Author's Note:
This is a Mini-story, that will have few, short Chapters. It revolves around Frea, starting from Book #2, but will reference Major Events and Characters from All Books (#1-3) as well.
There will also be spoilers for the Tenrou Island Arc, and the Grand Magic Games Arc, as well as possible slight Spoilers for subsequent Cannon Arcs.
In this version, History has been rewound and Frea was left behind as the Tenrou Team set off, and were subsequently trapped in Fairy Sphere for seven years.
This is a SPOILER ALERT. If you are not up to date on the other three stories, I would suggest you read those first. (They are all complete)
This story is written to be out of order and fragmented, so please do not worry over continuity's sake. It was done on purpose.
Enjoy
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Chapter 1
The Second Time Around
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's, Energy Magic, and Ideas
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Not everything happens the same way twice, if given the chance to start over. What may have happened in one time, is not certain to happen in another.
No one knows why this would happen, but its one of the very many Magical mysteries that have caught the attention of Wizards throughout the ages.
The Manipulation of Time is looked down upon by most who practice Magic, the dangers of such a Magic are unknown and possibly endless, but always severe.
Its common sense; should you change something in the past, the future will be changed as a result of your actions.
So what if you were somewhere, at some certain fixed point in time, and when everything goes back, you weren't there?
It depends on what you did at the time, what happened... big or small?
What if.... What if I wasn't there... When they needed me...?
.:+:.
The sun began to rise up over the edge of the horizon slowly, the city of Magnolia beginning to work its way into its usual routine as the cites a of the town woke up.
The Fairy Tail Guild Hall was already bustling with activity, as to be expected when such an important announcement was about to be made. This was only about a week or so since Frea and Chase had come back from their Training Trip, and they had both settled back in rather well.
Frea blinked the sleep from her silver eyes as she pushed herself out of bed, rubbing the back of her neck and brushing her strawberry blonde silver-tipped hair from her face.
She hated getting up this early, but she wanted to hear who was chosen for the S-Class Exams, and to be on time for the announcement, she needed to get to the Guild earlier than she usually would.
But she didn't want to hear the announcement in the hopes she would be chosen, she didn't care, she didn't want to, she had gotten over the excitement of the Exams a long time ago.
When she had been younger, sure she had been excited about the Exams. Who wouldn't be at that age? But after she had destroyed half of Magnolia and harmed her Guild members... All because she wasn't strong enough to keep Shadow from taking over.
Frea let out a long sigh as she opened her drawers, looking for what she wanted to wear today.
After that... She never wanted to be part of the Exams. Master Makarov had asked her many times, but she always told him no. How could he think that someone who had hurt the Guild deserved to even be given the chance to become an S-Class?
Even today, she knew for certain she would not be participating this year, that had already been decided.
Master had called her into his office the day before, and asked if she would be willing to participate in the Exams this year.
Her answer was no, as it always was.
She appreciated that he was still asking her, instead of forcing her to do so, which she had expected him to do so by now after all this time.
She let out another sigh and pulled on her clothes; simple dark skinny jeans, a grey tank top, with a black shirt with long sleeves that hung off her shoulders, clearly showing her Fairy Tail mark. Frea walked into the bathroom and brushed out her hair, before pulling it up into a loose ponytail with her bangs and two strips of hair left out to border her face, and tying it up with a black ribbon.
She headed back into her room and laced up her combat boots, before making sure her door was locked, and jumping lightly out of her window. Her feet hit the stiff and slightly frosted grass at the bottom with a soft crunch and her breath billowed out in front of her. She frowned slightly, never being a big fan of cold weather.
She found herself in the stuffed Guild Hall in little time, everyone talking excitedly around her as they cast anxiuos glances at the stage, where a red curtain was dropped down.
Most conversation was speculation on who would be chosen, she could here her name pop up a few times, and yet she didn't care.
No Exams for me, not now, and not anytime soon...
She watched in silence as the curtain to the stage rose up slowly, and the crowd cheered when Master, Mira, Erza and Gildarts could be seen standing atop the stage.
"Our Guilds S-Class Exams will be held in a weeks time!" Makarov declared. "I have been watching all of you, your dedication, your heart."
The crowds suddenly became so loud, Master was forced to pause and wait for the noise to quite down. Frea smiled slightly at the enthusiasm, glad that some people were still thrilled with the Exams, even if she herself wasn't.
"There will be eight people chosen to participate in this years S-Class Exams!" Master exclaimed. Everyone yelled out around her and she looked away from the stage to sweep her gaze over everyone, eight out of all of them...
"The Exams will be held on Tenrou Island, our Guild's Holy Land." He explained and Frea looked back at the stage.
Tenrou...? What an odd place to hold the Exams.....
In all her time in the Guild, none of the Exams had been held on Tenrou. Though she had heard of the Guild's Holy Land, she couldn't say she was very familiar with it. She herself had only been there once, and that had been on a short trip with Master and a few other people when she had been much younger.
"The eight participating this year will be," Master started and the Guild grew quiet. "Natsu Dragneel!"
Frea caught sight of Natsu looking rather pleased near the front of the crowd. She smiled, nodding slightly. There was no surprise there...
"Gray Fullbuster!"
Gray smirked as his name was called and Frea smiled, while it didn't surprise her that he was chosen as well, having those two get picked in the same year? Master was asking for trouble...
"Juvia Lockser!"
Juvia froze when her name was called and she looked rather shocked she had been chosen. Frea blinked,
"Cana Alberona!"
Frea glanced sideways to see Cana looking relatively unhappy, despite the chorus of approval that had risen up when her name was called.
"Mest Gryder!"
Frea only caught sight of this Mage's back.
"Freed Justine!"
She immediately picked the green-haired man out of the crowd, and she picked up on him saying, 'follow in Laxus' footsteps' or something of that nature.
"Elfman Strauss!"
No surprise there, the large man seemed to have been working hard for it all year.
"Levy Mcgarden!"
That was a little surprising, she would never have expected Levy to be chosen.
"Some of you are new to this, you are required to choose a partner within the week that you have until the Exam." Makarov continued. "The only rules on your partner, they must be part of Fairy Tail, and you cannot ask any S-Class Wizard to be your partner."
Frea glanced around the hall at all who had been chosen, they needed to find partners... She was a little curious to see who would be chosen.
"You have a weeks time to prepare for the Exams, we will be meeting at Hargeon Port before going to Tenrou Island."
"I will be there to help slow you down during the Exam." Erza stepped forward and told the crowd, gaze passing over all of the participants.
"So will I." Mira smiled.
"You mean they'll have to get past Erza and Mira?" Frea glanced over when she heard Lucy ask the question.
"The Exams just got way harder!"
"No complaining." Gildarts called out and smirked.
"Will you be in the Exams too, Gildarts?!" Natsu asked excitedly.
"Don't sound so happy about it!" Elfman yelled at Natsu. Frea let out a heavy sigh, so Mira, Erza and Gildarts will be there to slow them down..? She smirked,
"Well then, good luck guys, you'll need it." She chuckled under her breath.
Master and the rest of the S-Class Mages stepped off the stage and everyone separated into groups to talk. Frea walked over to a table with Lisanna, Juvia, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Elfman, taking a seat at the end of the table.
"Still didn't get picked this year, eh?" Gray said as he glanced over at Frea, and she crossed he arms over her chest.
"That doesn't bother me." She replied evenly, shrugging slightly. "Never been interested in them." She replied truthfully, Gray gave her an disbelieving look.
"Never?" He echoed and she shook her head. "You're crazy, the Exams are sure to be cool." Frea shrugged again.
"Funny, I would thought you'd be one of the top picks, Teach." Chase suddenly sat down beside her, glancing her way curiously. She shrugged again, smiling slightly.
"Even so, I'm not participating either way." She told him lowly, and he narrowed his eyes.
"And why is that?" He asked, immediately able to tell there was something she wasn't speaking out loud.
"Maybe later." Frea replied evenly, her attention turning to the others around them. Chase held his gaze on his Mentor (old Mentor now that Training was over he supposed...) for a few moments as she looked away from him- easily able to feel the sudden tenseness spark from her, and wondered why.
Frea didn't look his way again, and he let out a small sigh, deciding it best not to press it for now.
"Who are you guys going to choose as your partners?" Lucy asked.
"Happy's going to be my partner." Natsu grinned.
"Aye!"
"No fair! If the Exam is a race you'll win!" Elfman exclaimed.
"Yeah, but if it's a fight they're pretty much at a loss..." Lucy told him quietly.
"You'll see! I'm gonna make Natsu S-Class!" Happy exclaimed, and with that- the pair sprinted from the hall, yelling something about training.
"Juvia wants to quit the Exams..." Juvia mumbled.
"Why?" Gray asked and Frea smiled a little when she heard Juvia's quiet response of,
"Juvia wants to be partners with you..."
Gray exchanged a glance with Lucy because they couldn't hear it.
"She said she wanted to be partners with you." Frea explained and Gray smiled.
"Oh come on Juvia, it'll be great. Don't hold back on me, lets have a passionate battle like the old days!" Gray told her and Juvia went off into her own dreamland, especially at the word 'passionate' from what Frea could guess.
"I'll be Juvia's partner." Lisanna piped up suddenly.
"B-but Lissanna..." Elfman stammered, looking shocked.
"I worked great with Edolas Juvia, plus this one seems cute." Lisanna explained. "Besides, you've been getting a passionate stare-down this entire time."
Frea glanced behind her to see Evergreen staring at Elfman with a look somewhere between annoyance and neutrality. Elfman seemed a little stressed once he realized Evergeen had been watching him. Frea smirked though, finding it somewhat amusing.
"She must be pissed that Freed chose Bickslow." Lisanna murmured, Frea silently agreed.
"Whose your partner Gray?" Lucy asked.
Gray smirked, "Somebody I made a promise with awhile ago."
Frea glanced away when she felt a familiar Energy Signature appear in the Guild. Coming toward them, was a young man in a suit, with orang hair and tinted glasses. She smiled as he drew near.
"Hey Loke!" She greeted him with a small wave of her hand toward her old friend, he smiled back.
"Hey Frea," He smiled, nodding his head to everyone else who looked to him in slight surprise. "Hey Guys." he murmured before he turned to Lucy who was looking rather shocked. "I terminated our contract for the duration of the Exams, Lucy. And I came here on my own so I won't drain your Magic Power." The Spirit told his Master. Lucy blinked at the words, a little taken aback.
"We made a promise a few years back." Gray smirked. "So we're going to be partners."
"Are you considered part of Fairy Tail though?" Elfman asked and Loke smirked. Frea smirked herself, shaking her head slightly at the question.
The Lion Spirit took off his jacket and pulled his white shirt off his shoulders, revealing a green Guild Mark on his back.
"I'm a Fairy Tail Mage, and I'm going to help Gray become an S-Class with the pride of my Guild at my back." Loke told them as he pulled his shirt back up over his shoulders and buttoned it.
Like had been a member long before he had returned to the Spirit World, he bore the Guild Mark, and did it proudly as she well knew. He was loyal to the Guild nearly as much as he was loyal to his KeyHolders, Frea liked that part of him quite a bit in reality. It was one of the reasons they had become such fast friends.
Frea smiled slightly at the thought, her thoughts floating back to those talking around her, resting her chin in her hand and closing her eyes. "Well, I wish all of you good luck, I have a feeling this years Exams are gonna be something special." She smirked, "Just don't get too beat up, ok?" She chuckled lightly,
Everyone smiled back, "You got it."
.:+:.
"So teach, you plan to tell me why you wouldn't participate?" Chase asked, glancing toward his Old Mentor with one eye open, his chin resting in his hand.
The Guild seemed to be fairly empty that morning, it being the day the members who had been chosen for the Exams had left with Master and the S-Class Mages to hold the Exams. He'd hardly spent any time in the Guild itself, but that mattered little- he warmed up to everyone so quickly he felt he had known them for years. But even so, the emptiness of the Guild itself that morning... It was somewhat eery.
No Natsu picking fights with Gray, Gajeel or Elfman. No Erza breaking them up, or joining in herself. No Master yelling about the Guild being destroyed.... Everyone here, they milled about quietly, enjoying ale and beer, Kinana moving about the barren tables slowly as she set out what food and drink was ordered. Reedus sat in the corner, easel set before him and working on his next masterpiece, Romeo looking bored as he listened to his father and Wakaba argue.
It just seemed so quiet and empty with so many people gone. Chase shook his head a little at the thoughts,
Frea looked his way slowly, narrowing her eyes slightly, for a minute he seemed like she was going to refuse- before sighing heavily and shaking her head at him. She had the feeling he would keep poking and prodding at the subject if she didn't explain it, and she'd rather just get it over with.
"Why do you wanna know?" She mumbled half-heartedley.
"Seems to me like you'd be one of the top picks for S-Class." Chase murmured, "I'm surprised you haven't been part of the Exams before."
"Who told you that?" Frea asked,
"Gray." The younger Energy Mage replied quietly. "According to him, you've never once been picked in all the years you've been part of the Guild."
Frea glanced away from him, eyes narrowing more. For a long while, silence settled over them. Chase blinked, not sure why Frea didn't seem entirely willing to talk on the subject....
"That's not entirely true..." She murmured, he tilted his head slightly. "To say I haven't been chosen isn't correct, I have." Her eyes fell closed. "Master has chosen me every year since around the time I joined the Guild. I've just never agreed to actually participate in the Exams."
Chase blinked a few times, confused as to why she wouldn't ever have chosen to do the Exams if she had been picked. That seemed odd, considering anyone else would love to be in the Exams from the looks of it- the sheer amount of excitement he had felt sparking off all the other members was immense. And beside that- it seemed an honor to be chosen as well, and in all honesty- it was the sort of honor he imagined Frea worthy of. She was one of the strongest Mages in the Guild after all, he knew that first hand... And clearly Master did too, if he had asked her to join every year before now.
"I don't deserve that, I can't be trusted with the idea of possibly becoming S-Class." Frea suddenly growled the words lowly, and he sweatdropped slightly. "Someone who has harmed their Guild-Mates can't be trusted with that much authority in the Guild."
Chase just simply looked to her for a few moments, silent as he mulled over what she said in his head. Frea had of course explained what had happened when she was younger, when there had been a day that Shadow had taken hold of her mind and went on a rampage within Magnolia. The time the Dark Demon had injured countless members of the Guild, and destroyed everything in sight.
Frea wouldn't forgive herself of such a thing, he knew she wouldn't though he wished she would. She had more than made up for that one mistake at this point..... And besides, it hadn't technically been her fault in the first place. Shadow was the one who hurt the Guild, not Frea herself.
Either way though, he knew Frea was stubborn. And he knew well no amount of arguing was going to change her mind on the matter..... Although;
"No one still holds that against you, Teach." He murmured lowly. He could feel her stiffen beside him, "You're one of the strongest in the Guild. Everyone trusts you, you can be trusted with being S-Class.... No matter what you say otherwise." He sighed a little. "Doesn't it mean anything when Master asks you to participate every year? He must think you deserve it, hell, I think you deserve it." He smiled, seeing the scowl on her face.
"Learn to forgive yourself." He finished simply. Frea only crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, looking away in an act of stubbornness.
"Oh shut up." She muttered crossly, he chuckled as he shook his head at her.
Learning to forgive yourself Teach..... Its something you taught me, I wish you found a way to learn it for yourself.
.:+:.
"Something.... I think something is wrong." Frea mumbled lowly, looking toward the window cautiously. It was growing dark outside, too dark. The Exams should have ended by now, and everyone should be back.
Chase nodded silently. "I have that feeling too." He murmured lowly. The two of them were sitting at a table alone, tense and stiff.
They had been like this since the afternoon. For whatever reason, they had felt something in the Energy around them shift, and a sense of foreboding fell upon them. Something dark and deep, something that dropped a cold weight into the bottoms of their stomachs, and it only grew heavier. Something was definitely off, and they were growing even more worried seeing as now no one from the Tenrou Team had returned.
Frea sweatdropped heavily, silver eyes narrowed to slits as she watched the sky outside grow all the more dark- the air ringed with incoming scent of rain. Chills raced up and down her spine continually, her hands gripped her arms as she held them crossed before her, jaw clenched slightly. What was this? This heavy feel the air seemed to hold? It was like everything felt heavy, it was all pressing down on her shoulders, growing heavier and heavier.... Foreboding. True and utter foreboding, the sense that something was terribly amiss....
... Something, it kind of feels like something.... Is missing.
"Maybe we should send a group out to try and contact with the Master?" Laki mumbled, glancing toward the door as everyone else was. The Guild itself was wrapped in worry and tenseness, everyone seemed able to sense something was wrong.
"Maybe they're just late." Max mumbled, arms crossed over his chest but seeming a little unconvinced. "It does look like its gonna rain, maybe there's a storm keeping them from crossing the ocean right now.."
That's not it...
Frea pressed her folded hands to her chin, eyes closing and sweatdropping heavily.
Why do I feel like this? Like something had disappeared.... Something familiar just... Faded away into nothing.
Her hands tightened slightly, shoulders growing rigid. The worried murmurings of the Guild around her faded into nothing, the sound of rain beginning to patter down drowned her senses- willing her mind to understand what she was feeling. She didn't know what this was, she wasn't familiar with this itching feeling in the back of her mind of something suddenly missing... And that sense of foreboding grew all the more.
Thunder boomed outside with a sudden flash of lightning dazzling across the sky, Frea's eyes opened, sweatdropping all the more as her ears seemed to catch not to the sound of the thunder.... But something she had never hoped to hear again.
She stared, eyes wide and has dropped slightly. It was distant, muffled, and low... Had she imagined that? Was it simply a trick of the thunder rolling outside?
... I swear.... That was the roar... Of a Dragon....
Chase glanced sideways toward Frea, eyebrow quirked at the suddenly shocked look she held on her face- her expression one like she had caught on to something he hadn't. Golden flashes of light sparked through the windows, the light etching across the dark sky and illuminating their features in deep contrasts a moment.
Everyone in the hall whipped about when the doors to the Guild swung open suddenly, hearts fluttering in sudden relief- thinking the Tenrou Team was back.
They stopped, eyes wide and some of them narrowed in suspicion to see a man standing in the doorway, glasses bouncing with the light from inside, hair damp and Council clothes soaked from the rain outside. Everyone bristled slightly,
"What do you want?" Macao growled, getting to his feet and approaching the sudden arrival. Frea stiffened, eyes narrowing to silver slits when she felt the sudden waves of tense and fear coming from the man- to whom she recognized as a Magic Council Knight by the name of Lahar. She blinked in slight confusion, before she stiffened at the wave of regret that crashed into her from the man.
Regret...?
Beside her Chase had stiffened slightly, easily able to feel the emotions she could. They exchanged small glances, both of the confused and all the more concerned.
"Please, before things get out of hand- I'm here with serious... And rather painful news." Lahar mumbled, he folded his hand together in front of him, eyes falling closed as Fairy Tail went into a deathly silence, the air just seemed to grow heavier.
"Its about Tenrou Island."
Everyone sweatdropped, many people got to their feet.
"What about it?"
"Are you familiar with the legend of the Black Dragon of the Apacalypse?"
"Huh..?"
"You mean that old story about the King of Dragons?" Laki murmured,
"What's that got to do with Tenrou?" Macao grumbled,
"Yeah, what do you know about out comrades?!" Warren growled, Chase and Frea sat in silence, eyes narrowed as tensions started sparking all the more.
"...Acnologia..." Frea mumbled, too low for anyone to hear.
... Didn't Master mention... Gildarts went to try and destroy...?
"That Dragon appeared over Tenrou, and for reasons unknown... It destroyed the entire Island. Tenrou no longer exists." Lahar went on slowly, softly. The whole Guild seemed to grow deathly quiet, everyone's hearts stopping as an ocean of icy cold fell over their heads.
"In doing so.. I'm afraid the members of your Guild on the island have been killed."
The world seemed to spiral out from under her feet, eyes wide as a cold sheet seemed to fall over her head. Everything just fell, everything fell away from her and she felt she could hardly breathe anymore.
It was the deepest, most dark pit of utter despair that suddenly dropped onto her being, suffocating her slowly under its cold weight. Nothing, nothing had ever hit her this hard... It felt like her world was crashing down over her head.
Her emotions suddenly crashed down over her, backed by the sudden unbridled wave of terror and such deep heart ache and pain from the Guild around her, she felt her breath suddenly snatched away and could scarcely move, it was almost like someone had plunged their fists through her chest and taken her heart with them.
In a single instant, her world was ripped out from under her.
N-no.... That.... They... T-they can't...