"Aely!!!" Vanessa reached him before he had taken more than a few steps through the guild doors. Her shout echoed through the guild hall as she launched herself at him without hesitation. Her shorter frame slammed into his side with enough force that the old Aelius would have actually staggered from the impact. Now, though, he barely moved. Even so, the familiarity of it made something loosen slightly in his chest. Around them, conversations died almost instantly. Those who had already noticed his entrance froze. Those who hadn't immediately turned toward Vanessa's yell. Within seconds, every eye in the guild hall was fixed on him.
Aelius couldn't help the small smile that appeared despite the unwanted, but expected stares. He remembered he wasn't entirely alone, standing here with Vanessa practically hanging off him, which reminded him that there were still people left. He still had the little parasite. Annoying, and intrusive, stubborn beyond reason, and somehow one of the few people he genuinely enjoyed having around.
"...Aelius." Vanessa's voice cut through his thoughts. She pulled back just enough to look up at him properly, her violet eyes narrowing as they met his emerald ones. The excitement that had been there a moment ago faded into something more focused. "Why do you taste... off?"
Aelius closed his eyes briefly. Of course, that would be her first question. Not an are you okay? Not even a demand for an explanation about Tenrou. Straight to the problem. Vanessa had never been the type to dance around a subject when it involved him, when they were on good terms anyway. If she noticed something was wrong, she would ask immediately. Usually loudly.
With a sigh, Aelius rested a hand atop her head before gently pushing her back a step. "Later," he said. "I'm still me, I promise."
Vanessa's expression immediately made it clear she wasn't satisfied with that answer. Her eyes narrowed further, and he could practically see her debating whether to ignore his response entirely and keep questioning him anyway. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on perspective, she eventually relented.
Aelius was not foolish enough to believe the matter was settled, however. Vanessa would absolutely corner him later. Still, she stepped aside, allowing him to continue further into the guild hall.
The silence remained as he walked, and Aelius found himself studying the room. There were fewer people present than there should have been. The guild was far from empty, but the difference was noticeable. Many of the weaker members were absent entirely. The faces he expected to see were mostly there, but the usual crowd that filled every available table seemed significantly diminished. No one important was missing, yet the hall somehow felt larger than he remembered because of it.
When he reached the stage, Aelius climbed onto it without hesitation and turned toward the gathered guild. Every eye remained fixed on him, hopeful, confused, desperate, and most simply waiting.
Aelius let the silence linger for several moments before speaking. "Let me start by saying this." The room seemed to tense even more, and Aelius wondered for a moment what it tasted like to Vannessa, because it could not be pleasant, but he dropped the thought quickly as he continued. "The others are still alive." Gasps echoed throughout the guild hall. Several people shot to their feet. Others looked completely stunned. One chair crashed to the floor somewhere near the back. Relief, disbelief, confusion, hope. The emotions swept through the room so quickly that Aelius could almost feel them.
Before anyone could begin shouting questions, however, he continued. "They will return in seven years. They are currently trapped in stasis due to Fairy Sphere." Aelius could see it written across their faces as he finished. Relief warred with confusion as everyone tried to process what he had just said. The people they had mourned for weeks were alive. Yet they would not be returning anytime soon.
Questions were already forming. How? Why? What happened? Aelius knew all of them were coming. Unfortunately, or rather fortunatly, there were more pressing matters first. His gaze moved across the room. Past the familiar faces. Past the hopeful expressions and whispers, past the people looking at him as though he had somehow become the answer to all their problems.
And all he could think was that they were weak, painfully, painfully so. Without Makarov, the Tenrou team, or any of the guild's strongest members, Fairy Tail had become vulnerable in a way it never had been before. Every guild on the continent would eventually notice. Every criminal organization. Every opportunist. Every fool looking to make a name for themselves by bringing down the former number one. And there was very little the people in this room could do to stop them.
More than a few members visibly shrank under his gaze alone, let alone someone with harmful intent. Aelius frowned faintly at that. He wasn't trying to intimidate anyone. His expression wasn't hostile; hell, his mask wasn't even on. Yet people still seemed uncomfortable when he looked at them directly. The realization irritated him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Instead, his eyes settled on a single person. "Macao." The man blinked as he was called out, and several others turned toward him as well. "You're Guild Master until Makarov returns." The declaration hit the room almost as hard as the news about Tenrou.
Macao stared at him."What?!"
"It makes the most sense," Aelius said simply. And honestly, it did. Macao wasn't the strongest person in the room. He wasn't the smartest either. But strength wasn't what Fairy Tail needed right now; they needed stability, and Aelius had known the man since childhood. He was rough around the edges, occasionally lazy, and far more willing to cut corners than Makarov ever was. Yet beneath all of that, he was dependable. More importantly, he already knew how to take responsibility for people besides himself, while raising a child and managing a guild were vastly different tasks, but the foundation wasn't entirely dissimilar.
"Why not you?" Macao asked, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden declaration. The man looked like someone had just handed him a bomb and informed him it was now his responsibility. Beside him, Wakaba actually dropped his beer. The bottle slipped from his fingers and shattered against the floor, drawing several startled looks from nearby tables. Aelius stared for a moment. That might genuinely be the first time he had ever seen the man waste alcohol outside of a guild brawl. "I mean, you're a Wizard Saint," Macao continued, gesturing toward him. "You completed a century quest. You've only been back for four months, and half the continent already knows your name. Hell, even Erza never really bossed you around because she knew she couldn't enforce it. Doesn't it make more sense for you to take over?"
"I won't be around to actually do the job." Aelius sighed, rubbing at his temple. The headache that had been threatening since he entered the guild was already beginning to form properly. This was exactly why he didn't want the position. Too many questions, people, and expectations. "The Council won't have as much influence over Fairy Tail if a Saint isn't sitting in the Guild Master's chair. They'll try anyway, but they'll have fewer excuses." He exhaled slowly. "Besides, I refuse to sit around doing paperwork all day. I didn't survive a Century quest just to spend the rest of my life sorting mission requests and financial reports."
"What do you mean you won't be around to do the job?" Wakaba asked, frowning heavily now. Unlike Macao's confusion, there was something more cautious in his expression. "Are you..." He hesitated briefly before continuing anyway. "Leaving?" The unspoken again hung in the room, said in every way but out loud,
"Does it mat—" Aelius stopped himself with a sigh. The irritation was amassing, but unfair. Wakaba wasn't accusing him of anything. He was asking a reasonable question. "I have plans," he said instead. "One of them involves bringing Laxus back."
That earned exactly the reaction Aelius expected, and a few he didn't. The guild hall immediately erupted into murmurs. Some looked horrified. Others looked uncertain. A surprising number actually seemed willing to consider it. Macao looked conflicted. Wakaba looked like he wanted another drink. Bisca and Alzack exchanged glances before looking back toward him. None of them seemed happy about the idea, but neither did they immediately reject it.
"I think I understand the reasoning," Bisca said after several moments of thought. "But are you sure he'll cooperate? We did kick him out. And before that, he nearly destroyed Magnolia." Her expression tightened. "He nearly killed us."
"He hasn't been able to use magic for the last three months," Aelius replied. "I'm hoping the exile and the loss of his magic have given him time to actually think about what he did. More importantly, think about who he wants to be." He shrugged faintly. "And absolute worst case..." Aelius's gaze flicked briefly toward Vanessa. "Vanessa is stronger than him."
"Bullshit!" The shout cut through the guild hall like a knife, causing several people to jump.
Aelius turned toward the source just as Jet slammed both hands into the table hard enough to rattle everything sitting on it. The man's face was red with anger. "How do we know any of this is true?" Jet demanded. "How do we know you aren't just lying to us?"
"Jet..." Droy started.
"No." Jet rounded on him immediately. "No, because somebody needs to actually ask the damn questions!"
The hall grew noticeably quieter. "You show up here," Jet continued, pointing directly at Aelius now. "You tell us they're alive. You tell us they'll come back in seven years. You start making decisions for the guild like you've already decided everything yourself."
"Jet, calm down," Alzack said.
"Why?" Jet snapped. "Why should I calm down?"
"Because you're not thinking straight," Bisca cut in.
"No," Jet laughed bitterly. "I think I'm the only one here who is."
Several people shifted uncomfortably. Because, despite the way he was saying it, the question itself wasn't unreasonable. That only seemed to make Jet angrier.
"You've left before," he continued, eyes locked entirely on Aelius now. "Everyone keeps acting like that doesn't matter." His voice rose. "You disappeared on your century quest. You were gone for years. Then you come back for what? Four months?" His hands clenched into fists. "Four damn months and now everyone is gone."
Droy stood this time. Unlike Jet, he didn't look furious. He looked exhausted. "I don't think Jet's entirely wrong." That made several heads turn. Droy rubbed a hand across his face with a sigh. "I don't think Aelius is lying," he clarified immediately. "But he's asking us to trust him, completely. Based on information none of us can verify." Several people reluctantly nodded, murmuring in agreement.
Jet pointed at Droy immediately. "Exactly!"
"No," Droy shot back. "Not exactly. Stop putting words in my mouth."
Jet ignored him. His gaze never left Aelius throughout the entire exchange, never once wavering toward Droy or anyone else who tried to interrupt. "How do we know?" he asked again, quieter this time, though somehow more intense than when he had been shouting. The anger hadn't diminished. It had condensed into something sharper. "How do we know you're not wrong? How do we know they aren't dead? How do we know this isn't just some story you're telling us because you couldn't save them?"
"You're grieving," Aelius began slowly, his voice remaining even despite the accusation. "I understand th—"
"NO!" Jet barked, cutting him off before he could finish. "...Well, yes." His jaw clenched hard enough that the muscles visibly jumped. "But that's not the point." His finger jabbed accusingly toward the stage. "You're an asshole, Aelius. Worse than Laxus ever was." Murmurs rippled through the guild hall, but Jet either didn't notice or didn't care. "Mira nearly bursts into tears every time you shrug her off. Erza spends half her damn life trying to help you, and you ignore her or insult her. Natsu and Gray kept trying to drag you into things because they actually wanted to be your friend, and you treated them like they were inconveniences." His voice cracked as years of bottled-up frustration finally came spilling out. "For God's sake, you made Levy cry. Between her and Mira, there's enough sweetness to put someone in a sugar coma, and you still managed it."
"Jet!" Aelius snapped. His voice wasn't particularly loud, but the room felt wetter, like they had made the guild hall on top of a swamp. His emerald eyes locked onto Jet's, no longer merely even, but openly hostile. "Enough."
"No!" Jet shouted right back. "When are you going to understand that?" He took another step toward the stage, refusing to back down despite the pressure radiating from Aelius. "You think you can just intimidate everyone into letting you do whatever the hell you want. You walk around acting like you're above the rest of us because you're stronger, because you're a Wizard Saint, because everyone keeps saying you're some kind of monster." He laughed bitterly. "But none of us have actually seen it. They say you beat Jose, but he was already exhausted from summoning hundreds of phantoms and keeping that giant colossus running. Hell, half the stories about you are just that—stories."
"Do you actually have a point," Aelius interrupted, irritation finally bleeding into his voice, "or are you simply planning to list every grievance you've had with me since I joined the guild?"
"Stop interrupting me!" Jet roared. He had reached the foot of the stage now, glaring up at Aelius with enough hatred that several nearby guild members instinctively backed away. "Every time you disappear somewhere, you nearly die! You lost in the Forest. You lost in Edolas. You lost on Tenrou." His voice rose higher with every sentence. "And from what you've told us, you lost... whatever his damn name was, Al—"
Jet never finished, because an audible crack echoed through the guild hall. His jaw slammed shut so violently that the sound made more than one person flinch. Blood immediately seeped between his lips where he'd bitten clean through his tongue.
But it hadn't been Aelius; instead, Vanessa stood directly beside him, and nobody had seen her move. She was smaller than Jet by nearly a foot, her long silver hair falling over her shoulders as brilliant violet eyes stared into his with an intensity that bordered on inhuman. One hand remained clamped around his jaw, effortlessly forcing his mouth closed despite the difference in size. "Say that name," she growled, each word slow and deliberate, "and I will make sure you never experience anything except agony for the rest of your life."
Under any other circumstances, the image might have been almost comical. A woman barely half Jet's size, holding him completely motionless by his face. Now, though it wasn't because every member of Fairy Tail knew exactly how dangerous Vanessa was. Jet included, his entire body had gone rigid. For the first time since he'd started shouting, genuine fear crossed his face.
"Thank you, Vanessa," Aelius said, his own voice still edged with restrained anger. He looked down at Jet for another long moment before shifting his attention toward her. "Let him go, please."
Vanessa didn't move, and for several long seconds she simply continued staring into Jet's eyes. Only when Aelius spoke again did her grip finally loosen. "And yes," Aelius continued, looking back across the guild as Jet stumbled backward, one hand clutched over his bleeding mouth. His voice had returned to its usual even tone, though the room remained tense enough that nobody dared interrupt him again. "I will be considerably less lenient going forward."
With that, Aelius let out a long sigh before reaching for the hem of his shirt. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled it over his head and tossed it onto the stage beside him. Several people frowned in confusion before their eyes settled on the massive scar carved across his chest and abdomen. It was not the clean line of a sword wound or the jagged tear of a beast's claws. It looked wrong. Twisted. Like something had tried to erase part of him entirely before his regeneration had barely managed to stitch him back together. "Perhaps if I had been allowed to finish before being interrupted," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the scar, "I could have explained everything properly."
He drew in a slow breath before continuing. "Tenrou happened because we were attacked by Grimoire Heart." The name alone sent murmurs through the guild. "The strongest of the Balam Alliance."
"Why?" Wakaba managed quietly.
"Because Zeref was on the island."
The reaction dwarfed the first. Several people went pale. Others looked as though they had misheard him.
"The Black Wizard?"
"No…"
"That's impossible…"
Aelius ignored them. "And after Grimoire Heart was defeated," he continued, "we were attacked by something infinitely worse." His shoulders shifted as his wings slowly unfolded from where they had been folded tightly against his back. Layer after layer spread outward until the full 12-foot span stretched behind him, nearly reaching the edges of the stage. His wings didn't retract like magic ones, but, at the cost of discomfort, they could fold tightly against his back. He idly noted he'd have to commission custom shirts. Ones with slits in the back this time. He didn't feel like always having to carry dozens of spare shirts only to be ruined by his wings. "...Acnologia, the Dragon of the Apocalypse."
The hall had become so quiet that Aelius could hear the fire crackling in the guild's hearth.
"You are partially right," Aelius said at last, his gaze drifting back toward Jet. "And that is the only reason I'm making an effort to remain calm." His wings lowered slightly behind him, the motion noticeably more weary than threatening. "I did lose to Nehzhar. Who is a Magic God Slayer." A bitter smile crossed his face for only an instant. "It is very difficult to defeat someone capable of eating nearly every spell you possess. And Edolas..." He paused briefly. "Edolas was complicated. I didn't lose in the way you're implying. Circumstances changed." His gaze lingered on Jet again. "Something, I might add, none of you were actually present to witness."
For several long moments, Aelius simply stood there, looking over the guild. The room looked so much smaller than it had only weeks ago, so much weaker. He hated that thought.
"But if any of you genuinely believe my rank, my accomplishments, or my title as a Wizard Saint were handed to me..." His voice remained calm, but every word carried through the hall with unmistakable weight. "Then by all means, step forward and prove it. If not," Aelius continued, "then you will listen."
His emerald eyes settled on Jet. "You can call me names." Jet lowered his gaze to his spilled drink. "You can hate me. I genuinely do not care."
His expression hardened. "Everything I am about to do, every decision I make from this point forward, is for this guild." His eyes swept across every member gathered before him. "Because right now, Fairy Tail is wounded. Our strongest members are gone. Our Guild Master is gone. Every guild on the continent will notice that sooner or later, and when they do, some will see opportunity."
His wings folded slightly closer behind him. "I refuse to allow Fairy Tail to become something other guilds can threaten." His gaze settled on Jet one final time. "So hate me if you must. But I will not stand by while this guild is bullied into becoming a shadow of what Makarov built."
For a brief moment, the weight of the words lingered in the air like dust suspended in sunlight. The guild remained silent, the tension still coiled tight enough that even breathing felt noticeable. Then, slowly, that silence began to crack.
"Gotta make everything a scene, huh?" Wakaba laughed, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. The sound was rough, but it carried none of the hostility from before. If anything, there was something almost relieved in it, like laughter used as a way to release pressure that had been building too long. He scratched the back of his head lazily. "Despite your faults, you really do give a damn good speech, kid." A few scattered chuckles followed. They were cautious, but real.
"He does, doesn't he?" Macao said as he pushed himself up from his seat, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the wooden floor. The sound drew attention back toward him as he stretched slightly, rolling his shoulder as though the entire exchange had been more exhausting than he wanted to admit. "You go do your thing, Aelius. You're rough around the edges, Jet was right about that," he added with a glance toward where Jet was still recovering, "but you're Fairy Tail. That's enough for me to trust you."
He paused briefly, exhaling through his nose as his expression softened into something more thoughtful. "And besides," he continued, glancing toward the side of the hall where Vanessa stood quietly, "even without you around twenty-four seven, I'm pretty sure Miss Vanessa and Laxus can handle anything that comes knocking."
"Great," Aelius said with a quiet sigh. The tension that had filled the guild hall had finally eased enough that he no longer felt like every sentence might start another argument. "Now that we're all on roughly the same page." His gaze shifted toward Macao. "Macao, I need to speak with you in private. Upstairs." He paused briefly before adding dryly, "Well... I suppose it's your office now." Macao blinked once before letting out a quiet, resigned groan.
"Vanessa," Aelius continued, looking toward the silver-haired woman, "meet me at my house afterward." Vanessa gave a single nod.
Aelius's attention returned to the rest of the guild. "As for the rest of you..." His expression hardened slightly. "Keep your heads down for a little while." Several confused looks met him. "The Council is going to hound me." His gaze swept across the hall. "By extension, they'll hound Fairy Tail. They'll want reports. Statements. Explanations. They'll want to know exactly what happened on Tenrou, how I survived, why everyone else disappeared, and they'll try to involve themselves in guild affairs while Makarov isn't here." His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Don't give them any additional excuses to linger around Magnolia."
Everyone knew the Council could be a nuisance. But hearing Aelius speak about them like they were an approaching storm was... unsettling. "...Any extra trouble," Aelius continued evenly, "might result in a few Council members going missing if they push their luck."
"...Are you threatening the Magic Council?" Alzack asked slowly. His voice carried an odd mixture of disbelief and admiration, as though he genuinely couldn't decide whether he should be horrified or impressed by what he'd just heard.
Aelius looked directly at him. "Yes."
Wakaba pinched the bridge of his nose "...Kid," he muttered, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "You really don't know how to do anything halfway, do you?"
Aelius considered the question for a moment. "No." It was such an immediate, matter-of-fact answer that several people couldn't stop themselves from laughing.
As everything began to die down, all Aelius could think about, was that the next few years were going to be interesting, honestly, that was putting it mildly. The Magic Council would undoubtedly become a constant nuisance, dark guilds would see Fairy Tail's weakened state as an opportunity, and the legal guilds circling Magnolia would be watching just as closely. Laxus would be another headache entirely once Aelius tracked him down, and there was no telling what other problems would appear in the meantime.
Not that it mattered much, whatever happened over the next seven years, Aelius refused to let them return to a guild in shambles. He refused to let Fairy Tail become another forgotten name, stripped apart piece by piece because its strongest members had vanished. If that meant becoming the villain in people's eyes for a while, then so be it. They could hate him all they wanted. So long as the guild was still standing when Makarov and the others returned, he could live with that.
As Macao started toward the stairs and the guild slowly returned to life behind him, Aelius found himself wondering why he was going this far in the first place. There was no one left to constantly pester him anymore. Well... almost no one. Vanessa still existed, unfortunately, and he had little doubt she'd continue making his life more complicated than necessary. Everyone else, though, was gone. Seven years was a long time. More than enough time for him to simply disappear again if he wanted. More than enough time to convince himself that none of this mattered. He could have wandered, begun chasing power, searched for answers if he truly wished. Nobody would have stopped him, nobody could have. So why was he trying this hard? Why was he willingly taking responsibility for a guild that technically no longer had anyone capable of forcing him to stay?
The answer, irritatingly enough, was obvious. He already missed them. Missed all of them, if he was being honest with himself. He missed insulting Natsu using words the idiot didn't understand just to watch him get angry anyway. He missed arguing tactics with Erza, and when there weren't any tactics to argue over, he simply argued with Erza because somehow the woman always found something to disagree with. He missed Gray's perpetual annoyance whenever Natsu started another fight. He even missed Makarov. The old man was infuriatingly intrusive, always sticking his nose into problems that weren't his business, yet he had also been one of the few people Aelius had ever willingly spoken to about the labyrinth. Never publicly, never where anyone else could hear, but privately. Makarov had simply listened. Never judged. He missed her most of all, missed Levy's endless curiosity and the way she somehow always found another book she insisted he would enjoy, only to look personally offended whenever he criticized it.
He'd said it before, and the thought felt truer now than ever. The annoying bastards had somehow managed to remind him why he stayed in Fairy Tail in the first place. They had wormed their way into his life one argument, one argument, one drink, and one pointless interruption at a time until leaving had stopped feeling easy. Somewhere along the way, without him ever really noticing, the guild had become home. It was loud, reckless, destructive, and filled with idiots who made his life objectively worse on a daily basis. It was also the closest thing he'd ever had to a family. Seven years wasn't going to change that. So when they finally came home, Fairy Tail would still be waiting for them. Even if Aelius had to drag the guild through every obstacle the world threw at it to make sure of it.