a/n: apoogies for the late chapter. I was busy lately.
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Third POV
The weeks following the Temporal Anchor's activation brought a strange sense of normalcy to Fairy Tail, though everyone knew it was merely the calm before a much larger storm. The guild had settled into new routines, but there was an underlying current of purpose that hadn't existed before—they were no longer just living day to day, but actively preparing for a future they now knew was coming.
Albion found himself watching the changes with a mixture of satisfaction and restlessness. The immediate crisis had been handled, but he could feel the weight of future events pressing against the edges of his consciousness. Four and a half years felt like both an eternity and no time at all.
"You've been staring at that request board for ten minutes without actually reading anything." Levy observed, settling into the seat across from him with a steaming cup of tea. "Something on your mind?"
Albion blinked, realizing she was right. The job postings had blurred together into meaningless text while his thoughts wandered. "Just thinking about preparation strategies." he said, which wasn't entirely untrue. "The temporal delay gives us time, but I keep wondering if we're using it efficiently."
"You know, for someone who just saved us all from a temporal catastrophe, you're remarkably worried about efficiency," Levy said with a small smile. "Maybe you should take some of your own advice about not carrying everything on your shoulders."
Before Albion could respond, a commotion near the guild doors caught their attention. Natsu had apparently challenged Gray to some sort of contest involving ice sculptures and fire, which was going about as well as expected. Several guild members had gathered to watch the spectacle while Erza approached with that particular gleam in her eye that meant someone was about to get requipped into next week.
"Some things never change." Levy laughed, and Albion found himself smiling despite his preoccupation.
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing." he mused.
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-Three months later-
The training intensity had increased dramatically across the guild. What had started as individual preparation had evolved into coordinated group exercises, with guild members pushing each other to new heights. Albion had taken on a more active role in helping others develop their magic, his diverse skill set proving invaluable for identifying weaknesses and suggesting improvements.
"Again." Albion called out to Natsu, who was practicing his Fire Dragon Roar in the guild's expanded training area. "Remember, it's not just about raw power—you want precision and efficiency. Channel the flames, don't just blast everything."
Natsu nodded, sweat beading on his forehead from the intensive session. His next roar was noticeably more focused, the flames carving a clean line through the training dummies rather than incinerating everything in a wide arc.
"Much better." Albion said, genuinely impressed. "You're adapting faster than I expected."
"It helps having someone who understands Dragon Slayer magic." Natsu replied, catching his breath. "The others try to help, but they don't really get how the magic feels from the inside."
Albion nodded. He'd been working individually with several guild members, but Natsu had shown the most dramatic improvement under his guidance. Natsu's flames burned hotter and more controlled, developing new techniques that combined raw power with precision, and even Laxus had grudgingly admitted that some of Albion's suggestions had merit.
"Albion!" Kuroka's voice called from across the training area. She bounded over with her usual energy, though he noticed she moved with more grace and power than she had months ago. Her own training had been progressing remarkably well. "Master wants to see you in his office."
"Any idea what about?" Albion asked, though he suspected he knew.
"Probably about the magical resonance readings." Kuroka said, her expression growing more serious. "They've been getting stronger again."
Albion frowned. The magical resonance signatures they'd been monitoring—early warnings of dimensional instability—had been steadily increasing over the past few weeks. It suggested that despite their success with the Temporal Anchor, larger forces were still at work.
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Within a separate dimension, Selene watched the events unfolding in Earthland with growing interest. The viewing pool before her shimmered with images of her adopted son, showing his progress with a clarity that mortal scrying could never achieve.
"He grows stronger." she murmured to herself, her silver eyes tracking Albion's movements as he demonstrated a complex magical technique to Levy and several other guild members. "But strength alone will not be sufficient for what lies ahead."
The Moon Dragon God had been monitoring more than just Albion's development. Her awareness extended across dimensions, touching the edges of realities where different forms of magic held sway. She could sense the approaching convergence—not just the Anima event they had delayed, but something larger. The dimensional barriers were weakening in ways that the mortals couldn't yet detect.
"The temporal delay has created ripples." she said, her voice echoing in the empty chamber. "Events that should have unfolded separately are now aligning. Interesting."
Through her connection to Albion, she could feel his restlessness, his subconscious recognition that their current path was only a temporary solution. He had grown tremendously in power and wisdom, but there were trials ahead that would require abilities beyond what Earthland could teach him.
Selene's gaze shifted to another viewing pool, this one showing glimpses of distant Tortus—a world where ancient magics still flourished, where trials awaited that could forge a dragon slayer into something far greater. The timing would need to be precise, the circumstances carefully arranged, but she could see the path forward with crystalline clarity.
"Soon," she whispered, her fingers trailing through the magical waters. "but first, one final test."
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-Two weeks later-
The first sign that something significant was approaching came during what should have been a routine guild meeting. Master Makarov had called everyone together to discuss the latest mission reports when the magical resonance detectors that Albion had placed around the guild suddenly began chiming in harmony.
"That's not supposed to happen." Levy said, staring at the devices with concern. "They're calibrated to different frequency ranges."
Albion was already moving, his magical senses extended to their fullest. The air itself felt... unstable, as if reality was holding its breath. "Everyone stay calm." he called out, though he could feel his own heart rate increasing. "This feels familiar, but different from last time."
"Familiar how?" Erza asked, her hand instinctively moving toward her sword.
"Dimensional," Albion replied grimly. "but the signature is wrong for Anima. This is something else."
The resonance continued for nearly ten minutes before gradually fading, leaving everyone in the guild on edge. Albion spent the rest of the day analyzing the readings, comparing them to everything in his vast knowledge of magical phenomena.
"Any luck?" Levy asked as evening approached. Most of the guild had gone home, but a core group had remained to help with the investigation.
"Some," Albion said, looking up from the complex magical equations he'd been scrawling across several boards. "but the dimensional disturbance wasn't random. It was... searching. Testing the boundaries between worlds."
"Searching for what?" Natsu asked, his usual impulsiveness replaced by unusual seriousness.
Albion was quiet for a long moment. "I think something is looking for me."
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-Later-
That night, as Albion meditated in his room at the guild dormitory, the familiar presence of Selene touched his mind. But rather than the brief contact he'd grown accustomed to, this felt deeper, more substantial.
'My son,' her voice resonated through his consciousness with unusual formality. 'the time approaches for the next phase of your journey.'
Albion's eyes opened, though he remained in his meditative position. "I felt the dimensional disturbance today. It's connected to you, isn't it?"
'Perceptive as always.' He could hear the pride in her mental voice. 'Yes, though not in the way you might think. The disruption you felt was indeed a searching, but not by hostile forces. Opportunities are aligning across multiple realities—chances for growth that come perhaps once in a millennium.'
"What kind of opportunities?" Albion asked, though part of him already suspected the answer.
'There exists a world where magic takes forms unknown to Earthland, where trials await that could elevate your abilities beyond anything you have yet imagined. But the path is dangerous, and the timing must be precise.'
Albion felt a chill that had nothing to do with temperature. "You want to send me away again."
'I want to give you the tools you will need for what is coming.' Selene corrected gently. 'The Temporal Anchor has bought us time, but the convergence I spoke of before grows stronger. When it arrives, you will need power that transcends the limitations of a single world's magical system.'
"And my friends? My guild?"
'Will be protected in your absence, as they always have been. But Albion…' Her mental voice grew softer, more personal. 'You have grown beyond what any single teacher can provide. Even I can only guide you so far within the confines of this reality. To become who you are meant to be, you must forge yourself in fires unknown to this world.'
Albion was quiet for a long time, processing her words. Finally, he asked, "How long?"
'Approximately one year, though time flows differently between worlds. You would return stronger, wiser, and with abilities that could mean the difference between victory and catastrophe when the true crisis arrives.'
"I need time to think about this." Albion said.
'Of course. But do not take too long, my son. The window of opportunity narrows with each passing day, and the dimensional alignments required for such a journey are delicate things.'
As Selene's presence faded from his mind, Albion opened his eyes and stared out at the starlit sky beyond his window. In the distance, he could see the guild hall where his friends and family slept, trusting in a future they believed he had helped secure.
The weight of destiny pressed down upon him once again, but this time it felt different. This wasn't about preventing a catastrophe or solving an immediate crisis—this was about preparation for something so vast that even Selene spoke of it with gravity.
As he contemplated the choice before him, Albion couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow would bring changes that would alter the course of his life forever. The question was whether he would be ready to embrace them.
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Next morning
Albion's POV
I didn't sleep that night. How could I? Selene's words echoed in my mind like a mantra I couldn't shake: *You must forge yourself in fires unknown to this world.* The rational part of me understood the logic—I needed power beyond what Earthland could provide. But the emotional part, the part that had found family and belonging here, recoiled at the thought of leaving again.
Rolling out of bed as dawn broke, I made my way to the guild hall. The early morning light cast long shadows through the empty building, and for a moment I could almost pretend this was just another normal day. But the weight of destiny pressing against my consciousness made that illusion impossible to maintain.
I settled into my usual spot at one of the tables, pulling out a notebook to organize my thoughts. Writing had always helped me process complex situations, and this decision was perhaps the most complex I'd ever faced.
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Pros of going to Tortus:
- Ancient magics that could enhance my abilities exponentially
- Preparation for the convergence Selene mentioned
- Potential to help others in ways I currently couldn't
- Growth beyond the limitations of single-world magic systems
Cons:
- Leaving my guild family for an entire year
- Missing important events and developments here
- Risk of the unknown trials Selene mentioned
- The possibility that I might not return the same person
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That last point gave me the most pause. Every journey I'd taken, every challenge I'd faced, had changed me in fundamental ways. What if this transformation was too much? What if I came back and couldn't relate to the people I cared about anymore?
"You're up early."
I looked up to see Mirajane approaching with a gentle smile, carrying a tray with coffee and what smelled like fresh pastries. Even in the early morning, she moved with that graceful efficiency that made her the heart of our guild's daily operations.
"Couldn't sleep." I admitted, accepting the coffee gratefully. "I have a lot on my mind."
"Want to talk about it?" she asked, settling into the seat across from me. "Sometimes an outside perspective helps."
I considered her offer carefully. Mira had always been someone I could trust with sensitive information, and her emotional intelligence often provided insights I missed. But this decision felt so monumental, so personal, that I wasn't sure anyone else could truly understand the weight of it.
"Let's say you had the opportunity to become significantly stronger, to gain abilities that could help protect everyone you care about," I said slowly, "but it required leaving for an extended period, facing unknown dangers, and possibly changing who you are fundamentally. Would you take it?"
Mira was quiet for a long moment, her blue eyes studying my face with that perceptive gaze that seemed to see right through people's defenses. "That's not really a hypothetical question, is it?"
I sighed, taking a sip of coffee to buy myself time. "No, it's not."
"How long would you be gone?"
"About a year."
She nodded thoughtfully. "And you're certain this opportunity is legitimate? Not some trap or manipulation?"
"As certain as I can be. The source is... reliable." I couldn't exactly explain that my adoptive dragon mother was offering to send me to another dimension, but Mira seemed to understand that some details had to remain private.
"Then I think," she said carefully, "that the question isn't whether you should go, but whether you can live with yourself if you don't."
Her words hit me like a physical blow. Of course she would cut straight to the heart of the matter. That was exactly what I'd been avoiding thinking about—the regret I'd feel if I stayed and something happened that I could have prevented with greater power.
"The guild would be fine without me for a year." I said, though the words felt hollow.
"Would it?" Mira challenged gently. "Or are you afraid we would be? There's a difference, Albion. You've become an integral part of this family, but that doesn't mean we're helpless without you. We were strong before you arrived, and we'll be strong if you need to leave."
"And when I come back as a different person? Changed by whatever trials I face?"
"Then we'll adapt, the same way we always do." Her smile was warm and confident. "Family doesn't mean staying exactly the same forever. It means growing together, even when that growth happens apart."
Before I could respond, the guild doors opened and Natsu burst in with his usual energy, followed by a much more sedate Happy. Gray and Erza weren't far behind, and within minutes the hall was filling with the familiar sounds of morning chaos.
"Albion!" Natsu called out, bounding over to our table. "Ready for more training today? I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, and I think I figured out a new technique!"
Looking at his eager face, at the trust and enthusiasm in his eyes, I felt the weight of my decision pressing down even harder. How could I explain that I might be leaving soon? How could I make them understand that it wasn't because I didn't value what we had here?
"Actually, Natsu," I said slowly, "I need to talk to everyone about something important. Can you help gather the guild members who are here?"
His expression grew more serious, picking up on my tone. "Everything okay?"
"It will be." I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. "I just need to discuss some... opportunities that have come up."
Within ten minutes, most of the guild had assembled in the main hall. Master Makarov sat at the bar, his usual jovial expression replaced by one of concern. Erza stood with her arms crossed, already in strategic planning mode. Levy had her notebook out, ready to take notes on whatever crisis I was about to reveal. Even Laxus had come down from the upper level, leaning against the railing with deceptive casualness.
I stood up slowly, feeling every eye in the room focused on me. These people had become my family, my anchor in a world that had often felt alien and overwhelming. The thought of leaving them, even temporarily, felt like tearing out a piece of my soul.
"I've been presented with an opportunity." I began, my voice steadier than I'd expected. "A chance to undergo training that could significantly enhance my abilities and better prepare me for future threats. But it would require leaving Magnolia for approximately one year."
The silence that followed was deafening. I could see the shock and concern rippling through the gathered guild members, I could feel the weight of their collective gaze.
"Where?" Erza asked, her voice carefully controlled.
"Somewhere... distant. The details are complicated, but the source is trustworthy."
"Is this about the dimensional disturbances we've been detecting?" Levy asked, her analytical mind already making connections.
"Partially, yes. This training could provide abilities that might be crucial when those disturbances intensify."
"And you've already decided to go, haven't you?" Master Makarov's voice was quiet, but it carried clearly through the hall.
I met his gaze, seeing the understanding in his ancient eyes. "I'm still considering it. But... yes, I think I have to."
"Like hell you do!" Natsu exploded, jumping to his feet. "We're supposed to be a team! You can't just run off on some mysterious training mission!"
"Natsu—" I started, but he cut me off.
"No! You're always talking about family and protecting each other, but then you want to disappear for a year? That's not how family works!"
His words stung because they echoed my own doubts. But before I could respond, Gray placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder.
"Think about it, flame-brain." Gray said quietly. "How many times has Albion's training and preparation saved our asses? If he thinks this is necessary..."
"It's not about necessity." I said, my voice carrying more pain than I'd intended. "It's about responsibility. There are threats coming that I'm not equipped to handle with my current abilities. This training could make the difference between protecting you all and watching you suffer because I wasn't strong enough."
"So you suffer instead?" Levy asked softly. "Albion, you don't have to carry every burden alone."
"Don't I?" The question escaped before I could stop it, revealing more of my inner turmoil than I'd meant to. "Every major threat we've faced, every crisis that's come to our door—I've been the one with the knowledge, the power, the responsibility to act. And each time, I've barely been enough. What happens when 'barely enough' isn't enough anymore?"
The hall fell silent again, but this time the quality of the silence was different. I could see understanding dawning in their faces, I could feel the shift from opposition to reluctant acceptance.
"How long do you have to decide?" Mira asked gently.
"Not long. The window of opportunity is narrow."
Master Makarov hopped down from his stool and walked over to me, his short stature somehow making his presence even more commanding. "Albion, my boy, in all my years as a guild master, I've learned that the hardest decisions are usually the right ones. If your heart and mind are telling you this is necessary, then we'll support you."
"But we want details." Erza added firmly. "As much as you can safely share. We need to know you're not walking into a death trap."
I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and sorrow wash over me. "I can't share everything, but I can tell you that the training involves ancient forms of magic, trials that test both physical and mental capabilities, and companions who will watch my back."
"Companions?" Kuroka spoke up from where she'd been unusually quiet. "Am I... would I be coming with you?"
The hope and fear in her voice made my chest tighten. "If you want to. The choice is yours, but I'd understand if you preferred to stay here where it's safe."
"Safe is boring." she said with a grin that didn't quite hide her nervousness. "Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't do anything too stupid."
"What about communication?" Levy asked, her practical mind already working through logistics. "Will we be able to stay in touch?"
"Limited contact, at best. The... distance... involved makes regular communication difficult."
"Then we'll make the most of the time we have left." Mira said decisively. "How long before you have to leave?"
I closed my eyes, reaching out with my magical senses to feel the dimensional currents Selene had described. The alignments were shifting, the window of opportunity narrowing with each passing hour.
"Soon," I said quietly. "very soon."
As I looked around at the faces of my guild family—some understanding, some concerned, all caring—I felt the last of my hesitation fade away. This wasn't about abandoning them. This was about becoming strong enough to protect them when the true crisis arrived.
The decision was made. Now came the hard part: actually leaving.