow." Knightwalker parried them all, then slashed. Jellal flew out of the way, and Meredy took the opportunity to attack the construct with her entire volley of Maguilty Blades.

Four figures appeared around Knightwalker, absorbing the Sodom Blades without flinching. What? Meredy wondered, leaping back and summoning more Blades. Impossible! How– Meredy stopped, eyes widening, as four Imitatia replicas moved towards her. "Jellal!" she shouted. "What's going on?" She leaped back while all four attacked. Meredy evaded their thorned vines, barely.

Jet, meanwhile, raced around the Naked Mummy wizards, while Droy cast out Knuckle Plants once they were trapped in the ensuing whirlwind. "Solid Script: Sleep!" Levy chanted, tossing a sleep gas "word" into the maelstrom. "You extras should have stayed home!"

"Those are my extras you're talking about, half-pint! Moon Flash!" Knightwalker flew at Levy, swords raised, but Jellal blocked her with a Solid Seal he used as a shield. The Seal cracked where the swords struck it. She damaged a Solid Seal? Zen God, what is she?

"Droy, help Meredy. Meredy, finish off Naked Mummy," Jellal ordered, glaring at the mockery of his beloved.

"Me?!" Droy blurted. "But – but I'm too weak..." Meredy ignored his self-deprecation, leaping over the Imitatias and dodging their vines. She rained Maguilty wrath on Naked Mummy. Maguilty Shell will protect me from the plant-girls, she decided. Hand to hand it is.

Knightwalker laughed. "All of Fairy Tail is pathetic, but placing your faith in that barren seed? Even if you took fifty pounds off him in your stupid training clinic, he's still fifty pounds too far beyond a warrior!" Meredy turned to repay the woman's cruelty, but the vine women attacked again, and all she could do was retreat.

"Droy, remember what you decided," Jellal reminded him, grunting as the cracks in his shield spread. "You chose a body-positive wizardry, surpassed every limitation that held back your Plant Magic. Meredy's magic isn't working on the Imitatias. That means they don't have minds or nervous systems," he hissed, Knightwalker's blades carving towards him, "so they must be animate plants! Show this impostor that you're a Fairy Tail wizard!"

Droy gulped, then made fists and planted his feet. "R-right! Second Origin: Secret Spring!" he chanted. Tendrils grew from his feet and shot into the ground. I really hope you know what you're doing, nii-san, Meredy thought, the tangle of vines closing in. Levy and Jet were still finishing off their Naked Mummy foes, the two largest ones fighting off Levy's sleep spell.

The Imitatia quartet stopped, staring glass-eyed at Meredy. Then they turned and attacked Knightwalker, forcing the monster to retreat. "The fat one?" she growled, slicing the drones into salad in a matter of seconds. "The fat one?" She glared at Jellal.

Droy crossed his arms and nodded at her. "Mm! The fat one! Thanks to that 'stupid clinic,' I am one with nature now! Mother Earth's not a twig, you know!" Meredy smiled. Yep. Knew what he was doing. I should've known he would.

Jellal dropped the wounded shield, creating a new one out of Wave Magic and a rotating circle of runes. "You don't have to serve Brain, Knightwalker. We were able to free Michelle–" He froze in mid-step, looking towards Domus Flau. "Wendy?" he whispered.

"I am a Demon General!" she barked, then grew a sly grin. "Oh, that's right. Sherria. Brain tricked you into giving away your birthright. Requip!" She switched out the twin katanas for a single, wide broadsword. It looked like a swirling black cloud that had been hammered into a razor-thin blade. "There was a bit left over, though. Sky God Sword Art: Gathering Clouds of Heaven!" She raised the sword overhead, divine power mixing with demonic malevolence. Dark wind swirled around the tip of the blade, becoming a storm of raven-like feathers. The spell tore the world with a power that drove everyone else away from the duel. Jellal stared, then straightened, golden energy roaring around him. What are you doing, Jellal?

"You tried to taint Sherria with the resonance of Zeref. You succeeded in tainting yourself with Etherious malice," Jellal explained. "The first was a failure. The second was a mistake."

Knightwalker laughed again. "It's all thanks to you, Jellal. Earthland-2 was the gateway to Brain's ascension! You gave him access to a whole world of knowledge – and now, I have the magic of Erza Scarlet combined with the sheer power of a demon from the Books of Zeref!" She swung her sword at Jellal, and the vortex of wrath howled at him. Then light erupted from Jellal, so much and so bright it filled the world. No! DAD!

Mom and Midnight tore a hole in the world, appearing by Meredy's side. Shadow Gear finished off Naked Mummy, then braced themselves to charge in.

Music Cue: Fierce Battle of Magic

When the light faded, Mystogan's cloak was gone, replaced by ultramarine blue wings folded on his back. They were feathered, angelic save for the thumb-sized talons at the apex of the joints. His Meteor aura had become the same color, once more bolstered by Wave Magic – and something more. He finished breathing in Knightwalker's spell, Jellal's birthmark glowing scarlet with a blue outline. "The path to the heavens runs through the sky," he said, unfurling the wings with a snap of force that drove Knightwalker back.

"You..." Knightwalker snarled, tears of fury burning in her eyes. "You..."

"Did you think your foul master the only one who could learn from Earthland-2? In that world, after its Jellal claimed his true birthright, the Devil Slayer magic he'd copied for three years went to that world's Sherria." He flapped his wings once, soaring to float above the false Erza. "Let that kind, innocent girl claim the noble path of God Slayer. I choose a baser one." He stared down at the construct, and she recoiled, summoning her Adamantine Shield to hide from his light. "I claim the power to protect our world from the horrors of our own making. It's thanks to you, Knightwalker. I wield my birthright after all – and make it my own, as the Cosmic Devil Slayer!" Meredy could only watch in awe as he gathered power for another spell.

A scarlet magic seal burst to life over Knightwalker's chest, and the Sky God Sword vanished, replaced by Heaven's Wheel swords – two in her hands, and two dozen overhead. "A pretty speech. Thank the gods it's your last! Blumenblatt!" Knightwalker chanted.

"Cosmic Storm," Jellal retorted. The two spells clashed, the shining whirl of explosions throwing aside the impostor's swords and roaring to envelop her.

A portal opened behind Knightwalker, and she vanished. "Hmph," Jellal descended, staring at the space where the Oracion creation had been. "Opposite in quite a few ways, it would seem. We've learned all we can for now – Ultear?" he blurted, staring at where Mom had teleported in.

"You scared Meredy," Ultear snapped.

"I'm fine, Mom!" Meredy objected. "I was just worried about Jellal." She chuckled. "Guess I shouldn't have been. How did you do that?"

Levy was still staring at Jellal, gaping. "He emptied himself of all magic," Levy explained, her voice soft, "and used the void he created to absorb the spell."

"Only in the void, can the stars shine bright," Jellal said, as though it explained everything.

Meredy blinked. "Changed my mind. Slap him, Mom."

"Wha–" Jellal blurted, just before Mom smacked him on the back of the head. He sighed. "Not the time. Ultear, there was a person in a black cloak down here. I need you to look into the past where that person was." Ultear nodded and summoned an orb.

"Okay, but why?" Meredy asked. "Whoever it was didn't even have the guts of a Naked Mummy initiate." She nudged one of the unconscious gun wizards with a toe.

Jellal turned to watch Ultear work. "I think that person is the source of the Zeref magic," he explained.

"Oh." Meredy blinked, then leaped back. "WHAAAT?!"

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Honeybone, X791: Juvia

Sitting at the bar together, Juvia gave Meredy a one-armed hug while her pink-haired friend pouted. "You know, forget about Cosmic Devil Slayer for a minute. Droy was awesome. Droy! I couldn't do anything but jump around dodging a bunch of walking salads." Meredy emptied her mug fast enough to have Ultear turning to watch her. Jellal even looked up from his replay of Erza's solo conquest of Pandemonium.

"And defeat a quarter of Naked Mummy single-handedly," Juvia pointed out. "Meredy should feel honored that the new Oracion Seis felt a need to devise a weapon against you." Meredy sighed and held out her mug. Mirajane grabbed a pitcher from the bartender and filled it with fruit punch. Juvia...is not going to mention this to Meredy, she decided, noticing Ultear flash the She-Demon a grateful smile while Meredy bowed her head. Natsu raced past, surfing Cana's barrels on a menu sign. Juvia took another drink from her glass.

Droy grinned at her and flashed a thumbs-up. "Yeah! That's how Fairy Tail is, right? We all support each other." An enormous rose sprouted behind him. "Besides, I owe it all to your team."

Meredy snorted. "You mean Jellal, don't you?"

Juvia lost track of the next exchange, too busy watching Gray-sama outdo Natsu surfing the barrels. No matter how exquisite Gray-sama's body was, though, she'd seen him strip countless times before, even if tossing clothes aside mid-crash was new. Her attention wandered halfway back to Droy. "...didn't tell me I had to be thin again, he just said I had to make a choice. 'It doesn't matter if you unite fitness with magic, or focus on your spells. All you have to do is decide what you want.' No one's spoken to me like that in years. It's exactly what I needed!"

The water wizard pondered this while Erza surfed past, the embodiment of childlike mischief. Jellal, dressed as Mystogan again, looked up from his recording orb. With his scarf down, Juvia could see him watching Titania with a smile so sad it almost brought the rain back. Erza, gods be thanked, didn't notice, too busy wiping out. Juvia could hardly blame her, given the slight rocking of the Honeybone. Jellal's eyes bulged, and he blushed as he turned back to his recording.

The rest of the guild laughed at the rare sight of the Fairy Queen dethroned. Erza, (almost) always a good sport, joined in. Asuka ran over to gush over Erza's surfing, and the redhead scooped her up. Fairy Tail celebrated their triumphs, all well-earned. Raven Tail's departure was appreciated most of all, their underhanded cruelty a thing of the past. To think, Alexei was Master Ivan the whole time. Juvia is glad it turned out to not be Master Jose. Even Wendy left behind her draw with Sherria, cheering with the others. Juvia took another drink. Is the air becoming a bit difficult to see through, or is it just Juvia?

Meredy gave up her sulking and joined in, throwing her arms around Richard and Angel. Jellal watched, the beaten sorrow fading from his smile, as he watched the three of them laugh. Though his eyes kept scanning past Erza, Jellal's gaze swept the room, following Team Sorciere as they joined in the merriment. In his orb, Erza raised her sword in triumph, the last of Pandemonium's monsters exploding behind her.

Juvia wil risk it. Her decision made, Juvia strode over to the star mage, her legs only wobbling a little, and sat down next to him a touch harder than she'd intended. Jellal blinked at her. "Ah, Juvia? Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes," Juvia agreed, nodding for emphasis. She held still to let the Honeybone's swaying stop. "Juvia has noticed that many in the guild benefit from your advice. Team Sorciere turns to you on all manner of *hic* issues. Please excuse Juvia." She covered her mouth with her fingertips for a moment, then turned the most serious look she could manage on her fellow blue-haired mage. "What is Juvia doing wrong, Jellal-dono?" Jellal blinked. Oh. More specific, she realized. "With Gray-sama, Juvia means."

"Oh. Ah." Jellal rubbed his forehead, mouth getting squiggly for a moment. "Juvia, you've been... interested in Gray for a long time, right?" Juvia nodded. She forced herself to stop after a few seconds. "What sort of person is he, aside from being wonderful and making the rain go away? Personality type, interests, that sort of thing."

Juvia was nearly overwhelmed by relief that someone finally understood how amazing Gray-sama is, besides her and Lady Ultear. She set it aside to focus on her response. "Well, Gray-sama is Blood Type O, but aside from being a good leader, it doesn't really suit him. Gray-sama is intense and precise, which could be part of Master Ur's training." She hunched over and stroked her chin. "He is certainly devoted and loyal, but he's not an optimist. Gray-sama works hard to make the world better, but Juvia thinks that is in part because he believes it won't get better by itself." She ran a finger around the rim of her empty glass. "He is also good at making many things, not merely ice. Gray-sama can fix his own clothing, so well that the stitching is invisible from the outside. He is skilled in carpentry and construction as well. He was valuable to the rebuilding of the guild hall. He's a talented cook. Gray-sama values skilled craftsmanship in everything he does."

Juvia sighed and glanced out the window, the night sky reminding her that the sun was only there half the time. "Gray-sama is also a private person. 'Introverted,' Juvia thinks is the word. Yes, he can be passionate with his guild and his friends. Gray-sama is always ready to fight with Natsu." That made her giggle. "Against him or alongside him. He would follow Sir Erza anywhere. He is one of Wendy's many big brothers, and enjoys the company of Happy and Carla. Love Riva – Miss Lucy..."

Juvia looked down. "I...know that she insists that she is not my love rival, but Gray cares deeply for her." She bit her lip. "Juvia knows he has other friends. Loke the Lion. Miss Cana. Lady Mirajane. Even with them, though, Gray is...withdrawn. He is alone, often." She almost looked at Love Rival again. "Juvia wants to be with Gray-sama. It is my fondest dream."

"But the thing you want most, from the depths of your heart, is for Gray to be happy," Juvia looked up at Jellal with a gasp. His smile was like the sun. "He made the rain go away for you, and you want to do the same for him. Even if another shines through the ice."

"Yes!" Juvia cried, grabbing his cloak. Jellal sighed. He understands! she exulted. "How did Lord Jellal know?"

"I, ah, cheated," he said, tugging gently at the cloak. Juvia let go. "You had this talk on Earthland-2, though it was with someone less sympathetic to your plight."

"Namely, my counterpart," Ultear said, towering over them. Juvia gulped and stared up. Cana was chuckling, one arm slung over Ultear's shoulders, a mug in her free hand. "After what I did to you on Tenrou, I've felt an obligation to be patient, but I am not pleased with the way you behave around my little brother, water woman."

eek! Juvia thought, unable to move with the time mage's eyes locked onto hers. "J-Juvia loves Gray-sama," she explained, hands clasped in her lap. "Juvia knows she doesn't always express it as well as she wished, but–"

"You were stalking him," Ultear interrupted, one fist on her hip.

Cana laughed. "To stalking!" she cheered, raising her mug, then draining it.

"It's not something to celebrate!" Ultear shot back, rounding on the card wizard with shrinking pupils and jagged teeth. Cana laughed again, then hiccuped.

"S-stalking?" Juvia whispered, feeling the blood drain from her face. "Juvia? No..." She lowered her head, fear and shame calling to the rain.

"It could be argued that you used to stalk him," Jellal replied, waving at something Juvia couldn't make out. "I don't consider what you're doing now to be so...problematic. I'm just glad I don't have to explain introversion to you." Juvia looked back up. "You're a very intense person, Juvia. In some ways, you even remind me of Erza." Juvia gasped again, hardly able to believe her ears. To Lord Jellal, there could not be a higher compliment, she realized. "The thing is, you said it yourself. Gray's a private person. He values his space, and you get in it regularly." She swallowed. "He has trouble connecting with people, and you're in such a rush to spend the rest of your lives together that you haven't let him get to know you the way you know him. Does Gray know your blood type? Your favorite hobbies, your favorite food? Could he tell you what book you read a hundred times as a girl? Does he know what the worst day of your life was?"

"We all know what the best day was," Meredy laughed, and Juvia almost stood in surprise when she saw the Maguilty Mage sitting just past Jellal, waving at her.

"You need to rein yourself in, Juvia," Jellal explained. "What has it been like having Lyon chasing you like a fox hunting a rabbit?" Juvia swallowed, remembering the snow-haired wizard putting his arm around her shoulders and steering her away from Gray-sama. "Has it endeared you to him? Does it make you want to be with Lyon, or is your first instinct to run the other way?"

Juvia twiddled her fingers, the blood returning to her face in a warm rush. "I-it is flattering, Juvia supposes," she admitted, "but Jellal-dono has a point."

"Then try being Gray's friend first," Jellal advised. "Get to know the person, not just the facts of him. Let him realize that you are a friend worth having. You have to be patient, especially if your dream comes true and the two of you end up together. Every relationship involves some give and take, and a relationship with Gray won't last if you can't give him the Dimension Arcs – space and time." He chuckled. "Great Zera, that was weak. You know what I mean, though, don't you? You can't force him to be happy. You can only give him a path to happiness. Gray has to decide whether or not to take it."

Lord Jellal is right, Juvia realized, shoulders slumping. Juvia hates that she can't make Gray's rain go away...but Juvia must wait for him to let it go. She nodded, fiercely. Gray-sama is worth it. She took a breath, then smiled at the star mage. "Thank you, Jellal-dono. No matter what happens next, Juvia is grateful."

Juvia straightened, gathering her courage. "Now Juvia is going to return the favor." Jellal sighed and held his forehead again. "Juvia is not going to tell Jellal-dono what to do. You are like Gray-sama, making the rain go away for others, but never letting yourself see the sun." Jellal sat up, hand falling away as he stared at Juvia. "Juvia is not certain that Gray-sama loves her, but Juvia will wait forever if she must. Juvia has a strong heart. Sir Erza's heart is sun-fire and adamant. If Juvia thought Gray-sama was running from her because he felt unworthy to be loved, Juvia would suffer through deserts and infernos for him. Erza knows you are in love with her," she insisted, and Jellal went pale, "and can endure far more than even a water woman."

"Gray won't betray you," Jellal retorted with a steel-hard glare. "Gray is not your ruin."

He still does not see his innocence? Juvia wondered, then sighed. "Lord Jellal is not ready to accept that he is good," she said, deflating. "Very well. Juvia only meant to tell you one thing." Her eyes snapped back up, locking onto his. "Sir Erza does not give up. Juvia is not sure she knows how. You said earlier that Erza only needed 51 monsters to ensure a 10-point victory for Fairy Tail." Jellal huffed and scratched his head. "She could not challenge less than 100, and that was just a game. Lord Jellal, Erza is also in love with you."

"That makes no sense at all," he insisted, his hands balling into fists.

"Do you think that matters to Erza?" Juvia insisted. "She will never surrender you. There is nothing you can say or do to change her mind." She stood, Jellal leaping to his feet a moment later. "That is all Juvia needed to say. I will leave Jellal-dono alone now. You need space and time as well." She strode away, staggering with every third step, desperate to ignore the pounding in her chest. Please, God of the Zen Heaven, let Juvia not have made things worse. Sir Erza and Lord Jellal are dear to me.

Meredy jogged over to her side. "You were amazing, Sunshine!" she cheered, throwing an arm over her shoulders. S-Sunshine?! Juvia gasped, the nickname as bright as its namesake inside her. "Just please, for my sake, will you pick 'Jellal-dono' or 'Lord Jellal'? That was driving me nuts."

The warmth worked its way back up to her cheeks. "J-Juvia slipped," she mumbled, twiddling her fingers again. Yet when Meredy laughed, it felt less a tease and more a balm. Fairy Tail. It is a guild that makes the rain go away.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Domus Flau, X791: Mirajane

"Go, Juvia!" Mirajane cheered, leaping and pumping a fist in the air. "You see? Her Wings of Love attack is unbeatable!"

"Except Lucy and Minerva are still in there," Mystogan pointed out, leaning forward. Juvia turned to smile at Gray, only to stare at the sight of him bleached colorless. "Juvia! Pay attention!" he cried. Mira hid a smile. Well. Look who's embracing his inner Fairy Tail wiz–

Juvia appeared outside the water bubble. "Huh?" she blurted, then fell flat on her face.

"That idiot," Gajeel grumbled.

"No," Mystogan rumbled. "It's Minerva's magic. She only had to be distracted for an instant.. Lucy! Star Dress!" he shouted.

"Right! Star Dress: Aquarius!" she chanted, and the crowd cheered again. She looks good in that too, but it covers more, Mirajane noted. I suppose the people of Fiore have good taste. I love this kingdom.

Minerva blasted Lucy with heat, and Lucy responded with Torrent. Their summoner reached for her keys, but the Sabertooth mage already had them in her hand! Lucy! Mira worried. "Use your Spirit Magic, Lucy – it can keep her from pushing you out, like resisting a forced gate closure!" Mystogan warned. "Whatever you do, don't stop moving!"

Either Lucy heard him or figured it out for herself, because she wrapped her legs in a whirlpool and raced around Minerva. They exchanged blasts, Minerva aiming explosions through Lucy's keys, while Lucy returned fire with Water Slicer. This went on for several minutes – more than enough for the five minute counter to run down. Amazing! Mirajane thought, watching as the Sabertooth wizard struck with every-growing fury, while their Celestial Spirit Mage turned all her cunning to outmaneuvering a more powerful foe. "You can do it, Lucy!" Mira encouraged, Fairy Tail's cheers joining hers.

In the end, though, it wasn't enough. As powerful and clever as Lucy was, the Sabertooth wizard was just too strong. Minerva started battering Lucy, and Mira's stomach roiled at the sight of the sadist tormenting their helpless friend. "You dare, you miserable nobody?" Minerva snarled, fists and feet lashing out. "You dare to challenge the ace of Sabertooth? I will teach your entire guild to bow before us! I will paint that message on the sad canvas of your flesh!"

The bell rang, and Mato raised a hand, ending the match. Mirajane took a step to rush to Lucy's side, while all of Team A leaped from their balcony, but Mystogan – Jellal – was already there. He splashed through the Naval Battle arena, landing beside Sherria with Lucy in his arms and her belt in his fingers. Azure light glowed from his hands, and while his healing magic couldn't approach Wendy's or Sherria's, it served well enough as emergency first aid.

Fairy Tail A was there seconds later, Wendy casting her healing spell as soon as she could reach Lucy. Sherria reached her a moment later. The royal family's captain of the guard shouted something about getting her to the infirmary. Mira hesitated, as did Laxus and Gajeel. No. Mystogan and Juvia are out there. If this turns ugly, it's not about teams – it's about guilds! Mirajane leaped out. "Take Over: Satan Soul!" she chanted, flying to Juvia's side.

Laxus and Gajeel let out wordless yelps, then followed her. "Oi, She-Demon," Laxus complained, "if you don't keep a cool head, who will?" Mirajane couldn't bring herself to answer at first, her attention drawn to Lucy's abused body. "It'll be okay, Mira. The spirit girl's tough."

Wendy looked up and nodded. "It looks worse than it is. Her Star Dress protected her, and Mystogan's quick healing helped." The young Dragon Slayer smiled at Mystogan, then returned her attention to Lucy. Mira glanced at Mystogan, worried he'd do something rash. Instead...

What is that look? Mirajane wondered, watching him stare at Minerva. It's like he doesn't believe what he's seen. It doesn't make sense. Sabertooth's been like this the whole tournament. True, Minerva's worse than the others, but... her thoughts trailed off as Mystogan took a hesitant step towards the Sabertooth ace. "Minerva," he whispered.

"Expecting mercy, masked man?" Minerva smirked. Natsu and Gray took a step closer. So did Sting. Rufus and Orga were there as well, ready to defend their team leader. Erza glared at the woman, Jellal forgotten for once. "The tiger's fangs know none."

"Your father's daughter, are you?" Mystogan asked. Mirajane could barely hear him over the shouting, the audience encouraging them to fight. "Is that what you really want to be, knowing what he is?"

"Hmph. I was expecting more backbone and cunning from the man who defeated Jura Neekis." Minerva tossed her hair back. "Crawl back to your knight, hollow man."

Natsu snarled and took another step forward. Erza held up her hand, stopping him. "I don't care who you people think you are," she warned, "but I will give you this one warning. You have made an enemy of the one guild you should never anger." Mira nodded. Mm!

-FT- -FT- -FT-

It was taking more effort than Mirajane liked to hold back Satan Soul. Even after everything we've been through...everything that's happened...I haven't felt like this since the Fighting Festival. I want to rip, to burn, to tear Sabertooth apart! Mira raged inside. Somehow, she kept the She-Demon in check, though she couldn't smile for Lucy while her team praised her incredible courage and tenacity.

"My keys..." Lucy breathed.

Mystogan floated the keys over to Happy. "Jellal took them right after he got you," Happy said as he handed them to Lucy. Myst tried to glare at the Exceed, but through his mask, it just looked like he was squinting to most of the others.

Lucy hugged her keys the moment they were in her hands, a weak smile spreading across her face. "Thank goodness! Thank you..." Her head fell against the pillow, and her eyes closed.

"Looks like she fell asleep," Mirajane observed. Porlyusica and Mystogan both nodded. Mira felt the leaden fear lift from her shoulders. She watched over the kind summoner while the others grumbled about Sabertooth. Not that I blame them.

The Master walked in then, looking grim. It didn't take long for him to explain the dire situation. We have to combine teams, and they're giving us the lower score? So many of our efforts, lost... Mira got a hold of herself. No. We can still win this! Master Makarov cleared his throat. "At First Master's suggestion, I was able to win us a single concession. We will be permitted two substitute members instead of one. I'm not sure why Master Mavis wanted this, but I'm sure she had her reasons."

"That means you will certainly need all seven members before the end. So you should choose wisely, Makarov," Porlyusica warned. Deep down, she's as much a Fairy Tail wizard as any of us, Mira thought, almost smiling again.

"I'm gonna get payback for Lucy!" Natsu declared. "I ain't gonna let them get away with doing this to one of our nakama!"

Makarov tapped her wrist and called her aside while the others debated who should be on the team. "Mirajane. I had intended for you to be on the team, but Master Mavis asked me to keep you in reserve."

"I don't mind, but why?" Mira asked. Her eyes flickered to Carla. Cobra didn't want to talk about it, but she's got him jumpy about something. She pursed her lips and returned her attention to Master Makarov. "Does she think there's something to this 'mysterious energy' business?"

Makarov nodded. "Your power, intelligence, and Transformation Magic might be needed more outside the arena than in." He looked at Mystogan. "I also believe she wants to reassure Mystogan of his place in the guild, especially after yesterday. That, and knowing which two wizards the sponsors want for today's team battle, are why we asked for the second substitute."

Mirajane nodded. "You can count on me, Master!"

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Honeybone, X791: Jellal

"Master. Please, we have to tell them," Jellal insisted. The cheering below only made him tense up all the more. Images raced through the star wizard's mind: Natsu overwhelming the Twin Dragons, Gajeel flying out of the pit Sting had thrown him into, the two of them knocking down their rivals, the former Phantom devouring Rogue's last Shadow Dragon Roar like a light snack. "Gajeel's already seen the dragon graveyard. Captain Arcadios tried to recruit Yukino. The new Oracion Seis are in the city. A Lucy from the future says we're all going to die." Master Makarov made a rumbling noise deep in his throat, but said nothing. "Tartaros may not be here – at this point, it doesn't look like they know about the graveyard – but something else is about to go terribly wrong."

"If Arcadios tries to use Eclipse for its original purpose," Ultear warned, "we won't have a future. Great Chronos, with a four hundred year change, we might end up not having a past." She made a fist, her orb trembling in the air beside her. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "No one knows this better than I do, Master: time travel is a siren song that can devour everything."

"We're Fairy Tail wizards, right?" Meredy insisted, turning to where Mavis swung her feet, the spirit sitting on the desk. "Tell him, First Master. We've gotta trust our guild!"

That, not surprising Jellal at all, was what got the Sixth Master's attention in the end. He looked at the black-cloaked Lucy. She flinched. "Master...it's all true. By the time I came through Eclipse, most of you...I watched you all..." Ultear glanced at Future Lucy, but the former summoner could only sob under her hood.

"What about Lucy, here?" Makarov asked. "Isn't her presence dangerous?"

"In theory, yes," Ultear agreed, and Future Lucy gasped, "but she's already here. More to the point, she doesn't remember deciding to go through the portal." She held out her hand, and the orb flew over her palm, rock steady once more. "I suspect that her presence is not so much interference as an attempt to undo interference. Ten thousand dragons? Where did they come from?" She glared into the floating crystal. "Or perhaps the better question is, when?"

Meredy gasped. "You think they're from the future?" she asked.

"Or the past," Ultear explained, "or another alternate world. There are other possibilities, of course, but with Eclipse in play, I suspect that the dragons will come through it from beyond." She glared at her orb. "Whoever the other cloaked figure was, they veiled themselves from my Arc of Time. The most probable scenario I can imagine is a single dragon survivor, like Animus, restoring his people to the world."

Jellal shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. Acnologia would slaughter them all. Again."

"I – I didn't see Acnologia," Future Lucy whispered. "At least, not that I remember. Some parts are still a jumble..."

Jellal put a hand on Lucy's shoulder, then locked up for a moment. Her right arm's gone, he realized, then forced a smile. "Don't worry. It's going to be all right." He pulled back, looking out the window and giving Future Lucy some space. "We might have some trouble getting you back, if you want to return."

Future Lucy bit back another sob, then nodded. "I do. There were still a few survivors. You, Levy..." she shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now. In your world, we can still stop this." Jellal fought the sensation of his heart stopping. So many she didn't mention. Meredy. Ultear. Natsu. Shou. Wally. His jaw twitched. Erza.

Jellal shook his head. "Master, forget Earthland-2 for now. This, a Fairy Tail wizard here warning us of danger, is what we should tell the others about," he insisted.

"Mmm," Makarov hummed. "We'll restrict this to the other S-Class wizards for now, plus Cana," he compromised. "This information is incredibly dangerous, and we should keep it among those who can be discreet."

"I love my adopted sister," Ultear said, and Jellal's heart lightened, "but would you really call her 'discreet,' Master?"

Makarov grinned. "No amount of drink can pry Fairy Tail's secrets out of her, I assure you," he replied. The grin faded. "Also, we may need her divination magic." Jellal nodded while Makarov put two fingers to his temple.

In less than a minute, Erza, Mirajane, Laxus, and Cana filed in. The card wizard was grinning, the glow of drink still on her cheeks. The others were more grave. "Gramps," Laxus said, glancing at Jellal, then Ultear, stopping at Future Lucy. "Mystogan up to more world-hopping stuff?" Jellal looked down. Oh, right, I'm still wearing my Mystogan disguise. He'd taken off the skullcap and scarf, but was otherwise still dressed as his counterpart.

"It wasn't him this time," Future Lucy sniffled, then told her story again.

All of them had gone pale by the end, even the unshakeable Titania. "Lucy," Erza breathed, her gauntlet clanking when she made a fist. "We won't let this happen."

"It's not inevitable," Ultear reassured them. "The flow of Time can be redirected, from now until some point on the 8^th. Once we set things right, they'll stay fixed." She flashed a wry grin. "Until the next crisis that threatens the world, of course," she quipped.

"Then we'll face that one, too," Laxus insisted. "You Sorciere types don't have to bandage Earthland by yourselves any more." He scratched his chin. "I'm not sure what we do next, though. Mystogan was always the smart one, whatever version we've got. Since we haven't heard your plan yet, I guess you don't have one." Jellal shook his head.

Mirajane brightened, smiling at Mavis. "Oh! Is this why you wanted me to stay behind, First Master?"

"Mm, mm," Mavis agreed. "I didn't calculate this exact turn of events, but I expected – hee – shenanigans." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled back at Mira.

Jellal glanced at Cana. "That reminds me. Before we begin our divination efforts, shouldn't we bring in Carla?" he asked. Mira's smile weakened, her eyes closing as they did when she was embarrassed on Fairy Tail's behalf. Laxus sighed. Erza facepalmed. "Zera and Chronos," Jellal sighed. "Where did he drag Wendy to this time?"

"It was Gajeel, actually," Mira explained, Erza shrinking as she winced. "He wanted to show the other Slayers the dragon graveyard. Gray and Lucy decided to tag along."

Ultear, of all people, chuckled. "They can't help themselves, can they? At least you get a day off to rest and prepare."

No one else was laughing. Cana had sobered on the spot, while Meredy rubbed the back of her neck with a timid smile. "I know, it's Natsu, but how much trouble can they get into a quarter kilometer underground?" she asked.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1, The Grand Magic Game

I'm not sure what's surprised me more, Jellal wondered, that Gajeel's already mastered Iron Shadow form, or that I'm part of Fairy Tail's final team. He stood between Laxus and Gray, Erza's exhortation to save Lucy driving his heart along with his magic. My victory against Jura may have been negated, but – even if it's selfish – I'm happy that I can be of use to Fairy Tail again. He glanced at the men to either side of him. I just hope that Mavis hasn't burdened either of them overmuch. Rufus...Jura...they're foes of incredible power. "We've got another reason to win this thing," Gray pointed out, pulling "Mystogan" out of his reverie.

Laxus smiled. "We've gotta do it for the guys in the guild who went without us for seven years." He looked at Jellal. "We're gonna turn all their suffering...into joy." Jellal met his gaze, eyes widening. Laxus...you can't mean me too, can you?

"Mm!" Erza agreed with a fierce nod. Well, Erza certainly thinks so, Jellal realized, grateful for the scarf to hide his expression. I'm starting to like being Mystogan. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if I did this full-time.

"Who will reach the pinnacle of magical glory?" Chapati cried. "Let the Grand Magic Game – begin!"

"Formula Eyes! Circle Ears!" Jellal chanted. Then he waited, like the others, though he let his mind cast out, looking for Team Mirajane. In the distance, he felt the shock of the audience and their rivals when they realized Team Fairy Tail wasn't moving. At the castle, Mira was using the classic guard disguise to bring her "prisoners" Natsu and Wendy in, Gajeel hiding in her shadow.

That was when the magic call rang out. "Begin Operation: Fairy Star!" Mavis commanded.

"Roger!" they all cried, racing into battle. Jellal couldn't help a smile, dreaming of another Fairy Star as he called on Meteor Wave to rocket into the Game. Part of me feels as though I should be with the infiltration team, he mused, but with my inability to use Transformation Magic, I can probably help the most in this match. As predicted, Rufus cast Night of Falling Stars. While Erza, Gray, and Juvia dodged, Jellal followed Laxus' example and inhaled, grateful that Mystogan had enchanted his scarf to allow him to eat through it. Wow! This taste...it's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. It's amazing, like hot chocolate with cinnamon, but with the satisfaction of a full meal. His Meteor Wave erupted in a blaze of magical might. And this power – is this what it feels like for Wendy and Natsu?

The crowd cheered, and Rufus recoiled. Erza brought down Jenny Realight with a single blow. Jellal did the same with Eve Tearm. I'm sorry – you're a fine wizard, Eve – but Fairy Tail needs us to win! He turned to face the other Trimens. Ren ordered Hibiki back. You mean to face me alone? Gods, now I feel like a bully. The wind mage's eyes narrowed. "I'll stop him!" Ren boasted.

"No," Jellal replied, blasting him with Starburst. With Rufus' lightning star attack empowering Jellal, the Trimen wizard fell in an instant. Hibiki fled – straight into Gray. Three points for Fairy Tail, in a matter of seconds. While Jellal darted to the next combat point, though, Jura defeated Ichiya. I wanted to bring him down, he sighed, forcing himself not to pout.

Circle Ears catching the sounds of true battle brought him to a halt. Team Sorciere, come in! Jellal sent. Status!

Relax, boss, we're fine, Cobra chuckled. Some idiots came after Yukino. Racer and I were able to take down a few before Angel wiped them out, but only because of his speed and my ears. They're alive, so we shouldn't have any trouble with the Rune Blights.

Jellal exhaled, nodding. Be nice, he replied, and be careful. It's no coincidence that they came for Yukino after arresting Lucy. Now that we know they need Celestial Spirit Magic to–

Yeah, yeah, we heard the story from Gajeel, Cobra pointed out. No one's taking Angel's little sister anywhere. Get out there and win already.

Jellal's smile returned. Yes sir, Cobra, sir, he grinned, then flew across the battlefield. Just make sure you watch out for Future Lucy, too. His smiled vanished. She's missing her keys, but her magic will be just as strong as the current Lucy's.

I told you, boss, relax – CRAP! Cobra blurted.

Jellal frowned. You lost her, didn't you? Cobra didn't reply, but Jellal could hear his frustration and concern. Look, just let Master Makarov know. I'm tracking down Minerva–

"Shadow Dragon ROAR!" A swirling darkness knocked Jellal out of the sky. Experienced at landing after a blow struck in mid flight – too much experience at it, really, he thought – he landed to face Rogue near a pathway curving up the outside of a tower. "Forgive me, Shield of Ishgar, but I cannot let you pass."

"I'm afraid you have no choice, Rogue. Starburst." Rogue tried to dodge the volley, but it tracked him – not as well as Pleiades, but enough to throw him across the street. "So you know who I am. If I may, I still haven't learned how I earned that epithet. Solid Shield." A disc of Cosmic Wave energy formed in front of his left hand.

"It was after your victory over Demon King Uta, though it only became popular in the past year." Rogue explained. Oh. Huh. I wonder, is that more Earthland-2 influence? Jellal braced himself. "Shadow Fang!" The Dragon Slayer leaped, spear of darkness striking Jellal's shield of light. "Even if I cannot overcome you or your 'power of emotion,' I will at least help Sting!"

Jellal twitched, amazed at the strength of Rogue's blow. He smiled. "Rogue, what you wield now is the power of emotion. You feel it, don't you? With Yukino a Fairy Tail wizard, there is no one in Sabertooth with a warmer heart than yours." Rogue backpedaled, more shadows gathering around his hands. "You worry for your friends. Sting. Frosch." He blinked, looking over his shoulder. "Where's Lector?"

"Waxwing Flash!" Rogue chanted, transforming into darkness and swirling around Jellal. The Dragon Slayer struck at him from all directions, a living storm of shadow. A poor match for Meteor Wave, he observed.

"Lightning Stars," Jellal chanted. With Rufus' magic empowering his, the spell crashed into Rogue and brought him to his knees. "What happened to your friend? Let me help."

"I'm sorry. I can't." Rogue struggled to his feet. This boy...he doesn't have a chance, yet he still... Jellal sighed. I'll figure it out later. The Shadow Dragon Slayer pulled back a fist. "Shadow Drive!" he chanted, pouring all his magic into one final blow.

The spell stopped in mid-evocation. Rogue clutched his head and screamed. "Cheney!" Jellal cried, focusing on Formula Eyes. Through Rogue's Shadow Magic, a malevolent darkness with a hateful spark of light slithered into the wizard. Possession Magic! Jellal realized, every fiber of his being turning against the spell in a fury. "Hermetic Formula Eight: Abjuration!" Circles of magic circled his arm, formed out of all twelve signs of the zodiac, the symbols for the seven planets aligned with the alchemical metals, and those of the five elements. A beam of swirling blue and golden light enveloped the Sabertooth wizard.

The malevolence screamed. "Fernandes!" it howled. "You are false hope at the end of all things! I will make you suffer before the end!" The light-branded shadow fled.

With that, Rogue collapsed, and Frosch rushed to stand between the two Slayers. "Stop! Please don't hurt Rogue any more!"

"He'll be fine, Frosch," Jellal reassured the Exceed, smiling and patting his head. "My last spell didn't harm him."

Rogue stirred. "Frosch?" he gasped. Frosch ran up to hug Rogue's forehead, crying in relief. "I lost, didn't I? There was something wrong...with..."

"Rest," Jellal said, summoning Mystogan's fin-staff, then placing Rogue and Frosch into a gentle sleep. After adding a few wards to ensure the boy wasn't attacked again, he shot into the air, looking for his prey. Flying over the battlefield, he saw Erza, Kagura, and Minerva caught up in a three-way duel. First Master? I don't want to distract Erza. Advice?

I'm not crying. Jellal's eyes went round and blank at Master Mavis' response. I'm not crying at all!

...on my own, then. Jellal descended while the battle paused, Minerva removing her stole and summoning her Territory Magic. "I'm going to change the state of the battle," she announced, and her sphere grew, revealing – MILLIANNA! Jellal realized, horror and rage roaring through him.

For the slightest fraction of a second, he floated there. Millianna's twitching, agonized helplessness branded itself into his mind. Then Jellal screamed, smashing through Territory and obliterating the spell that bound his oldest friend, then carried her out of the melee. "Hang on, Millianna!" he cried, lowering her as gently as he dared with Minerva behind him. His hands lit up with his meager healing magic, and again he was paralyzed.

Whip marks. Deep, bleeding slashes across her back. Minerva, that noble child who'd redeemed Sabertooth after behind sold by her father...she had...

...the Tower guards laughed, Jellal howling as three of them held him down so two more could kick a weeping Millianna...

"Ih Ragdo!" Minerva chanted, trying to surround Erza and Kagura in prison spheres.

"Meteor Iron Fist!" Jellal retorted, shattering the spell before it could form. "Millianna, say something!" he begged, tears he couldn't be shedding blurring the world. "Tell me how much you hate me, that it's all my fault, I don't care, just say something, anything, please!"

"Jellal...nii...?" Millianna mewed, her fingers tugging at his cloak. Too weak to even clutch it–! he realized, old, awful Tower memories tearing through his heart. "...it hurts..."

FIX HER! Jellal howled in his mind, demanding that his magic obey. He erupted in a column of sapphire light, the scraps of healing magic he'd learned pushed beyond every limit of his Devil Slayer Magic. The wounds sealed and the bleeding stopped, though she'd have scars for at least a few weeks. Minerva...she whipped my sister...my little phoenix neko, she whipped her... He shook off the building rage. "Are you all right, imoto?" he pleaded, brushing her hair out of her face. In the distance, he heard Erza and Kagura duel. Even the clash of their blades sounded half-hearted.

"The pain..." Millianna's eyes were impossibly wide, staring into his. "...it's...gone..." Jellal slumped at her side, redoubling his Meteor Wave aura around them. "You made the pain go away." She reached up, fingertips brushing his cheek. "How?"

"It doesn't matter," Jellal sighed, sliding back. "You're going to be fine." He chuckled. "Master Makarov is going to scold me. Here I am, helping a rival. Sorry, imoto, but I'm going to bring down Orlando before you."

"You...you..." Millianna stammered. It's all right, little sister. I'll accept all your fury, as long as you're– She grabbed his cloak, pulled herself up, threw her arms around him, and sobbed. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Jellal-nii!" she wailed, tears soaking his shoulder. "I wanted to believe, so much, but you were my whole family, my whole life, and then – then – it wasn't you! It wasn't! I'm sorry, nii-san!" Her claws clutched his cloak with her implacable hug.

The blur of tears blinded him. "No, Millianna," he breathed, the side of his head against hers. "It was – you don't have to – I don't deserve–"

"It wasn't you!" Millianna insisted, shaking her head. "I was afraid, that's all, please...Kagura, she tried to tell me," Milli gulped. "You were the only thing in the world I could believe in, and then that Zeref-thing took you, and...oh, Jellal-nii!" Her sobbing returned in full force. Jellal could hardly breathe. A miracle, he decided, rocking Millianna in his arms. A miracle of the light.

"Yagdo Rigora!" Minerva emerged from between-space to strike at them with her most powerful spell. Jellal threw himself over Millianna, Meteor Wave absorbing most of the blow. Even then, in spite of his healing magic, Millianna collapsed in his arms. She's breathing. She's not even unconscious. She's just out of the match. Sabertooth's score ticked up a point. Somewhere on the edge of the universe, he heard Minerva pant out growls. "Wretch!" she snarled. "You're supposed to be fighting Jura. Wait your turn, witch boy. I'll destroy you soon enough!"

With as much care as he could muster while his body trembled, he lowered Millianna to the ground. "Rest, imoto. It's going to be all right." Then he stepped between his sister and the thing with Minerva's face. "This is my fault," he rumbled, arcs of golden light flying around his Meteor Wave in tight orbits. Formula Eyes revealed a small figure hidden in the space beyond space where her Territory reigned. Lector. You took him, you vile sadist.

"WHAT?" Erza and Kagura blurted. He dared a quick glance at them. Erza's eyes were narrow, while Kagura's flew wide as she took a step back.

"Again and again, I warned everyone," Jellal explained, walking towards Minerva. He deflected Territory explosions with waves of his hand. "'Parallel hearts can differ between worlds.' A person's fate can change their nature. But you. I couldn't see it, even after what you did to Lucy." Minerva backpedaled, eyes wide and lips trembling, as she threw spell after spell at Jellal. He tore them all apart, strengthening the protective circle around Milli with each step. "All I could see was the beaten and betrayed girl who saved her guild from her father. The brave, generous woman who turned Sabertooth into a beacon of kindness for all Ishgar to see. I couldn't imagine that you would turn into Jiemma."

Minerva's eyes widened further, her pupils shrinking to dots. "You – fall, damn you! Niel Terse: Umegos!" Another sphere roiled towards him, consuming everything in its path. It reminded Jellal of something–

Altairis.

"Cosmic Drive!" Jellal howled, the spell coming unbidden to mind. Sapphire wings like his world-brother's exploded from his back, tearing away Mystogan's cape. He punched the Umegos sphere, shattering it like the others. "You...hurt Millianna..." For all that he was surrounded by a blue aura, a skin-tight field that supplanted Meteor Wave, the only thing Jellal saw was red. He spread his wings wide, then flew at Minerva, talons of blue starlight flashing out from his fingertips.

It was a flicker so fast he almost missed it, but Jellal realized it was Erza in front of him just in time to angle skyward. He crashed through some stonework, then returned to earth. I'm glad they have the magic to fix all this, he noted, then retreated to Erza's side while Kagura slashed at Sabertooth's ace. "I apologize. My anger got the better of me," he said.

"That, you may apologize for," Erza retorted, Requipping to her Purgatory Armor. "If you claim guilt for Minerva's cruelty again, I will knock you out myself." Jellal swallowed, a single drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. I wonder if we'd get a point for that. Erza glanced sidelong at him, then smiled. "In spite of the circumstances, I am overjoyed that Millianna sees the truth."

"'That's how you're making up for your sins,'" Jellal quoted her. Erza whimpered out a gasp, her smile dying. Jellal froze. I think I just...made a terrible mistake.... He turned to strategize with her, to focus her attention on the tournament –

– and it was Kagura facing him, sheathed blade already in full swing.

Archenemy slammed into his chest, throwing him through half a dozen pillars. Cosmic Drive protected him from those with ease, but Kagura's sword – even sheathed – hammered right through his magic, tearing at the bond of mind and soul. Zera. What was that? Jellal forced himself to stand, wings beating to help him to his feet. Kagura took a quick glance at Erza and Minerva, Jellal following her eyes. Minerva's magic threw Titania aside like a rag doll, cracking her Black Wing Armor with a single eruption. "Erza!" he cried, crouching to race to her.

"I am your opponent!" Kagura howled. "Archenemy: Strong Form!" She darted into him, equaling his speed even in Cosmic Drive, and slammed the end of her sheath into his chest. The blow threw him across the ruins around them, but Jellal was able to angle towards Erza by tilting his wings. He tossed Cosmic Fireworks at Minerva, not hoping to do more than blind her, while he landed by Titania's side. Ow. That rivaled Uta. With Decalogue. For the love of Zera, ow. How did she do that? A quick glance down with Formula Eyes told him that Kagura had broken two of his ribs.

"I'm not always right," Erza said, pressing her back against his. Somehow, his barbed wings didn't bother her in the least. "Jellal, we can't do this right now. Fairy Tail needs us."

"Agreed. Should we try to decide on our opponents?" Jellal asked, setting aside the storm of emotions within him. "I'm not sure I can prevent Minerva from shifting you through space."

"Then face Kagura," Erza replied, somehow finding the strength to smile. "You healed Millianna's heart. Perhaps you can manage one more miracle today."

"I'll try, but Fairy Tail must come first," Jellal pointed out. He, too, managed a smile. "Don't lose."

"Heed your own words." Erza's smile widened. Then they both nodded, smiles vanishing, and threw themselves at their foes.

Kagura had braced herself, waiting for him in a field of enhanced gravity. Altered space. That should make it harder for Minerva to warp her location, and it protects her from close quarters combat. He permitted himself a thin smile beneath the scarf. Range is another matter. Jellal pointed toward the sky. "Pleiades!" he chanted, throwing the seven beams at the Mermaid ace.

"Flying Form!" Kagura released the gravity field, leaping into the air and parrying all seven sister-stars. Don't stare, Jellal commanded himself, pushing aside his awe and rushing in as she retreated. He came at her with an uppercut even as she swung down with a kick. Blocking all seven Pleiades stars threw her off just enough, though, to let him manage a solid blow to her abdomen. Her kick glanced off his shoulder, and Kagura crashed into another pillar.

"Cosmic Storm!" Jellal circled the Mermaid wizard, pounding at the crater she'd left with the golden fury of the heavens. Kagura spun, driving back most of his assault with raw force. She's extraordinary. I have not faced many foes like her, Jellal realized, watching her tank the remaining blasts, then fly at him again. No choice. He held out his palm. "Lightning Stars!" The thunder-swords shot at Kagura, attracted to her blade.

"Slashing Form!" Kagura chanted. Their blows struck at the same time. Kagura's spell tore through Cosmic Drive, leaving a long gash across his abdomen. His attack hammered her, the Lightning Stars throwing Kagura back to earth.

No question who got the worst of that exchange, though, Jellal realized, using his healing magic to patch the wound. It did no more, though, Archenemy's power refusing to yield to his magic. How can she do that? Kagura's strong, but even that blade shouldn't be able to ignore my defenses as long as it's sheathed. He looked at Archenemy with Formula Eyes, then down at his wound. Oh. Oh, gods. Slayer Magic. It's intended as the ultimate wizardry of destruction. Archenemy...is Jellal Slayer Magic. He stumbled backwards, working to regain his bearings. I think I'm in trouble. He shook his head clear. "Star Cage," he chanted.

Kagura smashed the rising coils with a casual swipe of Archenemy. "Your concern for Millianna was touching," she mocked, glaring. "How dare you..." she snarled as she darted at him, the sheathed blade lashing out, "...pretend you're her family!" This time, he was able to dodge, but only by pouring all his effort into evasion. "How dare you protect that woman!"

"This isn't you, Kagura," Jellal pleaded, flashing away from Archenemy by millimeters. "I was wrong about Minerva, but you – I know you care, about Millianna, about Shou and Wally, about Mermaid Heel." The swordswoman's eyes widened, and she overextended half a centimeter on her lunge. He leaped over her, summoning Mystogan's staves and surrounding Kagura with them while in mid-air. "Five Layer Circle: Sacred Song!" The column of magic might appeared, crashing down on the Mermaid ace.

She parried the entire beam, crouching and holding Archenemy overhead. "I will avenge Simon! Do not overestimate my forgiveness, Jellal!" Kagura's head whipped back up while the staves returned to Jellal's back. Her eyes burned with growing hatred, and her neck pulsed as though she were near to vomiting. Oh, Kagura.

"It was astonishing to watch," Jellal whispered, forming a Solid Shield in both hands. "You accepted the Council's verdict without sign of a second thought." He braced himself. No more dodging. No more running. I made a promise. He met her loathing with calm resolve. "Years of hating and hunting, your very magic dedicated to my death, and you transfer those emotions to Ultear in minutes. You said Archenemy knew the truth. Who is it meant to defeat?"

"Silence!" Kagura howled, one hand switching to grab the sheath. She could unleash Archenemy with a simple tug. "After finding Araña, I thought I understood Possession Magic, but you make no sense. That woman turned you into a weapon of cruelty and death! How could you forgive her? How – unless it's true," she choked out, her tears trembling. "Unless you could fool us all...consort with that woman...murder Simon...!"

"I already told you," Jellal sighed. "I killed Simon."

Kagura howled in wordless agony. Mermaid Heel screamed for her not to do it. Kagura tore Archenemy free of its sheath and slashed at him with all her might.

Music Cue: Challenging Fairy Tail

The blow felt like the end of the world. Jellal's Solid Shield warped and buckled, the cut tearing through his arm. Behind him, a dozen city blocks exploded. "I wish I could let you kill me," he admitted, head dropping from pain and exhaustion. "I wish my death would set you free. It won't. We both know that. I'm sorry that I couldn't bring back Simon." He gritted his teeth and pushed, forcing magic to course his body, to obey his will. "You still have a family, one you must return to. I have to live...to keep my promises." He found the strength to look back up, to stand upright. A gift I must pass on. From Ur, to Gray, to Ultear, to me. Now, Kagura, to you. He recreated his Solid Shield, held his right arm with his left. "I will seal away...your darkness."

Again, Kagura screamed. Again, Archenemy lashed out. Again, Solid Shield collapsed. This time, she sliced every single bone in his right arm length-wise, the slash's power howling beneath his skin. Echoes of the attack cut down hundreds of buildings behind him. ow. Again. What am I doing wrong? Jellal trembled, forcing his bones to stay together with a desperate invocation of telekinesis. His eyes twitched and his legs wavered, threatening to buckle.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard Fairy Tail cheering him on – not shouting Mystogan's name, but his. Jellal looked down to find Mystogan's scarf and hood in tatters on the ground. Indeed, most of Mystogan's outfit had been sliced apart, leaving him in pants and a handful of bandages. The guild. My guild. He summoned magic beyond his own, forming three magic circles around his failing right arm. Blue light surrounded the spell he called on, disguising it and bolstering his magic with Fairy Tail's. It doesn't matter how undeserved my place here is, not today. It doesn't matter whether or not I should die. I'm alive, right here, right now. I have debts to pay. I have promises to keep. No matter how it happened...Uncle Rob, I joined your guild. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!

"Archenemy!" Kagura cried. "Unsealed Truth: Reaper Form!" She held the sword upright. Mermaid Heel gasped as one, Millianna screaming something Jellal couldn't make out. Kagura slashed at him.

"Three Layer Circle: Mirror Water!" Jellal chanted, but this time, he didn't let the spell form on its own. He let himself become one with Mystogan's magic, pouring the full might of his Cosmic Drive and Solid Seal into the spell. The magic of Fairy Tail joined it all. Kagura's sword struck Jellal's shield. He howled in agony undreamt of since the Tower. Cosmic Drive collapsed.

Archenemy shattered.

Pieces of the blade rang as they struck the cobblestones. Kagura fell to her knees, staring at the bereft hilt, her magic spent. Jellal labored for breath, air granting him meager scraps of strength. "Archenemy...failed? How?"

"You poured all your love for Simon, and all your hate for me, into that blade," Jellal panted, forcing himself to stay upright. "It was an incredible feat, worthy of the ancient masters. There was just one problem: love and hate cannot endure each other forever. You made the right choice." He smiled. "I had faith that you would."

"Kagura-chan," Millianna mewed, struggling to her nakama's side. "It's okay. I was wrong."

"I...couldn't..." Kagura dropped the hilt and covered her face with both hands, crying. "I knew I would die when I killed you," she whispered, and Millianna fell back with a gasp. "I wanted to. When the cultists came, my parents died covering our escape...Simon got caught saving me from the flames...another girl hid me, and they captured her while I..."

Jellal nodded. "Erza. I know." Kagura looked up, jaw twitching as it dropped, eyes wide and tear-streaked. "Oh. You didn't. I'm sorry." He got down on one knee, careful to pin his ruined arm to his waist with telekinesis. "Kagura. I understand the grief, the guilt, the dream of ending the pain in a single stroke – I've lived with it all for seven years. No matter how much it feels like living is a punishment, though, it's not. We have people to live for. Friends – family – who love us." He held out his good hand. "Let's go forward. Together."

"You...this is the Jellal Erza spoke of." Kagura's eyes flickered to Millianna, who smiled and nodded, then back to him. "You weren't wrong. Even with Archenemy gone, even knowing...a tale like yours, I still harbor a remnant of my hate for you. I haven't forgiven Ultear." Jellal's smile grew. I heard the "yet" in there, he thought, permitting himself a small joy at that. "My heart is still at odds with itself. For now, though...this match is–"

Perdition whistled overhead, missing his skull by three centimeters. Erza gasped, looking down at him in horror. Jellal leaped to his feet, ignoring the shock of pain that surged through his arm. He was ten meters away from where he'd been. "Kagura," they both whispered, rushing to the weaponless Mermaid captain.

A shaking Minerva stood over Kagura's battered body, Millianna protecting Simon's sister with her already-ravaged back. Sabertooth had stolen five more points. The Sabertooth ace turned her glare from Kagura to the wizards bearing down on her, teeth bared. "You...miserable fairies...I won't lose!" She held her hands out and to either side, a Territory sphere growing between them. "Your Wizard Saint can't protect you now, Scarlet. Kagura clipped his wings, and now that I've dined on her, I'll devour you both!"

"We'll see who can't protect anyone," Jellal snarled. "Cosmic Drive!" Minerva gasped as his Devil Slayer form came to life once more. "I made a promise!"

Then Erza held up a hand to stop him. His memory of their confrontation with Midnight threatened to overwhelm him. "Does she have any other hostages?" Erza asked.

Jellal couldn't help a smile. "One. Can you defeat her?"

"I will," Erza promised. "Can you manage another rescue?"

"I'll be enough," he reassured her.

Minerva took another quivering step back. "No. No! You won't defeat me. You can't!"

"Requip!" Erza chanted. Golden armor, adorned in blue and white cloth, formed around her, a massive polearm appearing in her hand. "I will. You hurt those I love too much," she said, pronouncing sentence. While she held Minerva's attention, Jellal moved, racing behind Minerva. Territory surrounded her fists, a small portal to reach through. He had enough experience with space-warping magic to manage, wrapping the brown-furred Exceed in his good arm and skidding to a halt between Minerva and the Mermaid wizards.

"Nakagami Starlight!" Erza slashed, and the stars shone around her. A blow that tore through the ether itself smashed Minerva through the air. The Sabertooth captain landed in a skidding, beaten heap, twitching and weeping face-down in the rubble. Erza glared down at her, judgement passed. In the distance, the announcers and audience cheered Titania's overwhelming victory.

She Requipped into a nurse's outfit – or, perhaps, just half of one – and whirled on Jellal's shattered arm. "Jellal! What happened?"

"Kagura is an extraordinary wizard, and Archenemy was forged specifically to defeat me," he explained. She summoned bandages and something like plaster, forming an enchanted cast around his arm that held his bones together. Jellal smiled for her. "Ohhh. Thank you. I could only endure it by being a Fairy Tail wizard." Erza smiled back, shining like the setting sun.

"Come," Erza said, waving. "There is one rival left." She smiled at a wide-eyed Lector. "Somehow, I don't think that is going to be a problem."

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Two: Grim Festival

Earthland-1, Mercurius, X791: Gajeel

"You...Lucy Heartfilia!" Future Rios – Rogue – howled. He threw a shadow blade spell at Lucy. Even Natsu was caught flat-footed, leaping toward the spell too late, and Gajeel was too shocked to swallow it in time.

Future Lucy was closer. She leaped in front of their Lucy – but they're both ours, and – Gajeel smelled blood and pain. She's going into shock, he thought, not yet realizing he was halfway there himself. One Lucy cradled the other, while Rogue gaped at them both. "Two Lucys?" he blurted, hand still outstretched. Natsu shook, staring, paralyzed.

Gajeel jumped between the murderer – can't be Rios, he's soft-hearted, he'd never – and the Lucys. "Wendy! What the Grim are you waitin' for?"

"With a wound that deep, nothing can..." Wendy sobbed.

"It's okay, everyone...I never thought I'd see any of you again," Future Lucy breathed, shaking. Wendy's right. Her body's already giving out. She's already way past her limit. Gajeel shook tears from his eyes. "That's enough...for me to be happy..."

"Rogue," Gajeel growled. The old Gajeel, the Black Steel monster of Phantom Lord, slithered to the surface. His skin became iron and shadow. His eyes were death. Future Rogue wasn't even looking at him, still watching the Lucys while the future one asked to see her guild mark. One last time. None of the others had worked out why Future Lucy was lighter, until that moment.

"I wanted...to have more...adventu..." Future Lucy exhaled. She didn't breathe in.

"She didn't know that she closed the portal," Rogue muttered.

"You're full of it," Gajeel snarled. "You smell like pain and hate and lies." He glanced at Natsu. The kid was about to lose it. Good.

"I'm not gonna close the damn portal!" Lucy cried. "You're not making sense! What do you want?"

Rogue's snarl looked so much like one of Gajeel's that it almost made the Iron Dragon Slayer lose his scale armor. "The future's already written. It's destiny. As long as you're alive..."

"Iron Dragon Sword!" Gajeel howled, swinging at the murderer.

"Blazing Iron Fist!" Natsu screamed, joining him. Their blows struck as one, tearing and burning at Future Rogue's shadows, driving him back. "I'll burn your destiny to ash!"

"Run, you geeks!" Gajeel shouted, bracing himself. We both hit him full force, and all we did was push him away a little. He got strong in the future.

"Let's leave this to Natsu and Gajeel," Leo agreed, and they pulled Lucy out of the fight. Damn it, why is everyone always after her? Even I was.... Old memories of torturing her threatened to resurface. He smashed them down. This time, I'm gonna protect her! The scent of Future Lucy's body behind him drove him all the harder.

"You're not getting away!" Rogue howled, charging at them. That's our line, Rios! Gajeel snarled. Again, he and Natsu hit him in perfect synch. I think he might've felt that one. A little. Maybe. Rogue turned into shadow and shot along the wall. Gajeel transformed as well and went after him, but the gap between the current Rogue and Future Rogue was beyond what he'd reached. A Shadow Dragon Fang knocked him back into flesh and steel.

"Were you always like this?" Natsu growled, trying to track Rogue.

"Time changes us all," Rogue sneered, leaping from the wall and blasting them both. "You're both going to die, Natsu, Gajeel!"

Natsu tanked it right alongside him, arms shielding his face. "You took something precious to me, right before my eyes," Natsu said. His voice...steady, quiet, almost calm... Gajeel's eyes went to Future Lucy again, and his guts seized up. This is an angry he's never been before. He pictured Lucy and Levy, laughing over their books for the hundredth time. Yeah. I know why. Natsu lowered his arms. "I don't trust you. We're gonna protect the future ourselves!"

"And you?" Gajeel whispered, glaring at Future Rogue. "You're gonna die today." Natsu didn't argue. He didn't even flinch. Wish I knew if that was good or bad.

Rogue smirked at them. Without a word, he turned back into shadow, blasting them from all over the place. They blocked some of the attacks and dodged others, but none of their counterattacks could hurt the creep. Rios didn't even bother dodging most of them, just blocking with more damn shadows. "You're not here to save the future, are you?" Natsu asked. That made Rogue stop. "You smell...evil." Rogue smiled again.

"Yeah, you definitely need to die now," Gajeel snarled. "Karma Demon: Iron God Sword!" His arm tore through two stories above them, then crashed down at Rogue.

That, the little snot dodged, so fast he came up behind Gajeel and kicked him in the small of the back before his spell finished. Unable to go flying because of Iron God Sword's weight, his whole torso twisted, scales and ribs alike cracking. "After you, Redfox," Rogue grinned.

Something rumbled in the distance. "What's that sound?" Natsu asked.

Rogue's smirk grew. "Eclipse is opening. In spite of Lucy, no less." He leaped at them, Shadow Magic swirling around his hand. "But she'll still try to close it!"

"Lucy wouldn't do that!" Natsu barked, bursting into flames.

Of course not! Unless – crap! Gajeel whirled on Natsu. "What if we're not supposed to open Eclipse?" he asked. "This Rogue's a jerk! Maybe he's lying about the whole damn thing!" Natsu gasped. "And now she thinks she's not supposed to!"

"Huh." Rogue chuckled. "That explains it. I wish I could say that was me being clever. I guess luck was on my side for once." He held out his hand, and an explosion of shadow threw them both up and back. "Now be good boys and die. Don't worry, though. Soon, you'll have two Lucys for company."

They both ended up on the ceiling, bracing themselves to counterattack. "You're not goin' anywhere!" Natsu roared. "Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode!"

"Iron Shadow Dragon Mode!" Gajeel chanted, flying to stick by Natsu's side. Rios' potential, gone bad – if we don't kill him soon, it might be the end of the world. We gotta hit him with everything at once. They did. Thunder, fire, steel, and darkness all slammed into Rogue.

It tore Rogue's sleeve as he raised his arm to block them both. Oh, crap. He wasn't so much as bruised. "So. This is the power you wouldn't unleash in the Games." Rogue's eye lit up, blinding them both. Natsu fell back, shielding his eyes. Gajeel...burned. The light – no, Light – ripped up his insides and threw him aside like scrap metal. "White Shadow Dragon Mode," he chanted, surrounded by Light and Darkness alike. "I've dreamed of that my whole life, Black Steel." He blasted Natsu with a laser or something, almost ripping a hole in Salamander's side. It took everything Gajeel had just to stand back up. "As for you, Dragneel. Behold the power of light and darkness combined! White Shadow Dragon Silk Edge!" The beams were everywhere, tearing both of them apart.

Gajeel screamed. He was pretty sure Natsu did, too. They both collapsed. "White...Shadow?" Natsu gasped, twitching on the floor. Gajeel couldn't even do that.

Rogue laughed. "Sting's generous donation. Posthumous, I'm afraid." Gajeel swallowed. I don't believe it. Sting can be a jerk, but he's your best friend, after the frog! Rogue shrugged. "Sorry. That's a spoiler. It's still a year or two away."

Natsu managed to get his head off the floor. "So you never cared...about anyone's life?"

Rogue's smile vanished for a moment, then returned, wider than ever. "No. That's why you'll die here too." Natsu struggled to his feet. Gajeel got up on one knee. He's lying again...but, I got... nothin' left... he looked at the Salamander, but the only thing keeping him on his feet was outrage. "White Shadow Dra–"

"Flash Forward!" Ultear chanted. About a million of her orbs smashed down at Rogue. The punk turned into shadow and bailed. Ultear, Meredy, Midnight, and Daphne appeared from the smoke. Man...am I glad, to see...you guys...

-FT- -FT- -FT-

The first thing Gajeel saw when he woke up was a sausage with tiny legs. Either I'm in the Grim pit, or the dragonoid girl just rescued me. ...not sure which one's worse. Daphne waved the sausage over his face. "Come on, Gaj, you need to wake up, yeah?" she called. "I brought breakfast and everything."

"It isn't funny, Daphne," Midnight said, looking away from them. Gajeel groaned and sat up. His iron scales were gone. "We missed...important things." Gajeel managed to push the meat stick out of the way, sit up, and look where Midnight was looking. Natsu was sobbing over Future Lucy.

"Is he an enemy?" Meredy gasped.

"He killed Lucy," Natsu choked out. "So, yeah."

Gajeel struggled to stand. Daphne helped him up. "Thanks." He looked at Meredy, trying not to shake. "He took us both apart like it was nothin'. Sure, we fought those Garou guys today, but still..." he leaned harder on the cowgirl than he meant to. "He's insane."

"It's possible," Ultear replied, "but if he's from the future, then he has a weakness." Her eyes narrowed and hardened. "His existence relies on the current Rogue's. If we kill him, then the future Rogue can never exist."

"Isn't that a time paradox?" Meredy asked. "Since Future Rogue already exists, it's impossible to kill the current Rogue, right?"

"I'll prove it's not," Gajeel growled, forcing his iron claws to reappear.

"That's not a problem," Ultear explained. "We're at a temporal crossroads, with multiple time travelers – two from different points in the future, and seven from the past." Huh? What'd we miss? "In this one instance, we can change our fate." She turned her attention to Future Lucy, gaze softening. "That's probably why this Lucy was able to change our relative future in the first place."

"Then we can save the future Lucy, and stop all of this from happening?" Meredy asked, brightening.

Gajeel shrugged. "Only one way to find out." Rogue. I'm coming for–

"No." Natsu was still looking at the dead Lucy. "I'm gonna stop the future Rogue."

"You can't give in to hatred," Ultear argued. Like Grim we can't, Gajeel thought.

"I'm not," Natsu snapped. Thar brought Gajeel up short. "In the future, Rogue lost his way. That ain't our Rogue." Natsu looked at them, and Gajeel's guts turned to ice. "The Rogue from now hasn't done anything wrong," Salamander insisted. Zen God...Rios...what was I thinking? Gajeel realized, shuddering. Natsu looked down. "Now you're talking about killing him." He looked back up, and Gajeel had a short, pointed flashback to when Natsu destroyed him during the guild war. "Do you want us to lose our way, too?"

"What would Jellal say, if he heard us now?" Midnight whispered. Meredy shuddered as though he'd punched her in the gut.

"They're right," Gajeel admitted, shaking off most of the beating Rogue had given him. "We're Fairy Tail wizards now, Ultear. We can't do things the way we used to."

Ultear closed her eyes, then smiled. "Don't worry. I won't hurt the current Rogue. I promise."

Gajeel nodded. "Don't worry, time girl. Future Rogue's fair game. We're gonna make him wish he'd stayed in whatever nightmare he came from." I'll deal with what I was gonna do later.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X791: Ultear

Ultear held out her hand, watching the current Rogue from the tower. One thought. That's all it will take, and I can end this. Current Rogue clutched his head and fell to his knees, trembling. The sky itself was glowing. "It's a lie! You're lying!" he cried, not daring to look at the dragon charged with keeping him safe. No matter how innocent he is now...all this pain, all this death and destruction, I can stop it like snuffing out a candle. This situation is hopeless. All I need to do...is kill him.

"Atonement isn't meant to be easy." Jellal's voice echoed in her mind. "Take our sins and our magic, and use them to combat the evil we once were."

"I will seal away...your darkness," Gray promised, long ago.

"I felt light shining in my heart, and I dreamed of a future full of hope for her." How many times had Ultear revisited that moment with her Arc?

Motherglare's dragon-spawn advanced on every front. The most powerful wizards in Ishgar fell back at every turn, exhausted and overwhelmed. I'm sorry! It's the only way! She summoned her orb, calculating angles that could snap his neck. Quick. Clean. Flash Forward, and everyone could wake up from this nightmare.

"I trust Ultear, and have every reason to protect her." Jellal's faith in her shone in the darkness.

"She thinks they’re unforgivable, but I don’t." Meredy's love and forgiveness were an embrace in the void.

"You've been a fine mother to her." Gray, her savior, so proud of the woman she'd become...

Screams intermingled with explosions around them. Rogue fought the darkness trying to overwhelm him. Lances of murderous light lit the city streets. Above, beacons shone, raining down power Ultear didn't recognize. They're dying...I have to...Gray, Jellal, Meredy, forgive me, I have to!

Never forget your crimes, but use the memory of them to atone by helping others. Never let your past overwhelm you, and believe in a day when you'll be forgiven.

Ultear's eyes went wide. Her orb vanished. What am I doing? One look in her orb, and she could see them in moments past – desperate, outmatched, some frightened – but all fighting without hesitation to protect Fiore and the world. Jellal, protecting the evacuation literally single-handed, wincing with every movement. Team Sorciere rescuing Blue Pegasus from a rock dragon. Laxus, Wendy, Angel, and Mirajane protecting Lucy and Yukino from a smirking green pervert. Lamia Scale and Sabertooth, fierce rivals mere hours before, joining forces to stop Motherglare's horde.

None of them were even considering what she'd been one gesture away from doing. I was one spell away from becoming a murderer, again, Ultear despaired, descending through the ruins. This is who I am. All the forgiveness and hope I've been given...what did it mean, in the end?

The sky was glowing more brightly by the second, even while the night deepened. Ultear stumbled away from the battle, away from everyone who might see what she really was. I can't do it...but I was going to. I was about to murder an innocent man. A hero, fighting for everyone, and I... Ultear saw Jellal, bound to the pole in the Tower, his mouth frozen open in a silent scream as she violated his soul and tore down a future of light and love. Meredy, her sweet Meredy, a tiny, broken child that threw herself into Ultear's arms, to be lured into Grimoire Heart for her trust. I haven't changed. "Believe in a day when I'll be forgiven"...pathetic! I'll never be able to atone for my sins! She fell to her knees, head bowed. Even if I want to, I don't deserve...to live...

Last Ages. The spell rose from the depths of memory, a power she'd feared since Master Hades had explained its price. I thought for so long that Hades would force me to use that spell to create his Grand Magic World, but now – I want this! She gathered the Time Magic in her body, pulling it through her veins and bones, running it through her heart and soul. Please! Just a week, a day...at least before they opened Eclipse...my time, my life, take it all, as long as the people I love–

"Stop!" Ultear froze, Last Ages collapsing before it could unravel her life. Ur threw her arms around Ultear, trembling as she hugged the echo of her daughter. "Don't do it, Ultear!"

"Mom?" Ultear gasped, then squeezed her eyes shut. "You're not...I'm not your daughter, Master Ur. I can't – I was going to – I have to save them!"

"You already have, baby," Ur replied, and Ultear could hear the smile in her voice. "Look up."

Ultear forced herself to obey. Her eyes flew wide. The glow in the sky – the beacons –

Music Cue: Fairy Tail Main Theme 2014

Portals. Dozens, dozens of portals across space and time, raining down their friends from Joya, Pergrande, Bellum, Earthland-2, Edolas. Both of her counterparts using Arc of Space and SIDRAT Gates, Simon-2, Beth, other portals she didn't even recognize, all of them brought salvation to the place – the time – most in need of hope.

That hope arrived to shine on Rogue, just a block away from the Milkoviches. "Come on, Mo-Master," Ultear said, already running. "They'll need our help."

Ur laughed and chased after her. "Aye sir!" she agreed, rushing to keep up.

"Seven Star Circle: Chariot Song!" As alternate mother and daughter reached the Twin Dragons, Jellal-2 combined his Grand Chariot with the Sacred Song of his artificial hand to hammer Levia into the ground. "Rogue, get back! Simon, Kagura, Portable Hole!"

About fifteen of the portals winked out. Simon's portals were as bright as the others, Ultear realized. Joined with my world-sister, even his shadow shines in this darkness. "Gravity Change!" Kagura-2 chanted.

Simon spread out his arms, "Shadow Pit!" he joined in. Levia howled and thrashed.

"Shadow Dragon Roar!" Rogue howled, blasting Levia and strengthening Shadow Pit in a single blow. "I won't run anymore. I'm going to face my darkness!"

Levia beat his wings, halting his descent. "Simon, let go," Jellal-2 ordered. Simon did – and Levia screamed again when his legs and the ground refused to share the same space at once. "Richard!"

"Liquid Ground!" A Richard – Ultear didn't even know which, at that point – turned the earth under Levia into a whirlpool of fluid stone. "We shall triumph by combining the power of our love! Yes!"

"Parallel Worlds!" Ultear smashed countless orbs down on Levias. Jellal-2 threw Starburst into the spell, and together they pushed Levia into the earth. The dragon resisted with power beyond all their combined magic, roaring and thrashing, but with a mix of leverage and tactical physics, they managed to bury the monster. Ultear leaned on her knees, letting her orb return to its singular state. "That won't...hold him...for long," she panted, vision blurred by exhaustion and tears.

"We don't need to," Jellal-2 pointed out. "If we can destroy Eclipse, all this will be undone."

Ultear whipped her head back up to stare at the Starburst in disbelief. "Zen God, Jellal, I know that Plutogrim destroyed it in your world, but that doesn't make it possible for humans! It's solid Maginium that absorbs all magic in its vicinity. Even Natsu was powerless against it."

"Wait." Rogue's voice was a whisper. "Are you saying that, if we destroy something now, that makes this possible in the future," he worked out, forming a dagger of shadow in his hand, "then we can stop this from ever–"

Ultear flashed to face Rogue, grabbing his wrist. "Revert," she chanted, reducing the shadow dagger to ether. "Rogue, no. You have people who need you. With Yukino gone, you are the heart of Sabertooth." He shook his head. "I said no! I don't care if you're not a Fairy Tail wizard, 'don't consider your life to be insignificant' is for all of us!"

"My life isn't worth all this!" he insisted, waving at the chaos around them. "I won't let people die for me!"

"You think they want you to die for them?" Ultear shot back. Rogue's jaw dropped.

Ur smiled. "My Ultear," she whispered.

The words were knives in Ultear's heart. Later, she ordered herself. "If you have time to feel sorry for yourself, you have time to figure out how to fight these things."

Rogue paused. The ground rumbled beneath them as Levia fought his way toward the surface. "Dragon Supremacy Magic," he whispered. "Ultear, you said nothing human could destroy Eclipse. What about a dragon? If we could find a way for me to learn my evil future's magic – maybe with one of your time spells?"

Jellal-2 flashed them the smile that drove away all despair. "We don't need magic like that. All we need is Natsu. You see," he continued before Ultear could ask him when his brain had vanished, "one of the dragons from the past is Atlas Flame. 'Uncle' Atlas Flame."

Ultear gasped. "That's...yes! He could do it!" She put two fingers to her forehead. Calling Fairy Tail. If Natsu-1 hasn't engaged Atlas Flame yet, make it happen. The son of Igneel can free him from Future Rogue, I'm certain of it, and a dragon should have the power to destroy Eclipse!

There was a pause in the psychic bond. Could...could they sense...that I... Ultear worried.

AYE SIR! Fairy Tail cheered back.

She's right! Lucy added. I've got my future self's notebook, and she says destroying Eclipse would stop this before it starts! Ultear felt Lucy rub the back of her neck. Nothing about using a dragon to destroy it, though...

You're the best, Ultear! Natsu added, and she could feel his smile through the bond. See? You made sure we found our way!

Ultear clapped both hands over her mouth, unable to stop the tears a second time. But...I...

Sting came running towards them. "Rogue! You found reinforcements! Good!" he laughed.

They all turned to stare at the Light Dragon Slayer. "Reinforcements?" Rogue wondered, asking the question for them all. Scissor Runner smashed through the building behind Sting, answering their question for him. Rogue sighed at the dragon coming to murder them all. "Sting. Why am I not surprised?" Ultear's eye twitched. Maybe you should be!

Sting-2 and Rogue-2 landed between the oncoming dragon and the gathered wizards, already holding hands. "Heard you guys could use some help," Sting-2 grinned. Scissor Runner screeched to a halt, leaving gouges in the street where he used his claws as brakes.

"Of course they could," Rogue-2 retorted, his smile mirroring his partner's. "There's two of you. That's as big a mess as we could have."

Sting-2 pouted. "There's three of you," he objected, light and shadow swirling around their clasped hands. "Honestly, another evil you? I wish that wasn't sexy." Rogue-2's grin spread. Ultear blinked. I don't want to know, she decided.

"For the love of Mavis!" Ur interrupted. "Rescue now, flirt later!"

Sting-1 and Rogue-1 blinked. "'Flirt?'" they asked as one.

Scissor Runner looked from the Twin Dragons of Earthland-1 to their counterparts. "The gap in power," he breathed. "It's unfathomable..."

Ultear's smile was a scythe on her face. "Boys. Let's introduce ourselves," she said, preparing an Arc spell for the building Flash Fang. Flash Forward Fang. Sounds good.

The Earthland-2 Twin Dragons held up their clasped hands, smiles widening. Frosch-2 and Lector-2 flew down to join them. "We think so too!" the Exceeds cheered.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X791: Gray

Gray stared at the unmoving beams of light, flash-frozen centimeters from his body. That's...I would have.... He looked up at Gray-2, his Devil Slayer Magic spiraling out to consume dragon-spawn, with an awe he couldn't hide. I was afraid, he realized, watching his counterpart shatter the monsters with a simple Freeze Lancer. Afraid of being tainted by demon magic. What the Grim was I thinking? He touched the pale blue cylinder of ice. Still can't absorb it, though. I'm still missing something. Gray-2 shook his head. "Tch. Later, kid," the other Gray said to him.

"I'm the same guy as you!" Gray raged, shaking his fist at his obnoxious doppelganger.

Gray-2 snorted. "Minus six years," he retorted. "Juvia. Clean up here, will ya? Someone needs to check on Red and Blue." Meredy rained Maguilty Rays down behind them, watching their backs.

"Of course, Gray-sama!" Juvia-2 cheered, floating down and sweeping away the remaining dragon-spawn, frozen and otherwise. Lyon stared, mouth open, but unable to speak.

"Juvia...is with...Gray-sama?" their Juvia gasped, all but glowing from her blush. Meredy smiled. Then Juvia stared at the frozen beams, still trapped in mid-air by the Devil Slayer's magic. "But...Gray-sama almost died, saving Juvia..." Gray slapped his forehead. Oh, for–

"She's right." Lyon glared at him. Gray glared back. "You're too damn reckless for a fairy."

"Then you'd better surpass him for once." They looked up to find Lyon-2 hovering over them, standing atop the head of a jet-black Snow Dragon. Lyon-1's jaw dropped. "I will teach you God Slayer Magic once this is over, assuming you can keep your head out of the Cold Emperor's helmet. Among other places." More of the mini-dragons skittered over the shards of their siblings. "Ice-Make: Eagle!" Dozens of black raptors shot from his hand to destroy the second wave of dragon-spawn.

"I've been a Lamia Scale wizard for seven years," Lyon-1 retorted. Lyon-2 looked at his counterpart for a second, then nodded. Lyon-1 then rounded on Gray, scowling. "You were holding out on me?"

Gray chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Master Makarov kind of insisted," he explained. "Juvia. Crush or angst, pick an emotion, then get your head in the fight," he continued, turning to look for others in trouble, "or you're going to lose it!"

"Juvia is a Fairy Tail wizard, Gray-sama," Juvia-1 said, standing and gathering Water Magic around her fists. "Juvia chooses 'protecting her friends!'" Gray couldn't help a smile. That's my – er, that's better, Juvia. He looked up at Gray-2 and Juvia-2 for a moment, watching them obliterate mini-dragons with such perfect coordination it made him wonder if Juvia-1 was right.

...nah, he would've told me. Gray shook his head. "Okay, let's go see who else needs help."

"Roger!" the others agreed. Meredy summoned more magic swords to circle them, then they rushed forward to protect their guilds, all riding one of their Lyon's Snow Dragons.

Mystogan and Knightwalker were helping Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo stand up. If the devastation around them were any indication, the Edolas-2 monarchs had cleared out all the mini-dragons by themselves. Next, they came across Midnight, Racer, and Angel protecting Quatro Puppy. Which ones are they – wait, that's girl Midnight, Gray realized. He buried a bunch of mini-dragons with Ice Bringer, Meredy stabbed several more, and they flew on. Warren, Max, and Vijeeter had Gildarts-2 and Cana-2 protecting them. Gildarts was grinning, fist in palm. Grim, even Gildarts thinks these things are a challenge. I don't feel so bad now. Laxus-2 and Wendy-2 were backing up their counterparts, driving back Zirconis; Freed's Dark Wings strengthened Laxus-2 even as they let him fly without using up lightning. They're...they're actually beating a dragon! Gray realized. "Don't kill him!" Meredy warned. "If they die now, it might change the past!"

"I wish that was something we had to worry about!" Laxus-2 shouted. "Raging Bolt!" they both chanted. Two spells lashed out as one, making Zirconis backpedal.

"We can handle this pervert!" Wendy-2 chimed in, blasting the Jade Dragon with wind slashes enhanced by her younger counterpart. "Keep moving!"

"Right!" their team agreed, flying on. Cobra-2 and Meredy-2 were helping Team Sorciere with the rock dragon, the combined Poison Dragon attacks penetrating the monster's stone scales by centimeters. Meredy-1 hit him with another volley of Maguilty Rays – pretty sure ice won't slow that guy down, Gray grumbled – and they kept moving.

Lucy was back to back with – yet another Lucy, Lucy-2 from the looks of her – and Natsu-2. Flame Brain the Second shot tendrils of blue-edged golden flame from his fingers, obliterating most of the mini-dragons the second they appeared. Lucy-2 got the rest with Star Dress: Sagittarius. Happy-2, almost the size of battle mode Pantherlily, stood back to back with Lucy-1, claws out and grinning. "Oi!" Meredy called down, waving. "Need a lift?"

"It's okay!" Lucy-1 assured them. "Thanks to Ultear, I'm in touch with Warren, so I can get Future Lucy's information to the palace!"

"What about our Natsu?" Gray added. "Shouldn't you be helping him, flame-brain?"

Natsu-2 grinned up at him. "I ain't getting in his way!" he said. Gray sweat-dropped. That's not a bad point, he admitted.

Juvia waved down as well. "Okay, but it's dangerous down there, so be careful, Love Rival!"

"Thank – I'M REALLY NOT!" Lucy-1 wailed. Earthland-2's Team Natsu laughed.

"Keep flying, Lyon," Gray warned. Lyon turned, probably to argue, but took one look at Gray's expression and kept them moving. In moments, they were over a real fight, two Jets and Droys fighting a horde of dragon-spawn.

"Man," Jet-2 sighed, plowing through the monsters, "where's Sawyer when I need him?"

"With his girlfriend," the slender Droy-2 grumbled back, massive thorned vines sprouting to crush mini-dragons wherever he aimed his palm. "Quit complaining when we need to find Levy!"

"You lost your Levy?" Jet-1 and Droy-1 objected, aiding their counterparts to the best of their ability.

"Oi, pay attention!" Gray warned, leaping down at them. "Cold Excalibur!" He slashed through a bunch of the monsters rushing to overwhelm them.

"Look who's talking," Lyon and Meredy complained as one, descending with Juvia to help the Shadow Gears. In less than a minute, the area was clear.

"Okay, the Jets need to run in a search pattern," Gray said, looking around. "Both Levys are probably looking for their Gajeels," he continued, Shadow Gear-1 suffering from color failure, "so chances are they're close to a dragon. I'd guess the Gajeels have teamed up, if Edolas is any indication, so start from there." All four Shadow Gear wizards stared at him like he'd grown a third arm or something. "What? Anyone got a better plan?" Juvia giggled while the two High Speed wizards raced out.

It took them two seconds to return. "We found them!" the Jets said in synch, pointing.

"Okay, let's go!" Gray said, waving for the others to follow. In moments, they were facing a massive dark dragon, its wings attached to its arms. It was fighting one Gajeel, both Levys behind him. The monster swung at him, forcing the Iron Dragon Slayer back. "Gajeel!" Gray and Juvia cried.

"Stay out of the way!" Gajeel snarled. "Iron Shadow Dragon – ROAR!"

The maelstrom tore at the beast for several seconds. Once Gajeel was done, the dark dragon blew away the remnants with a casual beat of its wing. "A roar, whelp? More a breeze!" It laughed.

"Where's the other you, Gajeel-kun?" Juvia asked. Gray blinked. "Kun?" he wondered.

"This idiot told him to help someone else," Levy-2 snapped, glaring at Gajeel. Sweat broke out on the Dragon Slayer's forehead. If the fight weren't so terrible, Gray might have laughed. "Second Origin, Solid Script: Magnum Opus!" she chanted. The words swirled around her, then wrapped around Levy-2's body. Her skin soaked the words in, sheathing her in shining gold.

The dark dragon blinked, a clicking sound accompanying the movement. "Hm? The insect wishes to face me?"

"OI!" Gajeel barked. "Don't you call Shrimp an insect!"

"I don't think you're helping," Meredy sighed. Gray, Juvia, and Lyon nodded.

Levy-2, ignoring them all, leaped up high enough to punch the dragon between the eyes. The blow threw the dragon's head back, its neck swinging around from the blow. All of them except Shadow Gear-2 stared, jaws dropping and eyes going round. Jet-2 and Droy-2 fist-bumped. "Can I learn to do that?" Levy-1 whispered.

"I'll teach you after!" Levy-2 reassured her, bouncing back towards them in a skidding landing. "Archive!" She summoned one of the magic data windows, then stuck her arm into it. "Solid Script: Archenemy of Dark Dragon!" While the dragon shook its head, regaining its bearings, Levy pulled out a miniature Perdition from the Archive window. "Gajeel! If you won't take my husband's help, then you'd damn well better accept mine! Eat this!" She threw the wide short sword to him.

"'Husband?'" Jet-1 and Droy-1 echoed, the color bleaching from them again. Juvia giggled.

Gajeel snatched the sword from the air, looked at Levy-2 in amazement, then ate the blade. He gasped, choking for a moment. Then his scales turned midnight blue, distant stars gleaming from within. He looked at their Levy. "Huh." Then he turned his attention to the dark dragon, which was glaring at Levy-2. "You ain't hurtin' any Levy, beast. Karma Demon: Meteor Iron God Sword!" A giant blade took form over all their heads, even the dragon's.

"Lyon, eyes," Gray said, nudging his fellow student in the shoulder and pointing. Lyon nodded. "Ice-Make: Grappling Hook!" they chanted as one, yanking the dragon's eyelids down.

"Water Nebula!" Juvia joined in, her spell freezing when it struck the icy hooks. The monster roared, rearing back as it fought off the attacks.

That exposed its neck. The whirling teeth of his normal Dragon Sword appeared on this titanic version, and he swung down, smashing the monster to earth. He didn't kill the beast, but he did leave a long, shallow gash that ran from halfway down its neck to the base of its tail. "God," Gajeel whispered, watching the thing scream and retreat. "Levy. You're a powerhouse." Both Levys smiled. "Is Jellal okay?" Both Levys' smiles vanished.

That's your next thought? Gray wondered. Then his heart missed a beat. Archenemy.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X791: Erza

"Blumenblatt!" Erza chanted, her swords lashing out and destroying dragon-spawn by platoons. She and her world-sister flew a patrol over the city, while Jellal-2 hovered over another part of the battlefield, battling a dragon alongside Sabertooth, their Ultear, and Master Ur. "The battle appears to be under control. Does that worry you as much as it does me?"

Erza-2 nodded. "Only Atlas Flame has been neutralized, and that because he fights for Natsu." She looked up at the dragon battle raging overhead. Even then, Erza's nee-san rained a storm of blades down on the foul beasts. "Natsu. He's impressive in any world."

"I take it you never met his Edolas counterpart," Erza noted. The sweat drop on her world-sister's cheek hinted that, in fact, she had. "Dragons appear to have limitless stamina. We must defeat them before we exhaust ourselves."

Erza-2 nodded. "You don't seem tired, world-sister," she noted. Erza nodded back, casting more Heaven's Wheel swords down on the dragon beasts. "Did you not compete in the Grand Magic Games?" she asked.

"I did," Erza admitted, "but while the tactic was a success in my true intent, sending Jellal against Kagura had unintended consequences. Dealing with Minerva was simple by comparison, if not easy." Erza-2 raised an eyebrow at that. "Our Minerva is...less noble than yours. As for Kagura, Jellal explains Archenemy as Slayer Magic intended for him." Erza-2 gasped. "He was able to overcome it, but his wounds are terrible. It is...difficult, not worrying about him." She shook her head. "Jellal is doing what he does best – protecting the innocent. He'll be fine."

"I will have our Meredy check on him all the same," Erza-2 said, while Erza looked for more trouble. The heroes of Bellum – 'Rave Warriors,' Meredy called them – are having little trouble with the smaller beasts. Most of the others appear to have things well in hand. Only their pirate friends are having trouble. She slowed, staring. Is that Brain? Erza pointed towards the Merry Sun Pirates with a sword. "Sister? Do you know them?"

Erza-2 followed her blade to the ocean warriors...and gaped, eyes going round and jaw dropping to reveal jagged teeth. "One Piece is real here?" she blurted, staring. In an instant, Erza-2 recovered, slapping her face with both hands. "Not important. Is that Grimoire Heart they're fighting?"

Erza flew closer. "Some of its members are there...Rustyrose, Kain Hikaru, Yowazu, and Kawazu. Brain and Klodoa are there as well, however." The new Jackpot looked more combat ready than the old, spitting out coin soldiers fast enough to keep the junior pirates knocking them down along with the dragon beasts. There were also remnants of the Prayer's Dark Guild armies, trying to bury the wizard pirates with sheer numbers. "They are more likely a new Oracion Seis. Brain is the only leader in their number." Her world-sister nodded. "Perhaps we should help."

"Black Mamba!" Captain Monki chanted, her arms covered in jet black armor as her fists lashed out faster than Erza could with a hundred blades. Brain went flying, smashing through several empty buildings. The others drove the whole of Oracion Seis back, fighting with might and determination that rivaled the combined Fairy Tails of three worlds.

Erza-2 chuckled. "Perhaps not. If they are who I believe, Captain Monki is as passionate about battle as Natsu. I think we should not interfere." Then her world-sister stiffened. "Mystogan!" she gasped. "Come!" She darted towards the line of refugees, Kinana leading the handful of wizards directing them to safety. Erza followed without hesitation. Mystogan? He did not seem to be– Erza's heart stopped. She means Jellal. My Jellal. Gods, I beg you, help me!

When they found him, Jellal was firing left-handed Starbursts at dragon beasts while fleeing Jose Porla. The villain was garbed in a black version of his old uniform, trimmed in white rather than gold. The red Oracion Seis kanji adorned his shoulder capelet. Jose laughed, chasing Jellal by riding a platform of moaning Shade faces. "Your compassion is your undoing, Sin-Witch!" he laughed. Jellal shuddered, using his telekinesis to pin his right arm more tightly to his waist. "Dead Wave!" Erza dove to intercept, as did her world-sister.

The artificial Knightwalker flew up into Erza-2, both of her counterparts tumbling into the air. No time for both, Erza decided, Requipping into her Morning Star armor and landing between Jellal and the Dead Wave. "Photon Slicer!" she chanted, parrying Dead Wave with the beam of thunder-backed light. "What villainy is this, Jose?" Erza demanded, pointing one sword at the former Phantom while keeping the other between Porla and Jellal.

"Titania," Jose breathed, a monstrous smile spreading across his face. "Your courage is truly impressive. A pity your intellect can't keep up." Another terrible Shade spell gathered in the dark wizard's hand. "Have you forgotten how our last battle ended?"

"I have grown since then!" Erza announced, holding her ground while she glanced over her shoulder. "Jellal?"

He grunted, wincing as he conjured Starbursts and Solid Seals to herd the monster soldiers away from the fleeing civilians. "In my current state, I cannot win against Porla and Motherglare's spawn at once. I apologize for this shameful display."

"Never admitting weakness is not strength," Erza insisted, forcing herself not to snap at Jellal for yet another foolish apology. "Protect the innocent. Against Porla..." she smiled. "I'll be enough."

Jellal smiled back. "Don't lose."

"Heed your own words." Erza held her ground, waiting for Porla to come at her.

The madman laughed. "It's funny, Titania. I hate Makarov, and loathe your insipid guild as an idea, but the rest of you, it's not personal. You would have been a magnificent Phantom Lord wizard." Erza narrowed her eyes. Never, Porla! she raged. "Now, alas, I cannot bring myself to spare you." His smile vanished, eyes burning with Shade fire. "That man loves you." Erza gritted her teeth against the way those words clawed at her heart. "He crushed my new Phantom Lord before it could even be born! Defeated me, humiliated me, pitied me!" Spittle flew from his lips. "Your death will shatter his soul, Titania! Dead Blades!" Phantom swords slashed at her. Erza parried them, then rushed to beat Porla senseless. "Grim Titan!" he chanted, and a mockery of Meteor surrounded the villain.

Music Cue: Scarlet Warrioress

"Requip!" Erza chanted, switching to her Heaven's Wheel Armor. She attacked with Pentagram Sword, throwing Porla back. He snarled at her, and the duel began in earnest, neither wizard holding back a single Edeas against the other. He threw a Shinigami Scythe reaper at her, which she cut down with Black Wing. Grim Hunters followed, and she tore through them with Flight Armor. He struck her with a Dark Pulse, which she countered with her Adamantine Shield. Going on the offensive, she attacked with Flame Empress, which he parried by smothering the fire with a horde of Shade ghosts. Swapping to Lightning Empress let her shatter the Shades, and Porla blocked the ensuing thunderbolt by concentrating Grim Titan into a shield.

"Die, Titania. Grim Oblivion!" A dark force that rivaled Laxus' deadliest spells swirled in Porla's hands. She Requipped into her Giant Armor and braced herself, De-Malevo at the ready. She waited until Jose threw his spell, then attacked with the sacred lance. Its power to repel evil shattered his cruel sorcery, in spite of all his strength, and threw Porla back. He screamed as he bounced along the ground five times before skidding to a halt. Erza struggled for breath. I'm nearing my limit. If he still has strength – Porla stood, his mouth a rictus of fury. "I said die! REVELATION ZERO!" he screamed, a storm of howling red faces flying at her.

"Requip!" she chanted, summoning Armadura Fairy. "Fairy Burst!" Her attack tore down the spell, to reveal the evil Jellal at its core. He laughed as he flew at her, the Zeref rune rolling out in his eye. The true Jellal gasped behind her. Bracing herself, she charged at the impostor, cutting him into thirds. The false Jellal exploded around Erza. She shook off the blow, her armor protecting her. "Is this all you wish to be, Jose Porla?" she asked, saddened by the sight of the once-respected guild master lowering himself to serve as a Demon General. "Brain's tool?"

"When we devour the world of Light, Ishgar will be mine," Porla snarled, holding up one hand. Liquid darkness flowed around it. "I will drown every last one of your insipid fairies in despair, Knightwalker at my side. A shame you won't live to see it. Grim Nemesis!" The very magic that had once stolen Jellal's freedom roiled from Porla's hand, and Erza's calm weakened at last. The tendrils shot at her, promising grief and pain to all she loved.

"REQUIP!" she roared, summoning her Purgatory Armor. "Purgatory Wrath!" She leaped at Porla, crashing Perdition through the foul shadows, then slamming the evil Prayer across the city and away from Jellal. "You should have sought hope, Porla. Despair will only drown you, in the end." She switched back to her Heart Kreuz armor, rushing to Jellal's side and summoning a score of blades to throw at the dragon beasts. She couldn't help smiling at Jellal when she found she'd cleared the field for him. "Please don't be offended, but I wish to offer my aid."

Jellal chuckled. "Touché." He looked over the array of Solid Seals protecting the last few stragglers fleeing Crocus. "The people of Crocus are safe for now, as am I. Thank you, Erza."

Erza-2 flew down, her Wally and Millianna chasing dragon beasts across the rooftops in the distance. "I see you are victorious," she noted, smiling. "Was Porla much trouble?"

"He is formidable," Erza admitted, "but I was able to overcome him. Thank you for your aid." Her eyes darted to Jellal for an instant. "I...do not know what we would have done without you."

"Earthland-2 is safe for now," her world-sister replied, her smile lopsided. "Our worst problem at this year's Games was Gildarts' inexperience with Domus Flau." Erza gulped. Oh dear, she thought, imagining Gildarts overdoing it in a contest. Erza-2 laughed and nodded. "I will convince my Jellal to compete once more next year."

"You don't mind your world being called Earthland-2?" Erza asked, the notion occurring to her in a rush. "I would have thought it might seem insulting."

Erza-2 grinned back, eyes gleaming. "On the contrary. We're the upgrade." Erza stared at her world-sister. "Earthland, version 2. This contest is over."

"Th-that's not how it works!" Erza blurted, mouth agape. Jellal laughed, the traitor.

A titanic explosion from above interrupted them, and sent Atlas Flame and Motherglare crashing into the palace grounds. The eruption of fire and might became a column reaching to the clouds. In spite of all that had happened, Erza couldn't help a smile. Natsu.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Mercurius Ballroom, X791: Erza

Millianna pouted. "I can't believe all those wizards just left as soon as the dragons were gone. I liked Millianna-2! She was lively!" Erza's heart was light again, the joy from Jellal's acquittal returning in full force.

Wally chuckled, Richard walking beside him. "Careful, Milli. People might start thinking you're like him." Wally pointed a thumb at Ichiya, his Exceed counterpart at his side. Erza clapped a hand over her mouth to avoid laughing.

"You're mean. Erza-nee, Wally's mean! Tell him!" Milli turned a pleading look on Erza, tail bristling as she pointed at Wally.

"I was just joking, Millianna," Wally insisted, hands raised. "You put on a dandy show out there, fighting those dragon-spawn." Richard nodded, smiling as he tried an hors d'oeuvre.

"Holding open so many gates was a terrible strain, Millianna. They had to return home the moment we triumphed." She hugged the cat mage, tears threatening to trickle free again. "Don't worry. We'll see them again one day." Millianna nodded as best she could with her cheek on Erza's chest.

Erza let Milli go, then sought Kagura. The Mermaid ace was navigating the buffet, careful with every step, yet still managed to step on the hem of her skirt. Jellal darted toward her, then away, fast enough that both swordswomen almost missed it. Kagura huffed, then looked down at her dress. "I know I'm faced with a challenge, walking in these, but I won't break if I fall," she sighed.

"Jellal has always been a protector," Erza explained with a smile, finding she was confident enough to approach. "Are you well?"

"As well as you," Kagura retorted. "I'm not so weak that a schemer like Orlando could keep me down." Erza decided not to mention her fight with Jellal. "C-congratulations on your victory."

"Thank you." She placed her hands on her hips. "I know we've had our differences, but I hope we can call each other friends."

"No," Kagura replied, and Erza's smile vanished. Millianna gulped, biting her lip, until she saw Kagura blush and look away. "I...think of you more as an older sister." Erza's smile returned, and she pulled Kagura into a hug. "I was joking, you madwoman!" The other Mermaid Heel wizards laughed. The two women straightened, and Kagura's eyes flickered to Ultear. The time wizard was standing in a far corner of the room with her arms wrapped around herself. "Erza-nee. I won't pretend I've forgiven her," she admitted with a sigh, "but Jellal is right. I have to move forward. There are people who love me. I can't abandon them for hatred and vengeance."

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed, letting the relief flow through her. Then her smile became as cat-like as Milli's. Just a joke with "Erza-nee," was it? she thought, while Millianna hugged the stoic Kagura. That was when she noticed Happy looking at the fish on a nearby table. "Happy, do you know where Natsu is?" The Exceed shook his head, having already taken a bite. "Missing a celebration isn't like him."

"We could ask Cobra," Wally noted, looking around. "With his hearing, he–" the Polygon mage sweat-dropped, and Erza looked where Wally's scan had stopped. Cobra shuffled away from them, Kinana following with an indulgent smile.

"Perhaps we don't want to know, yes," Richard suggested. "Even when we were the Six Prayers, he didn't like talking about others' thoughts outside of battle."

Yukino came in, Angel and Lucy on either side of her. They were all smiling, until the young summoner froze at the sight of Sting and Rogue. She turned to leave. "Wait!" Sting pleaded, and Yukino stopped again. "I'm sorry. I didn't...the Master and Lady Minerva are gone," he explained. "We're going to start over. I swear to you, Sabertooth isn't going to be the way it was." Yukino turned and gasped. "We were...cruel, to you. But I want to create a guild where that is unthinkable. Where we're family."

"I don't understand," Yukino whispered. "Why tell me this?"

"I know it's asking a lot," he continued, "but I was hoping that...you might come back." Angel snorted, but Yukino just looked away.

"'A lot?' You're asking for the impossible!" Kagura snapped, staggering towards Sting. When did she have time to get so drunk? Erza wondered, while the sword master frowned at Sabertooth. "Yukino's life is mine. She's joining Mermaid Heel, and that's the end of it!" The Sabertooth wizards yelped, leaping into the air in a mass. Yukino stared for a moment, then gasped, mouth falling open and her eyes going wide. That's right, the bet, Erza remembered.

Sting strode towards Kagura, but Angel summoned her wings, and both wizards froze. "Aren't you two adorable?" Angel said, turning a sharp smile on them. Sting gulped and took a step back, but Kagura just glared. "Yukino is a Fairy Tail wizard now. Do you really want to try taking her from her overprotective big sister?" Jellal darted into the middle of the group, hands raised.

"Indeed!" Erza barked, crossing her arms. So they wish to challenge Fairy Tail again? Very well! she decided. "You can't expect us to remain silent when you speak of our guild mate so casually." Jellal's head turned from one guild to the next, gulping as his eyes widened.

"That's right!" Lucy jumped in, fists raised (albeit poorly). "Where else should Yukino have gone, besides Fairy Tail?" The others quickly backed them up, even if Juvia and Lisanna had their own odd concerns.

Then Blue Pegasus jumped in, and Lamia Scale, even the all-male Quatro Puppy calling for her to join their guilds. If she didn't already bear our mark, it would be heartwarming, Erza thought, bracing herself for battle. For some reason, Yukino was trying to get them all to stop, Jellal making a poor attempt to aid her. Then the guild masters joined the contest, and the battle was on. This is my chance to win my duel with Kagura! Simon's sister appeared to think the same thing, and the two wizards leaped at each other, determined to finish what they'd started. Neither of them wanted to cause serious damage to the palace, though, limiting their options.

"That's enough!" Captain Arcadios brought the entire melee to a halt with a single, echoing clang of his sword on the balcony. They all looked up, duels unfinished, while the Blossom Knight instructed them to behave while His Majesty thanked them for their valor.

Which was when they found out where Natsu had been the whole time. "My people! Make yourselves at home!" he "commanded," dressed in something like royal robes. The actual king, having returned to his mascot outfit, pleaded for the return of his crown. Erza facepalmed.

"Erza, would you like me to...?" Jellal asked.

"If you can find some way," Erza groaned.

Jellal used Meteor to rocket to the balcony. "Okay, Natsu, you've had your fun, give His Majesty his crown back," he said. That man's patience is amazing, Erza thought, resisting the urge to pound Natsu flat.

"Aw, come on, Jellal, we won, right? Let me be king!" Natsu laughed. Oddly.

Jellal sighed and folded his arms. "Natsu, do Fairy Tail wizards take things that don't belong to us?"

Natsu's eyes went wide, then he looked away, pouting. "No..."

"That's right," Jellal agreed, his smile gentle. "Now please, give the nice king his crown back, all right?" His pout redoubling, Natsu took off the crown and held it behind him, where King Toma swapped his pumpkin head for it.

"Didn't I tell you?" Meredy laughed, walking up beside Erza. "Such a mom." The Fairy Tail wizards couldn't help but laugh with her.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Erza smiled at the princess, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy in their pumpkin heads. Still wearing them, she realized, as Natsu and Happy tucked in to eat, while Lucy chatted with Princess Hisui. A second round of dances had begun, though several wallflowers hadn't joined in. Jellal was talking with Shou, both men smiling, and Erza's heart lightened. She couldn't help a chuckle at Cana pouting at Jellal. You'll get your chance, Cana, she thought, then saw Ultear in the corner again.

She looks haunted. Erza took a breath, then walked over to Gray's sister. The time wizard looked up, shuddered at the sight of her, and turned away, eyes fixed on the floor. "Ultear, what's wrong? And don't you dare tell me 'nothing,'" Erza warned.

"You have little room to object on that front," Ultear observed with a ghost of a smile.

Erza scowled and crossed her arms. "If you refer to my own foolish behavior, I will tolerate yours to the extent you did mine." The ghost-smile vanished. "What happened?"

"I...am going to leave Fairy Tail, after we return to Magnolia," Ultear whispered. Erza stared; each of Ultear's words could be understood separately, but Titania couldn't accept them as a whole. "In spite of seven years with Crime Sorciere, I learned that redemption is...beyond me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Erza demanded, hands on her hips.

"I was going to – kill Rogue," Ultear admitted, choking on the words.

Erza's eyes narrowed. Ultear flinched. God, please let this be foolishness, and not... Erza forced herself to remain stern and unmoved. "So. Did you cast the spell, and someone leaped in your path? Who seized your arm and spoiled your aim?" Ultear looked up, eyes wide. Ah. Foolishness. Thank goodness. Erza slapped her, gently, on the back of the head. "I thought as much."

"Is everything all right over here?" Rogue asked, walking over with a glass in hand. Frosch waddled beside him with his usual smile. "Miss Ultear? Sir Erza, did something happen?"

"No," Erza snapped. "It was just the thought of something happening." Rogue looked from one Fairy Tail wizard to the other, confused.

"Did Natsu tell you about Future Lucy?" Ultear asked. Rogue shuddered and looked away. Erza grimaced and nodded. "I proposed killing the current Rogue as a solution." Frosch whimpered, forepaws going to his mouth. Rogue's jaw and throat tightened. "Natsu was less than eager, so I promised him I wouldn't harm Rogue."

"Oi, oi," Natsu called, and Ultear flinched again, "what's going on over here? Ultear, is Sabertooth giving you any trouble?" He strode over, watching Rogue as he approached.

"No." Ultear shook her head. "I was telling them about our...disagreement, on how to handle Future Rogue. What I proposed, and your response. I should have known you would never consider such a thing." Erza was caught between sympathy and frustration.

Natsu looked at Erza, somehow serious even in a pumpkin head. "Is she being stupid, Erza?" he asked. Erza nodded. Ultear grimaced. To their collective surprise, Natsu sighed, shoulders slumped. "Ultear...I did think about it." Ultear and Erza gasped as once. Natsu? Erza wondered, staring. For some reason Erza couldn't comprehend, Rogue nodded. "Lucy..." Hints of tears glittered in his eyes, just before he closed them. "...she was dead. Right in front of me. I couldn't save her. I kept seeing Lisanna's grave, thinking, 'he's going after our Lucy next.' I was scared." Oh. Oh, Natsu, Erza thought. Natsu shook his head. "I don't think I've ever been that scared. Not even with Acnologia." Natsu's head snapped back up, and he glared at Ultear.

"I lied to you," Ultear said, and Natsu blinked. Her voice sounded dead, empty. "I promised I wouldn't kill Rogue. Then, once the rest of you were gone, I found a good sniper's perch and prepared Flash Forward to snap Rogue's neck. I was one gesture away from murder."

"So." Gajeel walked over, staring at Ultear and crossing his arms. "When're we leaving?" Ultear blinked at him, head tilting the slightest fraction. "I was gonna do it too. Grim, I wanted to do it. So if you can't be in Fairy Tail, I guess I can't, either." He looked over his shoulder. "Better decide fast. Gray and Jellal are gonna notice any minute now. Meredy's busy consoling Juvia, but she'll be on their heels as soon as one of 'em starts moving." Ultear swallowed. Please, don't do this, Erza thought, too worried about saying the wrong thing again to join in. "Atoning for your sins" – gods, Jellal, does one slip of the tongue cut so deeply?

"You saved me," Rogue insisted. That got Ultear's attention, and her head snapped up to stare at him. "I don't know what you were thinking before you found me. What I do know is, I was ready to kill myself. You stopped me, when it would have been the easiest thing to let me do it. I'm not the first person to ask, but that sounds like a Fairy Tail wizard to me."

"Rogue..." Ultear whispered. Erza smiled. That's why Fairy Tail exists. Thank you, Rogue.

"He ain't dead, right?" Natsu asked, pointing a thumb at Rogue. "So you kept your promise!" He grinned for a moment. Then the smile vanished, and Natsu glared at her. "So I don't wanna hear you talking about leaving Fairy Tail, just because you thought about it." Ultear sniffed, put her hands over her mouth, and started to cry. Gajeel and Rogue nodded. Thank God. Erza relaxed.

Natsu's smile vanished. "Uh, he's not dead, is he?" the Salamander asked, his voice trembling as he looked from the crying Ultear to Rogue. Erza blinked. Natsu appeared at Rogue's side, poking him in the arm. "I don't think you're a ghost," Natsu observed, getting in Rogue's face. "You're not a zombie, are you?"

Rogue stared back at Natsu for a moment. Then he yanked the pumpkin head off Natsu, got on his tip-toes, opened his mouth wide, and placed his teeth on the top of Natsu's head.

They all stood there for a moment, staring with round eyes. Then Natsu screamed, running away with his arms in the air. "AAAH! Rogue's a zombie! Run for your lives!" Natsu cried. Erza and Gajeel laughed. Ultear did too, if the sounds escaping from between her fingers were any hint.

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch wailed, waddling away.

"I'm not a zombie," Rogue chuckled, scooping the Exceed up in his arms. "It was just a joke." He smiled at the still-fleeing Natsu. "I'll always be here for you, Frosch."

"Rogue!" Frosch cried, hugging the Dragon Slayer as much as his tiny arms allowed.

"I do..." Ultear sobbed, and Erza turned her attention back to her friend, "...I deserve...to live...!" Erza hugged her, letting Gray's sister cry on her shoulder. Yes. Yes, you do.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Mercurius, X791: Laxus

Laxus grinned at the sight of Freed sitting at a table with Max, the two smiling at each other as they talked. Well. It's about damn time, he thought, then checked on the others. Ultear had dried her eyes and was chatting up Sting and Rufus. Daphne was berating that idiot Ichiya for something. I'm not going anywhere near that, Laxus decided, turning to find most of the Tower kids, Erza's old buddies and ex-Prayers alike, laughing at a table piled high with food. Jellal was the only absentee, doing his "totally-not-trying-to-look-cool" thing of standing on the balcony and staring out into Crocus. Elfman and Evergreen were dancing again, pretending not to look at each other. Who are they trying to kid? Laxus wondered, grinning. Meredy was chatting with Bickslow; Bicks was pointing at his eyes while Merry was holding up a glowing wrist, both smiling as they talked.

Laxus' smile grew as he turned, only to vanish when he saw Cana sitting at a table, alone, sulking and staring at the Tower guys table. "Oi, Cana," Laxus said, dropping into the chair next to her, "you turning into Juvia, or what?"

"I will hit you with this," Cana grumbled, waving an empty wine bottle at him. "For your information, we're just buds. I know that the other Cana dated him. That's the Grim problem."

"I'm gonna need that in Ishgaran," Laxus quipped.

"He likes Ultear," Cana snapped back. Laxus's jaw dropped. Zen God, what a mess, he realized. Cana nodded. "Good, you get it," she added, calming down somewhat. "The really weird thing is, Shou's not too screwed up about her being behind Jellal's brainwashing. He gets that she's been making up for what happened all this time. He just doesn't know how to talk to her."

Laxus snorted. "So, every guy ever," he retorted.

"Don't be stupid, Laxus," Cana sighed, leaning forward and peering at the Tower group. "Ultear's way better at hiding how screwed up she is than Blue, but she's still an S-Class mess." She shook her head. "She ships him with me big time, because they feel like they let that other Shou die and want to get it right in our world." She shook her head. "Why am I smarter drunk than most people are sober?"

"When are you sober?" Laxus sighed, grabbing an unopened bottle before Cana could. "Look, just tell Ultear that you're not into him. You adopted her, right? She'll listen to you."

After a few seconds, Cana sighed and nodded. "I hate it when you're right." She made a half-hearted effort to grab the bottle Laxus held, then stood and headed for Ultear. As casually as he could, Laxus went after her. Huh. Maybe I can fix my own biggest mistake while I'm here.

They found Ultear and Sting talking by themselves, Rufus having joined Jellal of all people. "Yes. I think he's going to be all right," Ultear said, looking into her drink. "A sense of humor is always a good sign." She looked up and smiled at the new Sabertooth guild master. "Rogue will need friends more than anything else. Maybe even something more."

Sting blushed. Oh, God, Mira and Cana have backup. Laxus paled. And Ultear played the Magic Council and three different masterminds, all at once. I'd better warn the guys. While Laxus worried, Sting looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "I screwed that up months ago," he admitted, shaking his head. "Rogue tried to tell me how messed up Sabertooth was. I blew him off. We stayed friends, but...." he shrugged. "Anyway, I think he liked Lady Minerva. She wasn't always...the woman you saw in the Games."

"Ah. That explains a few things." Ultear rubbed her chin. "Do you think she is fond of him?" And she adapts fast. Laxus considered that while Cana smirked. That'll help Cana, I think.

"I'm not really good at any of this stuff." Sting smiled, hand still on the back of his neck. "You may have noticed."

"Thank you for helping Master Sting, even if he seems hopeless," Lector added, nodding.

Sting stared at his partner, eyes bulging. "Lector!" he blurted. Ultear chuckled.

"Oi, you two," Cana said, striding over and putting her arm around Ultear. "Need help with your guild, blondie?"

Sting looked over at where Rogue and Frosch were talking to Angel. Sabertooth's new master smiled. "No, I think I'm good. Thanks." He nodded to Ultear. "I'm going to check on them. You two stay out of trouble, all right?" He walked away, waving, Lector running to keep up.

Ultear shook her head. "My, my. So many of these children to look out for. I don't know how Jellal does it."

"Blue can manage without you for a while," Cana insisted. "We need to talk." Ultear straightened, going a touch pale. "You're sweet, nee-san, but Shou and I aren't like that." Laxus was amazed at how quickly Ultear relaxed, the color returning to her face. "Don't get me wrong. I like him. He's my bro." She gave Ultear a gentle shake. "That's all he is, okay?"

"I wish I were more surprised," Ultear admitted with a sigh. "The way he leaped to your defense when Bacchus – well. I suppose it's as appropriate for a brother as it was for a boyfriend." Cana chuckled. "Still, he has a crush on someone. It's quite obvious." Really? Laxus wondered.

Cana laughed outright at that. "Oi! Shou!" she called. Shou grinned at his old friends and headed over, Erza's smile growing. Man, I hope Titania knows the score, Laxus worried, while Shou reached them. "Will you tell my nee-san here that we're just buds?"

"Oh, that's what's been going on," Shou replied, still smiling as he shook his head. "I wondered why you, Jellal-nii, and Meredy were being weird about us." Ultear shrugged. "It's okay. We're really good friends now, but that's all."

"Right, that's settled," Cana said, then shoved a wide-eyed Ultear right up to him, then let go. "Ask her to dance."

Ultear turned a wide-eyed stare at her adopted sister that Laxus could only call terror. Shou's mouth dropped open. "Wh-what?" he stammered, turning bright red. Heh. At least Cana had his number, he realized, while card boy's mouth worked as he tried to find words. "CANA!"

"She had a rough day, and I know you want to," Cana continued, while Laxus groaned and held his head. What did Erza call this? The "blunt trauma" approach? he remembered. Still, Ultear's terror melted away, and she looked from one to the other, confused. "You don't have to find words. Dancing is its own language."

"I, uh," Shou swallowed, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. So. Ultear. Would you like to – I mean, may I have this dance?" He held out his hand.

For a moment, Laxus thought Ultear was going to faint. Well whaddaya know. I think it's going to work. Looking away just a fraction, she took Shou's hand. "I – I'd be honored," she replied, and Laxus walked up to Cana when the two walked towards the dance floor.

To his surprise, Shou was a pretty good dancer. Laxus almost didn't believe it when he realized Ultear was letting the guy lead. "You're pretty good at this," Shou noted, his whole face bright red.

"I learned to excel in all hobbies of the wealthy and influential, but," Ultear swallowed, "I never engaged in any of them to enjoy myself." She leaned into him, and Shou looked like he might faint as she rested her cheek on his chest. "This...is nice."

Cana whirled on Laxus, grabbing his shoulder with her smile beaming. "Not bad, lightning boy," she quipped. "What do you do for an encore, get through Blue's thick skull?"

"Nah," Laxus said, smiling at her. "Forgive me if I'm a little rusty at this, but..." he held out a hand and bowed a fraction, leaving Cana blinking at him with wide eyes. "Cana Alberona, would you do me the honor of this dance?"

It was an effort not to laugh when she stammered for a few seconds, failing to get a single coherent word out, but putting her hand in his was answer enough. He guided her out to the dance floor, and led her through the steps. "You're better at this drunk than most people are sober," Laxus noted.

"Shut up," Cana blurted, looking away. "I thought...after your dad, Mirajane, the Fighting Festival, Tenrou...I didn't think you'd ever..."

"Get my head out of my ass?" Laxus chuckled. Cana pouted, then followed Ultear's lead and rested her head on his chest. A sudden suspicion jolted through him like lightning. "Wait. Did you have a crush on me, Cana?"

"I told you to shut up," she muttered, holding him closer in spite of her retort. "Right now, just dance, okay?"

"Okay," He agreed, slowing their pace. If he were honest with himself, Laxus like the feel of Cana close to him. I could get used to this, he realized.

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Three: What Passes For Normal

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Meredy

"Wow!" Meredy cheered, looking around the new hall, then grinned at Mirajane. "The people of Magnolia are amazing!"

"Mm, mm," Mira agreed, already cooking up the first set of meals with Kinana and Richard. "They've always been generous, in spite of the trouble the guild causes them on occasion."

"'On occasion?'" half the guild replied, bleaching out. Meredy laughed. I love Fairy Tail. The entire hall was bustling with people helping set up tables, stock supplies, arrange the library (to Levy's exacting specifications), and prep defenses for the inevitable next attack.

Meredy frowned at Jellal, who was sitting at one of the tables by himself. He stared at the wood, back rippling, but otherwise unmoving. "Ooo. Jellal, if you are over there beating yourself up for something stupid...!" She stalked towards her fathe– big brother, glaring.

"It's not what it looks like," Wally said, appearing in front of her from a stream of flying cubes.

Meredy blinked. "Huh? Then what's wrong with him?"

"Porlyusica gave Jellal-nii a potion just before we entered Magnolia," Wally explained, lowering his hat to hide his sunglasses. It's not like you can see his eyes anyway, she grumbled. "It's to make sure his arm heals properly, and it does something dandy with Mystogan's magic staff arsenal. There's just one problem. Oi, Mirajane!" he called. Meredy turned.

Mirajane headed towards Jellal with a tray that looked like it was for all of Team Erza. Meredy whistled. "Wow. Where's the party?"

"In Jellal's stomach," Mira said, smile broadening.

Meredy's eyes bulged. She rushed over to her nii-san, getting her first good look at his face since they settled into the hall. He'd gone back to his Crime Sorciere armor, albeit without the cloth that had their logo on it, and his pants were the blue of their cloaks.. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his jaw quivered. "Fine..." he whispered. "...I'm fine..." Meredy gulped. What did that forest witch do to him?

Mirajane placed the whole tray in front of Jellal, including half a roast chicken, a huge baked potato, a large bowl of Fairy Ramen, a rice medley, and a full salad. Mira was still setting down a glass of fruit punch when Jellal wrenched the drumstick off and tore into it. "Congratulations, Jellal – that's the very first meal served in our new hall," Mira said. Jellal nodded.

Meredy stared for the handful of seconds it took for her beloved mentor and role model to strip the drumstick to the bone. Jellal looked up at her and blinked. "Side effect," he said to Meredy. "Thank you, Mira," he added, then attacked the Fairy Ramen as if it were an invasion force.

Meredy backed away, eyes round and blank. "O-okay," she stammered. Jellal didn't seem to notice, already halfway through his ramen when Gray moved aside so Meredy wouldn't back into him. "Gray! I'm sorry, I just – Jellal's – that's freaking me out."

"Porlyusica?" Gray asked, so calm he didn't even tug at his shirt. Meredy nodded, returning her attention to the stranger tearing through Jellal's meal. "I figured. She gets more pissed than usual when someone messes up internal stuff. I'm pretty sure she does this on purpose."

"Gray," Meredy whispered, "one time, I got sick while Lahar was chasing us through some canyons. Jellal went three days without food to make sure I didn't have to go without. After we got clear, he put us back on our normal regimen like nothing happened. It was like he wasn't even hungry." Jellal turned on his salad like a human vacuum.

"That sounds like Jellal," Erza said, and Meredy only managed to not jump from long experience of Mom appearing out of nowhere like that. "Rations were meager in the Tower. Jellal insisted on sharing his when one of us was hurt or unwell." Titania smiled as she watched him eat. "Porlyusica is not to be underestimated." Not knowing what to say to that, Meredy nodded. "If he asks about us once he's finished, please let him know that Gray, Wendy, and Carla are coming with me to deal with a group of bandits plaguing a small town. It should be a simple mission, and I expect us to return soon."

Meredy nodded. "Thanks, Erza. Good luck." She left Erza's team to their preparations and Jellal to his meal, heading to the still-sparse job board. Nab was already there, looking over flyers. This feels so weird, she thought. After spending my whole life on the run, just looking for a normal job to take is what's strange.

"Anything catch your eye?" Ultear asked, striding up with Cobra beside her.

Meredy grinned at her mother, but it faded in short order. "They're all kind of easy," she explained, waving at the board. "I'd look at the S-Class board, but Jellal's still eating."

"You can't take an S-Class mission without an S-Class wizard," Cobra said, taking a bubbling purple drink that Kinana handed to him as she went past, "but you're allowed to look at 'em."

Meredy squeed and ran upstairs, smiling at Mom's indulgent sigh. She scanned the flyers, amazed at the number and variety. There's almost as many up here as downstairs, she mused. I guess these just don't get done as often. One with the silhouette of a classic horned demon caught her eye. Musutafu? Oh, it's in Seven. Meredy scowled. Right on the Bosco border. She grabbed the flyer and jogged downstairs. "Oi, Cobra, where's the rest of the team?"

"Eh, we're a pretty big bunch now," Cobra explained. "Midnight took the rest of my old crew, plus Yukino, on a monster hunt." He grinned when she pouted. "I can hear you, kid. Erza took half her team on another job, too. Just because we're not gonna hang out all the time anymore doesn't mean we're not family. Anyway, Gajeel and Pantherlily want to team up with us." Meredy brightened.

"Well, some of can't hear you think, Meredy," Ultear added. Thank goodness, Meredy thought. Cobra's grin grew. "What do you have there?"

"A request from a Count Shoto Todoroki to help defeat, and I quote, 'the Demon King of Evil.' I didn't know Uta had competition," Meredy said, half-smiling at her teammates. "Where's Daphne?"

"In her workshop," Cobra sighed. "If you hear an explosion and it isn't Natsu, that's her." Meredy gulped. "Yeah, she's probably not coming on this one either. Man, I hope the boss gets to those headphone filters soon." They all looked at Jellal, who'd devoured his entire meal, except for one chicken wing and a third of his rice. They sweat-dropped as one when he tore into the wing with his bare hands.

"I never, ever want Porlyusica mad at me," Meredy whimpered. Ultear and Cobra nodded.

Gajeel chuckled as he joined them, Pantherlily calm at his ankles alongside. "You catch on fast, Merry. Gee hee!" Meredy twiddled her fingers, smiling in spite of herself. "Merry?" Turnabout's fair, I guess. Ultear smiled as well, eyes flickering to the ceiling for a second.

"So!" Mirajane called over, handing an empty tray to Lisanna without missing a step. "Does Team Jellal have room for one more?"

"Who've ya got in mind, She-Demon?" Gajeel asked. Cobra sighed while Mirajane raised an eyebrow, still smiling. The Iron Dragon Slayer swallowed. "Zera and Chronos, Mirajane, it's just one mission."

"It's an S-Class mission," Mira pointed out, "and I have ulterior motives." Ultear groaned. Mira sweat-dropped while Meredy giggled. "Sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Are we supposed to be happy that you admit you're scheming?" Gajeel said with a gulp. Yeah, actually, you are, Meredy grinned.

Cobra shrugged. "Relax, metal-head. They're just plotting to get the boss together with his redhead." He finished off his bubbling, hissing drink. "This won't finish the job, but if they pull it off, it ought to move those two dorks in the right direction." He turned his attention to the mission flyer. "What the Grim's a 'Nomu,' anyway?"

"It's a type of Etherious," Jellal explained as he walked towards them. Meredy stared at him. He'd changed into Mystogan's disguise from the waist-up, but still wore a Jellal-blue version of his Crime Sorciere slacks and his usual boots. He ate an apple, straight through the scarf. "They're one of the most powerful mass-production A-Class varieties. Why is that relevant?"

"S-Class mission," Meredy said, handing him the flyer. "I was hoping you'd take it, and we could go back to hero-ing. Why are you wearing half a Mystogan suit?"

Jellal looked over the flyer, eyes flickering through the single paragraph several times. "I'm more comfortable representing Fairy Tail as Mystogan, but nothing could make those pants less ridiculous. The top's what matters anyway."

Meredy was about to object further when Ultear put a hand on her shoulder and made psychic contact. Meredy, he's doing something for his own comfort. The Maguilty Mage almost gasped, swallowing it just in time. Exactly. Let's not discourage him from acknowledging his own feelings, okay?

Fine, Meredy conceded. I'm definitely going to work on this when we get back, though. I'm tired of Ishgar's greatest hero being ashamed of himself.

Ultear smiled. Agreed.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Musutafu, X791: Pantherlily

"Stargate!" Mystogan chanted. The turning runes formed a circular opening, waves of etheric mist within parting to reveal an advanced city. Gleaming towers of blue glass stood alongside more traditional ones of brick and mortar. Magic signs hovered above the streets and glowed from the sides of buildings, advertising every imaginable form of wares. Impressive, Pantherlily mused.

"So you can just...do that, now," Mirajane whispered.

Meredy laughed. "He's been working on transportation magic for years. Ultear and Midnight's Hyperspace combo-spell just nudged him over the finish line."

Lily nodded. "Prince Jellal learned transportation magic long ago. It stands to reason that his Earthland counterpart would work out similar wizardry."

"He's talkin' fancy again," Gajeel quipped, grinning at Pantherlily. "What, did you get too good for us all of a sudden, Lily?" The Exceed folded his arms. Honestly, Gajeel.

"You clearly have enough energy to banter and walk at the same time. Let's go," Mystogan ordered, striding through the Stargate. Gajeel snorted, Lily grinned at him, and the rest of the Sorciere-plus team followed their leader to the kingdom of Seven.

Watching Musutafu through the gateway had been a sight. Entering the city was a revelation. It reminded Pantherlily of Edolas Royal City, with magic-powered signs, lights, and floating trains all around them. Stores sold all manner of magic goods alongside mundane ones, from inexpensive l-comm crystals to advanced Archive projectors the size of dinner tables. Meredy whistled. "I think I know where I want to retire," she quipped.

A boy in a green vest that matched his hair and eyes, a knight with some form of speed magic, and an adorable witch girl riding a staff instead of a broom came charging towards them. "Stop him!" the green boy cried.

"Stop who?" Meredy asked, looking around them.

The knight directed Meredy's attention above them, repeatedly, with chopping hand motions that looked to Pantherlily like an airship landing instructor having spasms. "Up there! With the raincoat! And the top hat! Also a cane!" he explained, more gestures accompanying each sentence-chunk.

"He captured two of our friends!" the witch explained, taking a moment to cover her mouth as she flew higher. "Urp – it's Compression Magic, they're kind of in marbles!"

Pantherlily shot into the air, Mystogan following a moment later with Meteor Wave. They found the man described by the youngsters, wearing a black and white mask that covered his entire face. He leaped from rooftop to rooftop, moving with weightless grace that Pantherlily couldn't help but respect. If he has captured children, I cannot take him lightly, the Exceed decided, growing both himself and his sword to full size. "Halt, villain!" Lily commanded, pointing his sword at the strange wizard.

"I think not," their prey replied, crouching to leap away all the faster. Mystogan darted in front of their target before he could escape. The masked wizard screamed, two marble-like spheres falling from his hand. "M-Mystogan? But that means – Fairy Tail!"

"Yes," Mystogan replied, snatching the mask from his opponent's face. We're losing the children, Your Highness, Pantherlily thought, diving for the orbs. "Your misdirection was clever, but useless against basic sensory magic." Mystogan reached into the inside of the mask, pulling out two more spheres just as Lily caught his. Oh, Pantherlily realized, looking at the empty glass marbles in his hand.

The instant Meteor Wave made contact, two figures appeared in front of Jellal, both on their hands and knees. One was a teen in blue nobleman's garb, his hair half-white and half-red, a burn mark surrounding his left eye. The other was a woman with green hair like the short boy's, wearing what looked like a barmaid's dress adorned with floral trim and a green apron. Her thin tongue dangled out far enough that it could amaze Bickslow. "What – you!" the nobleman cried, pointing his right hand at his former captor. A wave of ice that would have impressed Gray lashed out.

"My performance is ruined!" the villain wailed. "Kurogiri!" A portal made of black mist formed behind the man, and he vanished into it.

Pantherlily and Mystogan snorted in perfect time. Then Myst turned to the young wizards. "Are you two all right? " he asked. Pantherlily chuckled and shrank back to standard Exceed size. Ultear and Mirajane landed behind him, the witch girl and Cobra close behind.

"Yes, thank you, kero," the green-haired girl replied, standing up (more or less).

The nobleman in blue got to his feet as well, then bowed. "You have our gratitude, sir," he added.

"It is what we were hired for," Myst explained, summoning the mission paper to hand. "The dark portal matched the energy signature on the flyer. Are you Count Shoto Todoroki?"

"I am," Count Shoto said. "This is Miss Asui Tsuyu – I mean, Tsuyu Asui. She's a friend, and a capable Take Over wizard."

"It's an honor to meet you, Master Fernandes, kero," Tsuyu said to Mystogan, nodding.

"Likewise," Mystogan whispered, rubbing his chin. "You're Nihonese. I see." That's the heritage of his friend Shou, Lily remembered.

"We're of Nihonese descent," Shoto amended, while the witch girl levitated Gajeel, Meredy, and her two young friends to the roof. "Our families have lived in Seven and Bosco for several generations now." He sighed. "It's true that we kept much of our culture. Some of that was good. Other parts...were not."

"Like what?" the green-haired boy asked. Shoto's fingers went to his scar. "That doesn't have anything to do with the old country, Shoto. Every nation has fa–er, people like that!"

"Midoriya-kun," Shoto whispered.

The witch girl cleared her throat. "Er, sorry. We should do the rest of the introductions, huh? I'm Ochako Uraraka, and these are my friends Izuku Midoriya and Tenya Iida." She indicated the boy in green and the knight, respectively.

"It's an honor to meet you!" Tenya declared, bowing deeply enough that his chest was parallel to the ground.

Izuku's bow was not quite so emphatic, but he rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed. "Er...what he said. Thank you for rescuing our friends."

Meredy chuckled and walked over. "Relax, kids. All part of the service." She pouted for a moment. "Though I swear, I'm going to learn a flight spell first thing when we get back."

"You're not that much older than us," Shoto complained, though his voice was calm. Hm. His voice is always calm. That reminds me of the prince, in ways I wish it didn't, Lily thought, remembering how lost and alone his Jellal had been in those early days.

"Heh...sorry about that," Meredy apologized, rubbing the back of her neck much the way Izuku had. "I get treated like a kid way too much myself."

Mirajane patted Meredy on the shoulder. "Maybe you could add wings to Maguilty Shell," she said, and Meredy's eyes lit up. The She-Demon strode to stand beside Mystogan. "We're all fellow wizards here," she reassured the children. Pantherlily nodded. She should have the matter under control in short order, Lily thought. "Was that masked man working for this Demon King?" she asked, pointing at the flyer.

"We believe so," Tenya said, trading the emphatic gestures for adjusting his glasses. "Mr. Compress works for a dark wizard who calls himself Tomura Shigaraki, but that's almost certainly not his real name."

"'Funereal Death Grip?' Probably not, no," Mystogan agreed, tugging his mask up. He speaks Nihonese? Lily wondered. He wasn't the only curious one, based on the looks the youngsters gave him.

"I agree," Izuku said, mirroring Mystogan's chin-holding pose. "Shigaraki appears to lead Apocalypse Vanguard, but he reports to one he calls 'Sensei,' so it's clear he answers to someone. We think that someone is All For One, but at the moment it's just conjecture based on..." the boy continued muttering at high speed. Lily couldn't keep up.

Mystogan held up a hand, and the green-haired wizard stumbled to a mumbling halt. "That portal mist is our primary lead, correct?" he asked. Izuku nodded. "Good. I'll – yes, Ultear?"

Pantherlily looked from their leader to the time wizard. Ultear's smile was downright disturbing. "Well, since our friend Compress was so eager to show off his sleight of hand, I thought I'd see if mine compares." She held out her hand, and one of her orbs floated over it. An image of a small bar appeared within the sphere, where several men, one woman, and one Lily couldn't work out were looking at the compression wizard. The other mages turned appreciative looks toward Ultear, then focused on the image.

The dark wizards were, even in Lily's long experience, a weird bunch. Their leader wore a black body stocking covered in hands, including one over the man's face. The bartender was a serene cloud of darkness in a suit, his/its only discernable facial features two large golden eye fields. Next to the hand-covered leader was a man in a long coat; most of his visible skin was burn-scarred. Beside him was a blonde girl in an outfit much like Erza's unarmored dress, with a half-mask dangling around her chin, a weapon-pack on her back, and several green pouches that looked like they held weapons. Opposite them were a man wearing black and silver armor that covered every centimeter, and a lizard-man with about ten swords strapped to a single hilt. The indeterminate-gender person was well-muscled, with hints of curves, thick lips, sunglasses, and a massive staff suggesting tremendous strength.

"They look formidable," Mystogan noted.

Ultear nodded. "Every one of them would be one of Fairy Tail's stronger wizards if they joined," she explained. "Shigaraki is accepting the compress guy's apology. The others are surprised. The creature tending the bar is praising his maturity."

"This is bad," Izuku muttered. "If Shigaraki is getting smarter, we might never find the rest of our friends." His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

Mystogan's head whipped around to look at Izuku. "The rest? More of your guild mates have been captured?"

"Five," Shoto said, grimacing.

"Oi, time girl, can the rest of us hear the bad guy bar?" Gajeel asked. Lily sighed.

"Not unless you want them to know I'm eavesdropping," Ultear mumbled, eyes half-closed.

"They captured Lady Yaoyorozu and her bodyguard Kyoka by attacking the shopping district they were in and threatening civilians," Izuku explained. "They got Kacchan – um, Katsuki and Eijiro by challenging Kacchan to a fight. Master Yagi..." He swallowed and looked away. "We don't know what happened, but I know they have him."

"Your magic?" Mystogan asked, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Izuku nodded. "We'll find them," he reassured the lad. "That's why we're here." After a moment, Myst pulled down his mask and smiled at Izuku. The boy lit up like a Fantasia Festival. "Ultear?"

"They've decided to use the boys as hostages," Ultear explained, eyes still unfocused. "Katsuki and Eijiro, from the sound of it. They want the green-haired boy and his 'Hero Soul.' I take it that's his magic?"

"Yes. It's a Take Over variant," Izuku explained. "Master Yagi passed it down to me. It was a secret until he disappeared, but now..." he closed his eyes. "I wasn't even done training with it when...."

"Don't worry," Mirajane insisted, and Izuku looked up at her. She, too, smiled at him. "I'll help you until we find your mentor. Okay?"

Izuku nodded. "Mm!" He's so much like my Jellal was as a child, Pantherlily thought. I must – I will – help him save his friends!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Musutafu, X791: Mirajane

"That's all?" Gajeel rumbled, punching his palm. "It ain't much of a hideout."

Mystogan straightened, covering his face again. Mira was one of the few accustomed enough to him to see the frown through his mask. It really is like having the old Mystogan back, she mused. "Do not underestimate them," he warned, eyes narrowing. "They lack resources, but make up for it with magic, cunning, and resolve."

"Then let's not waste time," Cobra suggested. "They don't know we're here, but they're nervous. Hand-guy knows who you are." He snorted, almost smiling. Mira smiled for him. "He's a lot like I was just before you got us out of, you know, where we were."

"Can we turn them?" Mira asked, looking from Myst to little Izuku, then back to Cobra. "Maybe they're not all bad."

"Maybe," Cobra admitted, scowling. "The world's screwed some of them over in spectacular fashion. "Hands' parents were murdered right in front of him when he was about five, and the only person who stopped to help was the All For One guy." The kids gasped, except for Shoto, who merely frowned. "He's their ace, and a Crash wizard, like Gildarts – not as powerful, but who is? Anyway, the burn victim – Zera child of Zen, his father did that to him." This time all five gasped, and Shoto turned pale. Cobra whirled on the split-haired boy. "Sorry, kid, but you're right." Then he turned his scowl on Izuku. "Don't ask. He'll tell you if he wants to."

"It's all right," Shoto whispered, not sounding anywhere on the same continent as all right. "If we're going to face them, they need to know. He's my nii-san Toya." Most of them gaped, Mira included. "My father's an important duke in Bosco. He answers to King Bradley himself. Growing up with him was...difficult." Mirajane held most of the She-Demon back, but claws rippled from her fingertips. "I thought Toya was dead."

Mystogan and Cobra shared a look. "We'll help your family once we deal with this Vanguard," Myst promised. "Cobra?"

"The nutcase in the silver helmet copies himself, but he got messed up duplicating. Now he's out of his mind, even by our standards. The lady with the staff was assigned male at birth, and her magic turns people into magnets based on their gender – which pissed some people off, because it works on identity, not the bio-bits." He shrugged while Mira snarled. Sometimes, I really understand why wizards go Dark, she thought.

"The other four are mostly just jerks. Blondie's a shape-changing psycho slasher who's stalking the green hero back there," Cobra continued, pointing at Izuku with a thumb while the boy's eyes widened. "The lizard guy's able to turn his sword-thing into a drill, and has a murderous chip on his shoulder about Seven's wizard culture. Marble-guy's a jerk who likes to show off. The mist wizard's the real piece of work, though. At least the others care about their nakama." Cobra gasped. "Holy crap. He's running the hands guy for that All For One character. Shigaraki's real name is Shimura. They killed his parents specifically so they could recruit him, because his grandma gave Midoriya's teacher Hero Soul." Mirajane froze, fists clenched as she shuddered.

"No way..." Ochako whimpered. Izuku was crying, unable even to respond.

"They're still the enemy, kero," Tsuyu reminded them.

Mystogan's eyes narrowed again. "We'll see about that. I think I want a word with this All For One."

"Save a piece for me," Mira joined in, teeth clenched. "We should hit them soon, take down the three we can't reason with, try to talk to the other four."

"So what're we waiting for?" Gajeel demanded. "Let's go pound 'em!"

"Cobra, Ochako, you double-team the Crash mage. Gajeel, Shoto, neutralize the fire wizard. Meredy, Tenya, handle the replicator. Lily, Tsuyu, you're on the person-magnetizer. I'll help Izuku with the transformation wizard. Ultear, you should be able to handle the sword mage. Mirajane." Mystogan's smile was thin and wan behind his mask. "I'm not going to try to stop you from fighting the darkness wizard. Don't kill him if you can help it, all right?" Mirajane grinned and nodded, Satan Soul causing the youngsters by gasp as she called on its power. "I'm about to open my gate. Mirajane goes in first, then everyone else in the order I gave. Ready?" Everyone nodded. "Stargate!"

Mirajane dashed in. "Evil Spark!" she chanted, and her spell slammed the dark mist figure into the wall. She turned to bore into the others with She-Demon eyes. The witch girl was already levitating their leader while Cobra breathed sleep gas on him, catching a few of the others on the edges of it. "You should surrender."

"Like Grim," the scarred fire wizard – Toya – snarled, blue flame spiraling around his arm. Then Shoto covered it in ice while Gajeel pinned him in a Meteor Iron bear hug. Toya's eyes widened, which was painful just to watch with the staples under the man's eyes. "Sho...to..."

"It's going to be all right, Toya," Shoto whispered. The older brother's shock disappeared into a snarl, but that vanished a moment later. The rest of the team was through, and Apocalypse Vanguard was neutralized. Mystogan's sleep magic took care of most of them. The blonde girl looked cute in a strange way, her smile wide even as she snored. Only Toya was still awake, Gajeel watching him with one hand turned into a sword.

Myst turned his attention to the hand-covered leader, pointing his fin-staff at the man. A circle of golden light pinned the dark wizard's arms to his sides. Tomura stirred and stood, glaring at Mystogan through the fingers of the hand on his face. "You," he whispered, cracked lips spreading in a scowl. "What are you doing here, you damn bonus boss? Aren't you in that legal guild now?"

"Yes," Shoto retorted, his gaze cool and unrelenting. "I hired them."

Mystogan removed his mask again, walking over to the young guild master. "I would like your permission to make telepathic contact. There's something I want to show you." His jaw tightened. "I swear to you, I will not try to alter your thoughts with mind control. I only intend to show you facts."

A wide, mad grin spread across Shigaraki's face. "Oh, a game. I've heard you're good at games, Jellal Fernandes." Jellal flinched. Mirajane twitched, keeping a tight grip on Satan Soul. "Don't worry. I like games too. Let's play."

"I'll take that as a yes," Jellal muttered, then held up his hand, a gentle blue glow shining in his palm. A flicker of that radiance went to the foreheads of Jellal, Tomura, and Kurogiri. Mira dipped her finger in the light on Kurogiri's forehead. The two conscious men stiffened, and the golden light that pinned Tomura vanished.

Mirajane felt their memories pass between each other. Tomura – Tenko – saw though Jellal's eyes as his father murdered his mother, he was chained in the Tower of Heaven, then bound by Nemesis. Jellal watched in horror as Tenko's parents were slaughtered before him at the same age Jellal lost his mother, only to watch everyone pass by the pleading boy. Only "Sensei" stopped to help, teaching Tenko hatred, cruelty, and terrible magic skill. So much...like me... they thought as one.

Each felt the difference. In the Tower of Heaven, Jellal found comrades: Millianna, Shou, Wally, Rob, Simon, and most of all, Erza. All For One – long ago, Wan LaPointe – chose all of Tenko's companions. Some were mentors, like Kurogiri. Others were servants, like the duplicator Jin. None were truly friends. What Wan ensured Tenko never had, Nemesis had taken from Jellal and Brain – another LaPointe, they realized as one – kept him that way. One imprisoned in the dark. The other, taught never to even imagine the value of light.

Both men screamed and staggered. Mira gasped in time with several of the others, but Meredy moved first. "Jellal!" she cried, casting Sensory Link to bond with him. "Follow my voice, you're not there any more, please come back!"

All at once, both men snapped out of it, screams stopping as they regained their footing. "Th...thanks, Meredy," Jellal breathed, pulling his mask back on. "Tenko Shimura. Do you still think this is a game?"

Tenko shuddered, then reached for the hand on his face. It took him several seconds to remove it, cradling the bizarre mask in his hands. "In a way, it is. Sensei Wan turned us all into pawns for his game with the keepers of the Hero Soul. Kurogiri was a rook." He grimaced, glaring at the warp-gate wizard. "I was the king, but only in terms of chess – the piece he wanted standing at the end. I never imagined Kurogiri held me in such contempt..." I know he's done terrible things, Mira thought, but I can't help feeling sorry for Tenko. I wonder if this is what would have happened to Laxus if Ivan had taken him.

"What about the rest of us?" Toya demanded. He burned Shota's ice away, but didn't fight back otherwise. "That bastard promised us revenge."

"Oh, we were going to give it to you, Dabi," Tenko sighed, looking at his glove-mask. Dabi? Mira wondered. "We were going to kill your father once you gave the word. Sensei thought it would be perfect to kill him at home, forcing him to use his own flames to destroy his tower." Toya's eyes widened again, and this time the seam between the staples bled a few drops. They trickled down his face like tears. "Yes. That would have killed your mother, sister, and remaining brother." Shoto snarled and took a step towards Tenko, but Izuku put a hand on the dual-style wizard and shook his head. "I trust that rescuing them instead will demonstrate my sincerity?"

"This is a sudden change of heart," Toya growled, watching Tenko through narrowed eyes.

"My entire life is a lie," Tenko whispered, hugging the hand mask. "I thought Sensei cared about me. He was brighter than the sun, pouring life into my emptiness. He murdered my mother and father, so he could turn me into...this. All just to hurt the Hero of Might." He shook his head. "There were hints. Clues. I think he wanted me to wonder, when I was alone in the dark." His jaw tightened. "I'll make him regret that."

Izuku looked down. "When this is over...you know we have to turn you in, right?" Tenko nodded.

"That may..." Myst began, then stopped. Again, Mirajane recognized the scowl beneath the mask.

"Sorry, boss," Cobra shrugged, "but I think you've reached your limit, when it comes to saving people from the Council."

"We'll see." Myst looked at Kurogiri, and Mirajane hauled the mist wizard up by the collar. That woke him up, and the dark wizard yelped. "For now, we must rescue the remaining captives. Hello, Kurogiri. We need to talk."

Kurogiri snorted – an impressive feat with no visible nose. "You're too kind-hearted, Fernandes. All of Ishgar knows how merciful you are."

Mirajane pulled him around so they faced one another, mere centimeters away. Kurogiri screeched, eyes flaring wide. "Oh? It's true that Jellal is gentle, no matter how he denies it," she agreed. Kurogiri trembled. "Do you know who I am, villain?" The dark wizard nodded at the She-Demon. "Good. Where are Count Shoto's friends?" Evil Spark crackled around Mirajane's fingers.

Kurogiri told her.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Seven-Bosco Border, X791: Cobra

Erik the Cobra had heard a lot of suffering, cruelty, and general malice in his life. To his eternal shame, he'd committed more than a little of it. Standing in front of Todoroki Tower, listening to it from the Seven side of the border, was enough to make him sick with fury. What kind of monster treats his own wife like that...his sons...his daughter! Even Brain didn't pull crap like that!

Toya and Shoto looked at each other. There were always bits of thought lost in translation. The older brother didn't realize how little interest the younger had in revenge, and the half-and-half kid didn't get how badly the burn victim wanted it. Still, they came closer than most when they nodded – they both wanted to save the rest of their family, and live free of their old man's shadow. That part, I get, Cobra decided, remembering how Brain had mocked them at the end of the Infinity Clock caper. Not that it was our proudest moment, he admitted to himself.

The boss looked to him. "They're all in the top room of the tower, like Cremation Man said," Cobra explained. "It's visiting time."

"Then it is also liberation time. Stargate!" Mystogan chanted, the portal opening to a magnificent Nihon-style bedroom. Rei, Fuyumi, and Natsuo Todoroki all turned to stare; unlike the brothers with Cobra, they all had white hair, except for red spikes in Fuyumi's. Rei's eyes went to her sons for a moment, then locked onto Ultear in shock. Nee-san? she wondered, and Cobra's jaw almost fell off his face. Myst and Ultear gasped as well.

"Count Shoto, do you know your mother's maiden name?" Mystogan breathed.

"Milkovich," Ultear gasped. Shoto nodded. "She's my aunt. Oh, Zen."

"There's no time for this now," Toya insisted. "Mystogan, mom's chained to the wall by her ankle–" the boss' eyes burned golden, and every link in the chain shattered. The manacle tore from her leg an instant later, with Jellal not leaving so much as a bruise. "Come on!" both free brothers cried, holding out their hands.

Their brother and sister threw their mother's arms around their shoulders and ran through the portal. Jellal closed it with a clap of his hands. The Todorokis collapsed into a mass, mutual hug. Toya apologized as though trying to catch up to the boss in one sitting. Rei's mind was a fountain of joy to rival Scarlet's at the boss' acquittal. Cobra couldn't help a smile. Every once in a while, my magic doesn't suck.

There was an eruption on the horizon like a volcano erupting, a streak of crimson and orange flew at them. The three ex-captives stumbled back, eyes wide, while Toya, Shoto, and Ultear strode between them and the oncoming explosion. It landed in the form of a massive red-haired man in a blue officer's uniform topped with a nobleman's cape. Fire surrounded his eyes, and his beard was styled in the form of a flame. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. "Return to the tower, immediately!"

"You must be Duke Enji Todoroki," Mystogan said, striding towards the fire mage. "Greetings. I am Mystogan of Fairy Tail." Cobra could hear the man clamping down on his desire to pummel the abusive piece of trash. Though it frustrated him to no end, Cobra did the same.

"You're talking to him?" Toya snarled, blue fires as fierce as Salamander's roaring around his hands. "I get that you don't want to kill him, but I thought we were going to pound this monster!"

"I'm not the murderer, boy," Duke Todoroki retorted, flickers of flame playing between his fingers.

"You've got five times my kill count working for that slave trader Bradley," Toya snapped, his flames burning hotter. "Wrap your murdering in legal niceties all you want, but you make me look like a damn Light wizard!"

"Enough," Tenko sighed, holding out a hand to bar Toya's path. "Duke Todoroki. They're free, and we're in Seven, beyond your king's authority. I suggest you leave."

"Don't lecture me, Death Grip," Todoroki rumbled, eye-flames growing. "I know they're weaklings, so I put them in that tower to protect them from the likes of you." His eyes flickered to Shoto for a moment. "Being this close to Seven was a mistake."

"Oh, shut up," Ultear snapped. They all stopped and stared at her, everyone's eyes but Duke Enji's bulging. "I was the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. I committed sins most of you can't imagine, turned an innocent child into a living weapon, enslaved the soul of a hero and imprisoned him in the life of a demon." She glared at the duke. Cobra couldn't help a grin. "You tortured your oldest and youngest sons to turn them into living weapons, and beat your wife into madness when she dared stand in your way. Do you have the slightest idea what it takes to sicken me, you living obscenity?"

Huh. Cobra watched in surprise when the duke flinched, looking away. "I've...made mistakes," he admitted. "When the Hero of Might vanished, I became the champion of the Twin Kingdoms. I worked to surpass him my whole life, only to find a hollow shell of ambition where my dream had been. I am...trying to do better." Yeah, Cobra thought, but you still don't get it. He looked at Jellal, making a "so-so" gesture with one hand.

Jellal glared at Todoroki. "I believe in redemption, Your Grace. I also believe in restraining orders. Unless you do something foolish here, we won't fight you. However, I am taking these three to – what's the name of your guild, Count Shoto?"

"Ultra Alliance," Shoto explained. Izuku grinned in spite of it all. Gods, he's got some kind of Cute Take Over to go with Hero Soul, Cobra groaned.

Mystogan nodded. "It is my understanding that they are a guild with many powerful wizards, and as close a family as Fairy Tail's. They will be safe there, and free of you." He held up his right arm, and the five staves of Mystogan appeared around it. So that's what took so much work with Porlyusica, Cobra realized, the memory of it returning to Jellal's thoughts. He had her make them part of fixing his arm, like a Requip bound to him with Body Link Magic. The boss made a fist. "They will decide if and when they want to see you again. Until then, I suggest you prove your efforts to atone through your deeds."

"Or," Ultear whispered, "we can turn you into a smear on the ground. I'd enjoy that." Cobra's grin spread. You and me both, sister.

"Mom!" Meredy gasped, looking from the time witch to the fire creep and back.

Then Ultear glanced at Cobra. He sighed. Yeah, this time's legit, he decided. "He's not doing half as well as he thinks," Cobra said, "but the burning turd blossom is making a genuine effort. Bad, but genuine." The Dragon Slayer turned a cool glare on the older nobleman, who grimaced back. "I can hear you. You know you hurt them, but you still won't admit how badly, and you burned half your oldest son's skin off."

"He did that to himself," Todoroki objected in a whisper.

Toya snarled and stepped right into Tenko's outstretched hand. A tiny spark of Crash pushed the cremation wizard back a centimeter. "Only because it was less painful than you literally stomping on me. I figured if I could prove myself, you'd stop beating Mom. Of course I was wrong." Mirajane's eyes bulged again, she flipped right into Sitri Form, and it took Jellal and Meredy together to stop her from tearing the duke's lungs out.

Duke Todoroki flinched again, turning away. "Very well. I will go." He glared at the boss. "If any harm comes to them, I will find them. Then, Wizard Saint, I will find you." With that, he leaped away in a fiery explosion.

"That could have gone better, kero," the frog-girl said.

Cobra shrugged. "Probably not, to be honest," he disagreed. "That guy's had his head up his ego for so long, it'll take him a few years to pry it all the way out. Where to next, boss?"

"The Ultra Alliance guild hall," Jellal said. "We'll decide our next move once Count Shoto's family is safe."

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland-1: Ultra Alliance Guild Campus

"We'll take care of your family, Todoroki," their S-Class wizard Aizawa said. Cobra kept expecting him to yawn – he did it about twice a minute in his head – but in between, the guy's brain was as sharp as the boss'. "I still don't like this, Midoriya. Hiring wizards to engage in an S-Class mission so you can go on one is a loophole I intend to see closed when this is over." The setting sun lit the glass of the main building, tinting it a red-gold.

"It's not about that, sir," Izuku insisted, fists on either side of his rib cage. "Our friends are in trouble. Master Yagi's in trouble! We've got to save them!"

"And the bad guy's got your older wizards running ragged chasing those mass-production demon things," Gajeel pointed out, Pantherlily nodding. "You need our help."

"You Fairy Tail people aren't my concern. I'm not responsible for you," Aizawa replied, eyes half-closed. "I am responsible for these children."

"I know you feel that way, sir, but we're guild wizards, same as everyone else," the cute witch replied, knuckles white as she gripped her staff. "Master Wan has our friends! And Bakugo!"

"Ochako!" Izuku objected, mouth slightly agape. Cobra sighed. He wasn't as abusive as that trash Enji, but kid, the jerk was your personal bully, not your friend, he thought. Still, Erik didn't say anything. Not really my place. It's not a bullying relationship any longer.

"Mm. I'll keep an eye from here, if it's all the same to you," Aizawa insisted.

Ultear held out an orb. "If you're willing to trust me, this should help," she explained, and an image of the group from overhead appeared in the crystal. "Put your palm on the ball and think my name if you want me to teleport you in. I'll hear you."

"I thought that was Pointy-Ears' job," Aizara said, pointing at Cobra.

"I can hear you," Cobra snarled. "You don't want to test my patience."

Aizawa stared at Cobra. Even knowing it was coming, it was weird to suddenly not hear him, or anyone else, except with normal sound. "I am the sorrow of every arrogant wizard," the eye-guy said. Cobra curled his hands into claws. Talons are still there, at least.

"Enough," the boss snapped. Whoa. His patience is wearing thin. Aizawa turned his stare on Mystogan, then blinked. Cobra's grin returned. The boss is good at dealing with anti-magic, eye-guy. "I would like your advice on which group to rescue first. Have you any suggestions?"

Aizawa sighed. "Bakugo. He's more likely to anger his captors and get himself killed." Izuku gulped.

"Thank you. Let's go." Mystogan did that cool thing where he turned with the little twist that made his cloak flap dramatically behind him. He doesn't even realize he wants to show off for Titania. Cobra made a mental note to rat out Blue Boss to Ultear.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Earth Beast Forest, X791: Gajeel

"Just so we're clear, I didn't need anyone to rescue me! Got it?" Katsuki roared. His red-headed friend waved at him in what Gajeel guessed was a calming gesture. Hard to believe Red was a dragon a few minutes ago.

They were in a clearing that had, moments before, been dense forest. Three dark wizards were unconscious around them, and about a dozen ether burns dotted the ground where the Nomus they'd taken down had self-destructed. "I gotta tell you, Lily, right now I am really glad the big guy's a Devil Slayer."

"Mm, mm," Lily nodded, while the others argued with the human temper tantrum. "Even then, they were dangerous creatures. The enemy is not to be underestimated, even with most of his elite in custody and the remaining two assisting us." Lily looked at the argument. When Gajeel did the same, he realized that Tomura – Tenko – had walked away, the green-haired boy and his witch girlfriend (who definitely wasn't a girlfriend, unless you had a Dragon Slayer's nose) going over to talk to him. "I see that Prince Jellal's gift for winning over allies is another trait they have in common."

"Yep. I'm kinda glad I decided to take this gig," Gajeel said, turning his attention back to the explody-kid. He was screaming right in Mystogan's face. You gotta be kidding me.

Pantherlily, meanwhile, snorted and grew back to full combat size. "Don't be ridiculous, Gajeel," Lily huffed, arms crossed. "You took this job for me." Gajeel whirled and gaped at the Exceed. How – how did he – the Iron Dragon Slayer wondered. "You knew that I have become fond of this world's Jellal." Lily smirked. "Gee hee!" Gajeel scowled at his partner. Busted. Nuts.

"That's enough from you. Sleep," Mystogan chanted, the fin-staff appearing in his hand. Explody-kid reared back a fist – then fell back, snoring as he hit the grass. Green boy gaped while his other friends laughed. "Stargate." The indestructible redhead babbled apologies while Aizawa's magic strip-scarf yanked explody through the portal back to the U.A. guild hall. "Thank you, Mr. Aizawa." Redhead rushed through the gateway after his buddy.

"I apologize for Bakugo-kun. He is extremely talented, but has little discipline," Aizawa replied.

"Hmph." Ultear put her hands on her hips. "He makes Natsu look like Mirajane. Take it from a living example of what not to do – talent is no indicator of decency."

"We will do our best to make him an exemplary wizard," Aizawa insisted.

"We'll settle for a decent one," Meredy blurted, literally cutting them off by slicing a Maguilty Blade through the portal. "Don't we have smarter wizards to rescue now?"

Myst nodded. "If the knockout gas wizard was right, they should be north of us in this same forest. Let's go." They headed off, multiple sensory magics flaring to life. Lily shrank back down.

Gajeel couldn't help a grin. "Wait, are you telling me no one's going to mention that a teenage boy made Jellal Fernandes run out of patience?" he quipped. Jellal held his forehead in one hand.

"Meredy's right," Ochako said, tapping her fingers together. "We should focus on finding Yao-momo and Kyoka." Cobra twitched for some reason.

"Indeed," Ultear agreed. She smiled at the She-Demon in a very She-Demon way. Mira smiled back. "We'll tease him about that after we get back, of course."

"We'll find them," Jellal insisted. "I'm more concerned about how Eijiro was able to turn into a dragon. We may have to face less friendly wizards with that ability."

"He's a Second Generation Dragon Slayer, like me," Cobra explained, rubbing his chest. "He got implanted about five years ago." The kids gasped again. "At a guess, someone got samples of Salamander's blood out of Nirvana's ruins, and I know Brain took about a million notes on how he turned me into this." Gajeel grimaced. Well. Crap.

"LaPointe," Ultear whispered. Meredy hugged her.

Jellal nodded. "We'll worry about the details later. For now, we must be prepared for others with Eijiro's magic."

Izuku nodded. "Maybe that's how they're making Nomus. Second Generation Etherious? Maybe they're reverse-engineered Devil Slayers." And the kid was off and muttering again, talking about a hundred words a minute about the possibilities of Nomu development.

"Izuku, you are disconcerting your fellow wizards," the speed-knight Tenya announced, though he only did one air-chop this time. Izuku mumbled to a halt, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning like a nice version of Natsu. They moved ahead in a weaving pattern to make sure everyone was watching each others' backs.

"Stop her!" a booming voice roared through the forest. The earth shook as a massive figure dominated the twilight sky, head swiveling like a lighthouse beacon. Polished steel stilts shot from a shadow in the air beside the giant, slashing at the ground.

One of the blade-stilts flickered out, coming back with a red tint. A woman's voice cried out for a half-second, and the shadow atop the stilts giggled. "Flesh...so pretty...yes, just like that! Come apart! Come apart!" Gajeel blinked. Holy crap, those are teeth? That is some freaky magic.

The split-top guy – almost calm even facing his abusive trash father – suddenly burst into flames on his left side, and covered his right side in ice. He drew his sword with his left hand, and his fire wrapped around it. "Yaoyorozu," he whispered, then exploded into the air, riding a glacier he made at his feet. "YAOYOROZU!" he screamed, smashing through the stilt-guy like he was made of glass. Gajeel's jaw dropped. What happened to him?

"Shoto!" Izuku cried. "What's gotten into him?"

"So he is in love with her," Tsuyu said, nodding to herself. "I thought so, kero." Toya stared for a moment, then smiled. The other three kids all gaped, jaws dropping.

Oh, Gajeel grinned. "Oi, Lily, give the kid a hand, will ya?" he asked. Lily sighed, then flew off in small-mode to find the panicked nobleman.

"I'm glad I didn't know that when I was a dark wizard," Tenko said, scratching his neck. "That's Gigantomachia and Moonfish. That means Giran's in charge." He grimaced. "Sensei – Master Wan – gave Giran a basic, but powerful, form of muscle-enhancing magic that he took from a loose cannon."

"He can do that?" Meredy blurted.

Tenko nodded. "It's what makes All For One so powerful. He doesn't just copy magic, he can keep what he copies. Worse, Sensei can steal Caster Magic from one wizard and give it to another. That doesn't transfer skill or training, though." His frown deepened when the giant smashed through the glacier. "We should help the two-style wizard. Even he may be overwhelmed by the three of them and their Nomu forces."

"Right! Let's go!" Izuku cried, and they surged forward.

"Stay in groups," Myst ordered, flying front and center. "Find your friend and stick with him. If the dark wizards' target is an escaped captive, we'll retreat with her, then rescue the other once we're clear."

"Roger!" the kids cheered, then charged ahead.

"Gajeel, Meredy, go with the children," Myst continued. "Cobra, Ultear, you're with me. We're giant hunting." Gajeel grumbled, but didn't argue as he pivoted to go with Meredy after the kind-hearted punks.

"Oi, Merry, I can block for them, but how are you going to help?" Gajeel asked, using Iron Club legs to catch up with springing leaps.

Meredy used her Maguilty Shell to grow a pair of wings, identical to Jellal's except for his barb-like claw at the main joint. Huh, Gajeel wondered. That was fast. "Maguilty Eyes and Sensory Link, mostly," she explained, the spell-mark flaring to life on her wrist, "to watch out for them. If any of them get in real trouble, I'll use Maguilty Sodom." Gajeel nodded. That spell can ruin almost anyone's day.

They came to a halt above a circular rampart of ice. Count Pretty-Boy was panting and holding a raven-haired woman in "armor" even Erza would have considered daring. "Are – are you all right, Yaoyorozu?" he asked, pink spots growing on his cheeks kinda like the witch-girl's. Lily landed beside Gajeel, tiny arms crossed.

"Y-yes," she stammered, gauntlets clanking together as she clasped her hands tight. "I should scold you, for being so reckless..." Raven-hair got the same pink blush-spots, her eyes dropping to her hands. "...b-but I was happy to see you, then." Pretty-boy still hadn't let her go.

Gajeel grinned and took in a breath to get them moving, but Meredy slapped her hand over his mouth hard enough for him to feel it even through iron scales. He looked up to see her shooting a death glare at him, finger to her lips. Then she pointed out Maguilty Eyes forming a dome over the kids. "give them a minute," she whispered, letting him go. Gajeel's smile grew, and Meredy looked away. Heh. Once we get Blue and Red together and Ultear retires from matchmaking, Mira's gonna need a sidekick.

"I apologize, all the same," Shoto muttered, pulling Yaoyorozu closer to his chest. "My actions were driven by emotion, not reason. I should have worked with the others, and placed more trust in your own abilities." Gajeel bit down to fight off laughter. Yeah, because hugging your half-naked girl in the middle of a brawl screams 'reason,' right? Gee hee!

"It's all right!" Yaoyorozu blurted, waving her hands at him. "We all have those kinds of moments, after all." They both looked up as a green blur smashed the dark giant in the chin, throwing it back. A Starburst struck it in the face, blinding the giant and sending it stumbling further back. "Um," she continued, twiddling her fingers exactly the way Erza would, "maybe we should rejoin the battle? I still have some ethernano left."

Pretty boy yelped and put her back on her feet fast enough to impress Jet. "R-right! Do you have the energy to create a ranged weapon?" She nodded, then put her hand on her abdomen and formed a beam-staff a lot like a Rune Knight's, except without the ankh. Huh. She actually has a reason to have skimpy armor. Still, kid oughta have some protection, Gajeel thought. "Good. Let's find Izuku. He'll have a plan by now."

Meredy nodded to him, and the Fairy Tail wizards leaped down. Both U.A. kids yelped and jumped back, spells and weapons ready. Shoto relaxed when he recognized them, and Yaoyorozu lowered her staff a second later. "We already have a plan," Meredy explained. "Do you know where their boss is? Tenko – er, Tomura and Dabi are working with us," she continued, and Raven-hair's eyes widened when Shoto nodded, "and they said a strength-wizard named Giran was in charge."

"Oh! Yes, though he's more fearsome for his cunning. The power is just to allow him to defend himself," Yaoyorozu explained. "He'll know where my friend is, too. Shoto, bring us northwest, please?" Pretty boy nodded, creating an ice-bridge for the two kids to ride on while Meredy flew alongside and Lily carried Gajeel. "Giran intended to use Kyoka as bait, and held me hostage to ensure her cooperation."

"That seems backwards," Shoto noted. All four wizards rained sorcerous fury on the Nomus below them.

"Kyoka's Sound Magic can mimic any of our voices," Yaoyorozu explained, firing a blast at Killer Teeth just as Meredy threw a volley of Maguilty Rays at him. The attacks knocked Teeth back, and he vanished into the forest shadows. "They planned to use that to draw you in, but my escape should foil their scheme." Gajeel snorted. "Foil their scheme?" Who are these kids?

"Then we must find Kyoka, quickly," Shoto said, freezing another bunch of Nomus that Gajeel shattered with an Iron Dragon Roar. "Do you know her state, Yaoyorozu?"

Yaoyorozu pulled a large red sphere out of her ribs. "They bound her in her own ear fibers," she frowned, "stretching them as far as they would go, then knotting them beyond her ability to untangle. I'm worried that they don't care about freeing her." Pretty boy's scowl matched hers.

"You got anything with her scent?" Gajeel asked, earning surprised looks from both of them. "Come on, you both know a Dragon Slayer, right? The red guy. I'll sniff her out."

"We should finish this battle first," Shoto insisted, pointing to a guy wearing glasses and suit pants, with everything from his waist to his wrists and neck covered in outside-muscles. "There, it's Giran."

"Get me close," Yaoyorozu called, and Shoto wheeled their ice bridge around without hesitation. Giran looked up at them, then whistled. A bunch of the flying Nomus shot at them, but between Gajeel and Meredy, they were able to blast them back. Then Giran jumped at the kids.

Crap, Gajeel thought, pointing the guy out for Lily, but as they dove, the conjurer threw her red ball at the muscle-guy. It shattered on impact, covering him in a cloud of red dust. The guy gasped and coughed, tumbling through the air. His outside-muscles turned into a bunch of weird limp ribbons, like meat hair. "Grim, kid," Gajeel blurted, "what did you do to him?"

"Muscle relaxant," Yaoyorozu explained, her smile triumphant. Even Shoto laughed at that.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Earth Beast Forest, X791: Ultear

Ultear watched Shoto and Toya – my cousins, she realized – as they, with Tenko, Jellal, Mirajane, and the former captive with the long name (Yao-yo-ro-zu? Yes, that's it, she remembered), interrogated the Wave-neutralized Giran. The bespectacled prisoner rushed to tell them everything he knew. Ultear couldn't help a smile. Between Tenko and Mirajane, there wasn't much chance he'd resist, she mused.

"You okay, Mom?" Ultear turned to see Meredy eating one of the sandwiches Mira had packed. Better that than more of Daphne's sausage-sticks, Ultear decided. "It's gotta be weird, coming across family after all this time. I'd be freaking out."

The pain in Ultear's heart was less a pang and more a serrated stab. Because we murdered them all, she thought, then shoved the guilt aside. "It's a mixed blessing," Ultear admitted, sighing at the smirking Toya. "It makes me wonder if my family is cursed." She shook her head. "I still don't know who my father is. Maybe Mom left him because he was like their father, but she wasn't afraid to leave him. Maybe he just walked out on us. Maybe he was a good man, and just died one day. I'll probably never know." She shook her head. "It's still better than what they've been through."

Meredy huffed and glared at her. "Trade stories with one of them. Either of them. See what they think."

Jellal left Giran's interrogation to the She-Demon, walking over to them. "Everything all right?" he asked.

"Mom's not doing your usual angst over her cousins, but it's still depressing." Meredy groaned, shaking her head. "You talk to her, nii-san. I'm gonna check on Team Green." She walked over to Izuku, who was muttering to himself again while Tenya and Ochako grinned.

Ultear sighed at Jellal's raised eyebrow. "Meredy asked me if coming across family after so long was strange. She didn't like the way I said yes."

"We'll do what we can for them," Jellal promised. "If it helps, the only one likely to need us is Toya. According to Tenya and Ochako, Shoto has come as far as one might expect for a teen in his position, thanks to Izuku and Yaoyorozu." He shook his head. "That name is a mouthful. I can see why her friends call her Yao-momo."

After staring for a moment, Ultear chuckled. "How shockingly normal of you, Jellal," she teased. "I'll want to visit the others at their odd guild – not that we can talk – but it doesn't matter right now. Do we know where the last hostages are?" Jellal's almost-smile vanished, and he looked away. "That bad?"

"We shouldn't have much trouble rescuing Kyoka," Jellal explained, shaking his head, "but Master Yagi...might already be dead." Ultear nodded, glancing at the still-muttering Izuku. Poor boy. That guy sounds more like a father than a teacher, to him. Mystogan looked at the boy as well. "Giran spoke of an enormous sword with a small, desiccated body wrapped in bandage and dangling from the hilt. Izuku recognized the blade as Yagi's."

"It's as you said. We'll do what we can," Ultear agreed. "Let's rescue the one we know is alive first. Where is she?"

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Tenko chuckled. "For the past day, I've been trying to put my 'game play' attitude behind me, and here we are, facing a final boss arena." Ultear was forced to agree. From the cliff at the forest's edge, they could see a massive rocky crater ahead. Arcs of stone jutted from the crater's lip to hang over the barren zone. Nomus with horns and wings hovered over the battlefield, while bald, one-eyed bruisers lined the ring, accompanied by horse-sized lizards. In the distance, they could discern the outline of a titanic demon lord, also winged and horned, with great spikes protruding from its waist and thighs.

"Prioritize the rescue," Jellal ordered. He'd pulled Mystogan's mask back up, Formula Eyes spinning in front of his face. "Cobra?"

The Dragon Slayer nodded. "I can hear her. She's on the left flank. The two of us can save her, easy. Oi, Deku kid, flank right. Your teacher's sword is over there." Izuku yelped, stood at attention, and nodded. Deku? That's an unfortunate nickname, Ultear mused.

"Everyone else, engage up the middle, but take it slow," Jellal advised, Meteor Wave coming to life around him. "We'll meet up in the center, where Master Wan clearly plans to spring his trap. Don't advance that far until we're all together again."

"Roger!" the kids all announced, Mirajane joining them. Together, they leaped to charge at the demon horde. Jellal and Cobra flew left, while Izuku, Tenya, and Ochako raced to the right.

"Mira, open with something big," Ultear called, pulling her orb back. Meredy cheered.

Flying overhead, Mirajane smirked at the charging army. "I'd love to. Evil Explosion!"

"Maguilty Sodom!" Meredy joined in. A volley of blades joined the column of destructive shadow.

"Flash Forward!" Ultear chanted, casting her orb out to catch both spells in hers. The ensuing multiplication of attacks obliterated the first two waves of attackers. Except for the grinning Meredy, the other mages slowed to a halt, gaping at the devastation before them. Even the mindless Nomus in the third wave stopped advancing, jaws slack.

"Zen God," Mirajane breathed, another ball of dark magic forming in her palm. "No wonder you were able to do so much with just the three of you."

"You went easy on us," Tenko mumbled, "didn't you?"

"Yep. Gee hee!" Gajeel laughed. "Oi, time girl, why don't you do that with all of us? Does it use too much magic?"

"Correct," Ultear explained. "With the demon of All For One still before us, I don't want to use up that much magic until we're ready to undo him ourselves."

"Ultear Milkovich," Master Wan intoned, striding towards them. "Yours is a good art. After all you've endured, you might even be happier without it." He stretched his hand out towards her. Every mage there leaped between them.

Tenko rushed in front of them all. "Crash Grip!" he chanted, and a fist-shaped explosion slammed into the master of All For One. "You stole my life, 'Sensei.' I'm here to return the favor!"

"Shock Inversion," Master Wan laughed, shrinking as he strode towards the boy, "don't you remember?" Ultear teleported to Tenko's side to the sound of multiple gasps as Wan approached. Even as a human, he was still big, taller than Duke Enji and nearly as wide. He wore a black nobleman's uniform very like the duke's, but with a black mask that covered his entire face and neck. The wings still stretched from his back, the horns protruding from his skull. "I considered giving you a chance to return to my side. I did foster that unfortunate trait of your family's, though, didn't I? Your grandmother, your father, now you...all so stubborn. Perhaps I'll take your magic as well. You won't die yet, though. I think he has to see you reaching towards your own light, before I snuff it out."

"Soul Extinctor!" Mirajane roared, the spell lancing out too quickly for Ultear to multiply it. Even then, it pushed the monster back. "Don't underestimate Fairy Tail wizards, demon!"

"Oh?" Wan laughed. "I am as much a demon as you, Mirajane Strauss." His laughter died in the fury of her glare. "You see it, don't you? The true power of Take Over magic. Absolute dominion over others. The might of Devil Soul – the real face of wizardry. Must you defy me, as well? Yours is a majesty I've never known, not in two centuries of life."

"I liked you better when you were a demon, LaPointe. Evil Spark!" This time, Ultear was ready, and two dozen thunderbolts smashed into Master Wan. He deflected them all with an unfamiliar magic, though it bore a distant resemblance to her world sister's Arc Crash: Neutralization.

Shock Inversion, she realized. "We have to coordinate!" Ultear cried, focusing her magic on her crystal ball. "Meredy, link us up!"

"Do you really think I would allow you something so obvious? Attack!" The next two waves of demons rushed at them, strange liquid portals opening behind the horde. The portals spat out several of the dark wizards they'd captured, even some that they'd left with U.A. "My nephew found you uncontrollable, Ultear, but I assure you, I do not fear your magic."

"Then I'll teach you to!" Ultear snarled. "Arc of Time: Decay!" She targeted the dark wizard's mask, unraveling the top before he countered it with another of his many magic arts.

"Crash!" Tenko screamed, obliterating the Nomus who rushed in between the boy and his former master. "Come and get me, 'Sensei!' I'll turn all your dreams to dust!"

"Ultear," Lily called, flying to her side at full size. "I don't think there was any special magic trick or trap in the heart of this ruined place. I believe – it was just him," the Exceed breathed, pointing his massive sword at All For One.

Sensory Link came to life on their wrists. Ultear smiled. Good work, baby, she thought, sending her mind through the bond. Okay, people, she sent, we're stalling for time. Keep him busy until Jellal and Cobra show up. If Team Izuku's able to rescue his mentor, so much the better, but for now, we keep Wan distracted. She thrust out her hand. "Luminous Minutes!" The blur of light and sound forced the Take Over villain to recoil, Shock Inversion or no.

"Iron Shadow Dragon Roar!" Gajeel roared, shifting light to darkness. Wan deflected the force, but not the shadows.

"Division Storm!" Shoto chanted, unleashing a jet of fire from his sword and a beam of ice from his free hand. The two forces were so close, they created an explosion of wind between them. Tsuyu threw a Nomu into the blast's path with her tongue. The ensuing blast left Wan reeling.

Yaoyorozu didn't say anything as she ran past the monster, leaving in her wake – matryoshka dolls? Shoto ended his spell the moment the girl approached, of course, leaving Wan a chance to recover. "What hope do you children think–" he began. Then the dolls fell open, revealing a flare lacrima in each. They all went off simultaneously. "–aaARRH!" Ultear grinned. Nicely done!

"Enough!" All For One punched out with both hands, sending everyone and everything flying. The allied wizards, his approaching subordinates, even the Nomus – the raw power threw them all aside, sliding to the lip of the crater. Zen God...such power...Ultear shook her vision clear. Only Master Wan and Mirajane were still in the air, and the She-Demon was reeling. "You will all belong to me, one way or another." Glowing crimson ribbons lashed out from his fingers, piercing Mira and paralyzing her in mid-air. "I am Master Wan LaPointe, wielder of the ultimate Take Over: All For One, and you will learn your place!"

"Be judged by the Seven Stars: Grand Chariot!" The kids cheered as the spell's wrath crashed down on the master villain. Ultear nearly joined them. "I've talked to Tenko about you, Master Wan," Jellal said, floating down. Cobra dropped to earth beside Shoto and Yaoyorozu, a lightly-armored woman in purple in his arms. The two women hugged, the conjurer crying, while Shoto smiled and created an ice wall to protect them. "You prefer to fight among civilians, hiding behind the innocent while you torment your foes. So why are you here?" he asked. Ultear blinked. That's a very good question, she realized.

"Jellal Fernandes," All For One grumbled. "You ridiculous creature of melodrama. You're almost as unsightly as Yagi."

Mystogan's glare was cold and harsh. "Your last battle with the Hero of Might trapped you here, didn't it?" Even through the mask, Ultear could sense Wan glaring at Jellal. "That's why you've been after these children. Master Yagi bound you here with the last of his magic. You're looking for a vessel, or a key, that will let you leave this crater."

"You are a clever one," Wan admitted, "but the price Yagi paid was to be imprisoned here with me. Even now, he withers, while my power is eternal." He pointed his hand at Jellal, red and black lightning crackling around his arm. "As for the key...you brought the boy with you." Jellal's eyes widened, visible even behind Mystogan's mask. "Izuku Midoriya is a weak and foolish child. He will be the instrument of my ascension!"

"Is that so?" a booming voice roared, and a streak of blue shot across the sky from their right. A massive blond man in a great cloak like Crime Sorciere's, with matching pants and a bright red tunic, landed between them and Wan. He smiled like an adult Natsu, hefting a sword bigger than most of them and resting it on one shoulder. "You should know better by now, All For One. Everything is all right now – because I am here!" The Nomus and dark wizards, only then starting to rally, recoiled.

"That's him!" Izuku cheered, dashing to their side. "That's Master Toshinori Yagi, the Hero of Might, and Number One Ace of the Ultra Alliance!" Tenya and Ochako rejoined them, smiles shining beneath tears of joy. Ultear stared at the Thought Projection of Jellal flying behind them, the image vanishing once the others had rejoined the team.

"You rescued him?" Kyoka asked, stroking a stretched, reddened ear tendril.

"With Master Jellal's help," Ochako explained. "We created a bond between Master Yagi and Hero Soul with his healing magic. That got him back on his feet."

"Oh?" Master Wan laughed. "So pleased with yourself, Hero of Might. I wonder, how many of your failures are here helping you?" Fierce light glinted in the tremendous hero's eyes. "The green bearer of Hero Soul, with all the strength of a fumbling child? Your beloved teacher's grandson, freed from his worship of me to spend the rest of his life drowning in guilt?" Wan gestured at Tenko, and Yagi's smile melted into a snarl of fury. "Perhaps we could discuss the Todorokis, victims of your 'friend' Enji's vicious abuse? Even I am astonished by such cruelty."

"Don't listen to him," Jellal insisted, but Yagi held up a hand, and he stopped. Ultear, get ready to bolster Master Yagi with your Arc of Time. His magic strength is fading, but between your Rewind and my healing, we should be able to restore him, Jellal sent. Ultear nodded.

"You're right, All For One." Yagi spun his blade, then stabbed it into the earth. "There are so many that I should have reached, but couldn't. What matters is, I will save them now! Young Midoriya! Raise your sword, and call on what you have earned!"

Izuku swallowed and obeyed. "Take Over: Hero Soul!" he chanted. Green lightning coursed around his body, the boy growing four centimeters taller and two wider. Strength pulsed around him like a heartbeat.

"You're going to throw this boy at me? Me, you empty shell of Hero Soul?" Wan demanded, the power building around him. "Fool!" Spell after spell suffused the villain. His arms bulged. Wind howled around him. Spikes erupted from his skin. He returned to his giant Demon Soul form, towering over the assembled heroes. "I was there when the first guilds formed. I watched the broken candles who cannot touch magic scream for the blood of those who shine. When I mastered Take Over magic, I swore I would never live in such a world again. Ishgar will progress as I will it, and no matter how many short-sighted fools you pass Hero Soul to, my vision will not be denied! Air Cannon!" He fired a blast at teacher and student, its power rivaling Soul Extinctor.

The two sword-wielding heroes deflected it. "Young Fernandes. Can you hold off the demons and dark wizards?" Yagi asked. Jellal nodded. "Thank you." He held up his massive sword. "Come, Ultra Alliance! Go Beyond! Might Soul: Ultra Smash!" he chanted, leaping into the sky.

"Musutafu Smash!" Izuku joined in. Here goes, Ultear prayed, pouring all her strength into restoring the magic flame within the boy's enormous mentor. All eight U.A. wizards leaped at the titanic demon wizard. Their Fairy Tail allies rushed the demon horde. Pouring all her strength into the Hero of Might, Ultear could do nothing but watch.

She didn't need to do anything else. The seven children hit Master Wan in perfect time. Shoto and Yaoyorozu caught his legs in ice and cables. Kyoka and Tsuyu swung up to stab and kick his wings. Tenya and Ochako raced and flew up to hammer at his arms. Izuku stabbed at Wan's massive chest, a beam of golden light striking through the villain. All that disrupted the villain's many arts, allowing the Hero of Might to smash his sword into All For One's demonic skull.

It wasn't enough to split the monster's head open, but it was enough to fell the beast, his form shrinking back to that of the man. He fell over, unconscious, mask shattered to dust. Ultear couldn't help but stare; everything from the man's nose up was scar tissue.

A familiar laugh froze Ultear's blood. "What have we here?" Uta asked, rising from the smoke around Master Wan's fallen form. "The Hero of Might and the Shield of Ishgar, right before my eyes. Wan, old friend, you do not disappoint." He took on his human form, reaching up to summon the titanic Ethernal Blade. The weapon towered several stories above them before Uta rested it on his shoulder. The Demon King grinned. That was his Take Over?!

The Hero of Might laughed. "I see! Yours is larger, right?" He pointed his sword at the demon. "Here is your chance to prove how much that matters!"

Uta shrugged. "Ethernal is no more than a manifestation of my love of battle. A pity we could not meet when you were in your prime, Hero of Might. You cannot overcome me, spent as you are, and it would dishonor my friend to spare you, even if you would flee." He pointed at Izuku for a moment. "Send the boy away, at least. I would see him grow to challenge me one day." At least his sense of honor remains, Ultear decided, allowing herself a sliver of relief.

"You heard him, young Midoriya," Yagi agreed, bracing himself for the demon's attack. "Go, all of you. I will fight alongside Fairy Tail!"

"But–" Izuku began, but Jellal cut him off by grabbing all seven of the young U.A. wizards with his telekinesis and moving them outside the crater. "Master Yagi!" Uta laughed and spun his blade, the impossible speed all too familiar even as the miniature hurricane threw everyone who remained to the edge of the crater, except for Mirajane and Jellal. Even they struggled to hold their own, both wizards sliding back a few meters.

"Stay back!" Jellal cried, flying down between the might wizard and the Demon King. "Hello, Uta." To Ultear's amazement, he glared. "Spurning me for a swordsman? I'm hurt."

Uta chuckled. "Shield of Ishgar. When you defeated me, I knew ultimate frustration – and ultimate joy." He spasmed and grew into his demon form, horns sprouting from his brow, teeth and ears sharpening, claws emerging from his fingers. "A foe with the strength and skill to challenge me – it's the only thing I've wanted, for all the ages of humankind!" His smile grew. "I do not even begrudge you the trickery in your victory. Cunning is as sharp a warrior's weapon as any blade. This time, however, you must overcome me head-on!"

"You have forgotten, demon – Jellal is not alone!" Mirajane cried. "Soul Extinctor!"

"Caelum Smash!" Yagi joined in, leaping back into the fray. When Mira's Extinctor beam faded, he spun like a top to slash at Uta countless times. Alas, Uta parried the blows with Ethernal, showing no sign of effort.

"Come back in your next life...Hero of Might!" Uta countered with a swing that slammed Yagi into one of the crater's overhanging arcs. It collapsed on top of him. Mirajane gasped. "As for you, magnificent one," he added, smiling at her, "I regret to say that demonic power cannot harm me. My dominion extends over all such energies. A pity. What a glorious foe you would make." Before she could reply, he swung Ethernal at her.

Jellal, to Ultear's frustration and everyone else's surprise, darted into the blade's path. "Solid–" he began, but the blade crashed into them both before he could conjure the Seal. The blow slammed Jellal to the ground and threw Mira back outside the crater. The wind blast knocked the rest of them over again. Uta laughed. "I am...your opponent..." Jellal insisted. I have to gather my strength, Ultear thought, forcing herself to stand. Jellal has a plan. He has to.

"This performance is weak, Fernandes. If only you could wield Polaris," Uta mocked. Jellal froze. "If you claimed that spell, you might triumph, star wizard. A pity you lack the strength to purify your heart. Alas, you cannot use Abyss Break in this world, and you are not enough the Devil Slayer to overcome me."

"You're right," Jellal admitted, forcing himself to stand on shaking legs. "I'm not pure of heart. I never can be." Uta laughed and fired a beam of dark force from his palm. Meteor got Jellal out of the way with a centimeter to spare. "Your mistake was believing that mattered." Uta's smile vanished. Jellal held out his right arm, summoning the images of the five staff projections around it – which hid another spell beneath them. Ultear prepared to back him up. Even I can't tell what magic he's invoking, she realized. "I don't have to be pure, thanks to what I've become!"

Uta cupped both hands in front of him. A sphere of abysmal violet force formed between them. "And what exactly have you become, last Fernandes?"

Jellal punched at Uta. A golden ring appeared around the monster. "I am a Fairy Tail wizard! Gather to me, oh river of light!" Uta screamed, lashing out with all his power. Oh! Brilliant! The sacred magic burned the Curse away. The spell's symbol blazed past the illusions that had concealed it. A column of supreme golden magic crashed down onto the Demon King. "Sunlight – moonlight – starlight – guided by the Fairies, in order to erase the fangs of evil! FAIRY GLITTER!"

"Luminous Minutes!" Ultear joined in, her Arc calling down the sacred spell a dozen times over.

Every last mote of ethernano Jellal and Ultear had left roared forth. The air erupted and the earth shattered in the wake of such raw might. Nothing human could see in the absolute radiance of the explosion. "Amazing," Izuku breathed.

When the light faded enough to see again, the only thing left of Uta was one horn, sticking in the earth by its point. "One day, Fernandes, this duel will end differently," the Demon King's voice echoed from the hollow opening. "One day..." The horn crumbled to dust.

Meredy managed to get back on her feet, though exhaustion forced her to lean on her knees. "We...we did it," she breathed, eyes fixed on the dark blot where Uta had been. "Note to self: wait a while before my next S-Class mission."

Gajeel laughed, because of course he did.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Ultra Alliance Guild Campus, X791: Jellal

"It took a great deal of negotiation," Aizawa explained, his voice still mimicking boredom, "but we were able to convince King Sekijiro and the Magic Council to let us take custody of Tenko and Toya."

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa," Ultear replied, bowing. Tenko, Toya, and Shoto followed suit, the other kids smiling at the sight. Jellal was relieved to have Mystogan's mask to hide his own smile behind.

"Hmph. Don't think it's going to be easy here." Aizawa crossed his arms. "You'll both have to work hard. Legally speaking, you're convicts who confessed, and are being given the opportunity to work off your sentences by protecting Seven." He shrugged. "Since Ultra Alliance contracts with the government for defense and rescue operations, we were permitted to take responsibility for you." His bloodshot eyes narrowed. "Rest assured, we take that responsibility seriously."

"What about our comrades?" Tenko sighed, scratching his neck. "I know most of them were...not entirely stable, but I don't believe they're beyond hope."

A small rodent-person with white fur strode out from behind the Wave wizard. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice gentle, "but 'unstable' is too generous a description for most of them. However, since they were determined to be mentally ill, they've been sent to Seven's therapy guild. We hope that they can be cured of their conditions one day."

"Thank you, Master Nezu," Yagi said, bowing to the little wizard. "Perhaps one day, your compassion may bear fruit."

"Until then," Shoto replied, "you have our gratitude, Fairy Tail." He held out a suitcase. Jellal took and opened it, staring wide-eyed at the money within. "Ten million Jewel, as promised." The other young wizards' jaws dropped, except for Yaoyorozu, who nodded.

"I thought it was five–" Jellal began.

"Five million for rescuing our friends, with a five million Jewel bonus for helping us defeat Master Wan," Shoto explained, his demeanor as unflappable as ever. "If it helps, the funds for the bonus will come out of the bounty we receive for bringing him in."

Meredy scanned the flyer. "Oh yeah, there it is," she muttered, squinting at the fine print below the reward. "That's pretty cool." Jellal sighed. I wonder if we could turn down the bonus, he thought, but Cobra frowned at him. They're going to be okay, correct? Cobra nodded.

"This is more than a business transaction," Shoto insisted, looking at Ultear with just a hint of his jaw quivering. Yaoyorozu held his hand. "We are family now. None of us will forget that."

"Nor will we," Ultear agreed, favoring them with one of her rare pain-free smiles. "We'll see each other again."

"Indeed!" Yagi posed in full Might mode, arms up to make his muscles bulge. "This unity will last as long as the flame of magic and friendship burns!" Jellal blinked. He's like if Ichiya were as awesome as he thinks he is. And not a pervert, he mused. Cobra chuckled.

"Take care!" Izuku cheered, the Alliance wizards waving as Jellal conjured a Stargate back to the guild hall. The Fairy Tail team waved back, returning home.

Jellal went through last, only to find the hall nearly empty. Only Master Makarov, Warren, and Kinana were there. Warren's eyes were closed, his teeth gritted, and forehead beading with sweat. "Zera," Jellal gasped, reaching out with his own mind. Something has gone wrong in our absence.

"Mystogan," Makarov said, "your team appears to be near its limit."

"We'll be enough," he insisted – then froze, mind reeling as he sensed a desperate Erza in a battle among small planets and shining constellations. "Gods, what's happening?" Somehow, Warren was able to download the situation into Jellal's mind, with the Zodiac Spirits brainwashed into destroying themselves for an illusion of freedom. Fairy Tail, with the help of the Agria sisters and Princess Hisui, had defeated them. Now, they fought Ophiuchus herself, the great serpent circling – and forming – the world of Astral Spirytus. Still, the entire realm embodies the magic power of the stars and heavens. If I can recover my strength anywhere...

"Let the boss go," Cobra urged Master Makarov. "We'll catch up if things get ugly." Ultear whirled on Cobra, glaring. "He should charge back up right away in there."

Ultear grimaced, then sighed and nodded. "Watch yourself, Jellal. Uta pushed us all hard."

Makarov gasped, but Jellal nodded, then raced off with Meteor Wave before the old master could object. Mountains...mist...there! In under a minute, he reached the silvery curtain where magic bridged the gap between dimensions. He dove through, only to emerge as the realm collapsed around him. Crimson light, burning everywhere when he emerged, vanished to reveal a strange night sky – and Fairy Tail wizards all around him on a floating island. Above them, constellations vanished, and the island came apart around them. "Jellal?" Erza gasped.

"I just arrived," Jellal explained. "I was under the impression that–" He was interrupted by a teal light bursting from cracks in the island, and a sound like Acnologia roaring. The howl struck into Jellal's soul, tearing at him even as it filled him to overflowing with astral power. Horologium appeared with Celestial Spirit garb, and Jellal pulled a blue cape over Mystogan's just before they fell into the Celestial Spirit World.

The team crashed into a planetoid surrounded by howling wind. A monster made of stars and hunger stood on the planetoid before them, glowing with vast cosmic might. So...much...power... Jellal twitched, desperate to contain the endless magic raging through him. "Stay down," Gray ordered, and Jellal had little choice but to obey while the others attacked the Celestial Beast. I can't...control...no! The Celestial Beast shone a red light on Juvia, turning her into a constellation. Jellal pounded the small world he was on, cracking it in half. I can. I will! No matter what I've been through, the others have fought battles just as fierce!

"Cosmic Drive!" Jellal shot into the sky, sapphire wings bursting from his back. I'm dizzy – confused – but that thing is attacking Fairy Tail, and I've never been more powerful! He spread his wings wide, brushing half a dozen worlds with them. "Get back!" The Beast turned its light on Jellal. "Cosmic Wave!" he chanted, driving it back with a storm of whirling blue stars. "Warren's briefing didn't cover this! Does anyone know what we need to do?"

"The Eclipse Gate has corrupted the Celestial Spirit King," Hisui cried, hands cupped around her mouth. "We have to cleanse him of its magic!" Sorano, Elfman, and Cana all charged the monster, only to be turned into constellations as well. More power coursed through the star mage.

"Curse breaking," Jellal replied with a nod, forming a gigantic Thought Projection of Meteor Wave magic around him. It'll let me fight that monster on a level playing field, and give me someplace to put all this power, at the same time. He pounded his fist Natsu-style, and his titanic angel-form did the same. "Got it. Should I fight, or go in?"

"I'll find Mustache Man!" Natsu shouted, throwing another small world at the Beast. It shattered the planetoid with a kick. "You stop that thing!"

"Fight beside us, Jellal!" Erza joined in, sword raised. In spite of his strange mix of exhaustion and overload, Jellal smiled. As you wish. He threw himself at the Spirit Beast, matching it blow for blow. The creature fired dark green blasts of force in all directions; Jellal blocked them with his wings. It created swirling vortices on its body to devour the others; he sealed the openings with Heavenly force. It screamed a roar that drove the others back; Jellal countered with a Starburst that could have filled Earthland's night sky.

While Jellal kept the monster occupied, Natsu and Happy used one of the planets to slingshot themselves at incredible speed into one of the green beams, flying right down the Beast's throat. What in Zera's name are they doing? Jellal wondered. He thought he heard the others talking about attacking the Beast from within, but then it transformed, growing spikes and tentacles, and he was too busy fighting for his life to worry. I need to think of something, Jellal growled, glaring at the Spirit Beast. How? How do I counter a monster made of stars? I can't fly to draw Grand Chariot without exposing the others to attack, I've used up Fairy Glitter for now, gods alone know what Supernova will do in here – of course! The corruption – that' s my target!

Jellal darted back as the others flew onto the monster's back, attacking its spines. "Over here, you rabid dog. Hermetic Formula Eight: Abjuration!" The symbols spiraled around his Projection's enormous arm, creating a beam of golden light that bathed the entire Beast. It wailed and shuddered, firing a blast of light in all directions. The others weren't harmed by it, finishing off the spike-stalks and falling back. The Beast thrashed and twitched, then erupted in jets of dire purple flame. That purple...that green, from before...they remind me of Brain's magic...

Then the whole Celestial Spirit World exploded, and Jellal found himself back in the guild hall, the spirit cape left behind. His team from the Seven mission gathered around him, along with Kinana and Master Makarov. "Oi!" Cobra demanded. "What happened? Where's the Salamander?"

Jellal shook his head clear, and Cobra relaxed. "It's okay. They did it. And Natsu's fine." He grinned at the Poison Dragon Slayer, who sighed and groaned, even after Kinana handed him a nightshade chaser. "I could hear him."

"Oh, you're funny," Cobra shot back, while Jellal held his head and fought off a headache. "Hey, Midnight, the boss thinks he's funny."

Ultear, for some reason, chuckled. "At least he's trying to make a joke. It's an improvement." Knowing better than to wade into that conversation, Jellal focused on putting the blur spinning around him back in his skull.

Jellal was still holding his head when the others returned. He picked up something about not losing time due to the weird Eclipse situation, but he couldn't quite work it all out. I'll ask later. Right now, they're all unharmed. That's what matters. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the hall from spinning. It was like being caught in a whirlwind. Gods, I'm still not sure how I was ejected from the Spirit World. I would have thought my guilt could be responsible, but the pressure that ejected me didn't interact with any corruption or emotional state within me. He groaned, attempts at calculation failing against the aches and exhaustion. Later, he decided, letting his cheek rest on the table. Mystogan's mask made an effective cushion. I can eat through it, he noted. Comfort was clearly intended in the design.

"Zen God, Jellal," Ultear grumbled, "what are you blaming yourself for this time?"

It was an effort to blink, let alone pull his head up enough to look at his teammate. As was typical when Ultear was combining frustration and worry over him, her hands were on her hips and her mouth was a flat line, while her eyes wobbled just enough to notice. "Ah...wha?" he mumbled.

Ultear's glare sharpened. "Why was your head on the table?"

"...I'm tired?" he asked, letting his cheek fall back to the surface. "Three enormous battles. In a row. Okay?"

The time mage's glare vanished, and she leaned in close, looking into his eyes. "...okay. You should go to bed, but there's no chance I'm moving you when Erza's close enough to stick swords in me." Huh? Jellal wondered, not even bothering to blink this time.

"I'll get him," Midnight offered, warping the bench Jellal was on into a crude scoop and pouring him onto one of the cots in the bar's corner. "Sleep it off, 'Mystogan.' You've earned it." Zera, I'm not feeling... Jellal yawned. ...that bad...

-FT- -FT- -FT-

When Jellal came to, Erza was sitting in front of him, finishing off an unusually slender piece of strawberry cake. She was in an unfamiliar blue dress. Untroubled smile...relaxed posture...that's Erza-2, he realized. Erza-1 would have had a larger cake, her back would have been more stiff, and if she'd been smiling at him, it would have been uncertain. "Er, hello?" he mumbled, taking a few seconds to sit up. He looked behind Erza-2 to examine the guild hall. Kinana and Shadow Gear were laughing at the sight of Asuka riding Natsu like a horse. "How long was I out?"

"About a day," Erza-2 explained. "They wanted to move you, but wards sprang up around you every time someone tried, and Ultear said you were as comfortable as she'd ever seen you." She grimaced. "Mind you, Cobra had to leave when your first nightmare hit."

Jellal blinked. "I...don't remember any nightmares." That's odd.

Erza-2 snorted, finished off her cake, and set the dish aside. "Half of what made it so terrible was knowing that what he heard was a mild nightmare, by your standards. Warren tried to go in and help, and fainted the instant your minds made contact." Jellal straightened in alarm. "Don't worry, he's fine. Warren's tougher than he looks."

"I know." Jellal rubbed his head again, taking off Mystogan's hood and mask, and looked around. Lucy had just arrived, the others telling her about Natsu's babysitting job. "I'm always happy to see a friend, but I must admit to wondering why you're here."

Erza-2 crossed her arms and glared. "Why do you think?" she huffed. Oh, Jellal sighed. "You're free. The Grand Magic Games are over. You just defeated three S-Class foes in a row, saved two kingdoms and inspired an entire generation of young wizards. When are you going to get over yourself?"

"When I haven't killed Simon," Jellal sighed, leaning over and holding his forehead in both hands.

Erza-2 grabbed his shoulders and shoved him upright. "You never did," she snarled. Jellal grimaced. "Fairy Tail knows it wasn't you. Your Tower family knows it wasn't you. Great Mavis, your idiot Magic Council figured out it wasn't you!"

"I don't understand why the Council would believe that," Jellal admitted with a shrug, "but the others want to believe. For your world-sister's sake, if nothing else." Erza-2 let him go and crossed her arms again. "I remember what I did."

"We all saw what really happened at the trial, Jellal!" she insisted. "We live in a world of magic. Threats like possession and mind control are part of our lives. If you don't want to blame Ultear, at least accept that Nemesis controlled you."

Pain and fury coiled through Jellal, venomous monsters he crushed under an iron heel of will. He stood, and Erza-2 stumbled to her feet, stepping back. "I should never have allowed it," Jellal growled, pulling Mystogan's hood and mask back on. "Everyone I cared for was depending on me, and I failed them. For eight years. I tormented Erza. I betrayed Shou, Wally, and Millianna."

"Even if it had been anyone's idea of weakness, after everything you went through you would deserve forgiveness," Erza-2 continued, fists on her hips. For the love of the gods, Jellal thought. "But it wasn't you. Your Erza–"

"Not 'my' Erza. Never my Erza," Jellal shot back.

"She has a different opinion on the matter," Erza-2 pointed out. "Jellal, she loves you. She will never stop loving you."

"She moved on once before. She will again. This world's Erza doesn't need me," Jellal replied, taking a step around her.

Erza-2 sidestepped in his way. "If you had really died – never mind what our world's fate would have been – your Erza would have never loved another, even if Ishgar had survived Nirvana without you. Or seven years without those lost to Grimoire Heart's attack. Or the Infinity Clock." Jellal bit back a growl. "She loves you, and you love her. Stop punishing yourself. Stop punishing her!"

Those last words stabbed Jellal through the heart. I deserve that too, he decided. "There is no path I can take that will not cause Erza pain. My death would hurt her and countless others," he continued, and Erza-2 shuddered. "To...go down the path you suggest would make her more vulnerable to me. If I left Fairy Tail, she would worry about me for the rest of her days. This is the least harm I can do her, and everyone else that matters to me."

"'More vulnerable,' you say? Nemesis is not within you. Countless wards protect you from such evil. If you are so concerned for your Erza's well-being, staying by her side is a far better way than this foolish distance!" Erza-2 demanded.

"This world's Erza trusts me," Jellal replied, sighing again. "That is the only thing on Earthland she needs protection from. Meteor." While Erza-2 gaped, he raced to the S-Class mission board, looking for the least-complicated job he could find. This...she...I need time. He groaned and held his head again. I can't let my weakness hurt her again. I won't!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magnolia, X791: Erza

"Have you told him?" Jellal-2 asked. Erza swallowed. "I know you've expressed yourself in a variety of ways, but...have you just sat your Jellal down and told him straight-out how you feel?"

Erza looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. She sat on the low wall beside the canal, a Jellal so very like her own sitting beside her. It was easier than she imagined to ignore the curious stares of the passersby. "I'm afraid," she admitted. Jellal-2 tilted his head a fraction leftward. "I've already hurt him with clumsy words and desperate pleas, more than once. Our Jellal has become an extraordinary hero during my absence, but he's so – so fragile, with me. I'm terrified, Jellal." He stared, mouth falling open. "Terrified that I will say the wrong words or reach out the wrong way, and he will shatter."

"Believe in him." Erza looked up in surprise to find her world-sister walking towards them. Jellal-2 stood, his smile so familiar, it made her heart ache like the Reaper's scythe rested on it. "I know you were a child when you first lost him. He already blames himself enough for two. Don't join him." Erza-2 walked up and kissed her husband on the cheek. "Swap with me? I've gotten as far as I'm likely to. Mavis, you're stubborn."

Jellal-2 chuckled. "True enough." He looked at Erza-1, smile fading. "Will you–"

"I've endured this long," Erza pointed out. "Go. If you can help him...please." Jellal-2 nodded and flew off, Meteor Wave carrying him away with speed to rival teleportation. "World-sister?"

Erza-2 sat beside her. "When my Jellal and I faced Nirvana, Beth – Midnight, back then – focused all its foul magic on him. He'd been falsely accused, arrested, tortured by that foul guard Nadal. After so much suffering, with that monstrous power twisting his soul, all it did was stoke the fires of his outrage. On that day, I realized something I swore to tell you one day."

"What?" Erza asked.

"You're not to blame – you were a child, enslaved for years, with all Ultear's genius turned to tearing the two of you apart – but if you had been able to reach out to him, it would have been enough." Erza wiped away a tear and nodded. I saw this myself, she thought, remembering the world she'd found with Ultear's help. "So that's what you need to do. Believe that he's strong enough. He's crippled by his pain, but if you can get through to him once, you can save him from it. Trust him, Erza."

He's not the one I don't trust, Erza thought. Then she slapped her cheeks. No. My world-sister's right. I have to try. She looked back at the guild hall, and her heart quailed. Soon, Erza decided. "I need to gather my strength," she admitted, "but I will overcome this. Somehow."

"Here." Erza-2 Requipped a plate to her hand. On it was a large, fresh slice of strawberry cake. "This should help."

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed, diving in. 'Mystogan' flew off while she ate, Team Sorciere behind him. That garb. It's become his armor, she realized. He feels sheltered by it, as I once...soon. I must be strong.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Two weeks later.

"What the Grim did we miss?" Ultear asked, rewinding the damage Carbuncle had done to the guild hall. Meredy and Midnight looked at their nakama, their concern clear in their eyes.

"Thank you, Ultear," Erza scowled. "We took in a lost priestess, who asked us for help to dispel a cursed stone amulet. Where's Jellal?"

"Even the boss can't be everywhere at once," Cobra sighed, carrying a blushing Kinana out of some rubble. "He's still cleaning up after that wyvern tower thing." Erza raised an eyebrow. "The mission was to deal with a weird stone spire. It had a bunch of holes in it that whistled, and the whistling attracted wyverns. The more that showed up, the more they made the wind blow when they flew around it, the louder it got."

"That sounds bad," Gray sighed, shaking dust off his arms. "Was it deliberate?"

"I'm sure of it," Midnight said, forming a sphere of Darkness Magic in his palm. "It wasn't Brain, but it still felt familiar, somehow. Mystogan remained behind to ensure the surviving wyverns returned to their habitats. Richard stayed behind to watch out for him. They were too dangerous for the rest of us." He looked at the still-wrecked guild hall. "Who did this?"

"Carbuncle," Lucy sobbed, hands clutched into trembling fists. "They called themselves Carbuncle. They took her...Eclair..." Ultear and Meredy gasped.

"You know her?" Erza asked, glancing at Cobra. He shrugged and put Kinana back down.

Ultear shook her head. "We knew her Earthland-2 counterpart. She was the guild master of Phoenix Grave, one of Fairy Tail Two's strongest allies. The guild includes some of their closest friends – Dyst, Kodi, Cannon, Chase, Pause, Totomaru." She grimaced. "You may remember our counterparts telling the story of Eclair's–"

Lucy gasped. "Oh, no! Their prince of Veronica – he killed her!" Erza's eyes widened. "And in our world, four of those wizards are Carbuncle! They did all this by themselves!" She waved at the still-damaged hall.

"The damn wyverns can wait," Ultear snapped, summoning one of her orbs. "I'm calling Jellal."

"Hopefully, that won't be necessary," Master Makarov said, Gajeel and Pantherlily beside him. "Looks like you lost quite a battle." Erza felt better immediately, in spite of her shame at being unable to defend their friend. It's going to be all right now, she decided.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Veronica, X791: Jellal

"Zera, Chronos, and Ankhseram," Jellal gasped, "what happened?" He watched as Erza stared at the guild master and Jet on the rooftop they shared. Master Makarov was holding a long box adorned with the Rune Knight Ankh. In the distance, the Royal Palace collapsed around a column of smoke. From the cloud and the ruins rose a monster that bore no resemblance to the magnificent creature of legend. "The Phoenix. It's been corrupted in this reality, too," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Jellal. It was always corrupt," Makarov replied.

Jellal shook his head. "Four hundred years isn't forever, master." He watched in horror as the monster swept its wings out, destroying the remains of the palace walls. Then it summoned a massive ball of flame, and blew a hole in the mountain ridge separating Veronica and Fiore. "Tell me you found something. This nightmare is beyond me."

"The Sacred Cleansing Arrow," the master explained, opening the case. Within was a single, magnificent broadhead arrow, its tip glowing a brilliant sky blue. It's Super Wave Magic! Jellal realized, staring at the masterpiece. Attuned specifically for the Phoenix. It's amazing. He took the arrow and held it out. "Erza. Take this and find the best vantage you can. When I give the signal, strike the topmost eye with all your might." Jellal looked from the master to his beloved, eyes wide. What? Erza nodded and reached for the arrow.

Jellal scowled and snatched the weapon from the case. "I'll be enough," he insisted, glaring at Master Makarov. You were going to tell her, weren't you? he demanded, reaching out with his mind. Makarov met his gaze, not permitting the mental contact, but he set the case aside and folded his arms. You knew, the star wizard raged, eyes narrowing to slits. You knew, and you didn't say anything.

"Jellal, give me the arrow," Erza whispered, holding out a hand.

"I fought alongside a Quincy wizard for two years," he pointed out, taking the arrow and floating overhead. "I'm a better magic archer than you." The sight of Erza's eyes going round and blank, jaw dropping open, almost made him laugh. The gravity of their situation restored his focus. Eclair. I have to find Eclair. He darted through the sky, looking for the Phoenix Priestess.

"So this is happiness," Eclair whispered, smiling as Lucy held her. Jellal slowed, relieved to see them on a lonely road well behind the battle with the Dark Phoenix. "It's been so long, I'd forgotten it."

Jellal shot to the ground beside them. "Then let that give you strength," he said, forcing a smile. "I have a weapon that can destroy the Dark Phoenix." He held up the arrow, and Eclair's smile widened even as her legs quivered. "However, if I use it now, your life will end with the corrupted beast." Lucy gasped.

"It's all right," Eclair insisted. Jellal's smile vanished. "Four hundred years is too long. Eternal life...no magic could cause more sorrow."

"Jellal, you can't," Lucy begged.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a solution," he pointed out, wincing as another explosion echoed behind him. "Hermetic Formula Nine: Culmination." He formed a sapphire blue circle of magic around his right hand. "Take this spell, Master Eclair." She raised an eyebrow at the title, bur reached out to him. He placed the spell around her hand. "Hold onto it." She made a fist, and Lucy clasped the woman's hand in both of hers. "There. If this works, when the Dark Phoenix is cleansed, you will be free and alive, but able to walk a mortal path of your own."

"What will this cost you, last son of the star god?" Eclair whispered. Lucy gasped.

Jellal managed to smile again. "Nothing I can't pay." Lucy scowled at him. "It'll weaken my magic for a time. Might sting a little. A friend of Lucy's is more than worth it." He forced the smile not to move. Also, I murder a beautiful, innocent, unique creature as painlessly as I can, but you don't need to know that. Eclair nodded. "Hold on tight, Lucy. That spell is hope, not certainty. Your magic and friendship might make the difference."

"Mm!" Lucy nodded. Jellal nodded back, then flew to find a solid perch. What did she mean, 'son of the star god'? He shook his head as the Dark Phoenix formed a massive ball of flame over the entire principality, draining magic from all around it. No time. All of Fairy Tail is counting on me. Time to prove I wasn't boasting to Erza and Master Makarov. He landed on a high, sharp-peaked roof, forming a bow out of Quincy magic. It's been a while. Attuning to bow, arrow, and target, Jellal took careful aim, all his concentration on the single false eye atop the unfortunate Phoenix's deformed head. "Heilig Pfeil, Arcane Art: Eins Licht!" He surrounded the arrow in the divine Wave Magic of the Quincy line, then loosed.

The arrow flew with perfect precision, striking the Dark Phoenix dead center in the uppermost eye. It wailed and recoiled, all its flames turning in on itself, destroying entire city blocks as it thrashed. The horrific gunmetal shell that trapped the creature within melted, then boiled away. A column of golden light erupted from the bulbous mass.

The true Phoenix arose from its shell of captivity, its golden form spreading great, swan-like wings as it pulled free. Three shining tail feathers like a peacock's, blue arcs above red, trailed behind it, as did two orange feathers of a more regular sort. Atop a long, graceful neck sprouted a red crest on a black cap, beautiful feminine eyes regarding Natsu, then Jellal himself. Please forgive me, she sent, grief at her maddened rampage intermingled with the joy of freedom. Thank you, for setting me free. May the light of eternal hope always guide your paths. She flew up into the stars. The Phoenix flared bright, her golden light becoming the sky itself. She created a Fairy Tail symbol out of golden fire, and then she was gone.

For a moment, Jellal smiled at the sky. For once, the smile was real. It was an honor, noble spirit, he thought, casting out his mind to search for Erza, then Lucy and Eclair. His heart nearly stopped at the emptiness he found beside the kind-hearted summoner.

Racing back to earth, he shot along the streets, only to find Lucy on her knees, eyes overflowing with tears, an empty green cloak beside her. Master Makarov was several feet before them, head bowed. "She let go," Lucy sobbed through choked gasps. Jellal walked over to her. "Why did she let go? Why?"

"Lucy–" Jellal began.

"Why didn't you cast the spell on her?" Lucy demanded, leaping to her feet and grabbing Jellal's collar. "Why?"

"I'm sorry. Culmination doesn't work that way," Jellal explained. "Even if it did, it had to be her choice. I had no right to–"

Lucy slapped him. Jellal shuddered, his stomach churning with grief, his heart a charred ruin of guilt. Lucy gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth. "Jellal...I didn't mean...I'm sorry–" Her legs buckled, and she started to fall. Jellal reached out to catch her–

– but Natsu was there first, holding onto the summoner, arms around her as she wept. "Natsu?" she sobbed. "Is magic good, or evil?" She shook her head, holding onto the Dragon Slayer. "All I want...is magic to stop this pain..." I'm sorry, Lucy. There's no such magic in this world. That's why Fairy Tail is...what it is.

"Eclair smiled, in the end," Natsu said, and held her up enough for them to look each other in the eyes. He smiled for her. "You're going to be okay. We're here for you." He hugged her close again, letting Lucy sob on his shoulder.

Jellal stepped back, giving the others space as they strode forward to comfort her. Only Master Makarov stayed back, watching from the ruins of a shattered wall. "If it weren't for Erza and Team Sorciere," he whispered to the old man, "I would quit Fairy Tail."

"You gave Eclair a chance I didn't imagine possible," Makarov whispered back. "Are you so determined to hate yourself that–"

"Not because of me, old man," Jellal growled. "Because of you." Makarov gasped, turning a wide-eyed stare on him. "I understand why you were going to do it. I even understand how few options you had. You betrayed Erza's trust. I would have thought my example would be enough for the whole world to recoil from that."

"She didn't need to know," Makarov insisted, "about Eclair or the Phoenix. Either she would have refused, or the guilt would have joined her many other wounds. I would not permit that."

Jellal snorted. "I thought you knew her. Erza would have felt guilt either way, and she would have trusted you to do what is right." He turned to walk away, then paused. "Don't let this push you apart. Erza's been through enough."

"I would accept your rebuke regarding Eclair," Makarov admitted, eyes narrowing, "but you are in no position to lecture anyone on pushing Erza away."

Jellal shook his head as the sun rose and Fairy Tail gathered to leave. He used his own telekinesis, and a few castings of Hermetic Formula Two: Alchemy, to help Veronica rebuild as he searched. At last, he found Carbuncle's aces sitting in the ruins, grimacing as their guild mates gathered behind them. "So that's it? You made one mistake, lost one fight, and now you're just going to sulk?" he asked, crossing his arms. "I know you can be better than this. All of you."

Dyst glared at him. "What do you want, Shield of Ishgar?"

"I just came to deliver a message, from the best version of you. 'Don't be so afraid of dying that you forget to live.'" The entire guild stared at him, gaping. "I've seen a world where you are some of Ishgar's greatest heroes. Take it from me. It beats being the villain, beyond measure." He walked away, smiling when he realized they could do nothing but stare as he left. Well. At least something went right today.

He froze when he found Erza standing before him, Requipped into an archer's outfit. Her bow was a magnificent golden arc with a winged style. "Makarov told me what you did." Jellal blinked. He what? "I appreciate your efforts to protect both Eclair and myself. However!" She pointed at him. "While I am glad that you gave Master Makarov a chance to be honest with me, I demand an apology for your other deception!"

"Ah...of course, as soon as I know which deception you mean," Jellal blurted. There are so many to choose from.

"You claimed that you are a better archer than I am!" Erza pointed out, scowling at him.

"Magic archer," Jellal clarified, "and I assure you that I was being honest. It would have been much simpler to try to save Eclair myself while you wielded the arrow." He shook his head while Erza's mouth fell open by a fraction. "With Ultear's help, I watched your duel with Eclipse Sagittarius. Denied magic, I am no match for you, but with Quincy Arts, I can surpass what I saw in your Astral Spirytus contest."

"Then prove it!" Erza demanded, pointing at him. "I challenge you to a contest of magic archery! We will begin tomorrow morning, once repairs to the guild hall are complete!"

Jellal blinked. "We will?" he asked. Erza's nod was fierce, her eyes glinting. He forced back a smile. Oh, Erza.

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Four: Echoes of Childhood

Earthland-1, Sun Village, X791: Lucy

"Are you really going to wear that maid uniform for the whole mission?" Lucy asked, shaking her head as they worked their way across the lavender ice.

"I will Requip into appropriate armor should we come across foes worth making an effort against," Erza said, smoothing out her skirt. Gray let his fingers brush along the side of a frozen boulder, while Wendy patted Natsu's back. The older Dragon Slayer was still recovering from a bit of motion sickness. "Otherwise, yes. A wager is a wager." She pouted. "And Jellal won an honest duel," she muttered.

"That was Ultear's idea," Carla huffed. "Your wager with Jellal involved those cards Cana made, wasn't it?"

"I also made a bet with Ultear," Erza pointed out. "My term of service may be on hold for this mission, but I intend to honor Jellal's..." she sighed. "...victory."

"Is it so hard to admit?" Carla asked, shaking her head. "You've gone on about his magical prowess more times than I can remember." Erza gulped, a faint blush crossing her cheeks.

Happy snickered, paws over his mouth. "I'll bet she's thinking of other kinds of 'prowess.' Hee–" Erza punched the Exceed into the frozen ground, one vein twitching on her forehead.

"Happy!" Natsu yelped, scooping up his partner. "Are you crazy? Say something!"

"Look...at all the fish..." Happy reeled, eyes swirling.

"Well, I'm happy that Erza and Jellal exchanged emergency help cards," Lucy pointed out. "If Cana hadn't come to our rescue on Tenrou Island, who knows what might have happened?"

Then they reached the village – if you could call a group of buildings the size of a hill a "village" – and all talk of wagers and innuendo vanished. "They're – they're–" Lucy stammered.

"Gigantic!" Natsu yelled, whirling around and declaring (almost) everything around them to be "gigantic." For once, Natsu was absolutely right – although the evidence was obvious around them.

They all stared, but while most of the team gaped, Gray looked up with narrow eyes and a flat, thin line of a mouth. "What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing," Gray lied, looking away. "It's just...those giants, frozen in ice...I can't help thinking about..."

"Deliora," Lucy whispered. Poor Gray.

The team looked around, examining the victims, discussing the issue. Then Natsu tried to melt the ice, and they discovered that the situation was more complicated than they imagined. No way...even Natsu can't melt this ice?

"If it were simple, a God of Ishgar wouldn't have needed to hire us," Gray pointed out, pressing his hand on a frozen giant's sandal. "What is this? I can feel something familiar about this ice." He gasped, eyes widening. "Devil Slayer Magic?" he blurted, yanking his hand away.

"EH?" Lucy cried. "Why would Gray-2 do something like this?"

Gray shook his head. "It wasn't him. This ice comes from our world. Besides, it's lavender, not blue-white."

"You can't melt it either?" Erza asked.

"I'm not sure," Gray muttered. "Deliora's dead in our world. Ultear and the other Gray checked. Even so, it feels like I should know who did this."

Which, of course, was when the treasure hunters showed up, and everything went sideways.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Sun Village, X791: Erza

"I'm a child!" Erza blurted, staring at her reflection in the ice with quivering eyes. She examined herself thoroughly, refusing to freak out (well, except for one brief moment after said examination, trying to figure out what happened to her), then removing the few now-oversized pieces of armor that hadn't already fallen off. Clumsy armor three sizes too large will be worse than useless, Erza observed. She probed her Requip space, looking for anything that might help. The only object that seemed useful was the distress card Jellal had won in their duel.

In spite of everything, Erza couldn't help a brief smile. He really didn't want me to have anything at stake except my pride, she thought, a brief warmth glowing in her heart despite the frozen surroundings. Her smile vanished. If the others are in danger, I cannot let that pride get in my way, but to need such a thing so soon after its creation – no. I will have to do my best alone, for now. Alas, that quick examination also proved that she had been a bit too thorough in cleaning out old suits of armor. She took one step.

Erza's foot slipped. Her boot flew off her leg. She tumbled down the frozen mountain she'd climbed, wailing until she crashed to a halt against one of the giant's boots. After another moment panicking about how the others would react to her current state, she gathered her wits. "I must return to normal, no matter what!" She charged back towards the village in the hope of finding the source of her transformation.

Experimenting during her investigation proved to Erza that she could Requip a single sword, though even that took several seconds, considerable effort, and more ethernano than she could afford. My magic has regressed along with my physical strength and coordination, she realized. Worse, I'm actually weaker than I was when I first developed wizardry. I must reverse this, soon.

"I see there's little left of Titania," Minerva mocked from behind. Erza gasped again, turning to face the Sabertooth wizard. She wore new garb, dressed in a furred brown long coat, but the arrogant smirk hadn't changed. "Long time, no see."

"Minerva? What are you doing here?" Erza blurted, moving into a defensive stance – sword ready to parry, but not threatening a woman she hoped wasn't a foe. "You disappeared after the Grand Magic Games. I was worried about you." Minerva snorted. "Sabertooth as well. They dug through Crocus for days after everyone else left, afraid that you'd fallen victim to one of the dragons. Yukino tells me that Rogue hasn't slept well since your disappearance."

"Rogue?" She chuckled. "That's so sweet. I'll have to inform him I've changed guilds. Once I've dealt with you, of course." Minerva shook her head. "To think I'd come across Titania herself on my first assignment...the gods smile on me."

"You changed guilds?" Erza gasped at the sight of the emblem on her abdomen. "That mark...Succubus Eye! You joined a dark guild?"

"Why not? I will reign over a powerful guild. Why couldn't it be dark?" Her smile grew as Territory magic glowed around her hands. "It's a pity your precious Jellal isn't here. I thought I wanted to avenge myself against him more than anyone," Minerva continued, and Erza's heart went as cold as the ice around them, "but looking at you now, I remember that you were the one who cast me down. I will repay you for that many times over, Erza Scarlet."

"Sabertooth will take you back in," Erza insisted, remembering the look in Minerva's eyes from Lyon, Ultear, Laxus, her Edolas counterpart...mocking confidence to hide soul-wrenching desperation. "You can still escape this dark path, Minerva. It's not too late!"

Minerva laughed. "Territory!" she chanted, and the too-familiar explosions erupted around Erza. They battered her with power she couldn't resist, not in her current state. Erza tried to charge her foe, but she'd only taken a single step when another explosion stopped her in her tracks. "Is that all you can do? Don't fall yet, Titania. We're just getting started!" She laughed again as another volley of explosions threw Erza back, sending her flying. "You really are nothing but a child now, aren't you? Magnificent!"

I'm no match for her like this, Erza realized, barely able to stand, her sword useless in her hands. If I can't get back to normal soon – there's nowhere to run, not with Minerva's Territory Magic to pull me back. Erza tried to charge again, but another explosion tossed her aside, sending her sword flying. Oh, no! Minerva picked it up, admiring the blade. "I wanted to enjoy this much longer," Minerva admitted, "but I have a mission to complete. This is the end, Titania." Desperate, Erza reached into her Requip space, looking for something, anything that could help her.

There was only one. The card Cana had created for her, to call Jellal when all seemed lost. I promised, but – whatever turned me into a child could leave Jellal as helpless as I am, Erza worried. Then Minerva pointed Erza's own sword at her. Grim. I promised. She summoned the card and activated it with a single twitch of her fingers. "What's this, Titania? Card tricks?"

A gateway opened beside them, and 'Mystogan' flew through it, driving Minerva back with a single punch. "Erza, are you all–" Jellal began, creating a ward with one hand before turning to face her. His jaw dropped. "E-Erza? What happened?"

"I don't know," Erza admitted, curling up in embarrassment. "You must raise all your defenses, before – Jellal!" As she watched, her beloved shrank down to the same size she was trapped at.

Minerva had finally managed to halt her sliding, unwilling retreat. "You," she snarled, using Territory to return to her spot in front of them. "I was hoping we would – he got you too!" Their enemy laughed while Jellal stared at his hands, Mystogan's cloak and bandages dangling around him. "Oh, this is too perfect!" She teleported the sword to her hand. "I think I'll kill you first." Erza froze, shaking and staring in horror as Minerva pointed her sword at Jellal's boyhood body. "Dying on Erza's blade...ironic, given how long you've wanted that."

Then both women gaped when Jellal smiled back at Minerva. "Not today, loser. Meteor!"

Everything happened at once. Mystogan's bandages coiled around Erza, pulling her to Jellal. One of Jellal's Cosmic spells blasted Minerva, and while Jellal's magic had weakened enough that it didn't harm her, the bursts of light blinded the former Sabertooth mage and sent her sliding on the ice again. Jellal became a blur, taking Erza in his arms, and before Erza could do more than blink, they were in a giant's home, on a second story that towered over the frozen land around them. "Jellal?" Erza gasped. Somehow, he'd wrapped the bandages around his arms and legs again, and turned Mystogan's shirt into a crude tunic that stopped just short of Jellal's knees.

He shushed her with a finger to his lips, then floated them to the windowsill, itself a few meters overhead. Erza stared at the second Jellal, identical to the one beside her, as he grinned at Minerva. "You've underestimated us, Orlando," he said, folding his arms, "but I'm willing to show you mercy if you yield."

"'Mercy'? 'Yield'? Me?" Minerva snarled, magic howling around her hands again. "You little brat! I'll swat you like the buzzing fly you are! Yagdo Rigora!" Erza gasped again, gripping Jellal's hand. His smile–

A warmth Erza hadn't known for years filled her anew. It was Jellal's smile. That smile. The smile that had kept them all alive in the Tower for years on end. She lost track of the fight below, lost in a smile that reached eyes she never wanted to stop looking into.

Jellal cradled Erza in force magic, then held up his free arm. Erza's sword flew into his hand. "I believe this is yours," he said, offering it to her.

Erza bit her lip. "I – I might as well not be a wizard, now," she admitted, her joy smothered by a sense of uselessness. Darker feelings rose from that blanket of sorrow. The – the last time Jellal had to protect me when I was helpless, Nemesis – he –

With a chuckle, Jellal wove a spell around her sword. "There. It's not Meteor, but it will let you use some of the strength you're used to." Erza gripped her sword in both hands, feeling the magic grant her power when he let go. Wow. "I'll keep Minerva busy with my Thought Projection while we find the rest of your team."

"Don't you think we can beat her?" Erza asked, looking outside. Minerva's screams of fury were lost to the explosions, while Jellal's projection darted around her with a confident grin.

"I can't," Jellal admitted. "I'm fast enough to keep her busy, but whatever dark spell did this to us left me too weak to get through her Territory Magic. What about you?" He wrapped a few bandages around Erza's feet and legs, loose enough to avoid hurting her when she grew back up, then put her down. Erza took a few tentative swings with her newly-enchanted sword. I can fight, she realized, but against Minerva's power, it's not enough. She shook her head. "You're here to save this village, right? That's what we should do." His smile vanished as he looked over one of the giants. "It's familiar, somehow. I can't remember why."

Erza's smile was shy. "You will. You're like the old Jellal now, aren't you?" She twisted one toe on the floor.

Jellal blinked, then grinned again. "Nah. I get stupid when I'm old. I'm young Jellal!" Erza couldn't help a giggle. "I know what you mean, though. That's all stuff in the past and worrying about the future. I deal with what's in front of me, now. Just like you!" His smile grew yet again, and the warm feeling inside Erza turned into a burst of prickly needles. He headed for the stairs, and she followed, the both of them flying a few inches off the ground. Good thing, too. Those stairs are not for normal humans. Jellal chuckled. "Even now, though, I just noticed something. Isn't it weird that until today, the happiest time in my life was when I was in the Tower?"

That crushed Erza's heart for a moment. It – you weren't happy in Fairy Tail? Then everything became right in an instant. Until today! She beamed. "Of course it's weird. You're weird, Jellal."

Jellal laughed and nodded. "Mm! Now, let's go save this village!" Erza flew and laughed beside him, the chains of their past forgotten.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Sun Village, X791: Gray

"Ice-Make: Shaved Ice!" Gray chanted. His hammer turned into a blob of frozen shards, dropping onto Doriate's head. As he'd expected, the demon shivered, yelping. "I thought so. Any Ice Wizard worth the name wouldn't shiver from a little cold snap like that. You don't have him." Relief surged through Gray in a rush. Dad. I'll find you, he swore. "You're not the one who froze this village. You're too weak!" His smile grew. "In fact, you're so afraid to fight a grown-up, you turn all your opponents into children. Punk."

Doriate's face turned red. His shaved ice melted as the demon shook and snarled, jagged teeth clenched. Gray's body sprang back up to its full height. I'm back? he wondered, staring at his hands while the demon panted. A trickle of drool escaped the monster's lips. Then his eyes glowed red, and he charged, swiping at Gray with his hands as though he had claws. His howls grew with each blow that missed. Did he lose control of his spell when he lost control of himself? Then one punch struck home, slamming Gray to the ground, and he knew right away something was wrong. I'm still an adult, but Doriate looks just as much larger than me as when he shrunk me. Looks like he traded weakening an enemy for making himself stronger.

The new spell didn't stop there. Doriate kept getting larger, fangs and claws growing while his skin turned purple. No...I can feel... In spite of his determination not to let his flashbacks get the better of him, Gray's fear of Deliora howled through his mind and heart. He's not just a demon. He's from the Books of Zeref... The monster became a deformed, disproportionate beast, his chest the size of his entire lower body. He rested on his knuckles like some devil-ape, glaring at Gray with a mix of rage and contempt. It punched Gray again, but with a strength and speed that its last blow feel like a snowball. Crap. I have to stop him, fast – what?

Doriate screamed. No, it was a howl, deep and echoing, an evil light rippling along with the sound. Again, Gray's body shrank down to that of a child. Not again, he snarled, and this time, he's way more powerful! Before he could formulate a plan, though, twin screams distracted both Gray and Doriate. Happy and Carla – not the oldest members of Fairy Tail even before the Retrogression spell – crash-landed at Gray's feet. "Happy? Carla?" he asked.

"My wings stopped working right," Happy whimpered.

Carla gasped and leaped to her feet. "We shrunk?" She turned to Gray, eyes wide. "Gray, you too? What's going on?"

"That monster's magic hit the whole village?" Gray realized, facing his enemy once more. Happy and Carla followed his eyes – then screamed at the swollen demon-beast before them. "I have to stop it! Gray-Two! I need Devil Slayer magic, now!"

"Tch – it's all around you, dummy," his counterpart snapped from above. "Either become the magic, or call me in!" Gray scowled. Damn it. He's right. I have to –

Doriate kicked him, and the blow threw Gray several meters back. He slid along the ice, shuddering from the blow. My whole chest feels like it was caved in, Gray thought, checking his ribs with one hand just to be sure it wasn't. In this body, I don't think I can survive another blow like that. He pressed his hand against the lavender ice around him. Fear is not evil, but you have to be afraid of the right thing. Mirajane's magic protects the guild. Even Jellal, drowning in guilt and self-loathing, was able to do this. To protect my friends – my family – Fairy Tail – I have to. I can. I will!

Music Cue: Devil Slayer

Gray pressed both hands against the ice while Deliora leaped at him, fist raised to finish him with a single blow. This is what I'm supposed to be. It's what I'm meant to be! Gray concentrated, becoming one with the ice, channeling its power through him. I was afraid – of the memories, of the grief, of becoming the enemy – but not any more! Deliora's fist cast a shadow over Gray, the blow a moment away from crushing him.

A moment was all Gray needed. "Ice Devil Zero Flesh!" he chanted, and the magic flowed into him. Gray and the magic became one, and a sheath of pale blue ice became one with his skin. Doriate's punch rattled him, but the demon howled and recoiled, clutching his fist in his hand. The magic shielded Gray, the Devil Slayer spell's protection restoring him to adulthood. Doriate stared at Gray with huge, round eyes, stumbling back. "Too late to run, monster. You hurt Fairy Tail! Ice Devil RAGE!" A storm of frozen wrath erupted from Gray's mouth, blasting Doriate overhead. When he landed, the demon shrank back to his smaller form, barely conscious. While Happy and Carla cheered, growing back to their full heights with the monster's defeat, Gray watched a symbol take form on his arm.

"Don't treat it lightly," Gray-2 warned from above, "but that magic is yours, now. Never let anyone or anything tell you different."

Gray nodded. "Thanks, nii-san. Come on, Happy, Carla. We still have a village to save."

"Right!" they agreed, heading back to the village. As they did, though, Doriate chuckled at them before they went past. The two Exceeds moved closer to Gray, even with him still covered in ice.

"You opened them, fools," Doriate smirked. "The Grim Gates...you can't turn back now–"

A giant winged monster with one eye landed atop Doriate and ate him. "It's here!" Happy and Carla screamed. Here we go again!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Sun Village, X791: Jellal

Put it aside. Deal with it later. Erza's team needs you. An entire village of innocent people needs you. Don't – don't think about it. He glared at the former Sabertooth ace, Mystogan's mask dangling around his neck. "Minerva. I'm going to give you once chance. Surrender." Meteor Wave roared around him, and something inside screamed for release. His body – adult once more – trembled in spite of his will.

Minerva snarled at them. "I can't defeat you both together, even with the power I've claimed. We'll meet again, Jellal, Erza!" She summoned her Territory Magic, surrounded herself with it, and vanished.

Erza nodded, banishing her sword, and Requipped from Heaven's Wheel to her workaday Heart Kreuz armor. "Thank you, Jellal. We have much to talk about later, but for now, Sun Village still needs our–" A rumbling of the earth cut her off, and a massive column of steam and light erupted from the edge of the village. "The mountain?" she asked.

At last, his memories of Earthland-2 returned. "That's not a mountain – it's the Eternal Flame! Atlas Flame!" Erza gaped. "Erza, Requip into your Flame Empress armor. It's going to take all of our combined magic to save him."

"Right!" Erza agreed, swapping armor. "Now what?"

"Join Natsu. Make sure he doesn't use too much of his magic. And no matter what happens, don't let Atlas Flame give up. I'll be right back! Stargate!" He opened a portal to the dragon graveyard under Crocus. Now that I have our Atlas Flare's magic signature, I should be able to find the rest of his remains.

"Jellal? What are you doing?" Erza looked through the gateway to the ruins beyond.

Concentrating, Jellal reached out with his telekinesis. "I don't know all the details, but when Acnologia struck down Atlas Flame, a spark of him remained. Part of him is here. The rest was torn away, buried with his kin. Found them!" he realized, grabbing the massive bones and pulling them through the Stargate one by one. "We're going to rekindle Atlas Flame with his own body."

"Will that work?" Erza gasped, staring at the pile of remains.

Jellal smiled. For some reason, Erza winced. "It did on Earthland-2. Come on!" He raced to where the steam was dissipating, finding only the least flicker of flame in a great altar. Most of the others were gathered before the altar, while Natsu fought a bizarre winged demon. "Star Devil Rage!" he chanted, blasting the demon away. "Natsu! Erza! Flare! Together!" he cried, gathering his might to cast his ultimate spell of flame. With a gesture, he piled Atlas' remains in the center of the altar. "Wendy, prepare Milky Way, and all the healing magic you can!" The young wizard nodded.

"Flare?" Erza asked, looking down at the former Raven wizard.

Right, she was an enemy the last time Erza saw her, Jellal realized. "She's from this village," he explained. "Her fires come from Atlas'. She'll help." Erza nodded. "Now!" He held his arms overhead, gathering the cosmic fire.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu chanted, blasting the kindling gathered in the altar.

"Hair Shower: Firefly Flame!" Flare joined in. Erza howled a defiant cry and slashed into the conflagration with her Flame Sword.

"True Cosmic Magic: Supernova!" Jellal unleashed the Sema-level eruption on the altar, consuming it in blue fire. The others on the ground cried out, and Gray created an Ice Rampart between them and the combined explosion. Oops.

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu howled, causing the column of flame to rise into the heavens themselves. Then he laughed. "You're really turning into a Fairy Tail wizard, Jellal!" With a shudder, Jellal pulled Mystogan's mask over his face. No. I'm not.

Before Jellal's despair could rise any further, Atlas Flame's skull-like face appeared in the mountain-sized bonfire. "Milky Way Cure," Wendy chanted.

"Star Heal," Jellal joined in, floating to earth.

He could barely make out Atlas' words through the roar of magic surging through him. After being pulled across the ages in both directions, casting Supernova, and now pouring all his meager restorative magic into Atlas Flame, it was all Jellal could do to stay upright. He could make out the old dragon's explanation of being near death – so close, he'd thought he was his own ghost. As they worked, the Eternal Flame took a shape closer to the dragon's. "That man...just one man...turned our whole world into ice. He thought I was a demon," Atlas explained. "He froze the entire village to snuff me out." Jellal blinked. That's new. It's not Deliora using Silver, that much is certain.

The others spoke to Atlas, drawing him out of his confusion and injury. "That's right. I am the Fire Dragon, Atlas Flame, and this is my home!" he roared, the fires spreading from his mighty dragon form. "I will remain in this Eternal Flame, to sleep for now," he continued, while Sun Village thawed around them, "but know this, son of Igneel. When the time comes, call on me. Zeref...Acnologia...I remember. The Festival of the Dragon King...I sense that it is coming once more. Call on me! I will fight again!"

"Lord Atlas," Jellal called, "won't Acnologia come for you, now that you are restored?"

Atlas Flame shook his massive head. "No. I live, but it will take time for me to truly heal. I will return to the flame. Acnologia has not troubled me across four centuries. He will not come now, just because of bones and humans." His long neck bent low, allowing Atlas to peer at Jellal close up. "Supernova. Of course. You are of that line. You worry too much, son of the star god." Lucy gasped while Jellal blinked.

"I wouldn't cheat my uncle of a good fight!" Natsu insisted, and Atlas turned his attention back to the Dragon Slayer. "Don't worry. When we find Acnologia, I'll make sure you get a shot at him." He punched his palm. "Just remember, I want to take him on too!"

Atlas blinked, an odd sight from a burning dragon skull. Then he chuckled. Then he laughed. Then he roared, and vanished with a burst of light into the flame of the altar. When the spots had faded from Jellal's eyes, the ice was gone, and the village restored.

"Atlas Flame is in a deep sleep," Wendy explained. "He's going to need time to recover."

The others cheered. "Thank you...Blue Prince...Cherry Blossom..." Flare whispered.

Jellal hid behind Mystogan's mask, ignoring Erza's piercing gaze. No. I deserve no thanks.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

It was good, to hear the others laugh last night, Jellal thought, opening the gateway to a pout from Erza and tremendous relief from the rest of her team. They stepped through to Saint Warrod's land, his small home just ahead. "What a relief," Lucy exhaled. "I thought we were going to have to walk the whole way back. Who knows how long that would have taken?"

"You should consider it training, Lucy," Erza insisted, arms crossed.

"We can work out back in Magnolia!" Natsu cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Faster than a train or a ship, no motion sickness – you're awesome, Mystogan! I mean Jellal!"

"Awesome!" Happy echoed, leaping into the air as he mimicked Natsu's pose.

Jellal turned away, towards the west and the first signs of afternoon. "That's not necessary. You should go in and receive your reward. I'll wait out here."

Erza's gasp sounded surprised. "Jellal?" she whispered.

"Don't be stupid," Gray insisted, folding his arms. "You saved Atlas Flame. That makes you part of the mission, and part of the team."

"You forget, I was a Wizard Saint," Jellal explained, sitting lotus-style at the edge of the hillside. "Saint Warrod will not be happy to see me."

"Hmph." Natsu shook his head. "We'll deal with him later. For now, let's get our reward!"

"Aye sir!" Lucy and Happy cheered as one, and the others went inside. At last, Jellal was alone with his pain. Mystogan's mask wouldn't hide his tears or his sorrow. Pathetic. To think that something as simple as a physical transformation could make me forget my sins...my guilt... Jellal shook his head. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic! "Believe in a day when you'll be forgiven." It's a good thing the others are in Fairy Tail, because Crime Sorciere's ethos was a joke.

He glared at his shoulder, where his Fairy Tail guild mark lied to the world. I'm sorry, Uncle Rob. I was wrong. I'm no Fairy Tail wizard. I'm ashamed that I let myself believe I could be one.

The empty void of despair yawned open to swallow him, bringing his self-recrimination to a halt. No. Stop. I am banished from death. This will do no good. I must take control of my emotions. Jellal concentrated, then meditated, cleansing his mind as he had so often on the road with Ultear, Meredy, and Uryu.

"Oho!" Warrod laughed, and Jellal opened his eyes in alarm. He'd been meditating for so long, he'd missed sunset. "It's good to meet you at last, Jellal."

"Saint Warrod?" Jellal blurted. "We met on several occasions, when I was a Wizard Saint myself."

"Ah, but that was Siegrain," Warrod pointed out, sitting beside him. "Would it surprise you to learn that I liked him most of the time?" Jellal stared, eyes wide with disbelief. "He remembered something that most wizards forget. 'Believe in living in harmony with nature.' Every wizard has that moment during Enlightenment, but most get caught up in their lives and themselves." The God of Ishgar grinned at him. "It looks like that part came from you, my boy."

Jellal sighed and turned his attention to the horizon. "Everyone keeps telling me that I'm not the person who did those things, but I remember." He shook his head. "I was turned into a child, twice, while I was in Sun Village. When that happened, I ignored all my sins, pretended that I could be the carefree boy I once was." Jellal gripped his pants in both fists. "Both times I was restored to adulthood, all the years between came back in full force. I remembered doing all those terrible things – banishing Erza, tricking my closest friends, trapping all the victims of the Tower in corruption and evil. I remember deciding it all, feeling it all. I was furious with Erza, amused by the gullibility of my Tower army, I enjoyed watching Simon try to outwit me." He closed his eyes again. "One blue spark means nothing compared to that."

"My boy, even if all that suffering and pain had broken your mind, I believe you would deserve forgiveness." Jellal bit back a growl. This again? he wondered. "I laughed at the Magic Council when they railed at your 'vigilante' guild while directing Rune Knights to other situations." Jellal stared at Warrod again while the old man laughed. "Why risk their own people when you were happy to put your life on the line in their stead? Wherever Precht is, I imagine his soul is lighter for knowing the good you've done."

"That doesn't change the pain I caused," Jellal huffed.

"Nothing can undo what's happened," Warrod retorted, his smile vanishing. "However, I also know that none of this is your fault. In the battle my team fought to save Magnolia, the very one that led to Fairy Tail's founding, Yuri was possessed by evil magic." Jellal's jaw dropped. "Precht and I watched, helpless, while Mavis gave all she had to save him from that horror. If Magnolia had seen a man and not an undead dragon, who knows what they might have done?" He put a hand on Jellal's shoulder. "I know what the magic that stole your life is like, all too well. That spark you dismiss was the seat of your free will, your power to choose. It makes all the difference there is – enough for the Magic Council itself to recognize your innocence. You're a Fairy Tail wizard now, my boy. Go forward, and live your life to the utmost."

"A Fairy Tail wizard." Jellal glared at his shoulder. "It's absurd. I have no right to call myself one."

Warrod smirked and pushed his sleeve back, revealing the green guild mark on his arm. "I am something of an authority on the matter, Jellal," he pointed out. "Yours is a Fairy Tail heart."

"No." Jellal stood, and Warrod followed suit in alarm. "For a few moments, I behaved what everyone in the guild thinks I should be like now. I was untroubled, free, happy. Now, I see that I can never be like that, should never be like that." Jellal stared at his right hand, the one that channeled Mystogan's gifts, and watched it shake. "I'm a liar, a traitor, a sadist, a murderer. The only reason I should be in Fairy Tail–" He sighed. "When I lived in the foothills in western Fiore with my mother – Mom worshiped the old gods. Our Zentopian neighbors gossiped about us. They said that if you lead an evil life, you go to Hell...but if you've been truly wicked, God shows you Heaven first."

Warrod scowled at Jellal as he continued. "That's what Fairy Tail is to me. In a perverse way, it's comforting – even liberating – to know that I am damned, that I will suffer in Grim depths when I die. Until then, I can watch the people I care about live free and happy, but I will always know that there's no real place there for me."

"What is wrong with you?" Lucy demanded. Jellal whirled to find Wendy, Carla, Lucy, and Erza staring at him. Oh no. The other three ladies stared in horror, but Lucy was furious, teeth bared and fists shaking at her hips. "If God Himself told you that you were innocent, would you believe it?"

"I don't think I'm going to need to worry about that," Jellal replied with a sigh. She can do this after Eclair? You found good friends, Erza.

"Oh, for – you just proved that you deserve forgiveness, Jellal! You think you're going to Grim, but all you do is protect and save people! Your whole life is helping others!"

Jellal rubbed his eyes. I didn't realize how tired I am. He took in a breath. "Lucy–" he tried.

"You were eleven years old," Lucy whispered, fists shaking as she looked at the floor. "The Cult of Zeref kidnapped you when you were five. They enslaved and hurt you for six years. You kept everyone you loved alive and sane by getting hurt for them, every chance you could! They tortured Erza. They tortured you! Then, after all of that, Grimoire Heart used possession, mind control, and a Jupiter Cannon of corruption from the Devil's Heart on you! The Devil's Heart could put Hades back together after Natsu burned him away! You were eleven years old!"

Lucy stepped up to Jellal, glaring right into his eyes, fists still shaking. "I'm sorry, Jellal, I don't know why it's easier for you to believe you did all those things, but you didn't. All you could do was watch." She put her fists on her hips, and Jellal knew he was in real trouble. "And everything you do when you're free proves who you really are!"

Something snapped in Jellal. "Free? I don't even know what that means. I don't think I ever did!" He gripped his forehead hard enough for it to hurt. "It doesn't matter. Even if my guilt comes from inaction–"

"Like Grim!" Lucy snapped back. "You were tied up in your own mind, and you still protected them, even though that should have been impossible! Simon made his choice – twice – and everyone else you love is alive–"

"Love?" Jellal roared. "If I'd really loved them, I would have been strong enough to save them!" Lucy's fury vanished, and she stumbled back, hands clamped over her mouth. Erza was crying. Because of him. Again. He shook his head. "Bodies break. Minds fall apart. I failed my family with my heart, Lucy. I have no right to believe in love. None at all." His courage collapsed when Erza buried her face in her hands, sobbing beyond control. "S-Stargate," he stammered, and fled back to Magnolia.

Jellal emerged on the edge of the woods outside the city. There, he permitted himself one release, screaming at the sky until his voice, and heart, had nothing left.

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Five: Cubed

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Ultear

"I know it sounds bad, Erza," Ultear said, stamping down the terror in her heart, "but something good came out of Lucy's confrontation with him. Now we know why he can't forgive himself."

"He doesn't think his love is strong enough," Erza whispered, "he doesn't even think it's love, and that's a good thing?"

"Of course not," Ultear sighed, guiding Erza to a barstool. Mirajane, God bless her, was already there with a slice of strawberry cake. "What's good is, now we know. Freedom, and love. After Jellal had already been a slave for six years, he can't stand the thought he was one for eight more when all of you needed him. It drives him mad that he couldn't break free of what I did to him, because it infected his spirit as well as his body and mind. Now, maybe, we can finally save him."

Erza pushed away the plate of cake. Ultear and Mirajane looked at Titania, then each other, Ultear's alarm mirrored in Mira's expression. "He won't let us, Ultear. He's – he's even turned being a Fairy Tail wizard into a punishment." She clasped her hands in her lap, tears brimming in her eyes again. "From everything you and Meredy have told me about your years together, being a hunted fugitive hurt less than being here." She bit her lip, choked back a sob. "Maybe – maybe the best thing we can do for Jellal is let him go."

Don't panic don't panic don't panic, Ultear ordered herself, her stomach a storm of butterflies and terror. "I know better than most how unbending Jellal is, Erza," she said, resting a tentative arm around Titania's shoulders. "He's become a master of self-recrimination. To save him, we need people who care, all stubborn enough to match him. What other guild could do that, besides Fairy Tail?" She looked up, picturing her mother as the Fourth Master. "We're not perfect. No one is. Yet Fairy Tail is better at saving the lost than any other guild in the world." Ultear hugged Erza a bit closer, and Erza put an arm around her in turn. "Who wants to help the lost more than Jellal?"

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed, nodding. She pulled the slice of cake back to her.

Mira smiled in relief. "You could always try pleading with him," she suggested. Ultear stared at her while Erza focused her gaze on her cake. "I don't think he could deny you anything, if you begged him for it."

"Perhaps," Erza muttered, "but it wouldn't matter, if he wore a smile like armor to hide his broken heart." An old dagger twisted in Ultear's chest, remembering all she'd done to the friend beside her. "I might be able to make him hide his pain, but if my – friendship can't save him from his guilt, no amount of groveling will heal his soul."

Mirajane sighed and nodded. "Where is Jellal, anyway?" she asked, looking around. "Most of Team Sorciere is gone, too, even Wally and Yukino."

"He took them to Era," Ultear explained, glancing over at Meredy, then Cobra. Meredy was whispering with Shou, both of them grinning at Cana, then Ultear herself. When they realized she was watching them, they yelped, then turned their attention to a tarot spread Shou had laid out. Well, that seems to have ended well, at least, Ultear thought, remembering Cana dancing with Laxus at the palace.

Cobra was, to no one's surprise, speaking with Kinana in the corner. Ultear was surprised to find them talking intently, almost arguing. I don't think I've ever seen that before, she realized. "Talk of Tartaros has Jellal worried about the Council," Ultear explained. "On Earthland-2, they began their war on humanity by destroying Era completely. They were trying to unleash a Council weapon, one Master Makarov included in his 'spoiler' ban."

"I see," Erza replied, glancing at Master Makarov. For a few minutes, she enjoyed her cake while the guild went about its business. Ultear summoned one of her orbs and sought Team Sorciere in it, finding Jellal floating over one of the obelisks surrounding the great mesa that held the Council's citadel. Other team members watched from similar perches; Midnight floated over one, Daphne hovered over another with a miniature version of Fukuro's flight pack, and Sorano circled a third, the occasional feather trailing from her wings.

As one, they looked up. Jellal was the first to fly to Era Manor, Racer but a fraction of a second behind even on foot. Midnight reached out, and Ultear saw his hand fill most of her orb. "Meredy! Cobra! We're on!" Shou gasped as Ultear placed her hand on the orb, their Hyperspace gate forming between them. One end opened beside her, and the time wizard flew through to Midnight's side. Her two teammates yelped, sprouted wings, and followed, Mirajane right behind them before the gate closed. "What–"

An explosion obscured the entire top of the mesa. The blast sent a wave of wind rippling over the city, blowing around papers and knocking a few people over. When the cloud dissipated, even Ultear could only stare at the great Solid Seal, shining blue in the morning light as it sheltered the Council headquarters.

Ultear grimaced and teleported to Jellal's side. He floated just outside the Seal, his left hand still outstretched behind him. The magic circle above his fingers still turned, clear indication of how the spell had formed. Below them was Jackal, the vicious bomb demon glaring at them. "Jellal Fernandes, right?" he sneered, glaring over a toothy smirk. "Still playing 'Mystogan,' the hero? Why are you defending this pack of cowards?" He flared out his hands, claws gleaming in the light of the sun and the Seal. "Or do you figure we'd want to pick off small fry before taking you on?"

"So you are after Face," Jellal muttered, causing Jackal to gape, eyes wide and mouth falling open. "Tartaros. Zeref does not want your devotion. He certainly does not want you slaughtering in his name. Yield, and perhaps we can help you."

"You know nothing of Lord Zeref!" Jackal snarled. "Exploding Spiral!" He spun his arms, the blast smashing into the Seal and howling up towards Jellal.

"Three Layer Circle: Mirror Water," Jellal chanted. Mystogan's staves appeared around him, turning the blast back on Jackal. The force pushed the demon back, but did little harm.

A scream from inside the manor got their attention. "Ultear–" he began.

"On it," she agreed, teleporting inside. Ultear froze, staring in disbelief.

Councilor Johann had his hands through the chests of two of his fellow Councilors, the bespectacled Otto and the animalistic Victor. Both men's torsos disintegrated, turning to white dust. Lahar burst in through the double doors, while Midnight and Doranbolt appeared to either side of Ultear herself. "Zen...God..." Ultear whispered. A single glance was enough to tell her that Johann had used Death Magic of some kind, his dark wizardry draining the life from the flesh he touched.

"Jackal!" Johann shouted, pulling off his large nose and tossing aside his tall column of white hair. His mustache fell away with his nose, revealing a skull-like face, pale as death. "We're done here!"

"You're under arrest, you–" Lahar snarled. Johann laughed and flew at the Rune Knight, turning into a living cloud of white ash as he did.

"Reflector!" Midnight chanted, creating a warping field around the enforcer. That saved Lahar's life, Johann's deadly ash form twisting around the captain before flying out the door.

Doranbolt teleported to Lahar, then brought both of them to Ultear's side.. "Lahar! Are you all right?" he gasped, examining his commander with a few probing fingers and a quick scan.

Lahar chuckled and brushed Doranbolt's hands aside. "I'm fine, old friend," he insisted, turning a newly-weighing glance towards the two Fairy Tail wizards. "That was well done."

"Not well enough," Ultear grimaced, looking at the corpses. "We were too late. They were the ones with the Body Links to Face, weren't they?"

Gran Doma nodded. "In addition, Etherion has not yet been repaired."

"Which it would have been by now," Org pointed out, "if we had accepted Miss McGarden's offer. There is nothing Jellal could learn about the weapon that he doesn't already know."

"It's too late for that now," Doranbolt insisted, turning to the window. Golden blasts dueled outside, interspersed with streaks of blue light. "We're going to need them to fight Tartaros. The only Devil Slayers in Ishgar are Fairy Tail wizards."

Racer darted in, Sorano and Mirajane a few seconds behind him. "Good," Ultear said, relieved. "The four of you, stay here. Protect the Council! No one else dies on our watch, not today!" She vanished, ignoring the shocked stares of the Councilors and Rune Knights.

Jackal and Johann were fighting the rest of Team Sorciere, the former Councilor summoning shambling undead as fast as her teammates could knock them down. "Jackal! We can't do this for much longer!" Johann insisted, backpedaling as the team advanced. "Against a Fernandes, we have to control the battlefield, or we'll lose!" Ultear's eyes narrowed. "A Fernandes?" What is Jellal to you, traitor?

"Fine," Jackal snarled. "Plutogrim! Extraction!" A sphere of multicolored energy surrounded the pair, and then they were gone.

Jellal gasped. "Minerva? No...she can't have..."

Ultear grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry, Jellal, but we don't have time for this. We have to secure Era, then get you to safety. Johann sounds like he has a grudge, and this is Tartaros! If they're trying to unseal Face, you're a target."

"I'm also a Devil Slayer," Jellal retorted, meeting her glare with his own. "I won't stand by while those demons wreak havoc on Fiore."

"I'm not asking you to," Ultear conceded, letting him go, "but this is no time to consider your life to be insignificant."

Mirajane flew to their side, nodding. "We have to get back to Fairy Tail," she insisted to Jellal. "I convinced Chairman Doma to contact Lamia Scale. Saint Jura and his team can secure things here. They called two of the Gods of Ishgar as well – Hyberion and Wolfheim are on their way." She turned to Ultear. "Wally and Richard took my place in the Council chamber. The building's secure."

"Good," Ultear said, nodding, then turned back to their leader. "We're at your disposal until reinforcements arrive."

"Oh, am I in charge again?" Jellal asked, his one raised eyebrow visible even through Mystogan's garb. Ultear blushed and looked away. "It's okay, Ultear. You're right anyway. Once the situation here is stable, we need to return to Fairy Tail and determine our next move together." Ultear nodded. We've already changed our fate, she thought, but for the better, or for worse?

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Cana

Cana stared as Porlyusica and Jellal worked on Laxus, inserting and removing acupuncture needles at a pace that terrified her. The needles that went in were barely wider than hairs and gleamed like silver. They came out twice as thick and deep purple. Porlyusica handled them with gloves; Jellal's hands were covered in the blue aura of Cosmic Drive. Meredy was at the blue-haired wizard's side, her body glowing with the power of Maguilty Shell. Her eyes flickered to Bickslow, the mark on his face an unusual sight for those who didn't know him.

"The others?" Max whispered, staring at Freed with wide eyes. Elfman trembled hard enough to make the floor quiver, teeth bared and fist shaking. He was failing, badly, to pretend not to look at the shivering Evergreen.

"It will take some time," Porlyusica explained, "but they will recover. However, there could be permanent damage."

Master Makarov looked from Laxus to Yajima and back. "Laxus...is still in danger, isn't he?" he whispered. Please, Cana prayed. Please.

Porlyusica nodded. "Jellal's strange Alvarez technique has improved his odds, but it's a miracle that Freed got him back here alive."

"The particle concentration in his body was enough to kill everyone in that town," Jellal explained, his rate of needle replacement slowing at last. "I'm amazed he survived long enough to collapse." The star wizard permitted himself a wan smile. "Even for a Fairy Tail wizard, Laxus is stubborn beyond belief. He has a real chance of survival."

"Just...a chance?" Mira gasped, she and Lisanna hugging each other. Cana's voice felt stolen.

"If we could get a sample from that demon Tempester, then I should be able to create an antidote," Porlyusica explained, watching as Jellal removed the last several swollen needles, replacing them with fresh ones. They were no longer filling up fast enough to watch.

"The...town?" Freed gasped.

Max rushed over. "Freed! You shouldn't be awake!"

"Laxus...saved them..." Freed wheezed, his whole body shuddering and tense. "...he...inhaled the..." Cana winced as Freed seized up for a moment. "Are they..."

"Our friends from Earthland-2 finished the job Laxus started," Jellal replied, picking up the bucket of tainted needles and standing. "There were a few casualties, but that town is alive because of him, and you. Rest now." He reached out with his free hand, but Porlyusica put her hand on his arm and shook her head. Cana bit back a gasp. Even Sleep Magic is too dangerous?

"Thank goodness," Freed whispered, then passed out again. Max wiped his eyes and stood.

"Gramps," Natsu snarled. "This is war!" Cana glanced at Shou, who nodded back. In unison, they each drew three cards from their decks. You said it, Natsu!

Unfortunately, when they got back downstairs, it took half a dozen Fairy Tail wizards to keep Natsu from leaving to fight an enemy they couldn't find. "Natsu," Lucy pointed out, "they're going after Council members. With Jellal here, they'll come to us." Meredy tensed, still at her big brother's side. Michelle stayed by Lucy, vine tips coiling around her wrist.

"Don't try anything stupid, Jellal," Gray snapped, glaring at him. "You're not gonna help anyone disappearing on your own."

Jellal shook his head while he washed his hands. "You don't need to worry about that. It might be wiser to hide me somewhere else, but Porlyusica wants my help with the Thunder Tribe."

"We should move you with the wounded, then," Makarov agreed. "Porlyusica and I know a few secret places from when we were the young punks in the guild."

"When you were a punk, you mean," Porlyusica sniffed, glaring at the old man. "We will have to use one of Team Sorciere's gateways. Moving patients any significant distance right now would endanger them further." Cana's jaw hurt from clenching.

Jellal rubbed his forehead. "I have an idea that should help on both accounts, Master. Besides, if I let Tartaros kill me, that could unseal Face. All of Ishgar would be defenseless against the Books of Zeref if that happens."

Erza paled a bit. "So you're...one of the seals?"

Jellal nodded. "Ultear and I arranged it, to improve our control over the weapon. She's not one, but the other ex-Councilors are in danger." He looked at his still-dripping hands and frowned. "Yajima isn't one either – I checked while I was treating him – but I don't know which other two former members bear the Body Links."

"Crawford Seam, the former Chairman, should," Ultear pointed out. "On Earthland-2, they captured and murdered him. We believe they did this while trying to force him to talk." Her half-smile was humorless. "He was more corrupt than me, but Seam is human too. Face will ruin him just like the rest of us." She sighed. "Unfortunately, Belno is the only former Councilor I was able to keep track of."

"I'll go get her," Gajeel insisted. Cana turned a curious look at the Iron Dragon Slayer. Huh.

Ultear sent her orb floating near Midnight. "Slow down, Gajeel," she said, almost smiling. "Hyperspace," she and Macbeth chanted, opening a gateway to the mind wizard's doorstep. "Belno, if you're there, we believe you're in grave danger."

The former Councilor opened her door, staring at the portal with wide, blinking eyes. "Fairy Tail? Ultear! What the Grim do you think you're doing?"

"Paying an old debt," Gajeel replied, stepping between the two ex-Councilors. Belno gave him a faint smile, surprising Cana even more. "If you don't want to come here, I'll go to you, but Tartaros is killing Council members, so it's gotta be one or the other."

Belno sighed and walked through the magic gate. Midnight let it go, exhaling. For a moment, Cana thought she saw a skull-like face through one of Belno's windows, but the portal vanished before she could get a good look. "I've never been so glad I live alone. I trust Jellal is here as well?" the ex-Councilor asked. Blue stepped into her line of sight and offered her a slight bow. "Hm. Good. I knew where a few of my other colleagues are, but that won't be enough for point-to-point gateways."

Loke appeared beside Lucy. "I know where a few of them are as well." His smile broadened when he met Belno's eyes. "It's been a while, Belle." The older woman gasped, blushing a touch. Cana chuckled while Lucy facepalmed. Loke, you lech, Cana thought fondly.

"Remember," Jellal warned them, turning to address the guild, "the demons of Tartaros have powerful Curses that work in the depths beyond what we call magic. One can control minds. Another can destroy senses. A third can steal magic spirits, even those of spells. Be on your utmost guard."

While the others planned, Cana slipped away. Max was right behind her, as was Meredy, to her surprise – and Elfman, the big softie, was already heading back up the stairs. Laxus. You'd better not die on me now, after everything we've been through. She made a fist, wishing for the first time she'd kept the comm card her father had given her. Please.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Shou

"Sage Leiji," Shou whispered. Wally had taken off his hat and put it over his heart.

The former Councilor had been torn apart. Literally. His arms and legs had been tossed aside at random, and the man's head had been ripped off and placed on his chest. His mouth still hung open, caught in mid-surprise. Someone had placed his round sunglasses back on his face, though both lenses were cracked. "Whoever did this has a sick sense of humor," Wally snarled, arm transforming into his rifle.

Shou nodded. "We'd better contact the guild," he said, pulling out the card that held their l-comm inside. Before he could reach in, though, a flash of blue light sliced through the man's house, sending both wizards flying. Wh-what? Shou wondered.

A massive demon with teal skin and four arms from the waist up, floating on seven tentacles from the waist down, grinned at them. "Is it okay to cut loose on weaklings like you?" it laughed, crossing all four arms in front of it.

"128 Frames Per Second Attack!" Wally chanted, slamming into Ezel faster than Shou could track.

"Card Dimension!" Shou joined in, pulling Ezel towards one of his trap cards.

"Oni Circle!" the demon howled. Four slashes flew at them, scattering Wally's attack and tearing Shou's card aside. Even though I strengthened them to hold up against Ikaruga? Shou gasped, tossing aside the card's ragged remains. "Pitiful humans! Give me a good fight!"

Shou growled. "We're Fairy Tail wizards, demon! Blackjack Barrage!" He unleashed his most powerful blast, a dozen cards multiplying to become over a hundred. They all exploded around the demon, surrounding him with smoke.

"Prerendered Polygon Sniper Shot!" Wally chanted, firing the piercing blast into the cloud. Did we get him? Shou wondered.

Tentacles lashed out, one catching Shou in the gut. The blow slammed him into a wall, knocking the wind out of him. Two more hammered Wally from both sides, leaving even the Polygon Mage dazed. No...I can't...let him... Shou concentrated, forming walls of cards around himself and Wally. "Dimension Shield," he rasped.

"Rosary Circle!" the demon roared. The slashes threw the cards aside like leaves in a whirlwind. Shou's ward shattered in their wake. What is this monster? The horror laughed yet again. "Your magic's not bad," he admitted, all four of his arms turning into swords, "but you hardened it against the power of other humans. I am a demon of the Books of Zeref, and my Curse can carve through your whole mortal world!"

"Ezel, stop." Shou locked up, eyes going wide. Wally groaned and raised his head, then froze. Ezel scowled at the approaching figure, his swords becoming arms again. "Those two...belong to me."

Siegrain strode towards them, wearing the white suit Jellal had always projected himself with, a smirk on his face and the symbol of Nemesis in his right eye. It...can't be... Shou thought, paralyzed by denial. "Shou. Wally. Even though you've been naughty, it's good to see you again. Now. Where is my Erza?"

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Meredy

Meredy had never been so happy to see a member of the Magic Council, even as worry for the Thunder Tribe ate at her from inside. Belno sat across from Jellal, her hands glowing lavender, while Ultear and Cobra watched from one side. Jellal was almost relaxed, his eyes closed. Gajeel stood behind the mentalist, looking ready to cut anyone who touched the older woman in half. "Zen God," Belno whispered. "I don't think I've ever seen a mess like this."

"Can you help him?" Ultear whispered.

Belno snorted. "All the dark magic proper has been purged from his ethereal aura. There are no spells to heal a broken heart." Ultear flinched. "If nothing else, I can confirm that he's all but immune to any sort of supernatural dominion. Fernandes' mind appears unassailable. I've never encountered such an elegant weaving of spells to prevent the loss of will or wizardry." She chuckled. "I heard how easily he threw aside his manacles at the trial. I wondered how you did that, Fernandes."

"As Crime Sorciere, we faced many enemies who could kill a normal human with a single blow," Jellal explained, eyes still closed. "When I discovered the similarities between the principles of mental and etheric defense, I made a habit of entwining them."

Meredy nodded. "I've picked up a lot of that myself," she added, holding up one wrist. The glowing heart-in-chain appeared on it. "It's really tricky at first, but once you get used to it, you can get the weave to stay up in your sleep. Good thing, too."

"Please don't spread that knowledge too widely," Belno requested, the glow around her hands intensifying. She's not using Suggestion Magic, Meredy saw, relaxing. "I know you have reason to fear the Rune Knights, but their job is difficult enough as it is." Jellal-nii nodded. Belno glanced at the communication lacrima, frowning. The only one we've saved so far, besides her, is Michello, Meredy realized. Erza, Mirajane, please be careful.

"We need to move you soon, my boy," Makarov insisted, looking at Porlyusica. She nodded. "Yaji and the Thunder Tribe are stable, and Laxus is...doing as well as can be expected."

"As soon as the wards on the guild hall are complete," Jellal said, glancing at the doorway. "Without Freed, Levy, Midnight, and I have to make do with our less formidable Letter Magic."

"Jellal!" Meredy blurted, pouting at him. "Don't you dare! I know you're worried, but we can't risk you going out there until we can find Tartaros!"

"I was just examining the wards," Jellal muttered. "We should bring Chairman Seam here, as soon as Erza and Mira can secure him." He tensed for a moment. Huh. Someone's mind is all over the place. Belno winced as well, shaking out one of her hands. "We can keep him safer here, and his Super Archive would be an invaluable tool."

To Meredy's surprise, Jellal-nii and Belno smiled in unison. "What did I miss?" Meredy asked.

Belno released her magic, and Jellal straightened. "We both pictured Crawford making 'air quotes' around the words Super Archive," Belno explained, performing the gesture along with her own words. "For all his complaints about the quirks of powerful wizards, Seam was quite the character himself."

Ultear frowned. "I still feel like I'm missing something," she mumbled, turning her attention to the piles of books and notes scattered throughout the hall. "The whole assault, all this death, it doesn't make sense. Why destroy Era if they had a mole on the Council? How do they know where the former Councilors are when all we have to go on are scraps and hints?"

"They're trying to terrorize us, right?" Meredy asked, steeling herself. I know this is going to hurt, she realized, but Fairy Tail needs us. She took her mother's hand. "Every guild in the Balam Alliance was angry at the legal magic world. It's all we had in common." Belno looked at them in surprise. "Isn't that what Tartaros is after? Fear?"

Ultear shook her head. "If they were humans, that would make sense. They might have a few human converts, but Tartaros is a guild of demons." She turned a sad gaze on the comm crystal. "They don't hate us, or fear us. We're a nuisance, like termites infesting a house. Insects can hurt you if they make your roof collapse, but most people don't hate them. They just fumigate their houses, grateful they caught the bugs in time. At most, the Etherious hold us in contempt."

Jellal leaped to his feet. "Oh, gods... " he whispered. "Ultear, that first part, say it again?"

"Which part?" Ultear asked, holding up her orb. "The part about if they were humans?"

"After that," Jellal ordered, literally jumping to Ultear's side. They looked into the crystal ball, and the color drained from his face. "Human...converts...Juvia-2 never heard what happened between the Seam and Torafuzar on their world, never saw how they ended up together. What if he wasn't a prisoner?"

Levy clapped her hands over her mouth. "Super Archive," she whispered. "Even if the new Council made changes, or the old Councilors moved, he could find them anywhere!"

Before anyone – even Jet or Racer – could move, Jellal was in front of the comm lacrima. "Erza, Mira, come in," he pleaded. Nothing. "Erza!" Jellal grabbed the sphere, his hand glowing blue. Still nothing. "Gone," he whispered. "No..."

"Contact the other teams!" Makarov ordered. "At once!" Michelle and Yukino gasped as one.

Jellal tried Shou and Wally. Still nothing. Natsu and Lucy – nothing. Elfman and Lisanna – nothing. Gray and Juvia.

"Jellal-dono?" Juvia asked, looking into the lacrima while she and Gray rode. "Is something wrong?"

"We've lost contact with all the other teams," Jellal explained. "Erza, Shou, Lisanna, Natsu – you're all that's left."

"We're on our way," Gray called from over his shoulder. "Unless it's for Erza, stay put."

"Or Shou and Wally," Jellal said. He and Juvia nodded to each other, then the connection faded out. Meredy took a breath to object, but couldn't find the words. We can't ask him not to help them, can we? she realized. Ultear looked away with a grimace.

"If you have to do something stupid, boss," Cobra grumbled, glaring at their team leader, "you'd better make sure you leave us a way to follow you." Jellal glared back, and Cobra went pale, stumbling back a step. Sorano and Yukino looked from Dragon Slayer to Devil Slayer, then at each other. "Zen God, Jellal..."

"I will not let Tartaros hurt them. No matter what it takes." Jellal pulled his hand away from the crystal and made a fist. Golden light burned around it. "I will leave a trail, but if they so much as scratch one of them, I will burn down Plutogrim, by myself if I have to."

Meredy swallowed and turned to Master Makarov, worried he was going to yell at Jellal-nii, only to find that the tiny old man was grinning. "Master!" Meredy blurted.

"He sounds like a Fairy Tail wizard," Makarov noted, smile growing. "It's about time."

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Erza

I...have to... Erza tugged at her chains, praying that the guild had moved Jellal before her capture. She pulled at the wall, feeling the bricks loosen by the slightest fraction. My convulsions...I might be able to...bring down the wall, she thought, flinching away from the toad-demon's tentacles, if I can last...long enough.

"I don't need your help," Kyouka snarled. Erza froze. Two sets of footsteps approached from the hall. "Tell Master Mard Geer–"

"Tell him yourself." Erza's eyes bulged wide at that voice, and she bit back a whimper. No...Jellal...that sounds like.... Memories tore through her, more painful than all of Kyouka's torment. Bound and helpless in the Tower, tortured and broken, only for Jellal to rescue her – and be doomed in her place. No...please, no! The evil Jellal chuckled. "You're absorbed in playing with her. We need results. Our Master needs results. Or don't you care about E.N.D.?"

"Of course I care," Kyouka whined. Erza could almost see her pout.

Then Kyouka opened the door to her cell, and it got worse. Behind her was Siegrain, dressed for the Magic Council, the foul Zeref-Nemesis rune once more in the eye surrounded by the sacred birth mark of his family. Erza tried to back away, but could only press herself against the wall. It's not damaged nearly enough, she realized, trembling. Siegrain smiled, caressing her cheek with his fingertips. Erza gasped. Kyouka's Curse...it enhances everything, she realized, his simple touch bordering on ecstasy. "My Erza. I missed you so much."

"Fight it, Jellal," Erza begged, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "I'm with you. I know who you truly are. Please..."

Siegrain chuckled. "Come now, Erza. How stupid do you think I am?" He held out his hand towards the wall. Shadows filled with runes the color of blood redoubled the horror of her flashbacks as the evil darkness soaked into the wall behind her, restoring its integrity. Titania collapsed, dangling from her chains. Oh, no, she quailed. "This is but a simulacra, like the many Brain used on Earthland-2 and your counterpart Knightwalker." Erza's head whipped back up, her butchered hope rising from its ashes. It's not – he's not Jellal! Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the villain. He's just a lie, hiding in a machine. The Nemesis shadows oozed back into Siegrain's hand, vanishing beneath his skin. "Now. This talk is long overdue."

"We have nothing to say to each other, monster," Erza snarled, her fury burning away her fear. "You enslaved Jellal for eight years, deceived me into thinking he'd fallen into evil, tormented him with the corruption of our family. Weep and beg forgiveness, or I will strike you down."

Siegrain blinked at her, then laughed. "You really are amazing, Erza. Chained to an unbreakable wall, magic sealed away, surrounded by demons of torment and slavery, and still you have the temerity to threaten us. I find it endearing, to be honest."

"Nemesis!" Kyouka snapped.

"Siegrain," Erza spat. "His name is Siegrain."

The demon construct shook his head. "I went by that name once," he admitted, "but Siegrain's time has passed, don't you think? I am Nemesis," he continued, leaning in until Erza could feel his breath, "but to be honest, I prefer the name...Jellal." Those words stole the breath from Erza's chest, the warmth from her blood. "I didn't want to kill you, Erza. That was Ultear's doing." His smile vanished. "She will pay for that, I promise you." Then he leaned over until his mouth was right next to her ear. "You were supposed to be mine," he breathed, and again, it was not pain that made Erza shudder. No, stop it, I won't let this happen, she insisted, flinching away from him. "We both know how this ends."

"Yes," Erza shot back, though her voice was no more than a hoarse rasp. "With my sword through what serves for your heart."

"I'm the one you love," Nemsis retorted, stepping back and smirking at her with Jellal's face. Erza stared, eyes wide, mouth dropping open. "Jellal was a boy when you lost him. I'm the one you danced with for eight years. I was your obsession. I was the one you couldn't resist. Not him." His smirk melted into a genuine smile that almost made Erza feel sorry for him. "Tell me where he is, and I will become one with him again. Then, I can make you a queen of this world. My queen."

It was a relief to laugh in the demon's face. Nemesis' smile vanished, and he glared. Even Kyouka smirked at him. "You sad, lost, pathetic creature," Erza chuckled, her smile growing with his snarl. "I blame myself for letting you deceive me, but you truly thought I'd forgotten the greatest heart I've ever known?" She shook her head, feeling genuine pity for the empty-hearted monster before her. "I loved him in spite of all your lies and cruelty, Nemesis. Now that I know he protected me from you, every day of my life? Suffered inside you so I could be a Fairy Tail wizard? I will save Jellal from your torment, demon, if it takes the rest of my life to do so."

Kyouka laughed outright. "So much for your master plan, mastermind," she mocked.

"Have a care, Kyouka," Nemesis snapped. "You would make a fine vessel." Kyouka's smile vanished, and she bared her claws. "As for you, Erza, I see that I must educate you further. Plan B it is." He held up a hand, and three Archive screens came to life around Erza. Her smile vanished with her confidence.

One screen showed Natsu and Lisanna, bound and caged somewhere in the depths of Plutogrim. A second displayed Shou chained spreadeagle against a wall, Wally frozen in a chair in front of him. A third showed Mirajane, trapped in a cylinder with tendrils all over her body, Minerva glaring at her with claws at the ready. "Tartaros is a guild of demons. Fairy Tail is a guild of monsters. Be honest with yourself – you belong with us. We shall cast down the world's order, and replace it with our supreme chaos. If you refuse..." Nemesis shadows surged into Natsu, Wally, and Minerva. "...I will remind you what you really are."

"No..." Erza whimpered, "not them, please..." She pulled at her chains again. They might as well have been Adamantine.

The monster's smirk returned, a foul perversion of Jellal's gift of hope. "Let's check in on them, shall we? How about that walking fist, Natsu?" He held out his hand, and again the tendrils of scarred darkness flowed out, soaking into the floor. They appeared in the Archive screen with Natsu and Lisanna, and the Dragon Slayer barely had time to yelp before they shot into him.

"Natsu!" Lisanna gasped. "Are you all right?" She watched Natsu's handcuffs fall off his wrists. "What's going on?"

"Heh..." Nemesis-Natsu looked at his hands, his smirk as twisted at the one on his Siegrain body. "I knew this would be a powerful union, but I never imagined...I could consume Heaven with this vessel. I'm gonna burn it all down!" He sweat-dropped. "Of course, there's going to be a problem with self-control..."

Nemesis-Natsu sneered at Lisanna, who backed away, eyes wide. "Oh, right. You. It's funny. I was so happy you came back, but ever since then, you and Lucy have turned me inside out." He grabbed her leg, and Lisanna screamed when he pulled her off the ground with one hand, grabbing her pinkie toe with the other. "It's time I return the favor." The fingers he used to hold her toe began to glow. Erza thrashed in her chains, even though every bruise felt like a bone breaking.

Lisanna winced, a thin wisp of smoke rising from her toe. "Natsu, I know you can hear me. Whatever happens, it's not your fault. That evil rune-thing is in your eye. It's not you. You've got to believe that." Then she blinked when Natsu froze, eyes blank as he stared at the wall. His fingers stopped glowing, no longer burning her. "Natsu?"

Nemesis chuckled at Erza. "Let's try door number two, shall we?" More tendrils soaked into Wally, who stood and aimed his Polygon Rifle just to the right of Shou's head. "I trapped Blocky with a Bind Snake. Good spell, that one, remember?" Erza snarled again.

"Wally." Shou took in a breath, then smiled very much like Jellal. "It's going to be okay. No matter what happens next, you're a Fairy Tail wizard."

"Sh–shut up," Nemesis-Wally stammered, twitching. "This is all your fault." Shou's smile died. "You and your stupid p-plan. Then you were too much of a coward to admit to it! Jellal-nii tried to take the blame...then they took Erza-nee instead...and you l-loved being a dark wizard, didn't you?" He gritted his teeth, shuddering. "You thought you were so dandy."

"Yes. I did," Shou admitted. "I became everything you say I was. The thing that tricked us into that is in you now, Wally. Don't let–"

Erza screamed when Wally fired, but all he did was graze Shou's ear. "Stop talking," Nemesis-Wally ordered. Shou's jaw trembled.

"Last but not least, the Grim Core," Nemesis announced, turning his attention to Minerva.

His symbol appeared on her eye patch shape. Nemesis-Minerva looked at her claws, smiling. "Now, this is new," she said, looking from one hand to the other. Lamy stared, rubbing the back of her head. "She's surrendered to me completely. I've never had a vessel become so absolutely supine." She placed one claw on Mirajane's cylinder, the liquid around her swirling. "Oh, you wonderful, naughty thing. You were absorbing the demonic energy to restore yourself." Erza gasped. Oh, no...that was Mira's only chance to escape!

"What? I failed you, Nemesis-chan!" Lamy blurted. Then she punched her own face, and it became serious for an instant. "I must try again!"

"Leave it to me, Lamy," Nemesis-Minerva said, the tendrils flowing up the cylinder from her claws. "Natsu Dragneel and Mirajane Strauss. What vessels they will make..."

"Stop, please," Erza begged, thrashing again, "you've made your point, I yield! Please!"

Nemesis turned from the Archive screens, all three of his puppets frozen with horrified expressions while their victims watched in helpless suspense. Even Minerva looked like she was screaming, though no sound escaped her lips. "Good. Where. Is. Jellal?"

"When I left, he was at the guild hall," Erza admitted, collapsing in her chains. Forgive me, she prayed. "They were already planning on moving him. For his safety, none of the rest of us were privy as to where."

Kyouka smiled. "If he's in your headquarters, then he's dead," she mocked, running one claw down Erza's ribs. Titania screamed, the gash like being gutted. "You see Lisanna, but where's her brother? On his way there, as it happens – with Seilah's Concentrated Ether Sphere. When it explodes, there won't be anything left of your pitiful guild but splinters!" Erza struggled while Kyouka laughed, Titania fighting in vain. No!

"Now Kyouka, let's not be hasty," Nemesis warned. "If Jellal's in the guild hall, after his experiences in that other world, he may recognize Macro. Worse, if he's not there, we're about to kill everyone who knows where he is." He glanced sideways at Erza, then turned to the now-frowning Kyouka. "We could lure him anywhere we desire with Erza. Should we prepare an ambush somewhere remote? Or can Plutogrim kill Jellal?"

Kyouka leaned towards her fellow demon. "Is that a serious question?" she asked. Nemesis nodded. "I don't care how powerful he is, one human is no match for the Grim Underworld created by Zeref Himself!" she snapped, glaring at Siegrain. "No trap we could prepare would equal the combined might of Tartaros. Bring Jellal here. He'll be dead in minutes." She placed two fingers to her forehead.

No. No. No. Terror Erza had never imagined stole her strength. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. Nemesis turned back to her, cupping her cheek with the tips of his fingers. He looked into her eyes. "Call to him," he whispered.

Erza froze. "What?" she breathed.

"No warnings. No tricks. Just call to Jellal. Beg him to save you. Even if he's in that other universe, he'll hear you. And then..." Nemesis smiled. It was so much like Jellal's, the perverse twist at the corner of his mouth stood out like a brand. "...we'll all be together again. Forever, this time." He let her go.

Erza let her head drop, hair cascading down to hide her face. Don't think, don't give him a hint, don't let him see, she thought, equal parts command and prayer. Just as the two demons took in breaths to speak, she threw her head back again. "JELLAL!" she screamed. "PLEASE! HELP US!" A memory of her world-sister doing the same struck her, but it felt more like a healer's balm than an enemy's blade. Again, she let her head drop, hiding behind a curtain of scarlet. All she could see through it were Siegrain's shirt and the three Archive screens.

Kyouka smirked. Then she let out a chuckle. Then she laughed, throwing her arms out and head back to cheer her triumph at the heavens. "Glorious! Nemesis, I take back my every objection. This was a masterpiece! I shall commend you to Mard Geer himself."

"Well, I did, heh, stack the deck rather thoroughly." He caressed the screen with Shou on it, then turned his attention to the others. "Her teammate. Her best friend. The girl they both love most. Her two brothers from the Tower. Not even Jellal stood a chance against–"

Plutogrim rocked, an explosion echoing through the halls. Both demons whirled around, the toad-monster above recoiling. "Sooner than I expected," Nemesis admitted, calling up a fourth Archive screen. "He's already in the lower depths, tearing through Omega and Psi levels."

Kyouka's eyes glowed green. "Impossible! Jellal has been spotted on Tau – no!" The screen with Shou and Wally vanished. Erza let herself smile.

"You said Plutogrim could stop him," Nemesis sighed, grabbing Erza's throat, but not exerting real pressure. "Tell me Tartaros is on alert."

"Of course it is!" Kyouka snarled, eyes glowing more brightly. "I warned our forces the moment you suggested luring him here. Seilah, I need you, now!" She gasped when the screen displaying Mirajane shattered. "How is he doing that?"

"He's a Devil Slayer," Nemesis pointed out, glaring at the demon commander.

"He's Jellal, you fools," Erza laughed, tossing her hair aside to glare at them. Nemesis let her go, recoiling with wide, shaking eyes. "I thought I was going to doom him. Then you gave me the only chance I needed."

Nemesis whirled to gape at the third Archive screen's collapse, then back to Erza. "That's madness! What chance?"

"The chance to trust him, with all my heart." Her smile became a scythe, knowing Jellal would reap them for her. "This contest is over."

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Six: Fury of the Star God

Earthland-2, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Jellal-1

Two minutes ago.

Two Porlyusicas looked at each other, then at the unconscious Thunder Tribe and Yajima of Earthland-1. "Grandine herself could only stabilize them," Porlyusica-2 reported, leaning over to examine Laxus. "Even now, your Laxus is not out of danger." Meredy wiped Yajima's brow with a towel, then went to Bickslow.

"We're grateful for what you've done, all the same," Jellal said, tugging Mystogan's mask to keep it raised, then passing his hand over the Lightning Dragon Slayer's chest. His lungs are still fighting the anti-magic particles, he sensed, frowning. For all Laxus' power, everything I know about biology says he should be dead. Laxus' ragged, determined breath drove the frown away. I suppose that is why we still call it magic. No matter how far science comes in understanding ethernano and Edeas generation, some things wizards do still defy explanation.

"I wish we could do more to help, Myst," Jellal-2 added, "but with our Brain's new Oracion Seis running amok, most of the guild is out dealing with him." He shook his head while Meredy snarled. "The villain even managed to corrupt a few of the young dragons."

"Our Ivan is working with him," Erza-2 added, scowling at the door, "and has decided that with his father gone, the only revenge he can have is to murder 'his favorite.' Which, for some reason, the madman has decided was me." She was in her day armor, but wore a sword on a belt, which Jellal-1 found unusual. She rubbed her thumb along the hilt. It doesn't take a genius to guess what she's imagining. Wait, their children–

"Anna and Rob are in the basement," Jellal-2 explained, his smile gentle. He saw that right through the mask, Jellal-1 realized. "Kinana is looking out for them while we're up here."

Erza-2 looked at him with an expression that might well have said "You idiot...oh, Jellal," out loud. "We're also worried about you," she admitted. "At least a few of our Brain's allies from your world are here as well, so we checked in on your world. It looks as though you've had some trouble."

"How does your Brain have allies on Earthland-1?" Jellal asked, glad for the mask when he grimaced.

"Much as we have, he's become a friend to his counterpart there," Jellal-2 explained. "At the very least, both versions of Jose Porla are here. I suspect your Ivan is here as well." He grimaced right back. "You're changing the subject, Myst. Talk to us." The Porlyusicas looked at each other, sniffed in unison, and turned their collective attention to their patients.

"This isn't the time," Jellal insisted, shaking his head. "Tartaros is attacking. Is Gildarts here? I would ask him to bear the Body Link while I return. We've taken precautions to protect him." He scowled when Erza shook her head. "I will stay here for as long as I must, and not an instant longer." He made a fist. "I won't deny that old wounds have reopened, but I cannot let that stop me. I won't."

Jellal-2 grinned. "Give me the Link," he suggested. Meredy gasped. "Even if Tartaros knows I have it, they'll never reach us here." Jellal looked at Erza-2, causing his world-brother to frown, but she nodded, and Jellal took his counterpart's hands. Even he was amazed at how easily the spell flowed between them. "I've been researching the resonance between world counterparts, mostly for magical teaching purposes. That seven year gap's tricky."

"I see," Jellal-1 said–

JELLAL! PLEASE! HELP US!

Jellal activated Meteor Wave, tore a hole between worlds, and erupted through two guild halls to explode across the sky. Below him, he saw an exhausted Happy tumbling in through a window and a staggering Elfman struggle toward the hall, psychically marking both for Ultear to examine. He willed Formula Eyes and Hermetic Formula One to spring to life. Using Meteor to light a path for the others, he followed Erza's desperate mental cry.

Music Cue: Fairy Tail Theme - Tenrou Island ver.

Cube was heading towards Fairy Tail. No, Jellal swore, finding Shou and Wally in a chamber among the lower levels. He flew in below them, shattering demon soldiers wherever he found them. A half-second later, he reached his old friends. Nemesis, he recognized, cast Abjuration to free Wally, tore Shou's bonds away, picked them both up in his telekinesis, and flew on.

Next his spells led him to Mirajane and Minerva. Pleiades smashed through the Grim Core's defenses and threw Lamy into the shadows. Jellal freed Minerva and Mirajane with another Abjuration, shattered the glass cylinder holding Mira, scooped them up with Shou and Wally, and flew on.

Astrology then brought Jellal to Natsu and Lisanna. It took a single thought to tear the bars aside, a second to free Natsu, and a third to shatter their chains. He carried them away along with the others and flew on.

The defenses grew thicker as he approached Erza's cell, but it didn't matter. Nemesis and Kyouka were torturing her. His eyes flared blue, and their traps exploded before he reached them. His fists erupted in golden force, disintegrating enemies with Starburst. His legs roared with invisible might, driving him through Plutogrim with speed to leave all others standing still.

Jellal found the cell door and smashed into it with a fist, slamming its remains into the tentacled demon above Erza. Nemesis was fast enough to start turning, but not fast enough to avoid being pummeled by a hundred blows before he'd finished. That left Kyouka. He smashed her through the floor with an axe kick that could have obliterated a mountain top.

When he turned to look at Erza, even his terror and guilt withered away in the light of her impossible smile. How – doesn't matter. I must save her. I WILL SAVE HER! He crushed the chains binding Erza with his bare hands, cradled her in his arms, then flew straight up, crashing through every ceiling between them and freedom with a burst of irresistible Meteor force.

The surface of Cube was shockingly normal. Battling in its shadow on Earthland-2 and watching dragon skeletons circle the flying horror had given it an eerie hue, even before its transformation. Here in the daylight, with nothing but friends and Minerva-1 around him, the island they'd emerged from looked like any other rocky shore. He slowed to a speed resembling something human, lowered those in his telekinesis to the ground, then carefully set Erza on her feet, dispelling Kyouka's horrific Curse. "Are – is everyone all right?" he asked, watching for Minerva's treachery a valid excuse to avert his eyes from the tormented love of his life.

"Nii-san," Shou breathed, a smile like the dawn breaking across his face. Wally hid his expression in the shadow of his hat. "I think so, yes. Wally?"

"That was..." Wally breathed. "That's what he did to you, for eight years?"

Oh, no. Jellal paled. "Wally–" he began.

"Shut up," Natsu snarled, glaring at Jellal with trembling fists. "No one wants to hear you tell us how different it was for you."

"None of you killed anyone–" Jellal tried again.

"He made me torture Lisanna," Natsu choked out, tears shining in the Dragon Slayer's eyes. Horror and fury warred within the star wizard when Lisanna gasped. Nemesis. This time, we end it, he swore. "Don't even try." Mirajane nodded.

"This isn't the time," Jellal said, forcing a calm he didn't feel. "Tartaros is below us, and it's heading straight for Fairy Tail." They all gasped that time, except for Minerva. "Are you able to fight?" Natsu pounded his palm with a burning fist. Shou summoned his cards to hand. Wally formed his Polygon Rifle. Erza Requipped into her Clear Heart sarashi and hakama, the Crimson Sakura forming in her hand.

"Territory," Minerva blurted. Before Jellal could stop her, she vanished. Okay. She just fled. We can deal with that later.

"Take Over: Halphas," Mirajane chanted, transforming into the inverted-wing devil. She smiled at Jellal. "You're right, Mystogan. When this is over, though, I think we need to have a long talk."

"Take Over: Mikardia!" Lisanna joined in, claiming her angelic might. "What about Elf-nii-chan? Didn't you see him?"

Jellal frowned. "He was headed back to the guild," he explained, "though he looked overwhelmed. Ultear and Cobra know he's coming." Lisanna nodded. "Okay. We've got Nemesis-me and Kyouka incoming, minimum. I'll deal with Nemesis–"

"Wait," Erza whispered, placing her free hand on Jellal's shoulder. When their eyes met, he was overwhelmed by the mix of love and fear he saw there. I can feel her gratitude, flowing over the agony, he realized, over the worry for our safety, my safety. Jellal froze. "Can you handle Kyouka? I...I'm sorry, I can't..."

For an instant, Jellal's mind went blank. He heard his world-brother's screams in his memory. Erza's agony echoed from her scarred spirit. KYOUKA! he raged, clamping down on the inferno screaming within him. He turned it into literal fire, conjuring a column of roaring flame for the Dragon Slayer. "Lead the others. I'll deal with her." Erza nodded, and he dove through the hole he'd torn through Plutogrim. Jellal had just enough time to notice Natsu glare at Erza for some reason.

He found Kyouka still carving through the ruins he'd buried her in, leaping from one level to the next. With a howl of fury he couldn't contain, Jellal crashed into her feet-first, slamming her back into Cube's depths. Kyouka winced, holding her abdomen as she slid back. "You seem troubled, accursed one," she mocked.

"Your scheme is undone, Kyouka," Jellal snapped. "Face is sealed. It's going to stay that way."

"Hah!" The demon leaped and slashed at him with dagger-long talons. "You're right here before me. Devil Slayer magic is not what you were meant for."

Jellal dodged backwards, using Meteor to stay out of reach. "My God Slayer legacy," Jellal warned, circling his foe, "grants me an innate understanding of its Devil Slayer equivalents."

"It matters not," Kyouka spat. "All Tartaros stands against you, human. Even if you learn wisdom and flee, Seam's Super-Archive can track you anywhere!"

"I've already transferred my Body Link to someone else," Jellal explained.

"So what?" Kyouka lunged at him again. "We'll just find the mortal you've condemned."

"Don't bother. I'll tell you." Kyouka skidded to a halt, watching the star mage through narrowed eyes. "It's Jellal." Kyouka recoiled a fraction, one eye wider than the other, clearing thinking him mad. Jellal permitted himself a smirk. "Of Earthland Two." He could hear Erza's comment in his imagination: This contest is over.

For several seconds, wizard and demon locked eyes, Jellal preparing a spell as he waited for her to catch up. "NOOO!" Kyouka screamed, flying at him in howling fury.

"Be judged by the Seven Stars – Grand Chariot!" Sacred light smashed Kyouka through Plutogrim, the symbol he'd drawn while she was paralyzed with shock raining down cosmic wrath. Ultear was right. Using what we learned as villains is not itself evil, so long as we use such cunning to noble ends. He looked through the hole his spell had torn to find Kyouka a floor below, twitching like a crushed bug. Now. To ensure that Erza is triumphant, then to put an end to this nightmare.

"Macro," Seilah chanted. For an instant, Jellal's defenses pulsed, his power struggling against the demon's mind control Curse. Devil Slayer magic and wards woven across years held her off. "What? How?"

"Cosmic Storm," Jellal chanted, blasting the demon through another wall.

"Seilah!" Kyouka screamed. "Etherious!" Jellal turned, gathering Devil Slayer magic while Kyouka's body flowed and grew. She transformed into a glowing, scale-armored reaper, her claws the length of short swords, and leaped back up to face him. "For that, your death will be agony!"

"If harm to one you love makes you suffer," Jellal pointed out, "perhaps you should rethink your own actions." He slid into a defensive stance, gathering his power.

"Pah! Your pathetic mortal emotions are as fleeting and meaningless as snowflakes!" Kyouka snarled, flying at him like a living spear. Behind him, Seilah ripped her way towards him, her own Etherious form active. "Die, human!"

"Enough snowflakes," Jellal replied, bracing himself, "become an avalanche! Seven Star Circle: Chariot Song!" He shot upward as the two demons reached him. They were too fast and agile for Jellal to get them to crash into one another, but that hadn't been the point. They were close enough for him to drop the five staves around them, and his might combined with Mystogan's crashed down on them. "Star Devil Jaw!" he chanted, using what Laxus had taught him to come down on the fallen demons and slam them through Cube. When the explosion faded, the hole reached to the lowest depths of Plutogrim, and the two demons were gone. Either they're being restored in the Grim Core, or they'll feel that for a while, he decided. I'd better check on Erza. And the others.

Racer appeared at his side. The speed wizard chuckled. "Heh. And Ultear was all worried about you," he noted. "What's next?"

"Let's find out." Jellal waved for Racer to follow, and the two flashed through Plutogrim like living scythes. We must stop them, here and now, or all Ishgar will pay the price.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Gray

"Ultear? What's wrong?" Gray strode outside, Cana a step behind him, while Ultear and Cobra walked towards the approaching Elfman. "Oi, where's Lisanna?" Juvia hurried behind Gray, Racer flashing through the door before it closed.

She held up a hand, and Gray stopped. "That remains to be seen. Cobra?"

"It's okay," Cobra said, but shook his head. "After what Elfman's been through, his thoughts are just a bit backwards." Gray blinked at them when Ultear nodded. What the Gri – what are they talking about? he wondered.

Then Ultear held out her hand at Elfman. "Arc of Time: Restore!" The Take Over wizard clutched his head and screamed. Cobra leaped to grab Elf's arm, then Juvia gasped when the big guy went Beast King and threw Cobra over the roof. Racer ran up and caught him. "God, he's resisting!"

"What?" Gray blurted, rushing towards Ultear as Beast King Elfman stomped towards her. "How? Why?"

"No idea," Ultear admitted, taking a step back. "It's that Curse, Macro, but – a little help?"

"Ice-Make: Shield!" Gray chanted, rushing in between his sister and his friend. "Come on, Elfman, snap out of it!" he urged. Elfman responded by hammering Gray's shield with a log-sized fist. Gray's entire body shuddered from the impact, while purple mist rose from Elfman's knuckles. "Yeah, it's a Curse," Gray agreed, forming ice almost as quickly as Elfman tore through it. "You've got your help, Ultear, I'd really appreciate it if you returned the–"

Juvia shot a wide jet of cold water at his shield, bolstering his defense as her water froze on impact. "Juvia does not know why you are doing this, Elfman-san, but please, Fairy Tail only wants to help you!"

"Must destroy...Fairy Tail!" Elfman roared, tears brimming in his eyes as his blows shot out faster, and Gray went as pale as his ice. "Die, Fairy Tail!" Even with Juvia's help and bolstered by his Devil Slayer Magic, Elfman was pushing Gray back, cracking his shield and driving them towards the guild. Cana threw the doors open behind them, and Gray heard her groan. From the sound of them, the rest of Team Sorciere was just behind her.

Cobra soared overhead, carried by a Kinana flying with purple dragon wings. "Poison Dragon Roar!" Cobra chanted, and a blast of swirling indigo mist made Elfman stagger. "Man, it's rough bein' a good guy," he grumbled.

"Perks are worth it," Ultear argued, making a fist. Another Elfman appeared in front of her. "Our Seilah's controlling your counterpart. Lend a claw?"

Elfman-2 snarled at their version. "That's not manly!" he roared, throwing a Beast Arm punch at Elfman-1. Elf-1 caught it, snarling at their backup. "What's wrong with him? Why didn't Jellal – oh." Ultear frowned, then summoned her orb. It flashed with white light.

Beast Elfman's eyes flashed the same way, then he grabbed his head and screamed. "There we go, big guy, no more Macro," Ultear soothed. While Elfman fell to his knees, still holding his head as he looked down, Ultear opened her hand again. A glowing violet lacrima sphere darted to her palm. "Well, well, what have we here? Looks like something to ruin a guild hall's day." Her smile made Gray shudder, even after she'd saved Elfman. I'm not sure I want to know.

Elfman-1 gasped, transformed back to human, and looked at his hands. "I-I'm free," he whispered. "How?"

Ultear called her orb back to her bracer. "Wizardry or Curse, every spell has a beginning. I simply rewound this blunt 'Macro' to before it existed." Ultear was the picture of calm resolve, scanning the Elfmans (Elfmen?) with a watchful eye. In spite of the awful situation, Gray grinned. Good to see Ultear doing better, he thought. "I sense no trace of it. Cobra?"

"I can't hear it," the Dragon Slayer reported. He smirked. "That means it's gone."

"That magic is manly!" Elfman-2 declared, beastly fist pumping the air. Team Sorciere sweat-dropped as one.

"You'll get used to him," Gray said, striding up to them. "Where's Jellal? Does he know where Erza is?"

Ultear twitched, glaring above them as a vein throbbed on her forehead. Gray followed her eyes, finding the shining blue trail leading to the approaching Cube. "Why else do you think he's showing off, fighting an entire demon guild by himself?" The other Team Sorciere wizards backed away from the fuming time mage. Elfman-2 gulped and disappeared back to his universe. "He couldn't wait ten seconds?"

"To be fair, Lady Ultear," Racer replied, "no one's faster than the boss." He looked up. "I'm going after him. Catch up as quick as you can." He blurred and vanished. I sure don't mind having that guy on our side, Gray thought, remembering their battles. Cobra smiled. Gray was surprised to find it genuine. The ice wizard smiled back. It's easy to forget they were a match for three guilds and Wendy.

"We're about to remind everybody," Cobra replied. Gray yelped and recoiled, only to chuckle when Kinana slapped the Dragon Slayer on the shoulder. "They're out, Ultear. Do it."

Ultear's smirk grew, and the glowing lacrima vanished from her hand. A moment later, Cube rocked above them, a column of violet force tearing through each side of the eldritch headquarters. "Goodbye, Grim Core," she said, turning narrowed eyes at their foe. "Midnight. Shall we introduce ourselves?" The trembling Reflector Mage nodded, one fist shaking at his side. Mira, Gray realized, turning a quick glance towards Elfman. The Strauss brother stood, shaking with wavering eyes, but to the Ice Devil Slayer, the fist he made looked like a determined one. "Hyperspace!"

The largest magic portal Gray had ever seen formed in front of them. "Good!" Makarov said, Fairy Tail pouring out behind their guild master. "Fairy Tail, move out!"

"Right!" Gray cried, joined by half the guild, and led the charge through the gate. "Ice Devil Zero Flesh!" He roared to match Natsu as he raced towards the creepy palace in the distance. The black-armored legion charging back at them was a welcome sight. Tartaros! You'll pay!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Erza

"Erza!" Natsu howled once Jellal was gone. "That's his fight! You can't take Nemesis from–"

"It's not that simple, Natsu," Shou insisted, holding up his hands. "We all owe that monster." Erza winced and looked away. No. Natsu's right. I shouldn't have, but I couldn't – I can't –

"Monster?" Nemesis-Siegrain floated up through the hole Jellal had created. "Is that any way to speak of your master, Shou?"

Shou's eyes widened to fill half his face, pupils shrinking to points. "Royal Flash!" he screamed, throwing five cards at Nemesis. The demon hybrid held up a glowing hand, but the explosion threw him back, leaving the Fairy Tail wizards recoiling and wind-blown. You've grown strong, Shou, Erza thought, permitting herself a moment of pride.

"We're not your puppets any more, Siegrain!" Wally snarled. He formed a variant of his Polygon Rifle much like Bisca's submachine gun, a thick disc attached under the barrel.

Nemesis glared, his true self pouring from his puppet's fingertips. "I am Nemesis, Wally – but soon, you will again call me Jellal!"

"Requip!" Erza roared, summoning Heaven's Wheel. "Go! I will stop Nemesis!"

Natsu growled again, but Lisanna grabbed his hand. "She's right, Natsu. Jellal's already gone, and we've got to stop Tartaros. Fairy Tail has to be on its way!"

"Fine," Natsu grumbled. "Don't lose!" Erza nodded, and the others raced towards the fortress at the heart of Cube's largest island.

Nemesis sighed. "Stop me? Erza, you're meant to be one with me. Ultear can't keep us apart any longer. Dark Grasp!" He reached out, and the tendrils shot towards her.

"Heaven's Wheel! Blumenblatt!" Erza retorted, her blades slashing through the impostor's spell-self. She Requipped into her Black Wing Armor and slashed at Nemesis, but a dark variant of Meteor erupted around him, deflecting most of her blow. "Ultear summoned you, villain, but your cruelty is your own!"

Nemesis glanced down at the shallow cut, which sparked rather than bled, then scowled at Erza. "That was before Jellal. You can both be together in me. Ghost Fireworks!" A mass of screaming Shades flew at Erza. She cut down most of them, though a few managed to strike her armor. "You won't have to be afraid of Kyouka again, Erza. I know you feel weakness around Jellal, but I can make you each other's strength again."

"That's not it, Nemesis," Erza admitted, Requipping into her Morning Star Armor. "Yes, I was afraid of Kyouka. I wanted to face her for that very reason." Nemesis stared a moment, then nodded. The slightest bit of Jellal's nature adhered to you, didn't it? Erza realized. "That wasn't my weakness. I should have...I couldn't..." she trembled, Photon Slicer blades trembling. "I can't let you hurt him again. I'm not strong enough. I WON'T LET YOU!" Nemesis recoiled, the false Jellal's mouth dropping open in terror. "PHOTON SLICER!" She slammed the blades together, and a beam of unrelenting light burned the shadows of Nemesis away.

Alas, too many of them were sheltered in the drone-body he inhabited. "Ghost Bands!" Nemesis chanted, and the mass of him swelled from one hand to lash out for her. Erza sliced away most of them, but Kyouka's torture had left more of a mark than she'd wanted to admit. The foul demon-stuff pinned her arms to her sides, crushing her from every direction. Morning Star's radiance barely held it at bay. "Please, Erza. I don't want to hurt you. You'll be happy. Jellal will be happy. You'll see."

"LIAR!" Erza screamed. "REQUIP!" Celestial Armor summoned Meteor around her, burning away the grip of Nemesis. He yelped, pulling his hand back as though he himself had been burned. Which you were, weren't you? Erza realized, flying above him. "Be judged by the Seven Stars: GRAND CHARIOT!" The Seven Star Sword crashed down into Nemesis, shattering its stolen body into scraps and shards. Of the demon's vile, hateful substance, there was no sign. Forgive me, Jellal. I couldn't let that thing hurt you again. I could not. She straightened, took a breath, let it go. He saved us all from that horror. Again. It will be enough. It must.

Joy took form ahead in the form of a magic gateway. Fairy Tail poured through, led by Gray and Master Makarov, charging in to protect their family. Tartaros! Your time is at an end! Seeing Tartaros' foot soldiers rushing out to meet them, Erza Requipped back to her Heaven's Wheel armor and flew to rejoin her guild. She didn't notice that a single strand of her scarlet hair was stained with shadow, and runes the color of dried blood...

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Lucy

"Your wizardry can't compete with our Curse power," Hades-Franmalth mocked, his misshapen body wreathed in flames and lightning stolen from Natsu. I'm really tired of these things stealing Fairy Tail lives and Fairy Tail magic, Lucy thought, hand on her whip. Happy had grown to nearly Lucy's size, his claws just long enough to cut through Etherious armor. "Even if it could, we still have Nemesis and Crawford Seam. No matter what scheme your precious Fernandes has come up with, they will activate Face, and extinguish all mortal magic! That victory, it's worth – how much? How much?" Wendy, Carla, you've got to destroy Face, Lucy thought, trying to work out a way to rescue Taurus and Aries. As long as it exists, these demons won't stop!

"That's what you think!" Natsu roared, taking another swing at Franmalth. The demon dodged and stretched his arm again, trying to make his creepy "connection," but Natsu evaded him as well. "I'm gonna keep hitting you until you can't absorb anything but hurt!"

"Foolish human!" Franmalth laughed, making Hades' long beard quiver. "I could devour your entire guild, then go back for seconds on all your Rune Knights!" He spun his fluid arms in the air, weaving runes around them. "I told you, I have all of Hades' power! Amaterasu Formula 28!" The explosion sent them all flying. "Hades danced with magic, and that means I can too! Until Face goes off, no human might can match mine!" Again, his arms lashed out for Natsu. Lucy could barely move.

There was an ultramarine blur. "Star Devil Iron Fist!" Jellal chanted, parrying Franmalth's grasp with his blow. The greed demon yelped and yanked back his hand, wincing and shaking out his fingers. "No human might, you say?" the Devil Slayer asked. At some point, he'd lost Mystogan's mask and hood. Happy cheered. "You hurt my friends. That's my father's face you wear." Lucy gasped. That's right! I'd forgotten! Jellal held one hand over Natsu, a trickle of healing magic enough to get the Dragon Slayer back on his feet. "Natsu. I don't care about Franmalth, but Hades...that's something I'd like to deal with."

"Yeah. I get that." Natsu pounded his fists together, the fires lighting around them again. "You get your dad's soul. Protect Lucy and Happy. I'll burn this guy down." Jellal nodded.

Franmalth's jaw dropped. "You have a human whose magic I can't absorb, and you still want to fight me? That amount of stupidity is...how much? How much?" The demon laughed while Natsu cracked his knuckles.

As she and Happy worked their way towards the Devil Slayer, Lucy looked around. "Where's Racer?" she asked. "He went after you, didn't he?"

"I asked him to check on Wendy and Carla," Jellal explained. "I didn't want them out there without backup." Lucy nodded.

"Thank you, Jellal," Happy said, wringing his hands. Jellal smiled at him, then turned his attention to the odd duel. Natsu punched and dodged while Franmalth lashed out with Hades' chains and his own extendable limbs, neither of them seeming to strike with any real force. Lucy clenched her fists. Please, Natsu. Taurus...Aries...

"Abjuration? No, what Franmalth does is the opposite of possession. Culmination? Maybe, but I might end up healing the demon instead. Reversion? It could..." Jellal glared at Franmalth as the stalemate continued. Then he grimaced. "Faith. I have to have faith. Hermetic Formula Three: Theurgy!" He held up both hands, golden magic flowing him around him like rays of sunlight through a forest canopy. Franmalth froze, sweat-dropping.

Theurgy? The magic of divine will! That's it! Lucy pointed Taurus' key at the demon. "Taurus! Forced Gate Closure!"

Golden light erupted from Franmath. "Wh-what's this? My body!" He screeched. "What's happening to me? You can't do this! Nooo!"

Lucy stared. "Are we sending him to the Celestial Spirit World?" she asked.

"Only if he won't let go," Jellal replied, the golden magic seal still rotating above his hands.

"Taurus – expulsion!" Franmalth cried. Taurus appeared floating in front of the Etherious, then disappeared with a soft, questioning moo.

A ghostly Hades, meanwhile, appeared beside the Devil Slayer. "Jellal," he whispered.

"Don't waste any time," Lucy warned them. "Aries! Forced Gate Closure!" Franmalth released Aries as well, the sheepish spirit apologizing just before she vanished. Of course she did, Lucy sighed. "Natsu–"

"WAIT!" Natsu roared, racing around Franmalth like a pinball before kicking him in the back. Wait? For what? Lucy looked for some other trouble – then saw Jellal staring at Hades, jaw quivering. Natsu? Are you stalling to give them time?

"You too, Father?" Jellal sighed.

Hades bowed his head. "I wanted this," he explained, eye dancing away from his son. "Since you would not break under torment, I hoped that despair would suffice. It's why I gave Ultear that spell, why I never recruited you for Grimoire Heart. No matter what Nemesis did, you never gave in. I knew you would save her and Meredy if I did not stop you." He looked back up. "Now, I am grateful that you did. She was more my daughter than you were my son, but that is my burden, not yours." Oh...

Jellal shook his head, a single tear shining above his birthmark. "There's no time. I forgive you, Father. You must go." Lucy gasped. Is there nothing he can't forgive?

"Forgiveness is not enough. You were joy and light and hope, and I drowned you in all the evil I could muster." Hades – Precht – held out his hand. "My counterpart offered yours his magic with his life. I am already dead. Please. Let what remains of me do good through you...my son."

Trembling, Jellal took it. "I – I thought Gray was being irrational," he admitted, "the one in that other world. You're not even a ghost. You're the spirit Franmalth stole, on its way to..." a second tear joined the first. "...but, in spite of everything...I don't – I don't want you to go."

White light flowed around them, and Precht hugged his son for the last time. "I know. Thank you, Jellal. In the end, you saved even me." The old man became a mote of blue-white light. "Children. Tartaros is merely using Face for its true ends." Franmalth screamed in terror. "Tell Makarov, it is time to release the light." His light floated towards the heavens. Lucy realized she was crying, too.

"It's not going to matter! None of you can defeat me!" Franmath raged, both arms lashing out for Natsu as his Hades form melted into Zancrow's. "I'll devour your soul, Dragon Slayer!"

"Natsu! Forced Gate Closure!" Lucy cried. Jellal turned to stare at her, mouth falling open. Franmalth recoiled, allowing Natsu to rush in and punch the Etherious in the face. The demon went flying, sliding to a landing several meters away.

"You tricked me!" Franmalth objected, then grinned beneath Zancrow's mad, swirling eyes. "Still, it won't help. Magic can't – WHAT?!" For once, Lucy agreed with the demon, as Natsu hefted a massive column over his head and brought it down on their foe. How strong is Natsu, anyway? she wondered, as Franmalth absorbed nothing but punishment from the blow. "You wouldn't," Franmalth whimpered when Natsu grabbed another column.

Natsu did. Again, and again, and again.

The Dragon Slayer panted, leaning on his knees with a faint smile, while Franmalth twitched in a crater the shape of his body, its tongue lolling out and eye blank. "Natsu." Jellal smiled, head bowed and eyes closed. "How long ago did you figure that out?"

"Eh. Kinda obvious, wasn't it?" Natsu chuckled. "I just needed a distraction, so I'd have enough time to pound that one-eyed creep." They all froze when the demon glowed blue-white, but then more motes – hundreds, maybe thousands – ascended from Franmalth's beaten form. "The souls he absorbed," Natsu breathed. "They can move on now."

"Aye," Happy agreed, then looked up at the star wizard. "Jellal, is there anything we can do to help Wendy and Carla?"

Jellal looked out the ruined wall, into the distance. "It'll take me a moment to reach them." Then they all gasped as a column of white light erupted in the distance, piercing the sky. "Face?" He nodded. "They accomplished their mission and destroyed the monolith they found."

"The monolith they – there are others?" Lucy asked. Jellal nodded. Oh, no!

"I'll give the master Hades – Precht's message," Happy said, shrinking back to his normal size. "Be careful!"

"You too!" Lucy shouted before Happy disappeared. Jellal grimaced at Franmalth. "What's wrong, Jellal?"

Jellal walked over to Franmalth, summoned Mystogan's fin staff, and poked the demon with it. Franmalth's yelp was weak. "The Grim Core is gone," he pointed out. "You should surrender."

Franmalth gaped. "What? That failure...it will cost us...how much?" His torso bent inward for an instant, then with a sound like a flushing toilet, the demon whirled into the crater he'd made. "How muuuuch?" he wailed, then was gone. The three wizards stared, eyes round.

Then Jellal dropped to one knee, scowled, and fired a single Starburst bolt from his fingertips. Just like Hades, Lucy realized. Then a shadowy tendril with dark red marks flailed, recoiled, and vanished. "Nemesis," Jellal snarled. Natsu pounded his palm again. "Let's move." Right!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Cowbane Valley, X791: Racer

Racer wiped his brow, looking over the fallen Tartaros soldiers around him. Man, nothing but lightweights. When do I get to fight one of the heavy hitters? He looked around, then ran to the edge of the crevasse and looked within.

Sawyer had lived a long and eventful life. Son of a magic cycle inventor, he'd learned more about magic vehicles as a child than most adults ever imagined. Kidnapped by the Cult of Zeref, he'd made more escape attempts – and survived more punishments – than any other captive. Recruited by Jellal, then Brain, he'd risen to become one of the Six Demon Generals through wit, strength, and determination. Imprisoned for years, he'd worked out the systems with Midnight and helped engineer a breakout from the "inescapable" Black Vox. To ensure they were never imprisoned again, Sawyer had joined the ritual to gain the Lost Magic they'd truly sought, and found his soul separated from his body and mind. Recruited by Crime Sorciere, he'd regained his soul – and his heart with it, for the first time finding a purpose that didn't bear running from.

For all that, he could only gape as Wendy – a child not much older than he'd been during the slave revolt – gathered cyclones to her hand. Entire hurricanes crushed the sword-demon, burying him faster than he could cut through them. Ezel, his name is Ezel, Racer remembered, the report on the monster's overwhelming power and menace darting through the speed wizard's mind. The great column of white marble with the creepy face – Face, Racer realized – was an afterthought.

Then, all at once, the demon broke free and slashed at the kid! NO! Racer quailed, rushing to pull her out of danger. Wendy's magic stopped Ezel and Racer, doing no harm to her fellow Fairy Tail wizard even as her might disintegrated the demon's sword. Her blast threw Ezel through the Face monolith, shattering it.

Racer had just enough time to realize Wendy's hair had turned lavender before it changed back, her newfound wings vanishing as her schoolgirl outfit returned. "I did it," she breathed.

"No kidding," Racer agreed, looking at the ruined super-weapon. "Gods. And Jellal was worried about you." For some reason, a Crime Sorciere memory bubbled to the surface...

"Running away from something doesn't have to be a bad thing," Jellal said, sitting beside the speedster, "but it's not enough to answer your prayer. Do you still want to be the fastest?" Racer nodded. "Then you need something to run towards. Until then," he continued, and Racer stared at their guild master as though he'd grown a second head, "there will always be others faster than you."

"We still have to destroy it," Carla said, snapping Racer back to the present, "before Tartaros finds a way to activate it. Don't they have the former Chairman?"

Racer nodded. "Brain bribed him a few times, but we didn't know he was a full member of another Dark Guild," he admitted, grimacing at the magic circles around the ragged base of the weapon. "Super-weapons are a little above my pay grade, but shouldn't those be gone?" Wendy took a few steps toward it, then fell forward. Racer caught her before she could hit the ground. "Zera, kid, you just beat one of the Demon Gates! Take a load off, already!"

"Okay...but...how do we stop it?" she asked. Racer shrugged.

Carla staggered towards the circle. "I found a way," the Exceed explained. "With Clairvoyance. Face has a built-in Self-Destruction Circle. Searching for a future where it didn't go off, I found the code." Racer chuckled. Even the kids in this guild are unstoppable. I get it, Richard – what you see in them. He picked Wendy up and carried her as he strode to Carla's side. She reached the Archive-like controls, then punched in several commands. It beeped, then reconfigured into an X-shaped chain with the Rune Knight symbol where they crossed. Carla took a deep breath, then let it go. "It's ready."

"Then we can destroy it," Wendy whispered, smiling.

"It stops there," Carla said, and Racer's heart skipped a beat. "The future. After I press this," she explained, pointing at the ankh in the circle, "it's blank. There's nothing." Wendy gasped.

Racer trembled. "Wait. Are you saying..." he whispered. Wendy stared at her friend in horror.

"We stop Face. That much, I'm sure of," Carla interjected. "When I touch this, though, I go up with it." She looked up at the speedster. "I can't foresee or calculate the blast radius. Please take Wendy as far away as you can." With a gulp, Racer nodded.

"No!" Wendy begged, grabbing Racer's arms. "I won't leave you! Please, it hasn't been activated yet, there has to be another way!"

Something...to run toward... Racer looked down at the tiny cat, barely able to fight off a Tartaros extra, then at the girl in his arms, trembling and exhausted after fighting a monster ten times her size. Slowly, he put Wendy down. Carla gaped at him, eyes wide. What am I? He balled his fists, shaking fast enough to leave grooves in the earth beneath his feet. What kind of coward AM I? I'm in a guild full of people who don't know what fear is, and I'm about to abandon a child!

Something inside him snapped. LIKE GRIM I AM! he decided, scooping up Wendy and Carla and carrying them out until they were two kilometers away. Carla's eyes flared green for an instant. He crouched down to look them in the eyes. "I've just got to press the button, right? Idiot-proof." Racer grinned. "Natsu-proof, even."

"You can't!" Carla gasped. "I don't see – if you do this, I can't see you! At all!" Racer nodded. "It's not a trick!" she blurted, gripping his boot in her tiny claws. "This isn't to make you fast enough! Even you can't outrun magic, Racer, and you'd have to run straight up the cliff before the explosion reaches you!"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna try anyway. You two have your whole lives ahead of you. Even for a Demon General, I've been a piece of crap." Wendy gasped and forced herself to stand, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Not today. If I let one of you kids do this, I might as well be dead anyway." He concentrated, and his bodysuit glowed.

In an instant, Racer was in his old outfit again, except this time his jacket was the new one, his blue-and white biker leathers with the Fairy Tail mark on the left side. This had the convenient side effect of freeing him from Carla's grip. "I'm gonna be faster than magic. Faster than Fate, from the sound of it. If I make it, my prayer...will finally be answered." He flashed the two kids a cocky grin. "If I don't, tell Team Sorciere I regret nothing." He turned to face the valley. "And...thanks. For everything." He shot back towards the crevasse, and the nightmare the Magic Council had made in its infinite wisdom.

"No!" Wendy screamed, and then Racer was in front of Face again, staring at the button. Okay. If I come around and tap it running in an arc past the circle, that'll give me some momentum, so I won't get caught at the starting line. He looked around to examine the cavern. Carla's right about one thing. Going up the wall's my best chance. Too many switchbacks and dead ends in the caverns. One mistake and I'm gone.

He walked twenty paces back from Face, then braced himself for a sprinter's launch. Come at it from the side. Hit the button as I run past. Don't hesitate. Don't slow down. Don't look back. Sawyer tensed. You were right, Richard. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard after all. I love you.

The world came to a halt around Racer. He flew at Face's command circle, rushing around it. With as extended a brush of his fingers as he could manage, Racer tapped the ankh, then pivoted away from the column faster than he'd ever run before. The wave of destruction was slower than he'd expected, but it pushed in at first, nearly killing him when the suction threatened to pull him off the cliff side. Then the blast rolled outward, reaching the edge of the crevasse just as he did.

Racer felt the all-consuming wave at his heels as he ran. For an instant, the light blinded him, and he thought he'd been too slow. Then he reached Wendy and Carla, turning to watch the beam of white light piece the sky with ether's wrath. Fairy Tail. You were right, boss. I've got something to run to, now. Carla's jaw dropped, and Wendy broke into a smile to put Jellal's to shame. Racer grinned back. "I outran magic. I outran Fate itself." He laughed, feeling truly free for the first time since he was ten. "I am the fastest man alive!" he declared, punching the sky with both fists. His smile grew. Beat that, Jet!

Doranbolt appeared beside them, dressed in something cool for once – instead of those stupid Rune Knight robes, he wore a black long coat with gray trim and a high collar. "Huh. Looks like you didn't need me after all." He glanced at Racer, one eyebrow raised. "What happened?"

"This kid beat the sword demon," Racer explained, waving towards a relieved Wendy while Carla punched the speedster's boot. "Cat-girl here set the self-destruct on Council idiocy number two." He shrugged. "Me, I realized I'm not such a coward that I can leave a child to blow herself up when I've got a chance to survive the blast."

"Moron!" Carla objected, punching his boot several more times. "You shouldn't have had any chance at all!"

Racer snorted. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, cat-girl," he replied, crossing his arms. "You saw Wendy obliterate that sword-demon, right? Impossible is our thing." He frowned at the human girl. "Can I talk you into sitting this out for a while? That monster hit you pretty hard."

Doranbolt nodded. "You should rest. This isn't over."

Wendy shook her head. "Everyone's fighting. Besides, being that close to Face, the ethernanos it concentrated in the air – I'm doing better than I look." She took in a breath, consumed its strength, exhaled. "We might have stopped Face, but Tartaros won't give up, so neither can we. I'll fight!"

The Rune Knight shook his head. "I'm sorry, Wendy, especially after all your heroics, but, Face is still out there." The three Fairy Tail wizards stared at Doranbolt in horror. "According to Chairman Doma, there are nearly three thousand of them spread across the continent."

Damn it! Racer raged. "Carla, give me the self-destruct code. Maybe I can blow them all up before Seam and Nemesis–"

"Are you crazy?" Carla blurted. "You were lucky to escape one! If you stumble even once, you'll – you'll – you can't!"

"Besides, every Face column has a different code," Doranbolt sighed. "I'm sure a Fairy Tail wizard who used to be a Demon General thinks blowing things up is the best solution, but–"

Racer snarled at him. "Don't you get high and mighty with me, Rune Knight," he growled, darting in front of the creep. "I've heard about your 'interest' in Wendy," he continued, and Doranbolt stumbled back, eyes wide, "and if you so much as touch her again–"

"It's not like that!" Wendy insisted. "He's nicer than he seems, like you!" Racer snorted.

"It was just an undercover operation, for God's sake," Doranbolt objected. "I feel responsible for her now, that's all."

Carla chuckled. "It's okay, Racer. He has a boyfriend."

Racer blinked, then snickered. "The glasses guy, right? Man, I can't decide which of you has worse taste." Doranbolt gasped, then got in Racer's face.

"Stop it," Wendy said. Both of them froze, then turned. She stared at them with cool, implacable eyes. "We don't have time for this. Everyone is fighting to protect the world. Tartaros wants to hurt us, then kill us all. I'm not going to cry and beg any more." Wind swirled around the girl's hand, and with a swipe, she cut her long hair away, what remained not even reaching her shoulders. "We have to work together. We must find a way to stop this. We will!"

Yeah, Racer agreed. "The boss," he said, and the other three turned to face him. "Jellal. He's the smartest guy we've got, he knows Face and Archive, and he fought Tartaros in that other world." He chuckled and shook his head. "Only he's got the survival instincts of a lemming. Someone's got to watch his back. We've got a mind-reading teleporter, a flying cat who can see the future, the fastest man alive, and a Sky Dragon Slayer. We can keep him alive." They all nodded. "If three of us weigh too much, I can get there fast enough that it won't matter."

Doranbolt grinned. "Shut up and hold on." Racer scowled while the two girls laughed. The Rune Knight put his hand on Racer's shoulders, each of the kids took one of their hands, and they vanished.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Mirajane

"You're a demon, even if Zeref created you," Mira smirked, demons' fury raging through her. You hurt Elfman and Lisanna, she thought, her pride a glow within as Lisanna drove off an entire army of lab bunny girls with Heaven Soul. The crater where Grim Core had been showed little sign of having been an advanced magic facility, shards of glass and scraps of tentacle all that remained of the medical bay. "I figured I could absorb you, and that would make dealing with the rest of your guild simple."

Seilah glared back, her demon books scattered around her. Both warriors took in deep breaths, the battle having taken its toll on both of them. "You're a human, even if you've absorbed the power of lesser demons," she retorted. "I believed I could turn you against your guild with Macro, as I did your brother. I will simply have to destroy you."

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing. Sitri!" Mirajane took on into her strongest form, fires burning around her feet. "Close quarters combat. How feminine."

"That's the strongest demon there is!" Lisanna laughed, the Sword of Mikardia driving back half a dozen Lamys. "You just lost, Tartaros."

"'Strongest?'" the main Lamy asked, glaring over a perverse smile. "You still don't understand what you're up against, do you? Lullaby and Deliora were nothing compared to the Nine Demon Gates." Lisanna gasped, the horde of twisted scientists redoubling their assault. "We could have restored them, easy. They weren't worth the trouble!" She laughed.

"Self-order: limiter, release!" Seilah chanted. She, too, transformed, her skin taking on the color of earth while sprouting magic lines. Wings grew from her thighs, and cloth streamed from her arms like a second pair. Her feet had disappaered, her shins replaced by metal rods of some kind. She ordered herself? It looks like the reverse of Take Over, unleashing her full strength instead of channeling it through different–

Seilah hit Mira so fast, the S-Class wizard didn't know it had happened until they were flying back with the demon's claws in her belly. A second blow sent Mira flying again, and a pale blue field like a Magic Seal formed around Seilah's hand. Gods! I have to stay focused! Mira held out her own hand. "Soul Seal!" she chanted, more grateful than ever for her cross-training with Jellal. An eye opened in Seilah's palm, and the blast shattered Soul Seal. If I hadn't cast that spell, though, she would have thrown me right out of Satan Soul. What do I do now? Seilah slid back as well, shaking out her hand. The eye and glow were both gone. "I won't let you hurt Fairy Tail!"

"Self-order: slaughter the enemy before me!" Seilah chanted. Her claws became a blur of slashes, Mirajane barely able to block them. The demon ace screamed, attacking with ever greater ferocity the longer Mira held out.

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna cried. "Hang on, I'll–" she turned halfway around, but the Lamy army took that chance to bury her in a pile of bodies. Eruptions of pale blue light threw them off in clusters, but with Lisanna at a disadvantage, they leaped onto her relentlessly.

"No! Soul Extinctor!" Mirajane chanted, using the blast to throw Seilah back. As she hoped, the explosion also gave Lisanna a chance to free herself, standing with a swing of her sword and a beat of her wings. How can I defeat – oh! Mira smiled again. "You're unbalanced," she declared, watching Seilah pant and snarl as the demon glared at her. "You either have no passion, approaching everything with twisted logic, or no reason, lashing out with raw fury. That's why you'll lose, Seilah."

"Hypocrite," Seilah snarled. "Creature of Darkness in service of Light! What do you know of balance?" She held out both hands, eyes opening on them as the blue Curse Seals reappeared.

Mirajane's smile grew as she cupped her hands in front of her. Golden light, purple shadow, and red fire all flowed around the She-Demon. "Light and Darkness, become one," she chanted, the gold, violet, and crimson flames swirling to unite, "to devour all who rise against our family! Demon Star: Algol!" Seilah's eyes went wide, and she screamed again as she charged. Mirajane threw the blast, and the explosion left the demon twitching on the ground, eyes wide and blank.

Elfman roared and bowled through the Lamy army from the side opposite Lisanna. The original lab demon bounced between them, pummeled by the Beast King into the Shield of Mikardia, then fell to one side, unconscious. "It's still not enough!" Elfman roared at the ceiling. "Is that all you've got? All of you are still not enough for a man to redeem himself!"

Mirajane and Lisanna both hugged him. "It's all right, Elfman," Mira insisted, and Elfy shrank back to his human self. "We're together now."

He shook his head. "But...I surrendered to..."

"She already had control of us," Lisanna insisted. "Even if you hadn't agreed, Seilah could have made you do whatever you did anyway."

"I betrayed Fairy Tail," Elfman whispered, his voice the embodiment of misery.

Mirajane chuckled. "Like Jellal betrayed his family?" Elfman gasped and stared down at her. "Let's go help Fairy Tail. Okay?" Elfy nodded, making fists again. Better. Now, let's end this. They moved to rejoin their guild mates. Tartaros. You've gone too far this time.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Lucy

Lucy flailed in the foul waters that washed her through Cube. "It appears that three humans have escaped Alegria's grasp," a calm male voice announced, while Lucy struggled to stay afloat. "The first two soldiers who kill them shall fill the vacant positions in the Nine Demon Gates. If an existing Gate kills one, or for any who kills the third, Mard Geer will reward them with the full might of the Underworld King. That is all." Lucy shuddered, hanging onto a chunk of flotsam. They're still alive, she told herself. That's what Team Sorciere said about this spell, right? They have to be alive!

"Found one!" Several Tartaros soldiers surfed towards Lucy on wooden planks. "She's definitely a human. Let's take her out!"

"Not happening!" Lucy announced, driving the soldiers off with her whip, then following their surfing example on her own plank. More gave chase, and Lucy dodged – barely – a volley of blasts from the ends of axe-tipped polearms. She swung around to attack them as well, then summoned Sagittarius. Lamy spiraled towards her, somehow protected from Sagittarius' arrows, and Lucy swapped him out for Virgo. Then another demon attacked, this one an armored shark-man. Lucy summoned Loke, who blocked the bladed monster's attack and bled Regulus light. "Loke, are you all right?"

"It's fine," he insisted, shaking out his arm.

That's when Yukino joined them, riding on a floating platform held aloft by Libra's magic. "Lucy-sama?" she called down, causing Lucy to blush in spite of the dire circumstances. Isn't "sama" a big deal? she wondered while Yukino evaded Nemesis tendrils. "You too?"

Jellal soared in, burning away the Nemesis tendrils with Starburst. "Yukino too, this time," he muttered. "That can't be a coincidence. Lucy, I caught our falling guild mates, but everyone else is trapped in Alegria. I only know of one way to free them, but I need you to trust–"

Another Nemesis-Siegrain crashed into Jellal, laughing. "The only way for Fairy Tail to survive is through me! In me! I am your destiny, Jel–" Jellal interrupted him with a crackling sapphire fist, and they fell behind.

Then Jackal and Franmalth appeared, and it got worse. "Yukino, look out!" Lucy warned. "Jackal can blow things up with a touch, and Franmalth can absorb souls – ours, our spirits', and even our spells!"

"Too true!" Franmalth, covered in Nemesis goop and looking rather smaller than he'd been after Natsu's victory, leaped at Yukino. "Your serpent spirit's might! It's worth, how much, how much?" They, too, disappeared behind the demons chasing Lucy.

The battle only grew more desperate. In spite of Lucy's determination, she was no match for Jackal in direct combat, which left her no choice – she summoned Aquarius, who blasted Jackal and Lamy away with ease. Then Torafuzar swam up Aquarius' Torrent, in spite of its power. With a single blow, he knocked Aquarius back, slicing open her shoulder and leaving her prone. Then Jackal leaped back into battle, disrupting Loke and Virgo with twin explosions. The mere shockwave from the blast threw Lucy onto a stony floor. No...I can't...fail them, not now... She collapsed, struggling to rise, to summon another spirit, to do anything. Jackal and Lamy laughed, mocking Lucy, but she couldn't move.

Music Cue: Indomitable Fairy Tail

The wall exploded inward. All three demons turned to stare, jaws dropping, at the sight of Yukino standing atop the massive head of Ophiuchus. Yukino! Thank goodness! Lucy thought, hope reborn at the edge of death. "Get away from Lucy-sama," Yukino whispered. "Now."

Torafuzar snarled and braced himself, but the other two demons laughed again. "Or what? Your giant snake'll hiss at us?" Jackal mocked. "Even if it could get in here, some human girl cut her in half once. You're no match for the three of us."

There was a flash of violet light, and Yukino was standing in the opening, a tall woman like a purple-haired Erza beside her. She was clad in black scale armor, with a serpent-head helmet, a thin sword the length of Erza's standard blade, and a round shield adorned with an image of the Ouroboros biting its tail. "Wow," Lucy breathed.

"However misguided she was, Lady Kagura is a righteous woman who seeks justice," Ophiuchus announced, pointing her sword at Jackal. "I bear the dragon of night, and guard the world in shadow. I protect the just and the innocent when all light is gone. Franmalth only survived my wrath by fleeing with the tiny portion of his existence that remained to him. Your Curses cannot withstand the might that shields the earth! Yield, or perish!" With that, she leaped at them.

Lucy gaped as she slashed at Jackal with incredible speed, the demon darting back with a cut along his ribs. When Torafuzar leaped and struck at her with his arm-fins, she parried with her shield, the slammed into him with it and threw the Etherious back. Lamy laughed and spun towards Ophiuchus, but the serpent knight drove her back with a simple kick. "That was your only warning. My lady, I ask that you unseal my wrath."

"Ha! You can't go all out!" Jackal mocked. "You shouldn't have told us that!" He leaped at Yukino, who gasped and rolled to dodge, but Ophiuchus was between the two before Jackal could reach the white-haired summoner. She slashed at him again, and this time her sword bit deep into his arm. A little farther, and she might have cut it off – but Jackal's Curse – oh, no! Lucy realized. Ophiuchus' sword glowed, and Jackal laughed again. "Someone really should have warned you about me," he sneered, holding his arm.

Ophiuchus placed her sword in front of her shield, which turned the explosion back on Jackal. The demon screamed as he flew into the far wall. "Someone did, fool." Lamy leaped at Yukino as well, and the knight of the 13^th Sign cut her in half. Lucy gaped while Lamy fell to either side of the warrior, who calmly watched Torafuzar while Yukino stared, shaking. "I cannot end life without my lady's permission, unless it is in defense of hers. My lady, I suggest that you join Lady Lucy, that I may protect you both as one." She's – she's amazing! Lucy thought, staring. Ophiuchus was the most terrible of the Eclipsed Spirits. Does that mean she's normally the most heroic of them?

"Yes!" Yukino agreed, and before anyone else could move, Ophiuchus put her shield arm around Yukino, there was a blur, and the two were in front of Lucy. "Lucy-sama!" Yukino blurted, whirling and dropping to her knees to examine the spent wizard. "What should I do?"

"Die," Torafuzar snarled, leaping again. Ophiuchus threw him aside with another blow of her shield. Another explosion heralded the return of Jackal, who glared at the humans with pure hatred as he staggered towards them again.

"I'm sorry, Yukino," Lucy whispered, tears dropping to the demon guild's floor. "You – you have to let her fight!" Aquarius stared at Lucy, blinking. Yukino shook. "The whole guild's counting on us. Jellal's out there fighting the monster that enslaved his heart for eight years, and everyone else – your sister, my team, everyone we love – they're all helpless inside this giant monster. We have to fight with all our strength!"

Yukino shuddered, exhaled, and nodded. "Ophiuchus. As holder of the 13^th Contract, I unseal your wrath. Strike down what is wrong, to save what is right!" Ophiuchus nodded and braced herself, eyes darting from one demon to the other. Torafuzar frowned while Jackal snarled, howling as he unleashed his Etherious form. His arm and chest healed as he transformed.

Then Siegrain appeared in front of Ophiuchus in a blur, his toxic shadows lashing out and attaching to Ophiuchus' armor. The spirit knight screamed. "I know your weakness, old foe. Hades set me free, and now you are helpless in my grasp!" Oh, no!

"Shadows – that's her – Ophiuchus, Forced Gate Closure!" Yukino cried. The spirit knight vanished, bits of Nemesis falling to the floor in great, gooey drops. Yukino took a desperate defensive stance, fists balled in the face of Nemesis-Siegrain, Jackal, and Torafuzar. Weak against Darkness Magic? We're in trouble, Lucy thought, barely able to force her body off the ground. Aquarius watched, clutching her wound with one hand and her urn with the other.

"Yukino...run..." Lucy begged, struggling to rise.

Yukino shook her head, one hand dropping to her keys. "Never. You wouldn't abandon me!"

"Such devotion," Nemesis said, his smile's similarity to Jellal's making Lucy's stomach churn. "You will both be happier when you are one with me." Again, he raised his hand.

"Oi, oi," Jackal objected. "I'm gonna kill that blonde–"

A golden blur threw Nemesis into the water. Jellal stood before them, surrounded by Meteor. He blasted Jackal back after Nemesis, then threw Torafuzar into the ceiling with telekinesis. "Yukino, do you have any magic that can buy us time?"

"I do!" Aquarius announced, driving Jackal and Nemesis back with a spiral Torrent. "Lucy, I can only slow them down. It's the same for the rest of us except Ophiuchus, and she can't withstand Nemesis in the human world." Lucy nodded. "There is a chance, though."

"I'll hold off Torafuzar," Yukino said, pulling out two silver keys. "Deneb! Polaris!" Jellal winced, but his moment's sorrow passed when the winged man and mechanical bear appeared. Deneb flew at Torafuzar, while Polaris braced himself before the Celestial Spirit Mages.

"Unison Raid," Jellal said, flying up and back to hover beside them. "The other Jellal and Lucy faced this threat. They combined Urano Metria and Fairy Glitter, and saved Fairy Tail."

"The other way is possible for a Celestial Spirit wizard who can summon three of us at once," Aquarius explained, gritting her teeth as she pushed back the two Etherious. Jellal's Starburst flowed into her Torrent, holding off the demons. "Summon the Celestial Spirit King! His power surpasses all of ours combined. He can strike down Plutogrim with a single blow."

"But I don't have his key," Lucy pointed out, looking down. Seireio...who could...

"You have to destroy a golden key," Jellal warned, more Cosmic Magic flaring out to hold off Jackal and Nemesis, "one you have a strong bond with." Half of the Siegrain drone body was damaged, exposing gears and lacrima. Both devils snarled as they worked their way forward. "Aquarius means for you to destroy hers, but it's not necessary. Please, Lucy, take my hand, and trust me. I know it's not easy, not after all my sins, but I'm...I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. I don't want you to have to go through this. Please!" He held out his hand to Lucy, and she could feel him offering all his power, baring his very soul to her.

Please... Lucy reached out, pushing aside all the lies and grief Nemesis had built up. Unison Raid...I can do this. We can do it! She took his hand, and Celestial might unlike anything she'd ever known flowed through her. "Aquarius! We're all going home together!"

"Eclair!" Nemesis snarled.

The innocent Phoenix Priestess smiling, dying in her arms – Jellal's spell cast aside, broken – why? WHY!

Unison Raid shattered. Rejection took physical form, throwing Jellal into Torafuzar. Hero and demon vanished into Plutogrim. "No...I failed...Aquarius..." Lucy sobbed.

"You haven't failed. I won't die. We just won't see each other again." Lucy shook her head. No. I can't! Jellal – Unison Raid – I'll try again! She looked up to find that Nemesis had joined Torafuzar, and Jellal was struggling against them both. One of Yukino's arms had gone limp, Deneb's key fallen to the floor. "We're out of time! Do it to save your friends! You're Layla's daughter, so I know you have the strength! LUCY!"

Blinded by tears, Lucy drew Aquarius' key. "I...I'm sorry..."

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Seven: From the Ashes

Earthland-1, Plutogrim, X791: Jellal

"I love you, Aquarius! OPEN, GATE OF THE CELESTIAL SPIRIT KING! SEIREIO!"

Somehow, it didn't surprise Jellal that the sound of the golden key shattering was identical to how he imagined a heart breaking.

The water vanished. Jackal fell to earth. The sky roared, and Nemesis fled into the stone of Plutogrim. Torafuzar attacked again, but the blunt Etherious was no match for Devil Slayer magic by himself – a single punch drove the demon through countless layers of Cube. Jellal darted back to the summoners' side, Yukino gripping Deneb's key while Lucy wept. The silver spirits were both gone.

A great golden light shined through the demon realm. A dozen more joined it, tearing the nightmare apart from within as well as beyond. Mighty Plutogrim fell earthward, and none them could do anything but ride it out. "What did you do, human?" Jackal wailed, while Lucy sobbed, broken and lost. How many times? How many more people that I love, must I fail? Jellal braced himself for another demonic assault, but the only thing that came down around them was the ceiling. Jellal threw up a Seal to protect the two summoners, but none of the debris so much as threatened them. Is that the might of Seireio? Healthy sky shone above them, the sun on the verge of setting to the west.

Standing in the air was the great Celestial Spirit King, a titan even to one who had fought dragons. He loomed over them, eyes fixed on some part of the ruins nearby. Jellal dropped to one knee, bowing his head, leaving his eyes just high enough to watch for stupidity from Jackal. Seireio, he thought, the divine glory above him blinding all other thought. Childhood worship rushed back to the surface along with his shame. Another memory followed, that of the Celestial Spirit Beast. How could anything at all like corruption touch a being like Him?

"Underworld King," Seireio intoned, and Jellal's head whipped up to follow the great god's eyes. He could just make out Mard Geer holding the Book of END. Meanwhile, whatever sacred power had protected them cared nothing for Jackal; the rubble beneath the demon collapsed, dumping him far below and beyond their sight. Jellal lowered his gaze again, shuddering while Lucy sobbed.

"Mard Geer," the celestial god continued. Jellal was sure Mard Geer responded, but he was too far away to hear. "I see you still cradle that book like a child. It truly has been ages." There was another pause. "What evil are you scheming, King of the Underworld?" Another pause. "You haven't changed. You're still as twisted as ever."

Then Mard Geer said something else, and Seireio at last turned his attention to them. "Old friend? My son?" Jellal gasped. Son...of the star god... he remembered, staring up. "For the sake of your cruel ambition, you hurt them? Is that why they are crying?" Jellal's hand went to his cheek. I am, he realized. The kings' debate went on while the star mage forced himself to stand and go to the summoners. Lucy had collapsed, still holding the remains of Aquarius' key while she sobbed. She didn't notice Yukino's hand on her shoulder, the younger spirit mage watching with sad sympathy. "YOU WILL PAY!" Seireio roared, and the aura of his magic alone recharged Jellal in an instant.

A battle unlike any Jellal had seen in all his travels erupted above him. Shining stars bathed in countless colors trailed behind Seireio, while flowing wrath of gray and black lashed out from the mote Jellal guessed was Mard Geer. The sky's light faded to hues of orange as the sun touched the horizon. "Is this your true power, Lucy, Yukino?" he breathed. "Ophiuchus...Seireio...what am I, to this?"

"He called you his son," Yukino whispered, and Jellal twitched, guilt roaring through him anew. The Fernandes legacy, he realized. This is what I betrayed – Heaven itself. The younger spirit mage stood. "Ophiuchus was brave and strong and skilled. She failed. The Celestial Spirit King himself can only equal their guild master. You saved my sister. You reunited us." He turned to stare at Yukino, who stood and gazed back with unshakeable resolve. "You are the Devil Slayer of Heaven. I believe in you."

Another explosion of celestial wrath filled Jellal to overflowing. Thorned vines of monstrous power lashed out in response, piercing Seireio in half a dozen places, forming a prison around him. "Seireio! No!" Jellal gasped, bracing himself to fly to the god's aid. "Cosmic Drive!"

"It is true that we started down the wrong – what?!" Seireio gasped, both kings staring while Jellal raced through Mard Geer's Thorns, shattering them. "You see, Underworld King? Human hearts, human hope. They are indomitable. That is why Celestial Spirits exist, and why we will always defend them! Meteor Blade!" Another explosion flowed out from the Spirit King's sword, leaving a rift in the earth itself. Power howled out of Jellal, his body unable to contain the infinite might trying to pour through him.

Mard Geer simply dodged. "Pathetic. Your 'old friend' is broken. Your last descendant is lost to sin and grief." Jellal froze, feeling impaled more utterly by the demon's words than his Thorn Curse could. "As for you, Seireio, your might is indeed impressive, but you have one fatal flaw. As a Celestial Spirit, you cannot escape it, and that will always deny you victory."

"Seireio! I pray to you!" Yukino cried. "Lucy – Jellal – they're lost in guilt and sorrow! If there's anything you can do, please, help them!"

"Of course," Seireio replied. "Smile!" he declared, smiling. "Old friend, Aquarius' magic is still with you." Lucy glowed, and Jellal sensed her Star Dress forming around her. "Rise, old friend. Rise, and triumph! May the stars guide you!"

"I will!" Lucy cried. "Thank you!"

"And you. Fernandes." Mard Geer snarled and lashed out at Jellal with his Thorns, but another wave of celestial light burned them away. "I understand now why we were not allowed to meet when you came to save my kingdom." He held his titanic sword overhead, and it gleamed with the light of galaxies. "Though you are burdened with sins not your own, all you do is good. In spite of the endless injustices done you, all you seek is justice. For all the freedom taken from you, all you fight for is the liberation of others. SEE NOW!" he roared, and Jellal was paralyzed by the light around them

Far below, Lucy unleashed Urano Metria. Even though a Fairy Tail wizard fought, Jellal still couldn't move. What does he mean? The star mage held his head. No. It can't be.

"Once, long ago, I came to this world through the sacrifice of an old friend." The kings of Heaven and Hell resumed their battle, but this time, the light didn't just fill Jellal. It was doing something inside him, calling to him. "From that union, the Alvarez Kings were born, the first God Slayers – the first Slayers, protecting humankind from all the heads of the Hydra. They shone in the darkness when all other light was lost. Now, it is your turn," Seireio insisted. "You are the light that will show them the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for love, I created your line...I sent them you. My only son." I...I don't understand...

"What's wrong, Seireio?" Mard Geer mocked. "You've grown sluggish. Have you remembered your weakness?" He fired a volley of gray and black blasts that Seireio parried.

"Yes, but I will crush you first," Seireio swore, holding his sword aloft again. "88 Stars of the Heavens, shine on. Dream of Starlight: GALAXIA BLADE!" A final beam of shining, star-filled ether roared into the sky, parting the clouds to reveal a night sky that sunset should have obscured. The world turned a blinding gold, Jellal forced to the ground by the overwhelming magical pressure.

When Jellal's sight returned, he was standing beside Lucy and Yukino, and Alegria was gone. He reached out with his magical senses, and felt Fairy Tail rejoin the battle. They're free! Jellal realized, his smile shining with joy. He turned to check on Lucy–

–and saw an exact copy of Seireio's sword, sized for a human, embedded point-first in the ground before him. What is this? He looked up, to find the Celestial Spirit King grinning down at a far-off ledge. He was glowing with golden light, fading away, and his blade was gone. Jellal rushed to take the sword, planning to return it to its master. The instant his hands reached the hilt, divine judgement rang out. It found him worthy of the Meteor Sword, a weapon only for a human pure of heart. It's...not his... Jellal realized, when the blade became one with him. "What you called our weakness is a thing you will never understand," Seireio told Mard Geer. "My bond with my friends means my might is theirs, no matter where I am. That's no weakness. It's our greatest strength."

Jellal hefted the sword while the Celestial Spirit King said his farewells to his demonic counterpart. It's perfectly weighted for one hand or two, he realized, testing it with a few shifts of his wrist and arm. The magic Seireio used to call to me from within. This is its expression. He looked down at Lucy, then to Yukino. The younger summoner smiled and nodded. Realization thundered through Jellal. "If God Himself told you that you were innocent, would you believe it?" Gods, Lucy, did you do this on purpose?

Nemesis charged at them, wearing yet another cheap Siegrain drone. Jellal deflected the demon with a Solid Seal. Demons and wizards arrived, one after the other: Torafuzar, Gajeel, Keyes, Juvia, "Silver," Gray, Tempester, Natsu. Wait, Tempester! He's the one we need! Jellal realized. "If I destroy that Nemesis drone," Jellal asked, "can you five handle the rest?"

"Believe it," Natsu grinned. "I'm fired up!"

"Have you grown so arrogant that–" Nemesis began. Jellal punctuated the monster's sentence by carving him into a hundred pieces with the Meteor Sword, then flashed past Tempester, slicing his back just enough to draw blood. He gathered it into Mystogan's mask with telekinesis, then stepped across worlds to Earthland-2.

In the distance. Fairy Two did battle with an entirely different host of foes, though Jellal recognized Brain's Darkness Magic and Porla's Shades. Of course it's not that simple, he sighed, and rushed to save the Thunder Tribe. I have to hurry back. That won't stop Nemesis for long.

Chapter Text

Earthland-2, Magnolia, X791: Ultear-2

"Man, they're everywhere!" Simon complained, swallowing Shades with his Darkness Magic. "Is anyone else having flashbacks to the guild war?"

Ultear snorted and shattered a thousand paper dolls with a punch. "Kind of," she admitted, "but this time, I didn't wear myself out against Zalty and Cold Headache." She looked around, nodding to herself once she was sure the streets were clear of civilians. "What is Brain up to? He is definitely not living up to his name today."

"Don't be too sure," Kagura objected, slashing through drone soldiers with Defender. "Earthland-1's Brain is here as well. This battle is keeping us occupied while our counterparts battle Tartaros. Who knows what one Brain promised the other in exchange for his help?"

Millianna blew up a pack of shades, kissed Kagura on the cheek, then leaped up and slashed through another cluster of them. "It won't be enough, nyan," the cat woman insisted, grinning at Kagura's blush. "Let's make him sorry he picked a fight with Fairy Tail!" Wally flew past in a Polygon Rush, slamming more drones aside.

Ivan landed in front of Wally wearing Porla's "Alexei" armor, knocking their friend aside with a darkness-infused paper shield. "You're an interesting bunch," he sneered. "I'm looking for your Jellal. I don't suppose you can tell me where he is?" His sneer grew. "I'm hoping he can give me...a hand."

"Kitten Blast!" Millianna replied, firing her signature attack at the armored wizard. He slashed her tubes away with more paper, then lashed out to pin her in his constructs. Kagura carved them apart before he could catch the cat wizard. "You're getting stupid in your old age, Ivan," Milli snapped. "Taking on Cult Buster by yourself?"

Ivan smirked as a pack of lizard man drones rushed Cult Buster. "Who said I'm alone? Besides, you have the wrong Ivan. Yours is off to humiliate your world's Erza. Something about the only proper revenge he can manage."

Ultear froze, gaping. Wait, is he Ivan-1? she wondered. "What are you doing, idiot?" she demanded, Empyrean forming around one fist. "Your son is dying in our guild hall, and you're here keeping us from helping?"

Ivan-1 gaped at her. "What? I don't believe you!" He formed a circle with his dolls, and an image of their infirmary appeared within it. "No," he gasped. "That's my Laxus?"

Erza crashed to earth in the middle of them, their Ivan rushing to attack followed by Porla and Ikaruga. "Die," Ivan-2 laughed, eyes alight with mad glee. "Die, Titania!" Ikaruga leaped to impale the wizard knight.

"No," Jellal snapped, appearing as if by teleportation. He created a Solid Seal between Erza and their foes. "He's gone, Ivan. Your revenge would be meaningless, even if it were possible."

"You said you wanted to humiliate her!' Ivan-1 snarled, fists balled and at his sides. "You also failed to mention that my son is dying of demon poison in their guild hall!"

"Well, you're a moron," Ivan-2 shrugged. "I can't believe a version of me is so pathetic."

"Requip!" Erza chanted, and Ikaruga fell to a hyper-speed Flight Armor punch to the back of her head. "If their Ivan cares for his son, then he is not the pathetic one, traitor!"

"Titania," Porla breathed, smile growing. "This time, there is no–" Wally's 128 Frames Per Second Attack interrupted his rant, and Millianna's binding tubes left him screaming in rage, but it was Simon and Kagura swallowing him with Portable Hole that shut him up.

"No!" Ivan-2 snarled, his Paper Magic forming a sheath around him. "I won't let it end like this!"

Jellal hit him with a Fourth Gear Meteor punch. Ivan-2 fell, eyes blank. "Go to Grim, Ivan," he snapped. "No one cares what you wouldn't allow." You tell him, Blue! Ultear cheered.

"So hard to find good help," Brain sighed, his Darkness Magic gathering up his allies as he arrived. He smirked, summoning a scythe with power to rival the Devil Heart. The entire team recoiled. "I told you he didn't abandon me completely. Behold, the Scythe of Ankhseram!"

Mystogan landed between them and Brain, glaring at the villain. He's not wearing his mask, Ultear realized. What's going on? Myst held out his right hand. "Meteor Sword," he chanted, and the blade of the Celestial Spirit King appeared in it. Brain gasped, taking a stumbling step back. The rest of them stared as well, Ultear included. What – how – Mavis, nii-san, what are you? "I'm out of patience, Brain. My world's version of you isn't your friend. He's using you, just as he uses everyone. Get out of my way."

Brain's response was to scream and slash at Mystogan. Their savior parried with the Meteor Sword. The eruption of power pushed almost everyone away, Ultear's Arc of Space letting her stay close. Brain leaped back, then twisted the weapon's handle. It vanished. "You. It's always you, isn't it, 'Mystogan?' Always interfering in matters that don't concern you. Well, not this time." He swirled his Darkness Magic around his body – then flew at Ultear! "Dark Hammer!" he chanted, blunt force surrounding his fist.

"Crash!" Ultear riposted, her blast blocking his. She smiled, fierce joy alight within as old outrage burned through her anew. "For me, Brain Drain? You shouldn't have!"

"Ultear!" Simon and Myst cried, the others moving towards her.

"Just keep the small fry off me!" Ultear cried, trading blows with her personal monster. "Where's the scythe, Brainless? Mystogan too much for you?"

Brain sneered at her. "I lent it to my counterpart," he retorted, magic welling around him in a wave that impressed even Ultear. "Mystogan doesn't dare use that sword to help you now, and gods, how I have longed to face you again."

"Feeling's mutual, Zero Brain," Ultear shot back. "Oi! Mystie! You here for a reason, or just sightseeing?"

"I have the Tempester sample," he explained, and Ivan-1 gasped, "but–"

"But nothing!" Ultear insisted, dodging a blast from Brain just as he did the same with one of hers. "Go, before two Porlyusicas beat us all up!" She smiled at him. "Jellal. You and my world-sister gave me everything. Fairy Tail, my team, my mom, Simon–" she explained, "–and at long, long last, I can return the favor. Now go! Save your guild. Save your world, the way you did ours, and find your heart again. Empyrean!" she chanted, the legendary spell forming around her fist as she swung at Brain.

"REVELATION ZERO!" Brain howled, his all-consuming spell appearing around his palm as he held it out to block Ultear. The two ultimate magics collided, the eruption of untrammeled power throwing Jellal-1 all the way back to the guild's door. Ivan-1 looked from Mystogan to his unconscious counterpart and back, then headed for the hall. That's it, Brain. Just you and me, now. I didn't beat enough crap out of you the first time!

Chapter Text

Earthland-2, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X791: Meredy-1

"Jellal!" Meredy gasped. "Thank goodness. Did you get it?" He held up Mystogan's mask. One of the Porlyusicas snatched it from his hand and immediately brought it to a table covered in flasks and bowls. "How's the battle back home going?"

"It's back and forth. Some of our guild mates have been...hurt," Jellal admitted, "but we were able to prevent Face's activation."

Meredy nodded, then gathered her courage. "Erza?"

Jellal chuckled. "She's fine. Even Kyouka couldn't truly wound her heart." He looked around. "Things look stable here. I'm impressed that you remained with a battle raging outside."

Meredy grinned and held up her glowing wrist. "I'm linked with my counterpart. It's a little weird, another me dating Wendy," she continued, chuckling when Jellal blinked, "but as long as the patients are safe, I can lend her my strength."

"Wendy has a pretty specific type, huh?" Jellal mumbled, glancing out the window for a moment. Huh? Meredy wondered, just before she pictured Sherria in her mind. Oh! Her surrogate father shook his head. "Not the time. The battle outside is under control. I have to head back to our Earthland and make sure Geer doesn't activate Face."

"Right, let's go," Meredy agreed. Jellal turned and gave her that look, the "dad" one that made her furious and chagrined at the same time. "Look, the Thunder Tribe's going to be fine, right? Tartaros is an 'all hands on deck' situation."

"She's right," Ivan-1 said, striding in. You! Meredy snarled, summoning five Maguilty Blades overhead. Jellal looked between them, then lowered a hand, calling a Magic Seal that was way smaller than Meredy thought was appropriate. Both Porlyusicas glared, but Meredy was able to tell them apart the moment Porlyusica-2 scowled with a piercing glare, while Porlyusica-1 turned a sad look on him. They'd already started the antidote bubbling. "I understand your suspicion. I can assure you, I have not developed a sudden desire to rejoin my father's absurd guild." He looked away. "I wanted to humiliate him. I wanted to show Fairy Tail his hypocrisy. I swear, I didn't want to kill anyone. Not that. Never that." Jellal's Magic Seal vanished.

"Convince me," Porlyusica-1 whispered. Her native counterpart nodded.

Ivan looked at Laxus, than back at Porlyusica-1. "I will protect Councilor Yajima, my son, and his team, until they can move. I swear it on Mata's memory, my love for her, and my debt to you."

Porlyusica-1 sighed and returned her attention to the brewing antidote. "You can trust him," she admitted, fussing over something Meredy couldn't work out. "In this, at least."

"Thank you, Ivan. Let's go, Meredy." Jellal concentrated, the vibration separating worlds humming at his fingertips.

Meredy nodded, turning to look at Ivan. "I appreciate this," she said, banishing her Blades, "but if it's a trick, I promise, you'll regret it." Ivan shrugged and nodded. She turned to take Jellal's hand. I hope you're right about –

The vibration disappeared from Jellal's fingers. He bit back a sound, and Meredy was sure it would have been a scream the moment he fell to his knees. "Face," he whispered. "Gods, no."

"Nii-san!" Meredy gasped, rushing to his side. Porlyusica-2 rushed over to them while theirs kept working on the antidote. "What's wrong?"

"I told them," Jellal hissed, his tone bitter enough to make Meredy clench up. "I told them how I did it. Hermetic Formula One: Astrology." The blue seal formed over his head. "With both me and my counterpart here, Seam and Nemesis were able to trick Face into believing I died. They broke the Body Link. Countdown's started." He made a fist, teeth bared. "Ultear warned me about showing off, so many times–"

"Stop it," Meredy snapped, dropping to face Jellal and grabbing his shoulders. "It was part of the plan, remember? Get Tartaros to focus on Earthland-2, where we have a hundred Devil Slayer traps waiting for them. Nemesis copied your intellect, stuff like this was bound to happen." She gave him as gentle a shake as she could manage with the frustration roaring through her. "You were a Councilor, you can stop it!"

"I was locked out years ago," Jellal objected, but something glittered in his eyes, and the guilt receded. "No. You're right. There's no time for this." He stood again. Meredy joined him, permitting herself a moment's relief. "We're needed. Guilt can never come before duty."

"There's my Jellal," Meredy sighed, smiling. "Come on. Let's get back there and kick some demons in the teeth." Jellal nodded, they held hands, and the worlds blurred around them.

-FT-        -FT-        -FT-

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791

"Maguilty Sodom!"

"Cosmic Fireworks!"

Meredy and Jellal rained down magical wrath on the remaining Tartaros forces – including, for some reason, a horde of Lamy clones – forcing them back. The ragged Fairy Tail defenders cheered. Team Sorciere, less Ultear and Racer, smiled up at them. "You're a sight for sore eyes," Angel shouted, hands cupped around her mouth. "Where's Yukino?"

"With Lucy, helping in another battle," Meredy explained, floating down to her friend and indulging in a quick hug. "Where's Mom?"

Cobra frowned and pointed at the fortress, somehow partly intact in spite of the ruins around them. "She took Cana, Elfman, and Lisanna, and went in there," he grumbled, glaring at the broken gates. "I heard her think something about finding Seam, and taking people she could protect from Nemesis. Ultear didn't want us anywhere near that thing." He sighed. "I guess I can't blame her for that, but I'm still pissed that she went in without us."

"Hmph. You're upset?" Meredy joined Cobra's glare at the damaged citadel. Most of her teammates backed away. "I'm going to have a few words with Mom myself. Where's Racer?"

On cue, the speedster appeared in their midst, carrying Carla. An instant later, Doranbolt teleported in with Wendy. Racer punched Jellal in the shoulder. "Are you a Fairy Tail wizard or not, boss?" he demanded, eyes narrow behind his sunglasses. You tell him! Meredy agreed.

"This. Is. Not. The. Time." Jellal turned his "I'm in charge, remember?" gaze on them all, and even Meredy couldn't light into him again. "Racer, Doranbolt, you're on Wendy duty. Hades and Seireio didn't help my healing magic much, so get her to the wounded and watch her back." The two men blinked, staring, then nodded. "Meredy, Angel, you're with me, we're going to make sure Lucy and Yukino are safe." Meredy and Angel looked at each other and fist-bumped.

"I'm coming, too," Michelle insisted, her Imitatia battle-form glowing green around her.

Jellal nodded. "Midnight, Cobra, Richard, Daphne, stay here, protect the guild, find Ultear's team if you can."

Midnight waved for his team to move forward. Mirajane joined them, a spark of Algol hovering below her palm. "We will," Midnight promised.

"Let them know that the Thunder Tribe will be okay, when you reach them," Jellal continued. There was a pause, then Fairy Tail's cheer forced a smiling Jellal to wait a moment before continuing. Are you finally starting to see? Meredy wondered. "Have I missed anything?"

"Lahar's on his way with half the Rune Knights," Doranbolt said, looking around, "though I don't know if they'll make it in time."

"Make sure they don't engage the Nine Demon Gates," Jellal warned. "They'll do fine against Tartaros' infantry, but after Era, I'm afraid they're no match for a Book of Zeref."

"You think that's all you have to fear?" Fairy Tail turned to face the Tartaros legion, to find Johann walking towards them with a smirk on his skull-like face. Behind him was a horde of well-preserved walking corpses, shambling towards them with outstretched hands coated in white dust. "The Rune Knights can't save you, Fairy Tail!"

"Pfft," Daphne chuckled, whipping out a magic rifle with weird coils around the barrel . "Who needs them, yeah? Repulsor!" A beam like Jenny Realight's lanced out, shooting through Johann. The former Councilor looked down at his undamaged chest, frowning.

"Thought Projection," Jellal explained. "You have to learn it when you become a Councilor. Everyone, move out!"

"Roger!" Meredy cheered, along with most of the guild. That's it, Dad, show them who you are! Her smile grew. That'll make it easier for us to show you, later.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Yukino

"Hang in there, Pisces!" Yukino prayed, the twin warriors barely holding their own against the Nemesis drone with Jellal's face. I've pushed all my spirits as far as they can go. Libra, Polaris, Deneb, even Ophiuchus, they've all been forced back to the Spirit World. She poured all her remaining magic into her friends, but perverted Heavenly Body Magic was too much for Pisces to overcome.

The rest of the battle wasn't going much better. Tempester and Torafuzar drove back Natsu and Gajeel at every turn, while Keyes battered poor Juvia with his cruel Death Magic. Lucy kept struggling to stand, but after fighting a host of Demon Gates, summoning Seireio, and using Urano Metria, it amazed Yukino that she was even conscious.

Yukino turned her attention to the foul puppet before her. Lucy-sama gave her all, breaking her own heart to save us, she thought, gripping Pisces' key and tearing through every reserve she had. Nemesis yelped when the two spirits redoubled their assault. I will not do less!

"I must confess, you're more formidable than I expected," Nemesis said, flying backwards and shrugging. Then he smiled. "Wonderful. You will become a glorious member of my union." Yukino took in a ragged breath to defy him, but another Siegrain drone flew up beside him. Oh, no! Pisces and I could only hold back one of him. How are we going to fight two? Does he have more of them? How many can he control at once? She stepped back, moving closer to Lucy, ready to shield her fellow summoner with herself if need be.

"I pray to thee, you who blow the horns of judgement!" Yukino's heart soared the moment she heard that voice. "Please accept my invocation! Raguel!" Sorano landed between Yukino and the Nemesis drones, while the mightiest of her sister's angels appeared beside Pisces. Sorano smiled at her. "Master Jellal was right. This is much better than the coins."

"Sorano! You came!" Yukino rejoiced, while Michelle tumbled to Lucy's side. The plant wizard hovered over Lucy-sama with her shield at the ready. Our sisters!

"Yep!" Meredy joined in, landing beside Juvia. "And she didn't show up alone." She grinned at her blue-haired friend. Keyes moaned and recoiled. "The boys get all possessive about their fights, but you don't mind if I help, right, Juvia?"

Juvia shook her head, but she looked uncertain. "No, but...Gray-sama's father..."

"On top of already being dead, he's being controlled," Meredy sighed, but paused when Juvia shook her head. "What's wrong?"

Keyes chuckled in his morbid way. "There is no demon within Silver, save the one he made of himself," he mocked, his dark form spreading out around them. Meredy gasped. This is awful, Yukino thought, sharing Meredy's sentiment. "Your expectations from another world blind you in spite of your precautions. This tale is truly an amusing one."

Jellal flew past one of the Nemesis drones, slicing it in half with the Meteor Sword. When the shadow tendrils of Nemesis' true form tried to pull it back together, Raguel finished the drone off with a blast of her five horns. "You won't be laughing long, Keyes. Release Silver, then yield, or you will join the dead you always toyed with!"

"Oh?" Keyes raised his staff, and his cloud filled dozens of skeletons, then hundreds. They rose, lashing out to grab Lucy and Michelle, slashing at Meredy and Yukino with bony fingers, flying up to bury Jellal and Meredy in murderous wraiths. "Mortals are but tools with which I write my tale. You should not make boasts you cannot fulfill, human!"

Jellal's eyes burned with fury. "You already taught me that, Tartaros!" Before Yukino and Lucy could even struggle with their foes, the cosmic wizard turned into a blur around them, Meteor Sword cutting down the undead faster than Keyes could summon them. Only Michelle was fast enough to help, vines piercing out to crush the skeletons closest to Lucy. "Meredy! I'm the distraction!"

"What?" Keyes blurted.

Meredy's smile was as fierce as Jellal's glare as she remembered Baroque Crocodile. "Maguilty Judgement!" Double-bladed axes of Maguilty force appeared all around Keyes, encircling him. "Juvia. Let me bear this burden for you. And Keyes? We decide how our tales are written. That's what makes us human!" Keyes spun within his trap, whirling as he sought escape.

"Yes," Juvia whispered, then transformed and flowed into Meredy's weapons. "It is. Together, Meredy! Water Jigsaw!" With Juvia's might infusing her weapons, Meredy struck with a fierce cry. Keyes exploded into mist, his skull-like face shattering and melting away as it struck the floor. Juvia reclaimed her human form beside Meredy, face buried in her hands. "Silver...sama..." she sobbed, Meredy hugging the water mage.

"It's all right," a warm voice insisted around them. "This is what I wanted. I can finally be with Mika again, and Gray...I can pass my power on to him. Please, take care of him for me." Juvia nodded. "You've become a fine man, Gray. I leave the rest to you." Wow...

"Useless," Nemesis snarled, absorbing the remains of Keyes' necromancy through his surviving drone. "All you have done is make Keyes' army mine. Keep granting me strength, Jellal! When I'm done, even the Sword of the Spirit King will not save you!" The drone flew away, leaving the undead soldiers to threaten them. Pisces returned to Yukino's side, standing between her and the skeletons in spite of their wounds. Thank you.

"Meredy. I have to go after him," Jellal said. There was a long pause, then Meredy nodded. "Yukino. Lucy. I failed you–"

"No!" Lucy insisted, and Yukino nodded. "You gave everything – I was the one who failed!" Michelle gasped while Yukino sighed. Merciful Seireio. What am I going to do with them?

Jellal grimaced. "Later. For now, what matters is that I have too much ethernano, and you two don't have enough." He dismissed the sword and held out both hands. They glowed teal, and Yukino was refreshed in moments. Lucy gasped, straightening. "How are you?"

While Lucy ran her fingers along the symbol of Aquarius on her collarbone, Yukino flexed her fingers. "It's as though I just arrived," Yukino whispered. "Amazing..."

"Star Dress: Leo!" Lucy chanted, a black and gold ball gown swirling to life around her. "Go," she insisted, heavenly light glowing around her. "I have my sister. We'll be fine." Michelle's smile shone like the sun.

A tiny smile lit Jellal's face as well. "Light of the King Star," he whispered. Then he nodded, and was gone.

Lucy, Michelle, Angel, and Meredy joined Yukino to form a circle around the paralyzed, sobbing Juvia. Anti-magic particles trickled around her, and Meredy gasped. Michelle created a column of vines for Juvia to lean on, cupping her almost like a chair. "Juvia's drained," the plant wizard explained, "but she'll recover."

The snarling skeletons and wraiths circled them, twitching in what Yukino imagined was rage. "So. Ladies." Angel summoned her sword, her smile growing. "Let's show these creeps how we do things in Magnolia."

"Aye!" The other four agreed. The skeletons charged. The wizards' combined magic obliterated them. I've bet my life again, Yukino realized, but this time, I won't lose!

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Gray

Gray strode towards the heart of Plutogrim – or its remains, at any rate – frost trailing in his wake. Each footstep left ice where his boot had been. Every once in a while, a small pack of foot soldiers, Lamy clones, or undead monsters charged at him. Gray froze them and kept moving.

He looked at where the mark on his arm had grown as he worked his way inward. On another day, I'd be disappointed in facing such weak foes after getting a power-up like this. Frozen tears clung to his chin. Today, all I want is to put an end to this place. Tartaros, Mard Geer, END himself – I'll take you all on!

One of the flying soldiers swooped down towards Gray. He turned to shatter it, but Jellal darted in first, knocking it out of the sky with Mystogan's fin staff. He was still dressed in Myst's top, but he'd taken off the mask and hood. "Gray," Jellal whispered. "That power?"

"My dad's. Yeah," Gray admitted. "We've got to find END. We're the Devil Slayers." He grimaced. "How are the others?"

"Juvia took a hit when she and Meredy brought down Keyes," Jellal explained, "but other than that, they're doing as well as we could hope. We haven't lost anyone yet." Gray nodded. "Right now, the priority is Face."

"My dad mentioned that," Gray sighed. "It sounds like the sort of thing we need you to deal with. Should we split up?"

Jellal's smile looked weird to Gray. Not sure how or why, though, he mused. "No. I trust Erza to handle that. As the Devil Slayers, we're invincible together. We'll cut right through this demon guild." He reached out to put a hand on Gray's shoulder.

That's when a second Jellal charged at the first, identical except his weapon. The first Jellal parried the second with his staff, while the new Jellal attacked with a sword like the Spirit King's! "Back off, Nemesis!" Jellal snarled, the blow throwing the first Jellal back. Gray leaped away from them both, looking from one to the other. What the Grim? He frowned, looking at the ruins of the literal Grim around them.

"Ah, Jellal," Nemesis smirked back. Crap, that guy almost tricked me! Gray realized, glaring. And I would've bet on him being the real one, with that sword...holy...it really is a sword of Heaven. The Siegrain drone waved a finger "no" at them. "You should know by now it won't be that simple."

"It's simple enough," Jellal retorted. "You won't take Gray, monster."

Crap! Gray recoiled. "Ice Devil Zero Flesh!" he chanted, the protective sheath forming around him. "Thanks, Jellal!" The real one nodded, sword still held out at his side. "What are you playing at, Nemesis?"

"You should be at one," Nemesis said, holding up his palm. The creepy shadow tentacles writhed out of it. "All of you can be united, through me. Fairy Tail's unity? It's nothing compared to what it could be. Let me make Fairy Tail as one!"

"Star Devil–" Jellal chanted.

"Ice Devil–" Gray joined in.

"–RAGE!" they roared as one. When their blasts faded, Nemesis was gone. "Did we blow that one up, or did he run?" Gray asked.

Jellal shrugged. "I'm not sure it matters. He has a lot of those drones. Did Silver tell you where the Chairman is?" Gray shook his head. The star mage deflated. "Okay. I'll find him. Where are you headed?"

"To destroy Mard Geer and END," Gray explained, making a fist that destroyed the warmth around it.

Jellal gasped. "You can't," he said, reaching out for Gray.

Wait, this just happened! Gray jumped back, fist in palm, Ice-Make magic at the ready. "I've seen this trick before. One copy defeats another to earn trust. Nice try, Nemesis!"

"No – I'm real, please," Jellal begged, holding up Seireio's sword. Divine light emanated from it, and Gray was unable to doubt. "I know how this sounds, but Zera, I need you to trust me, Gray."

"That works both ways," Gray said, releasing his Ice Magic. "Why can't I destroy Mard Geer and END? My father entrusted me with his mission. END is a Fire Demon. That's why Dad was an Ice Devil Slayer. And Mard Geer – look around you, Jellal."

"Mard Geer's our enemy. He's not the problem. Silver didn't know. He couldn't have," Jellal replied, grimacing. "Master Makarov swore me to secrecy, but I'm going to trust you, Gray. You can't tell any of the others, not yet – especially Natsu." He looked down, frowning at the sudden rush of water echoing below them. "END wasn't too powerful for Igneel to kill. The Fire Dragon King was too kind to cut down a defenseless child."

"Huh?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"He adopted the boy he found instead," Jellal explained. "E.N.D.: Etherious, Natsu, Dragneel." Gray's eyes went wide, his mouth falling open. Appropriately enough, he froze. "Mard Geer must not find out about this, but if you destroy that book, you'll kill Natsu. Until we can fix all this, we must protect the Book of END at all costs. Do you understand?"

"Not even a little," Gray breathed, staring, "except for the 'kill Natsu' part. I won't let that happen." He nodded, then continued towards his battle with the Underworld King. "Help Erza. Nemesis is still out there. She needs you."

Jellal nodded back, then flew off. Damn it. This just keeps getting more and more complicated.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Erza

There must be something we can do, Erza worried, helping Minerva with one arm while gripping the tiny Franmalth in her free hand. This demon is trying to mislead us, our strength is limited, and even if we find the former Chairman, can we defeat him? She glanced down at the Exceeds, the four of them confident that the two human wizards could triumph. We spent so much energy against one another. Minerva is still recovering from the same sorrow that poisons Jellal's heart. I can fight, but...Kyouka...Nemesis...no. She stopped and straightened, fixing her determination in her heart. I will not give up. We will find a way. We must!

"Erza?" Minerva asked, concern shining in her human eye. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Erza glared at the trembling mushroom demon. "Can you use Territory on this useless thing? Perhaps we can turn his Revolution against him, and claim his knowledge for our own." Franmalth let out a tiny scream, trembling in Erza's grip.

Minerva shook her head. "I'm sorry, Erza. If I had the strength, I might be able to use Territory to transport us there, but Franmalth isn't a key I can turn." The little mushroom man chuckled. "Could your Jellal help?" Erza's eyes widened. M-my Jellal? She blushed. "He has been everywhere since he arrived, performing one miracle after another. He even fought alongside the Celestial Spirit King. It was a sight I will never forget. Perhaps he could find Crawford Seam."

"H-he could be engaged in battle," Erza stammered, face glowing with heat. "I don't want to distract him."

Minerva's smile was gentle enough to warm Erza's shaken heart. "You don't have to cry out in distress," she pointed out. "If you wish, I could make the effort instead." That helped calm Erza's uncertain spirit, and she looked down at Franmalth. The little demon was covered in sweat, a truly disturbing look for a mushroom. "Surely, I am less likely to distract him than you are."

"Please," Erza asked, bowing her head. How embarrassing.

Minerva held out her free hand, Territory forming in it. She closed her good eye. As though summoned by the Sabertooth ace's magic, Jellal sped to a halt right in front of them. Erza couldn't help but stare, in spite of everything. He looked magnificent, Mystogan's disguise torn away enough to reveal his beauty, hints of sweat making his skin shine within Cosmic Drive, the Sword of the Spirit King Himself in his hand. "Minerva? Erza? I missed something."

"Our Lady has returned to us!" Lector cheered. "She's thrown off Tartaros' trickery, and is fighting alongside us again."

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch agreed. Even Jellal smiled at the sight of the adorable green Exceed.

"Fighting? I fear not," Minerva sighed. "For now, at least, I am spent."

"It doesn't matter," Jellal insisted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Even when our own strength runs out, what matters is that our bonds give strength to each other. Seireio Himself said as much."

Erza smiled at him. "Oh? Is that where you got the sword?" she asked.

Jellal blushed and held it behind his back, more as though to hide it than to sheath it. "Ah. Yes. The Celestial Spirit King was, er, kind." He looked around. "What is your mission? Are you seeking Chairman Seam?"

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed, "but we have proven unable to find him, and Franmalth has been unhelpful." She held up the mushroom demon, who gulped and shrank from Jellal's cold gaze.

"Pantherlily, can we entrust the prisoner to you?" Jellal asked. Franmalth whimpered as Lily nodded, and Erza dropped the demon at the Exceeds' feet. Jellal released Minerva, gestured with his empty hand, and concentrated. "Hermetic Formula One: Astrology." He closed his eyes, the Magic Seal forming over his head. Like a halo, Erza thought, the wings of Cosmic Drive making him look more the angel than ever. I think I need to help Mira matchmake for Sorano. He looked up, pointing his sword at a pile of nearby rubble. "That way. Censure of Earth!" The rubble parted for them, as did several walls, three fallen columns, and chunk of mountainside that jutted into the ruins. It all became a path for them, revealing a half-wrecked circular chamber.

At the path's end, Councillor Johann, Chairman Seam, and a Nemesis drone in light armor stared back. Seam's hand hovered over a Super Archive screen. They all gaped at the group of humans and Exceeds. "You said they wouldn't find us!" Seam babbled, taking a step back from his Archive window.

Nemesis pushed him back towards it with one hand. The other held Keyes' staff. "Keep working. I'll be enough," he declared, standing between the two former humans and the allied wizards.

"That's my line," Jellal snarled back, flying at his archenemy. Meteor Sword crashed into demon staff, the two trading blows.

"White Death!" Johann chanted, thrusting out a pale hand. White ash spiraled towards Jellal, but Erza's love parried with a wedge of force. "This is the end, last Fernandes!"

"Archive Redaction!" Seam chanted, summoning another magic window. It unleashed a stream of Letter Magic that circled the Shield of Ishgar. "I always hated you, pretty boy!"

"We have to help him," Erza breathed, watching in horror as Jellal struggled to hold off the three demon-tainted wizards. "Minerva–"

"I'll be fine," Minerva insisted, pulling herself from Erza's grasp and managing to stand. "Go." Erza rushed forward, only to be brought to a halt when her legs refused to move.

Against her will, Erza's hands reached up and started choking her. No! Jellal – Seam – the fate of the entire world is twenty paces away, and I can't...stop myself... Struggling with all her might, Erza could do nothing but slow her own iron grip as her vision began to blur. "That is my Curse," Seilah explained, stepping between Erza and the battle from behind one of the columns Jellal had propped up.

"Don't kill that one yet," Kyouka added, smirking at Erza as the demon joined her partner. "She's mine." Kyouka didn't bother moving. She stood between Titania and the three-on-one duel for the fate of the world. "I'm a little frustrated, to be honest. To think that something as banal as being unable to help that boy would cause you more pain than my Curse." Her eyes widened beneath her growing smile. "Once he's dead, I'll just have to try harder!"

"Hermetic Formula Eight: Abjuration!" Jellal chanted, pointing his left arm at them. Erza wished she could scream when he did, Seam's cruel Archive spell crashing into him, but his magic symbols appeared around the six of them, and they were free. Seilah gasped, stumbling in place.

"Kill the boy," Kyouka ordered, and Erza didn't need hands around her throat for those words to steal her breath. Four of them! Titania quailed, rushing at Kyouka while the demon grew her claws and charged at Erza herself. "Scarlet is mine!" Their blades clashed, neither able to gain advantage against the other. Even Jellal can't fight all four of them, while he's protecting us and trying to stop Face – I have to save him!

A blur rushed past Erza, and Seilah turned just in time to see Mirajane's fist smash into her face. Both women went sprawling, Mira collapsing and losing Satan Soul while Seilah flew past Jellal's battle and crashed into the far wall. "Mira! Are you all right?" Erza cried, grunting as Kyouka pushed her back.

"Mm," Mira nodded, smiling from where she'd collapsed. "I'm out of magic, but I think I stopped Seilah's Curse." Kyouka growled.

"Thank you, Mira," Erza gushed. The words didn't feel like nearly enough. They'll have to do for now. She parried Kyouka's counterattack, glancing past her to check on Jellal.

"The She-Demon Mirajane," Johann replied, sneering a grin and looking Mira over while Jellal struggled with Nemesis and Seam. "Kyouka may have claimed your beloved, Fernandes, but this one is a dear friend, is she not?" Jellal snarled and threw both his foes back, firing a Starburst at the skull-faced villain. "Cosmic Cube!" Johann chanted, summoning a blue-white cube that absorbed Jellal's spell, leaving them all to gape. "When you die, I will make sure she spends the rest of her life as our slave!"

Jellal screamed, Cosmic Storm exploding around him without word or gesture. "You won't take her – I won't let you touch any of them!" Johann laughed, blocking the attack with his device. "Why do you hate me? What am I to you?"

Johann laughed. "Seireio told you that he created your line," he spat, "but he didn't tell you why, did he?" He pointed the cube at Jellal again. "Tesseract!" A beam of force so terrible Erza could feel it down the corridor lanced out at Jellal, and he cried out in pain in spite of Meteor Wave's protection. "History did not begin with Zeref. More than a thousand years before the Dragon King Festival, the Dark Guild Hydra Heart nearly claimed the world with the power of the gods. Then the Spirit King created your clan."

He glared, waiting for Nemesis to batter Jellal and Seam's magic to conjure another attack circle, then fired his beam again. "The Strucker family would have ruled the world. We should have ruled the world! All that stood in our way was one miserable band of dirty vagabonds, but when they drove us underground, those backwards Alvarez pagans put your ancestors on the throne that should have been ours!" He cackled as Nemesis slammed Jellal into a wall. Erza cried out again, but still Kyouka stood in her way. "Now, thanks to Zeref and Hades, you're all that's left, a ruined orphan lost to slavery and malice."

"Don't listen to him!" Erza pleaded, Requipping to her Armadura Fairy and throwing herself at Kyouka with every mote of strength left to her. "You have saved this world! You are the Shield of Ishgar and chosen of the Spirit King! You are a Fairy Tail wizard, and we never surrender!"

"Oh?" Johann laughed again. "Like your Second Master, Titania? Like your Third Master's son and grandson?" Erza snarled while Kyouka laughed with the Council traitor. "Jellal is a fine addition to your pathetic guild." He turned his attention back to Jellal. "Everyone you love will belong to Tartaros, and you will know you failed them with your final breath. Die in despair, 'Shield of Ishgar!'"

"Shield..." Jellal whispered. Johann's smile vanished, and with a scream, he fired a beam far larger than the last from his weapon. "Galaxia Shield!" he chanted, and a circular shield emblazoned with a spiral galaxy appeared on his left arm. The beam glanced away, leaving the shield untouched. "I am glad of the sword," Jellal admitted, "but all I have ever wanted is to give shelter to others. Yield or fall, Johann." The skull-faced Councilor choked, trembling with fury.

Erza smiled. My world-sister was right. He is our miracle. Her smile vanished when she glared at her suddenly-wary foe. "Heed his words, Kyouka. We can still show you and your partner mercy."

"We will be one with Zeref!" Kyouka howled, slashing at Erza. Titania parried, concentrating her magic in her blade. "Seilah would never give in, and neither will I. Admit it, Erza. You're like me. We are relentless in our convictions!"

Music Cue: Erza Advent

"True," Erza admitted, "but you've miscalculated. Your demonic convictions are nothing to those of human hearts!" She slashed at Kyouka. "Fairy Burst!"

Kyouka screamed and fell back. At last! Now, I can help Jellal! She flew at Nemesis. "Requip!" she chanted, switching to her Purgatory Armor and swinging at Chairman Seam. "Perdition Claw: Abbadon!" As she hoped, Nemesis darted in her path, blocking with his staff. Though Perdition didn't shatter his weapon, its might pushed through his defense, tearing through his shoulder and crushing his torso. "Jellal! You must take control of Face!"

"There's still too many of them," Jellal pointed out, holding back the Cosmic Cube with his shield, "and Nemesis must have more drones." He parried more of Seam's Archive blasts with the Meteor Sword, the effort forcing them back to back.

"You can stop them with Archive," she insisted. "I believe in you, Jellal." The glow of his Cosmic Drive shone more brightly around them. "Please, believe in me."

Jellal took a deep breath. "Always," he replied, and Erza felt like she could defeat all of Tartaros herself. Kyouka was already up and charging at her, so Erza threw Perdition at her and leaped at Johann.

The pale traitor screamed and pointed his cube-weapon at her. Kyouka wasn't forced to dodge far, circling around Perdition to come at Erza with both sets of claws. I will not fail him again! Erza swore. "Requip!" She switched to her Nakagami Armor, drawing gasps from Minerva and Mirajane. "Nakagami Starlight!" she chanted, slashing at Johann's weapon.

Though she hadn't fully expected his evil device to wield magic akin to her Nakagami Halberd, Erza was braced for it. When her weapon shattered with the traitor's, she channeled the power through her armor to strike Kyouka with the combined force of the explosion. All three combatants went flying, slamming into the remaining chamber walls. With more effort than she liked, Erza pushed the rubble off her and looked up.

Jellal was already tapping at the Super Archive screens with a speed that turned his arms into a blur. He had one foot on Seam's head, the former Chairman literally whimpering at Jellal's feet. Pantherlily had grown to full height and was guarding Jellal's back. The other three Exceeds cheered. "You did it, Erza," Jellal said, and she nearly wept with joy at the smile she saw reflected in the main screen.

"No. We did it," she insisted, forcing herself to stand. Johann stared at the heavens with swirling eyes, unconscious. Kyouka trembled on her belly, snarling and crying as she clawed at the ground. "Kyouka. My fist is crying."

Minerva chuckled. "You should listen to her, Demon Gate. Her fist never hurts more than when it's crying." Erza couldn't help a chuckle of her own.

"This isn't over, humans! Etherious!" Kyouka howled, and Erza stumbled back. Etherious? Zen God, had she not yet used her full might? Titania wondered, Requipping back to Armadura Fairy and charging at her. Kyouka struck towards Erza as well, their blades slashing at each other as one. Kyouka winced, pivoting around to recover from the blow, but pain wracked Erza, and her armor and sword all cracked. This is like Ikaruga again, Erza thought, Armadura shattering, but with Kyouka's torture on top of it.

"Erza!" Jellal cried, turning from the screen.

"Believe in me!" Erza pleaded, Requipping to her Black Wing. If our positions were reversed – God, this pain is nothing compared to being helpless while Jellal suffers – but only he can stop Face, and so long as he fights to control the Council's Archive, only I can stop Kyouka. She flew at the demon again. "Don't lose!"

To her amazement, Jellal let out a soft chuckle as he went back to work. "Heed your own words," he replied, and her heart soared in spite of all Kyouka's torments. Erza sliced at Kyouka again, and again, the demon left cracks all through her armor. Titania swapped into Heaven's Wheel, and Kyouka lashed out with agonizing green lightning that left everyone except Jellal and herself paralyzed. Jellal's Cosmic Drive protected him. I – will – not – yield! Erza swore, but the pain overwhelmed her.

She was able to stop herself from screaming, but she couldn't move, and Kyouka slammed her into the ground, tearing the armor from her body. "Does this bring back memories, Erza?" Kyouka asked, smiling as Erza convulsed from the agony. If I fail...I mustn't...give in... she swore, fighting not to cry out as the demon tortured her again. "Armor doesn't suit you! You have such beautiful skin." The sadist's smile grew. "If you had surrendered and become a demon, it could have been stronger than any metal." Kyouka cocked her head to one side. "I think I'll take your sight now. I was going to take sound away next, but I want you to hear your precious Jellal scream."

Light vanished. All other sensations fled with it, except the sound of Kyouka's cruel laughter. "I'm not going to kill you after all," Kyouka mocked, and Erza trembled. "I'm going to give you to the Underworld King. We'll take you apart one piece at a time, body and soul, then recreate you as one of us!"

Magic. The Etherious don't have magic. Erza felt around her with a sense beyond sight. Mirajane, light and darkness intertwined around passion and kindness, a devil's might with an angel's heart. Minerva, with the strength rise above her childhood agony and yesterday's mistakes, reaching for the power to move the world. Lector and Frosch, with no might to speak of, but a power to stand by those they love without reservation or hesitation. Pantherlily, who was somehow still upright, Erza sensed as living resolve, an embodiment of protection he would never compromise. Happy, whose simple heart belied a depth of faith and devotion that brought his namesake to all he loved.

Jellal. Courage that conquered all grief. Love stronger than damnation. Hope beyond despair.

He...loves me... Erza felt it as the heat she might know if she floated before the sun itself. Jellal hates himself so much...it's not an excuse to keep me away...but he loves me that much more...

There was a void shaped something like a human, standing over her, on her. It was utterly without substance, but the void was so well defined she could count the ridges on its legs and the feathers around its head. Kyouka, she realized. "I can see you," Erza whispered. Kyouka stopped laughing. "No matter what...you steal from me..." she said, pushing against the talons on her head.

"No more hearing!" Kyouka cried, taking away sound. Balance threatened to flee with it, but the light of magic and love guided Erza to her feet. Kyouka stepped back.

"...no one can take...the light...and love...that guide me forward!" She Requipped into her Clear Heart clothing, but her sword didn't appear with it. So Erza did the only thing that made sense to her. She threw an uppercut into the unmoving Kyouka's jaw, slamming her back.

Kyouka's Curse drove suffering through Erza's fist, but it didn't matter. "You call this pain?" Erza cried. "It is nothing! I can endure it forever, if it means I don't suffer the pain of losing those I love!" The demon stood, and though Erza couldn't make out eyes or lips, the villain's entire stance spoke of fear and uncertainty. Well. Since she's made herself such a convenient target. Erza kicked Kyouka in the gut with all her might, pushing away the agony. Everyone is counting on me! Minerva and Mirajane are struggling to help me with all their magic gone. Jellal endures my suffering while he fights a battle he alone can win. The others still face the Books of Zeref. This pain means nothing! I will not let it touch me!

Kyouka stared, unmoving. Disbelief, or the effort of sealing my senses? It doesn't matter. I have to win! She lashed out with a left cross, knocking the demon down again. I will not fail! In spite of all Erza's determination, though, Kyouka got to her knees, then her feet, and lunged with a slash that forced a scream from Titania at last. More lashes sent agony beyond her ability to resist through her. Erza countered with another kick and punch, driving Kyouka back.

It's not enough. I need my blades. I must find the strength! I WILL! She reached into her Requip space one more time. At last, her swords came to hand, and Erza counterattacked with twin blows that knocked Kyouka down again. This time, the demon stayed there. Thank...goodness... Erza fell, swords falling from her grasp.

There was a strange sensation, like moving, but Erza neither felt herself rise nor made the effort. A moment later, her senses returned to life, the agony receding. Blessed light returned, and Erza gasped to see Minerva kneeling over Kyouka, having driven one of the katanas through the demon's chest. "You see?" Erza whispered. "If you had died, where would we be now?" Jellal and Minerva both turned to look at her, eyes wide, and Erza almost laughed.

Then Titania looked up, and her laughter died before it was born. Face. It's still counting down! There were forty minutes left, but Jellal's arms were a blur, and he didn't have the posture of a man who thought he was making progress. Erza looked at Jellal, unable to make the words form, pleading for hope. Jellal turned to another Archive screen, where she could see Gran Doma's face. "Chairman Doma, if you're going to give me clearance, now's the time," Jellal said, and Erza snarled. Now? You give in to petty cowardice now?

Doma bowed his head. "Saint Jellal," he breathed, and Erza's fury vanished while Jellal gaped in amazement. Saint? That isn't pettiness or mistrust! What happened? Fear returned in a rush. "I'm sorry. I am forced to admit, Chairman Seam has locked us all out." They all gasped as one. Seam smirked beneath Jellal's heel. "All our experts have failed to find the slightest gap in the system's defenses. I fear...that you are our only hope." The screen disappeared.

For a moment, Jellal bowed his head, and Erza's heart froze. On half a dozen other screens, she saw other battles rage: a golden Levy and a steel-forged Gajeel kissing, then fighting underwater together against Torafuzar; Gray freezing Tempester to protect Natsu; Ultear, Cana, Elfman, and Lisanna struggling against several Nemesis drones; the bulk of Fairy Tail fighting an army outside the Tartaros main guild hall; a handful of their members in Magnolia protecting civilians from demonic stragglers; the Thunder Tribe – and Ivan?! – pushing a horde of undead back from their guild hall.

Jellal stood up straight, then planted the Meteor Sword in the ground beside him. "Then today, I will ensure that my friends in that other world are not liars. Today, hope is blue."

Every Archive screen changed color with his words, as did the countdown numbers above. Happy cheered. Pantherlily grinned. Mirajane and Minerva smiled at each other. Erza stood and staggered to him, her tears of joy shining in a trail behind her...like stars.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Jellal

Focus, Jellal, he ordered himself. This isn't the first time Ishgar's fate has been in your hands. It didn't help. Jellal wasn't surprised, if he were honest with himself. He typed in commands with ever-increasing speed. He looked for back doors long-since planted for Siegrain's use. He tried to undo knots of security he'd worked out years ago. Nothing worked.

Seam laughed beneath his foot, no longer bothering to resist Jellal's access to his magic. "When you lose your wizardry, boy," he spat, "I think I'll make a footstool of you. I'll make sure you have a front row seat for whatever creative torment Lady Kyouka comes up for Titani–AAH!"

Jellal ground his heel into the man's skull. "Shut up," he demanded. "I still have forty minutes. This is nothing. I'll be enough." Every new strategy made a liar of him. This is impossible! he raged, struggling against security systems he'd helped design. I've never seen a lockout like this. It's like a safe inside a vault within a tank. Why did they develop all these redundancies?

All at once, he paused, shuddering. Oh, gods. They did this out of fear of me. When I escaped, the Council did this because of me. Shaking his head, he attacked the lockout anew. I won't give in to despair, not now! If this is my fault, then I have to make it right! His skin began to burn, through Cosmic Drive and Meteor Wave alike, from the sheer speed of his efforts. There has to be a way to stop Face! There must!

Erza embraced him from behind. The feel of her against his back distracted him for a moment, but her warmth and faith gave him a strength that Seireio Himself couldn't. "You can do it, Jellal. I believe in you." Jellal nodded and went back to work. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I'm locked out," he explained. "The Council added over a dozen new layers of defense against my interference, and Seam spoofed them to add the current Council members to my exclusion."

"Can you use Seam's access?" Erza asked.

Jellal shook his head. "The moment he started the countdown, Seam locked himself out of the abort function as well." He gave up on brute force and retreated to raw Archive code, working on breaking down the defenses on a fundamental level. I probably don't have enough time for that, he realized, but it's all I've got for now.

"Okay," Erza yielded, holding him closer. "Think. What other ways can you stop Face? How does it work?"

"It gathers all the ethernano out of the air," Jellal explained, "then expels it into the sky. The magical energy eventually settles back to earth, but in the meantime, all wizards are powerless." He glanced at the screens monitoring the battles, a smile forming for a moment. Gajeel and Levy had defeated Torafuzar. Gray marched on towards Mard Geer, Tempester nowhere to be found. Their forces in Magnolia had triumphed, with Ivan and Laxus pointedly looking away from each other. His smile vanished when he realized the other two screens were gone. Not now. Concentrate, he ordered himself. "Face isn't meant to destroy civilization."

"Good," Erza replied. "Is there any other–"

A howl like the end of the world echoed from the horizon. It shot towards them with the speed and might of a thousand thunderbolts. Erza froze with a terror Kyouka hadn't been able to draw forth with all her torments. The roar that followed shattered the sky. Wings of darkness carved through the heavens, and the force of wind that followed left explosions in its wake.

Acnologia.

It soared overhead, firing a beam from its mouth that leveled mountains. The monster danced overhead, strangely graceful as it obliterated everything around it. It hasn't reached Plutogrim yet, but we don't have much time.

Jellal gasped. "That's it," he breathed.

"What?" Erza gasped. "Acnologia?"

"Yes. Face is a weapon – and now we have a target! I'm going to hit that monster with the power to drain the magic from an entire continent–" Jellal began, already adjusting the controls. Seam whimpered and writhed beneath him. Jellal ignored it.

Then a red-gold flame erupted in the sky, and things got more complicated again. A dragon as magnificent as Acnologia was terrible appeared from the fires. Igneel! Jellal realized, recognizing the dragon from his Earthland-2 counterpart. Igneel hovered over Plutogrim for a few moments, then crashed into Acnologia, doing battle with him in the sky. "I know I don't deserve it myself, gods, but do you think you can give Fairy Tail one break?"

Erza's tightening hug was as much rebuke as embrace. "You can find a way. What do we do now?"

Jellal took in another breath, then let it go. "Okay. There's no point in hiding this any longer. The First Generation Dragon Slayers? The dragons are inside them, protecting them from a side effect of traditional Dragon Slayer Magic. Igneel must have emerged to protect Natsu and his guild. Us." Erza gasped. Jellal resumed his analysis, adjusting his commands anew. "I'm not sure what to do with this development. Magic...dragons...there has to be a way." Igneel continued to do battle with Acnologia while Jellal worked. "How is Igneel doing this? Most of his soul should be in Acnologia."

"What?" Erza blurted. "Then how are they able to, to exist?"

"Remaining inside their students protected the dragons as much as it did the Slayers," Jellal explained. "It kept them alive in spite of Acnologia's magic. On Earthland-2, we saved them by combining the unified might of all our wizards with – Milky Way!" He pressed two fingers to his forehead. "Doranbolt! Racer! I need Wendy, here, now!"

Both men appeared with Wendy and Carla simultaneously. "Tell me this means you've got a plan, Fernandes," Doranbolt said, scowling.

"Wendy, we can save your mother, and maybe Igneel and the others," Jellal said. Wendy's eyes widened, and she straightened. "I need you to cast Milky Way into the Super Archive. There's a risk that someone could access it later, but I don't see any other way to redirect Face and save the dragons at the same time."

"They're worth it," Wendy said, beginning the spell. They stopped for a moment when Natsu literally rocketed to Igneel, but shook it off and kept working. "Please, Jellal, can you save them?"

"We'll find out," Jellal whispered, turning his efforts back to taking control of Face's aiming mechanisms. "This is going to take absolute precision." Igneel threw Natsu back at Plutogrim – something that didn't seem to bother the Dragon Slayer – and the battle above resumed. "The magic has to restore their souls and heal the rift torn between spirit and body, but it can't expel the ethernano beyond Ishgar. Everything has to remain in balance."

"You can do it," Erza whispered, her hands moving up his chest so that her right came to rest over his heart. "This is why you're here. It's why you want to be here. You're going to save us all, Jellal."

Seconds ticked by. Minutes. Wendy prayed and cast forth her spell, Milky Way becoming one with Jellal's Archive Magic. Overhead, Igneel and Acnologia fought more fiercely than ever. A column of gray and black power erupted from where Natsu had landed, the battle against Mard Geer raging to rival the dragons' duel. Jellal began to sweat as he raced against the clock. Wait – there! The priming protocols. They're tied to the aiming system! A back door they didn't find! His smile broke free as he started tying the systems together. With a glance, he saw that there were nearly twenty minutes left. Heh. Time to spare.

Then the former Chairman began to scream beneath Jellal's boot. He thrashed and wept, flailing on the ground. "What?" Jellal gasped. He looked up again, and the countdown accelerated.

Kyouka chuckled. Seilah joined her. Thank the gods, it's all they can do, Jellal realized. "You underestimated our master. He's forced Seam's demonic essence to merge with our lacrima systems and his Super Archive. Your efforts are in vain, humans!"

"Silence!" Minerva howled, punching Kyouka in the face. "Jellal! Hurry!"

Jellal's arms became a painful blur, smoke rising from the friction of his efforts. I can still do it. Seam's resisting. He glanced at a readout, going pale. Mard Geer's stratagem. It's going to kill Crawford. Jellal shook his head, taking his foot off Seam's head. I have to hope that taking control of the systems will save him. Ishgar and the dragons come first. He rushed to complete the protocol spell in time. It's not enough. I can't do it like this!

His eyes narrowed. Only one chance. Jellal braced himself. "Erza, get back." She obeyed with a gasp, and Jellal didn't dare look at her as he plunged his fist into the central Archive screen. His abused nervous system howled in protest as he forced his mind and the Archive system to become one. World-brother. Thank you, he thought, remembering his counterpart doing the same thing. Lightning shook his body, threatening to overwhelm his thoughts. No. Erza's right. This is why I am here! I'm so close!

The countdown hit zero. Magic shuddered. Jellal's power wavered. Now or never! He threw back his head and screamed. "Star Devil Slayer Arcane Art! MILKY WAY CULMINATION!"

Music Cue: Titania Dances

Four columns of magic erupted across Plutogrim. The Face columns shone with light. Six targets lit up on the archive screens. Magic roared into five, and out of the sixth. Grandine appeared in the sky, and Wendy cheered through her tears. Metallicana erupted from another corner of Plutogrim. From a swirl of light and darkness, Weisslogia and Skiadrum took form. The souls of the dragons reunited with their bodies, Milky Way powered by the continent's magic freeing them from Acnologia, and Culmination making them whole. They flew off in different directions, and the lights of Face began to go out all over the virtual board above them.

Wait, but that will deprive them of– Jellal worried, calling up new analysis screens. "They're absorbing the system's magic as they destroy the Face monoliths," he realized. "That will stop Face from stealing ours." Tears streamed down his face as all Ishgar rejoiced. We did it. It was enough. In spite of everything, in the face of all our sacrifices, we really...did it!

"You saved us," Erza breathed.

"Gods, Erza, you just fought through pain incarnate," Jellal retorted, smiling as he turned, "give yourself a little credit."

She smiled back, eyes shining with tears. "It was my joy to help, but Fairy Tail, Ishgar, even the race of dragons...it was you, Jellal. You saved us all–"

Erza threw her head back and screamed.

"You poor fool," Nemesis chuckled, all the others except Racer clutching their heads and screaming along with Erza. The Etherious vanished beneath a wave of shadows and runes the color of blood. "Did you think I entrusted my existence to some lacrima toy?" The stone, tentacles, and Alegria flesh swirled up from below to form a Siegrain body out of Plutogrim's broken remains. "I can possess anything, even ruined flesh, scraps of inert conjuration, the rubble itself."

"Time to go, boss," Racer muttered. Before Jellal could react, he was in the middle of Team Sorciere, Meredy, Angel, and Yukino had rejoined them at some point, but there was no sign of Lucy or Michelle.

Then there was, and Jellal wished there wasn't.

Half of Fairy Tail staggered towards them, bodies moving like zombies, at first. With each step, they grew steadier, twisted smiles spreading across their faces. Overhead, Igneel and Acnologia threw themselves at each other one last time, Igneel ripping away one of Acnologia's arms – and Acnologia tearing through Igneel's chest. Somewhere, Natsu screamed.

"You should be at one," Cana laughed, striding past the ruined gates of Tartaros. The spires melted and twisted, turning into Nemesis-Siegrain as the control room had. "Nemesis is the way and the hope. Release the fear Jellal has enchanted into you. Become one with us, and you will know true freedom."

"Cana," Shou breathed. Jellal turned, to find Shou and Wally working their way towards Team Sorciere. "Damn it, I thought I protected her."

"Jellal?" Midnight asked, shuddering as Mirajane laughed and floated down beside Cana. Elfman and Lisanna tromped out of Tartaros behind them. "What's going on?"

"Nemesis," Jellal whispered. "He's taken them. Somehow, he's taken them all."

"The spells you wrote into us!" Daphne blurted, tinkering with her repulsor weapon. "To protect us from stuff like this. That's why we're not Nemesis zombies, yeah?"

"Then why am I–" Wally began, then looked at Shou. The blond shrugged and smiled. "I guess that was dandy. I'm not going to complain now."

"Truly?" Jellal's blood turned to ice. Erza soared above them in her Celestial Armor, then floated down to hover at the heart of the Fairy Nemesis army. "Wally. Shou. You were right. I should have stayed with you. We would have been at one, instead of suffering for all those years."

Gray joined Erza, flying on devil-wings of ice to land at her right, while Happy carried Natsu, and they landed on Erza's left. Wendy and Carla dropped in beside Natsu, while Lucy rode Aquarius' waters to stand behind them, a golden key in each hand. Laxus came down like thunder to appear at the head of the small army, the Thunder Tribe taking form behind him. In the rear, Ultear staggered out, still zombie-like, a look of horror fixed on her face. Meredy gasped, hands going over her mouth. He was waiting, Jellal realized, terror and fury roaring within him in equal measure. He was waiting for us to be vulnerable, for the battle with Tartaros to leave us exhausted and heartbroken.

Nemesis spread titanic arms behind him, laughing as Igneel's last fires went out. "Tell them again, boy," the demon laughed with Jellal's voice. "Tell them how weak you were. Lecture them on your worthlessness." The color drained from the star mage's face, and his eyes flickered up to Erza. Her right eye rolled back, then reappeared with the Rune of Zeref in it. "We've made them all ours, thanks to you. There is no hope against me. None at all."

He paused, leaning forward to peer at Jellal. The star mage shuddered, unable to contain his fury. "I owe you a great debt, Jellal. Rejoin me, and you will have everything you desire and more. You and Erza will be together. Ultear will bow before you. Fairy Tail will bestride the world as a supreme pantheon of gods. All you have to do..." Nemesis and Erza reached out their right hands as one. "...is be one with me."

The handful of free Fairy Tail wizards looked at Jellal. For a moment, he bowed his head. No. I cannot despair. Not now. I must not fail. I will not! Not now, when Fairy Tail – when Erza – needs me most! He looked back up, glaring at Nemesis. The stone giant with his face recoiled. "I don't care what you think you are, Nemesis, but there's one thing you should know," he said. "You have made an enemy of the one guild you should never anger."

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Nemesis-Erza

Erza gazed down with imperious frustration at the one man she didn't want to fight. What is that fool doing? she wondered, ignoring the horror of a tiny scarlet spark. "Oh?" she asked, summoning a single blade. "You say that as though you are a Fairy Tail wizard, when you forever deny your place among us. We are Fairy Tail, Jellal, and you lead the renegades and outcasts we were kind enough to shelter." She concentrated, casting out her will to the guild. They spread out, Gray moving right with determined, intellectual warriors, Natsu sweeping left with their chaotic lovers of battle. Laxus stood at the center, a nigh-invincible point of the spear. "I will endure your diffidence no longer. You will join us, or fall."

Jellal erupted in sapphire light, reclaiming Cosmic Drive. Erza smirked. Even with Seireio's help, you are all but spent, she thought, watching her force surround his. You are clever, but I am a strategist, and you are a schemer. There's no contest to end. There was never one in the first place. She stabbed out with her sword, and Laxus shot towards Jellal. Gray's force swung around to flank, while Natsu's wizards howled and charged.

Except Jellal was already gone. Laxus landed on stone, which Richard swallowed him up in with Liquid Ground. Meredy stabbed through the sphere of rock with Maguilty Rays that burned through the entire central force. Racer darted above her forces on ribbons of fluid stone, pounding them from above with kicks that drove Richard's magic into them. Midnight thwarted Natsu's entire force by warping the earth beneath them, turning it into a labyrinth within a pit. Angel summoned a horde of messengers over Gray's team, bolstered by flying drones of Daphne's creation, while Yukino slowed their advance with Libra's Gravity Magic. Wally appeared in the middle of the central force, bouncing between guild mates with his whatever-Frames-Per-Second attack, while Shou defended the summoners by pulling spells into his cards.

How? How are they coordinating with such precision – wait. Where's Cobra? She scanned the battlefield, but there was no sign of the Poison Dragon Slayer. "Find Cobra! Take him, and we win!" she ordered, and her forces spread out further. The scarlet spark struggled, consumed with agonized rage. That made thinking a bit harder, but it didn't matter. We're Fairy Tail, and they're a pack of villains we spared. They don't have a chance.

Jellal darted back behind his team, Mirajane in one arm while Abjuration faded from the other. Mira screamed, tears streaming down her face, while Jellal shook off Evil Spark. "Requip," Erza ordered, her Wind God Armor took form, and she used its magic to listen to them.

"I know, Mira. Gods, I know, but if we're going to save them I need your help," Jellal pleaded, firing Starbursts from his hand like he was Bisca's submachine gun. "I freed you first for a reason. Can you Take Over pieces of Nemesis?"

Mira gathered her wits, shaking her head clear. "Mm," she nodded. "Thanks to you. I can free them, but only one at a time."

"Good. I'm going after Lisanna. You free Laxus." Mirajane blinked for a moment, staring at him. "They'll expect you to go after Lisanna. They might not think you can take Laxus. Trust me, Mira." She nodded. Erza smirked. Cobra's not the only one who can hear you, Jellal. I have you now. She sent Laxus after him again. This time – WHAT?

Jellal charged straight at Laxus, Abjuration shining around his arm. When Erza sent Juvia after them, Jellal blocked her with Mirror Water, then aimed for the Lightning Dragon Slayer. Laxus, back! she ordered through Nemesis, and her teammate darted out of the way. That cost them Lisanna, as Mirajane swept around and tore Nemesis from her, but Jellal didn't–

Erza nearly screamed in frustration when Jellal appeared behind his lines with Freed, Abjuration fading from the weeping Letter Wizard. The scarlet spark rejoiced, until it saw Jellal had been struck again, this time by Dark Ecriture. "Natsu! Rematch! Defeat Jellal!"

Natsu howled with glee, leaping towards her beloved. "Yeah! I'm all fired up!" he roared, exploding towards Jellal. Cobra appeared in a blur of Racer speed, blocking Natsu to the Fire Dragon Slayer's howls of fury. "Outta the way, snake lips!"

"Full barrage!" she ordered aloud, her smirk returning when Richard predictably created a rampart to defend his team from Fairy Nemesis' countless blasts. There. Jet. Gajeel. Their speedster pulled the Iron Dragon Slayer straight into the former Hoteye, the two pummeling him in an instant. Racer screamed and counterattacked, which put him in one place long enough for Erza to target them both. She crushed them with Wind Magic, ordering Wendy overhead to join their magics.

Jellal darted out and pulled them back, but Racer and Richard were both on the edge of consciousness. Her love touched Racer's head with two fingertips, and the speedster vanished. Warren, tap their telepathic link, she ordered.

My magic doesn't work that way, he objected. Erza frowned. Nemesis sent one of Ultear's orbs to Warren's temple, and the telepath screamed. I-it should just take a minute, he whimpered.

Better. Erza indulged in a retreat, letting Nemesis send demons of stone after the rebels, who fell back. She looked over the sobbing Ultear, encased in a column of Nemesis shadow, only her eyes and nose showing. Four of her crystal spheres orbited her, each showing the Rune of Zeref within. "How we've longed to repay you for your good deeds, time witch," Erza mocked, wincing as the scarlet spark howled and wept. "Still, you gave us Jellal, so we will spare you. One day, you will be at one with us." Her crescent-blade smile grew. "Eventually."

Ultear whimpered through the shadow bands silencing her, but Nemesis understood. Please, she begged. I will give myself to you, completely, absolutely. Let them go, I beg you...

Nemesis and Erza laughed as one. "You? You're nothing, time girl, and we will never forgive you for crippling us. Jellal is the only one we will–"

Something disrupted the entire Nemesis oneness. Erza twitched, then turned to find Mirajane and Lisanna behind Team Sorciere, Gray purged between them. Juvia. She smiled as the water woman howled towards them, liquid Nemesis inside her, as she refused to allow anyone to separate her from her Gray-sama. Then Racer returned, collapsing beside Gray and the Strauss sisters. So what was he after – Juvia! Fall back!

The order passed through Juvia as if it had never happened, and she lunged for her darling Gray. Master Makarov put a glowing fist through her, purging her of the oneness. Juvia screamed. Clever, Jellal, Erza raged, but it will not be enough! Cana! Trump card! Cana laughed and raised her card high, one of Ultear's orbs spinning above it. A sleeping Gildarts appeared in the air, and Nemesis tendrils poured into him as he fell. I hadn't wanted to do this yet. I hoped we wouldn't have to destroy Magnolia, but if Jellal summoned Makarov, there's no other choice. As expected, Gildarts became at one with them in an instant, striding towards Makarov with a grin. "Oi, Mak! You've denied me that rematch for too long!"

Again, Erza listened. Jellal reappeared at Makarov's side with a quivering, heart-sick Elfman and a horrified Gajeel. Her love was shaking, battered, and still twitching from Evil Spark and Dark Ecriture. Levy and Evergreen both glared, their fury howling through the oneness. Jellal panted, leaning on Mystogan's fin staff while he held up Galaxia Shield to defend himself. "Master, do you have a plan?" Jellal asked.

Makarov stared in horror at the oneness. Why, Master? Erza wondered, though the scarlet spark thought she knew. "No," he admitted, jaw quivering. "No, I do not."

"It's okay. I do." Jellal straightened, eyes locked onto Erza. Every single part of her wanted him. He's beautiful, she exulted, taking in his magnificent body, the undaunted gleam in his eyes, the exquisite glow of magic revealing his genius. "Can you keep the central force occupied?" Jellal asked. "Make a mess. Be a Fairy Tail wizard." Erza blinked. Oh. I may have underestimated him as a strategist.

Makarov laughed. "My boy, do you have any idea who you're talking to? Hah!" The Sixth Master leaped to the front lines, growing until his head approached Nemesis' height. "By Fairy Tail tribunal – ow!" Laxus shocked the geezer's hand, leaving Makarov shaking it out. "That's rude!"

"Yeah, well, I do owe you one apology, old man," Laxus admitted, smirking. "Instead of that stupid fighting festival, I should've just challenged you head-on. Roaring Thunder!"

With Makarov contained, Erza scanned the battlefield, looking for Jellal's plan. Clever. You're too clever, even when we're not at one. Erza concentrated, sending suits of her armor to serve Master Nemesis' backup plan. For all your tricks, I have the numbers and the tactical advantage. Richard fell to a flurry of blows from Bickslow's babies. Alzack and Bisca brought down Angel with a Mud Shot-Stinger Shot combo. Even when her people were knocked unconscious, Nemesis could send them back into battle as long as their magic functioned. They're not as effective without the original intellect, but we still have numbers, and–

"Star Devil–"

"–Ice Devil–"

"RAGE!" Erza stared as Jellal and Gray combined their Devil Slayer Magic from a column of stone. What? We defeated Richard – damn you, Midnight! Nemesis-Erza snarled, grimacing as Nemesis' core self fell back into Tartaros' fortress, completing its collapse. For once, though, she had to agree with the scarlet spark that it had been impressive.

Jellal inhaled starlight from the night sky above. Gray took aim at Natsu with his ice bow. I don't think so, Erza decided, Requipping into her Flight Armor and slamming straight into him. Gray yelped and fell, spreading his icy wings. Erza shattered them, lashing out with Dark Grasp, but Mirajane pulled him away from the embrace of Nemesis at the last instant. Inspiration returning the smirk to her face, she used Dark Grasp on Racer instead. The resistance stared in horror as the speedster got up again. There. One moment, and it will all be over.

That wasn't quite true. Jellal, who'd apparently had the same idea, turned into a blur across the battlefield, having bound Abjuration to his arm with some combination of Midnight's magic and Mystogan's staves. He freed half her forces in an instant, including the entire Thunder Tribe, Shadow Gear, and the Connells.

Erza growled and retreated. It doesn't matter. I have my team, except for you stealing Gray, she decided. Master Nemesis, we should use your backup plan. Master Nemesis refused, to her frustration, but a lifetime of respect for a guild master kept her from arguing. No matter. They're all but spent. This...is where it ends. She held up a sword. "Lucy! Zodiac Revolution!"

"Aye sir!" Lucy cheered with a fierce grin. With the might of Nemesis, all nine of her Zodiac Spirits appeared; with the oneness of Nemesis, they all belonged to Erza. The scarlet spark wept in grief and despair. He cannot save you, remnant of weakness, Erza thought. He can only surrender weakness, and join us.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Plutogrim Ruins, X791: Jellal

I thought I had seen nightmares, Jellal thought, staring as the nine zodiac spirits screamed while Nemesis poured into them, but this...gods, help us. Jellal looked to his left. Laxus panted, grimacing. "This looks bad, huh, Myst?" he asked, fists shaking as he fought to keep them raised. Somehow, the lightning wizard grinned.

"We'll find a way," Mirajane insisted from his right. Algol flickered in her palm, the triple spark fighting to stay alight. "We defeated all the Books of Zeref, saved the dragons, and stopped the end of the world. There's no way we can't handle a sadistic oil slick."

"Ultear," Jellal whispered, forcing himself to stay upright. "Erza. They're the ones he's obsessed with, besides me. We free them, he won't be able to hold the rest." The Star Devil Slayer forced himself upright, refusing to lean on Mystogan's staff. He tore away the last remnants of his shirt, letting the bandages fall away around him.

"Oi, oi, that's my thing," Gray objected with a grin, barely holding back waves of Natsu's flame.

"We've thinned the ranks enough that I can free them," Jellal continued, ignoring Gray's jab, "except they have Gildarts. Even with Master Makarov on our side, I don't know what to do about him."

"We'll handle him," Laxus said, looking past Jellal to Mirajane. After a moment, the She-Demon nodded back. "I don't think we can take him, but we can buy you enough time for whatever plan you've got up your sleeve."

"Elfman! Block for us, please!" Mirajane called. With a roar, Beast King Elfman charged Natsu's forces, plowing through everyone except the Fire Dragon Slayer himself. Then Mira grabbed Jellal's arm. "You were right before, Jellal, but now is the time to discuss it."

"What?" Jellal blurted, turning to watch Nemesis recreate his body from the rubble of Tartaros' citadel. "Now?"

"Yes." Mirajane grabbed his shoulders, and Laxus formed a dome of lightning around them. "You have to believe it wasn't you." Jellal's heart recoiled from her demand. But...Simon... he grieved. "It's not fair, I know. This is supposed to take time, patience, and understanding. We're out of time, and Nemesis is the opposite of understanding." She pulled them almost nose to nose. "Is that Erza?" Jellal gasped. Of course not! Everything within him recoiled from the concept. Mirajane nodded as though she'd heard him. "Exactly. If it's not Erza, or Natsu, or Lucy, or Wendy – if it wasn't me, or Laxus, or Gray, or Juvia – then it couldn't have been you, either."

Jellal winced. "But–"

"No!" Mirajane cried, tears shining in her eyes. "There is no 'but' here! Nemesis got us all after one bad day! The Cult of Zeref had you for six years, used your friends and your love to tear you down – we're not going to win if the man who's guiding us out of that darkness thinks there's no escape from it!" She shuddered at whatever she saw in his eyes. "Do you know what the three rules about leaving Fairy Tail really mean?" He shook his head. "You may not get jobs at the board after that, but no matter where you go or what you become, you're still a Fairy Tail wizard. Please, Jellal. Believe you're a Fairy Tail wizard."

Fairy Glitter shone like a star on his arm. His guild mark turned warm. "Live, and grasp the future before you." Jellal made a fist. "Laxus. Lower the dome."

Mirajane let go, swallowing. Laxus nodded and turned his lightning on Gildarts. The Crash Wizard laughed and rushed at them. Jellal summoned the Meteor Sword and became a blur again, calling on Seireio's sacred might. If God Himself told you that you were innocent... Jellal rushed through the enemy ranks again, thumping Fairy Tail wizards in the gut with the sword's hilt. It wasn't the full might of Abjuration, but it gave them a chance to fight back. Nemesis-Erza's force collapsed into disarray in moments, thrown into more chaos than when he'd simply set them free.

If God Himself told you...

If God Himself...

Natsu's blazing fist shot towards Jellal's face. Jellal blocked with a Seal-protected palm and aimed the hilt at the Dragon Slayer's ribs. Natsu dodged back. "Fire Dragon – ROAR!" he chanted, blasting Jellal with flame.

I can repay you, at last. Even if I was innocent – Jellal darted back for an instant, eyes flickering up to Nemesis-Erza. She raged, raining storms of swords down on her guild mates. Then he leaped through the flames, Star Devil Iron Fist forming around his arm alongside Abjuration. "You know how this ends!" he cried, pounding Natsu in the jaw. "FREE YOURSELF, NATSU!"

Natsu went flying, tumbling through a long, bouncing landing. Jellal closed his eyes, turning Meteor Wave into a bonfire around him. He's free, Jellal realized, permitting himself a moment's relief. "Jellal!" Natsu roared. "Believe in the man Erza believes in!" Jellal's eyes flew open. That's – but – why does she believe in me? Why?

"Flash Forward!" Erza chanted, channeling Ultear's magic and throwing a dozen swords at him. They became a hundred, and Jellal was hard pressed to dodge even with all his speed. Ultear first, he decided, racing to her.

It stabbed him through the heart to see her weeping in that column of Nemesis shadow, eyes held open by demon runes. With a cry of absolute fury, Jellal plunged his hands into the foul mass, driving it back with Meteor Wave. "Ultear," he said, Cosmic might pushing the demon force away. "I was innocent," he admitted at last.

Despite the years of guilt and grief, the confession still felt like tearing something precious from his soul. "It wasn't me. I was helpless in my own spirit, a prisoner-slave while you and Nemesis turned my body and mind against everything I love." Only a few threads of Nemesis still held Ultear, but she could do no more than shiver.

"You were right. Lucy and the other Erza were right. We live in a world of magic," he reminded her, "and sometimes, that magic makes horrors. I couldn't accept that friendship and love weren't enough. It was easier to believe that I was a monster all those years, than to admit I was still a powerless slave." Jellal threw his arms around Ultear, embracing her and driving the last demon threads away. "Now do you believe I forgive you?"

Ultear froze. Then she threw her arms around Jellal in turn, sobbing, as Nemesis wailed and fled from them. "I – I – I'm sorry, Jellal! I'm so sorry! I wanted to – I meant to – it was never supposed to have happened! Jellal!"

He flew them back behind the battle lines in an instant. "I know, Ultear. I know. You've apologized a dozen times before. It's all right now." Sniffling, they let each other go. He smiled for her, pulling himself together. "Any ideas? Erza's the lynchpin here, but she's going to be tough to reach."

Ultear wiped her eyes and laughed. "You're never going to believe me," she insisted.

"I will," Jellal promised.

"Tell her you love her," Ultear said. In spite of his admission, the thought still felt like a thousand daggers. Ultear smirked, because of course she did. "Well, you could show her, but that's probably too much for you. I think the universe will let you start slow."

"No. You're right." Jellal turned, just slow enough that he caught Ultear's shocked, wide eyes. "I don't know why she still loves me. After everything we've been through, it makes no sense at all. At least now, I understand. It's staying away that hurt her, not being close." Ultear nodded. He floated up, arcs of Starburst driving away a new wave of undead puppets. "It's time I made this right." He reached out with his mind, searching for Erza.

What he found was a mess. Nemesis brewed a toxic soup of longing, resentment, and competitive fury around Erza's true self, a scarlet spark bound and alone in the dark. Please, the spark begged. Please, Jellal... With a nod, Jellal flew at the possessed Erza, gathering all his might. Please...please...

Erza. I'm coming. Nemesis-Erza moved in slow motion, the look of shocked disbelief only then just starting to spread across her face. I won't fail you again.

Jellal...please...please let me save you...

The shock shot through Jellal with such irresistible force that he tumbled through the air, his entire plan falling apart with his composure. Nemesis-Erza laughed and Requipped into Purgatory, slamming him back to earth with Perdition. Most of the free Fairy Tail wizards cried out when he made a crater in Plutogrim's remains. It almost didn't even hurt. Jellal was too busy realizing what a spectacular, S-Class idiot he had been for so long. "The mighty Jellal Fernandes, Shield of Ishgar," Erza laughed. "Pathetic." He was forced to agree, covering his face in his hand. Erza. I'm sorry. This time, I will definitely...let you save me.

Again, he stood. Again, he rose. Spreading his wings and scraping his magic together, he flew at Erza with all his might. This time, she Requipped into her Celestial Armor, matching Meteor for Meteor. They grappled, literally hand to hand, facing each other as they wrestled in the sky. "I'm going to make this right, Erza. I promise," Jellal swore. Nemesis-Erza laughed again, but before she could respond, Jellal concentrated and pushed Nemesis back. It only freed her from the neck up, but that was enough for her expression to melt from mocking aggression to helpless terror. "I love you."

Erza gasped. Nemesis became a storm around the pair, surrounding them in countless bands of its fury. Darkness stole the world, the only light they had coming from each other. "I love you, too," Erza whispered, her grief driven away by a smile that shone brighter than all their magic.

Jellal kissed her.

Erza embraced him, and Jellal held her, without any particular thought or effort from either of them. The feel of Erza's lips, her arms, her body against his – twenty-one years of captivity and torment and exile and conflict just vanished. Nemesis burned, crashing to earth, and freedom was in Jellal's arms as he finally remembered what it was in his heart. To love. To be loved. To find the path you believe in. At last, in defiance of the end of days itself, Jellal was home. He was a Fairy Tail wizard, in Erza's arms, his family all around. They were finally, truly, free.

Nemesis howled, rising from the mass of Plutogrim to take a larger form than ever. As one, Jellal and Erza turned to look at him with contempt beyond anger. "Learn to read a room, demon," Jellal quipped, and Erza almost laughed.

"YOU ARE MINE!" Nemesis howled at the sky. All the Curses of the Demon Gates boiled up within it. With a single wave of his titanic arm, Seilah's books rained down on Fairy Tail, Jackal's explosive Curse making them erupt on impact. Franmalth's soul-theft lashed out through Keyes' ghost-body tendrils, leaving wraiths to rise and attack in their wake. Torafuzar's waters lashed out, forming Ezel's swords at the edge of the waves. Keyes' Necromancy lashed out, animating corpses charged with Tempester's restoration Curse. "You are nothing without me, Jellal! I made you! Your friends will never know the oneness without me! You – and – Erza – are – MINE!"

"Revert!" Ultear cried, holding up an arm with a dozen Sensory Link bands on it. All of Tartaros' Curses vanished, undone by Arc of Time and the united strength of Fairy Tail. "You were saying, demon?"

Music Cue: Dragon Force

"You were nothing before him, weren't you?" Erza asked, glaring up at the stone replica of Jellal. They let go, then held hands. "All your cunning, all your imagination, all your passion – they're just sad, twisted replicas grown from the eleven year old boy Jellal used to be. He was amazing even then, but he grew, while you never became more than the inversion of that child!"

"Shut up!" Nemesis cried. "You need me! Dark Grasp!"

"Fixed Light of Heaven," Jellal chanted, permitting himself the spell at last, "guide us to victory! Polaris!"

Erza laughed. "Pleaides!" she joined in more simply, calling on the flying sister stars.

The two spells burned away the evil Curse and crashed into Nemesis, driving it back and leaving it stumbling through the ruins of Tartaros. "No! I am Zeref's chosen one! You'll never be free without me! Altairis!" The spell that killed Simon appeared over the monster's head, a murderous orb the size of the guild hall.

Jellal felt the fury that burned through him raging in Erza as well. Light erupted from where their hands met. "That was your last mistake, Nemesis," he said, and they raised those hands as one. "You don't know what the island's name means, do you?"

Nemesis stared, Altairis hovering before it. "Brightest Star of Heaven, shine down in the darkest night!" the two chanted as one. "UNISON RAID: TENROU HEART!" Nemesis screamed and threw Altairis flew at Fairy Tail. Tenrou Heart shot out to stop it. The light crashed through the darkness, burning away the spell, the foul body, and Nemesis itself. Cosmic light and fire roared through all the ruins of Plutogrim, burning away every last tendril and drop of the cruel demon-spell. Nemesis wailed, collapsed, and vanished forever.

A ragged cheer went up from their nakama. Jellal turned a shy smile toward Erza, realizing they were still holding hands. Erza looked back at him, eyes and lips quivering. Then she kissed him again, and in spite of a beautiful golden sunrise and a rainbow of Fairy Tail wizards below them, there was nothing but Scarlet in Jellal's whole universe. It was where he belonged, at last.

It was the color of your hair.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magnolia, X791: Erza

"'Brightest star of heaven?'" Lucy asked. Erza could tell her smile was forced. I won't complain. After that long, awful nightmare...not everyone got the happily-ever-after I did.

"Tenrou. It's another name for Sirius," Erza explained. Lucy's eyes widened, then she nodded, her smile becoming more genuine. Lucy picked at scrambled eggs and hash browns, while Erza savored a strawberry turnover. "How do you feel?"

"Me?" Lucy blurted. "I should be asking you that, shouldn't I?"

Erza chuckled. "Honestly, I'm grateful. It's selfish, I know, but everything I endured brought Jellal back to me, at last," she explained, looking towards the guild hall. "Seam's treachery let Jellal save me from Tartaros. Our battle in the control room proved his virtues for all Ishgar to see. I genuinely struggled against Nemesis with all my might..." she shuddered, her smile fading for a moment. It returned stronger than before. "He set me free with a kiss. He let me set him free, with that kiss. Fairy tales are going to tell stories about us."

Lucy shook her head. "Don't ever change, Erza," she said, her own smile growing stronger. "You were amazing, you know that? I don't think it's selfish at all." Lucy paused. "I'm going to miss Aquarius, but as long as she's okay, I'll be fine. Once I know her key's in good hands...." her fingers strayed to her pouch. "Well, I need to reunite her with Scorpio, at least." Her smile vanished. "I'm more worried about Natsu and Gray. They both lost their fathers, for the second time."

"I know. It's terrible. That's why I feel that it's selfish," Erza admitted. "I know that neither of them would want me to deny this joy when there's nothing we can do except be there for them." She shook her head. "It doesn't help that Zeref appeared out of nowhere and stole the Book of END. It was the last request of both fathers, was it not?" Lucy nodded. Erza reached for her turnover, then twitched as a memory of pain shot up her arm. "Jellal and I both need time to recover, but once we have regained our strength, I have faith that we can find it."

With a deep breath, Lucy stood. "Well! I guess the first thing to do is head back to the hall, right? It took a beating, but Ultear and Cobra really saved the day, huh?" She forced another smile.

"Of course," Erza agreed anyway. "I'll go find Jellal, then join you, okay?" Lucy nodded with a hum and walked towards the hall. Erza finished her turnover, Requipped into her Flight Armor, and soared over to Jellal's newly-chosen perch atop Magnolia Station. She smiled to find him sitting atop a water tower, watching the trains come and go with a curious intensity.

Jellal had returned to something akin to his Crime Sorciere garb. He no longer wore the coat, instead opting for a long-sleeved blue shirt under a lighter breastplate than he'd used before. The rest remained the same, his cloak in particular as distinctive as ever. "Dare I ask," Erza joked, earning just a tilt of his head, "the source of your sudden interest in Magnolia Station?"

"I understand that trains are a common hobby among Fiore civilians," he explained. "While I have some interest in anti-motion-sickness lacrima crystals, I've determined that observing the movement of trains would not result in a significant contribution to my research. Also, my transportation-related interests lean far more towards airships." Erza chuckled and waved for him to explain. Her smile faded when he lowered his head. "I have...also discovered that I have no experience at all in leading a 'normal' life." Jellal sighed, deflating. "I am searching for enjoyable, casual pursuits. Hobbies. 'Fun.' It's...harder than I expected."

Erza chuckled, grabbed his hand, and towed him towards the guild hall. Oh, Jellal. He floated behind her, following without objection even in the air. "Magic is your passion," she insisted. "Follow it. If nothing else, Levy and Lucy can recommend any number of books. Come. If you're looking for a way to have fun, the guild hall...is..." she blinked at Master Makarov and Ivan taking in front of the hall, while Lucy stared at the doors with wide, quivering eyes. "What is going on here?" She demanded, earning a smirk from Ivan, a sigh from the Sixth Master, and a pleading look from Lucy that pierced Erza's heart.

"I've disbanded the guild," Makarov said, as though it were some sort of explanation. Lucy let out a single, quiet sob. "Tartaros. Zeref. Acnologia. This is the end of an era."

"My apologies, Master," Erza replied, striding up to him with eyes like jagged diamonds, "I must have misheard you. I could have sworn you said that you'd gone senile and forgotten your family."

Ivan's smirk vanished. "It's not what you think, girl." He shrugged while Makarov looked away. "Frankly, most of me still wishes it was. I have no doubt that this is temporary."

Before Erza could light into the two Dreyars, Jellal put a gentle hand on her arm. "Erza. I've seen this before," he said, eyes flickering skyward for a moment. "I don't want it to end the same way." He turned back toward Makarov. "Master, is this about the people who have been Fairy Tail wizards remaining together, or it is about the mark and magic of the guild?"

"It is about Fairy Tail's history," Makarov explained. "I suspect that many of you need to find your own paths, but those of you who need one another should remain together." Ivan chuckled. It sounded less mocking than Erza had expected.

Jellal looked from Makarov, to Lucy, to Erza, then up at the hall tower. "In that case, Master, I would like to use Fairy Tail's old guild hall to host a new one," the star mage said. The four of them all looked at Jellal with wide eyes, Ivan included. "The lost still need a place to find themselves. This seems as good a place as any."

"Being a guild master is neither simple nor easy," Makarov warned.

Jellal chuckled. "With respect, Sixth Master, I ran a guild that fled the Magic Council and made an enemy of every Dark Guild in Ishgar, successfully, for six years. Even if it was Siegrain, I recall being a member of the Council myself." He paused. "Also, the first thing I intend to do as guild master is recruit Mirajane." Erza stamped down a moment's jealousy, before the memory of their kiss drove away the very idea of it.

Makarov laughed in spite of himself. "Very well. Do not call on Fairy Tail's magic or travel to Tenrou Island, use your own guild mark and bylaws, and do not break the seal in the basement. Promise me this, and I will allow it."

For a moment, Jellal looked at the ground in front of the hall. "I would like an exception to the last condition, allowing for permission from the First Master." Makarov stared for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you. I suppose I should get started."

Erza grabbed his hand. "Not yet," she insisted. You are going to take some time to recover from Tartaros. We are going to take some time. Jellal sighed, but smiled.

To Erza's surprise, Ivan snorted. "My counterpart was out of his mind." Makarov and Jellal both looked at him, Makarov with one raised eyebrow, Jellal with his head tilted a fraction to one side. "When...his father died, he devoted his life to taking revenge through the death of Scarlet's counterpart." Ivan looked away. "I've hated Fairy Tail for a long time. It was always more important to this old man than I was."

"Ivan–" Makarov began.

"It doesn't matter," Ivan cut in. "I was headed down that road. That other Ivan...I don't know if he even remembers Mata any more. She wouldn't want that. I know she wouldn't want me to become that." He smirked at Jellal. "You want all of Fairy Tail's baggage and none of its magic, Fernandes? Your woman's told you how insane that is, yes?"

Jellal's eyes burned gold. "She's not–" he began.

Erza gripped his hand tighter. "I am," she insisted, smiling at the shocked look Jellal gave her. "Every Master creates a different guild, Ivan. I think even you would be welcome in his."

Ivan chuckled and turned away. "That's nice. It really is. But I'm done here. Secrets, blood, family, craziness – it's all yours now. No more revenge schemes. I'm going to find my own path. That's what you wanted anyway, isn't it, old man?" Makarov sniffled and nodded. "Boy. The redhead. Cherish her every day, every moment." Jellal nodded as well, and Ivan walked away, waving so much like Laxus it made Erza's heart ache.

"Ivan," Makarov whispered, crying. "That's all I ever wanted for you." He left as well, gray tarpaulins rolling down over the Fairy Tail symbols above.

Lucy walked up to them. A moment's guilt shot through Erza when she realized she'd forgotten her friend was there. "I'm going to head to my apartment for a bit," she whispered, wringing her hands. "I'll come back with Natsu, okay?" She forced another smile. Erza and Jellal nodded as one, and Lucy, too, headed down the road.

"What became of the surviving dragons?" Erza asked Jellal, watching Lucy fade into the milling crowds rebuilding the city. Again, she thought, almost sighing.

Jellal smiled. "Earthland-2. There's no Acnologia there, so they'll be safe until the time comes. Wendy, Sting, and Rogue were overjoyed to be reunited with their parents." He chuckled. "Gajeel was more, ah, ambivalent, but I think he was happy too. The other three have lacrima they can use to stay in touch." His smile faded. "Do you know where Natsu and Gray went?"

"Gray is making a pilgrimage to his parents' grave," Erza explained, her own smile vanishing with Jellal's. "He needs closure. Juvia went after him, but she didn't have her usual enthusiasm." She refused to frown or cry, not yet. I can let myself be weak later.

"I'll talk to Juvia when she gets back," Jellal promised, and Erza looked back at him in surprise. "We struck up a friendship during the Games. Even Mirajane has declared it 'odd.'" Erza chuckled. "Natsu?"

"I...don't know," she admitted. "Igneel's death hit him hard. The last thing he told me was that the grief was how Nemesis was able to possess him the second time, and that the dragon's spirit remained long enough to remind him to move forward." Erza let him go and made a fist. "Watching them do battle, helpless to affect it in the least, that was...difficult."

"I remember," Jellal agreed. "With Face, I thought, maybe I could give Igneel enough of an advantage to survive, at least." He shook his head. "It aches, knowing how completely Natsu saved me, but when he needed me most–"

Erza punched him in the shoulder before she could stop herself, pulling back on her force at the last moment. "Do not dare claim guilt for his death," she warned. "I cannot bear that. Not now."

"It's all right, Erza," he insisted, and relief thundered through her when she sensed his sincerity. "It is grief, some shame that I was not strong or clever enough when I was the only one who might have – but I know it was Acnologia," Jellal assured her. "It took uniting half the world's wizards, including Alvarez Wizard Saints who equal dragons' might, to overcome him on Earthland-2. I only hope we can replicate that miracle when our own time comes."

Music Cue: Kizuna

Erza nodded. "We all thought that monster was the worst nightmare imaginable, but Nemesis hurt us the most." A moment's amusement elicited another chuckle from Erza. "It's ironic. You insisted on your weakness for so long, but Fairy Tail saw only your strength, kindness, and nobility. Overcoming your sorrow in the heart of all that pain...it's helped us all to move forward as well." She pivoted to face him, her smile returning at his blush. "My counterpart was right. Hope is blue."

"Their Simon is right as well," he said, running his fingers through her hair, his smile joining hers. "Courage is red." Erza fought the urge to bite her lip. That feels...even better than I remember, she realized. "I won't say I'm glad it happened, that Grimoire Heart took all those years of my life. Now, though, I find comfort in the strength I've gained from it."

"That is good, but...what about happiness?" Erza asked. "Can you permit yourself that, at last?"

Jellal glanced away. "I won't punish myself any longer," he promised, "but happiness...I lost my understanding of it. I enjoy helping others, protecting them, but joy of my own?" He hunched his shoulders. "I don't know how."

After a few seconds, Erza laughed. Jellal stared at her, lips parting. "Oh, Jellal," she replied, holding her head even as she shook it. "Whatever name we go by, if there is anything Fairy Tail wizards are good at, it's fun. We'll teach it to you."

"It's not your burden," he said, not quite flinching.

Anger welled up in Erza for a moment. No. That won't work with him. A memory of Mira's suggestion rose in it's place, and Erza smirked. It was worth dropping to her knees to watch Jellal leap back with a yelp. He stared at her in utter disbelief, eyes saucer-wide. "Mirajane once told me that I could probably convince you to do anything, if I were willing to beg you for it."

"E-Erza!" Jellal blurted, his face the color of her hair as he waved his arms in denial.

"'All I need is the strength to protect my friends. So long as I can do that, I don't care if I'm weaker than everyone in the world.' It's not as contradictory as I thought." Erza smiled up at him. "I won't beg you to be with me. I won't even beg you to be happy. You would try to force yourself into it, and that might only cause you more misery if you failed." She reached out, took his hand, and pulled him back over to her. "All I beg of you is that you grant yourself permission to be happy and free. Let me help you. Let us be there for you, as you were for us. Please."

For a few seconds, Jellal trembled, staring at her. Then, with gentle strength she'd always known was there, he guided her back to her feet. His hand on Erza's cheek paralyzed her. He stepped forward, putting his arm around her waist. Erza's heart thundered. He leaned in, and she felt his breath mingle with hers. Is this – am I your –

Their lips touched, and it was rapture like lightning playing across them. Somehow, Erza didn't crush Jellal into her, letting the kiss grow with her joy. She never knew how long they stood there, arms around each other, a lifetime of longing fulfilled at last.

When they parted, Jellal smiled. "I...I can do that," he said, and Erza's heart soared. "I love you, Erza. When I knew nothing else, I knew that. When there was no place left in the world, there was you. In that demon's darkness, there was one light. It was scarlet."

"Jellal!" she cried, leaping onto him and kissing him back. They stumbled into the wall, Erza all but pinning Jellal to it as she threw herself into him. She ignored the cheers around them. I'll be embarrassed later. We've thrown off our final chains at last! For the rest of our days, we will be free, together!

Chapter Text

Volume Thirty-Eight: Loose Ends of the World

Earthland-1, Shooting Starlight Guild Hall, X791: Ultear

Ultear and Mirajane high-fived one another while Jellal sweat-dropped at the sight of the new guild symbol – three golden shooting stars, flying up and rightward on a blue field. "Look at it this way, Jellal," Ultear said, smirking. "I wanted to use your birthmark."

"That wouldn't have fit the guild's name, though," Mirajane pointed out.

"Well, that's why we went with Reedus' design," Ultear agreed. Jellal took in a breath to respond, but Erza tightened her death grip hug, and his only response became a squeak. Ultear and Mira laughed as one. Good going, Erza, she thought, then looked at her shining smile and squeezed-shut eyes. Wait, that wasn't on purpose? Zen God. This guild.

"Job board's just about set up!" Nab cheered. He and Jet had nearly finished putting it together, a hammer in Jet's hand and a wrench in Nab's. Droy nodded as he finished off another roll of beef.

"I still think we should have gone with Crime Sorciere or Phoenix Grave," Jellal muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile.

Mirajane huffed and crossed her arms. "Until Master Makarov comes back, we're Shooting Starlight," she insisted. "You were outvoted." Erza hummed to a pair of nods.

"Don't worry," Lisanna added with a smile. "Now that you're the guild master, we'll listen to you." She glanced at her older sister. "Well, most of us, I'm sure." Her eyes flickered to Midnight, asleep on a new flying carpet. "Most of the time..."

"Star Magic is manly!" Elfman declared, carrying what looked like half a dozen tree trunks on one shoulder as he headed upstairs. Some of Nemesis' damage resisted my Arc of Time, she remembered, half-frowning at the lumber held in one Beast Arm. I need to figure out why.

Jellal sighed. "Nemesis was made of the corruption that makes a demon what it is," he said, and even though Ultear knew he hadn't read her mind, it still made her quiver. "That energy perverts reality itself, but it was the only such raw example of it in this world. You're worrying too much."

"I learned from the master," Ultear shot back, but couldn't help but relent when his smile had less pain than she'd ever seen in it. "Sorry. Master," she added, unable to stop herself from teasing him. "You're right. We'll manage."

"I'm glad to hear it," Rei said, entering with Shoto and Yaoyorozu behind her.

Joy she'd rarely known rushed through the time wizard. "Aunt Rei!" Ultear gushed, literally teleporting over and hugging both aunt and cousin. Yao-momo smiled. "Shoto! What are you doing here?"

"We heard about what happened," Shoto replied, "and came to check on you and your friends." When Ultear let them go, the three of them entered, and the dual-element wizard looked around. Izuku and Ochako were behind him, waving. "The rest of our family is back at the guild hall. Touya's road is a difficult one."

"I'm familiar with it," Ultear agreed. "Please, call on me if he needs someone to talk to." She waved for the green-haired Hero Soul Wizard and his witch friend to come in. "Jellal! Guests!"

Erza lit up even before Jellal did. "Ultear's family is ours," she insisted, elicing a smile from Rei and nods from Shoto and Yao-momo, "and you must be Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka. Master Jellal spoke highly of your dedication, intelligence, and courage."

"M-me?" Izuku blurted. "Anyone with eyes can tell Ochako's amazing," he continued, causing the young sorceress to glow with her blush, "but I can barely control Hero Soul."

"Tell All For One that," Jellal insisted, his smile growing and sorrow vanishing. "I imagine Ochako would have said what you just did, with your roles reversed, had you not beaten her to it." When Ochako nodded, Ultear looked at Mirajane. It was no surprise at all when the grinning She-Demon made psychic contact. Matchmaking time? Mira asked.

Matchmaking time, Ultear agreed. It was an effort not to laugh again when she realized Jellal's eyes were glinting while he watched them. Even Jellal ships it.

Mira clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from giving them away. Fortunately, the Connells walked in just then, Asuka's adorable cheer a perfect distraction.

It was less fortunate that Ultear missed Meredy for an instant, like a hole in her chest. No. She's traveling with the Thunder Tribe. Laxus promised he'd look out for her. It's like Ur-2 told me. "Roots to grow, and wings to fly." She's an adult, a hero, a Fairy Tail wizard in her own right. I have to let her go. She shook the emptiness off. Cobra and Mira are right. If there's one thing I am permitted to be proud of in this world, it's how Jellal and I raised her. Meredy's amazing.

"Oi oi," Gray called, coming through the still open door, "what did I miss?" He pushed the door further open to reveal Juvia at his side. She was looking down, but her smile rivaled Natsu's widest.

"Gray! Juvia!" Erza reached him first, but Ultear was right behind, and in less than a second everyone in the guild was hugging the two new arrivals. Even Rei and Shoto had walked over, not joining the mass embrace, but each only a step away. After several seconds, her little brother cleared his throat, and the others backed off enough for the pair to enter. "Are you all right?"

"I will be," Gray promised. "I mourned my dad a long time ago. We didn't kill him. We set him free." He took a long breath, turned a quick glance toward Jellal, nodded, then granted Rei and Shoto one of his rare smiles. "You're our Aunt Rei and her son, right? It's an honor to meet you."

"It is our pleasure," Rei replied, and Shoto added a shallow bow. Gray's smile faded away. You see it too, don't you? I'll have to make sure he knows Shoto has a guild of his own, Ultear noted to herself.

Then Gray looked around and frowned. "There's a lot of nakama missing. They still making their way back?" The hard glint in his eyes belied his gentle tone.

"Natsu and Happy went off on a training quest before they heard about the guild disbanding," Erza began.

Gray choked on his next words. Juvia gasped. "Disbanding?" he demanded. "Is that why that weird symbol's over our guild mark up there? What is Gramps thinking?"

"It's related to Zeref," Jellal jumped in, holding up his hands and calling on his calmest voice. "He did it for our safety. We are, apparently, Shooting Starlight for the time being." He raised an eyebrow at Mirajane, whose smug grin returned. "Until he returns, I am the guild master. I think."

With a resounding crack, Erza stuck Perdition in the floor, leaving most of the other mages recoiling – even Mirajane, this time. "You have been granted that title, Master Jellal," she insisted, taking in the main hall with a sweeping gaze, "and it will be my honor and pleasure to ensure any recalcitrant guild members recognize that."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Jellal insisted, while Gray and Juvia sweat-dropped.

Cobra snorted. "Relax, boss. They're just not gonna put up with you dumping on yourself." He downed the swirling purple substance he'd been nursing. "Not that it's much of a problem any more, thank the gods."

"Not 'much,' Jellal?" Erza asked, banishing the sword in the floor and turning a worried look toward him. Gray and Juvia joined her. Ultear sighed. Here we go.

"I regret my failures during our battle with Tartaros, that's all," Jellal admitted.

Gray gaped at him, jaw slack. "What failures?" he demanded. "You saved the whole guild - the whole damned world – at least twice!"

"I wasn't going to speak of it," Jellal began, but Erza took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He sighed. "We lost two Councilors, three former Councilors – four, if you include Seam – and fourteen Era guards," Jellal counted off. "Three teams were captured, as was Natsu, and they suffered for it. Nemesis took nearly the entire guild, an agony I know too well. We lost Igneel, Aquarius..."

"And you're counting Silver in your head too, aren't you?" Gray sighed. "Erza, will slapping him work?"

To Ultear's amazement – and from the wild takes everyone but their guests did, the rest of the guild's as well – Erza smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Fortunately, I have another solution." She kissed Jellal on the cheek, and he turned red so quickly Ultear half-expected steam to erupt from his ears. "You were not responsible for the deaths in Era, or our captures or suffering. You did everything in your power to save the living, and the dead are meant to move on."

Erza pulled him close, letting his hand go to put an arm around his waist. "You are responsible for saving all of Era, freeing the captives of Tartaros' ambushes, and rescuing me from agony incarnate. We lost Igneel, but you saved the other four dragons from a death foreordained by Acnologia itself. You stopped the doom of Face and the nightmare of Nemesis. You let me save you, and saved us all in doing so." She rested her head on Jellal's shoulder. "As your counterpart once asked of mine: I know the strength of my will, do you know the truth of your worth?"

"That's right!" Izuku cheered from the far end of the room, punching skyward. Ochako raised her staff at his side. "Let's hear it for Jellal Fernandes, the Number One Hero of Fiore!"

"Aye SIR!" the guild agreed as one. You tell him! Ultear's heart cheered.

Jellal let a smile shine past his tears. "Thank you," he replied. "It doesn't change that half our family is scattered, but that just means it's up to us to keep the light shining for them until they can come home."

"Juvia doesn't understand. Where are the others?" the water mage asked.

"Natsu's departure broke Lucy's heart," Lisanna said, her own eyes shining with unshed tears. And yours with it, Ultear thought. "She's gone to Sorcerer Weekly looking for work."

"Wendy joined Lamia Scale to be with Sherria, and Carla followed her," Shou explained, walking up to stand beside Ultear. It took the time mage an effort not to squirm as conflicting emotions roared through her. "Funny story – so did Racer, Richard, and Wally. Racer will insist up, down, and sideways that Richard wanted to join Jura's guild, and it's got nothing to do with protecting a certain Sky Dragon Slayer."

"To be fair, Richard was happy to reconnect with Jura," Midnight piped up, one eye cracking open a fraction. "Wally, of course, went to be with his brother."

"Yukino rejoined Sabertooth, and Angel and Daphne went with her," Lisanna continued, brightening a fraction. "Let's see...Bob invited the Thunder Tribe to join Blue Pegasus, and Meredy stayed with them. Meaning Bickslow." She and Juvia smiled as one.

"A few of us warned them not to get out of hand with Evergreen or Meredy," Ultear added, resisting the urge to make a fist. Her fingers twitched in spite of that resistance.

"Ultear and I went there to be manly," Elfman joined in, coming back down the stairs.

"I'm a woman," Ultear sighed.

Gray, curse the man, laughed. "I get the point," he said. "They're following the paths they believe in, but Laxus in Blue Pegasus? Really?" He chuckled. "Who's next, Gajeel?"

Levy perked up. "Gajeel won't be long," she explained. "He went to Earthland-2 for some closure with our Metallicana. Apparently, they had a rocky relationship." She pouted. "Then he's going to take the Rune Knight examination, because Doranbolt said he'd never pass."

Juvia huffed and put her fists on her hips. "I am happy for Gajeel, but Juvia still doesn't understand. Does a guild name mean so much?"

"Not everyone was as blessed as we were, Juvia," Erza sighed, "our despair transformed into joy. Some of them lost enough to need to find themselves again. They will come home when the time is right. Until then, as Jellal said, we will ensure there is a home for them to return to."

Juvia nodded, then joined Gray as he went over to talk to Mom's sister, her son, and his girlfriend. Ultear started to head over with them, but Shou reached out, and she froze. "Jellal-nii and Erza-nee are finally together," he whispered. "What about you, Ultear? Can you let yourself be happy now?"

Ultear looked away. "To a point," she replied, her own voice hushed. "This is – my counterpart is married to their world's Simon. I think, your attraction to me, it's probably resonance. Magical similarities and sympathies, drawing you to me."

"So what?" Shou asked, and Ultear turned to stare at him in disbelief. He was smiling, the madman. "Did you know that their Simon's become my friend?" Ultear shook her head. When? How – the Grand Magic Games, she realized. "It's helped, more than I can describe. We have a lot in common, now. For example, I understood your explanation."

She blinked. "You study magical theory?"

"It's one of my few fond memories from my time in Siegrain's cabal," he explained, "and the true Jellal has been happy to further my education. I enjoy talking to you, Ultear, I enjoy being with you. Is that so bad?"

"No, but...I was a monster, Shou," she confessed.

"So was I," Shou pointed out. Ultear whipped around to meet his eyes again, her jaw dropping. But – but that was my fault, she thought, though the words wouldn't form. "You've given life back to everyone you hurt, when you could still help. To honor those you can't bring back, you've saved entire kingdoms from conquest and death. I'm not suggesting we dive right into...whatever Erza and Jellal are doing." He chuckled. "I love them, but I really don't want to know the details."

"What are you suggesting?" Ultear breathed.

Shou held out his hand. "We take a first step together, and learn how many more we want to take after it." Ultear swallowed, ashamed that it was fear rather than guilt that made her hesitate. I never imagined that my own heart was fragile. Shock rippled through her. God, I never imagined I still had a heart to risk. And if I'm honest, I like him. He's smart, kind, fun...easy on the eyes... Those eyes flickered to Erza and Jellal, laughing over slices of strawberry and chocolate cake. Do I honestly believe it? That I deserve to live? She turned back to face Shou. He was still smiling, his hand still outstretched.

Ultear took it. Yes. I believe in a day...my sins can be forgiven.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Shooting Starlight Guild Hall, X791: Lucy

It's hard, seeing the guild hall like this, Lucy thought. She pulled her coat around her, gripping her white scarf for a moment.

A recent dusting of snow had left a faint white outline on the edges of the roofs. That aside, Lucy couldn't deny that the building itself was in perfect shape. Someone had polished the bell to a gleaming shine. Erza, probably, she guessed. Not a single tile was out of place. There wasn't a hint of recently repainted walls or replaced windows from a wizard being punched through them.

That, of course, was the whole problem. Sure, they'd taken the Fairy Tail banners down and replaced them with Shooting Starlight ones, but all the permanent guild symbol fixtures were merely covered by cloth logos. Even the guild's name was still there, covered by an obviously temporary paper sign. That sign was still pristine. It was all pristine. To a stranger, the difference would seem negligible, maybe even positive. It twisted in Lucy's gut more than anything.

Almost anything.

The still-in-training cub reporter for Sorcerer Weekly (she still did the photo shoots, but Lucy was sure Jason would publish one of her articles soon) took a deep breath and walked past the outer gate. They're still Fairy Tail wizards, she insisted to herself. Sure, some of the ones who aren't here are being stupid, but this family is my home, even if the building isn't. Lucy still stopped and swallowed before taking a breath and flinging the door open.

It wasn't as full of people as Lucy would have liked, and there was all of one fistfight going on (Gajeel and Elfman, for some reason), but the feeling that the hall wasn't really home any more melted away. Gajeel and Elfman's brawl froze mid-punch. "LUCY!" they all roared, cheering as she walked in. Most of them jumped from their seats in the process, but only Erza actually tackled her in a fierce, joyous hug. Wow, she even Requipped out of her armor before she reached me! Lucy realized, hugging Erza back.

"Welcome home! I'm so glad you're doing better. Where have you been?" Erza asked, steering Lucy to the bar. I think she's gotten even stronger! Lucy realized, spotting Lisanna bartending while Kinana served drinks. Some kind of garlic-and-herb fowl sizzled in the kitchen. Lucy's mouth watered. "Cana and Elfman tell me you've become Sorcerer Weekly's new pinup girl. Is everything all right?"

Lucy blushed. "Yes! I'm fine. I'm working my way up to writing articles. Jason-senpai has been mentoring me. He says I'm a year away from getting published!"

Erza's smile slipped, and it broke Lucy's heart to see her look away. "Do you mean to be away so long, Lucy?" she asked.

Oh! Lucy chuckled, and Erza looked back at her in amazement. "A month ago, Jason said I wouldn't get published in a hundred years. Consider I've made up 99 years in a month, I'm sure my next article will do the trick!" She rubbed the back of her neck. "That's...why I'm here, to be honest. It won't be a puff piece, but I'd like to interview Jellal."

Erza blinked at her, so Lucy rushed on. "Now that he's the fourth-ranked Wizard Saint with God Serena gone, plus being the guild master here, a lot of people have some weird ideas about him." Lucy glared at the door. "There are people who think he's some kind of prophesied savior. Others are afraid he's going to take over Ishgar. There's even a few who believe he's really been evil the whole time." She took Erza's hand, flashing as reassuring a smile as she could manage. "I figured I could set the record straight."

"Oh, Lucy!" Erza gushed, enveloping Lucy in another hug. It was wonderful, until the blonde started having trouble breathing. "I am happy that you are following a path you believe in."

"air," Lucy whimpered, and Erza let her go with a yelp. "God, Erza, you got strong, even for you!"

Erza chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. Erza?! Lucy wondered. "Jellal and I have been helping each other learn social norms," she explained. "We've also been training together. Mira, Ultear, Elfman, Cana – all of us are working together to make one another stronger. We've taken Jellal's training clinic from the Games and made it ongoing. Our friends on the other Earthland help as well."

"Aye SIR!" Fairy Two roared from above. Shooting Starlight laughed and pointed skyward in the Fairy Tail salute. Lucy giggled. I was wrong. This was a good idea, after all!

"She's not the only one who's happy to see you, Lucy," Lisanna added, placing a glass of Lucy's favorite fruit punch in front of her while leaving Erza a strawberry milkshake. "How have you been?"

"It was rough at first. I missed everyone. I...think I would have come back if Natsu and Wendy had stayed," Lucy admitted. Erza's eyes went wide, but Lisanna nodded. "Still! No point in moping, right? I had to move forward. Where's Gray?"

"He and Juvia went on a mission together," Erza explained. Lucy sweat-dropped. I hope Juvia's calmed down since back then, she thought, but Erza smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "It's an actual mission," Titania assured her, "an important one. They're investigating a new Dark Guild for the Magic Council." She paused. "Please do not report their assignment at this time."

"Of course I won't!" Lucy objected. I can't believe she thinks I'd even consider it! An instant later, worry crushed outrage, and she bit her lip. "Are they all right?"

The door swung open. "Oi oi," Gray said, smirking while Juvia took off her hat, "is that the faith you have in a teammate?"

"Gray! Juvia!" Lucy lit up at the sight of them. "It's so good to see you!"

"Juvia feels the same," she said, smiling – then loomed over Lucy with glowing red eyes. "LOVE RIVAL."

Lucy let out a squeak she imagined as the last sound a mouse made before a cat swallowed her. "I'm really not!" she pleaded, swallowing.

Then Juvia dropped back to normal, half-spraying a snicker behind one hand. Gray sighed. "Please excuse her. Juvia's working on her sense of humor."

"Juvia apologizes," Juvia added between chuckles. "The look on your face was priceless, ex-Love Rival." Lucy sighed. Better than the alternative, I guess. Juvia looked at Erza, who didn't quite hide that she shook her head when Lucy turned around. I wonder what that was about. Lucy's curiosity redoubled when they both looked at Lisanna with the same mask-like non-expressions.

"So!" Lucy forced her smile to stay up. "Erza tells me you're on some hush-hush mission, so I won't ask. I'm just curious about what you've heard about the Council. Is Lahar really the reformer we've heard? Are Belno's mind wards working? Did they really hold out on bringing in Saint Draculos because they wanted Jellal on the Council?"

"Zera, slow down," Gray laughed. "If that iron rod up Lahar's backside was any straighter, he couldn't sit down. You can ask Jellal and Erza about Belno – this mind therapy thing of hers is a miracle for a lot of people in pain out there. And..." his smile grew. "...yeah. Yeah, they did."

"Though part of that is how intimidating God Hyberion can be until you get to know him," Juvia added, her own smile as relaxed as Lucy had ever seen it. "He can inspire terror sitting with his eyes closed drinking tea. Then he smiles and confides in you, and, well, he reminds me of Gray."

Gray yelped and leaped back. "He's the top God of Ishgar!" the ice mage objected. Juvia's smile grew while she nodded. Ah. Juvia hasn't so much become different as gotten better at being herself, Lucy realized. Erza approves.

Another hand landed on her shoulder, and Lucy turned to find Lisanna beside her, a tray with two garlic chicken lunches on it. "Do you mind if we talk while Erza debriefs Gruvia? I'm buying lunch, if it helps."

"Uh, sure," Lucy blurted, grabbing her drink and following Lisanna to an empty table. Erza led Gray and Juvia to where Gajeel was sitting, then Lucy turned her full attention to her white-haired friend. "Who made this? It smells delicious," she said, slicing off a piece and taking a bite. "Mm!"

"Midnight's taken up chef duties. He likes to cook while Mira-nee and Ultear help Jellal with guild paperwork and stuff," she explained. Lucy's eyes widened. Something tells me that Mirajane is one happy woman. Lisanna giggled. "He and Jellal swap recipes sometimes."

"How domestic," Lucy quipped. That stole her cheer an instant later. "Lisanna...have you heard anything from Natsu?"

Lisanna's smile vanished as well. "Everything I know, I've heard from you," she admitted. "I hoped that staying here and leaving a light on – not just for Natsu, but everyone – would be enough." She looked away. "It hasn't gotten any easier since..."

"What? Oh," Lucy breathed. Edolas, she realized. "Lisanna, they're not gone. We'll get everyone back, you'll see."

"That's what I keep telling myself," she replied. Lucy had faked enough smiles of her own to recognize Lisanna's. "Nothing's going to tear me away from my family again. That's a lot more important than thinking about a boy, even if it's Natsu." Lucy flinched. This is it. We had to talk about it, sooner or later, she realized. "Lucy? Have you thought...since that weird wedding thing at the Grand Magic Games...about you, me, and Natsu?"

Lucy tried to fake another smile, but Lisanna stared into her eyes. I can't do it, she realized. Lisanna deserves an honest answer. "Yeah," Lucy admitted. "Not much – I've tried not to – but, well, I've read enough stories like ours to see where this is going. Hometown hero, the girl next door, and some new lady walks in? The only reason I'm not upset about my life having a cliché like that in it is because I like you so much."

Lisanna smiled again, wide and joyful. That one's not forced? Lucy wondered. "I care for you too," she said, holding Lucy's hand. "A lot." The Strauss sister leaned in closer. "I've...been talking to a few of the others for advice, especially Mira-nee, Cana, and Master Jellal." She swallowed. "I got a lot of different advice, but they all agreed that I can't let it come between us."

"Of course not!" Lucy agreed, putting her other hand on Lisanna's. The Take Over wizard swallowed again. "Even if we end up rivals, I won't let us stop being friends either! No matter what!"

"I know," Lisanna whispered, "but...what if we didn't have to be rivals, Lucy?" Lucy blinked. Huh? she wondered. "It wasn't common even for the Old Ways, but Jellal told me that sometimes, with his mom's people, um, romance didn't – have to just be two people," she blurted.

Huh? Lucy thought again, more confused than ever. Then she realized just how she and Lisanna were holding hands. How close Lisanna was. How beautiful Lisanna was. Lucy's heart thundered inside her. "A-are you saying," she breathed, "what I think you're saying?"

Lisanna nodded, and Lucy could feel the slightest tremble in her hand. "Natsu's a handful," she joked. "I don't know how my world-sister deals with him by herself. Besides...it's not just about him. Like I said, I care for you. A lot." Lucy froze. The whole last year of her life leading up to this one moment locked her up from the inside. She wasn't even sure she was breathing. Lisanna's smile vanished again, and her eyes glittered like gemstones. "I'm sorry," she blurted, her hand starting to slide out of Lucy's. "This is weird – I'm being weird – I shouldn't have done this."

Tears. Those are tears in her eyes, Lucy realized. I think I can feel Lisanna's heart breaking. She grabbed Lisanna's hand before it could leave hers. Then she kissed her.

Lisanna gasped, then kissed her back. Even with relief and confusion and joy spinning inside Lucy like a cyclone, she could tell it was a clumsy, awkward kiss for both of them. She didn't care. When their lips parted, there was a smattering of cheers from around them. Lucy felt like she was on fire from the rush of embarrassment. Peeking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erza and Gray fist-bump. "So. I guess we're a thing now?" Lucy stammered. "Oh God I said that all wrong I didn't mean–"

Lisanna laughed and put two fingers on Lucy's lips. She stopped. "We have a lot to talk about," she said, "and our food's getting cold." Lucy yelped and tucked in, eliciting another laugh. From her girlfriend. I think I like this, she decided. As they ate, chatting about their magical progress, the latest news, and the upcoming holidays, a wound in Lucy's heart finally started to close. And when Natsu bothers to show up again, we can have that talk with him together. She permitted herself a sly smile. The mighty Salamander will never know what hit him.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magnolia, X792: Jellal

"Happy Valentine's Day," Erza and Jellal said to each other, both holding out heart-shaped boxes.

Jellal blinked, then devoted all his willpower to not panicking when Erza...panicked. "Jellal?" she gasped, nearly dropping her box when she tried to wave her arms around yet protect it at the same time. "Y-you made chocolates? For me?"

"I, uh, bought them," Jellal replied, giving up on his effort to mask his confusion. "Have I done something wrong? In most of my travels, I've seen that it's traditional for a boyfriend to buy a girlfriend chocolates and flowers on Valentine's Day." Erza's free arm stopped flailing. The star mage was acutely aware that most of the street vendors were watching them. They just look curious, he insisted. "Same-sex couples don't seem to have a particular pattern, but – do Magnolians go the other way?"

"Most of Fiore does," Erza insisted, relaxing a fraction. Jellal thought about what he'd seen during Crime Sorciere's travels. Crocus may be different. We traveled all over Ishgar, and she lived here for eight years, he reminded himself. She paused, took a long breath, and relaxed. "I see. Well, this was very considerate of you, then. Here," she blurted, thrusting the box out to him. "I made these...although I confess to accepting some help from Midnight and Mirajane," she whispered.

"You made them?" Jellal cast a quick spell to leave his gift to Erza floating beside them, then took hers and moved to open it. Wait, should I? he wondered, looking up. Erza watched with clasped hands and wide eyes. Ah. She's waiting for me to do just that. He opened up the box, then whistled. Each of the seven large chocolates was shaped like one of the comets in the new guild logo. Flecks of ganache hinted at a filling. "Zera and Chronos. This must have taken you at least a day to make."

"Just a few hours, thanks to Mira and her boyfriend," Erza assured him.

"Does this come from the Nihonese tradition?" She nodded, smile practically glowing. He turned a quick, guilty look at his box of store-bought sweets. I could have dipped strawberries in chocolate myself, he thought. It wouldn't have taken more than a few minutes.

"I-it's not like that!" Erza insisted, waving her arms again. "You can show your appreciation on White Day – if you really like them, that is. Try one?" She encouraged. Jellal nodded, removing one of the comets and biting into the tail. He broke into a smile in that instant. That's really good. Erza let out a delighted squeal he had never imagined her making. "You like them!"

"They're delicious," he reassured her. "Thank you." He finished the comet he'd started on (discovering that the starburst "front" did indeed have soft, delicious filling), then closed the box, placed it over hers, and held her hand. Erza wasted no time leading him back to the guild, where she found them a table. Jellal separated their boxes and opened his again. Just one more, he decided.

Once again, alarm banished Erza's smile. "I completely dismissed your gift!" she realized, going a touch pale. "Please excuse my behavior!" She bowed so low Jellal was afraid for a moment that she'd hit the table.

"It's all right!" Jellal blurted, waving his arms with as much desperation as Erza had, before he caught himself. "I should have researched local Valentine's Day customs with more care. I meant only to show my love and appreciation."

"Of course," Erza replied, sitting up straight and accepting his gift. "This is considerate of you, and I'd forgotten that other nations–" She froze when she opened the box, licking her lips. "Thank you!" she interrupted herself, popping one of the strawberries into her mouth. I'm glad I got the kind with the stems removed. Jellal waited with happy patience while Erza savored a portion of her gift. Once she'd finished it, she cleared her throat. "Ahem. I feared you'd thought to take the 'woman's' role in our relationship. I weary of insults to your manhood."

Jellal snorted a chuckle, permitting himself the vulgar outburst this once. "I have seen too many brutish men, including some counted as heroes, try to use such roles to shackle women's hearts into servitude. The only opinion that matters to me on this topic is yours," he explained. "I know that your femininity is important to you. You're also my knight in shining armor. You're Fairy – I mean, Shooting Starlight's knight."

"You've been my knight as well," she replied, smiling again as she plucked another chocolate-drenched strawberry from the box. "A sword and shield granted by the Celestial Spirit King Himself – I have nothing to equal them."

Jellal laughed outright at that. "You have yourself," he argued, and Erza blushed while she ate. "That makes any weapon you wield rival the mightiest artifacts. Besides, I wouldn't bother with armor beyond my breastplate. It doesn't suit Meteor."

It shouldn't have surprised him when Erza turned a piercing gaze on him. "You will require lighter armor to match the speed and fluidity Meteor grants you, true," she retorted, moving the box aside a few centimeters, "but I know of several designs that are ideal for your fighting style. I hadn't made it a priority, as we haven't faced a serious challenge since Tartaros, but now it seems I should."

"Tomorrow, perhaps," Jellal said, waving her down, and Erza blushed again. "I can't deny that would please me." He rubbed his chin. "Perhaps that's what Izuku needs. I suggested something like that to him, but all he would say is that 'Mighty Toshinori doesn't wear armor.' Gods, that boy."

"Izuku? Shoto's green-haired friend?" Erza asked. "That is not a bad idea, but what made you think of him?"

Heh. Jellal rubbed the back of his neck. "I admit, I'm hoping that he can confess his feelings to his friend Ochako. They put me in mind of what we might have been, if...things had gone differently, in the Tower."

Erza blinked. "They would make a cute pair," she agreed, "but I do not see much resemblance. Ochako's strength hides behind a cheerful, kind demeanor. I am...forceful, and awkward." Jellal took a breath to object, but she held up a hand and he stopped. "Izuku has much of your heart, but before Nemesis, you were fearless and confident, while he is unsure and diffident."

"Izuku will surpass me," Jellal insisted. "I'm more concerned about his self-sacrificing nature." At that, Erza's eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement. "It is why I want to find him good armor. As for Ochako..." he couldn't stop a trickle of sadness flowing into his smile. "I know you think I gave and you took, back then, but 'cheerful and kind' is exactly what I remember."

Music Cue: Fairy Tail Main Theme 2014 (Piano Version)

Jellal reached out and took her hand. "I can still see your smile, leaping onto a broomstick and promising Uncle Rob you'd fly on one someday. When Ochako floats in the air on her staff, I almost see you instead." His eyes danced away. "The occasional relapse aside, I know it wasn't me, but...I still wish those years hadn't stolen that dream from you."

For several seconds, they sat in silence, Erza's eyes flickering away at times. Then, with gentle care, she withdrew her hand from his, carefully closed and re-tied the box with her chocolate strawberries, and stood. "Requip," she said, the box vanishing into her magic space while the familiar glow left Erza a figure of shimmering light.

When the glow faded, Jellal's jaw dropped nearly to his chest. Erza was in a short, tight purple dress with gold trim, with a matching pair of little boots and small witch's hat. An ornately-carved broom handle appeared in her hand, and Jellal could sense propulsion magic in the bristles. Her smile was both enticing and shy, its tremble so slight he almost missed it. "I bought this two years – I mean, shortly after the holidays in 782. I never stopped dreaming of you." With a mischievous little kick, she mounted the broomstick side-saddle and circled him in a lazy arc. "Catch me if you can," she whispered. Then Erza darted into the city, leaving a trail of scarlet motes in her wake.

Jellal's mouth had gone dry. It's not that her dress doesn't leave anything to the imagination, he realized. It leaves just enough to imagine. He spread his wings and gave chase.

And a chase it was. Erza giggled – she giggled! – and darted between buildings, forcing Jellal to work at keeping up. Just when he thought he was closing with her, Titania angled up, shooting towards the heavens. She laughed and kicked her heels again. "What's wrong, Master Jellal? Can't catch one wicked witch?"

There's nothing wicked about you, he thought. Then their eyes met again. Her eyes matched that smile, luring him in even as her audacity made her blush grow. Before Jellal realized what was happening, his wings doubled in size, having a similar effect on his speed. He had to scoop Erza up in his arms just to avoid crashing into her. She let out a little yelp of surprise, then bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, no," she breathed, leaning in close. "I've been captured by the mighty Wizard Saint. Have mercy on a cute little witch, won't you?"

Okay. Maybe a little wicked. He carried her towards the clouds in a burst of speed that elicited a much more emphatic gasp. "That depends," he rumbled, "on what sort of mercy you want."

Erza pulled herself closer, pressing herself against his chest. "I think we can come to an understanding, Master," she said. Then she kissed him. The clouds were their shelter as they took another step forward.

Not sure "step" is the right word, though, Jellal thought later, cradling Erza while they rested in a hemisphere of conjured force. I think I know what to get her for White Day. Though I should make sure there's no taboo about engagement rings.

There wasn't.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Crocus, X792: Natsu

Still following Lucy and Michelle, Natsu couldn't help the odd vibe he was getting from them. Lucy, especially, was acting weird. Even Happy noticed, if the way the Exceed kept prodding him was any indication. They walked towards one of the big lacrima Crocus was famous for, glowing pale blue in the center of a plaza.

Good a place as any, I guess, Natsu decided. "Oi, Lucy, is something up?" he asked. Michelle's scent spiked; it was always hard to read her with that grassy aroma around her, but it smelled like anger. Lucy was a mix of happiness and sorrow. She always is, Natsu mused, but she's sadder than usual. She tried to smile, but it was so fake Natsu half-expected it to fall off her face. "You can tell us. Something's bothering you, right?"

"Yeah," Happy piped up. "You've been weird all day, even for you."

Michelle's placid demeanor vanished, and she glared at Happy. Natsu moved to protect his partner, but Lucy put her hand on her little sister's shoulder, and the plant wizard backed off. "You haven't heard, have you?" Lucy asked. Natsu and Happy stared. "Fairy Tail...disbanded."

The world went blank. Despite what most people thought, Natsu wasn't stupid – he just didn't pay attention to stuff that wasn't important. Lots of little things people said during their journey suddenly made sense. Except, that is, for the small problem that Fairy Tail breaking up made less sense than anything else could. He stared, Happy alongside him, as their eyes turned as white and empty as the city around them. They dropped onto one of the benches, trembling as one. "Dis...banded?" Natsu stammered, hunching over.

"Master Makarov thought it best, apparently," Michelle drawled, glaring at them. "Quite a few guild mates had already gone their separate ways by then." She paused, frowning and looking away, while Lucy sat across from the two boys, looking and smelling confused herself. "Master Jellal thinks he did it to protect us."

"Wait, 'Master' Jellal?" Natsu blurted, looking up again. "If Fairy Tail disbanded, what's he master of? What about Erza?"

"It's called Shooting Starlight," Lucy explained. "They're using the old guild hall. About half of Fairy Tail joined – the ones who didn't leave, or who came back after a few days. Erza's there," she continued, and that brought out a more genuine smile, "happier than I've ever seen her. Gray and Juvia, too, though they've been on some hush-hush mission for a while."

"So, fine! It's got another name, which is stupid, but who cares? Fairy Tail is Fairy Tail!" Natsu shook his head. "Where's everyone else?"

"They went their separate ways," Lucy replied, looking sad again.

I don't believe it, Natsu thought, head falling back as he stared at the sky. "Everyone just accepted it? Erza and Jellal made a whole new guild just to keep Fairy Tail together, and they still just left, like it was okay?"

Lucy lowered her head just enough to cast her eyes in shadow. "I don't know," she replied.

Unable to contain himself a second longer, Natsu leaped to his feet. "Well that's what it sounds like!" he cried, fists shaking in the air.

Michelle punched him right into the crystal. Happy yelped and flew over to him. Lucy gasped, leaping to her feet. "How dare you," Michelle whispered, trembling. Her pink dress was gone, replaced by her green leaf battle form.

"Michelle–" Lucy began.

"You were the first to abandon us," Michelle snapped. That blow was a thousand times harder than her fist. Natsu locked up, eyes frozen wide. "I've heard Lucy and Lisanna make so many excuses for you. 'His father just died,' they'd say. 'He found out about END. Nemesis possessed him twice.' You know what I've learned in the last year, Salamander?" Natsu looked down, shame roaring through him like God Slayer fire. "That's exactly when you need family the most, you selfish jerk. Do you want to know why Lucy didn't join Shooting Starlight? Because you weren't there." She strode towards him, vines lashing from her back. "You made Lucy cry!"

"Michelle! That's enough," Lucy demanded, and the plant woman stopped, backing off. It didn't matter, really. She's right, Natsu realized, grateful to her for socking him in the jaw. "Sorry," she added, and somehow that made Natsu feel even worse. "You two...must've had a lot on your minds, right?" She looked up, her smile returning. "I'm sure that's how the others felt."

Natsu sighed. I...have a lot to think about, he realized. That made him frown. I hate having to think about stuff like this.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland 1, Shooting Starlight Guild Hall

Erza glared at them, holding up a newspaper with the signal fire Natsu had lit on Mercurius to get the guild's attention. "You vanish for a year, and this is the first I hear of you? Oh?" she demanded. Behind her, Jellal and Mira chuckled behind hands that did poor jobs of disguising their laughter. Man, I never thought I'd miss Erza scolding me, Natsu thought.

"Why am I caught up in it too?" Lucy pleaded, hiding behind him. Michelle, in turn, peeked out from behind Lucy's shoulder, once again in her pink dress.

"Yeah..." Natsu smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "My bad!"

Happy facepawed. "Please don't beat him up too much, Erza," he requested. Gee, thanks, Happy.

"It's all right, Erza," Jellal said, walking up. "If His Majesty let him go, I'm sure we can look forward as well."

"Master!" Erza objected, whirling on him as she pointed at Natsu. "He set the royal palace on fire. That's not a thing we should overlook!"

Jellal smiled, walked up, and put a hand on Erza's shoulder. She just sort of melted, pointy arm dropping to her side. Wow. Now that's a smile, Natsu thought. "I'm sure Lucy and Michelle talked to him about his behavior," he pointed out. Natsu pouted and rubbed his jaw. Erza glanced at Michelle, who nodded. Jellal's smile wavered a bit, and he sweat-dropped.

"Very well," Erza relented, turning back to face Natsu. Whew. Erza put her hands on her hips. "Since you're here, you can help us with two guilds we've been monitoring. We expect both situations to come to a head soon, so I will permit you to help." She looked him over. "It appears that you spent your time in actual training, at least."

"Some of it, anyway," Happy said with a shrug.

Natsu spun to object to Happy that he had so trained a lot, but Lucy's chuckle stopped him. "Yeah, he kind of melted Domus Flau," she explained, "then defeated all the wizards in the Grand Magic Games except Dullahan Head by himself. He didn't even break a sweat." Natsu laughed while Lucy hugged herself. "He was the only one who didn't." The others laughed again, except the mostly-calm Erza.

The doors swung open again. Natsu turned to find Lisanna and Elfman frozen there, starting at him and carrying a bunch of food and stuff for the kitchen. Lisanna's eyes kept getting wider, until Elfman leaped at Natsu, going Beast King in a flash mid-air. His roar hurt Natsu's ears; in the corner, Cobra did something to his earphones. Crap, Lisanna too? Natsu realized, standing there to let Elfman pound him.

Another flash of light appeared between Elfman and Natsu, and Lisanna held back her brother's log-sized fist with one hand. Her Angel Soul form shimmered with gentle golden light. "Lisanna!" Elfman objected.

"Please, Elf-nii-chan," Lisanna said, "let me do this." Natsu gulped. Am I gonna wish Elfman hit me? he wondered, Elfman shrinking back to his still-huge human form. Lisanna changed back as well, turned – and threw herself onto him, hugging and sobbing. "Natsu. You came." Natsu sighed and hugged her back. Michelle huffed and looked half-away, but Lucy was smiling, and she smelled less sad. Lisanna–

Uh-oh. Lisanna smelled upset, and angrier than she'd ever been, even in Edolas. "Lisanna–" Natsu tried.

Lisanna let him go and slapped him. "You left!" she sobbed. Yeah. Definitely wish Elfman had hit me, Natsu decided. "You left, when the whole world had fallen down around us!" She buried her face in her hands. I wish it were Elfman, Mira, and Erza, instead of this, he choked, tears blurring his vision. "I know, Natsu – Igneel – it was awful and wrong, but we were here for you. I was here, Lucy was here, your team was here." Her legs shook, and Natsu rushed over to her at the same time Lucy did. "Why? You could've trained here. Mira-nee and Jellal have been helping the whole guild get stronger. Why couldn't you..."

"I'm sorry," Natsu whispered. "The last thing Igneel said was to move forward, and I promised I'd get stronger." He shrugged. "The strongest human I know is Gildarts. I thought, what would he do?"

"He doesn't have a team," Lucy said, and Natsu realized each of then had wrapped their arms around one of his. "You do."

"Gildarts doesn't have us," Lisanna added, and a second later, they were hugging him. "You do."

For some reason, Happy gasped. Natsu looked over Lucy's shoulder to find Jellal and Mirajane fist-bumping. That's weird, he thought, but cool. Then Lucy and Lisanna straightened, nodded to each other, and marched him toward the door. "Huh – what – Lucy? Lisanna? What are you doing?" he babbled, tugging at their grip. I think I'd have a better chance against Zeref, he thought, eyes wide.

"We need to have a talk," Lucy explained. "Just the three of us."

"Mm, mm," Lisanna nodded. "There are some things we have to explain to you."

Happy gasped again. "Kids today," he muttered. "So shocking."

Wh-what?! Natsu thought, too stunned to even reach denial. That's...no way... he looked from one to the other. They were smiling at each other, a lot like the way Alzack and Bisca did. He looked down, face glowing bright red and a thin trickle of blood rolling down from his nose. I'm thinking bad thoughts! Those have to be bad thoughts! He craned his neck around to look at Happy. "It's not like that!" he insisted.

"Yes it is," Lucy and Lisanna said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed as they hauled him out of the guild. He swayed in their grasp. Oh. Ohhh... Natsu gave in. Lisanna. Lucy. I didn't want to have to choose. Maybe now...I don't.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Malba City, X792: Gray

"We were infiltrating them," Gray snarled, his frozen palm dripping where Natsu's volcanic fist pressed against it, "you flame-brained idiot! Didn't Erza tell you?"

"Yep!" Natsu's grin was as infuriating as ever. "I just wanted to get in a quick brawl before we took them down. Gee hee!"

Oh, for... Gray sweat-dropped. "There had better be another reason, sulfur-breath," he growled. "Because of you, Juvia's fighting Briar alone."

Natsu laughed. "Come on, do you think Jellal would let that happen?" He ran towards Malba, waving for Gray to follow. "Nats-two is right. He's a total mom."

"Quit whining and punch Dark Wizards," Gray shot back. Before Natsu could rail and wail, the ice wizard leaped and created his wings, flying until he spotted Juvia standing over one of the four Briars. He saw the angry, happy, and sad Briars circling his girlfriend. Did Juvia decide Love Briar was her love rival? he wondered, landing at Juvia's side and freezing the other three Briars solid.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia cheered, getting hearts-eyes and wrapping a hug around him. This is so weird, he thought, patting her on the back for a moment. "Malba City is safe, darling."

"It is?" Gray asked. Juvia pointed up, and he saw Jellal floating overhead, generating brilliant blue wards around the city. His Thought Projections hovered over several districts of the city, directing civilians to safety. Above him, the newly-completed Fairy Star descended, with Shadow Gear leaping down to join the battle. Gray chuckled and shook his head. "Oi, Blue! Are there any decent fights left?"

"There's Goumon, if you want," Jellal replied, "a few blocks south of you." Gray's brief font of good humor vanished, and he rushed towards the torture wizard. Juvia flowed at his side and took his hand. They nodded, charging forward together to protect their family.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

Earthland 1, Shooting Starlight Guild Hall

"Man, that was too easy," Natsu whined, stretching.

Happy laughed. "Aye!"

Gray looked around at the newly-full guild hall and was forced to agree. That's okay. This was the hard part...and we did it. He smiled as he looked around the room, seeing the Thunder Tribe, Wendy and Carla, the reunited Team Sorciere (less Sorano, who'd stayed with her sister in Sabertooth), Warren, Vijeeter, Max, even Macao and Wakaba grinning arm in arm – so many who'd left returned.

His smile faded. There's still one missing. Maybe even the most important one. He worked his way towards Jellal and Erza, Juvia right behind him. They were talking with Mira, Laxus, Ultear, and Gajeel, of all people. "Blue's right," the Iron Dragon Slayer insisted. "Caine's up to something. It's big, it's bad, and it's got something to do with Acnologia."

"I understand," Ultear replied, "but we've got to confront the Alvarez Empire before they invade. If events in our world are anything like those in Earthland-2, Master Makarov is there now." Laxus nodded, arms folded. "Caine is a minor threat without the Dragon Cry."

"We know he'll go after it, Ultear," Jellal grumbled, hand firmly planted on his chin. "You have a point, though. With Fairy Tail back together, perhaps we should split up. Laxus could lead one force into Alvarez with Earthland-2's help, while Erza takes another team into Stella."

"You're not worried about the political fallout?" Mirajane asked.

Jellal chuckled. "They might disband Shooting Starlight? Oh goodness," he quipped, and most of them gaped for a moment before laughing. Look who's trying to get his sense of humor on, Gray thought. Still needs work, but it's a start. The guild master shook his head. "They both threaten all we know. We must protect the Dragon Cry. We must rescue Master Makarov and stop Alvarez from breaking the world."

"What about you?" Laxus asked. "It ain't like you to stay at home while fights get real."

Jellal frowned. "I'm the guild master. My duty is here." He made a fist, then looked at it. "No matter how much I want to turn Caine's face into a crater."

"Oi!" Gray objected, and the assembled wizards turned to look at him. Everyone grinned except the surprised Jellal. "Makarov fought beside us all the time, against Tartaros and the dragons. He faced the guild masters of Grimoire Heart and Phantom Lord. If this Caine guy is the mastermind, it's your duty to turn his face into a crater." Erza nodded.

With a long breath, Jellal nodded. "Thanks, Gray." He punched towards the heavens. "Right! The Magic Council might still know us as Shooting Starlight, but let's show the rest of the world that Fairy Tail has returned!"

The cheer nearly deafened the ice mage. "AYE!" they agreed. Gray laughed, while Erza turned a hungry look on their ostensible guild master. Later, Erza. Let's go beat up some would-be thieves first.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Altair, X792: Erza

Ow...what...those people... Erza blinked and looked up.

Jellal's trembling grimace transformed into a shining smile of relief. "Erza," he breathed.

"You're all right!" Meredy cheered beside him. Behind them, Cobra and Kinana nodded, the dragon-winged girl carrying the Poison Dragon Slayer. A moment later, Erza realized that Jellal and Meredy were floating, their energy wings spreading from their backs.

What? Why – Erza looked down. From a translucent blue platform, she saw Altair far below, along with half the Stella countryside. She looked around, to find Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla stirring beside her. "You rescued us?"

Jellal cleared his throat, but Cobra laughed and nodded. "Yeah. He pretty much blew through half the Stella army, tore off the top of the tower, and carried the bunch of you up here." His smirk grew when Jellal glared at him. "He was trying to come up with a reason this wasn't a rescue. Though I guess flame-brain would've managed soon enough." He pointed below while Kinana flew him over their platform, and he dropped to their side.

Erza looked down to find Natsu roaring and rushing towards the broken tower below them. She peered more closely, and realized they were descending. "We helped," Meredy objected. Erza smiled when she saw her pout in the platform's reflection. Titania's relief vanished when she realized one teammate was missing. Lucy!

"I'd still be fighting them if you weren't here," Jellal agreed, and they all watched Natsu leap up to Jellal's construct. "Are you all right, Natsu?"

"Yeah," Natsu growled. "Where's Zash?" His rage became alarm as he looked around, and Erza knew he'd realized the same thing she had. "Where's Lucy?"

"I hoped one of you knew," Jellal admitted.

With a growl, Natsu leaped back down. "I've got her scent. Follow me!"

The rest of her team rushed to follow, but Jellal's force flew nearby, angling towards the castle. "We'll keep the Quartum Army busy," Jellal called. Erza was not comforted by the sudden wide-eyed horror on Cobra's face, but a moment later they were gone.

It took less than a minute for Natsu to reach Lucy, and her state made Erza's blood boil right alongside the Dragon Slayer's. Caine – he has the Dragon Cry! Titania realized, though Natsu sniffing Lucy just enough like Ichiya to distract her let Zash set off an explosion that only Wendy's magic blunted. "Is everyone all right?" Erza called, and a chorus of dubious assurances told her they had survived, including a voice she didn't recognize. Titania turned to face the newcomer. Ultear was right. He's strong, even before you factor in his Mind Control–

Caine then proved it by obliterating several walls between him and her team. He strode towards them, a golden-armored squad following him. "I've had enough of your little game of defiance. Know your place, or be buried in it!" Erza snarled and readied herself to charge. We'll see, villain!

A sapphire blur knocked out all of Caine's troops, and the villain found his advance halted by Jellal's hand on Dragon Cry. "Hello, Caine," her beloved growled. Wendy cheered. Erza grinned. "You've made your last mistake as a free man."

"Fernandes!" Caine gasped, and power roared from the staff, enveloping them both. "You won't stop me this time. The Dragon Cry is mine!"

New soldiers, clad in black armor with helmets like beasts' maws, charged from behind. Erza held them back with Heaven's Wheel. Meredy joined her, grinning and uniting Blumenblatt with Maguilty Sodom. "The artifact disagrees, Caine," Jellal retorted, struggling with the traitor for the weapon. "This thing is filled with anger and grief. I can endure it. Can you?"

"Suffering is my favorite drink! I've reduced your friend Riana to one of my blood dolls," Caine spat, and Jellal's eyes narrowed, "and soon, the blonde will rejoin her!" Her love's eyes widened. Erza grunted with the effort of driving the armored warriors back. She could knock them down, but they kept getting up. Even Meredy's powers took multiple evocations to take them out of the fight. "And what have we here...is that your precious Titania?" Caine laughed. "I'll make her the prize of my collec–"

"POLARIS!" Jellal screamed, and the eruption of blue light nearly blinded them all. He slid to Erza's side, shaking out the hand he'd used to grasp the Dragon Cry. Caine held onto it, somehow, Titania realized, against Jellal's might. He will be trouble.

Caine staggered back, barely staying on his feet. "...you..." he gasped.

Gray whistled. "Grim, Jellal, what are you?" he asked. Natsu's grin was fierce and humorless.

"A Devil Slayer, just like you," Jellal replied, eyes locked onto Caine. "Hold off the Quartum Army. Protect Sonya."

"I'm grateful, Master Jellal," Sonya replied, "but we need the Dragon Cry! Our Stellanium is unstable, it's going to explode."

Jellal shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sonya. Animus lied to you, to convince you to steal it." Sonya gasped. "You can handle the dragon, Natsu. Caine is mine."

"No way!" Natsu roared, pounding a wall hard enough to cave it in. "That creep made me hurt Lucy! I'm gonna take him APART!"

"Shield Eyes," Jellal chanted, a sapphire glow lighting briefly around Natsu's head. "I understand, Natsu, but I watched this monster abuse half of Mercurius, treat Princess Hisui like a toy, chase after Ultear to break her soul – and then he slipped right through my fingers. I am not going to let him escape again!"

"As though either of you has a choice," Caine mocked, holding up the Dragon Cry. "I'm ready for you this time, 'hero.' Fourfold Slayer Form!" he chanted. Sixteen of the Quartum soldiers screamed, became liquid, and flowed over the villain. Wendy's hands went over her mouth, and they all watched as Caine turned into a Quartum soldier two stories tall. The Dragon Cry vanished into the giant body. "Behold, the ultimate expression of the Fourth Generation Dragon Slayer. I've beaten you at last, you interfering brat!"

"'Fourth Generation?'" Lucy blurted. "Are you kidding me?"

"Artificial life forms grown around Dragon Slayer lacrima," Jellal explained. "Self-repairing, soulless constructs with absolute obedience to Caine." Erza sighed and Requipped into her Purgatory Armor. Of course. Why not?

Natsu grinned. "I'm all fired up," he replied, punching his palm. "Oi, Jellal, he looks big enough to share. Sound good to you?"

"Oh, yes," Jellal agreed. "The rest of you, watch for the Three Stars and more Quartum soldiers. Someone please secure Lady Sonya there," he added. "Animus is inside her."

Natsu whirled on him. "Wait, she's a Dragon Slayer?" he demanded.

"You have your own problems!" Caine howled, attacking them. Neither boy was as distracted as he looked, though, and they both dodged and counterattacked. Erza smiled as she held off more of the black-armored warriors, admiring the design of their uniforms. Perhaps I should have a similar outfit commissioned, she thought, knocking several of the warrior-monsters aside with Perdition. They fired crimson beams from their helmet-mouths, which she either deflected with the sword or endured with her armor.

Erza's smile grew when Lucy rushed to Sonya, taking the royal aide's hand. She will protect you, Erza realized, then braced herself as Swan approached. You. I promise you, our battle with be different this time!

It was.

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fiore, X792: Jellal

"You built an entire fleet in three years?" Jellal asked, staring at his world-brother in the garb of Mystogan. I wonder if it felt as odd for him to see me in that as it does for me, with him.

"Mystogan" chuckled. "Ishgar built a fleet over three years. You'd be amazed how much easier it is when dragons help."

Erza-2, wearing a suit of navy blue armor that matched Mystogan's robes, flew alongside him. "Just remember, you have challenges we didn't. Irene and Zeref are your enemies. We had Fairy Tail wizards you do not. Be careful, Jellal-nii."

The endearment didn't hurt. That's...new. Jellal nodded and looked out over the fields spreading from Magnolia. Airships from three worlds hovered overhead. The world shook from battles between wizards with power beyond the comprehension of most humans. Anna Heartfilia, Lucy's ancestor, spoke with Master Makarov on Earthland-1's Fairy Star. Gildarts engaged in a battle with God Serena that leveled mountains. At least they were still in ruins after the fall of Tartaros, Jellal mused. Gods, they're having the time of their lives. He concentrated. Master Mavis–

Please wait, the First Master pleaded. Jellal clenched his jaw and returned his focus to the battle at hand. Again, the Alvarez forces tried to change the state of the battlefield; again, Jellal reached out with his wards and Wave Magic, ensuring that the battles went as Mavis wished. The Spriggans of Earthland-2 made it all possible. I have faith that we can end this here.

Jellal shuddered as he watched Erza battle Neinhart, carving through memory after memory. Kagura and Millianna are with her, he told himself, the Mermaid Heel aces cutting down Neinhart's mockeries. When the Spriggan recreated Simon, Simon-2 immediately appeared and swallowed his false counterpart in darkness. I must concentrate, Jellal ordered himself, returning his attention to the First Master. We have this battle under control, with so many of our friends here. Zeref has only two wizards besides himself who can challenge our alliance–

August and Irene appeared in what felt like a ripple of Enchantment Magic. Now! Mavis sent. Ultear and Midnight dropped Earthland-2's Cult Buster on Neinhart, then warped Erza, Shou, and the Connells to face August. Jellal rushed at Irene, sensing that Wendy and Carla were inbound.

A wave of magic power unlike any Jellal had felt since Acnologia stopped the trio the moment they reached the Scarlet Despair. "Well, well," Irene smirked, looking Jellal over. "So you're my daughter's boy toy." Jellal froze. Daughter?! But – why – oh, gods, the other Irene didn't want Erza to suffer when she... Irene chuckled. "At least she has good taste." Fortunately, the Spriggan didn't seem worried about him, instead circling to examine Wendy. "What's this? You're a Dragon Slayer and an enchantress, girl?" Wendy crouched, raising her tiny fists, while Carla shifted to her larger form. "How delightful."

Please work, Jellal prayed, summoning his fin staff. Irene looked at the device with a contempt he could only describe as "absolute." He twisted it like turning a screwdriver. Conjuring the acupuncture needles he and his world-brother had developed, Jellal fired them at the Dragon Slayer. She did not stop them, as the needles did her no harm. Irene looked down, puzzled, at the magic that flowed through and strengthened her. She's Erza's mother? How is that possible? Jellal wondered. "Hermetic Formula Nine: Culmination!" he chanted.

Wendy-2 joined her world-sister, the two healers clasping hands. As one, they chanted, "Anomaly Resistance Enchantment: Ile-Raise!"

They threw all their magic into the spells, all their will, determination, and love of Fairy Tail. Jellal bared his heart and soul, dragging might from the very depths of his existence. My world-brother struggled with this when she was in a sickbed, cooperating, he thought, then gritted his teeth and pushed. The Dragon Seed resisted with a strength to make a mountain's roots seem like gauze. Irene took in a ragged breath. "What are you doing?" she whispered. Then her eyes narrowed to slits of abject fury. "You dare taunt me with this?" She pointed her staff at Jellal.

The emptiness Jellal had left by drawing on all his magic became a gaping maw. A void beyond reckoning sought to consume him from within. It felt like that day in the Tower, all the pain and abandonment in the world reaching out to destroy him. I will not fail...again... Jellal swore. With one last burst of will, he summoned the five staves of Mystogan around her. "Th-Three Layer Circle: Mirror Water," he chanted, then collapsed.

All Irene's power and magic turned in on the healing spell. This is what Devil Slayer magic can do, he realized, as she threw back her head and howled. It is not as strong when healing wounds or restoring strength, but against a curse, a wrongness that torments its victim from within? It sets them free. Erza was right. This is why I am here! Jellal tried to rise again, but his body lacked the strength. Their Wendy rushed over, her hands glowing teal over his body. "Jellal! Please stop, you've given yourself Magic Deficiency," she warned. Wendy-2 dropped into a ready stance that reminded Jellal of Cobra's.

"You...I..." Irene took in one ragged breath after another. She dropped to her knees, slamming her hand into the ground. She made a fist in the dirt and grass, pulling it back to marvel at her palm. "I can feel this. I taste the air, smell the grass and sweat – sound has harmony and dissonance to it, color has meaning again." She looked at the blue-haired healers, disbelief writ large in her eyes. "Why?"

"No one should suffer as you have," Jellal gasped, rolling onto his back. He took in great gulps of light and wind. Have to get up, he told himself. Fight's not over.

"We're Fairy Tail," Wendy-1 added with a nod. "That's what we do."

Irene looked at her hands again. "You love my daughter. You knew what I would have done to her, and yet you still did this..." She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I hope you will one day," Jellal replied, feeling the life return to his muscles, magic to his heart. "For now, I trust this is enough for us to make peace? Fairy Tail does not want this battle."

"I...will do what I can," Irene conceded, looking around the mad battlefield. "Lord Zeref remains a victim of the Contradictory Curse. August–"

"–is right here," August said. Irene turned, but the Magic King pointed his staff at the Dragon Slayer, and she vanished. "You. I think you've done enough, boy." He aimed his staff at Jellal, the might of Altairis forming in the crystal's depths.

"Wendy, run–" Jellal blurted.

"REQUIP!" August's stolen spell erupted around Erza. Jellal couldn't even scream. Mercifully, when the light returned, Erza stood there in her Adamantine Armor. She'd been battered, but had escaped true harm. "We are ready for you, General August," Erza warned.

Irene reappeared sans staff, glaring at August with crossed arms. "I don't want to fight you, August, but that was a base trick. This boy freed me from centuries of suffering."

"I don't care," August replied with a scowl. His staff glowed with a white light so pure, it stabbed at Jellal's eyes even after he closed them. "You owe your loyalty to His Majesty."

"Do you not think for yourself, either?" Erza demanded. "Requip! Lady Irene, please move Jellal to safety."

The universe twisted and shifted around Jellal. It reminded him of Midnight's magic, but with a level of might and precision that dwarfed the strongest of the former Oracion Seis. My magic, he realized, sitting up. Irene restored it. I'm not sure she had to exert herself to do it. He looked around, finding himself in the Fairy Star's medical bay. Porlyusica stared back. "My apologies. I am well, just confused."

"Good. Go. Fairy Tail needs you," the healer replied. Jellal blinked at the lack of invectives, then shrugged and called on Meteor Wave to carry him back into battle. Master Mavis? The Shield of Ishgar reached out his mind. Master–

Jellal froze. Mavis' mind was a blank. Who would dare? he wondered. Everyone, check in, something is wrong with Master Mavis.

We'll help Mavis, Ultear replied. You try to deal with August.

Jellal snorted. No pressure, he quipped. Ultear. Be careful. Anyone who can neutralized Master Mavis is an opponent of unparalleled skill. She nodded, and their minds parted. Jellal frowned. Ultear, Mirajane, and Laxus are occupied. Meredy has the most important job in the world. Erza's already fighting him, there's no sign of Master Makarov or Gildarts – how do we defeat the most powerful wizard alive?

Jellal gasped. Of course. Together. He raced back to Erza's side, smiling at her. She'd Requipped into Armadura Fairy. "My hero," he said, forming a Solid Seal in August's path. "Do you trust me?" He held out his hand.

Erza smiled back. "You can't be idiot enough to mean that question seriously." She took his hand, their magic flowing through one another.

"If you must rely on nonsense," August sighed, "at least it is romantic nonsense." He shattered Jellal's Seal with a single tap of his staff. Irene circled, both Wendys at her side.

"You will find," Jellal retorted, "that our light is more than enough to overcome your ideas of nonsense!" Their fury rose alongside their love. Jellal summoned the Meteor Sword to his free hand. "We will be lost in darkness no more!"

August sighed. "There is no good or evil in light, or darkness. It does not exist."

"It is metaphor, villain," Erza and Jellal snapped, their voices speaking as one. "You quibble over such meanings to justify your blind obedience to a path of cruelty and suffering, and we will accept it no more!" August's eyes widened as the golden fairy light roared above him and around them. They both held their swords high. "Unison Raid: Fairy Glitter Burst!"

Magic August could not copy or counter lanced through him, surrounded him, and crashed down on him from above. He howled, in fury or pain Jerza could not guess, then fell to one knee. Their spell, and union, ended. "Impressive," August admitted. "I admire your conviction. A pity you cannot reciprocate. Ars–" he began. Irene tensed, eyes widening.

A blade pierced August's chest from behind. There was another howl as magic tore the world along with the Magic King. August's withered body fell to the ground, revealing Brain standing behind him, holding the Scythe of Ankhseram. "Well." Brain smirked at the corpse. "That was easier than I expected."

Irene screamed and leaped at the murderer, but Brain vanished before even she could reach him. "Who was that? What just happened?" she demanded.

"Formula Eyes," Jellal chanted. "Gods. That was Brain. He stole August's magic as he killed him."

A roar that filled the sky interrupted Jellal, and he braced himself for the Apocalypse Dragon. Instead, he found Plutogrim hovering overhead. What? How? Formula Eyes revealed the truth. Historia of the Dead. This is bad.

The Merry Sun erupted from Magnolia Bay, its rear cannon-engine-things driving it into the demon guild. The Merry Pirates, Vash, and what looked like half of Zanpakuto leaped at it. Jellal felt silly gaping, until he realized that the others were as well. "I knew they were crazy," he admitted, "but I didn't think they were that crazy."

Uryu darted to his side. "The Pirate Queen," he noted, his voice as dry as ever, "likes to make an entrance. Where do you need us?"

Erza's smile was like a beacon. "At our wedding," she quipped, "but for now, help us contain this situation." Uryu nodded.

"And be ready for anything," Jellal muttered. "Now that he has August's magic, there's no guessing what mischief Brain will get up to, and we still have to deal with Zeref and Acnologia."

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X792: Ultear

"Ice Slave," Invel snapped. Ultear reversed the spell again. That shouldn't be so hard, she grumbled, taking some small satisfaction in the ice mage's own frustration. "Ice Slave! How are you doing that?"

"Arc of Time," she explained. "You people don't know what research is, do you?"

Invel glared at her. "You should be a teleporter with moderate temporal abilities," he complained. "A person's magic is unique."

Ultear stared at him for a moment. Then she laughed. "Oh, Invel, you poor thing. You researched Earthland-2, didn't you?" She summoned her orb. "Well, I have some bad news for you. This is how I've always known that I was guilty while Jellal and Meredy were innocent. Aside from some differences in study and trappings, their magics are the same. I wanted to turn back the universe to before I was hurt."

Invel's eyes went wide. "Then you–" he began. Then he vanished.

Ultear smirked. "She wants to be able to reach people to save them. Thank you, world-sister." She glanced at the orb.

"I don't like your explanation," Ultear-2 grumbled, her image appearing in the orb. "You're a good woman, Ultear-nee."

Ultear chuckled. "Go embarrass Dimaria again," she said, cutting off the communication. Then she turned to find that she was alone. Well, technically, Shou, Daphne, Cobra, and Kinana are here, she mused, checking their unconscious forms. They're okay. She crouched, kissing Shou on the forehead, then rushed to find Zeref and Mavis.

After some quick scanning and teleportation, she arrived in Fairy Tail's main hall, to find Gray and Zeref staring each other down. Mavis looked on, prone behind the Dark Wizard. "With Fairy Heart, I will defeat Acnologia," Zeref explained, "but not through so blunt a means as brute force. What I intend is far more visionary and absolute." He held out a hand, gesturing at a map of Fiore behind him. "I will step backwards, and make this whole history you know...undone."

Gray gasped. Ultear shook, nearly falling to her knees. What? she wondered, horrified. "With Fairy Heart, it will be possible. I will return to the age I came from, and undo all the agony of the Dragon King Festival." Mavis sobbed and struggled to move towards him. "Acnologia, the slaughter of the dragons, the awful mistakes I made – I will undo them. All of it."

"You...can't be serious..." Gray whispered, frost flowing from his palms.

"Why not? Did your own sister not devise a plan like this?" Zeref smiled. "I fear she might have had the idea placed in her through resonance with me. Precht and his white-haired friend certainly delved into my magic enough for it."

"It doesn't matter," Ultear said. Gray and Mavis looked at her in shock, while Zeref merely raised a curious eyebrow. "I know, Zeref. I know you can't see it. The Contradictory Curse...it twists your mind in ways that make my pain, even Jellal's pain, look like pinpricks by comparison."

"It's not a contest, Ultear," Zeref reassured her. Oh God, he even sounds like Jellal, she thought. "I cannot value life over death, but I can detest pointless suffering. Yours, Natsu's, those victims of the Towers, Mavis', all of it – I can make it have never happened."

For just an instant, Ultear was tempted. Down to her bones, her heart, her soul – the second chance she'd given up eight years ago dangled before her. It sang like the god of sirens, promising to make all the wrongs of her life right.

No. She closed her eyes, shook her head, opened them again. "That won't really fix anything," she pointed out, gesturing at the world outside with a sweep of her arm. "At best, you'll murder all the people who could have existed, but never did because you decided you know better. At worst, you'll twist the spirits of twenty generations inside out, driven mad by the knowledge of two impossible lives. Souls have an existence beyond life, wizardry, even time itself, Zeref. And magic has consequences." She glanced at Gray. "Speaking of which, little brother, put away that spell. Lost Iced Shell won't erase my memory."

Gray gaped at her while Zeref recoiled from him. "How did you–"

"Arc of Time, remember? You'd be amazed what I can know." Ultear smiled when Natsu burst in with a roar. "Right on time. Natsu, we're probably going to need you no matter how my last spell works."

As one, the other three Fairy Tail wizards gasped. "You–" Gray began.

"I won't die," she insisted. "Natsu, I need you to remember God Slayer Magic. Will you let me help with my Arc?" He nodded. She focused on their time on Tenrou, the battles they fought. Zancrow's magic burned in him anew. Natsu smiled and pounded his fists together, one surrounded by crimson flames, the other by ebon ones.

"What game are you playing at, schemer?" Zeref asked, taking a step back as he watched her.

Ultear gathered all her power, her magic, her time, her future. She drew it to a single point. "Redemption. Gray, please watch our backs. Natsu, you'll know what to do." Gray nodded.

Natsu blinked at her. "I will?"

"Of course. You always know when you've got something to burn down, and I don't think even my magic can fix this without your help." Ultear tuned her senses on the magic that made the two older wizards defy time itself, against their will. There. A Contradiction. A Curse. Divine will, to doom love itself. And I thought I was evil. She teleported just one step back from exactly between Zeref and Mavis. "All Time Is One! Third Origin!" Ultear cried.

It was pain and beauty, grief and love. For an instant, she was in her mother's arms again, an infant embraced by nothing but love. In the next, she was an old woman, sitting beside Shou and holding his hand as they watched great-grandchildren play.

Then she was herself again, and the clock was ticking. "REVERT!" Ultear cried, then pulled at the Curse with all the might that her entire life could offer. All the magic that she'd ever had, that she would ever have, from a woman whose potential was so overwhelming it had nearly killed her. Just as in that other world, the Contradictory Curse fought, howling and thrashing as she drew it out like venom. Crescent arcs of shadow roiled between the two legendary wizards. Zeref was paralyzed, twitching in place. Mavis thrashed, weeping. Just as before, the closer she got, the harder the Curse fought, turning the very efforts she used to its own preservation. Restoring Mavis' muscle tone was an afterthought, a flicker of concept amidst an inferno of will.

Their Natsu was elsewhere in that other world, she thought with a smile. "Natsu! There! Now!"

"Fire Dragon King Mode," Natsu chanted, leaping overhead, "Blazing Fist!" He hammered down at the Curse, burning away its very eternity. "You wanna hurt my bro? You've got to go through me!" he cried, hanging in the air as his star-hot fist directed all the heat and flame on the doom of Ankhseram.

"Ice Devil Zero Blades," Gray joined in, carving away at the tendrils still reaching into Zeref and Mavis. This Curse, it's...like Nemesis, Ultear realized. Jellal's family. Is this what they were meant to fight?

She shook her head. Doesn't matter. If it is, then I will finally take a burden from him. With the help of her brother and – No. They're both my brothers. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!

The Curse of Anhkseram burned, vanished, froze, and shattered. Three disparate magics tore it away, erasing its evil from the universe itself. Ultear wobbled, her life's magic spent, and started to collapse.

Natsu and Gray both caught her before she could topple five centimeters. "God, Ultear," Gray breathed, "what did you do?"

"She...saved us," Zeref whispered, looking at his hands. "I could still go back, but–"

"Please!" Mavis begged, reaching towards him. "Try to remember. What it's like, to care, to love. No matter how much pain and loneliness there's been, I don't want it to go away. I don't want you to go away. This is the world...where we met." Zeref looked at Mavis, then Natsu, seeming more lost than Ultear had been fleeing the Bureau.

"No," Ankhseram said from the ruined doorway. They all turned to stare at him. "Not again. Not this world, not this time."

"Who–" Natsu began.

"Ankhseram," Zeref breathed. "How?"

Ultear squinted. Zen God. I can barely even feel magic, now. Still, she felt a little. Enough. "Natsu, does he smell like Brain? I think that's Brain-2."

"Don't bother," Ankhseram retorted. "Yes, you have identified my vessel. It was easy, after your pirate friends defeated him a second time. You have defied my will, Ultear Milkovich. Again. I will not permit it."

"We're in another dimension," Ultear pointed out.

Ankhseram snorted. "Godhood is transcendent," he sneered. "Space, time, will, life, reality itself, that is the nature of divinity. It encompasses, defines, and exists beyond all such limitations, all at once. You mortal specks will not interfere with it – with me – a moment longer."

"You must be the God of Jerks," Natsu growled. "This is the guy, right, nii-san?" he asked, the fury of the Fire Dragon King roaring around him. "The one who hurt you and the First Master."

"Yes," Mavis replied, standing. "Yes, he is." She put one hand over the other, and the golden light glowing between her palms would have gotten Ultear to cheer if she'd had the strength. "Normally, I'd count to three. I'm not really in the mood. Boys! Hit him!"

"I think n–" Ankhseram began.

They didn't let him finish.

"Fire Dragon-God King Roar!" Natsu roared, consuming the Take Over god in flames.

"Ice Devil Zero Destruction Bow!" Gray howled, unleashing all his might in a single arrow.

"Stygian Lance!" Zeref chanted, throwing a swirling darkness that joined the other boys' spells, exploding around Ankhseram.

"Fairy...Law!" Mavis clapped her hands, casting out the golden light.

Something exploded, but there was no wave of force and destruction, only an awareness of a presence being driven off. When Ultear could see again, Brain-2 stood before them, eyes blank. He fell forward, unconscious. Zeref looked at his hand again, then at Mavis. "I..." he turned to Natsu, who grinned that face-covering smile of his. "...this..."

Zeref Dragneel bowed his head for a moment. Then he looked at Mavis again, held out his hand to her, and smiled in gentle mirror to his brother. "...this is the world where we met."

Thank goodness, Ultear thought, letting Gray hold her upright while the two formerly-immortal lovers hugged and sobbed. I'd be really upset if I sacrificed my magic just for them to kill each other after all.

Acnologia roared above them, shaking the world. They all looked up. "Well, great," Ultear sighed. "Sorry, everyone, but that was all the magic I could ever have. You'll have to finish the plan without me."

Zeref looked at her. "You have a plan? For Acnologia? How?"

Ultear smirked back at him. "Jellal."

Chapter Text

Earthland-1, Magnolia, X792: Jellal

I knew he was powerful, Jellal thought, but this...

He held back Acnologia's roar with the Galaxia Shield. It was the only part of their distraction that hadn't fallen apart when they made contact with the monster. Irene reeled in mid-air, struggling to right herself. Master Makarov and Captain Monki were unconscious on the ground. Gildarts had managed something of a landing, resulting in a crater of cubes where Cube had fallen. (The irony did not escape the Shield of Ishgar.) And Acnologia...had noticed them. "The Galaxia Shield," it rumbled. "Even in my time, we thought it a legend."

Jellal hovered before the Dragon King, bracing himself. "It's quite real, I assure you."

"So, you no longer want to die," the monster boomed, scattering every cloud around them. "A pity." It reared back, magic rippling across its body.

"Wendy Marvell," Jellal blurted, and the dragon paused. "She's the Sky Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail. You'e not alone, Acnologia. There's another path you can take, if you're willing."

"You have no idea who I was," the living apocalypse growled. "Not that it matters any longer, Last Fernandes. Magic Dragon Death Fang!" Acnologia swung its tail, slamming him to earth.

When Jellal landed in Cube's remains, he found Brain standing over Gildarts with the Scythe. He'd already sliced away the Crash Mage's artificial limbs, and was now aiming for his neck. Oh, COME ON! Jellal railed, racing between the mastermind and the Fairy Tail Ace. Scythe met Shield, and cosmic light roared in the face of shining, colorless death. Like Seireio against the Underworld King, he remembered.

Above them, Irene flew past Acnologia again, buffeting him with wind and power. A modified Space Between Time rippled around the Apocalypse Dragon, conjuring dozens of ships from across history – and possibly the future.

In front of him, Brain snarled and swept the Scythe at Jellal's throat, and the former guild master managed a dodge by less than a centimeter. "Again you defy me, my boy?" Brain asked, stalking towards Jellal as the star mage moved away from Gildarts. "I taught you everything you ever wanted to know. Heavenly Body Magic, politics, martial arts, science, Hermetic Formulas, administration – was I not a teacher you could rely on?"

"You used Nemesis to hurt everyone I love while I dangled helpless in my own mind!" Jellal roared, throwing a massive Starburst volley at Brain. The dark wizard used something akin to Reflector to twist the spell away from him. "Your schemes are madness." Jellal stopped, realizing what he'd just said. "What have you done, Brain?"

"Acnologia will ravage the world," Brain said, stalking towards Jellal with the Scythe at the ready. "When he has fulfilled his destiny as the living Apocalypse, my new Prayers will be ready to fill the void left by the fall of the Light." He laughed. "If your forces triumph, I will claim his power and become the god of this world." Terror froze Jellal's blood. "No matter the outcome, the Darkness shall reign supreme at last!"

"Why?" Jellal grunted, eyes flickering up. Meredy, he realized, her Sensory Link uniting countless wizards against the Apocalypse Dragon. "It's not for Ankhseram's glory, that much is clear."

"Do you hope to hear another tale of woe, Prince of Men?" Brain chuckled, his smile mocking. "A story of how I was betrayed, degraded, abused? I fear you will be disappointed. The LaPointe family had wealth, influence, magic. We were born with everything." He snorted. "It was boring. Empty. A life of hollow privilege and rote hypocrisy, speaking of obligation to the Light and the commoners while growing fat on their bounty. I found the Dark, the void, by a random trick of fate. It is the only 'love' that does not sting or betray, the only passion that lasts." He held out his free hand. "The world you protect is built on lies, boy. Its cornerstones are greed and cowardice and the pretense of civility. The only truth is in shadow, the only honesty in fury and destruction and conquest."

Jellal shook his head. "I'm amazed at how absolutely wrong you can be." He called forth the Meteor Sword. "The love I share with Erza is the most unshakeable truth I know. I have found family and purpose in my guilds – Crime Sorciere, Shooting Starlight, Fairy Tail. I'm frankly appalled that you think you can turn me with words when Nemesis failed."

"Oh? You declare yourself lover of Erza, brother to Ultear, father to Meredy, thief of Prayers," Brain snorted, his stolen magic howling around him. "You are a hollow shell, my son. There is nothing within you except echoes of other souls." Jellal stumbled back as Brain's mad smile grew. "Let the darkness fill the void. It's already there. It is always there, waiting. It will never fail you, never judge you, never abandon you. That darkness is the freedom you've always longed for."

Brain held out his hand, and the Cosmic Cube floated above it. Vast eddies of dark power coursed around it. Jellal stared, nausea pooling in his guts as he recoiled. "Hades may have sacrificed you to the Tower, but I was the one who molded you into its master. I created Ultear, both in birth and life." His nausea redoubled. He's her father? Jellal wondered, recoiling. "I taught you to see your true self. I know your destiny, God Slayer. Take my hand, and embrace the One Magic!"

Live, and grasp the future before you.

We formed this guild to drive out darkness from the world.

You're a Fairy Tail wizard, dammit!

No one deserves hope more.

"Meteor," Jellal chanted, and blazed with light. "Oh, Brain. Shadows are no more evil than fear." Brain cocked his head, raising one confused eyebrow at Crime Sorciere's former leader. Jellal straightened, sliding into a ready stance. "Simon was the good in your tower, while you made me and all my light its evil. August was right about that, at least, and I am not your slave any longer."

Brain laughed. "Then who are you, boy? A slayer of gods in a world with no gods left to kill?"

"I am a Devil Slayer. I battle those who use the darkness for evil, so men like you will never possess another wizard with it," Jellal replied, his voice even and steady. Brain's smile vanished. "There are some who have more powerful spells than I, but none who love the ways of magic more. Even my fugitive wandering has been a gift, for I have seen things you would not believe. Befriended a hero with the bow of Orion. Called starlight to shield the Onibus Gate. Watched moments in time freeze and multiply."

The ether itself bent to Jellal's will, flowing into him in a torrent. He flashed a warrior's grin at Brain, whose eyes widened at the sight. "I know exactly who I am, Brain – a defender of the innocent, a master of the mystic arts, an explorer of every horizon. For all I owe to those I love, you are years too late with your temptations. I want no 'One Magic' when it might deny me the ten thousand wonders the world has to offer. I need no darkness or light to define me, not when I have love and family. I am a Shield of Ishgar, you vile parasite, and while I stand, your malice shall claim no others!"

For a moment, the mastermind trembled, eyes locked onto Jellal's implacable gaze. "Then you will fall!" Brain roared, pointing the Scythe of Ankhseram at Jellal. A Magic Seal burst to life above Jellal's Meteor Sword.

Darkness crashed into Light, and the last battle began.

"Meteor!" Brain chanted, racing at Jellal with his Scythe raised. Jellal ducked the blade, losing a millimeter of hair in the process, then fired back with a Starburst. Brain flew through the blast, laughing as he came at Jellal for another swing. It took both sword and shield to parry, the Scythe's blade two centimeters from his eye.

Gods! Jellal darted back, trading the Meteor Sword for Mystogan's fin staff and firing a blast from it, hiding a sleep spell in the force of the beam. August's magic couldn't copy it, but Brain parried both attacks with Wave Magic and charged at Jellal again. A Crash strike made the Galaxia Shield quiver on Jellal's arm, and Brain slowing down to analyze was the only reason Jellal was able to pull away. Brain didn't just get August's ability, Jellal realized. He stole the strength that went with it. Grim. I wanted to save August too. He spared a moment to look overhead, Formula Eyes spinning above him.

Acnologia roared and thrashed as wizards threw trains, boats, and airships at him. The dragon tore them apart whenever he got hold of one, but with the Space Between Time dropping his one weakness at him from every direction, even the Apocalypse Dragon found himself beset. Jellal smiled when he realized Erza was not only directing the assault, but using her telekinesis to push the vehicles into him. Using masses of swords as hands, Jellal noted, smile growing a fraction when he saw Irene by his beloved's side. How Erza.

Brain lashed out at Jellal again, and he turned to mist to evade the dark wizard. In a fold of the Space Between Time, the human form of Acnologia faced the seven Dragon Slayers of Earthland-1, their battle even in spite of the younger Slayers' numbers and Acnologia's power divided between battles. Okay. They're struggling, but the plan is working, he decided. Taking solid form again, he kicked Brain from behind, sending the villain sprawling. He rushed in to follow up with Star Devil Iron Fist.

With Meteor speed, Brain whirled around before Jellal could reach him. Twin black beams lashed out from the Scythe and the Cube; only the Galaxia Shield protected the star mage. With a grunt, he let the force push him back a few meters instead of getting thrown halfway across Magnolia. I've gotten too accustomed to overpowering my enemies, he realized, darting around Brain with another evasion. With August's power and Gildarts' magic, Brain is much stronger than I am. Using Meteor, he's faster. I have to be smarter. I have to be better. It's my only chance.

Jellal sent the five staves out around Brain with a gesture. "Five Layer Circle: Sacred Song!" he chanted, and the beam crashed down on the villain. To Jellal's surprise, Brain howled, the magic delivering nothing but punishment in spite of all the man's stolen power. Holder Magic. His power is still incredible, though. How can I use that to–

"Alien tricks will not save you, boy!" Brain snarled, lashing out with the Scythe. Mystogan's fin staff shattered. Pain rippled up Jellal's arm, where the staff had been bound to him by magic of Earthland and Edolas. He recalled the other four and raced away again. This is bad. I can't turn into mist now. All of the array's most powerful spells require five projections. Once more, Brain closed the distance. Erza destroyed the Cosmic Cube, so his must be a copy. The Scythe is the key. Maybe I can even the odds by doing to him what he just did to me. Again, Jellal parried with the Shield, using it as part of an evasion while examining the Scythe with Formula Eyes. If it's bound to him somehow–

In an instant, Jellal knew how to win. He didn't claim August's magic through the Scythe, the Shield of Ishgar realized. It's in the Scythe. And when he destroyed Mystogan's staff... Jellal's eyes narrowed on the hairline crack in the grain of the handle. I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I wish we could have met. Thank you.

Four more times, he flung out a staff to strike at Brain. Each time, Brain destroyed the staff with his weapon. With each, though, Jellal directed the force of the ruined weapon at the Scythe. The flaw in the divine horror grew, but not enough for Brain to notice. Again, Jellal dodged a slash that would have torn away his chest. "Dark Delete!" the Prayer chanted.

Jellal couldn't evade the Scythe and all the blasts. He was able to dodge some and block others, but the volley hammered his already ravaged body and threw him across the Grim ruins. Ow. Get up get up get up! Jellal rolled to his feet and summoned the Meteor Sword, parring the Scythe of Ankhseram with a centimeter to spare.

Both weapons cracked, the Meteor Sword casting multicolored light shimmering with stars from the damage, while black and white fury erupted from the handle-wide damage to the Scythe. "No," Brain gasped.

He's already figured it out, Jellal realized. Now or never! With a leap and a cry to do Natsu proud, Jellal slashed at Brain with the Meteor Sword, pouring every mote of magic he had into speed. Brain raised the Scythe to block, instinct overriding all his genius. It was only an instant.

It was all Jellal needed. His blow splintered the Scythe, leaving Brain holding two short batons as the deadly blade vanished. The Meteor Sword's own blade shattered, and Jellal was left with a hilt that radiated divine power. "NO!" Brain cried, staring at the two bits of handle. "What have you done?"

In spite of everything, Jellal laughed. "You know, as many times as I've heard that, it never gets old," he admitted. Focusing his magic through the hilt, he formed a blade of cosmic force and starlight. The new sword shimmered sapphire blue, dotted with shining beacons of gold.

"You are the ruin of all glory, Prince of Men!" Brain howled, summoning his counterfeit Cosmic Cube to hand. "My Prayers, Belserion, Ultear – Nirvana, the staves, the Scythe of Ankhseram, the Sword of Heaven – is there nothing you will not make lesser in your quest for 'Light,' you failed experiment?"

"'Lesser,' Brain? Every one of the wizards you named would disagree," Jellal retorted, pointing the sword at the Prayer. "I regret the loss of Mystogan's wonders, but Nirvana and the Scythe were horrors. And this?" He tilted the star saber a fraction. "I prefer this, even if it lacks the power of the Meteor Sword. Magic in a weapon's shape can stun or paralyze. All a blade's edge can do is harm." He banished the Galaxia Shield and waved for Brain to come at him.

With a howl, Brain leaped – backwards. "Tesseract!" he screamed, the Cosmic Cube lancing at Jellal with a force that rivaled what Johann had wielded. A competent counterfeit, then. Not that it matters. Jellal raced past Brain, slashing at the Cube. It imploded. This contest is over.

Brain convulsed, doubling over. Formula Eyes flared a warning, of dark magic tearing at Brain from within. "No," the Prayer begged. "Not me. I devoted myself to you like no other!"

"Brain, take my hand!" Jellal banished the hilt and reached out, but the dark guild master stumbled back. "I can help you, but–"

"Not me!" Brain wailed, his torso swirling inward like draining water. Jellal recoiled. "Everything I have done was for you! I love you! WHY?" he screamed, then kept screaming as his body warped and spiraled in to a single point.

Brain was gone.

I can't even regret that I couldn't save him, Jellal sighed, falling over to sit on a chunk of cubed Cube. He made his choice, freely, to be the person he wished.

A Sensory Link band formed on his wrist. Dad? Mom's out, do you have any magic left?

Jellal's heart soared. You called me Dad, he replied. Somewhere, Meredy's blush was furious. It's okay. Plenty of families are weird. Yes, I have magic. Take all the Alliance needs.

His name was Adam Marvell, Meredy filled in. Wendy's trying, but apparently, he was named after someone who was both friend and enemy to their family, and...well, he 's Acnologia.

Jellal looked at where Brain had been. They can only do their best, he replied. It's all any of us can ever do. Meredy's relief pulsed like a balm through the Link, and Jellal dropped back to lie down on the hard stone, watching the battle whirl overhead. This is good, he decided, scarlet light shining in the sky as Erza led the battle against the Apocalypse Dragon. It's her moment, not mine. He glanced at the remnants of the Scythe's handle. I'm just glad I could keep it that way.

-FT- -FT- -FT-

When Jellal regained consciousness, he found Erza sitting beside his bed. The same one we put Laxus in after his fight with Tempester, he realized. "I should scold you," Erza whispered, wiping his brow with a cloth.

Jellal chuckled. "For what, saving your mother and defeating Brain?" Erza slapped the top of his head. "I'm fine, Erza. Just tired. I can't be the only one like this after joining a continents-wide Unison Raid to defeat the Apocalypse Dragon."

Erza's smirk was weak. "I am told," she replied, "that it was not a 'proper' Unison Raid. What the Meredys did is accounted several kinds of miracle, mind you. Just not that one."

"I concede the point," Jellal replied, another gentle laugh escaping him. Erza's smile vanished again. "Hey," he assured her. "I'm here." He reached out and took her free hand. "I'm alive. I want to be alive. I can even accept I deserve to be alive."

"Good," Erza huffed, looking away for a moment. Then she dropped into a fierce hug, pinning him in her arms. "You scared me," she whispered, shaking for a moment. "Don't ever do that again."

"I'll do my best," he replied. "I promise." She sat up, sniffled, and wiped her eyes, then nodded. Jellal looked at her, confused. "It doesn't feel like I was near death," he noted, testing his right arm. A bit weak, but not bad. His eyes widened when Erza bit his lip. "Was I?"

"You've bene unconscious for three days," Erza whispered. "All the other battles you'd engaged in, then facing Irene, August, Acnologia, and Brain with the Scythe of Ankhseram – Porlyusica told us that just being near the Scythe was enough to almost kill you, after that." Jellal swallowed, and Erza brushed back a few locks of hair. "Some of that was white for the first two days. Where he cut it, Porlyusica said."

Oh. That makes sense. Jellal nodded. "Clearly, I must be more careful in the future." Erza glared at him. "I promised, didn't I? How are the others?"

"Gildarts and Master Makarov are in pretty bad shape," she explained, "and Ultear used something called 'Third Origin,' so–" Jellal gasped. "You know what it is. Good." She smiled again. "Thanks to all the aid we received, no one else died. The Earthland-2 Spriggans helped us make peace in short order, once our versions accepted that they're real. Mavis and Zeref..." She sighed. "...they're sad about August, of course."

Jellal sighed as well, nodding. "I wanted to save him, but Brain seemed to come out of nowhere. Do you think they're going to be all right?"

For some reason, that made Erza smile. "Just this morning, they were talking about trying again," she said, making a futile effort to tame his unruly hair. "Everyone's doing well. Even Ultear's already training with keys called 'SIDRAT' and a new set of Mystogan staves, gifts from Their Majesties of Edolas-2. According to their Queen Erza – she defeated Brain's Knightwalker, I wish I'd seen that – there can only be one set native to a world at a time. Something about the power coming from each staff being unique." Her smile grew. "They knew you'd want her to have them."

"They were right," Jellal agreed. "Acnologia?"

Erza chuckled. "The whole world saw the Apocalypse Dragon vanish in an eruption of light, darkness, and multiple elements. While the souls of the dragons he consumed flew free, one young man with blue hair fell into the bay. When Juvia fished him out, we learned he had amnesia." Jellal stared. Erza laughed again. "He remembers a life from 400 years ago, like Lady Anna, but those memories end with a dragon attack on his village. Wendy's already adopted him and named him 'Adam.' He's strong, but August strong, not shatter-Earthland strong."

"Zera, that's strong enough!" Jellal objected.

"Mm, mm," Erza agreed. Then their eyes met. She bit her lip again."That only leaves two. Us. What happens now?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

"Now?" Jellal smiled. "Now, we live happily ever after."

Erza gasped, then kissed him, proving him right.

Chapter Text

Epilogue: And Death Can Go Hang

Earthland-1, Fairy Tail Guild Hall, X793: Erza

"Requip!" Erza chanted.

Her mother and Mirajane were the only ones who weren't staring. "You kept it?" Lucy blurted.

"You had a wedding dress...in your Requip space?" Levy joined in.

Juvia stared at the flower-adorned saber. "With a sword? Juvin?"

Mira laughed. "Of course. She's Erza!" Her nakama laughed and nodded.

Irene circled around behind Erza, checking her hair and the veil. She summoned a brush from her own Requip space and fixed the bride's hairdo. "Not bad," she said, looking her daughter over. "It's a touch low-cut for my taste–"

"Mom!" Erza blurted. Several of the other women laughed.

"–but otherwise, it is elegant and stylish, with clean, classic lines." She smiled and patted Erza on the shoulder. "Jellal won't be able to take his eyes off you."

"That was the idea," Erza admitted, adjusting the blossom on her veil. Well, the others did warn me that having a mother for my wedding day would be more intense than just having one at all.

Mira brushed her hands away from it. "Gods, Erza, that man would be smitten with you if you wore a box," the She-Demon pointed out. "Will you relax?"

"I am relaxed," Erza insisted. Every woman in the room glared at her. She sighed. "Very well. I am a little nervous. That is normal for a bride!"

Ultear chuckled as she walked in, Cana and Meredy beside her. Erza shoved away a moment's sorrow at how she still leaned on her eye staff, months after the war's end. "No one's questioning that, Erza, but Jellal's one suit wrinkle away from turning into a wreck. Are you really that calm?"

Erza took in a breath, held it, let it go. "No," she admitted, "but I can pretend to be for one ceremony." She fiddled with her saber's handle. "I just don't want anything to go wrong. Not now."

"Well," Cana chuckled, "let your Aunt Cana reassure you. Ultear, Shou and I did some pretty intense readings for you two, and do you know what's going to happen next?" Erza shook her head. "You're going to have one hell of a honeymoon, go on an epic adventure for the 100 Year Quest together, come home to family and having twins and more adventure, then grandkids, great-grand kids, and live to be over a hundred." She shrugged. "I can't tell if you die in your sleep or go out in one last battle with an evil dragon, though."

Erza stared for a moment. "That – that can't be certain."

"Nothing is certain, Erza," Ultear replied, "but that future is nearly so. Zeref's been redeemed, Acnologia's functionally dead – I don't think Adam's memory is ever coming back at this point – and you've got all of Fairy Tail rooting for you." She smirked. "Even Ichiya's been dealt with."

They all laughed at that. "Honestly," Lisanna sighed, hugging Lucy closer, "I can't believe he was stupd enough to challenge Jellal to a duel. At least it wasn't what Jellal-nii thought it was." Erza nodded. He just wanted to impress me. Going down in one punch was not impressive, even against Jellal. Watching Lisanna and Lucy hold hands piqued her curiosity again. She stomped it down with unrelenting will. Even if it were my business, which it is not, Erza decided, this is not the time.

Mischief lit Ultear's face as she grinned. "Anyone want to see how the boys are doing?" she asked, swapping her eye staff for the one with the crystal ball. That's right, they made that for her in place of the skull staff, Erza remembered. Then the crystal projected an image of a pacing Jellal between them.

"Ultear! That's invasion of privacy!" Lucy objected. Erza swallowed and nodded.

"Oh, don't worry so much," Irene assured her, waving for Ultear to continue.

"–Earthland-2 projectors are working," Jellal worried, "but the Edolas ones are cutting out."

Master Makarov laughed. "You worry too much, my boy."

"Yeah," Gray joined in, "you're gonna get wrinkles before you even reach the altar."

"That's not funny!" Jellal blurted, and the entire group of ladies laughed, even Erza. "I'm almost thirty! And Erza's – she's – gods," he trailed off, rubbing his forehead.

"Yeah, thirty," Gildarts retorted, "that's positively ancient." Irene snorted a laugh, then smirked at the Fairy Tail ace. It reminded Erza of how she sometimes looked at Jellal. I do not want to know, Erza decided.

"Stop worryin', boss," Cobra said, throwing an arm around Jellal and holding up his own hand. The former Prayer's wedding band gleamed. "Marriage ain't so bad. Besides, Erza's nuts about you. You've got about half our world and most of two other worlds making sure this goes off with exactly one hitch – you two, getting hitched."

"I – I just – I know," Jellal stammered, "that she loves me. I'm a telepath. She's asked me to enter her mind. I have literally seen how much Erza cares for me. It's, just, all those doubts I had are coming back like an invasion. 'I'm not worthy of her. I'll only hurt her. I'm no good for her.' It's driving me crazy." Erza's smile vanished. Meredy facepalmed.

"Oi." Laxus stood in front of Jellal, arms crossed. "You're an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. You know how this works. 'Just because we overcome our sorrow today, that doesn't mean it won't be there tomorrow.' You're strong enough to face it."

"And we're here to face it with you," Gray added, patting Jellal on the arm. "That's why Fairy Tail's here."

Jellal nodded, unnecessarily straightening the jacket's collar. "Yes. Of course. Thank you. I'm all right now." He nodded again.

"Well then." Makarov cleared his throat. "You boys should head out. I'll go get Erza."

Erza giggled, the nerves escaping her. "That's enough, Ultear," she reassured her, and Ultear cut off the image. "Huh. Where's Natsu?"

"Don't ask," Lisanna and Lucy sighed as one. "He'll be there when we are," Lisanna added, sharing a look with a suddenly-diabolic Mirajane, "and on his best behavior."

...I do NOT want to know, Erza thought. She let her friends – her sisters – fuss over her, while her mother – my mother, alive and sane, another blessing thanks to him – headed out to oversee the final proceedings.

Then Master Makarov knocked at the door. "I still don't see why you need anyone to 'give you away,' Erza," Meredy muttered.

"I wish Uncle Rob could be here," Erza admitted, "but Master Makarov has been my father since I...joined Fairy Tail. Knowing he approves, accepts, is happy for us – this is what I want, Meredy," The pink-haired prodigy sighed and nodded.

The rest was a slow-motion blur. Her bridesmaids trailed out, Mirajane just ahead of her as Maid of Honor, and then Master Makarov was leading her toward the altar. Jellal looked almost terrified, until their eyes met. The fear and worry melted from his face, and all Erza could see was love, joy, peace – and that smile, the one that had saved her from a Grim nightmare. It shone like a beacon, leading her to a future of love and joy. And to be honest, I don't want too much peace, she admitted. We're going to have more adventures, see more wonders, fight and laugh and live, for the rest of our days. "I do," Erza whispered, not realizing she'd responded to her cue until the words came forth.

"You may kiss," the Archbishop said, his smile gentle, "to seal your union."

They did. Oh Jellal. My world-sister was right. Hope is blue.

It was the color of your hair.

THE END

A Fairy Tail