The heavy oak doors of the guild were propped open, letting the mid-afternoon sunlight stream into the hall, illuminating floating dust motes and the occasional flying chair. It has been three days since Blake and Cana finished their quest in Giltena, and the guild has settled back into its comfortable, riotous rhythm.
We can see Blake at the bar counter speaking with Mirajane. He was relaxed, leaning on one elbow, a half-empty tankard of ale in front of him. His other hand was idly tracing the grain of the wood.
Mirajane was on the other side, wiping down a glass with practiced ease, her smile radiant as always.
They were talking about the latest gossip in the guild—mostly about how Elfman had accidentally destroyed a bakery while trying to buy a "manly" cake, and how Gray was currently hiding from Juvia in the basement.
"And then," Mira giggled, her eyes twinkling, "Macao tried to convince Romeo that he used to date a mermaid. Wakaba laughed so hard he fell off the pier."
Blake chuckled, the sound low and warm. "Never a dull moment. Though compared to fighting liches and ancient dragons, Macao's love life is a different kind of horror story."
Mira laughed, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment, soft and perhaps a little wistful, before she turned to grab a fresh bottle.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Blake sees Wendy.
The large double doors swung wider, and Team Erza marched in. They looked tired but triumphant. Erza was carrying a massive, severed horn of some beast, Natsu was cheering about food, and Gray was... well, he was looking for his shirt.
Trailing slightly behind them, looking dusty but proud, was Wendy Marvell, with Carla flying beside her. She has just came back from a quest with Team Erza. It was a simple subjugation mission, but for Wendy, every quest was a step toward becoming a stronger mage.
Seeing her, Blake thinks of Mystogan.
He remembered the promise he made in the forest during the Oracion Seis incident. Wendy had hugged Jellal—the Earthland Jellal—thinking he was the one who had saved her as a child. Blake had told her the truth: that there was another. The one she knew. The one who had left her at Cait Shelter.
"I promised her," Blake muttered to himself. "And I don't break promises."
He set his drink down. He closed his eyes for a brief second. He uses his observation haki to see if he is in Magnolia.
His senses expanded. The noisy guild hall faded into a web of colorful auras. He felt Natsu's roaring fire, Gray's cool ice, Makarov's immense light. He pushed his awareness further, sweeping out of the guild, across the cobbled streets, through the market district, and into the quieter, shadowed alleys on the edge of town.
He was looking for a specific signature. Something quiet. Something that felt like sleep, like mist, like a world that wasn't quite right.
When he spread his observation haki throughout Magnolia, he can sense Mystogan.
There. A faint, suppressed pulse of magical energy. It was coming from a small, nondescript boarding house on the eastern outskirts. It was a room that he barely used in Magnolia, a safehouse for the mage who refused to let anyone see his face. He was there, resting, likely preparing for his next Anima-closing mission.
"Gotcha," Blake whispered.
He opened his eyes and stood up. Blake looks at Wendy, who was with Team Erza as they were giving the mission details, which they completed for Master Makarov.
"The Horned Bear was successfully subdued, Master," Erza reported, placing the trophy on the counter. "Wendy provided excellent support and enchantments. Her speed and defense buffs were crucial."
"I... I just did what I could!" Wendy squeaked, blushing at the praise.
Makarov beamed. "Excellent work! Go, rest up, my children."
Once the talk with Makarov was over, the team dispersed. Natsu headed for the food, Gray headed for a nap, and Wendy turned to find a table.
"Wendy."
She turned. Blake calls Wendy to come closer. He was standing near the door, gesturing to her.
Wendy trotted over, Carla hovering by her ear. "Blake-san! Did you see? We finished the quest!"
"I saw," Blake smiled, patting her head. "You did great. But I have something else for you today. Do you remember what I told you in the forest? About Jellal?"
Wendy's eyes went wide instantly. Her breath hitched. "You mean...?"
"I found him," Blake said simply. "Let's go."
Hearing that, Wendy gets excited. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she practically vibrated with anticipation. "He's here?! In Magnolia?! Right now?!"
"Right now," Blake confirmed. "But we have to be quiet. He doesn't exactly like visitors."
"I'll be quiet! I promise!" Wendy whispered loudly.
"Hmph," Carla crossed her arms, though her tail twitched with interest. "Well, we'd better go see if this mystery man is worth all the fuss."
She and Carla follow Blake, who takes them to Mystogan's house.
They walked through the streets of Magnolia. Blake set a brisk pace, and Wendy practically skipped to keep up, her anxiety warring with her hope. They moved away from the bustling center, into the quiet, narrow lanes where the buildings were older and the shadows longer.
They stopped in front of a simple, two-story wooden building. It looked entirely ordinary.
"He's in there?" Wendy whispered, staring up at the second-floor window.
"Yeah," Blake said.
He led them up the creaky wooden stairs. Then Blake, Wendy, and Carla are in front of Mystogan's room.
The door was plain, unadorned. There was no nameplate. To the average person, it looked vacant.
Wendy clutched her skirt, her heart pounding so loud she was sure Blake could hear it.
Then Blake knocks on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Mystogan," Blake called out, his voice calm but firm. "Open up. It's me, Blake."
Inside the room, silence. Then, the faint rustle of cloth.
Hearing that, and knowing only a few people know where he lives, Mystogan realized there was no point in hiding. Blake was one of the few people in the guild—perhaps the only one besides the Master—who could consistently find him. And if Blake was knocking, it wasn't a social call.
The lock clicked. The door creaked open just a crack.
A single eye, obscured by bandages and a hood, peered out.
"Blake," a muffled voice said. "I am resting."
Mystogan opens the door wider, realizing Blake wasn't going to leave. He stood there, fully masked, his face completely covered in his signature camouflage of scarves and hats. He held his staff loosely in one hand.
Then Blake greets him. "Hey. Sorry to disturb the brooding session."
Mystogan does the same, nodding slowly. "What do you want? Blake-san"
Blake stepped aside, revealing the small girl and the white cat standing behind him.
"Something like that," Blake said. "Mystogan, this is Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer. And her partner, Carla. They joined us after the Oracion Seis incident."
Mystogan went rigid. He stared down at the girl. Even through the mask, Wendy could feel the intensity of his gaze.
Hearing that, Mystogan says, "I know." His voice was tight. Of course, he knew. He watched over the guild from the shadows. He knew exactly who she was. He had been avoiding her on purpose.
Wendy and Carla also greet him.
"H-Hello," Wendy stammered, bowing deeply. "It's nice to meet you, Mystogan-san."
"Greetings," Carla added stiffly.
There was an awkward silence. Wendy straightened up, looking at the masked figure. She looked at his staffs. She looked at his build. She looked at his eyes.
She frowned.
"Um... Blake-san?" Wendy then asks Blake. "Where is... where is Jellal?"
She looked around the hallway, expecting someone else to step out. This masked man... he didn't look like Jellal. Jellal didn't wear masks. Jellal had blue hair and a kind smile (at least, the one she remembered did).
Blake rolls his eyes. He let out a long sigh. He looked at Mystogan, who was standing as still as a statue, clearly hoping this interaction would end with the introduction.
Blake wasn't having it.
He points the finger to Mystogan.
"He's right there, Wendy."
Wendy blinked. "Him? But...."
Blake turned to his fellow S-Class mage. The playfulness left his voice.
"Can you tell her the truth now? And stop pretending?"
Mystogan shifted his weight, looking ready to bolt. "Blake, this is not the time. My identity must remain—"
Blake cut him off softly. "She's waited seven years. Drop the mask. Just for her. Don't make her wait any longer."
Hearing that, Mystogan sighs. It was a heavy, defeated sound. He realized there is no escape. Blake wouldn't let him leave, and running away from Wendy now... that would be cowardly.
He slowly reached up. His gloved hands grasped the thick scarf covering his face.
He unwound it. Then he removed the hat.
And removes the cloth around his face.
Blue hair fell over his forehead. A tattoo marked his right eye. The face was older, sharper, and weary, but it was unmistakable.
Who now looks like Jellal.
Wendy gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Her eyes filled with instant tears. The image of the boy who had saved her, who had carried her through the wilderness when she was small and alone, superimposed over the man standing before her.
"Jellal..." she whispered.
Mystogan says, "Sorry, Wendy. For leaving you."
His voice was no longer muffled. It was the voice she remembered.
"I... I had to leave you at the Cait Shelter. It was the safest place I could find. I couldn't take you with me on my... journey. It was too dangerous."
Seeing that, Wendy cries. The dam broke. She didn't care about the mission, or the mask, or the years. She just saw her brother.
She launched herself forward. And hugs him. She buried her face in his coat, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You idiot!" she cried, her voice muffled. "I waited! I waited so long! I thought you forgot about me! Why didn't you come back?! Why?!"
Mystogan, the mage who walked alone, who put entire guilds to sleep to hide his face, stood frozen. He looked down at the crying girl clinging to him. Slowly, tentatively, he raised his hand and placed it on her head, stroking her hair.
"I didn't forget," he whispered, his own voice thick with emotion. "I never forgot. I watched. I knew you were safe with Master Roubaul. I'm sorry, Wendy. I'm so sorry."
Carla watched, her eyes wide. She looked at Mystogan, then at Blake. She realized the magnitude of this moment. This wasn't just a reunion; it was the closing of a wound.
Blake watched them for a moment, a satisfied smile on his face. His job here was done. This was their moment, not his.
Then Blake leaves them alone. He stepped back, caught Carla's eye, and nodded toward the stairs. Carla hesitated, then nodded back, deciding to stay guard outside the door but give them space.
Blake leaves the room and the hallway, walking back out into the afternoon sun of Magnolia.
Inside the room, the tears eventually slowed. Mystogan gently led Wendy inside and sat her down on a simple wooden chair. He sat opposite her on the bed, his mask and staff set aside.
He looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time in years.
"You've grown," he said softly.
"You have too," Wendy sniffled, wiping her eyes. "But... Blake-san said... you aren't Jellal? But you look just like him."
Mystogan tells Wendy who he is.
"My name... is Jellal," he admitted. "But not the one of this world. I am the Prince of Edolas. A world parallel to this one."
He explained it all. And why he couldn't come back.
"My mission... is to stop my father, the King of Edolas. He is stealing magic from this world to sustain ours. He creates portals—Anima. I have spent the last seven years traveling Earthland, finding these portals and closing them before they can consume cities."
He looked at his hands. "I had to be a ghost. I had to hide my face because... well, because there is a 'Jellal' in this world too."
Wendy listened, her eyes wide, absorbing the tale of two worlds, of a prince in exile, and a mission to save the world. It was heavy. It was sad. But mostly... it was a relief.
He hadn't abandoned her because he didn't want her. He had left her to save her.
"But you're here now," Wendy said, reaching out and taking his hand. "And I'm in Fairy Tail now. I'm strong too! I can help!"
Mystogan smiled, a rare, genuine expression that transformed his weary face.
"I know you are," he said. "You have found a good family, Wendy. Blake... Erza... they are good people."
He squeezed her hand. "I cannot stay long. My mission is not over. Anima is growing stronger. But... I will not hide from you anymore. Not when we are here."
Outside, on the street below, Blake looked up at the window. He lit a cigarette (a habit he picked up from Wakaba occasionally), took a drag, and smiled.
"Family," he muttered to himself. "It's a complicated thing."
He turned and walked back toward the guild, leaving the Prince and the Dragon Slayer to heal the past.