The morning after the fall of Tartaros and the silencing of the Black Dragon, Magnolia felt like a city reborn. The sun climbed over the horizon, painting the guild's wooden beams in a soft, forgiving gold. Inside the guild hall, the atmosphere was a strange mix of exhausted silence and bubbling hope.
Zeref and Mavis sat together at a quiet table in the corner. For the first time in centuries, they were simply a man and a woman. No curses, no death-waves, no spectral forms. They held hands, the simple sensation of skin-to-skin contact still feeling like a miracle to both of them.
Blake walked toward them, his heavy boots echoing on the floorboards. He looked remarkably refreshed for a man who had just decapitated the Apocalypse. He carried three cups of tea, setting two down before the ancient couple.
"You two look like you've seen a ghost," Blake noted, leaning against the table. "Which is ironic, considering."
Mavis smiled, her eyes bright. "We're just... adjusting, Blake. Thank you. For everything."
Blake took a slow sip of his tea, his expression turning serious. "There's one more thing. A loose thread that's been dangling for decades. It's the reason I waited to tell you."
Zeref looked up, his brow furrowing. "A loose thread? You've settled the score with Acnologia and the curses. What else could there be?"
Blake leaned in, lowering his voice so the rest of the guild wouldn't overhear. "Mavis, when you were placed in the Lacrima by Precht... when the curse first took hold, and your body stopped... you weren't alone."
Mavis froze. "What do you mean?"
"You were pregnant," Blake said bluntly. "Zeref's child was growing inside you. Precht discovered it after he thought you were gone. He didn't know how to handle it—a child born of two cursed immortals. He thought the child was dead at first, but the boy's magic was so immense it sustained him. Precht left the infant to survive on his own, fearing what he might become."
The teacup in Mavis's hand trembled. Zeref's eyes widened, his breath hitching in a way that hadn't happened in four hundred years.
"A child?" Mavis whispered, her voice cracking. "I had a son? Where is he? Is he... is he still...?"
"He's alive," Blake said. "But he's not a child anymore. He grew up without a name, searching for his father. He eventually found you, Zeref, in the Alvarez Empire. He became your most loyal general. The King of Magic. The man known as August."
Mavis let out a sob, her hands flying to her mouth. The realization that her son had lived his entire life in the shadow of his father, never knowing the warmth of a mother's embrace, tore through her.
Zeref looked devastated, the memory of the white-haired man who had served him so faithfully for decades suddenly taking on a heart-wrenching new meaning.
"August..." Zeref breathed. "He was my son? All this time, he was right beside me, and I never... I never sensed it."
"The curse blinded you to many things, Zeref," Blake said gently.
Mavis looked at Blake, her tears spilling over. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why let him suffer in silence for so long?"
"Because," Blake said, his gaze firm, "if I had told you while you were still cursed, you would have tried to find him. And Zeref, in your state of contradiction, you might have killed him with a single pulse of love. I had to wait until the fate-knot was cut. I had to make sure you could actually be a mother to him."
Mavis wiped her eyes, her sorrow slowly hardening into a maternal resolve. She stood up, looking at Blake with a mixture of anger and deep, abiding respect.
"I will forgive you for keeping this secret, Blake Corvus," Mavis said, her voice regaining the authority of the First Master. "But only on one condition."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Anything, Master."
"I am stepping down," Mavis announced, her voice ringing through the guild hall, catching the attention of every member from Natsu to Makarov. "And Zeref and I are going to the Alvarez Empire to find our son. Fairy Tail needs a leader who can protect it from the threats of the future. A leader who doesn't just watch the story, but writes it."
She pointed a finger at Blake's chest.
"I name you, Blake Corvus, the 5th Guild Master of Fairy Tail."
The guild hall erupted. Natsu cheered, Gray smirked, and Makarov simply nodded, a look of relief on his aged face. Blake sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Blake muttered. "But if it means you get to be a family... I'll take the job."
---
Later that afternoon, Zeref and Mavis stood at the edge of Magnolia. They looked like travelers embarking on a grand adventure.
"I'll be coming to visit in a few months," Blake said, walking with his wives, Mira and Cana, and his two children. "To cure Irene Belserion."
Zeref nodded, no longer questioning how Blake knew of the High Enchanter's plight. "We will be waiting for you, Blake. Thank you... for giving us a life worth living."
With a final wave, the two legendary figures walked toward the horizon, heading for the continent of Alakitasia to claim the son they had never known.
---
One Year Later
Twelve months had passed since Acnologia's death. Under Blake's leadership, Fairy Tail had entered a golden age of stability and influence. But today, the guild wasn't focused on missions or magic councils. Today was the day Erza Scarlet would finally walk down the aisle.
The ceremony was held on a cliffside overlooking the ocean, the same place where many of them had once looked out toward Tenrou Island. The air was filled with the scent of sea salt and blooming lilies.
Blake stood near the altar, looking sharp in a formal black suit. Beside him, Mira looked stunning in a gown of deep violet, while Cana was already eyeing the champagne tower with predatory intent.
But the most notable guests were the ones who had arrived from Alvarez.
Zeref and Mavis were there, looking younger and happier than ever. Beside them stood August. The old man's stern face had softened significantly over the year; he spent most of the pre-ceremony time explaining the intricacies of magic to Blake's son, Alphonse, who listened with rapt attention.
And then, there was Irene Belserion.
She stood near the back, watching the preparations with a quiet, contemplative expression. A few months prior, Blake had traveled to Alvarez as told. Using his Bankai's, {Tensa Zangetsu: Unmei no Wari}, he had performed a feat of metaphysical surgery.
He hadn't just suppressed her dragon form; he had surgically removed the Dragon Slaying Magic from her soul entirely.
The process had been grueling. He had used his "Null Zone" to prevent her body from collapsing during the transition and then used the silver edge of his blade to cut away the draconic essence that had spent four centuries eroding her humanity.
The result was a miracle. Irene was human again. Her skin was warm, she could taste food, and most importantly, her emotions—long suppressed by the cold, reptilian logic of her curse—had returned with the force of a tidal wave. She could only use her Enchanter abilities now, but she was whole.
The reconciliation with Erza, however, had been a "nasty affair," as the guild called it.
When Irene first arrived in Magnolia to apologize, Erza hadn't greeted her with a hug. She had greeted her with a sword. They had fought for half a day in the forest outside town. Irene hadn't fought back once. She had simply stood there, accepting every strike, every scream, and every ounce of Erza's four-hundred-year-old abandonment and frustration.
Irene had let Erza vent until the red-haired knight was too exhausted to stand. Only then, in the mud and the rain, had they finally spoken. Only then had Irene been allowed to be a mother.
---
The music began—a soaring, orchestral piece composed by Lyra the Lyre.
Jellal Fernandes stood at the altar, looking more nervous than ever. He kept tugging at his collar. His best men—members of the "New Dawn" guild—offered him encouraging nods.
"Relax, Jellal," Cobra whispered. "If you faint, I'm not catching you."
Then, the doors (or in this case, the floral archway) opened.
The bridesmaids—Lucy, Juvia, Mira, Cana, and Lisanna—led the way, dressed in shimmering gowns of gold and blue.
And then, Erza appeared.
She wore a gown of pure white silk, armored subtly with silver filigree that caught the light. She looked every bit the Titania—fierce, beautiful, and radiant.
But the sight that brought tears to the eyes of the guild was the woman escorting her.
Irene Belserion, dressed in a regal gown of crimson and black, walked beside her daughter. Her hand was tucked into Erza's arm, her head held high with pride. She wasn't a Queen of Dragons or a Sage of the Empire today. She was the mother of the bride.
As they reached the altar, Irene took Jellal's hand and placed Erza's in it. She leaned in and whispered something to Jellal that made the man turn pale and then nod vigorously.
The ceremony was beautiful. Master Makarov, acting as the officiant, cried so hard he could barely read the vows. When Jellal and Erza finally kissed, the sky erupted in a display of "Heaven's Wheel" swords and "Grand Chariot" stars, a magical firework show that could be seen as far as Hargeon.
---
The reception was held back at the guild hall, which had been transformed into a ballroom of epic proportions.
The food was a mountain of delicacies from across Fiore and Alvarez. Zeref and Mavis shared a dance, looking like teenagers at their first prom. August was seen having a surprisingly deep conversation with Gildarts over a barrel of ale.
Blake sat at the head table, his kids playing at his feet. Mira leaned her head on his shoulder, while Cana poured him a glass of the guild's finest reserve.
"You did good, Master," Cana said, clinking her glass against his. "Look at this mess. It's perfect."
Blake looked around the room. He saw Natsu and Gajeel already arguing over a chicken leg. He saw Gray and Juvia dancing. He saw Erza and Jellal, finally at peace, surrounded by the family they had fought so hard to protect.
"Yeah," Blake said, a genuine smile touching his lips. "It's a start."
Of course, it was a Fairy Tail wedding.
It started when Natsu accidentally knocked over Gajeel's drink. Within thirty seconds, a chair had been thrown. Within sixty seconds, Elfman was shouting about "Manliness" and punching a hole in the buffet table.
"FIGHT!" Natsu roared, his fists igniting.
Irene looked on in shock as the elegant ballroom turned into a chaotic brawl. She saw her daughter, the bride, roll up her sleeves, summon a giant hammer, and join the fray with a joyous shout.
"Is... is this normal?" Irene asked, ducking as a flying turkey passed over her head.
Zeref, who was calmly sipping tea while a demon-soul-enhanced Mira chased Laxus across the rafters, just smiled.
"This is Fairy Tail, Irene," Blake said. "It's the most beautiful chaos in the world."
Blake stood up, his cloak billowing behind him. He didn't stop the fight. Instead, he cracked his knuckles, the black markings of his Haki appearing on his arms.
"Alphonse, Celeste, stay with your mothers," Blake said, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Are you going to stop them, Papa?" Celeste asked, wide-eyed.
"Stop them?" Blake laughed, launching himself into the middle of the mosh pit. "I'm the Guild Master! I have to show them who's the strongest!"
The guild hall shook with the force of their laughter and their magic. The scars of the past were still there, but they were fading, replaced by the vibrant, messy, and indestructible bonds of the present.
THE END.