"Wow," Sting gawked looking down the streets of Magnolia. The city was a mess array of markets, pedestrians, soldiers, and other assortments of life.

Rogue only nodded in response as he dodged under a beam that was being carried by a couple of construction workers.

"Sorry," one of the workers apologized.

"It's fine," Rogue assured him before returning his gaze to the crowd.

"So... I take it that's the guild?" Sting asked pointing to the large building at the end of the street with a banner on it and the large words 'Fairy Tail' etched over the door.

"I suppose so," Rogue answered. He looked around, "But I'd rather head to the library."

"Old records can wait, come on!" Sting grinned grabbing Rogue's arm and pulling him down the street, "Don't you wanna see our parent's guild?"

Rogue said nothing but allowed Sting to pull him towards the guild. 

Fairy Tail's doors were opened slightly as the two boys peered inside.

A word to describe what they saw; chaos. Fighting and drinking and singing and dancing with a little bit more fighting sprinkled in for good measure. Sting opened the door, enthralled by it all while Rogue's desire to find the library grew infinitely higher.

"Maybe we should just go to the library - " Rogue began.

"Come on," Sting grinned pulling Rogue inside much to the Shadow Dragon Slayer's horror. The moment they stepped in, the movement stopped. Everyone looked to them, some of them in the middle of their fights. It seemed to the two that they were looked over, and were being evaluated.

"SAFE!" a woman, her top consisting only of a bleu bra, yelled jumping to her feet and hoisting up an entire barrel of beer. 

"SOMEONE STOP HER!" someone else cried.

Very suddenly, the two had been judged to not be a threat, and then life went on. Everyone lunging for the woman.

After the moment of awkwardness, Rogue and Sting weaved their way through the guild avoiding brawls and random flying objects. Sting was only taken down by a table once and Rogue called that an absolute win.

Eventually, the duo reached the bar and sat down, wincing slightly as a member went crashing into a wall.

"Are you two new?" a kind voice asked. The two's attention was turned to the woman behind the bar. She was tall and clearly beautiful with long white hair and sweet blue eyes.

"Uh... yeah," Sting answered turning in his seat to face her, "I'm Sting, this is Rogue."

"What brings you to Fairy Tail?" the woman asked as she cleaned a glass.

"We were sent here by - "Sting began.

"A friend," Rogue interrupted cryptically. He trusted no one in this insane asylum and wasn't about to go betray the Scarlets.

"Oh, how mysterious," the woman grinned, "I'm Mira. The guild's bartender and part-time Master."

"Part-time Master?" Sting repeated, tilting his head.

"Yes," Mira nodded, giving no more information. Rogue's attention was pulled to the other man at the bar, he was sleeping with an empty beer bottle in hand. His head hidden under a fur-lined coat. Rogue could only make out the smell of alcohol from the man and so he turned his attention away.

"Oh," Sting nodded. He wasn't sure where else to go with the conversation. Rogue had made it clear that he wanted to remain confidential which meant that running around, asking people about Dragneels and Redfoxs was off the table. 

"So, did you two boys come to join?" Mira asked.

"No," Rogue answered simply. Mira narrowed her eyes and smiled as she considered his answer. She began making drinks as she looked at the two. "This friend of yours, why exactly did they send you here?"

Sting looked to Rogue wondering what he should say.

"To find someone," Rogue explained, trying to remain vague.

"To find someone," Mira hummed back serving the two drinks.

"We didn't order anything," Sting pointed out nervously.

"Consider it on me, for first-time visitors," Mira smiled before turning around to put a few glasses away. 

When she had her back turn Sting looked to Rogue and mouthed 'poison?' Rogue shrugged and looked at the drink.

"It's not poison," Mira laughed from where she stood, making her seem one thousand times more suspicious. "You know," Mira chuckled turning back to the boys, "I've had a hunch. I've had it since I saw you two but I'm gonna tell you that hunch."

"Sure," Sting grinned. Mira walked over and leaned over the counter looking from Rogue to Sting, "Are you two out on a first date?"

Sting literally fell backward choking on his own spit.

Rogue deadpanned and began wondering what diety he had offended to cause him this suffering.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was it a secret date?" Mira asked innocently.

"WHAT!?" Sting cried from his place on the floor.

"We're brothers," Rogue explained quickly before Sting stood up and obliterated the place.

"Oh," Mira realized, her mind reaching an entirely different conclusion, "Insest then?"

"NO!" Sting cried in mental agony.

"We're just brothers who are trying to find some missing family," Rogue explained, remaining composed.

"Oh GOD!" Sting cried finally envisioning what Mira meant.

"Well, I guess my hunch was wrong," Mira sighed, "I'm sorry, but you don't see young couples anymore and it's really a shame. I guess I was just hopeful."

"ROGUE! ROGUE I NEED BLEACH!" Sting cried.

Rogue picked up Sting's old stool and slammed it down on Sting who screamed, "Enough," the shadow dragon slayer scolded.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU BEADY-EYES!?" Sting demanded.

"You're being melodramatic... and a jerk."

"You want to go!?" Sting demanded, jumping to his feet.

"You will be crushed," Rogue assured Sting.

"YOU WANNA BET!?" Sting cried.

"Oh, you both are just like your fathers," Mira smiled fangirlishly.

That made both of them freeze.

"What?" Rogue asked quickly.

"Natsu and Gajeel, they used to fight just like you two all the time," Mira giggled cleaning more glasses.

"You KNOW!?" Sting choked.

"Oh... you thought I didn't?" Mira asked tilting her head, "Of course. You both look just like how I imagined you... well... actually I thought Sting would have brown eyes and pink hair but I guess I always have been a little off in my fantasies."

"What?" Rogue asked again.

"Oh, I predict what the children of all my ships are going to look like," Mira grinned reached below the bar and pulling out a huge scrapbook. She opened it and flipped through it pointing to one page that was full of pictures of Gajeel and Levy. Small featured were circled in black ink such as 'black hair' or 'super-smart'.

Both boys were stunned.

"As soon as I saw you, I figured you were their kids," Mira smiled.

"I- what... do you... what?" Sting asked flabbergasted.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rogue asked.

"Why would I, you two can introduce yourselves just fine," Mira smiled sweetly.

"No... I mean... we're supposed to be dead," Rogue elaborated.

"As if that ever stopped your fathers," Mira chuckled.

"What?" Sting asked.

"I have a pretty simple philosophy. Never assume someone's dead until you bury them. I've learned that one the hard way," Mira explained, her voice still sweet.

"So... what... if Natsu and Gajeel walked in right now you wouldn't be surprised?" Sting demanded.

"I mean," Mira began, thinking, "I'd be a little bit upset that they let me even consider that they were dead. I'd probably sic Erza on them for being gone for so long. But no, not surprised... Your fathers were pretty resilient."

"I can't tell if that's idealistic or wicked optimism," Sting admitted.

"The answer is yes," Mira smiled, "Now... Why are you two really here?"

"Well..." Sting began, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I mean I would've liked it if Natsu and Gajeel's kid were planning to get together, the peace it would bring my soul cannot be - " Mira began.

"Please stop, I will jump off a cliff if I envision that again," Sting grimaced.

"Aw," Mira pouted.

"We were... um..." Rogue began.

"Looking for your parents... or at least what they left behind?" Mira asked eagerly.

"Sure," Sting nodded.

"Perfect," Mira smiled clapping, "Cause I have been holding on to this stuff for years and everyone wants me to get rid of it but I would rather die!" She reached under the bar again and brought out a small brown box.

"Wow, that's a lot of stuff," Rogue stated sarcastically.

"Sarcasm! When you add Gajeel's snide nature with Levy's intelligence you get sarcasm! BRILLIANT!" Mira announced in a squeal, "But no, I have like fifty outfits from Lucy that I've been considering pawning off and at least five hundred pounds of iron from Gajeel that I just have sitting in the back."

"Oookay, what's with the box?" Sting asked.

"Oh, well I can't just hand this stuff off to anyone, I've gotta make sure you're really Sting and Ryos."

"Rogue," Rogue corrected.

"Whatever you say gothy Gajeel," Mira smiled, "Just open the box if you do that, it'll do the rest."

"How about no," Rogue retorted.

"What, why?" Mira asked.

"Look, it's evident that you're not all there and no offense, but we've met two crazy women in the past week or so, both who were coincidentally redheads now that I think about it, but one of them tried to murder us and the other only slightly tried to murder us. We've been on the run from the dragon king who's been trying to kill us because of who we're related to. You then expect us, to put full faith in you, someone who's a little crazy, and participate in a test that'll see if we're related to our parents. How the hell do we know this isn't a trap and the box isn't going to murder us or at least restrain us until you can turn us into the authorities? This is too perfect for it to be coincidental."

Both Mira and Sting were blank-faced.

"You're super paranoid," Sting stated, he reached for the box.

"Sting, don't you dare," Rogue ordered.

"Hey, Erza said we'd be safe here," Sting grinned, touching the box. Immediately, a rune cage appeared around the box and then broke away, making Mira's eyes widen.

"You're telling the truth," Mira recognized as the small rune cage fell, "Freed's enchantment could only break if  someone related to Natsu of Gajeel touched the box."

Sting opened the box and pulled out a small golden key, "What the heck?" he asked.

"Oh, it's one of Lucy's keys," Mira realized leaning forward.

"Keys?" Sting asked.

"Uh-huh, Lucy was a celestial wizard. She must've left this one here... wait a second," Mira realized. "Come with me!"

She grabbed the boys and pulled them over the counter with a strength that neither of the boys was expecting. The three of them hunkered below the counter, the two dragon slayers very confused.

"You were right to be slightly paranoid," Mira nodded, suddenly serious, "Nothing in Magnolia is safe. Acnologia's got worms everywhere... but... if this key is the key I think it is... then I know exactly why your mother's left it."

"I am so freakin confused right now," Sting announced holding the strange key.

"We need a distraction," Mira thought. 

There was a loud crash behind them.

"Don't you think they're distracted enough?" Rogue asked listneing to the chaos.

"Oh no, not nearly. Didn't you see how quickly they realized you had come in?" Mira asked.

"She's got a point," Sting nodded, "But um... cover for what?"

"I've got it!" Mira grinned standing up. "Hey!" she hissed, "Macao, Wakaba!"

"Yeah?" a old male voice asked.

"What's wrong?" another old male voice asked.

"I've got a Dragneel and Redfox under thr counter and we've gotta get downstairs unnoticed," Mira explained.

"You're got WHO!?" one of the voices demanded.

"Hush," Mira scolded, "I need a distraction."

"Mira... did you start a new code or - " the other voice asked.

"No. I'm serious. I need a lever S distraction!" Mira demanded.

"Alright," one of the voices sighed, "HEY!! IS THAT A SORCERER WEEKLY I SEE YOU HOLDING REEDUS?"

"SORCERER WEEKLY!?"

"No way!"

"Where'd you get it!?"

"They shut down that magazine years ago! Hand it over, I wanna see!"

"STOP RUNNING, YOU COWARD!!"

Explosions and crashes ensued. Mira looked to Sting and Rogue and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the two of them looked like random guildmates and Mira looked like a medium-height woman with short black hair, "Let's go," she ordered in a serious voice.

"WH-" Sting began. Rogue elbowed him and then the two followed Mira quickly. They ducked and weaved between brawling guildmembers as magic explosions rocked the guild. Mira reached a door, unlocked it with a small bronze key she had hidden in the folds of her dress. The door opened and the three slipped in unnoticed. 

Mira smiled and snapped her fingers again returning them all to their normal appearance, "Well done," she commended them.

"What is this place?" Rogue asked looking around. They were at the top of a stone staircase that led down through a rocky passage lit with torches.

"The basement," Mira said simply walking down the steps, "We won't go all the way down, the door you need is... here!" she announced stopped in front of a thin wooden door. It had a strangely shaped keyhole.

Sting looked to the golden key in his hand and then inserted it into the door. There was a flash of golden light and the sound of a doorbell. Then, rather anti-climatically, the door opened. 

"Ooo... how exciting," Mira cooed.

Sting pushed the door open and gawked.

The room wasn't even a room. It looked like a platform suspended in a magical dimension full of stars and bubbles and many other things that didn't make sense.

"The celestial realm," Mira explained, "Or... a bridge between the worlds... how exciting!"

Rogue and Sting walked in and Rogue was immediately drawn to the books on the shelf, "Woah... some of these are ancient."

"Forget the books there are SPARKLES AND BUBBLES IN THE SKY!" Sting cried.

"When your mother's said they were leaving a few things I didn't realize they meant an entire library," Mira murmured looking around.

Sting walked the isles stopping at one shelf that was full of pictures. Dozen of framed pictures standing, dustless and clean, on the shelves. There were many of Natsu of Lucy or Gajeel and Levy. There were just as many baby photos that made Sting cringe inwardly but also brought a deep pang of sadness to his heart. His gaze stopped at one photo and slowly, he reached up and pulled it off the shelf. It was a snapshot of a group of people and dragons. Natsu was there, a large red dragon behind him whose face just barely fit in the picture. Lucy was beside Natsu, smiling and holding up a peace sign. To her side was Erik, clearly younger and smirking as he stared at the camera. To his side was an incredibly tall blonde-haired man who was wearing a fur-trimmed black coat and looked extremely bored as he looked at the camera. Behind him and Erik was a white dragon with kind blue eyes who was laughing about something. To the blonde-haired man's right were Rogue's parents, smiling as Gajeel had a hand on a metal dragon who seemed to be scolding the man.

"Sting!" Rogue called. Sting ran over with the picture to where Rogue was scanning what seemed to be a journal.

"What's that?" Sting asked lifting the front of the book up so he could see if there was a title.

"Your Mom's diary," Rogue answered.

"WHAT!" Sting cried slamming the book shut, "Rogue you can't just READ THAT!"

Rogue glared at him and opened the book again, "You're Mom had been talking to a dragon named Grandeeney. You remember that was one of the dragons they made an alliance with."

"Yeah," Sting nodded.

"She was a sky dragon and apparently, she was starting a rebellion," Rogue explained.

"Sky dragon," Sting echoed looking at the picture at the white dragon who had eyes that were the color of a clear blue sky.

"Yeah, right here," Rogue nodded pointing to the lines, " 'Grandeeny's apparently training a young girl now. She's eager to start a rebellion and is reaching out to dragon slayers everywhere. Natsu is all in, unsurprising, I know. The truth is, I think it's a great idea. There are rumors going around that Acnologia is going to do something about children... I think it's a good idea to get away from it all and fight him. I just wish there was some way I could be certain that it's the right thing to do.'" 

"Grandeeney," Sting nodded, biting his lip at his mother's words.

"What do you think?" Rogue asked.

"I don't know," Sting answered truthfully, "I found a picture."

He showed it to Rogue who took it and studied it.

"You think that's Grandeeney?" Sting asked pointing to the white dragon.

"Probably," Rogue nodded. "That's Igneel... And that's Metalicanna," he explained pointing to the other two dragons. "There's our parents, Erik, and... I don't know who that is," Rogue said, his finger hovering over the blond-haired man. He thought to the man laying on the bar... he had the same coat...

"Another dragon slayer?" Sting asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Rogue admitted.

"What did you two find?" Mira asked walking up.

"Hey, Miss Mira," Sting said taking the picture from Rogue with the intent to ask the woman about the man.

"Please, just call me Mira," Mira dismissed.

"Do you know him?" Sting asked raising the picture and pointing to the blonde-haired man. Mira's eyes widened and then she sighed.

"Do you?" Rogue asked.

"Yes," Mira smiled, her gaze sad, "Yes I do."

"Who is he, is he a dragon slayer?"

"Yes," Mira nodded, "That and other things."

"What does that mean?" Rogue asked.

"I mean if you're looking for help... I wouldn't look to him," Mira explained.

"MOM!" a voice echoed from the stairwell. Sting and Rogue both perked up because they recognized that voice.

"Mom, Macao set the guildhall on fire again and - " Suddenly, Yukino stomped passed the door, stopping and gawking at the room insider. "What the heck is this place..." Yukino's voice died down as she looked to Sting and Rogue. 

"Yukino!" Sting smiled overjoyed and running up to her. 

SLAP

"WHAT. WERE. YOU. THINKING!?" Yukino demanded after she slapped Sting, "YOU LEFT US! JUST LEFT US WORRYING ABOUT YOU AND ONLY LEFT A NOTE IN THE RUBBLE OF THE INN!! WE THOUGHT YOU HAD BEEN CAPTURED OR KILLED! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU SCARED US!!"

"Hi," Sting offered meagerly.

"DON'T YOU 'hi' ME!" Yukino cried.

"We had to go mask our scents," Rogue explained walking up to Yukino, "We ran into someone who could help."

"You scared us!!" Yukino cried.

"Sorry," Sting answered sheepishly.

Yukino then hugged Sting and Rogue, "You both are CRAZY! Never do that again."

"Okay," Sting smiled, "I don't want to get slapped again."

"Oh... yeah... I'm sorry about that," Yukino realized pulling away, embarrassed.

"Yukino," Mira cooed walking beside her daughter, "You didn't say the boys you were traveling with were so handsome... or that you were on slapping terms."

"Mom," Yukino threatened.

"It's too late, you know how my mind works," Mira sighed.

"Stop." Yukino threatened again.

"Okay," Mira sighed raising her hands.

"Where are the others?" Rogue asked, his mind on Frosch, "Are they alright?"

"Yeah, we split up a bit more. I stayed here to wait for you guys because this is where my family is while Minerva and the others followed a lead to find the rebellion," Yukino explained.

"A lead?" Rogue asked.

"We've heard about it," Mira offered, "We gave them a bit of information that we've gathered over the years. Unfortunately, the rebellion never reached out to us so we never got the opportunity to join."

"So, you're family is from the Fairy Tail guild?" Sting asked.

"Yeah," Yukino nodded, "But what are you guys doing here?"

"Our parents were in this guild," Sting explained.

Yukino slowly looked to Mira who was smiling blankly.

"Man mom, that sounds like important information I should've heard," Yukino stated.

"Sorry, must've slipped my mind," Mira stated.

"Mom," Yukino demanded, glaring at her mother, "What are you hiding?"

Mira let out a long sigh, "You three are very observant."

"Mom!" Yukino demanded.

"Alright," Mira sighed, "We're not supposed to talk about it though."

"Mom, for the love of Mavis, we're hanging out in a..." Yukino looked around the room, "I don't even know what this is but I know it's not up to Acnologia's infrastructure code."

That earned a chuckle from Rogue.

Mira crossed her arms and looked to the floor, "Natsu joined the guild first, he wanted to take jobs and earn a name for himself beyond the title his father gave him. He met Gajeel on a job, beat him up, and a month later Gajeel joined the guild."

"Sounds like your father's trademark," Rogue sighed.

"Beat up people, make friends... I love it," Sting grinned.

"A few years later they brought Lucy and Levy into the guild and the rest I suppose is history," Mira shrugged.

"Obviously not, what happened?" Yukino demanded.

"Natsu convinced Laxus to join their alliance," Mira murmured.

"Dad?" Yukino asked. Rogue looked down at the picture and showed it to Yukino.

"Is this Laxus?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's Dad... what is he - "

"Your father joined the alliance and... and he lost in a battle," Mira answered vaguely, "And the dragon king demanded retribution."

Yukino put a hand to her mouth as realization dawned in her eyes, "Oh no..."

"What?" Sting asked.

"When the Dragon King first dictated that families would give up their first-born children, it was supposed only affect children born after the action..." Mira murmured, "And then he attacked the alliance... and was wounded. Wounded by Laxus..."

"And in vengeance, he demanded that instead, all firstborn children younger than eighteen be taken," Yukino finished.

Mira looked up to Yukino, "It was technically your father's fault... at least that's how he sees it."

Yukino looked like she was going to cry.

"Why didn't they take Yukino then?" Sting asked.

"Because she wasn't the firstborn," Rogue answered reading the room.

There was a moment of silence until Mira spoke up.

"My eldest daughter, Sorano. They took her from us," Mira explained.

Yukino was silent.

"So... " Sting began.

"Dad blames himself for all the kids Acnologia took? That's why he's like this?" Yukino demanded.

"Yes," Mira answered slowly.

"Oh no, this is bullshit," Yukino stated striding out of the room.

"Yukino!" Mira called after her, "Oh dear..."

"What... What does she mean?" Sting asked running out of the room and looking up after Yukino.

"Laxus is the real guild master and he's..." Mira began, "... He's never been the same after Sorano was taken."

"He's a drunk?" Rogue asked, putting two and two together. 

Mira bit her lip.

"Has he laid a hand on her?" Sting demanded angrily.

"No," Mira shook her head, "Alcohol acts differently for dragon slayers... it makes them sluggish and makes their memory a bit hazy. Sometimes he forgets Sorano's gone and I think that's why he does it to himself."

"Dragons can handle a lot of alcohol," Rogue grimaced.

"For a long time," Mira nodded.

"So... Yukino's going to beat up her old man and make him stop feeling guilty?" Sting asked trying to connect the dots, "And then he'll stop being drunk."

"I don't think that's how that works -" Mira began.

"GREAT! IMA GO HELP!" Sting grinned running after Yukino.

"Uh - you might want to... oh dear," Mira called after the boy.

"He'll be fine," Rogue dismissed going back to the diary.

"Are you sure?" Mira asked.

"Ah," Rogue shrugged, "If not, I'll save him before he dies."

"I don't think this is going to help anything," Mira sighed.

"No, probably not... but it's been too peaceful in our lives for twenty-four hours so... we're due," Rogue sighed.

At his words, there was a crash above them.

"Oh dear, Yukino summoned libra," Mira sighed looking up.

"White Dragon Roar!" a distant voice rang out above them.

"Whoops, Sting's gonna die," Rogue chuckled, "That escalated quickly though. It's only been a few seconds."

"I didn't think they would wake him up that fast," Mira murmured.

"WHAT. THE. HELL!?" a new voice roared.

"Oh, now he's awake," Mira giggled, "You may want to go help your brother now."

"Later," Rogue dismissed sitting down, "Research first."