A/N: So, it looks like the time has come to say my final thanks to everyone who has followed along with this story (yes, even you silent readers out there who have never made yourselves known). You guys have no idea how much this means to me. This was my first story on fanfiction, and I wasn't sure how it would be received. Thank you especially to everyone who has been with this story since the very beginning. I love you guys! Yes, this is the final chapter. :( It's been quite an experience. I hope you all continue to read other stories by me in the future! :) These are the people I'd like to thank for reviewing on the last chapter: GingerificFabulousTime, Shonnyterra, ElodieKumari94, bluecrushsurfergirl, RubyDemonXoXo, FoxOnPie, severedserenity, Lightmoon54, fairyofthelake and GopherPlant.

Oh yeah! I made some drawings of the girls in their wedding dresses. :) I will post them on my DeviantArt account, if anyone wants to see. The link is on my profile page, near the bottom.

Well, I'll let you guys get on to the epilogue now. I hope you enjoy!

Epilogue

Crocus, two months later

Nobody's POV

The slender branches of the sakura trees rustled against each other in the soft breeze, causing their delicate pink blossoms to swirl to the ground. The sun was shining high in the cerulean sky, breath-like puffs of white clouds floating serenely by. In the city of Crocus, people were running about excitedly. There were more people packing into the streets than there had been since the Grand Magic Games, which had closed down after the incident with the dragons. Mothers pacified tired children with freshly-iced cake pops, and fathers swooped their kids onto their shoulders to get a better view of the lacrima screens set up every block.

As a giant clock chimed ten minutes 'til noon, a certain reporter stood excitedly in front of a massive marble church. He eagerly clutched a microphone as he faced a television crew with a camera.

"Good morning, Fiore! Today's special broadcast is brought to you by me, The Weekly Sorcerer's Jason! Today we have an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event! So coooooool!" he crowed. "That's right, folks, you all know what it is! Half of Fiore has turned up for this event! The streets and all the pubs are packed with people watching on lacrima screens. Only people personally invited are allowed into the church, though, so that means…." The reporter trailed off as he began blubbering like a baby. "That means," he sobbed shrilly, "that even I, the great Jason, will not be able to bring you a live report on the coolest event of the year!" The television crew turned awkwardly away from the balling reporter and filmed shots of the throngs of people surrounding the church instead. Everyone was hoping for a chance to see the procession later, when it would leave the church in a couple hours.

After all, it wasn't every day that three of the most well-known women in Fiore were getting married to three of the most famous men in Fiore.

High in one of the towers of the great church, a blonde woman in a long white dress leaned on the window sill, looking out on the eager masses. The golden sun lent her face a beautiful glow. Or was it the sun…?

"Lu-chan, how does it look?"

The blonde woman turned away from the window as another woman entered the room. Her hands flew to her mouth to cover a shriek of excitement as she looked over the other woman's dress.

"Levy-chan, it's beautiful!" Lucy squealed. "Go on, spin around!"

The shorter woman did as she was instructed, allowing her flowing skirts to flow gracefully around her slender hips. The dress was creamy white with a pale blue sash tied right beneath her breasts. From there, the front of the dress opened up to reveal a layer of lacy ruffles underneath. Her sky blue hair was neatly curled, a white headband holding back her bangs. Little diamonds and sapphires glinted on the headband, and more diamonds were meticulously sewn onto the silky outer layer of her skirts.

"It feels a little long," Levy mused with a hint of doubt. She nervously gathered up the glistening fabric in her hands. White silk gloves adorned her hands, cutting off at her wrists. A tiny blue bow was tied on the outside of each wrist where the gloves ended in a strip of lace.

"It looks perfect," Lucy said, her eyes glistening with sincerity. "Besides, it won't matter to Gajeel. He'll just sweep you off your feet either way."

The blue-haired woman blushed attractively as her friend winked at her. "Lu-chan, you're too sweet. And what about you? Your man won't be able to resist you looking like that."

Now it was Lucy's turn to blush. Her blonde hair was done up in an elaborate bun with diamond pins glistening in the tresses, two curled strands of hair framing her radiant face. Her dress looked more like a princess's, with its elegant bell skirts and lacy bodice. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline, and she had silky white gloves extending to her upper arms. A diamond tiara sat in her hair, completing the princess look. A pale pink bow sat on her left hip.

"You are stunning," Levy said fondly, coming over to the other woman to take her hands. They both turned at the sound of the door opening softly. Their breaths fled them as they stared wide-eyed at the visage before them.

"Er…za?" Lucy gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

The red-haired woman smiled softly and spun around. "It's beautiful, is it not?"

"Oh, the dress is lovely, no doubt about that," Levy snorted. "But you are divine!" Both girls stared at their other friend with hearts practically glowing in their eyes.

Erza laughed, her cheeks dusted with a beautiful soft pink flush. Her dress had a long train in the back. The back of her skirts were ruffled where they fell from the golden bow tied at the back of her waist. With the exception of her ruffled backside, the rest of her skirts flowed sleekly down to the ground, hugging her ample curves. She had a sweetheart neckline, and a diamond choker glistened against her creamy throat. She nervously lifted a lace-gloved hand to her hair, patting the ringlets that were pulled back to make sure that the diamond pins still held them firmly in place. Two strands of curled hair framed her face, and a delicate golden circlet rested against her forehead, adding to her regal air.

"As are you two," Erza said firmly, coming to stand beside the other women. The three brides joined hands and shared a moment of pure joy as the minutes ticked by.

A knock sounded hesitantly against the door, causing all three of the young women to turn. A young woman with long white hair and a shimmering golden dress peered around the door, her face lit with a radiant smile. "Are you girls ready to go? We're all ready now."

Erza grinned and lifted her dress to glide over to the other woman. "That dress looks lovely on you, as expected of my maid of honor."

The four women made their way across the hall to the one other room on the floor, where their bride's maids were waiting. A chorus of 'ooh's went up as the brides swept into the room, dazzling in their bridal finery. The other girls in the room were arrayed in gold, blue or pink; the colors of the three brides.

A woman with dark brown hair and a pale pink gown went up to Lucy and nudged her in the ribs. "So Lucy," she began with a conspiratorial smirk, "excited to see how your man's gonna look? I've gotta say, I still can't come to terms with the fact that Natsu is going to be…married." She proceeded to turn away and make barfing noises while Lucy just glowered playfully at her maid of honor and swatted her arm.

"You're just jealous that even that fire-head is getting married before you, Cana," Lucy snorted. "Besides, he's matured considerably in the past few months. I think he'll be a great husband." Cana grinned knowingly at her as Lucy turned her head to hide her blush.

Levy, meanwhile, was blushing as she received congratulations from her own maid of honor. The woman with wavy, dark blue hair was clasping her hands excitedly in front of her chest as she twirled around. "Oh, Levy-san, Juvia's so excited to see him getting married! You are so perfect for him. Juvia knows that you will be just the thing he needs, and she is so honored to be chosen as your maid of honor!"

"Juvia-chan, there is no one Gajeel and I would rather award this honor to than you." Levy clasped Juvia's hands in her own and smiled up into the other woman's face. "After all, he's known you the longest. And if it weren't for you, I would never have fallen in love with him." Juvia preened and fluttered at Levy's words of heartfelt gratitude, but it was just a mask for the tears that were building in her navy blue eyes. If there was anyone in the kingdom who was a flaming bundle of estrogen, it was Juvia.

Mirajane, the white-haired maid of honor, kindly ushered everyone together for one final girl powwow of support. The three brides, their maids of honor and their bride's maids gathered around in a circle to wipe their tears away and run final checks for makeup and hair.

"You all know how this is going to proceed," Mira began. They all shared a brief look of terror at the memory of all the failed dress rehearsals they'd had for the procession. Everyone was praying fervently that the boys wouldn't mess up the real thing. "Anyways, I just want to tell you all that it has been such a joy to work with all of you in preparation for this joyous day." She paused a moment to dab at her eyes. "Erza, Lucy and Levy are amazing young women, and I just wanted to wish them all the best, before their husbands steal them away to tropical honeymoon destinations." Giggles and excited murmurs followed the mention of their upcoming honeymoons. "So, if you ladies have anything you wish to say, do so now, because their receptions won't be until after they return, and who knows what could happen in the meantime?"

The other girls all spoke up immediately to get in their two cents with the brides, who accepted their well-wishes gracefully. Hugs and kisses were freely given and received, and more dabbing of damp eyes followed. Finally, the church bell tolled one minute 'til the hour. The ladies all lined up, the three brides at the back. They filed out door two at a time, and each pair was greeted by a dark-skinned mage with black hair. He bowed gallantly to each lady before cocooning them in a cushion of air and gently sending them down the tower to the waiting staff several flights below. Each bride had six bride's maids, so each woman had a partner to stand with until only the three brides remained at the top of the tower with the dark man.

"You three are looking simply radiant," he said in a soft, deep voice as he swept the three brides a bow.

"Always the flatterer, weren't you, Ren?" Erza said with an affectionate eye roll. "Hurry up and send us down, so you can go back to Sherry and the babies."

At the mention of his family, Ren smiled and lowered the three brides to the base of the tower in a cocoon of air. A second later, his feet touched down softly on the marble floor behind them.

Erza, Lucy and Levy stood side by side, their bouquets now clasped in their hands before them. The ceremony was to be held in the chapel through the door across the small foyer they were standing in, and they could hear the sweet strains of the harpsichord floating through the air. The flower girls had already started down the aisle, three abreast as they tossed the silky flower petals along the carpeted walkway. The best men had come down from the other tower and were already waiting in the foyer as the brides' maids of honor walked up to them and slipped their hands into the crooks of the men's elbows. Cana was with Gray, Juvia was with Rogue, and Mira was with Lahar. The latter two best men had been unexpected choices. The first time they had shown up for the wedding rehearsal, everyone had been shocked to see the Saber member and the man responsible for Jellal's imprisonment in the Council prison in the first place. However, Gajeel had explained that after the ordeal with Death Strike, the two had been able to regain a measure of the relationship they'd had before the disbandment of Phantom Lord. This time, though, they shared a mutual respect for each other, and while they still butted heads every now and then, the old feeling of senior and junior had resurfaced.

Jellal, on the other hand, had made no move to explain Lahar's presence as his best man. The Council member had taken it upon himself to explain how, after the Grand Magic Games that had taken place over a year ago, he'd come to see that Jellal was a changed man. Even though it had been painful for him to do so, Lahar had managed to forgive Jellal for his past, and the two had turned over a new and unexpected leaf of friendship. Once the charges against Jellal had been lifted, freeing him from the reputation of a criminal, the two men had discovered many common points between them. Both were men of justice and righteous intent, and once Lahar had been able to see that, they had become hesitant friends. So now, in an effort to atone for all the trouble he had caused for the other man, Lahar had agreed to be Jellal's best man so he could personally send him off into this next stage of his life.

As the brides' maids started down the aisle three at a time, Erza shifted nervously and gathered the silky material of her dress in her hands. Lucy and Levy were murmuring together excitedly, and the best men and maids of honor were busy watching for their signal to proceed down the aisle. The only other people in the room were Master Makarov, who would be acting as all three of the brides' father, and Macao, who would be there to support Makarov, since there were three brides and only one Makarov. The order, from left to right facing the group from behind, was to be Lucy, Makarov, Erza, Macao, and then Levy. The older men were currently arguing softly together about some silly thing, clearly trying to cover up the fact that they were both crying.

The scarlet-haired woman sighed silently, contentment settling over her. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she gazed around at the people who were family to her. They had been there with her through so many struggles in her life, and she wanted nothing more than to be there for them. But now she was getting married, so her new family would come first. Briefly, she wondered what she and Jellal were going to do. They'd discussed the possibility of quitting their guilds, as Juvia and Lyon had done, but that decision just didn't sit well with either of them. They'd also discussed trying to maintain their relationship while staying in their separate guilds, but they'd liked that idea even less; if they were going to be together, they were going to be together, darn it. The final decision they'd been contemplating was the one that, just the night before, they had decided would be the best option. And that was for one or the other of them to quit their guild and join the other's. Of course, the decision had been pretty clear from there. They had both agreed that Jellal should seek permission to join Fairy Tail. The only difficult part would be breaking it to Ultear and Meredy.

Erza sighed again. Her worries about being able to support her guild family would be nullified if Jellal joined Fairy Tail. Other difficulties would arise from that, but they all took a back seat to the issues most prominently at hand. Namely, the fact that Jellal and Erza knew something that the others did not as of yet know. There was a bigger reason for the pair wanting to be together in one guild than just to be together. Because, as Erza had discovered just a month ago, they had already started a family.

She pressed a lace-gloved hand to her abdomen. It was still flat, no sign of life visible beneath the creamy surface of her skin. But she could already feel it. Not kicking or anything; it was still too early for that. But she knew in her heart that there was little part of herself and Jellal growing inside of her, and with that knowledge came a fierce urge to protect the child. The couple had also agreed on Fairy Tail because they knew that it would be a good place to raise a family. The child would be loved, and all the guild members would look out for it. Erza knew that it would be difficult to raise the child, but there was nothing for her to fear if she had Jellal and her guild family at her side.

At last, the time came for the brides to step up to the threshold, the older men taking their places between them. The women all rested their hands on the men's arms, though Makarov had to hold his arms above his head for Lucy and Erza to reach. The music shifted to a brighter tone as the group stepped through the doorway onto the white carpet that had been rolled down the aisle. At the end of it, the grooms stood waiting, beaming silently at their brides.

The assembled guests all got to their feet as the procession made its way slowly down the aisle. The members of Fairy Tail who hadn't been involved in the procession stood near the front, tears streaming down their faces as they watched. The brides saw Lyon standing with his child in his arms, next to Ren and Sherry and their twins. Members from the other guilds were also assembled to celebrate this momentous occasion. Even the Celestial Spirits were all gathered. Loki was crying, though Lucy, who had caught sight of his spiky orange head, rather doubted it was from joy. She didn't even want to look at Taurus; the large bull spirit was sobbing into a handkerchief and wringing his hands, much to the discomfort of the guests around him.

As they drew closer to the altar and the men waiting there for them, the three women stared transfixed at their soon-to-be-husbands. They were all dressed smartly in white tuxes, looking every bit like princes. When they reached the end of the aisle, Makarov and Macao moved off to the sides while Lucy moved up next to Natsu, Erza to Jellal, and Levy to Gajeel. The priest stood before them, a cute little old man with rosy cheeks and a merry twinkle in his eyes. He gestured for the three couples to kneel before the altar, and the guests all sat down again.

"We are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the marriage of these three young couples. They are here to seal themselves to their spouse for the rest of their lives in the sacred bond of matrimony. And now, I will perform the rites. Do you, Lucy Heartfilia, take Natsu Dragneel to be your lawful wedded husband, and promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do," the blonde woman said with wide, teary eyes.

"And do you, Natsu Dragneel, take Lucy Heartfilia to be you lawful wedded wife, and promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor her all the days of your life?"

"I do!" the Dragonslayer declared resolutely, his hand finding Lucy's at their sides.

"Then I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." Moving on to the next couple before cheers could erupt, he asked, "Do you, Erza Scarlet, take Jellal Fernandes to be your lawful wedded husband, and promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do."

"And do you, Jellal Fernandes, take Erza Scarlet to be you lawful wedded wife, and promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor her all the days of your life?"

The blue-haired man turned his head to smile softly at his new bride, threading their fingers and giving them a squeeze. "I do."

"Then I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." The priest turned to the final couple then. "Do you, Levy McGarden, take Gajeel Redfox to be your lawful wedded husband, and promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do."

"And do you, Gajeel Redfox, take Levy McGarden to be you lawful wedded wife, and promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and to love and honor her all the days of your life?"

"I do," he said in his rough voice. It was especially rough, and the priest suspected that the scary-looking man was fighting tears.

"Then I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."

Thunderous applause and cheers broke out as the guests surged to their feet once more. The couples rose and embraced each other. All the young women in attendance rushed towards the altar as the three brides tossed their bouquets over their shoulders. Jellal planted a long, sweet kiss on his bride's lips, drawing her close. Natsu grinned impishly at Lucy and pulled her close for an intimate embrace. Gajeel stuffed his hands awkwardly into his pockets, then lifted one hand as if to ruffle her hair before remembering that her hair was all nicely done. Levy giggled and wrapped her arms around his solid waist, resting her head against his chest.

After another moment, the three couples moved down to the center of the large room. The guests were all standing now, as their chairs began to disappear. Refreshments materialized on a table set up along the side walls, and the guests all cleared a space in the center of the floor for the couples. They took each other into their arms and began spinning around the dance floor to the music that floated by on the air. After another moment, the maids of honor were led onto the floor by the best men, and they began dancing together. Slowly, other couples began to trickle onto the dance floor. As the song changed, the partners switched up. Gray stole a dance from Lucy while Natsu danced with Lisanna, Levy danced with Jet and Gajeel danced with Juvia, and Erza danced with Loki while Jellal danced with Ultear. Everyone was laughing and chatting merrily, the drink flowing freely. Cana was already camped out by the wine fountain, a little tipsy from the spirits.

At last, nearly a full hour later, the couples drew together again to depart on their honeymoons. They pressed towards the tall, arched double doors of the church, the crowd gathered around to bid them tearful farewells. As the doors were pushed open, three nice cars were revealed idling on the street.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Lucy squealed to Levy as they made their way down to the cars. The crowds of people waiting outside the church pressed in on them, everyone wanting to see the happy couples. Cameras were flashing, and microphones were being shoved into their faces. One reporter got a little too close to Lucy and almost smacked her in the face with his mic, causing Natsu to fly into a rage and shove the man aside while he scooped Lucy into his arms. She gasped in surprise, but quickly flushed with pleasure and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

Once the couples were all safely tucked into their cars, the masses cleared the streets enough for the vehicles to get by. In the backseat of the Dragneels' car, Natsu pushed his wife back onto the plush seats and began kissing her like the world was ending. In their own car, Levy and Gajeel sat beside each other, their fingers laced in Levy's lap. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he tipped his head to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. Meanwhile, in the Fernandeses' car, Jellal pulled Erza onto his lap and held her tenderly while they both stared out the window.

"I spoke with Ultear," he murmured into her ear. She turned to face him, and he nuzzled her neck. "You won't believe what she told me. She said that she actually was expecting me to do that! And on top of that, she told me that she had already spoken with Master Makarov and made all the arrangements. Apparently, I am to become a member of Fairy Tail immediately upon our return to Magnolia." An awed note crept into his voice as he absentmindedly spun a stray curl of Erza's hair around his finger.

"That's wonderful news!" Erza beamed up at her husband, pressing a kiss to his lips. When they resurfaced several minutes later, Jellal caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"And there's more. That woman told me that she and Meredy have also decided to quit Crime Sorcière and join Fairy Tail! Again, they've already spoken with Makarov, and their initiation date is to be the same as mine."

Erza gaped at him. "That…that's fantastic!" she finally gasped. "I really think this will be good for them. And I'm sure they'll be accustomed in no time." A sly grin crept across her face. "I saw Gray and Ultear dancing together for the better part of the dances."

Jellal chuckled and pressed his forehead to Erza's. "Well, Ultear did catch your bouquet, did she not?" The couple shared a significant look.

A sudden braking of the car caused both of them to look up in alarm as the driver ground the brake pedal into the ground. Erza leaned forward over the seat in between them and the driver to see what the problem was. The man was shaking in his seat, pointing out the front window at something in the street in front of them.

Before Jellal could do anything, she had climbed over him and stepped out onto the street, her train gathered up in one hand. Muttering a curse under his breath, he followed his wife out into the street to see what was going on. They both saw a gang of thugs standing in the middle of the street, slapping swords and maces against their hands with wicked smiles.

Erza turned to Jellal with a look that was part exasperation, part excitement. Then she requipped into her armor, a sword appearing in her hand.

"Come on, Jellal. Looks like this is the start of our forever. Let's do this." The couple joined hands and shared a knowing grin before charging ahead, heads raised with smiles on their faces.

Hope that wasn't too cheesy, guys! ^.^ But if it was, sorry, I'm just a sap that way. :3 Again, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has read this story! And again, I'd like to encourage you to check out my other stories! :) Please also leave a review on this epilogue, to let me know what you think and any final thoughts you have on this story. It's still kind of weird that it's done now. o.O

Anyways, see you next time! :D Hopefully on one of my other stories! ^.^