Hey, twenty-one chapters! Nice. Today's chapter is brought to you by guilt, depression, hunger, and Alan Walker music. Enjoy.

Kari watched the other three women. Kagura, Minerva, Erza, and herself all faced off in the rubble. "Amazing! The four most powerful women, all facing off!" Chapati cheered.

"Am I allowed to cheer myself on?" Booth-Kari wondered.

"It's not against the rules…" Yajima said after a moment.

"Well then," Kari observed, slamming her Fate sword on the ground. "Shall we begin, or are we just going to stare dramatically at each other?

"Who are you?" Kari asked flatly. She had gone on ahead to both scout out an exit and to get away from Leo - oh stars above not him not him not him - only to find a hooded figure standing at a door. The figure began to cry softly. Hardening her heart, Kari pulled out her Fate sword and pointed it at the figure. "Who. Are. You."

The person slowly lowered their hood, and Kari stared.

"Lucy?"

The Kari in the announcement booth frowned as information on all sides came in. This…. was troublesome. A major problem.

"Is this all your doing?" Kari asked after a long moment of silence. The wind picked up the edge of her cloak and let it dance around her legs. "Because if it is… I will find a way to end you."

"Rude!" Kari shouted as Kagura swung her sword at her. "Honestly, I offer to team up and this is how I'm treated?!" Erza and Minerva were furiously exchanging blows, and the two other swordswomen were fighting.

"I won't let someone like you with such ridiculous hair defeat me!" Kagura snarled. Her eye twitched.

"Ridiculous. Hair?" she ground out. Flames erupted all around her. Even her Fate sword was set on fire. "I'll have you know that I have my mother's hair and I will not allow anyone to insult it!"

Porlyusica paused her bustling around the medical ward as she heard what her daughter said. She smiled with pride. That's my girl.

"You're… from the future," Kari said after a moment before throwing her hands in the air. "You know what, I'm not even going to question it." Lucy sniffled and wiped her eyes away. "What exactly happened in the future that made you so desperate to come back in time?" And Future Lucy told her.

A tear trickled down Kari's face.

"That isn't fair!" Kari protested as she saw Milliana trapped in Minerva's magic. "You can't just do that!" Kagura shot forward, rage written across her face, but the raven haired woman substituted with Erza. She barely managed to block the swipe.

"Battle each other," Minerva said carelessly. "I'll fight whoever is left."

"And what about me?" the pinkette frowned. Heat built up around her form as her sword shifted again. "Coward."

"Cowardice? Hardly. I merely chose the option most beneficial to me." The other two women were fighting behind them. Kari was not amused.

"Who are you going to sic on me, then?"

"Why, none other than myself. Kari Dragonchild, daughter of Igneel, and wielder of five Rifts. I've always wanted to test myself against a Rift Child, but they are so difficult to find…" She… didn't just say that. The thought projection in the booth made a sound of outrage as the temperature rose several more degrees.

"I'm ready to forgive many things," Kari said slowly. "But disrespecting my fellow Rift Children, whose magic burned them alive from the inside out, who died screaming in agony, who died wanting nothing more than to be normal, to have more time…" She looked up with a murderous glare. "I can never forgive your blatant disrespect to those children."

Leo is here Leo is alive Leo is here Leo is alive he's here he's safe he's alive pounded in Kari's chest to her rapid heartbeat. I can't… I can't… Leo! Leo… She choked back a bitter sob. I can't face him. Not after what I did to him. Not… oh, Leo...

Kari frowned up in the box with Yajima and Chapati. The other Kari down there had thoroughly trounced Minerva with her Rifts before stalking away, still shaking with rage. "You wanted a Rift Child? I gave you a Rift Child," she had snarled. "Believe me, this power is a curse so much more often than not."

Don't lose your temper, she sent through their connection. Turning her attention to the other Kari, she whispered, It's ok. Leo can take care of himself, and he has Yukino and Lucy with him. He doesn't have to know it's us. This was her true purpose in the box: to coordinate between the other two thought projections and keep tabs on all objectives.

Plus the view was spectacular.

"I yield," Sting gasped, falling to his knees. Team Fairy Tail hadn't even lifted a finger against him, yet he still surrendered. This is the power of Fairy Tail.

"That's the last of 'em," Gray said, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Kari's still out there," Gajeel grunted. Laxus groaned.

"Do we really have to deal with her? Man, I'm beat after taking care of Jura…"

"Natsu?" Erza said questioningly. His hackles rose at the thought of seeing his sister anytime soon. At the same time though…

Natsu could remember the raw agony he had felt when his father had told him that Kari wasn't coming back. The way he wished every night that he had hugged her a little tighter, told her that he loved her one last time.

"Never let the sun set on an argument," Meliera had always said, referring to her seeking out Gray to settle a fight they had. "Family is the most important thing you'll ever find, so never forget to hold them close." Oh gods, he missed her.

"I'll go deal with her," he nodded. Natsu found her perched on the rubble of a dome, staring up at the moon.

"What do you want?" she said. It might have been worded as a question, but they both knew it wasn't one.

"I'm sorry," he finally bit out. "I… I just hated that Igneel… and you have these times where you're so distant… I can't get to you there and it scares me, Kari, because you're… you're all I have left and sometimes it feels like you're barely there. I miss you." Kari's eyes softened in the second before she jumped down.

"I… I'm sorry," she whispered, putting her hand to his cheek. "I've been stressed lately, and the memories… They're hard to deal with. I promise… I promise that I'll try to reach out to you more, ok?" They both smiled at each other. "Love you, bro."

"Love you too," he said. Then Kari shivered and vanished from sight.

"Well, wasn't that eventful," Kari stretched next to Yajima. "Looks like Fairy Tail is the victor."

"It is indeed a surprise, my oh my," Chapati chuckled. "Fairy Tail has risen from the ashes like a phoenix!"

Like a phoenix indeed, a voice smirked in her mind.

Kari froze. That wasn't them. That's not us.

No, it's not. Sadly, you're a problem. Bye!

Wait no no no-

Yay. Stuff happened. Please review. *yawn* I've been sleeping really badly lately. Please excuse my bluntness. (one day this trilogy will finally be over...)