A/N: Episode 200.

Enjoy!

edited on may 9th, 2025 @ 8:38pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽,
𝓓𝚁𝙾𝙿 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴.

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𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 by herself as a waitress walked up to her. "Would you like more coffee?"

"I suppose I'll have some."

"Did you sleep well last night?" The waitress asked, pouring some coffee into her cup.

"Yes... Like a log."

"Did you watch the Grand Magic Games?"

"Oh, yes. Indeed."

The two women glanced up at Domus Flau. "It was an amazing battle, wasn't it?" The waitress questioned. "I was rooting for Mermaid Heel, so I was let down a bit."

"Is that right?"

"How about you, ma'am?"

"I'm not especially partial. Though if I must choose, I suppose I'd say Fairy Tail."

The waitress began fangirling. "They're great, too! Those brothers who use Ice Magic, Gray and Samuel, are so handsome, don't you think?"

"Yes. I wouldn't disagree with you."

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Honey Bone . . .

Samuel was currently at Honey Bone Inn with the rest of Team Natsu. Takashi and Kali were already on their way back to the guild, but Samuel decided to stay behind to travel with Team Natsu and his brother.

"Well, should we go home?" Gray asked.

"Last night was so much fun." Happy said.

"Yeah! I ran wild through the palace!" Natsu agreed.

"For some reason, I feel relutant to leave." Lucy admitted.

"It feels like we've been here for an extremely long time." Erza claimed.

"The masters have already left, right?" Lucy questioned, painting her toes.

"Yeah. They wanted to get an early start." Erza responded. "Although some people are still drinking..."

"Drinking? It's morning!" Lucy exclaimed.

"I know who it is!" Happy claimed.

"I don't even have to ask." Gray commented.

"I know, right?" Lucy agreed, giving a sheepish smile.

Gray turned to Samuel. "Did you say goodbye to Sting?" He asked, making Samuel blush.

"I did before he left with the masters." Samuel sighed. "I'm going to miss him. But at least with Jiemma gone I can visit Sabertooth now and vice versa."

"You know, I still can't comprehend that you're dating that guy." Natsu stated.

Samuel laughed. "He's not that bad of a guy when he's not your opponent, Natsu-san." He claimed, making Natsu grumble.

"Everyone!" They heard Wendy's voice shout, gesturing to a carriage. "I got our ride home!"

"And it's cheap!" Carla added.

"That's some fancy carriage." Erza commented, petting one of the horses.

"The Garou Knights arranged it." Wendy explained.

"Was it Cosmos and Kamika?" Lucy asked.

Natsu was sweating. "We're gonna... ride in that?" He questioned.

"This'll be a hellish journey for Natsu." Lucy said.

"It's okay! Wendy has anti-motion sickness Magic!" Happy reminded.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that! Sorry, but I'm countin' on you, Wendy!" Natsu claimed as Wendy flinched.

Wendy soon slumped. "Actually... I'm sorry... I've used up so much Magic these past few days, it looks like it'll take a while before I'm charged up again." She sobbed.

Natsu paled. "Don't worry about it." He reassured her.

"Jeez, you're pathetic! Walk home on your own two feet!" Gray exclaimed.

"It's all in the way you look at it, Natsu." Erza added.

"Instead of relying on other people all the time, why not work it out yourself?" Carla suggested.

Flames surrounded Natsu. "You don't need to tell me what I was gonna do anyway!" He exclaimed.

The carriage soon began moving as Natsu fell victim to his motion sickness and Wendy was trying to comfort him. "So, in the end, this is what happens? Don't get near me or Sam!" Gray told him.

"His will lacks discipline." Erza commented.

"Still, we've all been through a lot." Lucy muttered, looking out of the window.

"Bye-bye, Crocus!" Happy bid farewell to the city.

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"There's no sign of Ul." Meredy informed as her and Jellal were walking through the ruins of the dragon battle with their hoods up.

"No."

"I just hope she isn't hurt." Meredy stated.

"Yes, it seems 'time' doesn't heal wounds." Jellal said as Meredy looked down. "We heard that the portal was destroyed and 'time' is back on track. Rogue, Future Samuel, and the dragons returned to their rightful time periods. I don't know what happened to the Future Lucy who lost her life in this age, but our memories, injuries, and the wrecked town are all still here. By rights, everything should have been 'erased' as if it never happened."

"There were too many disruptions in the time stream for everything to go back to normal." Meredy realized.

"Certainly, it helps that our memories are intact... but there are negative aspects as well." Jellal stated as the two looked at the destroyed Eclipse portal. "Of all things, the royal family's use of Dark Magic has been reported to the Council. If this isn't handled carefully..."

Footsteps were heard behind the two, making them turn to see Doranbolt walking towards them. "Doranbolt..." Jellal muttered.

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"I see. Then compare that report to the regional data and analyze it." Lahar was saying to the two Council workers. "Pay attention not to the level of Magic, but to the breadth of its rate and fluctuation."

"Understood."

"Lahar!"

Lahar turned, seeing Org walking to him. "Master Org." He greeted.

"Good work observing the Grand Magic Games." Org told him.

"Not at all. I just enjoyed myself." Lahar said.

Org laughed as the two began walking. "That king is famous for his love of wizards." He claimed.

"Exactly." Lahar agreed.

"I hear there were even illusionary dragons created for the post-Games party." Org said.

"That's what Doranbolt told me." Lahar stated, turning to him. "Unfortunately, I was sleeping in the inn at the time."

"I wish I could show them to the other thick-skulled Council members." Org commented.

"That would only increase the faction that's against the Games." Lahar said.

"Quite right." Org agreed as he let out a chuckle.

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Jellal widened his eyes. "You wiped the memories of the Council members?" He questioned in shock.

"That's right. I altered all the memories of everyone who was here." Doranbolt responded.

"I'm surprised. I didn't know you had such power."

"It's my job to use that Magic for undercover investigations."

"Still, why would you go to all that trouble?" Jellal asked.

"Eclipse is one form of Magic from the Books of Zeref. It'd be a disaster if word got out that the royal family was involved in Dark Magic." Doranbolt replied.

"Don't tell anyone else about this!" Doranbolt scolded Toma, Hisui, and Arcadios.

"You scolded the king?!" Meredy questioned in shock.

"Think about it. The public would lose faith, and at worst, the monarchy would be in danger." Doranbolt explained.

"I see."

"I want no part in undermining the royals. As a member of the Council myself, I did have second thoughts, but sometimes you just need to turn a blind eye." Doranbolt said.

"I'm surprised you managed to convince Lahar." Jellal commented.

"I didn't. I revised his memories, too." Doranbolt said. "He's got a bright future ahead of him. I didn't want involve him in my skullduggery."

"I didn't know there were people like you on the Council."

"There are probably villains like you on the Council, too."

Jellal sent him a smirk in which Doranbolt returned. He then looks at Meredy, who had a distressed look as she sighed.

"You haven't found Ultear yet?" He asked.

"No." Meredy replied.

"She isn't the type to disappear without saying anything." Jellal added.

Doranbolt turned around. "Well, it's got nothing to do with me... If I'm worrying about people like you, it probably means I'm losing my edge." He claimed.

"Wait."

"I'll do you a solid. I hate things that are a pain in the ass. We never met. Got it?"

"I appreciate that."

"Don't get the wrong idea. This is a one-shot deal."

"What about Cobra?" Jellal questioned, causing Doranbolt to stop. "What happened to him?"

"He turned himself in." Doranbolt responded.

"What?"

"It was right after the dragons vanished."

Anti-Magic cuffs were on Cobra. "You really don't need to bind me with this." Cobra informed.

"Oh, don't be like that. A lot of people insist on the bound and helpless look."

"You call me out here, and I don't get to dispatch even one dragon. Jeez, it's pathetic." Cobra said.

"I'm surprised he's going back without a fight." Lahar said.

"I guess even a scoundrel like you keeps his promises, huh?" Doranbolt asked.

"I like being outside. I haven't absorbed so many voices in a long time. I could hear your voice too, Cerberus." Cobra replied.

"Voice?" Doranbolt repeated.

"For now, I'll return quietly to my beloved cell." Cobra turned around. "To save the Demon Generals." He added in his head.

"Cobra!" Doranbolt called out. "What did you hear?!"

Cobra turned to look at him. "Who knows? The gate of the underworld is going to open." He replied. "Until then, you won't be able to fiddle with my memories."

"He didn't say anything after that. I don't know what's gonna happen, but consider yourself warned. See you around." Doranbolt said before teleporting away.

"The gate of the underworld..." Meredy mumbled.

"Tartaros!" Jellal realized.

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Team Natsu had decided to stop for a rest as Natsu was lying on a rock. "I'm still wobbly." He complained.

"What you are is a mess." Gray corrected as Samuel was sitting next to him.

"What do you expect?! I can't stand that rattling ride." Natsu said.

"The terrain is rough." Happy agreed.

"You'll just have to suck it up for a while." Lucy told him as her, Wendy, and Carla were weaving flowers together.

"Another half day, and I think I'll have regenerated a little more Magic." Wendy informed.

"When you do, I'm countin' on you for that anti-motion sickness Magic." Natsu stated.

"Right!"

Happy joined Natsu on the rock he was lying on. "Hey, hey, Natsu!" He exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"What are you gonna do when we get home?" Happy questioned.

"Let's see... Well, I wanna go on a bunch of fun quests." Natsu responded.

Happy sits down next to his head. "I wanna go fishing!" He claimed.

"I also want to take on lots of jobs with everyone. How about you, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked, looking at Lucy.

"Good question..." Lucy replied as she thinks for a bit. "I came up with an idea for a story at the Grand Magic Games, so maybe I'll finally get back to my novel writing."

"What's the story about?" Wendy questioned.

"It's still a secret!" Lucy answered as Samuel stayed silent, making Gray worry.

Carla walked up to Erza. "And what have you been drawing since we stopped here?" She asked.

"The design for new customized armor." Erza replied.

"Even though the armor you have now doesn't fit in your room, you want to add more?" Carla questioned.

"Yeah. Superior in strength and resistance to everything, but also with an emphasis on a glamorous appearance." Erza responded as Samuel was walking away from the group in which Gray took notice of.

Erza turned her sketchpad around. "What do you think?" She asked as Carla sweat dropped.

"I-It makes such an impact, I have a feeling it'll haunt my dreams..." Carla stuttered.

"You've got a silver tongue!" Erza exclaimed.

Natsu saw Samuel further away. "I wonder what's up with him." He said.

"I don't know. Maybe he's thinking about fish?" Happy guessed.

Samuel had his arms crossed as he looked at the sky, lost in thought before he touched his chest and then looking at his hand. He heard footsteps behind him as he spotted Gray with a worried look on his face.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Gray questioned. "Everyone's talking about what they'll do when they get back home."

"When we were fighting the dragons, did you get a weird feeling?" Samuel asked.

"Are you talking about that vision where you got killed?"

"I think I was hit here..." Samuel replied, clenching his chest. "The weird feelin' that I... died won't go away."

"Nii-san, do you remember back when Ur-san saved us and then had sealed Deliora to save you?"

"Why are you bringing up that now?"

"I don't really understand it myself, but this feeling felt strangely back to that time." Samuel responded. "It just seems similar. When I had the feeling that I saw a vision of my death, it felt... somewhat warm."

Samuel then sighed, looking at Gray. "Then again, perhaps I'm overthinking this." He said as Gray was lost in thought.

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Jellal and Meredy were walking down a path with their hoods up. "The gates of the underworld, Tartaros. One of the three Balam Alliance guilds, along with Grimoire Heart and Oracion Seis. I don't know what information he got, but does he mean to use it to negotiate immunity?" Jellal questioned.

"Tartaros..." Meredy muttered.

"The scary guild that's a complete mystery. Will it make its move?" Jellal wondered.

The clouds moved in the sky as Jellal and Meredy walked past a windmill. As they continued walking, an old woman stopped in front of them.

"Are you..."

Jellal and Meredy quickly turned around. "Oh, no! Someone's coming!" Jellal said.

"Right!" Meredy nodded.

"... Jellal-san and Meredy-san?"

Hearing their names, Jellal and Meredy turned back around as the old woman reached into her bag.

"A woman entrusted me with a letter for you."

"A letter?" Jellal quoted.

"Don't tell me..." Meredy started to say, opening the letter. "This letter... it's from Ul!"

Jellal... Meredy... I'm sorry. In this last battle, I tried using a certain spell and failed. Because of that, I only have a short time left to live. But I just had to bid you farewell.

Meredy widened her eyes.

My journey ends here. Although I'm passing on before you, never forget Crime Sorciere's spirit. It means never forgetting your crimes. It means never letting your past crimes overwhelm you. It means believing in a day which you'll be forgiven your crimes. It means to never stop loving people.

The true battle has just begun. If Zeref isn't defeated, wizards will once again become steeped in grief.

Please live on for me. And battle on. It is my hope that this journey of yours will bring happiness to all.

Meredy began sobbing as tears dropped on the paper. "Ul..." She choked out, wiping her tears.

"Old woman, when did you get this...?" Jellal started to ask. But when he turned, the old woman was gone. The wind blew, causing Jellal's hood to fall off.

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The carriage with Team Natsu and Samuel inside continued onwards as Natsu tried not to hurl. "I feel sick..." He complained.

"I'm sorry. With anti-motion sickness Magic, if you cast it several times, the effect weakens." Wendy apologized.

"Why don't you just give up?" Carla questioned.

"Yeesh. I can't even take a nap 'cause of his noisy groaning." Gray complained as Erza was drawing in her sketchpad.

Happy turned to her. "Hey, draw a delicious-looking fish!" He suggested.

"Leave it to me. I'm good at drawing." Erza accepted.

"Is that right?" Gray said.

"I bet even that ramshackle bar is gonna start to look pretty good soon." Carla commented.

Lucy laughed. "To me, too!" She agreed. "Hey, by the way, what happened with Jellal?"

"Who knows?" Erza replied.

The carriage drove by an aged Ultear. "Jackass! Stay away from me and Sam!" Gray shouted.

"Shall we take another break?" Wendy suggested.

"Just ignore him. Otherwise we'll never get back to Magnolia." Carla said.

"I finished it, Happy." Erza announced.

"What is that?!" Happy asked.

"Let me see! Let me see!"

Lucy screamed. "I drew it so well that you're screaming with delight? I see, I see!" Erza said.

"Here!"

"That's my bag of souvenirs!"

Ultear smiles as she glances up at the sky. "I always cursed my own life. With anxiety and fury that I couldn't hold back... And hatred... But when I stopped and looked up at the sky, I realized how small I was. And an infinite world spread out before me." She thinks to herself.

The wind blew as Gray glanced out of the carriage, seeing Ultear as the sunlight beamed on her. "A sunbeam illuminated my insignificant form. It was as if a kind shower of light washed away my sins." Ultear thought. "For the first time in my life, I felt grateful to have been born."

Ultear smiled at Gray, who widened his eyes. "Stop! Stop the carriage!" He yelled.

"What are you doing?!" Erza asked.

"What's wrong?" Lucy questioned.

Gray looked back out. "I feel blessed..." Ultear thinks to herself as she shook her head at Gray. "... at the very end."

"Never mind..." Gray said.

"I was finally able to forgive myself..." Ultear thought as Gray recalled seeing a vision of Samuel's death.

"Was it you?!" Gray wondered as tears began to form in his eyes.

Meredy sobs in Jellal's arms. "Magic that robs someone of time..." He muttered.

Gray embraced Samuel into a hug, making him squeak at the sudden action. "Hey, Nii-san! What's the big idea?" He complained. Samuel stopped upon realizing that Gray was crying, making him confused.

"I lost both mother and daughter... Why?!" Gray thinks to himself.

"Goodbye... my loved ones." Ultear bid farewell.

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A/N: Another chapter is completed! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2853 words.