The suitcases were packed. Simon and Kagura had run home to gather their meager belongings, while Erza had almost nothing to pack apart from the few outfits Raizel and Ultear had bought her.
For Erza, Rosemary Village wasn't about possessions; it was about memories, both bitter and sweet.
In the evening, they had a farewell dinner.
The small table couldn't seat everyone, so Raizel and Laxus sat on the doorstep, plates balanced on their knees.
It wasn't bad—eating grilled fish while watching the sunset paint the village in hues of gold and violet.
Later that night, Raizel found Erza sitting on the porch steps, staring up at the stars.
"Erza," Raizel sat down next to her. "You don't have a surname, right?"
Erza shook her head, her crimson hair swaying. "No. I've always just been Erza. Sometimes... it feels like something is missing."
She didn't feel particularly sad about it, but in a world where names carried weight, being just "Erza" felt incomplete.
"How about I give you a surname?" Raizel suggested, leaning back on his hands.
"From now on, you'll be Erza Belserion."
"Beleserion?" Erza tilted her head, her bangs covering her puzzled eyes. "What does it mean?"
"It's the name of a wise dragon from four hundred years ago," Raizel explained, looking up at the constellations.
"This dragon dedicated her life to seeking peaceful coexistence between humans and dragons. She was strong, wise, and kind. I really admire her."
'It's also your mother's surname,' Raizel added silently in his heart. 'And it would be very interesting if Irene ever found out.'
Irene Belserion, the Dragon Queen, had a complicated history.
She had loved Erza enough to carry her for 400 years, and loved her enough to abandon her rather than consume her body to regain her own humanity.
Giving Erza this name felt like closing a circle.
"A wise dragon... peace?" Erza murmured the name, testing it on her tongue.
"Erza Belserion."
She smiled, a small, genuine thing. "I like it. Alright. From now on, I am Erza Belserion!"
"Good," Raizel stood up, ruffling her hair. "Go inside and get some rest. We have a long trip tomorrow."
Erza nodded and ran inside to find Ultear and Kagura, eager to share her new name.
...
The next morning, the group stood at the village entrance.
To their surprise, almost every villager had gathered to see them off.
"Simon! Erza! Kagura!" Chief Erwin called out, waving his cane. "If you ever miss home, you're always welcome back to Rosemary Village! Don't forget us!"
"We won't!" Erza shouted back, waving until her arm hurt.
Because of Rob's condition, the group moved slower than usual, but they eventually reached the train station in the neighboring town.
"Is he... really okay?" Erza whispered, pointing at Laxus.
The formidable Lightning Mage was currently slumped over a seat, his face was so green that it looks like he was about to die.
"He's fine," Raizel waved his hand dismissively. "He just gets motion sickness on vehicles. He'll be back to his grumpy self once we hit solid ground."
"I'm never... taking a damn train... again," Laxus groaned into the seat cushion.
...
When they finally arrived in Magnolia, Laxus still looked like a walking corpse.
He stumbled behind them as they navigated the bustling streets toward the guild hall.
"Here we are," Raizel stopped in front of the massive building.
He pointed to the sign above the heavy wooden doors. "FAIRY TAIL."
Erza, Simon, and Kagura stared up in awe.
The guild hall looked like a castle compared to the huts in their village.
"Alright, follow me inside," Raizel pushed the doors open.
THUD! CRASH!
"Take this, Ice Breath!"
"Ice Make: Lance!"
As soon as the doors opened, chaos greeted them.
Gray and Lyon were in the middle of a brawl, stripping off their clothes as they fought. Reedus was sitting nearby, calmly sketching the fight.
"Why... why are they naked?" Kagura whispered, her eyes wide with shock.
A shirt flew through the air, landing right in front of her.
Raizel sighed, snatching the shirt and throwing it back at Gray's face.
"Put your clothes on!"
"Ah! My bad!" Gray shouted, realizing they had an audience.
Raizel scanned the room.
Cana wasn't around—likely out with Gildarts. Macao and Wakaba were cheering on the fight with drinks in hand.
Makarov was sitting on the bar counter, watching the chaos with a resigned expression.
Ur sat nearby, looking regal and unbothered.
The moment Makarov spotted Raizel's group, his eyes lit up.
"You're back!"
He hopped off the counter, growing a giant magical fist to smash Gray and Lyon into the floor.
"Behave! We have guests!"
"Ultear!" Ur rushed over, ignoring the brawling boys.
She embraced her daughter tightly, burying her face in Ultear's hair. "I missed you so much."
"I'm back, Mom," Ultear hugged her back, patting her mother gently. "I'm okay."
"Little Mak!" Rob hobbled forward, leaning on his cane.
"Rob!" Makarov's jaw dropped.
He rushed over, and the two old friends embraced, tears streaming down their faces.
"I thought you were dead, you old fool!"
"Not yet," Rob laughed wheezily. "Thanks to your grandkids."
While the emotional reunions took place, Macao and Wakaba sauntered over to the newcomers.
"Hey, fresh meat," Macao grinned, leaning down. "Welcome to the madhouse."
Simon and Kagura shrank back.
To them, these grinning adults looked more like bandits than mages.
Erza immediately stepped forward, shielding them with her arm, her eyes narrowing into a glare.
Ultear pulled away from Ur and walked over.
She leaned close to Erza's ear. "It's fine. They just have terrible personalities. They aren't bad people."
Trusting Ultear, Erza relaxed slightly.
"You're scaring the kids!"
A shadow fell over Macao and Wakaba. They looked up to see a giant magical fist hovering above them like the Sword of Damocles.
"Master! Have Mercy!"
BAM!
Makarov flattened them into the floorboards.
He then turned to the children, shrinking back to his normal, harmless-looking size.
"Hello," Makarov smiled warmly. "I'm the Guild Master, Makarov. You can call me Gramps or Master."
He noticed Kagura's apprehension and Erza's protective stance.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail."
"Master Gramps," Erza bowed politely. "I am Erza Belserion."
"I'm Simon Mikazuchi," Simon stammered. "And this is my sister, Kagura."
"Excellent!" Makarov beamed. He turned to the guild, raising his fist.
"To welcome our three new family members—and to welcome Rob, Raizel, and Laxus back home—let's have a party!"
"YEEEAAAHHH!!!"
The guild erupted.
Mugs were thrown, cheers shook the rafters, and music started playing out of nowhere.
"My beer!" Reedus cried as a mug flew past his head.
"Why are you throwing full mugs?!"
"Cleaning duty for Macao!"
"Quest forms are flying everywhere!"
Erza and Kagura stood frozen, stunned by the sheer volume and chaos.
"Is... is this normal?" Simon asked Raizel.
"Unfortunately, yes," Raizel grinned. "Get used to it. This is home."
That evening, after the party wound down, arrangements were made.
Simon was temporarily placed with Gray and Lyon.
Makarov had kicked the two ice mages out of his house weeks ago due to their constant fighting, so they were renting a small apartment nearby.
Adding Simon to the mix seemed like a recipe for either disaster or brotherhood.
Laxus went home with Makarov, though he grumbled to Raizel that he'd be leaving for a mission soon to avoid the old man's lectures.
Ultear took charge of the girls.
She led Erza and Kagura to the Fairy Hills dormitory.
"We got you a room next to mine and Mom's," Ultear explained as she unlocked the door.
It was a spacious room with two beds and a view of the canal.
"Raizel paid your rent for the first few months," Ultear added. "But once you start taking requests, you can pay him back."
Erza looked around the clean, safe room.
She looked at Kagura, who was already bouncing on the bed. Then she looked out the window at the lights of Magnolia.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."