X799

Levy's POV

I have to stop this. I frantically flipped through the pages.

It has to end. I tossed yet another useless book behind me.

I'll go back in time. I picked up another one and opened the cover.

To before it all began. Found it! The spell that I was looking for. Please let this work.

Only she can stop this. I grabbed my cloak, dagger, and most prized possession. A picture of us, of Fairy Tail. It was a group photo done two years after we returned from Tenrojima. Lucy and Natsu had their arms around each other, Natsu kissing her cheek while she blushed with a big grin on her face. Happy was in Lucy's arms, and Erza and Gray were on either side of them. Juvia and Gray were kissing and Gajeel stood behind them, teasing him. I was holding Gajeel's hand and Lily was in chibi mode, smiling while in the air next to me. Everyone else in the guild was behind us, cheering, drinking, and laughing. Some of them were smiling at the camera while others were more focused on each other.

We weren't the only ones in the picture. Jellal was next to Erza, holding their newborn daughter. Gray's two year old son was on his shoulders. Lucy and I both had large, pregnant bellies. Hers was a bit larger than mine, though. Ultear and Meredy were behind Jellal and teasing him about being a father. To the side were Natsu's two-year-old twin daughters playing with Asuka.

It was my favorite picture, taken one year before this happened. The war had been going on for five years. It was a mess, and no one truly knew what had started it. Our youngest children were learning their opponent's weaknesses instead of playing in the snow or laughing as their father's fought and their mothers gossiped. It was a huge mess.

I chanted the spell and felt a golden light surround me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I was going back to the past, seven years earlier. The year before that the picture was taken. I couldn't stop this war from happening, but I could stop us from destroying ourselves. I couldn't save the past, but I could save the future.

The plan was to go to the past, find Lucy, and bring her to the present. I was certain that she could stop the war.

Please, Lucy. You're our only hope.

X792

Past Lucy's POV

I woke up and stretched my arms. It was nice to wake up without hearing any screaming for once. Natsu must have already left. The guild had started a new day-care center (courtesy of Mira), since the guild was quickly starting to fill up with little ones left and right.

My own twin daughters had turned one last month, and it had been a huge celebration. Aine (meaning fire) and Nyota (meaning star) were just as rowdy as their father, making it hard to keep track of them. Add a party at Fairy Tail and you have a recipe for disaster.

I checked the clock. It was nine, so Natsu had already taken the girls to Mira's and was most likely at the guild, looking for a job. I got up and got dressed, having taken a shower the night before. I chose a dark blue tank top and a pair of jean-shorts that came down to mid-thigh. Adding a pair of combat boots, along my belt with my whip and keys, I was all set. I left my hair down and prepared to head out. As I walked out of the bathroom I sang a song that I had written in my free time. "Strawberry milkshake on a sunny day…"

Before I was able to leave my bedroom, however, a flash of golden light made me close my eyes. When I opened them, I was shocked to see a cloaked figure standing in the middle of my bedroom.

I put a hand on my whip. "Who are you?"

The figure held up their hands. "Please, I come in peace." The voice said jokingly.

"Wow. Creepy and sarcastic." I rolled my eyes. "Who are you?"

"Someone who needs your help. I mean you no harm. In fact, harm to you and your family is part of what I am trying to prevent."

My eyes narrowed. "Explain."

The figure nodded. "I will. But it is a long story, and in all honestly that time jump drained me." The figure reached up and gently pulled down his hood. Or, should I say, her hood. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Levy standing before me. She looked a bit older, and much more troubled, but it was still Levy. "Lu-chan, I need your help."

I gestured to the couch. Once we were both seated, she took a deep breath. "Lucy, I came from the future."

I nodded. That much I had already figured out and after all my experiences with Fairy Tail it took a lot more than that to surprise me. "But why?"

"To stop a war, end a war if we are being more specific."

"Continue."

Levy was shaking a bit. "This is going to be hard to hear." She sat up straight. "Five years ago, something terrible happened. Well, five years ago in my time. For you it won't happen for another two years."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Fairy Tail turned on itself. Nakama against Nakama, teammate against teammate, even husband against wife."

"WHAT?! But this is Fairy Tail we are talking about. We literally live for our friends." It just wasn't possible.

"I, in all honestly, don't know exactly what happened. But it happened quickly, over the course of a few days. In less than a week, The Great War of Fairies had started. Fairy Tail ceased to exist. They split into groups, factions you might say. The Prides, the Stars, and the Knights are what they named themselves. Families were split into pieces. Gray and Juvia, who used to be inseparable, don't even speak each other's names anymore. Their son, Takumi, went with Juvia to join the Knights. That is just one example of the pain we have felt." (Takumi- Man of the Ocean)

"What about Master? He would never let this happen."

"When the guild started to turn on itself, Makarov disappeared. We haven't seen him in five years."

Levy put a hand on my shoulder. "Even the strongest of bonds were broken when this war began."

I felt a tear run down my face. Was this truly our future? If it was, I didn't want it. "Do you have any idea how it happened?"

"No one will tell me anything until I choose a side. My daughter Gina and I are, what they would call in the divergent series, 'factionless'. We are the outcasts, refusing to choose a side. I am trying to stop the war, but I cannot do it on my own. I don't want my children to grow up like this. Not in the midst of war." Her voice cracked and tears rolled down her face.

"Children? But I thought you said it was just you and your daughter." I said, confused.

"Well…it is. Gajeel joined the Prides at the beginning of the war. And he took Ferron with him. I haven't seen my son since he was a year old, and Gajeel doesn't even know that Gina exists. He left before he found out that I was pregnant with her." Levy was full on sobbing by now, and I felt my heart break for her.

"Tell me more about these groups. Who all is in them?" My writer's heart ached for details.

"Well, I'll start with the Prides. I'm not quite sure where the name came from, but it is mostly men there. There are a few women scattered around, but the Prides are all about strength and power. It is ruled by Laxus, of all people. But there is also Gajeel, Elfman, Natsu, Evergreen, Cana, Macao, and many others. Those are the main members of the Prides, though. Surprisingly, Elfman and Evergreen are the only couple that managed to stay together. The Prides are headstrong and pay more attention to the battle part of the war. Gray is also in the Prides, in case you were wondering. They rely on strength and power.

"The Knights are also particularly strong, though they are a bit better organized. They are led by, of course, Erza. They are often understanding and would probably be willing to negotiate peace with the Prides, but they also have this strange idea that the Stars are at fault for everything. There is also Bixslow, Mirajane, Juvia, the Exceeds, Wakaba, Romeo, and a few others. They are very powerful and not afraid to take captives, though. So you have to be careful around them. Out of all three, the Knights are the most experienced, since they have two of our former S-Class mages. So, naturally, they rely on battle experience."

When she didn't continue, I pushed a bit harder. "What about the Stars?"

Levy exhaled. "The stars don't have much power when it comes to fighting, so they focus more on knowledge. They are the most strategic and open-minded group, but can easily be defeated in battle if they are not careful. This group consists of Lisanna, Max, Warren, Jellal, Wendy, and even the spirit of Master Mavis. I you are looking for shelter, food, or information, the Stars are the ones to go to. But they have some sort of grudge against the Prides."

"Who is their leader?" I asked curiously. This last group seemed much more interesting than the others.

Levy looked me in the eye when she spoke her next words. "You are."

My eyes widened. Me? Why would I even want to be part of a war? Let alone lead my own group to march in to battle? I had so many questions.

"Wait." I said, realization hitting me like a tidal wave. "Natsu and I, we aren't in the same 'faction'?"

She looked away. "No. You two have very different outlooks on the war. Normally, you would have been able to work through it. You two were even 'factionless' with me for a few months. But something happened between you two, and I never found out what. All I know is Natsu joined the Prides the very next morning. You cried for a week before packing up your children and leaving. Soon after, I found out that you had collected the remaining guild members who didn't really fit in in the other groups and created the Stars."

I was silent. Natsu and I split up? We had been married for six months as of today, and if what Levy said was true, than we only had two more years. I and Natsu are inseparable. Best friends, first and foremost. That's what we promised when he proposed. What could possibly have happened to come between a bond as strong as that?

"How can I help?" I asked. I would do anything to set right the future.

"Come back with me, Lu-chan. Help me set things right again. It is too late to stop the war from happening, but maybe…just maybe we can get back the future we always hoped for. If things go on like this, we will all destroy each other. Our current paths only lead to death and suffering. But with your help, we can save the people we love."

"But why me, Levy-chan? What can I do?"

"The Prides are big-headed to do anything but fight, especially with Laxus as a leader. They won't stop until everyone else does. The Knights would be a nice choice, but Erza is intent on destroying the Stars. She would listen to reason, but not from either of us. The Knights would have to see change before they accepted it. So our only hope is…"

Realization dawned. "The Stars."

"See why I need you?" Levy reasoned.

"I think so. If my future self is the leader of the Stars, then she might be able to be persuaded. I know myself better than anyone, and I know that I would never want war. You want me to talk to myself. Try and reason with her."

"My Lucy has been hurt by the sting of betrayal. Natsu broke her heart, and she is now a single mother. She doesn't even remember what Fairy Tail once was, what happiness truly is. I want you to show her. After that, I will send you back. But we need my Lucy to be on our side first. It won't take long, and it won't take much. All you have to do it talk to her."

Of course. That was the first answer that popped into my mind. But I still had one question. "Why try and end the war in the future? Why not go back to when it began and stop it from ever happening in the first place?"

Levy gave me a serious look. "Changing the past can have serious consequences. Besides, what is one of the biggest lessons that you learn from being a bookworm for so many years?"

"True love's kiss can break any spell?" I tried, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Think again." Okay, so it's not a joking matter.

I sighed. "Everything happens for a reason, even if that reason is not clear in the moment." It was the obvious answer to any bookworm.

"Exactly. I am 89.2% certain that this war happened to teach us a lesson. But fate lost control and now our future is unpredictable."

I smiled. "Well, fate should know better than to try and control a fairy." Levy giggled. "Levy-chan, if you are 89.2% certain, than what could that other 11.8% chance be?"

"One of us was being controlled by a dark mage or possessed by a demon and was forced into beginning the war that they couldn't end." Levy said nonchalantly. "But it is unlikely. Everyone within a hundred mile radius of Magnolia has fled, dark guilds included. The only peaceful ground is where the Sakura trees grow. But it is technically in the Stars territory, so though they are allowed, the other two groups never set foot there."

I nodded. "So, when do we leave?"

X799

Lucy's POV

I glared at the map in hatred. The prides had attacked the Knights again, and with the recklessness of both groups, it had destroyed one of our camps. They didn't know it of course, since they didn't know where exactly we were. But a few of us had been out collecting food at that moment. The Knights had taken Warren captive, effectively stopping us from communicating telepathically. Without the mind connection, all of our plans must be spoken out loud, allowing spy-lacrimas to know our every move. We had invented mini-lacrimas, so small that they couldn't be seen, to help us out, but the Prides had stolen those three years ago. Now, they could be watching out every move and we wouldn't even know it.

"Damn it!" I shouted at the map.

Though I was alone in the room, Jellal must have heard me outside the door. He rushed in. "You alright Lucy?" He and the other two members of Crime Sorciere had joined Fairy Tail just a year before everything had gone to hell. Unfortunate for them, but fortunate for us. All three of them were in the Stars. The only team that stayed a team.

"Perfectly fine. Just trying to figure out how to infiltrate the Knights' security and get Warren back before the Prides make their next move."

We had long ago begun to look at the war as three giant chess games. One was being played by the Knights and the Prides, one between the Prides and the Stars, and one between the Stars and the Knights. With Mavis's help, we knew almost every move that the next person would make. It was Lisanna's job to record every move that each group made.

Since most of the buildings had been destroyed long ago, each group found their own bases. The Prides had built barracks and had tents spread out in their territory. They kept their shelters close together to allow more protection from attacks.

The Knights put a bit more thought into it. They had used the rubble of what was once Magnolia to their advantage. Building towers out of the stone left standing from the old hospital, along with a high-tech security system, they build a sort of fort. No one got in or out without them knowing about it.

We, the Stars, were the only ones that hid our camps. Neither of the other groups knew our exact locations. They only knew where the borders of our territory were. The truth was, we didn't keep our forces together. There were multiple camps spread around. Some were in the rubble, hidden in plain sight. There were a few tree houses on the outskirts of magnolia that could not be seen unless you knew that they were there. We also had a medical center (courtesy of Wendy) in the beach. And I mean in the beach. Wendy used her sky magic to create a giant air bubble under water with her sky dragons roar. There were underground tunnels leading from each camp to the base, which was the heart of our little military base. Since no one had been to the Fairy Tail guild, which was now a pile of wood and stone, though the sign was still good as new, in five years, we made it out headquarters. Well, underneath it was our headquarters. There was no way to get in or out unless you knew where one of the camps was, though.

The only person outside of the Stars that knew how to find us was Levy. This would be a problem if she joined another group, but she would never do that. Levy was too much against the war.

"We'll find him, Lulu."

"Promise?" I had given up on believing promises five years ago, but it was still nice to hear.

"I promise. Why don't you take a break, you are stressing yourself too much. I'll take over for a few hours. Go visit with your kids." Jellal was my second in command.

"What about you? Shouldn't you be watching your daughter?" When Erza had left with the Knights, Jellal had kept Armina (meaning 'warrior maiden') with him.

"Lisanna is watching her. Aine, Nyota and Drago have been asking for you anyway." (Drago means Dragon, but I assume you knew that.)

I nodded and thanked him, heading out the door. I was dressed in a black, sleeveless top that hugged my breasts but stopped just above my belly button. I also had a matching black skirt that stopped at mid-thigh in the front but came down to my knees in the back. The skirt hung loose, allowing me to move when I needed to.

It was a well-known fact that no one had gotten their guild-marks removed, being that Master Makarov was the only one who knew how and he hadn't been seen in five years. So we all had something to cover them up. I wore black, fingerless gloves. The left one was embroidered with the Stars' symbol. The Latin words 'cum mentibus', meaning 'with open minds' surrounded by three silver stars.

There were two thin silver chains connected to my shirt and going to my shoulders. They held up a black cape with the same embroidery as my glove. To complete the outfit were white, knee-high combat boots. This had become my usual outfit when the war began. I had originally planned to wear all black, but decided that it was too depressing.

Besides, the boots drew attention away from the gold band around my left ring finger. It was simple, with a small ruby placed in the center that reflected light in a certain way that made it look like fire. Though we had split up long ago, I couldn't convince myself to take it off.

I arrived at my quarters and was surprised to hear laughing coming from inside. Laughter was rarely heard since the war began, and though we had many happy moments when we weren't thinking about it, it was still difficult to bring yourself to laugh. I opened the door and smiled at seeing my three kids having a pillow fight. It was a sight to behold.

Aine was the first one I spotted, since she was the rowdiest of the bunch. Her spiky pink hair bounced as she chased her sister around the room, wide onyx eyes blinking happily. She had a giant grin on her face, so similar to her father's. She wore a blue, long sleeved t-shirt and black cargo shorts, completing the outfit with black tennis shoes and a golden locket identical to her sister's, but the necklace was hidden under her shirt. Ai had more of a tomboyish look.

Nyota screamed happily while she ran from her sister. She had blond hair like mine, but at a second glance you could see the natural, light pink highlights. Her hair reached her waist though it was usually pulled back in a pony-tail. Her eyes were brown, but shaped like a certain pinkette that I once knew, unlike her sister's. She had always preferred comfortable clothing and never wore shorts or pants. Today she was wearing a long, flowing white skirt that reached her ankles and a light tank top. Matching ballet flats hugged her feet and she wore her locket proudly.

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to see the five-year old Drago staring up at me. He had brown eyes and blond, straight hair, but otherwise was the spitting image of the fire dragon slayer. He had on black pants and a black t-shirt, with red sandals on his feet. Around his neck was a red scarf identical to his father's which he had received as a Christmas present the same year that the girl's got their lockets. "Mama?"

"Yes, my little dragon?"

"Can you read me a story?" He asked. Drago was exactly like me, except for the over protectiveness for his older sisters. He would rush to defend his family without a second thought.

"Of course. Why don't you go choose one while I calm down your sisters?"

He smiled. "Okay." The boy rushed off to the room he shared with his sisters. My quarters were a bit like a small apartment, with two bedrooms connected by a sliding door and a small living room. We ate in the cafeteria, so there was no need of a kitchen, but there was a bathroom connected to each of our rooms.

"Ai, Nyo, calm down would you?" I said

They froze and looked over at me before dropping the pillows and running over. "Mama, I thought you had to work." Nyota said, hugging me.

"I was, but I needed a break. Besides, your uncle said that you wanted to see me?"

"Yep!" Aine said happily.

"Is there any reason why?"

"Well…" Aine took a deep breath. "We wanna know if we can go see the Sakura trees tonight."

I blinked. "W-Well, I'm not exactly sure. Why do you want to go?"

Before they could answer, a small voice spoke behind me. "The Rainbow Sakura Festival."

I spun around. "Drago, where did you hear about that?"

"I read about it in one of the books Aunt Levy gave me for my birthday last year. It's when the Sakura trees bloom in rainbow colors. Before the war, Magnolia used to hold a Festival to celebrate." He said happily.

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Well, aren't you my little researcher. I'll make you three a deal. If you can behave for the rest of the day, then after dinner we will go out to see the rainbow Sakura trees. And if you are lucky….I might tell you about my first Rainbow Sakura festival with your father."

Their eyes widened. They knew who their father was and the he was in the Prides, but I rarely told them stories about him. While normally they wouldn't shut up, when I spoke about their father they didn't make a sound.

"Now, what book did you choose for us, Drago?"

X799

Natsu's POV

"Oi, Natsu!" Gray yelled impatiently.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yelled, annoyed. I had been thinking about her again, though I tried not to. It had been five years since the fight, but I still thought about her every day. I regretted leaving her behind. Leaving my family behind. Especially because next week was my son's sixth birthday and I wouldn't be there to celebrate it with him. My girls would be almost eight by now.

"Hurry it up, Dragneel! We don't have all day!" Gajeel shouted.

"Hold your horses! I said I was coming!" I stood and ran over to where they stood outside my tent. "Why the hell is Laxus calling us anyway?"

"We don't know until we get there, now will we?" Gray growled

Gray's POV

I knew what he was doing, he was thinking about the past. The idiot just couldn't learn to let go, could he? Natsu wasn't the only one that had left his family behind.

I hadn't seen Takumi in five years either. Not since Juvia took him with her to the Knights. Did he think that he was the only one in pain? It was true that the war was harder on him than the rest of us, since he hadn't quite gotten over the past. But it had been five years. It was time for him to let go.

Just like I had.

Juvia.

Gajeel's POV

"Hurry it up; we have to get to Laxus's before sundown." I said.

"Dad!" I heard a voice yell. I turned to see Ferron running towards me. His blue hair just as wild and crazy as mine, though not quite as long. It looked strange matched with his crimson red eyes, but he made it work.

"Hey, bud. What's up?" I asked, crouching down to meet the six-year-old's level. Natsu and Gray rolled their eyes, going on without me. I knew that it hurt them that I got to see my kid, but it wasn't my fault that they left theirs with the mothers.

"Where are ya going? I thought we were gonna practice." It hurt how much he sounded like his mom when he was whining. Or laughing. Or talking in general.

I groaned. "Laxus called us for a meeting." His face fell. "But we will practice when I get back." I had started teaching him to sword fight three months ago, and the kid was a fast learner.

He smiled. "Promise?"

I nodded. "Promise."

He started pushing me in the direction of Laxus's tent. "Go! The sooner you get there, the sooner you can get back!"

I chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'm going."

At Laxus's Tent

Natsu's POV

Gajeel arrived a few minutes after we did. After everyone was seated around the makeshift table that we made out of rocks two years ago, Laxus began to speak.

"I have made a decision, and none of you are going to like it."

I gave him a questioning look. "What is it?"

"We are going to form an alliance." He proclaimed.

We all looked at each other. Gray spoke up. "Still lost over here."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "I want to form an alliance with the Stars."

We all shot out of our seats. An alliance with the stars was a horrible idea. Why the hell would we want to do that? They were the enemy.

Before any of us could voice these thoughts, he spoke again. "Let me explain! I think it's a good idea. We have strength, skill and power. But we aren't the best a strategy. The Stars have intellect, but they aren't very strong. If we form an alliance with them, we could be unstoppable. We could take down the Knights and win the war!"

"You're forgetting one little detail!" Cana spoke. "The Stars hate us! They would never agree to an alliance!"

"Not to mention, we don't even know who their leader is!" Gajeel looked mad. "They could very well be someone that none of us work well with!"

It was true. The Stars were smart. No one knew much about them. We knew a lot of the people who were in there, such as Lisanna and Warren, but that was pretty much it. We were missing to very big key point. Even the Knights didn't know where they were or who their leader was.

"We have to take the risk." Laxus spoke calmly. "Who here wants to win the war? Who here would do almost anything to be victorious in it? We have been fighting for five long years, and none of you want to end it? The Stars may not trust us, but we can convince them to at least consider it. "

"How?" Cana spoke.

"Word is that the Knights kidnapped Warren. Since he is their means of telepathic connection, they are weaker without him. The Stars do not have the strength or power to rescue him, but we do. We can get in, break the guy out of prison, and get out. Then when we meet with the Stars at the Sakura trees tonight, we can use him as a peace offering."

We were all silent. I had to admit that it was a good plan. I just wanted the war to end. But what none of them knew was that I didn't care. I didn't care if we won, or if we lost. All I wanted was for things to go back to the way they were. To be a family again.

Even if it meant teaming up with the Stars.

Even if it meant defeating the Knights. I couldn't forget that they used to be my friends, but I wanted this war to end.

Then again, the Stars hated us. And if everything went the way that Laxus planned it, people would die. People that I once loved would be gone in the blink of an eye. People that I still loved, though I wouldn't admit it. And so many things would be left unsaid.

What would you do, Lucy?

End the war.

"Okay." I said. "Trying can't hurt, can it? And besides, even if they say no, we might learn more about them."

And so, we would try.

The Stars

Lucy's POV

I was on my way back to my office when Jellal came running down the hallway.

"Lucy, this is important."

I was immediately on alert. "What happened? Raid? Attack?"

"It's the Prides." He admitted.

"An attack then."

"No. In fact, they sent us a message." He was looking at the ground.

"What message?" I asked. Did something happen? Were they threatening us? Did they want us to surrender? If that was so then they would have to prepare themselves for battle. I wasn't planning on giving up any time soon.

"They want us to meet with them. On neutral grounds. Somewhere that we would never fight."

Realization dawned on me. The only place like that was the Sakura tree "But I promised the kids I would take them to see the rainbow Sakura trees tonight."

He frowned. "Well, I guess you will have to bring them with you."

Before I could speak again, Max came running. "Lucy!"

More news? "What?"

"Levy is here to see you. And she brought a friend."

Past Lucy's POV

"Now remember the plan, Lu-chan."

"I remember." How could I not? We had gone over it so many times. I was supposed to talk to future me and convince her to stop fighting and start trying to stop the war. Once I convinced her, Levy would erase my memory so that I didn't have any knowledge of the future and send me back to my time. Plain and simple. After that, it was up to them.

"Levy-chan." A voice said behind me. I turned to see me. But, it wasn't me. The girl in front of me was only seven years older, and she looked almost exactly the same except for her hair being longer. But her eyes held sadness and anger and the sting of betrayal. Her clothes were dark, with the exception of her boots.

It wasn't me, it was my future. The future that I was here to change.

Levy smiled, as if people saw their past selves all the time. "Lu-chan! I want you to meet yourself. Lu-chan, Lu-chan. Lu-chan, Lu-chan." She gestured to me, introducing me to myself.

I looked at her. "Try and say that five times fast."

She rolled her eyes and turned to future-me. "You two talk, I'm gonna go visit the kids while I'm here."

With that, she left the room. Future-Lucy was still gawking at me and I almost laughed at her expression. "Heya, Lu-chan."

She seemed to realize what she was doing and closed her mouth standing up straighter. "Who are you?"

I rolled my eyes. Jeez, do I get dumber in the future? "I'm you. And you're me. I think Levy covered this."

"But…how?" she asked, still surprised.

"Levy brought me here from the past."

"Why?"

I sighed and gestured to the couch in her office. "We need to talk."

She nodded and we sat down. "Why are you here? This doesn't make sense."

I took a deep breath. "You and I both know that Levy has been trying to stop the war for a while now. But she can't do it alone."

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

I looked her in the eye. "Lucy, this war…it doesn't make sense. Fairy Tail has always been about being there for each other. We live for our friends, literally. So why fight a war against the people you care about? They are our Nakama."

"No they aren't. They were once, but…not anymore."

I sighed. "Look, I don't care why this war started. I don't care how it started. Frankly, I don't care that it happened in the first place. But this is getting out of hand. If you continue on this path, you will die. All of you will die."

She was silent, so I continued.

"You want to know why Levy brought me here? Because I know myself better than anyone. I am here to convince you to end the war before it's too late."

She looked at me like I had grown two heads. "Stop the war? Sure, and then I'll ride a flying pink monkey to the moon."

"I'm being serious, Lucy. This war has to end."

"I'm being serious too, Lucy. I once thought that this war was pointless, that we could all work it out. But then something happened, something that showed me just how Naïve I was being." She looked away and closed her eyes.

I hesitated before asking. "With Natsu?"

Her eyes shot open and she whipped her head around to look at me. "How do you know about that?"

"I don't" I said. "I just know that you split up. But I want to know more. Our bond with him is so strong, what could possibly break it?"

"The war." Was all she said.

"Details, woman. Details." When Lucy didn't continue, I pressed on. "I think I deserve to know why my own marriage ended."

She sighed. "Alright. Here's how it went…

~Flashback~

"Natsu, what's wrong?" I asked

He turned to me. "I feel so useless."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Useless? Why would you feel useless?"

"I…" He looked at the ground and sighed. "I'm here. Everyone is out there fighting, picking a side while I'm here doing nothing!"

"Doing nothing? Natsu, you're doing everything. You've picked a side. Our side. You picked our family's side!"

"No, Lucy! You picked our family's side! You decided to stay in here with Levy and hide away from the real battle! YOU chose this! Not ME!" He shouted angrily

"I am here to keep our kids alive, Natsu! I want to raise them in peace and love, the way that I wasn't raised!" I shouted back.

"Yes! YOU want! YOU want to stay in here and keep our children locked up in this room! They need adventure and excitement! We should be out there giving them that!"

"They can barely walk! You are the one who wants to get out there!" I couldn't believe that he was being so selfish.

"Maybe I don't want to be here! I want to get out there and fight!" We were getting closer and closer.

"Fight?! Fighting is all you do, Natsu!"

"That's not true!"

"It is true! That is a war out there, not some petty guild brawl! I am trying to protect our family and all you care about is fighting! You don't care about us!"

"WHAT?! Of course I care, Lucy!"

"If you cared, then you wouldn't want us out there in the first place! Our children don't need a father who only cares about himself!"

"THEN MAYBE I'LL JUST LEAVE!"

That shut me up, and I felt tears coming to my eyes. Within moments, they were streaming down my cheeks no matter how hard I tried to contain them. When he saw my tears, his face turned from anger to panic as he realized what he had said.

"No, Lucy I didn't mean-"

"Get out." I said emotionlessly.

"What?"

"If you are so intent on leaving, the GET OUT!" I screamed, shoving him out the door.

"Lucy, please! I swear that I didn't mean-" the door was slammed in his face.

I slid to the floor, crying. I could hear him pounding on the door, yelling and apologizing, but I refused to open it. After a while, the pounding stopped, and my cries turned into full on sobs. "I didn't mean it, Natsu" I whispered. "Please don't leave me."

~flashback end~

That was the last time I saw him." Lucy finished, crying.

I was silent, tears threatening to fall. "But that was five years ago."

"Yeah, so?"

"Just because you had your heart broken all those years ago doesn't mean that you can't have happiness. Happiness is still in your future, it just got delayed for a while."

She was silent for a moment before speaking. "I want to have happiness, like I used to, but in all honesty…I don't remember what happiness is."

I couldn't help her with that. As I looked around the room I spotted a guitar.

Or maybe I could.

I reached over and picked it up, strumming a few familiar chords. "It's a strawberry milkshake on a sunny day." No response. "The little ones going out to play. Gray somehow getting injured in a snowball fight, and Natsu promising that everything will be alright."

Still no response. I was about to give up when I heard her voice. "It's Erza's cake, and Cana's booze, and Gajeel up onstage singing the blues."

We started singing it together. "It's Happy flying, and Mira's smile, and our old friends saying 'Hey, it's been a while'. It's Nab not knowing which mission to choose. And its Laxus swearing he will never lose."

"Oh it's the little things." I sang.

"Baby, it's the little things." She smiled

"That make us smile." We finished in sync.

It was quiet for a moment before we broke into a fit of giggles. Levy took that moment to walk into the room. When she saw us, she stopped. "So…"

"She's back!" I threw my hands in the air and smiled proudly.

Lucy grinned. "Sorry I'm late."

Levy smiled so wide I thought her face might break. She ran over and jumped into Lucy's arms. "Good to have you back, Lu-chan."

Lucy's POV

Past-Lucy smiled at us. "Unfortunately, this means that I have to go home."

"What?" I pouted. "Why?"

Past-Lucy sighed. "If I stay too long, it could change both the past and the future. Besides, Natsu will be worried sick by now. I was supposed to meet him at the guild hall six years ago."

Levy and I laughed. "You ready?" Levy asked her.

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Just do it quickly."

Levy stood up and walked over to her, putting her hands above Past-Lucy's head. "Revertere, et Obliviscantur"

The room lit up in a white light, surrounding Past-me. It was so bright that I had to close my eyes and look away. When the light died down, she was gone. I felt a few tears come to my eyes. Then I realized something. "What if I try and stop the war?"

"Don't worry, I erased your memory." Levy said.

"You did what?!" I shouted.

"Calm down, Lu-chan. You gave me permission."

I sighed. "This conversation would sound so weird to someone listening in right now."

The Knights

Erza's POV

"Erza-san, they are ready for you." Romeo said.

"He's still not talking?" I asked.

Romeo nodded glumly. "Warren-san has refused to give us any information."

I groaned. "And even Mirajane has tried?"

Romeo nodded again but this time said nothing.

"Alright, I'll be there in a moment. Tell Juvia to keep up the good work."

Once the boy had left, I walked over to the window, dreaming about another future. One in which Fairy Tail was a family again. One in which I held my daughter in my arms and Jellal at my side. But, that future no longer existed. Not with the war.

I turned and headed towards the prisons. It wasn't exactly your stereotypical dungeon, just a caged in area that we had cleared of most rubble. This part of Magnolia had been destroyed at the very beginning of the war, during some of the Prides first attacks.

When I arrived I was welcomed by a now familiar sight. Juvia held Warren in a water lock. Romeo stood to the side writing down progress in the interrogation, or would be if any progress had been made. Happy hovered in the doorway, keeping watch.

"Alright, Star." I said, startling him. "I heard that you've been a bit…uncooperative."

"Being interrogated wasn't exactly on the agenda for this week. I'm a little disappointed that you interrupted my busy schedule." Warren spoke sarcastically.

"Well, I assume that you pissed off everyone else, causing them to call me in. But I'm gonna get to the point." I glared and my voice turned serious. "Who is your leader?"

"Is that all?" Warren smiled. "Maybe if you were smart you would have figured it out by now. I mean, think for a moment. Who would have started a group called the Stars based on open mindedness and intellect?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. Who indeed?

"Let's be honest, Titania." He continued. "There is only one person either of us knows that fits the description. We haven't been keeping it a secret all these years; we've just assumed that you idiots had enough brains to figure out something so simple."

I growled. "Are you implying that we are unintelligent, Star?"

"Implying? Oh, heavens no. I'm simply stating the well known fact that you're stupid. Not as stupid as the Prides of course, but still stupid."

"And what- might I ask- made you come up with that idea?"

"You resorted to kidnapping a member of the opposite side, throwing him in a prison, putting him in a water lock, and interrogating him instead of just putting two and two together." Warren said without hesitation.

I snapped. Before I could attack, however, I heard shouts coming from inside. "Erza!" I heard Bixlow shout. "It's the Prides!"

The Stars

"Lu-chan, are you sure about this? We should be thinking about how to stop the war." Levy said for the thousandth time.

"Levy-chan, I want to stop the war. But first I have to find out what the Prides want. Getting all the information we can is the first step. Besides, I promised my kids that I would take them to see the rainbow Sakura trees tonight. I cannot break that promise."

Levy growled but dropped the subject. "I have to get home. Gina has been stuck in that library alone all day. Though she does love books, she is just enough like her father to get restless and destroy things." Levy lived in the Stars territory since it was the safest. Her and Gina took residence in the only building in Magnolia still standing. Which was, ironically, the library.

"Well, why don't the kids and I come with you? We will pick up Gina and we can all go down to the Sakura trees early. I'm sure she would love to see them, and you said yourself; she get's restless." I offered. "Besides, I'm meeting with the Prides. With my luck, he will be there. If he is, I'll need support."

Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you plan on actually showing yourself?"

"Of course not! Just in case something goes wrong." I tried to speak calmly, but I'm sure that Levy heard the panic in my voice.

She nodded in understanding. "Yeah, your right. Gina would love to see the other kids, and if Gajeel is there then we will support each other."

"Well then, if we want to get there before sundown, we'd better hurry. I'll ask Jellal if he wants to bring Armina. Everyone else can meet us there later."

"Auntie Lucy!" Gina called from where she stood with my son. "Can Drago and I go play by the water?" Her black hair was pulled back in a headband, similar to her mother's. Green orbs blinked up at me, pleading. The four-year-old wore an emerald green sundress and a pair of converse.

"Be careful!" I called back. "And stay where we can see you!"

"We will!" Drago laughed and took Gina's hand, dragging her away.

Levy and I giggled at the sight. "No!" I laughed playfully. "I'm too young to be a grandma!"

Levy laughed even harder. "Don't worry! I think we still have a few years till they hit puberty!"

"Mama, Auntie Levy, why are you laughing?" Nyota asked Aine right beside her.

I gestured for them to come over. "Now remember girls; the next time you see your brother with Gi-chan, no teasing allowed without adult supervision."

They looked at each other and shrugged, nodding.

I heard a voice speak from behind me. "Sorry we're late." I turned to see Jellal standing behind me, the newly six-year old Armina sitting on his shoulders. Her short scarlet hair was cut just below her shoulders and pulled up into two pigtails, while a red tattoo went down her right eye. The girl's brown eyes had a hard look to them. The scarlette was wearing a blue skirt and a black, long sleeved shirt. Attached to her knee-high, dark brown boots was a sheathed dagger that she had gotten for her sixth birthday last week from Lisanna.

"Mina!" Aine exclaimed gleefully. "Come play with us!"

The girl hesitated before looking at her father, who nodded and smiled at her. It shocked me how close they were, even closer than my children and I; like two peas in a pod. Armina swung her leg around, skillfully climbing down off of her father's shoulders while he stood perfectly still with his arms crossed. She ran off with Ai.

"Hi, Uncle Jelly!" Nyota giggled.

He glared at her playfully. "I asked you not to call me that, Nyo."

She smiled and ran off to join the others while Jellal sat down next to Levy and I. "So, what are you two up to?"

"Not much. Sitting, relaxing, trying not to worry about having grandchildren sooner rather than later." Levy mused.

His eyes widened as he stared at the other blunette. "What?"

I pointed over to the beach where Gina and Drago were splashing each other. He smiled and shook his head. "Ah, young love."

The Knights

Erza's POV

I pounded my fist on the table and scowled at Juvia, who just happened to be sitting on my right.

"Please calm down, Erza-san." She spoke calmly.

"Calm down? How can I calm down?! Those idiot Prides took our hostage! Why steal a prisoner just to keep him prisoner?!" I shouted.

Mira spoke. "The problem is the Prides have nothing against the Stars. They wouldn't steal a Star prisoner just to hold him captive or for ransom. But the Stars would not have tried to convince the Prides to help them. They are too independent for that, and they hate the Prides. So there must be a third option that we haven't thought of."

We conversed for a little bit, but it was useless. Wakaba, Bixlow and the Exceeds were no help either. Right before I was about to stop the meeting, Romeo spoke up from the corner of the room.

I was surprised when he spoke, since the boy was usually silent. It was his job to be my 'assistant' and write down everything that happened during my meetings and interrogations.

"Um, Erza-san, I think I might have an idea." He said nervously.

"Well, go on." I urged.

"The Prides might be trying to put up a white flag."

"White flag?"

"A sign of peace. The Prides have brawn, but they don't have many brains. The Stars are the exact opposite. If they teamed up, they could be indestructible. Invincible. Maybe the Prides want to form an alliance with the Stars."

"But the Stars hate the Prides." Carla said from where the Exceeds were sitting. "They would never agree to such a thing."

"No." I said. "Romeo might be on to something. They would be using Warren as the white flag. A sign of peace to try and earn the Stars' trust."

"Well, if Romeo-san is correct, then Juvia believes that the Prides would try to do it as soon as possible." Juvia said.

"Tonight." Mira gasped.

"From what I know about war, they would be meeting somewhere that has not yet become battleground. Somewhere safe." Pantherlily said.

And we knew exactly where that was.

"Gather everyone." I said. "We have a peace treaty to sabotage."

The Sakura Grove

Lucy's POV

I didn't know how we had ended up in this situation. All I knew was that the kids were sitting under one of the trees commanding us, with Levy encouraging them and adding in. The other members of the Stars had arrived about half an hour ago. Even Wendy was there in case things got bloody.

Jellal and I were putting on a little play for them, since we were all bored. It was more like improve and less like a play.

None of us noticed when the Prides arrived. And not a single one of us saw the Knights coming from the other side.

Natsu's POV

We got to the Sakura grove, but didn't see the Stars. Laxus seemed angry and Gray and Gajeel were trying to calm him down. Behind us, the other members of the Prides stayed silent. Everyone had come, even the kids. Cana and Macao each held one of Warren's arms.

"Wait." I said, my heightened hearing picked something up. It sounded like…giggling. "I hear them. This way."

We started walking towards the noise. It wasn't long before we reached the Stars, but they didn't seem to notice our arrival. It gave us time to observe them. It seemed like they had also brought everyone.

Lisanna, Wendy, Bisca and Asuka, and all the other members were laughing at something. In front of them were a bunch of children sitting with…Levy. I heard Gajeel suck in a breath and tighten his grip on Ferron.

There was a scarlet-haired girl and a black-haired girl on her right. The ones that caught my eye, however, were the three on her left. A blond boy, a pink-haired girl and a blond girl with highlights. Nyota, Aine and Drago, I was sure of it. I would recognize my own children anywhere.

My gaze traveled to what they were looking at, and I froze. It was Jellal and her. They seemed to be talking and moving around strangely. We were just close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Why art thou so mean to me, Jelly?" Lucy joked.

"How many times must I tell thee, it's Jellal!" he smiled and pretended to be angry.

Levy threw a rock at Lucy. "BOOM! You've been hit with a hatred spell!"

Lucy grinned. "Thou shall pay for speaking to the queen in such a manner!"

"You are my lover, not my queen."

I started to smile a little, but quickly wiped the expression off of my face. We were here for a reason.

Lucy glared and pulled out an imaginary sword, pretending to stab him. "You, Jelly Fernandes, have been sentenced to death!"

Jellal pretended to choke and fell to the ground, 'dying'. After a few moments of over dramatized twitching, he was still.

The black haired little girl added on. "Queen Lucy feels guilt for what she has done!"

Lucy out a hand to her forehead. "Oh, what have I done? My poor, forbidden lover was only speaking his mind! I must repent for my sins!" She pulled out something invisible from her pocket. "Till death do we part, dear one." She drinks the vile of imaginary poison and collapses on top of the blunette.

I thought that was the end, but Aine thought otherwise. "Abracadabra! Jellal has been brought back to life!"

I smiled at her antics, unable to stop myself.

Jellal sat up and stared down at his 'lover' in mock horror. The scarlet haired girl grinned at him evilly. "Hey daddy." So this must be Armina. I hadn't seen her in years.

He gave her a questioning look. "Yes?"

"A kiss will revive her."

My eyes widened and I felt my blood boil at the very thought of him touching her. It took all of my strength not to charge.

Jellal looked down at her. "You sure? Because I think slapping her might do a better job."

"She's sure, Uncle Jellal." Nyota spoke. What the hell are you doing, kid?

Levy came to everyone's rescue. "Drago, do something."

Drago rolled his eyes and stood walking over to where his mother lay, pretending to be dead. He got down on his knees and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Lucy gasped and opened her eyes, pretending to come back to life.

Jellal sighed in relief and everyone else laughed. Lucy jumped up and said. "The End!" before anyone else could try to continue the story.

The three of them stood and bowed, giggling.

Gray nudged me and pointed further past the Stars. I eyes widened when I saw the Knights standing there, watching the Stars as well.

Normal POV

Erza stood frozen at the sight of Jellal and Armina. She gaped until Mira grabbed her arm and brought her back to the real world. Mira knew how the requip mage felt, since she had had the same reaction when she saw Laxus, Elfman and Lisanna. Juvia was too focused on Takumi to notice the Prides. Romeo was doing his best not to look at Wendy.

On the other side of the Stars, Gray stared at his son and former-lover while trying to keep a straight face. Gajeel's expression was unreadable as he unabashedly gaped at Levy. Natsu was staring in longing at his children and ex-wife. Laxus refused to look at Mira, instead staring at Lucy.

Natsu's POV

The lightning dragon slayer was the first one to speak. "Sorry to interrupt your little party."

The Stars immediately tensed and turned in their direction. Lucy stepped in front of Nyota, Aine and Drago protectively, Lisanna at her side placing a hand on her shoulder. Armina grabbed Jellal's arm and lifted herself up, climbing easily onto his shoulders while he didn't move a muscle to help her.

Wow, it really was Erza's kid.

Levy quickly moved to crouch beside the black-haired girl. The small child held onto her tightly. I noticed Gajeel giving them a curious look.

"Very impressive performance, by the way." Laxus continued. "Too bad we didn't get to see all of it."

"Enough chitchat, Pride." Jellal spoke icily. "Tell us why you are here."

Lucy's POV

I forced myself to stay focused on Laxus and not let my gaze wander to the fire mage by his side. "I would." The blond spoke. "But I'd rather not speak my business with the Knights so close." He looked behind us and I turned to see Erza, with the others behind her.

Before any of us could react, there was a yelp from the Prides. I looked at them and saw Cana fall to the ground and Macao try and help her up. Warren, having kicked the brunette down, ran towards us from where he had been being held out of our sight.

"Warren!" I shouted in relief. "Thank god!" Unfortunately, this turned most of the Prides and the Knights attention to me.

Lisanna went up and helped him limp over to Wendy. She healed his injured leg and his numerous bruises. I immediately felt him link our minds and sighed in relief. 'Warren'. I thought. 'Why were you with the prides?'

'They kidnapped me from my kidnappers' He chuckled. 'Decided to use me as a peace offering to form an alliance with us.'

Jellal joined in. 'Well, that's stupid. Why the hell would they want to form an alliance with us anyway?'

'Do defeat the Knights and win the war, of course. Why else?'

There was a moment of silence before everyone in the Stars burst into laughter. Lisanna spoke next. 'And they thought that we would help them do that?'

'Apparently.'

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to see Drago staring up at me. 'Mama, why can't we end the war?'

I smiled at him. 'We can.'

Everyone stopped laughing and I continued. 'No one look at me while I am explaining this to you. Then Prides and Knights might find out I'm the leader.' They all started looking at others. Jellal and I, however, kept eye contact. 'It is to long of a story to explain how I got this change of heart, but listen carefully. I want to end the war. Not win it, end it. Get Fairy Tail back to the way it was before. Who agrees?'

Everyone nodded and smiled. 'Good. I'm not sure how we will do it yet, but we will talk about that later. Right now we just have to get through this.' I looked at my kids. 'Does that answer your question, rascals?'

'Yes, Mama.' I heard three voices think at once.

Erza cleared her throat. "Can I ask what you are all talking about?"

Lisanna spoke up. "Well I certainly hope so."

We all laughed quietly. They all knew protocol. We all speak as if we are the leader so that none of the others know who exactly is in charge.

Erza growled. "Who is your leader?"

I mentally smirked. This was my favorite part of protocol. "I am." Spoke Max.

Both the Knights and the Prides stared at him in shock, before Jellal spoke.

"Don't lie, Max. We both know that I am in charge."

"Shut up, the both of you." Bisca rolled her eyes. "I am."

"Hey, Boss?" Lisanna asked Wendy. "What are they talking about?"

"I don't know, boss."

"All of you are idiots, I'm obviously the leader."

"No, I am!"

"I am!"

"We are!" The kids all shouted, joining in.

Soon all of them were shouting, trying to prove that who the leader of the Stars was. In all honestly, it was fun to watch.

"SHUT UP!" Mira shouted angrily.

They went silent.

"Good, now would you please just tell us who the hell your leader is?" Gray growled. Erza glared at him but said nothing.

We had a quick conversation mentally before deciding. "Well," Jellal said, shrugging. "since you said please."

They all pointed to me. I hadn't spoken much during the entire conversation, so no one had suspected me. It made everyone's reactions even more priceless.

"Y-You are?" Natsu asked

I looked around and sighed, "Guilty as charged."

Erza's jaw dropped. Apparently, I was the last person she would expect to be part of this.

Laxus's POV

Unexpected much?

Natsu's POV

I hadn't even known that she was a member of the Stars, let alone the leader of it!

Gray's POV

I wonder how Natsu is taking this…

Gajeel's POV

Does that mean that Levy is a member too?

Cana's POV

Wow. Go Blondie.

Erza's POV

L-Lucy? No way, I've known her for years and I never imagined…

Juvia's POV

This was a surprise.

Mira's POV

I have no words.

Romeo's POV

I have absolutely no idea what to think of this.

Drago's POV

Hahahaha! They should see their faces!

Aine's POV

Go Mama!

Nyota's POV

Isn't that…Daddy? (A/N: Ooh, Smart kid.)

Lucy's POV

It took all of my self control not to laugh. Everyone in the stars seemed to be having the same problem.

I sighed and shook my head. "Enough stalling, people. I don't know about you, but I am very busy. I wouldn't have shown if I hadn't been planning on coming anyway."

"'Planning to come anyway'?" Erza spoke. "Why leave the safety of your camp just to come to the Sakura trees tonight?"

Jellal chuckled. "Don't tell me that we were the only ones who remembered."

Right then, I noticed the sun had almost set. I crouched down and looked at my kids. "Five."

Everyone froze and looked at me.

Erza's POV

"Four."

Jellal smiled and looked up at Armina, who was still on his shoulders. What were they so excited about?

Gajeel's POV

"Three."

Levy picked up her daughter and spoke softly to her. "Ready, Gina?"

"Ready, Mommy." Said the little girl. Ferron looked up at me, wide eyed and I returned the expression.

Juvia's POV

"Two."

Juvia had a pretty good idea what was going on and she looked down at Takumi, who gave her a confused look.

Natsu's POV

Nyota was still staring at me with a calculating, yet curious look that I knew well. I had seen it many times on Lucy's face before the war started. Instantly, I knew that she was as bright as her mother was.

Aine was hopping up and down excitedly over whatever her mother was counting down too. What on Earth were they all waiting for? The sun to go down?

Drago glanced over at the little girl in Levy's arms, Gina I think, and smiled happily. The girl smiled back before looking at her mother. Into girls already, kid?

I inwardly chuckled at their antics.

"One."

Normal POV

The sun went completely down and for a moment it was dark. Then, the Sakura trees lit up in bright, rainbow colors. The kids squealed and broke away from their parents, laughing.

Gina ran over to Drago and grabbed his hand, pulling along as she ran through the trees. The wind blew and a few of the leaves came off of the branches, making it look like rainbow fireflies were floating through the air.

Aine danced along with the leaves, spinning and laughing happily. Her mother joined along, occasionally picking her up and throwing her in the air before catching her and setting her down.

Armina jumped down from her dad's shoulders and smiled, spotting Ferron. Though she knew he was the enemy, she also knew that they were both just kids. She ran over and grabbed his hand, dragging him away from his father and convincing him to play with her. Jellal would have gone against it, but knew that she had inherited Erza's stubbornness and that it was useless to try.

Juvia noticed her son's flushed cheeks and followed his gaze, seeing that he was staring at Nyota. She giggled and picked him up, spinning along with the leaves until he was laughing along with her.

Nyota noticed Juvia waving her over and hesitantly took a step forward. Then another. Then another. She gained confidence quickly and was soon running over there, joining in with the blunette's spinning. Juvia put down her son not long afterwards, and neither of the kids noticed when she crept away.

The stars were all dancing with one another and completely ignoring the fact that they were surrounded by the enemy. Said armies just gawked at them, to shocked to say a word.

It happened slowly. Mira noticed her sister's happy face and smiled softly, before allowing Juvia to take her hand and pull her into the trees, running and laughing like they too were little children.

Romeo followed their example, climbing a tree and sitting on one of the branches, laughing and shouting at them. The nineteen-year-old seemed to be twelve again, encouraging them and swinging his legs. Wendy blushed when she saw it and broke away from where she was dancing with Levy and Lisanna. The eighteen-year-old skipped around the trunk of the tree he was in and laughed along with him.

The Knights slowly joined in, not mingling but still acting like children. Running, playing, laughing and dancing. The Exceeds chased each other above the treetops. The Sakura Grove turned into a playground. Even Erza, though not moving, was laughing and smiling at their antics.

The Prides took a bit longer. Surprisingly, Laxus was the first to break. He smiled and shook his head. The others took this as a sign to stop trying to look serious. They all started laughing and shoving one another around.

Then, a dark shadow overtook the trees. The rainbow light diminished and everyone was left in silence. A cloaked figure appeared in the center. "You little brat." Said a shockingly familiar voice. "Do you know how much work it took to find that spell?"

The hood of the cloak fell down to reveal none other than Zeref himself. He pointed to Lucy and smiled cruelly. "And you just had to go and break it. It's a good thing I arrived before you completely got rid of it."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said sternly.

"No, you don't. None of you do. That's part of the spell."

"What spell do you speak of?" Erza asked.

"The spell that I cast on Fairy Tail." He smirked and looked around. "Some of my best work, if I do say so myself."

"Explain." Laxus demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "And here I thought you were smart. Did you ever stop to wonder how this war started in the first place? And why, for all these years, you never heard a word from me? Or a rumor?"

Everyone was silent, so Zeref continued. "I realized a long time ago that Fairy Tail was the only thing standing between me and my desires. I also realized that nothing could destroy you pesky Fairies. Nothing can defeat a Fairy…that is…except another Fairy. Take a little bit of hatred, a lot a bit of anger and just a pinch of bloodlust and you get my recipe for a beautiful war. A Fairy War.

"Unfortunately, one of you just had to get the idea in your head that the war needed to end peacefully. That one of you is Lucy Heartfilia. So my plan is simple. Get rid of the girl and recast the spell, the war will pick up where is left off."

"Don't touch her!" Drago shouted, clenching his fists.

Zeref raised an eyebrow. He raised his hand and a knife appeared in midair. "Nothing will get in my way." He snapped his fingers and the blade went soaring towards the five year old.

"NO!" Natsu screamed. Many ran towards him, but none were able to get there before the knife struck its target.

"M-Mama?" Drago asked as Lucy turned her head to look at him. She fell backwards and slammed against the tree behind her. The blonde had made it just in time to jump in front of the blade, and it was imbedded in her stomach plain and clear.

Everything happened in a slow motion. Natsu went up in flames, letting out an enraged roar and running towards Zeref. Wendy and Bisca knelt beside Lucy, trying to keep her conscious. Drago burst into tears and tried to attack the dark mage while Levy and Gajeel grabbed him, holding him back. Nyota was silently crying and Aine was frozen in shock.

The kids were screaming in fear while Lisanna, Juvia and Evergreen wrapped their arms around them, trying to hide them from the scene.

Everyone else summoned their most powerful attacks, sending them towards the black wizard in anger.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel! Circle my swords!"

"Lightning Dragon Roar!"

"Ice Make: Lance!"

"Darkness Breath!"

"Soul Extinction!"

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

The attacks combined with each other and hit Zeref (who wasn't paying attention) head on. When the smoke cleared, he was lying on the ground, defeated. Well, they thought he was defeated. He stood up shakily and laughed. "I'll be back, Fairy Tail."

Then, he was gone. They didn't have time to worry though. They were already at Lucy's side, Natsu holding her hand with tears running down her face. During their battle, she had lost consciousness. Wendy looked up with tear filled eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

Natsu's POV

No. No. I refused to let her die. Not after everything we had been through. I squeezed her hand tightly and silently begged her to come back. There's nothing I can do. Wendy's words echoed through my mind and I saw red.

Something was pressed against my hand and I looked down, shocked to see a ring around her finger. Memories ran through my brain like a movie on fast-forward. Why the hell wasn't I there for you? I thought, crying. I never should have left.

"Please, Lucy." I whispered, to low for anyone to hear. "Please come back to me."

"Everybody out of the way!" I heard a woman's voice shout. I turned to see Porlyusica running towards us, Master on her tail. I was shocked. No one had seen them since the war started.

The pinkette knelt down beside me and started checking Lucy's wounds. "Wendy, report."

"Y-Yes, Porlyusica-san. Weapon went through a few vital organs and damaged her ribcage. Unsafe to remove without professional help. Major blood loss. Chance of survival: roughly 6%." Wendy spoke.

"I've worked with worse. Get her to my cabin, if it hasn't been destroyed."

It had been two days since any of us had seen Lucy. Master and Porlyusica had refused to let anyone visit her, not even her own kids. So we busied ourselves with rebuilding the guild hall. Though we were still not the way we used to be, it was a start.

Gray's POV

I still hadn't talked to Juvia, or Takumi. We avoided each other when we could, but whenever I saw her it killed me. She seemed happier than she did at the Sakura Grove, but then again, all of us did.

I decided that today I would have to talk to her. Apologize and figure out what…what we were going to do.

When she a Takumi arrived, I walked over to her. "Can we talk?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded, telling Takumi to go play with the other kids. We walked a little ways until we were far enough away from the guild.

We stared at each other for…well; I'm not sure how long. I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by her throwing her arms around me and crying into my shoulder. "Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama!"

I smiled lightly and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Don't apologize, Juvia. It's my fault. I should have stayed with you. I am so, so sorry baby."

She smiled and looked up at me as I wiped her tears. Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Mom?" I heard a voice speak.

We turned to see Takumi a few feet away. He slowly walked over and put a hand on Juvia's arm, giving her a questioning look. She nodded reassuringly and backed away from us a bit. He looked up at me and gulped, his dark blue eyes blinking. "D-Dad?"

I smiled and felt tears well up in my eyes. All I could do was nod. I knelt down and held out my arms. He hesitated a moment longer before running into them, hugging me tightly. I stroked his raven hair and laughed slightly, gesturing for Juvia to join in.

With the two in my arms, I felt happier than I had in five years.

The Outskirts of Magnolia

Levy's POV

Gina was picking flowers. Her black hair was braided back today and she wore her usual outfit.

I felt him coming up from behind me, but didn't turn around. Instead, I looked down, hoping he would keep walking. He didn't.

I heard him sigh. "Levy."

I slightly turned my head to look at him. "Hey, Gajeel. What brings you here?"

"We should talk."

"We are talking."

I could literally feel him roll his eyes and I giggled. "Calm down, metal head. You know I'm only joking."

"Can't you be serious for once?" he growled.

I frowned. "If I'm being serious, I'll cry. And I don't want to cry. I have to be strong."

"Why?"

I sighed, looking back over to where Gina was chasing a butterfly. "She has always known me as the strong mother. I can't let her down."

He followed my gaze and gulped. "Mother? She's your kid?"

I nodded slowly.

"So…who's the dad?"

I met his gaze and forced the words out of my mouth. "You are." Gods, it felt good to get that off of my chest.

He froze and I could swear that he stopped breathing. "How?"

I looked away. "I didn't know until after you left." I'm sure he caught my meaning, so I didn't say anything else. It was still hard talking to him, since I didn't know where we were at. Were we enemies? Friends? Something…more?

I felt him come closer until he was standing right next to me. "Levy." I didn't look up. "Levy." I still kept my gaze glued to the ground. He groaned and suddenly I wasn't on the ground anymore.

I squeaked when I found myself pressed against his chest, staring straight into his deep red eyes. "Put me down, Gajeel."

He ignored me and spoke quietly. So quietly I almost didn't hear him. "I missed you, Shrimp." Then he placed a rough, but not too rough, kiss on my lips. I found myself responding eagerly, but pulled away after a moment, remembering that Gina was not far.

He seemed to understand and he set me down, staring into the field where she stood. "What's her name?" He kept an arm around me, and I knew then what we were. We were us.

"Gina. Gina Redfox." I wanted her to have her father's last name.

He was silent for a moment, before whispering, "C-Can I meet her?"

I smiled and took his hand. "Gina!"

She turned and grinned at me. "Mommy!" She ran over and jumped into my arms. I turned towards Gajeel.

"Gina, there's someone I want you to meet."

She turned and smiled at Gajeel. "Hi! I'm Gina. Who are you?"

I leaned in and whispered in her ear, watching as her eyes grew as wide as her grin. She jumped out of my arms and into his, hugging him tightly around the neck. "Daddy!"

He grinned and hugged her back. I heard movement behind me and turned to see a mop of blue hair and piercing red eyes staring up at me. "F-Ferron?"

"Mom?"

I grinned and ran over to him, scooping the six-year-old up into my arms. He laughed and hugged me back. I heard a voice clear their throat and grinned as Pantherlily appeared, transforming into battle mode and lifting the two of us up.

My family was whole again. And this time, it would stay that way.

Back at the Guild

Erza's POV

At first I had worried about me a Jellal, but not anymore. He had simply walked up to me and thrown his arm around my shoulders like old times while we watched Armina play with the other kids. That was all anyone would get out of us.

We had never been big on sappy moments.

I was worried about Natsu, though. He paced back and forth, thinking about Lucy's condition. The poor guy hadn't even confronted his kids yet. I walked over and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! Erza, what was that for?" He whined.

"Lucy will be fine. Now grow a pair and go spend some time with your kids." I walked back over to Jellal and left him alone, debating what I had said.

Natsu's POV

She was right. I couldn't confront Lucy while she was healing, and no one knew how long that would take, but I could confront my kids. And now was my chance, since they had just left the guild alone.

I followed them out and a good ways away from the guild. I knew they knew I was there. Drago was the first to speak.

He looked me in the eye and asked slowly. "A-Are you really our daddy?"

I blinked. Then blinked again.

He continued. "Because Auntie Lisanna says that you are, but we wanna know for sure. So, are you our daddy?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

The boy grinned and jumped into my arms. I hugged him tight and looked at the twins. They were studying me. I held out my arms for them, patiently waiting to see their reactions.

Nyota started crying and ran over instantly, sobbing into my shoulder. "D-Don't leave again, okay?" Her voice was muffled by my shirt, but I heard her.

"Shh, no baby I won't leave." I whispered while stroking her hair.

Aine was still looking at me. "Promise?"

I grinned at her. "I promise."

Then all three of them were hugging me and I smiled. "You guys have grown so much since the last time I saw you! How old are you now?"

They giggled. "I'm seven!" Aine laughed happily. Nyota nodded.

I turned to Drago. "And you? Let me guess…five."

He nodded proudly. "Yep! But I'm gonna be six in four days!"

I ruffled his hair. "Well then, I can't wait."

I heard familiar footsteps walking towards us and my smile slipped a bit. "Why don't you three go back to the guild?" A silky voice said. "Your father and I need to talk."

We had been sitting in silence for the past ten minutes, looking out at the trees. Finally, she spoke. "Hi."

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi." She followed my example. "Soo…what now?"

I looked at her as she stared at the ground, absentmindedly playing with the ring around her finger. She was still wearing the same outfit as before, except she got rid of the cape and the gloves. "Now…I apologize."

I turned towards her, taking her hands in mine. "Lucy…I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I swear it. I have regretted it every day since we fought and I am so sorry Lucy. I can't eat or sleep and I have barely even lived for five years. You were right, I chose the war over you and I hate myself for it. Can you ever forgive me?"

She smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to apologize, Baka."

"I know. It's in the past."

She smacked me in the back of the head. "Ow!" I shouted. "That hurt!" Why was everyone hitting me today?

"Yep, but it's in the past. The past hurts, but we shouldn't let go of it. We should learn from it."

I was about to ask what she meant, but I was too busy ducking when she tried to hit me again.

"See? You learned from it." Oh, so that's what she meant.

"I think I get it now."

She smiled again. "Not to ruin this whole moment, but I just stole all of that from The Lion King."

I rolled my eyes and kissed her. She smiled against my mouth and deepened the kiss. Pulling away, I spoke again. "I knew you would forgive me."

"How?"

I held up her hand and fingered the ring. "You're still wearing this."

She kissed me. "I couldn't bring myself to take it off."

She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed contently as we stared at the water in silence. After a few minutes, she squeezed my hand. "Natsu, what happens when Zeref comes back? If he did this, who knows what else he could do."

I hugged her closer and kissed her forehead. "We'll get through it, Luce. Together."

Epilogue (Because I love you)

Ten Years Later

Normal POV

Fairy Tail had rebuilt Magnolia, apologized to the Magic Counsel, and won the GMGs nine times in a row these past ten years. Slowly but surely, it returned to the glory it had once been.

Today was a day like any other. Ferron and Aine were fighting, Natsu and Gajeel cheering them on. Lucy and Levy sat at the bar, giggling. Juvia and Gray were talking to Erza and Jellal while Armina and Gina were in the arena (Which they had built six years ago) sword fighting. Happy was in Lucy's lap and Carla was talking to Lily. She had nothing else to do since Wendy and Romeo were on their honeymoon.

The guild doors burst open and Drago walked in. "We're back!"

He walked over and sat down, watching the sword fight and cheering Gina on. Takumi and Nyota rolled their eyes at him when they walked in just moments later. Natsu didn't trust the eighteen-year-old boy with his daughter, so he made Drago accompany them on missions.

They were standing hand-in-hand and smiling at the rest of the guild. Gray saw this and the first thing that came to his mind was 'Shit. I'm going to be related to Flame Brain.'

Obviously, Natsu was thinking the same thing since Lucy's hand on his arm was the only thing holding him back.

Just another day in Fairy Tail.

I was listening to 'Battlefield' by Jordan Sparks and 'Keep Holding On' by Avril Lavine and suddenly the idea for this story popped into my head. After exactly 7 days, 62 pages on word and 13,774 words it is finally complete.

School starts soon so this is kind of an 'End of Summer Special' for you guys. I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and tell me what you guys think. Those reviews are the only thing that keep me writing. Well, that and my friend anora78 yelling in my ear. (Love you!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

-Fairy