— — — — — —
After everything ended, Makarov and Yajima sat together outside the courtroom like the two lifelong friends they were.
"Old man, you should be thanking me. I practically fought the whole room for you. You didn't see it. We were shouting so hard I took three mouthfuls of someone else's spit." Yajima wiped his face at the memory.
"Alright, alright, thanks Yajima. I'll treat you to Fairy Ramen later."
"I want fifteen slices of Fairy Chashu."
"Fifteen? Can you even eat that much? Maybe tone it down a bit—"
"I almost threw hands for you, and you want me to tone it down? The spit alone—"
"Fine, fine. Twenty, thirty, whatever you want."
Makarov exhaled and leaned back.
"Honestly, the result surprised me. Jose losing his title didn't shock me. Phantom Lord getting disbanded didn't shock me either. But us getting off completely clean? That I really didn't expect."
He had assumed he'd at least be forced to close the guild for a few days. Never imagined they'd walk out untouched.
"You can thank that brat from your guild for it." Yajima handed him a newspaper and continued.
"That lacrima recording saved your hide. Jose kidnapped a client's daughter and tried to extort her. That hits the core of guild integrity. The council can't ignore that."
"They know the recording's a bit suspicious, but they have no choice except to recognize it."
He pointed at the headlines.
"The council's job is to maintain stability. With me pushing hard, they chose the least explosive solution."
"And besides, your guild wasn't actually in the wrong. Protecting comrades is something every guild understands. No one can deny that. And another thing, that Kazuma kid of yours. His strength is something else. He took out Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
"He's so young. The future he can reach is frightening. The council has to consider that."
Yajima sighed. "Still, it's a shame. That kid probably won't make the Wizard Saint list this round."
"It's fine. This kid doesn't care about titles. Power is what really matters to a mage."
"That's true," Yajima admitted. "But listen, even though this incident blew over, quite a few people in the council still want Fairy Tail gone. You all cause too much trouble."
"You should be careful. If you find the right successor, retire sooner rather than later. None of us are young anymore."
"Our bodies can't take as much as they used to. I'd like to spend a few more years with you, old friend."
Makarov looked at him and lightly thumped his fist against Yajima's chest.
"Thank you... For everything."
Yajima thumped him right back.
"Don't thank me. Just buy me more meals."
At their age, thanks were pointless. They had decades of friendship behind them.
---
When Makarov returned to the guild hall and announced the good news, the place exploded in celebration. After joining them for a while, he slipped away to the roof alone.
He stared up at the bright blue sky and thought quietly.
"Is it time to retire? And if I do… who takes over?"
He imagined Gildarts first, then shook his head.
"Gildarts is strong and reliable, but he's like the wind. Always wandering. To keep him in one place I'd have to chain him to the building."
Travel was Gildarts's life. He never stayed in any place for long.
Next he thought of Laxus… and shook his head again.
"Laxus still has issues in his heart he hasn't resolved. He can't carry a guild yet."
He sighed. Ever since he had expelled his own son, his relationship with his grandson had never healed. But he didn't regret it. His son had been poison to the guild, and Makarov would never allow someone like that to stay. Not even family.
"Mystogan? That kid barely knows how to talk to people. Making him guild master would be torture."
He pictured Mystogan standing stiffly during photos like a wooden statue.
Too cruel.
"Erza… she's too young. Not enough experience, and her strength isn't at the level needed to keep the whole guild in line."
He sighed again. "Out of all these people, the only one who fits is Kazuma? Seriously?"
"To be honest I'd rather hand it to Erza than that brat."
He rubbed his head in frustration just as Mira stepped outside, holding up a paper.
"Master, Natsu's team accidentally destroyed half a town during their mission again. The Magic Council wants you to submit another written apology."
She smiled sweetly as she offered him the bill.
Makarov stared at her, then back at the sky. "If Kazuma were guild master… what would he do?"
He imagined it.
Kazuma: "Apology report? To hell with that. I'm not wrong, the council is wrong. I've hated them for ages. Let's just overthrow them already. Why can they manage the magic world but we can't? Starting tomorrow, Fiore is flying my Great Fairy flag."
Makarov shuddered violently.
"No. No. Absolutely not. I can't let that boy become guild master before I die. If he takes over, the whole nation is doomed."
"But I'm not retiring? Like, not ever?!"
He hurled the thought out of his mind and shot to his feet, yelling dramatically at the sky.
Mira called up again. "Oh, one more thing. Lucy received a letter and ran off in a hurry. Before she left she asked Kazuma to help with something. Looked like something important."
"What important thing?"
"Something about dealing with her father. I was busy at the time, didn't catch all of it. But I'm pretty sure that's what she said."
Mira tilted her head and tapped a finger lightly against her lips. The smile she gave him looked suspiciously like she was enjoying this.
Makarov froze.
"Am I… am I going to end up back in that courtroom again?"
Tears threatened to spill down his face.
---
Right before Makarov's hopeless scream echoed through the guild… way before....
—)FlashBack(—
"Excuse me. Is there a Miss Heartfilia here? I have a letter for her."
The courier stood at the entrance, glancing nervously at the chaotic, noisy guild hall. He turned to the men drinking by the door and lowered his voice.
"Heartfilia? Who's that?"
"Must be Lucy. Pretty sure her family name is Heartfilia."
"Lucy, you've got mail!"
Everyone always called her simply Lucy. Hearing her surname threw them off for a moment, but a second later they all realized who he meant.
"Mail? For me?"
Lucy walked over from the bar, confused. She accepted the envelope and went back to her seat.
"That's strange. Who would send me a letter?"
She opened the outer wrapping and saw the elegant stationary inside… and the wax seal with that familiar, ornate crest.
Her expression instantly soured. Her hand hesitated over the letter.
"Lucy, who sent that to you? Is it some kind of threat?" Erza asked. She'd noticed Lucy's troubled look, so she stepped over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, offering a confident smile.
"If it is, tell me. I'll handle it."
"…No. This is worse than that."
"This crest is from my family. So the letter must be from home."
Lucy sighed. She already knew what the contents would be without even opening it.
She could imagine exactly how furious her father must be after seeing the newspapers… and she knew the letter would be ordering her to return home immediately.
But she didn't want to go back. Even if her life outside was cheap and a little rough, she was happy here.
"Lucy, none of what happened was your fault. Don't take it to heart," Erza said, unsure of what else she could offer except comfort.
"I know, Erza. I'm okay."
Lucy held the letter, intending to tuck it away, but Kazuma walked over before she could.
"Lucy, you'll have to face it eventually. Running won't fix anything. You can only solve a problem by dealing with it head-on."
"And if you really can't handle it, I'll deal with the one causing the problem. I didn't take a hundred-million reward for nothing."
He sat down, ordering a fruit juice like nothing unusual had just come out of his mouth.
"It's not that serious! I don't get along with him, but I'm not… eliminating him. He's still my dear dad. I can handle this myself. Probably. Maybe."
Lucy took a long breath and finally tore the letter open. The contents were exactly what she expected.
Stop running around outside. Come home immediately.
"He hasn't changed at all… ever."
The more she read, the angrier she became. Finally she ripped the letter clean in half, venting her frustrations through the paper.
"I'm going home."
Lucy shot to her feet, fired up and ready to storm back and shout her father into the ground.
Kazuma, Erza, and Mirajane watched her march outside… then watched her hurry right back in a moment later.
"Kazuma! Please come with me. You don't have to do anything, just stand next to me for moral support!"
She grabbed his arm and shook it like her life depended on it.
"Didn't you just say you could handle it alone? You're Miss Heartfilia, after all. So impressive," Kazuma said with a smirk.
"What Miss Heartfilia? Just call me Lucy! Please help me. Erza too. Can you both come? All you have to do is cheer for me, nothing else. I'll treat you two to a month of food!"
She latched onto Erza as well, pleading.
"Well… we don't have any missions right now. So alright," Erza said after thinking for a moment.
"Great! Thank you, Erza! And you—" Lucy turned back to Kazuma, eyes wide and pitiful.
"Fine. If I'm already involved, I'll see it through. And starting next year, you pay me at least five million a year. You'll be done paying your debt in only twenty years."
"You can have me instead, how about that? Stingy money-grubber," she muttered.
"Don't worry. If you work hard for one year, five million is easy." Kazuma patted her shoulder like an experienced mentor. "Look how easily I make money."
"Not everyone is you," Lucy grumbled.
"Sigh ~ Where's your magic motorcycle? Let's go," she sighed deeply.
"The train is more convenient. You can lie down if you're tired," Kazuma said.
"The bike is cooler and faster. And… I kinda miss riding it," Lucy admitted.
"…Be honest," he said.
"Fine! I want to save money. I'm drowning in debt," she said dramatically.
"Unbelievable," Kazuma muttered.
So they took the magic motorcycle. It was faster anyway, and the train didn't even go straight to her estate.
Same style as before, Kazuma, Lucy, and lastly Erza in her armor.
.
.
.