The cavern was filled with utter silence. Even the footsteps of the Fairy Tail mages were too soft to hear. None of them knew what to say to make the situation any better.

Gray used his Ice Make Magic to build a new bridge so they could leave the temple. Now they were climbing up the stairs up to the surface. Gajeel was carrying Gale on his back. Levy walked beside them, rubbing her husband's arm. She could still see the dried tears on Gale's face. Laxus was at the back of the group, starring thoughtfully at the floor. Erza looked up at Gray who was at the front of the team. Nashi was in his arms, asleep. Erza sighed softy, eyes falling to the floor.

She still couldn't believe Natsu was dead. She never imagined losing him in such a way. Natsu was so strong and so determined. Erza imagined him living a long life with his family. Her mind was having trouble grasping the truth of the situation.

Gray's mind wasn't any better. He was there; he could have done something. Instead, he let Natsu fall to his death. He failed failed Natsu, Nashi, the guild, and most importantly Lucy.

He had no idea how he was going to tell her. He dreaded the thought of arriving back at the guild and having to bear the terrible news to Natsu's wife. She was heartbroken when Nashi was taken, how would she feel knowing she would never see Natsu again?

Gray glanced down at the child in his arms. She had only fallen asleep a few minutes ago after crying for so long. He was glad she had finally stopped; he didn't know how much longer he would be able to handle her sadness. If this was how Nashi handled her father's death, he imagined Lucy's reaction to be similar, if not worse.

"He's not dead." All eyes landed on Gajeel. Levy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gajeel-"

"I know he's still alive. You can't get rid of Salamander that easily."

"Gajeel, we understand it's hard to believe, but we have the face facts," said Erza, clenching her fist, "Natsu is dead."

"Have you ever fought him seriously?" He questioned, turning to the redhead. Erza was taken back by his sudden question. Gajeel continued, "I've seen what he's capable of when he fights seriously. Not in some brawl of strength, but in a true fight. I know for a fact he isn't dead."

"I agree with Gajeel," said Laxus quietly, "I've fought Natsu when he's serious and I know he's still alive."

"Believe what you want to believe," Gray whispered. He held Nashi closer to him, rubbing her pink head, "It doesn't change the fact that he's not here."

"Poor Nashi," said Levy, holing a hand to her heart, "I can't even imagine how Lu-Chan is going to react."

"I can," muttered Gajeel, "she's going to cry." As blunt as his words were, they all knew it was the truth. Lucy's heart was going to break.

They could see the dim light of the surface from the large door. It was supposed to be evening, but the light of the moon and stars was enough for the team to see. Gray carelessly pushed the rest of it opened. Just as he did so, he found spears being pointed at him. The rest of the team gasped as they were led out of the cavern and into the light. They saw hundreds of natives scattered throughout the canyon. The tribesmen were holding the slaves they had freed along with Elfman, Asuka, and the children prisoner. Gray glanced around at the large group and noticed something peculiar. They all wore a variety of clothing. Some wore skins like Acasha while others wore furs.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Erza. An old man stepped out of the crowd. His beard almost reached his ankles. He was barefoot and a skirt made of thick fur was all he wore along with some beads.

"As leader of the Okami tribe, I hereby sentence you all to death for trespassing on our lands," he growled.

"How did you even find us?" asked Laxus.

"Some of our sentries were attacked by one of your comrades. They told us you attacked them and forced them to give you this location. As punishment, you will be killed."

"No, we shall kill them!" yelled another voice. From the crowd emerged another old man, adorned with skins this time, "They invaded our territory from Fiore. Therefore the Shika tribe shall kill them!"

"No! The Fukurō shall kill the trespassers!" All eyes went to the top of the canyon wall. They saw another large group of natives gathered at the top, all wearing feathers. One of the individuals grabbed a kite and flew down to the people down in the canyon, "They attacked my men and I will not stand for it. We shall kill them."

"We were here first!" the Okami roared. Pretty soon, all three groups were yelling at each other over who would get to kill the Fairy Tail mages. The mages noticed the tension growing and worried that a battle would break out soon. The yelling would have continued if one voice hadn't stood out in the crowd.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Everyone stopped almost automatically. They searched around for the person who had spoken up. From the group of captives, a single figure walked out to the middle of the party.

"Acasha?" questioned the Shika leader, "what are you doing here?"

"I helped the Fiorans get to the canyon," she admitted.

"She's a traitor to her own people!" yelled an Okami from the crowd. Many others began yelling at her as well, but she stood firm.

"I did what I believed to be right! And don't yell at me about treachery. Your own sentries let Krugger and his men cross your border for years!" that seemed to silence the complaining group. The leader of the Okami looked utterly ashamed. Acasha gazed out into the congregation.

"Look at yourselves!" she yelled, "Why are you fighting? These people have done nothing wrong."

"They attacked our men!" called a fukurō.

"Out of self defense," countered Acasha.

"They invaded our land," said the Wiseman of the Shika.

"Ours too," added the Okami leader.

"But they were trying to save their children," she responded. She pointed to the large group of slaves, "The proof is right there. Krugger and his team have been kidnapping this whole time. Look at the poor people he has troubled."

"It's the truth!" yelled Erza, "all we want is to take our children home in peace. We don't want any trouble with your clans." There was a murmur throughout the congregation. Gray hoped they believed them. If he couldn't get Nashi home to Lucy then he would never forgive himself. The Shika Wiseman turned to Acasha.

"Why are you so determined to help them Acasha? You hate Fiorans more than anyone." Acasha's eyes drifted to the group of mages standing by the gate, then fell to the floor.

"I... I was wrong about them." Acasha looked out into the crowd, "They taught me about things I never thought about before. Friendship, Family... and love," she whispered the last part, "I didn't think I could ever be friends with a fioran, I thought them to be ruthless, power-hungry, and cruel, but these mages taught me otherwise. They showed me that the bond of friendship is stronger than the bond of hate." Soldiers turned to one another. Gray noticed the guards in charge of the prisoners lower their weapons. Acasha smiled happily.

"And that's why I think we put all of our hate behind us. All of the tribes have something great to offer another, so why not put our forces together? Natsu taught me that so much more could be achieved through teamwork. If we banded together and turned or hatred into love, we could actually make a difference and make Tiar, our home, a better place."

The entire group stared in silence, letting her speech sink in. They couldn't deny how part of it was true. They all had their own strengths, and while others might struggle, some thrived. But if they worked together, they could become something more.

To Acasha's surprise, the congregation began clapping. People cheered, throwing their spears up in the air. The Fairy Tail mages watched proudly off to the side. Levy clapped excitedly for Acasha and Erza nodded in satisfaction. Gray smiled to himself. He looked down at the child sleeping in his arms.

Way to go Flame Brain, he thought, you've done it again.

"Acasha," said the Shika Wiseman. The Wisemen of the Okami, Fukurō, and Shika all stepped forward, "You have such a strong heart. See how you have already united these people," the Wiseman laughed. Acasha rubbed her arm in embarrassment.

"If what you suggest is to happen, then a new leader must be chosen to lead us," spoke the Fukurō Wiseman, "and we believe that it should be you."

Acasha's jaw dropped, "O-Oh no, I could never lead all these people."

"Acasha, you already have. You brought them together, something past generations could not. There is nobody better than you." The three old men got to their knees and bowed before the young woman. Slowly, the crowd followed, dropping their weapons and paying respect to her. Acasha felt her heart rate speed up. This was all so much to take in. Smiling proudly, Acasha turned to the prisoners.

"Alright then. My first order is to free the Fiorans and let them go home in peace." The slaves cheered joyfully. Everyone started hugging one another, crying tears of gratitude. They were finally free from the horror known as Hawthorne. The Fairy Tail mages rushed over to Acasha, patting her on the back.

"Congratulations," said Gray, shaking her hand with his free hand. Acasha couldn't help but notice the child in his arms, more specifically her pink hair. Her heart clenched a bit, realizing it was Natsu's daughter. She was very beautiful, and she could see the resemblance. Acasha suddenly noticed Natsu wasn't with the group.

"Hey," she said, looking around, "Where is Natsu?"

The group of mages all dropped their happy expressions. Acasha could see the tears building in Gale's eyes. The other children and Elfman emerged from the crowd, also wondering what had become of the fire mage. Erza bit down on her lip.

"N-Natsu," her voice cracked, "Natsu is dead."

The children gasped. Asuka and Billy started crying. Otoko hugged his father who was trying his hardest not to wail like a baby. Mai looked at Nashi sadly. She couldn't fathom what she looked like when it happened.

Acasha let out some shuttering breaths. She knew she could have never been with him. He had a daughter, and somewhere far away he had a wife, but that didn't stop her heart from feeling pain when she found out.

"I'm sorry," she was finally able to mutter, "I didn't know him as long as you, but I still consider him a good friend." A small laugh came from her, despite herself, "It's funny. He told me that fate had brought us together. For what reason he didn't know. I think, maybe this was it." She said, gesturing to all the people there, "We met so he could teach me how to love, and bring them together. I never would have thought it possible if he hadn't shown me."

"Natsu has a way of doing that to people," Gray admitted. He stroked Nashi's small cheek, wiping away a stray tear, "he knows what to do to make everything better."

Acasha nodded, "What will you do now?" Gray looked back at the gate to Hawthorne. His dark eyes hardened. Without a word, Gray walked up to the door. He took out his free hand and started pushing the door closed. He struggled doing it by himself. He felt the door jerk a little and he looked beside him. Erza was looking back at him, both hands pushing on the door. Gajeel took the other spot beside Gray and started pushing as well. Levy, Laxus, Elfman, and a few of the children joined in, pushing the door until it was finally closed. Everyone backed away from the door; the only one still touching it was Gray. The air round the ice mage grew thinner. Black markings curled up Gray's arm and around most of his torso, ending on his eye. With reluctance, Gray froze the entire door in a sheet of ice that could never be melted.

"Now, Hawthorne will forever remain closed," he said, backing away. Acasha nodded.

"Our people will guarantee that it shall remain that way." Gray nodded, turning to his team.

"I think it's time we go home," he whispered. Erza glanced at the brown haired woman.

"Thank you for everything Acasha. We wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

A sad smile graced Acasha's face, "No, thank you. This land is free from Krugger's evil doings, and now it is free for everyone. We would be honored if you would let us lead you back."

Gray nodded in thanks, "it would be greatly appreciated." Acasha led her people and the mages up and out of the canyon. As they climbed, Gray felt something pulling on his coat. He looked down at Nashi whose fist was holding the fabric of Gray's coat.

"Da...ddy," she whispered in her sleep. Gray shifted her a little in his arms, resting her forehead on his shoulder. He watched the little girl get comfortable in his hold. When she was finally situated, Gray faced up again, staring up into the starry sky.

How was he going to tell Lucy?

FAIRY TAIL

It was a silent night in Magnolia. A couple people were trying to get home after a long day at work. The mages of the Fairy Tail guild were still in the guildhall, minding their own business.

At a lone table in the guildhall sat Lucy Dragneel and Happy. She was still wearing her regular blue top with the single long blue glove and frilly wrist band, along with her white skirt and knee high boots. She would have to go digging through her old maternity clothes soon.

The blonde was stirring her tea with a spoon, not thirsty enough to actually drink it. Happy watched her mix it lazily.

A week had passed since the siege of Magnolia. A week since Lucy discovered her pregnancy. Since then she had been super antsy. She kept running different scenarios in her head about how she was going to tell her family and how they were going to react. Her favorite scenario was of Nashi jumping around her excitedly, asking all these questions about the baby she couldn't answer. Natsu would rush up to her and spin her around before pulling her into a loving kiss. The thought made her smile. She placed a hand over her stomach. They would be home soon; she could feel it.

Everyone in the guildhall was startled when Wendy suddenly shot up out of her chair. She took a couple sniffs of the air, trying to understand what she was smelling.

"Wendy? Are you alright?" asked her exceed partner. The woman's eyes wandered to the front door of the guild.

"They're home," she whispered. Lucy's eyes widened, understanding what she was talking about. A couple people were already out of their seats, rushing outside to meet their comrades. Lucy got up and started running out to meet her husband and daughter, Happy followed close behind her. Carla looked back at her partner, noticing she looked rather down considering the good news.

"Wendy, is something wrong?" Carla questioned. Wendy's blue hair swayed back and forth as she shook her head.

"Something is wrong Carla."

Lucy searched around frantically for where the rest of the guild members had gone. She saw some of them heading toward the forest around the city. She sped off after them, her excitement powering her. As she entered the forest she could hear the cheering and talking of her group of comrades. Lucy zipped passed trees, twigs snapping under pressure. Her and Happy turned down a path and stopped in her tracks.

She gasped at the group of her friends who she had missed so much. Juvia was hugging Gray to death. Evergreen was scolding Elfman for leaving, but ultimately yanked him by the collar and started kissing him. Lucy's breath hitched when she saw Otoko sneak out from behind his father and hug his mother. Bisca and Alzack pulled Asuka and Billy into hugs, smothering them with love. She searched around the group, trying to find her husband or daughter, but she didn't see either of them. Levy was the first one to notice her there.

"LU-CHAN! She called out. Lucy was about to yell back when she saw someone squirm passed Levy and Gajeel. Lucy's brown eyes widened as a head of pink came into view. Her clothes were a mess and her hair had a few knots, but she was there. The second Nashi saw her mother tears began to build up.

"MOMMY!" she cried, running down the path. Lucy started jogging toward her with arms wide open. She tripped over her feet, trying to reach Nashi. The child leapt into her arms. Lucy wrapped her arms around her as soon as she came into contact with her. Lucy swung her around, complete and utter relief filling her system. Happy flew around in circles excitedly.

"Oh, Nashi! Thank goodness you're safe." She muttered, rubbing her cheek against the top of Nashi's head. Nashi cried into her mother's chest. Fat tears soaked her top and part of Nashi's scarf. Lucy put Nashi down and kneeled, placing a hand on her daughter's cheek. She wiped away a stray tear.

"Everything is going to be okay baby. Everything is okay." Nashi shook her head in disagreement. She tried to find the words to say, but she couldn't bring herself to mention her father's death. Lucy looked up when she heard footsteps approach them. She smiled at Gray who looked at her sadly.

"Gray, It's good to see you," she said cheerfully, standing back up. Lucy didn't notice the somber attitude surrounding the Ice Maker.

"It's good to see you too Lucy."

"I can't wait to talk about our adventures while you were gone, but I really need to find Natsu. I have a surprise for him." Gray looked down at Nashi. The pink haired girl was crying all over again, tears of sorrow this time.

"Gray, are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Lucy questioned. Gray shook his head. His dark eyes bore into Lucy's. She finally saw the hurt within his blue irises.

"Gray? What's wrong?" Lucy put a hand on her friend's shoulder in comfort. Her heart clenched seeing Gray's lip tremble. She looked passed him at the rest of their group. Gale was hiding her teary face behind her mother's skirt. Gajeel had a hand on his wife's shoulder, rubbing it softly. Erza stared at the floor guiltily. She saw everyone filled with sadness and couldn't help but wonder if something awful happened. Lucy searched through the group once more, this time noticing one person missing.

"Gray," she started quietly, "Where's Natsu?" She looked at Gray once again. This time, he had visible tears dripping down his cheek.

"I'm sorry Lucy," he shuddered. Lucy didn't understand what he meant. Her eyes wandered back to her daughter. Fat tears dripped down her face. She cried softly, rubbing her face into her mother's skirt. Lucy's eyes widened with fear. She spun back to Gray.

"You-You don't mean?" she stuttered. Gray took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"I'm so s-sorry," he cried. Lucy's lower lip began to shake- no- her whole body shook. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't possible. Natsu was fine. He was just playing some awful joke on her.

"T-This isn't funny Gray," Lucy whispered. Lucy's face distorted into one of anger, "Where's Natsu, Gray! Where's my husband?" Lucy felt her legs give out under the shock. Gray pulled her into his arms before she fell on her knees. Lucy trembled in his grasp.

A few seconds later, she finally broke down in tears.

"HE PROMISED GRAY!" she yelled through the pain, "HE PROMISED HE'D COME BACK! HE PROMISED!" Gray rubbed calming circles on her shoulder, but she continued to rack with sobs. Nashi's crying grew louder as well. She grabbed Happy who was flying next to her and hugged him as they both wailed. She wiggled into Gray's hug, seeking her mother's warmth.

Lucy couldn't control herself. Not in her wildest dreams did she think this would happen. Her heart was going at a million miles per hour. What was she going to do now? The man she loved was gone, leaving her alone with their daughter and a baby on the way.

The rest of the group watched the whole thing. Mira had burst down sobbing. Juvia watched Gray hold the poor girls. It didn't even bother her that he was hugging Lucy.

Gajeel watched Lucy with curiosity. Something was slightly off about her. He took a quick whiff of the blonde. He detected something very faint in her. If he hadn't purposefully been looking for it, he wouldn't have found it. Gajeel's red eyes grew. He recognized that scent.

"Oh no," whispered Gajeel, staring at the small family. Levy looked up at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" Gajeel shook his head sadly, turning his eyes to the ground.

"Dang it Salamander. You really are an idiot." He said nothing more. Everyone watched them in silence. Nothing they could do now would make it any easier. All they could do was sit on the sidelines and listen to the blonde and her daughter's cries fill the night sky.

Wherever Natsu was, they prayed he would be with them.