Vivian's P. O. V:
We all gather before the dragons. As I stand next to Erza, the Dragon Slayers are having their reunions with their respective dragons.
I stand next to my mate as I gaze up at the beautiful forms of the dragons, feeling my eyes shine with awe. "Wow... they're all so beautiful..."
Rogue smiles at me when I said that.
I glance at Rogue to see shock and confusion in his eyes.
Skiadrum, the shadow dragon, says to me, "So, you're Rogue's mate."
I blink my eyes at this before I nod my head. "Uh huh. It's an honour to finally meet you Sir."
Skiadrum seems to smile at that. "Likewise. I'm glad Rogue has found a mate like you." I feel Rogue squeeze my hand.
Sting murmurs to Weisslogia, "I don't get it. I remember killing you... so, how can you be here?"
Rogue says, "I need to ask you the same question, Skiadrum. How are you still alive?"
Weisslogia responds, "We altered your memories, in order to help you grow strong."
Skiadrum adds, "It was an experiment of ours, one Igneel was against. We raised you both as Dragon Slayers, and to complete your upbringing, we gave you the experience of slaying dragons."
Weisslogia states, "However, it's incorrect to say that we're still alive."
Grandeeney inputs, "In the truest sense, we've been dead for quite sometime. Many years ago, Acnologia used his Dragon Slayer Magic to tear our spirits from our bodies. So we had three reasons for residing within you. Please understand. We did it to defeat Acnologia and prevent you from transforming. But it was also the only way we had to survive."
Wendy stammers, "You mean...?!"
Skiadrum explains, "Now that we've left your bodies, there's no way for us to return. The demonstration of power we just gave will also be our last. We hope you can understand why we had to remain in hiding until the time was right."
Metallicana adds, "Even the mighty Igneel was unable to defeat Acnologia. However, it must be said that Igneel fought from the very brink of death. When you tell tales of this day, do not let that sully the Fire Dragon King's name. None among us had his courage. It felt the depth of his compassion for humanity."
Grandeeney says, "We've only told you a fraction of what we would, if there were time, but I'm afraid there's not. This is goodbye, Wendy."
"You're leaving me?!" Wendy asks worriedly.
The female dragon leans toward her as she says, "Sweet girl, the road you'll face is frought with peril. But I've seen you gain the strength to walk it."
"No! I can't, Grandeeney! Not without you!" Wendy cries, shaking her head defiantly until Gajeel places his hand on it.
He tells her, "Let's seem 'em off, kid. With our heads held high."
Grandeeney says as the dragons lift up into the air, "Farewell, humans! Once, very long ago, there was terrible strife between our kind and yours. It warms my heart to know that, in the end, we part in friendship."
We all smile as we watch the dragons begin to leave.
"The era of dragons has ended," Says Weisslogia. "We leave this world for you to protect."
"The power of man shall pave the future. For that we are thankful," Skiadrum says gratefully.
"400 years ago, a man-carved path was made between human and dragon kind. Now, though we are leaving, we shall not forsake it! We dragons shall continue to watch over you. Forever," Grandeeney says as a beam of red light appears, and they begin to vanish.
Wendy cries, "Please don't leave me!"
"I love you, Wendy. Always," Grandeeney replies.
Metallicana suggests to Gajeel, "You should get that face checked out!"
Gajeel shouts back in a flustered tone, "Way to ruin the moment, Rust Bucket!" He adds, smirking, "I'll miss you, too."
Sting says, smiling, as he and Rogue no longer feel guilty about having killed their dragons, "Weisslogia! Thanks for everything!"
Rogue says, smiling, "Rest well."
And, then, with a flash of bright light, all the dragons disappear.
🗡🗡🗡
It's been a week since the war with Tartaros ended. Anyone who has suffered from wounds had recovered. But we were all left with scars of our own.
The guild hall has been destroyed, along with most buildings nearby. My house and Lucy's were two of the ones still standing after that explosion. Magnolia has taken quite a lot of damage, just as much as other cities across the continent.
I'd avoided Gray for most of the past week, and spent it mostly with Rogue, but even he knew something was troubling me due to our mate bond, he just didn't say anything, as I had been at an internal war with myself on how I should tell him about his father. Sting and Rogue have left to go back to Sabertooth with Minerva.
As of right now, I left to go find Gray. I arrive at the place where his parents, Silver and his mother were buried. Ironically enough, it was snowing. Gray sits on a low stone wall facing his parents' grave, hands clasped together and head bowed. I'd changed into the same winter outfit as the day I rescued Rogue from Scarlet Shadows.
My footsteps feel heavy as they crunch through the snow toward him. There were small piles of snow on Gray's head as I stop a couple of metres behind him. "Hey, I'm really sorry for interrupting," I say softly, causing Gray to look back at me over his shoulder, the snow falling off in the process.
"Viv-chan?" He sounds slightly surprised to see me here. "Why are you here?"
I bow my head as I reveal, "Sorry, but I had to come. I... I did something really wrong that you deserve to know about. I was the one who defeated the necromancer controlling your father." Gray goes still as a statue as I say this. No one else knew of this, not even Erza, that I'd kept this to myself the whole week. "So, it's all my fault..."
"You did what?" Gray hisses, voice hint with anger.
"I can't begin to tell you just how sorry I really am, because words just aren't enough," I sob, bracing myself. "If you want to hate me, then I understand because I deserve it for taking your father away from you."
I bow my head, bracing myself for whatever Gray throws at me, my fists clenched tightly in my black skirt.
Tears drip down my face as I hear Gray get up and start walking toward me, though I don't raise my head. If Gray notices my tears, he didn't say anything.
I gasp nervously when Gray reaches me and grabs the front of my white jacket, yelling, "It was you?!" My bangs shadow my eyes as I wait for Gray to lash out. Then, he drops his head on my chest as he releases my jacket, sobbing into my chest. I gaze down at the ice wizard in shock and confusion, as tears pour down his cheeks. "You freed him!"
I wrap my arms tightly around Gray, as we drop to our knees in the snow.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He sobs.
I murmur in shock, "Gray...!"
He cries, "I'm sorry...!"
We stay like that for a long time afterwards, as the emotions we'd kept bottled up inside the past week finally come pouring out.
🗡🗡🗡
"So, you really don't want to come with me, Viv-chan?" Gray asks as we sit around a small campfire later that night.
I respond, "Actually, I already have plans on where to go after this. I wanna be with Rogue-kun. You understand, don't you?"
Gray nods his head as he replies, "Yeah. I'm glad you two have found each other."
🗡🗡🗡
I make it to Sabertooth later that night and find most of the guild members still there. I had changed into the pink sleeveless shirt with black shorts.
"Viv-chan?" I turn to see Rogue coming up to me. "What are you doing here?" He hugs me before I answer.
"Is Sting-kun around? I need to speak with him."
Rogue looks a little surprised as he answers, "Sting was in his office last I saw."
"Thanks," I murmur, kissing Rogue's cheek before I head to the office. I knock on the door and Sting calls for me to enter. He looks up, a little surprised.
"Viv? What are you doing here?"
"I came to join Sabertooth," I answer. Since Fairy Tail got disbanded, I figured I'd come here.
"What about...?"
"Fairy Tail got disbanded," I interrupt.
"Oh." Sympathy glints in Sting's blue eyes.
"So, can I join, or not?" I ask.
Sting grins and takes out the Sabertooth stamp. "Of course you can! What colour and where do you want it?" Sting asks as he comes over to me.
"Pink, and in the back of my left hand." I wasn't about to cover up my Fairy Tail guild mark.
Sting nods in understanding and presses the Sabertooth stamp to the back of my left hand. "Welcome to Sabertooth, Viv!" He sets the stamp down and leads me back out. "Alright, everyone, listen up! We've just got ourselves a new member!"
There were murmurs of surprise until Yukino, Rogue and a familiar dark haired woman comes up to us. Yukino says happily, "I gotta say, I'm surprised you decided to join us, Viv."
"Well, Fairy Tail just got disbanded so I thought Sabertooth was the next best thing," I reply.
"Oh, I'm sorry. But look who came back!" The white haired girl gestures to Minerva.
"Hey," I greet, smiling.
"H-Hi, Vivian," Minerva says, looking a bit nervous. "Listen, I hope you can forgive me for what I did during the Grand Magic Games..."
"You we're just doing what you thought was best for your guild," I tell her. "I get it. I forgive you. And I'm really glad to have you back." I wink at Minerva as she stares at me in surprise. Then she smiles.
"I'm glad you're here, Viv," Says Rogue as he slides an arm over my shoulders. I send him a smile.
"Fro is too!" Frosch chimes cutely.
"It's great to be here."
Rogue asks, "You wanna tell me about this thing you had to do before you came here?"
I reply, "Sure, but not here."
Rogue nods in understanding before leading me to the bar for a drink.