Gwen blinked.

She blinked again.

This wasn't right.

The guild was... destroyed.

Why was it destroyed?

Better yet, who destroyed it?

She knew that she hadn't been in the guild for a long time but having stayed there for a few days gave her all she needed to know about everyone's magic and not one of them showed signs of being able to create massive steel beams like the ones she was looking at right now.

Suddenly, she heard a noise off to her right and when she turned to look, she saw a massive castle standing off in the sea with a massive cannon aimed at the guild.

How did she know that? She thought as panic flared throughout her entire body.

Where was Ben? Grandpa Max? Natsu? Erza? Or Gray? Why weren't they here? What happened to them?

Without warning, a firm hand grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to turn around, her eyes widened in shock as she saw five people obscured by shadow standing in front of what could of three metal pillars with Levy, Jet and Droy crucified to them.

She began to breath rapidly. Her heart pounded in her chest. What was going on? Her eyes flicker from left to right as she took in the destroyed surroundings.

How did this happen? She thought before she noticed a massive cage sitting next to her.

When did that get there?

Cautiously, she stepped towards the cage and peaked inside before gasping in shock as she stumbled back in horror. Her words were stuck in her throat as she struggled to understand what she saw.

There, chained near the back of the cage, hung a very familiar figure, one that she'd grown increasingly close to in the few days she'd known her. The figures head hung low and their long blond hair looked disheveled and somewhat dirty while their clothes were torn all over but Gwen could still recognise her.

"...Lucy?" She asked tersely.

Hearing her name, Lucy slowly began to lift her head, allowing the Gwen to see the hollow look of defeat in her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Now arriving at Magnolia town."

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Gwen bolted upright with a loud gasp, her breath coming in rapid, uneven bursts. The remnants of her nightmare clung to her like a shadow, her heartbeat echoing the panic of her dream. Blinking away the last vestiges of the vision, she slowly became aware of her surroundings: the gentle hum of the train, the rhythmic clacking of wheels on tracks, and the familiar, comforting interior of the carriage. Her heart gradually slowed as she took in the reality of the train ride, realizing she was safe, though still shaken by the remnants of her dream.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned to see Ben's concerned face. "You okay?" He asked her.

She shook her head, "Just a bad dream." She replied before she glanced back at him, "You?" she asked in a poorly disguised attempt to change the subject.

Ben tried to smile reassuringly at her but she could tell it was fake. His eyes were puffy and red from crying, she winced internally, it seems like parting from Wendy affected him even more then he was willing to let on.

It hurt her more than she expected to see him in this state. She parsed her lips and gulped before pulling her cousin into a comforting hug.

Sure they each had their ups and downs but at the end of the day, they were still family, and family always comes first.

_____________________________

Five minutes later and the two cousins finally began making their way off of the train, with Gwen grabbing and stuffing the books on magical history that the professor had gifted to her as one of the rewards for completing his quest.

Ben chuckled quietly to himself as a ghost of a smile appeared in his face. Of course, she'd bargain for history books as an added bonus for completing the request.

He blinked as the bustling sound of Magnolia came rushing into his ears. Even if he hadn't been here long, he was surprised by how familiar everything had become, and for a breath moment, it almost felt normal again.

But then he remembered that this wasn't truly their world and he doubted that it would ever truly be. What would his parents think of this?

A frown formed on his face. His parents. His eyes widened in shock. His parents! How had he forgotten? The sudden realisation has hit him like a truck causing the brunette to stumble a bit.

Were they worried about them? Did they know that they had disappeared? He thought as he stumbled over to the station pillar to steady himself.

Oh god! Was he homesick?

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

He took another deep breath and exhaled again.

He repeated the process a few times before straightening his back. This was going to be a very long stay, wasn't it? He thought to himself as he turned to look at his cousin, who was staring at him in mild concern.

She pointed to the stations exit, "I need to buy a few things before we head back to the Guild, if that's alright?"

Ben smiled. "Yeah, sure. I need to get a few things too."

_____________________________

The moment they stepped onto the streets of Magnolia, the sounds and scents of the city washed over them. Vendors called out to passersby, hawking everything from fresh fruits to magical trinkets. The air was filled with the tang of spices and the distant echo of laughter from children playing nearby. The lively atmosphere contrasted sharply with the heaviness Ben felt inside.

It wasn't long before the pair found themselves at the towns market, where vendors desperately tried to peddle their wares to anyone they could.

Gwen seemed to perk up a little, her eyes scanning the various stalls with a mix of curiosity and determination before focusing on a stall that was littered with a profound amount of books. She clutched her own books tightly, as if they were a lifeline tethering her to some semblance of normalcy. Ben watched her, grateful that she could at least find some solace in the midst of everything.

He glanced to his left and saw a group of familiar faces causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"Guys?!?!?!" He called out, grabbing Gwen's attention causing her to turn around to see what had caught Ben's attention.

Standing just a few stalls away were Natsu, Erza, and Gray, accompanied by Happy, the blue Exceed. Relief washed over Ben as he rushed forward, Gwen following closely behind."Ben! Gwen!" Natsu shouted, a grin splitting his face. "We were wondering when you'd show up!"

Gwen couldn't help but smile, the tension in her shoulders easing a little. "Hey, guys. What are you all doing here?"

"We just came back from our own quest and thought we'd grab some supplies before we head back to the guild." Erza answered as she picked up a piece of fruit from one of the stalls.

She inspected the fruit carefully, her eyes narrowing in that intense way she always did when she was sizing something up, whether it was an enemy or an apple. She nodded, apparently satisfied, and added it to the growing pile of goods she was carrying. "It's been a busy week for everyone," she continued, "but we managed to finish early."

"The quest wasn't that bad actually." Lucy added as she lifted up her key chain to reveal a brand new celestial key attached to it, only to receive a harsh glare from Erza.

Unfortunately, both Natsu and Gray were also caught in her glare. "Lets not forget that you broke guild rules by going on that quest and you'll be recieving your proper punishments when we return."

The two cousins tilted their heads in confusion, what did she mean by breaking guild rules? Ben turned his head to look at the aforementioned trio and noticed that they were looking away guiltily.

Oh. So they've done something they shouldn't have. He arched an eyebrow, why didn't that surprise him somehow?

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, trying to appear nonchalant. "Well, it was worth it! We got the job done, didn't we?" He said, puffing out his chest.

Erza's stern expression softened slightly, though her eyes remained sharp. "That may be so, but rules are in place for a reason. The guild's reputation depends on it."

Gwen nodded, thinking back to the dream that still haunted her thoughts. The guild's strength and unity were what made it such a formidable family, and she hoped nothing would ever tear that apart.

"Come on," Natsu said, waving them forward with his usual enthusiasm. "Let's head back to the guild and get this over with. Maybe Gramps will go easy on us this time."

"Highly unlikely," Gray muttered, though he followed without much resistance. Happy flew alongside, humming a cheerful tune, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

As they made their way through Magnolia, Gwen felt herself relax slightly. The laughter of her friends and the familiar sights and sounds of the city brought her some comfort. Still, the memory of her nightmare clung to the edges of her mind like a dark cloud, refusing to dissipate.

Unfortunately, that dark feeling quickly returned as the group walked back towards the guild. She wasn't sure why, but something felt off in the air.

She didn't like it. The horrific gnawing sensation steadily grew stronger with every step towards the guild.

When they turned the final corner leading to the guild hall, Gwen's steps faltered. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she took in the scene before her.

The guild was destroyed.

Massive columns of iron pierced the building, ruining it's homely feel and completely blocked the guilds entrance.

Gwen glanced at her friend's, who all stood still, staring in shock at their destroyed home.

"What the heck happened to our guild?!?!" Natsu exclaimed angrily, fire slowly sparked from his fists in assocation with his rising anger.

"We don't know." Mirajane answered as she walked up from behind the stunned group, closely followed by Makarov and Grandpa Max.

"All we can guess is that this was some kind of message." Max added as both Gwen and Ben ran up to him and pulled him into a hug.
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And that's it for this chapter, I know the ending is a bit lack luster but hey, at least its longer then 1,000 words, which, once again, I am sorry about.

Now, I'm going on to write the prologue for MHA: Heroic Fantasy, which for those of you reading this story on Wattpad, is a MHA/Final Fantasy 16 crossover story featuring Sun Wukong. The story will have Izuku being the Warden of Ifrit, and I already have five other Dominants picked out for the story. It may take a while because I'm heading back to college next week and I don't how that will affect whatever my writing schedule is.

Bye!