Hey guys! Sorry for the loooooong wait. It took me a while to get back into this story, and my other stories had all my attention. So without further ado, enjoy!

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Underground...

"I didn't think there would be something like this below the guild..." Erza mused as she followed Mest down the long spiral staircase much to her delight. "I'm intrigued beyond measure..."

"Well, the entrance is normally not this easy to find..." Mest replied with a small chuckle.

"So, uh...Doran...no, Mest...was it?"

"Mest is my real name." The man replied, knowing that the scarlet-haired knight was about to call him by his alias name. "You've got it mixed up too huh? Sorry about that..."

"How come I was the only one that could come here?" She asked him curiously, thinking back to how pissed Natsu was after he was told he couldn't go. He looked like he wanted to punch someone but Elfman restrained him before he could.

"That's because you're the seventh guild master..." Mest replied as he gazed at her from over his shoulder. "We're about to enter...restricted grounds now."

"Restricted...grounds?" She repeated as she followed him into a large chamber. Her eyes immediately flew to the large Fairy Tail emblem etched on the floor before trotting after the man before her.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be allowed here either." He explained as he toggled with a couple of controls with his fingers. Once he got the all-clear signal, he opened the door to show Erza Fairy Tail's biggest and deepest secret. "Lumen Histoire."

"That's...the first master?" The scarlet-haired knight gasped as she stared at the giant lacrmia formation. However she swiveled around when the rest of Team Chaotic and others tumbled into the room in a heap of arms and legs. "You guys..."

"Heeeyyy you two..." Lucy waved sheepishly at them.

"Man, and even after I told you guys that this place is for guild masters only." Mest sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in mild irritation. "You guys are terrible listeners..."

"Don't blame us." Lucas said, pointing at Sora and Natsu. "It was their idea to follow you."

"Traitor!" Sora gawked at his cat friend with a look of betrayal.

"That's not fair!" Natsu retorted as he rose to his feet. "Let us in on it too! Quit being so sneaky!"

"Isn't that the first..." Wendy asked in wonder as she gazed at the giant crystal stature with wide eyes.

"She's naked!" The fire dragon slayer exclaimed as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Okay, enough with the staring..." Lexi frowned as she covered Natsu's eyes with her hands.

"This is her in the flesh? Is she still alive?" Happy asked while Carla questioned the purpose of having the body hidden underneath the guild after all this time.

"Explain this, Mest." Erza prompted and he shook his head when he realized that he can't make the others go away.

"I don't even know myself..." He admitted. "But, one thing's for sure, she's here for a really important reason."

"That aside, where's Gramps!?" Natsu asked eagerly. "You know, don't you!"

"What's...this...inside my head..." Wendy muttered as the Fairy Tail mages were suddenly subjected to images flooding their minds, memories of Mest himself and they all looked at him in confusion.

"Those images are my own memories. 9 years back...oh but maybe 2 years back for you Tenrou people..." Mest corrected himself as he continued to share what he knew, a hand resting against his temples so he could convey his memories. "I was given a mission by Makarov..."

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Flashback...

"Work undercover at the council?" A younger aged Mest asked in shock as Makarov sat before him, a smoke pipe in his mouth and his trusty staff leaning against his shoulder. "What am I to steal?"

"It's something only you could do...and it's not that kind of mission." The guild master chastised him lightly. "I want you to be our inside man, feeding us information regarding the Western Continent."

"So it is stealing then!" Mest smirked, crossing his arms across his chest. "I knew it!"

"I don't need you to do anything like that, so don't. Just...make sure you pick up as much as you can about the Western Continent and keep me updated."

"Why?"

"Just do it. Please." Makarov stated with a very serious expression on his face. "It's to protect our guild."

"Well, if I'm gonna do it, might as well be thorough." Mest agreed before jokingly states, "I'll erase my own memories too."

"Don't..." The guild master frowned at the statement. A month passes before Mest notified Makarov about the lack of information he acquires, as well as mentioning that Fairy Tail has become a sensitive topic within the council.

"No problem..." Mest was saying with confidence when Makarov asked if he was okay with erasing his own memory. "There's a way to get it back and you have the keys..."

"That's really handy of you..."

"Whoops. Call me Doranbolt..." Mest informed him of his new alias name. "I go by that now." As more months pass, due to the old man's frequent visits, Mest decided to infiltrate Fairy Tail in order to dig any dirt on the guild that he can, which was the reason he decided to sneak into the S-Class Exams.

"It's been too long..." Makarov stated as he stood before Mest seven years after Acnologia's rampage on Tenrou Island.

"I'm glad you're safe..." Mest expressed happily, tears rolling down his face as he looked at the old man. "You and everyone at the guild as well..."

"I'm sorry you had to go thorough all that for so long..." Makarov apologized as he looked at the floor in shame.

"No...it was something I decided on my own anyway..."

"Let's end you mission then. Come on back to Fairy Tail..."

"No...I'm nearly there..." Mest told him as he wiped his tears away with the back of his sleeve. "It's probably the information you've been looking for..." That statement caused the old man's eyes to widen in surprise. However, after the war with Tartaros which occurred a few months after that, Makarov decided to disband Fairy Tail for good.

"I'm ending Fairy Tail. The intelligence I've gotten from you all along was for a personal investigation...and now I'm certain. This is the only way I could save the guild."

"Huh?" Mest looked at him in disbelief and outrage. "You're disbanding the guild over the results of the investigation?! I don't get it!"

"It doesn't matter..." Makarov frowned with a serious expression on his face. "The kingdom of Alvarez in the Western Continent is one that is very, very dangerous."

"So what about it!" Mest barked back with befuddlement. "That country attempted to invade Ishgar 10 years ago but failed!"

"Do you know why they failed?" The old man questioned and when he didn't get a response he continued speaking. "Lumen Histoire...the reason why Alvarez invaded 10 years ago...was to obtain Lumen Histoire for themselves."

"Wha...what?!"

"They didn't fail, but were merely stopped with the help of the council of course..."

"Etherion!" Something clicked within Mest's head as he realized what the problem was. "It can't be..."

"And from what we know now, Face was supposed to be the council's backup plan if they ever needed one. They wouldn't go at Alvarez if they had the choice." Makarov turned his head to look at Mest with a calming gaze. "But the council's no more...Etheroin, Face as well...do you know what this means?"

"Ishgar has lost its only defense against the Alvarez Empire...?" Mest guessed and the old man nodded his head in agreement.

"The invasion will begin once more and I fear that they will perhaps get their hands on Lumen Histoire if we aren't careful."

"So what does that have to do with the guild disbanding!?" Mest inquired, still trying to connect the dots between the information he had gained. "If they're coming for us, then all we have to do is fight back! That's what Fairy Tail's for!"

"We can't do that, that's the whole reason why I'm disbanding...the Alvarez Empire has 730 guilds which includes membership of a couple Dark guilds under their belt. Against them, Isghar has only 500 guilds...it's like taking a candy from a baby...they're not like anything we've faced so far..."

"No way..." Mest fretted as he tried to formulate a couple of scenarios in his mind. "So what do we do in the meantime!?"

"I'll go to Alakitasia where this empire is located...personally." The sixth master replied. "I'll let them know that we've got Lumen Histoire if they are to attack...and stall for as long as I can..." His fists trembled by his side as he continued speaking. "This will be a gamble...and if the council can get back on its feet in time..."

"Wait a minute!" Mest protested loudly. "Please think this through, Master!"

"If I fail, the kids at the guild will be next on the list...And I cannot let that happen! So, forget about the guild's history, and what it was! There's nothing more important than family, so I will disband!"

"Master, you can't stop a country on your own...it's impossible..." Mest said tearfully. "It's like you're going there on a suicide mission..."

"Well, I carry the lives of my family..." Makarov said as he turned to look at the crying man. "Just like when I faced Acnologia back on Tenrou Island...this situation is almost the same thing. I'm going to protect them. That's what a parent ought to do!"

Flashback ends

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Back to the underground...

"So...Gramps has gone to that whatchacallit...country..." Natsu stuttered as he tried to digest all that he collected; it was so much that it sent his mind reeling. 

"And he still hasn't come back yet?" Sora asked, rubbing his head.

"He disbanded the guild to protect us..." Erza agreed in a soft voice as the small group stared at Mest with a range of worried expressions.

"But it's been over a year now..." Kiki muttered, looking down. "That's too long for an negotiation."

"I wonder if he's okay..." Lucy murmured under her breath as she looked off to the side.

"It's worrying for sure..." Wendy agreed.

"We can't tell if we're still dealing with the Alvarez Empire..." Mest said. "Or if the country has isolated itself...or even..."

"Stop, please." Erza told him and he noticed their gloomy expressions on their faces. He decided to change the subject and informed them that he created a temporary Magic council formed by the Ten Wizard Saints.

"Master Warrod knows what's happening outside the world but I'm certain the rest don't know...However, the threat they feel from the Alvarez kingdom is the same. They've been sending reinforcements to the Western Continent and strengthening their defenses there."

"But if the old man's trick worked he would've been back by now, wouldn't he!" Gray exclaimed.

"Well, yeah. Like I said, we can't tell if it's because he hasn't heard of this...or if he can't make it back..."

"Then we'll go help him. No?" Natsu said as he looked at his comrades with a determined look.

"Yeah...I've done what the Master told me to do..." Mest agreed with what the fire dragon slayer was offering. "So from now on, I'll do what I want to do as a member of Fairy Tail."

"If everyone's together, we're unbeatable!" Happy exclaimed with Carla backing up his statement.

"Let's go kick some ass!" Sora proclaimed, pumping a fist into the air.

"Hell yeah!" Lexi yelled, doing the same thing.

"Wait." Erza said, interrupting them with one arm out to stop them from leaving the room. "We're up against an enemy that the Master himself felt he couldn't beat...we can't go there without a thoroughly thought out plan."

"We've all powered-up in the past year!" Natsu quarreled with her, snapping his teeth with irritating. "I ain't gonna lose, no matter how strong they are!"

"Natsu." The scarlet-haired knight replied with a small huff and glared back at him with an unwavering stare. "Are you telling me that you're planning to...trample on the Master's feelings despite knowing that he's there to buy us time?"

'Urgh...she's good.' Mest thought as he thought about what she said. 'And she made a good point...'

"Rebuilding the guild and getting Fairy Tail back on its feet...I want everyone in the guild to smile again just like before. After all, it's been a year since we've seen each other...these are my feelings as the Seventh Master."

"Erza" Wendy said as Gray and Natsu glared at her in disbelief at the words that exited between her lips. They've known Erza since they were little kids so seeing that she doesn't want lift a finger to help their Master ruffled their feathers the wrong way.

"Come on, Red. You that's not like you at all," Sora said, walking up to her.

"Indeed...my feelings as another member of the guild are entirely different." She narrowed her eyes in seriousness as she made up her mind on the situation. "We must rescue the Master, at all costs! And that's why, only those here now will go."

"That's the Erza we know!" Natsu and Gray exclaimed with smiles on their faces, throwing their fists into the air.

"We'll go in small numbers, infiltrate the Alvarez kingdom and rescue the Master...and then we'll talk..." Erza informed the small group as she went over the plan. "This isn't a fight, we're going there on a rescue mission...So don't pick any unnecessary fights and don't make a fuss over things."

'Awww man...this blows...' The fire dragon slayer frowned when he heard those words. 'I at least hoped I could use my powers...even if it was a little bit...'

"You hear me, Natsu?" Erza growled as she leaned close to him, in intimidating glare still plastered on her face. "I have to set the rules...all for you."

"Y...Yeah...I hear you Erza..." He replied quickly before smiling at the rest of them. "We're definitely gonna save Gramps!"

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Somewhere outside...

"Heh...so they're sneaking out..." Gajeel murmured as he stood with his arms crossed, his sensitive hearing allowed him to overhear the conversation.

"What's wrong, Gajeel?" Lily asked as he noticed that the man's ears were twitching a little bit. "Oooh...what do you hear?"

"A small number for infiltration, huh..." The iron dragon slayer mused as he cataloged the information that came to him. "I see...I guess we've got to move on our own then."

"Cana, have you seen Gray?" Juvia asked as she looked around for the said ice mage. The water mage looked extremely disturbed since she couldn't find Gray anywhere.

"I drank him all up, along with my booze!" The brunette chuckled in a joking manner. "Uhyahyahya!"

"How could you!" Juvia screeched as she pried Cana's mouth open in a flash, staring down the throat with fearful eyes. "Gray! Can you hear me!?"

"Gaaaah! Juvia! Don't stretch my mouth like that!" Cana exclaimed in pain as she felt her mouth being stretched beyond its limit. "Arrrrgh! You're gonna break something!"

"He went with Natsu, Sora and Lucy a while back..." Mira spoke up when she walked past the two of them with a cup of beer on her tray. "Apparently they were tailing Erza and Mest..."

"Lucy...again...?" Releasing her hold on Cana's mouth, Juvia pouted with horror as her mind started to imagine dirty thoughts between the ice mage and the blonde. It got so bad that her entire face turned red and smoke was coming out of her ears. "I thought she and Sora were together, but..."

"What the hell are you thinking about?" Gajeel said as the rain woman slumped against a table in despair, walking over to lean his arm on top of her like an armrest. "It better not be something stupid. Besides, you know Blondie stuck to Sora like glue."

"Hey Gajeel, you wanna drink with me?" Cana offered but the iron dragon slayer shook his head no.

"We're forming the B Team..."

"B Team?" Maria asked as Juvia glanced up in interest, the white-haired bartender already back from delivering the cup of beer.

"Is it the Grand Magic games already?" The alcoholic frowned at the familiar term, a half-filled bottle of booze held in her hands. "News flash, it's been a year ago so I may have gotten rusty."

"Don't be dumb. We're gonna go and find that lightning bastard Laxus..." Gajeel explained.

"Lightning...?" Lily tensed up when he heard that word. 'That means...I don't have a good feeling...about this...'

"Wait, you know where Laxus is?" Cana asked and the iron dragon slayer just smirked in response.

"Doesn't that just sound interesting?" The iron dragon slayer asked with his eyes full of teasing as he looked at his former team members. "Pack your bags and let's hit the road! We've got a bit of traveling to do!"

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There you guys have it! Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit short. The next one will be a tad longer so, look out for that. See ya!!!