I changed the part where Wendy reunites with Jellal.
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The relative peace in the guild hall, which had lasted a record-breaking few weeks since the Fantasia festival, was shattered by a familiar, authoritative roar.
"BLAKE! ERZA! NATSU! GRAY! LUCY! MY OFFICE! NOW!"
The guild, in the midst of its mid-morning brawl, froze. Natsu, who was in a headlock with Gajeel, was unceremoniously dropped. Blake, who was sitting at the bar sharing a quiet (and sober) drink with Cana, sighed. He'd known the vacation was over.
The five mages separated themselves from the chaos and filed into Makarov's office. The mood shift was instantaneous. The office was dark, the curtains drawn. A single, massive map of Fiore was spread across the desk, illuminated by a lacrima lamp.
"What is this, Master?" Erza asked, her voice already in mission mode. "It's not another festival, is it?"
"I wish," Makarov said, his voice a low, grave rumble. He gestured to the map. "It's time you four understood the real world. Blake already knows this. What you fought in Phantom Lord was a single, rogue guild. What we are facing now is an empire."
He tapped the map. "There is a powerful dark alliance called the Balam Alliance. It's a hydra, my children. Three massive, powerful Dark Guilds that control the entire magical underworld. Tartaros. Grimoire Heart. And this one," he circled a region in the west, "Oracion Seis."
Natsu cracked his knuckles. "So? We just gotta go beat 'em up, right?"
"It's not that simple, you fool," Makarov snapped. "These three guilds are allied. If one is attacked, the others will respond. An attack on one is an attack on all. Until now, the legal guilds and the Council have maintained a fragile balance. But that balance is broken. Oracion Seis is moving. They're planning something big, something that could shatter the continent. And our plan is to destroy a major part of it."
"A preemptive strike?" Blake's deep voice cut through the room. "That's not your style, Master. What's the mission?"
"It's not just our mission," Makarov said. "The Balam Alliance is too powerful for any single guild. For the first time, a formal alliance of other guilds has been formed to take them on. We are joining them to strike at Oracion Seis."
He looked at the five of them, his gaze heavy. "You all are selected for the upcoming battle."
He looked at his team. "Blake. You will lead the team. Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, you all will follow Blake's orders. This is the team that will represent Fairy Tail. You will not fail."
The journey was... loud. Blake had offered his Urus, believing its speed and comfort would be an asset. He had immediately regretted it.
"BLEAAAAARGH!"
"NATSU! I SWEAR, IF YOU GET SICK ON MY LEATHER...!"
"GRAY, HOLD HIS HEAD OUT THE WINDOW! NOW!"
"I'M TRYING! HE'S BURNING MY HANDS!"
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT! MOVING BOXES ARE EVIL!"
Blake just gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white, his Observation Haki focused on the road, trying desperately to tune out the chaos in his back seat.
Erza sat in the passenger seat, a map spread on her lap, pretending with all her might that she couldn't hear Natsu's retching. Lucy and Happy were crammed in the back, shielded by Gray, who was in a full-on wrestling match with the motion-sick Dragon Slayer.
This, Blake thought, is why I travel alone. This is why Gildarts stays gone for years. He's a genius.
The Fairy Tail Team headed out to meet their fellow mages. The rendezvous point was a ruined, ancient villa deep in the western forests, a neutral territory. When Blake's Urus finally crunched to a halt on the gravel, Natsu fell out of the door, kissing the solid ground.
"We're here," Erza announced, folding her map.
They stepped out into a sun-dappled, ruined courtyard. It was silent.
"Uh... where is everyone?" Lucy asked, looking around.
"Maybe we're first?" Gray offered, pulling his shirt on.
"Men~"
A smooth, oily voice echoed from the trees.
"I smell the delightful parfum of beautiful, strong women..."
The Blue Pegasus team arrived. The Trimens—Hibiki Lates, Eve Tearm, and Ren Akatsuki—strode into the clearing, their clothes immaculate, their hair perfect. They glittered.
Natsu just stared. "What's with the sparkly guys?"
The Trimens ignored him and quickly showed off their so-called 'handsomeness,' making a beeline for the women.
"Ah, Titania Erza!" Hibiki said, taking her armored hand and kissing it. "Your beauty is even more radiant than the rumors. I would be honored to... archive... your-ARGH!"
Erza, with a look of pure disgust, had tightened her grip, her gauntlet creaking. "Touch me again, and you'll be archiving your own teeth."
"And you!" Eve Tearm zipped over to Lucy, his blond hair perfect. "A Celestial Spirit mage! How... stellar! You must be a star!"
"Oh, uh... thank you?" Lucy stammered, blushing.
When their leader, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, a tiny, orange-haired man with an enormous, sniffing nose, finally appeared, he took one look at Erza and his eyes lit up. "MEEEEEEEN! The ultimate parfum! A bouquet of strength and...sniff sniff...!"
He tried to get close to Erza, his nose twitching.
Erza, who had tolerated Hibiki, would not tolerate this. She kicked him away. It was a single, precise, non-lethal (but very painful) kick that sent Ichiya screaming into the air.
"MEEEEEEEEN-!"
THWACK. FWOOSH. CRACKLE.
Ichiya, mid-flight, was suddenly and unceremoniously frozen solid in a block of ice, courtesy of a newly arrived mage.
"Tch. Pathetic."
Lyon Vastia walked into the clearing, flanked by Sherry Blendy and the towering, imposing form of Jura Neekis.
Ichiya, now a frozen statue, subsequently got his head frozen in ice and crashed into the fountain.
"Lyon!" Gray stepped forward.
"Gray. Still traveling with that half-naked, idiotic Dragon Slayer, I see."
"What'd you say, ice-freak?!" Natsu roared.
"Oh, look, Sherry," Lucy sighed, her brief good mood gone. "It's the bow-legged poodle who talks to rats."
Sherry Blendy tossed her hair, her rivalry instantly flaring. "Well, if it isn't the flat, rent-a-mage! Your love is just as empty as your wallet!"
"LOVE?!" Lucy and Sherry shrieked in unison.
The two pairs, Gray and Lyon, Lucy and Sherry, were instantly nose-to-nose, magic crackling.
"THAT IS ENOUGH."
The voice was quiet, but it rumbled with the power of the earth itself. Jura Neekis, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, stepped forward. He didn't raise his hand; he just stood ."We are here as allies. Not as children. You will conduct yourselves accordingly."
The four mages looked at him in silence, the fight draining out of them instantly.
While this was happening, Blake watched it from the side, uninterested. He was leaning against the hood of his Urus, arms crossed, looking every bit bored.
Jura, his point made, turned to the Fairy Tail contingent. He nodded respectfully to Erza. "Titania." Then his gaze found Blake, and his expression softened into one of mutual respect.
"Blake Corvus. The Black Blade. It is an honor. Your reputation... is formidable."
The Trimens, who had been preening, suddenly snapped to attention. They knew Jura. But who was this person that the Wizard Saint was treating as an equal?
Blake. "Jura-san. Good to see the Council is finally taking this seriously."
A new, familiar set of voices joined the clearing. Four figures strode in, not as strangers, but as known allies. The New Dawn guild had arrived.
"Jellal!" Natsu grinned, all his earlier animosity gone. "You made it!"
"Heh. Look who it is," Gray nodded, spotting the other members. "The poison-snake and the speed-freak."
Cobra, his snake hissing, just smirked. "I could hear your thoughts from a mile away, stripper. Still obsessed with the pink-haired moron."
Racer, his legs vibrating, was already zipping around the courtyard. "This place is... so... slow! Can we start already?"
"My, my," Hoteye said, his hands clasped, looking at the frozen Ichiya. "The love... this little one must feel for ice... it's truly... beautiful."
This was the team Blake had saved from the Tower of Heaven, now a fully-fledged, powerful legal guild. They weren't strangers; they were extended family.
Jellal, as their leader, stepped forward, his presence calm and authoritative. His gaze met Erza's.
"Erza," he nodded, a small, polite smile on his face. "It's good to see you. You look strong."
"Jellal," Erza nodded back, her voice firm. "You too. I'm glad New Dawn is with us on this."
"Well, the alliance is almost complete," Hibiki said, breaking the moment. "Only Cait Shelter guild members have to show up."
"Cait Shelter?" Erza asked, frowning. "I've never heard of them."
"Their Master, Roubaul, is an old friend of Master Makarov's," Hibiki explained. "He said he was sending his... best."
"Well, where are they?" Natsu complained. "I'm hungry!"
"I... I... I'm so sorry we're late!"
A tiny, high-pitched voice called out. The entire alliance turned.
Standing at the edge of the clearing was a little girl, no older than twelve, with dark blue hair. She was wringing her hands, nervous.
Beside her floated a white, female cat companion with a haughty expression. This was Wendy Marvell and Carla.
The alliance was surprised.
"A... a kid?" Lyon said, bewildered. "They sent a kid?"
"This is an S-Class level operation!" Sherry scoffed. "This is no place for a child!"
Happy, who had been quietly hiding on Natsu's back, floated out. His eyes went wide. He saw Carla. His jaw dropped. "She's... she's beautiful..." he whispered, hearts in his eyes.
Natsu, however, was sniffing the air. He looked at Wendy, his head tilted. "Hey... I know your name. I feel like I've heard 'Wendy' before... Have we met?"
Wendy, however, wasn't looking at Natsu, Sherry, or Lyon. Her terrified eyes scanned the crowd of powerful mages and landed on the blue-haired, tattooed man standing with the New Dawn guild. Her face, which had been pale with fear, suddenly lit up with pure, unadulterated joy. "Jellal-san!"
Ignoring everyone else, Wendy ran towards him and hugged him tightly around the legs. Jellal froze. He looked down at the strange child clinging to him, his expression one of utter confusion.
Erza, Natsu, and Gray watched, equally bewildered.
"Why didn't you come visit me again?" Wendy asked, her voice muffled against his cloak. "You brought me to Master Roubaul at the Cait Shelter guild, and then you just vanished! I waited... I was so worried..."
Jellal, upon hearing that, looked even more confused. He gently, awkwardly, tried to detangle himself from the girl's grip. "I'm... sorry, little one. But this is the first time I have seen you. I don't know who you are. I didn't know you. I've certainly never been to Cait Shelter."
Hearing that, Wendy's hopeful expression crumbled. She stepped back, her eyes filling with tears, her face a mask of crushing disappointment and confusion. "What...? No... but... you're Jellal... you look just like him..." She got sad and didn't know what to say. As she had a downcast expression, the other mages looked on awkwardly.
Blake sighed. He walked over and gently placed a hand on her head. Upon feeling the hand on her head, Wendy looked up. She saw Blake smiling down at her.
Blake smiled at Wendy and told her, "He's telling the truth, Wendy. This is not the Jellal who you know."
Wendy's confusion deepened. "But... he looks just like him..."
"It's... complicated," Blake said, his voice a gentle rumble. "There is another one like him. The one you're looking for. He's... a different person. If you want, I can introduce you after we finish this mission."
Hearing that, Wendy's face filled with hope. Another Jellal? A chance to find the person who had saved her? Then she nodded her head vigorously. "Yes! Please! I would be happy to meet the real Jellal!"
When Jellal heard there was another like him, he looked at Blake with a puzzling expression, his hand unconsciously going to the tattoo over his eye. Another me? Others also looked at Blake the same way, wanting to ask questions.
Erza looked particularly shocked, her mind clearly racing. Blake held up a hand, forestalling the inevitable interrogation. "We will discuss this topic after the mission. Right now, we have a war to plan."
"Hmph," Carla said, her arms crossed. "It seems at least one of you has some manners. We accept your welcome. And we will be holding you to that promise, Blake-san."
"SO... CUTE!" Happy swooned.
---
With all the guild members assembled, Jellal stepped forward, his face grim. He and Hibiki had clearly been sharing intel.
"Oración Seis," Jellal said, his voice commanding. "They are a group of dangerous people. These are its six members."
Hibiki's Archive magic projected six dark, shadowy figures into the air.
"First: Guignol, 'The Puppeteer.' Aura-Thread Magic. He controls his victims like marionettes. Do not let him touch you or your allies. He forces friends to kill friends."
"Second: Scylla, 'The Vector.' She controls Vector-Shift Magic," Hibiki continued. "Our archives show her magic is a perfect reflection. All of your attacks—physical or magical—will be sent back at you. She's a perfect fortress."
"Third: Phidias, 'The Artist.' Aether-Form Magic," Jellal said, his voice tight. "He uses explosive clay. He sees destruction as... art. He's a bomber and a zealot of the highest order."
"Fourth: Mortis, 'The Nihilist.' Senescence Magic," Hibiki added, a shiver in his voice. "An ancient curse of decay and aging. Getting close to him is a death sentence. He rots everything he touches—magic, steel, life."
"Fifth: Malak, 'The Sadist.' Soul-Forge Magic." Jellal's gaze turned dark. "The most depraved. He can reshape a person's soul with a single touch, disfiguring their body into a monstrosity. He... plays with his victims before he kills them."
A cold shiver went through the group. Lucy and Sherry looked sick. Natsu and Gray were shaking with rage.
"And the leader: Brian. His magic is unknown, but he holds these monsters together. Their goal is the same as the old legends: they are searching for a powerful Magic called Nirvana," Jellal finished.
"With little known info about it," Hibiki said, "all we know is that 'Nirvana' is a magic of inversion. A magic that can turn... light... into darkness."
The implication hung in the air. A powerful, ancient magic, sought by a guild of S-Class-level killers. The war had just begun.