July 4, X777, The Heartfilia Estate
Raizel stood alone at the front gate as it slowly opened.
Today, Raizel had come to visit Jude and Layla.
Inside, Raizel met a figure he hadn't seen in some time: August.
The Magic King had brought Grammi with him, having left Brandish back at the Alvarez Imperial Palace.
After meeting Brandish previously and recognizing her immense potential, August had decided to mentor her personally.
However, knowing the Eclipse Plan was scheduled for July 7th, he took it upon himself to escort Grammi safely to Fiore.
"August-sama. Its been a while," Raizel greeted him.
He felt that the old man's aura was even more vibrant than before.
"Long time no see boy," August nodded with a kindly expression.
"Raizel, please, have a seat." Jude stood up, gesturing to a chair.
Layla greeted him warmly as well.
After exchanging pleasantries, Raizel got straight to the point.
"Mr. Jude, may I ask if the Zodiac Keys and their contractors have all been gathered?"
"Yes, they have all been found," Jude nodded quickly.
In truth, Jude felt incredibly fortunate.
Without the help of August and Raizel, locating Grammi in the vast Western Continent would have been nearly impossible.
"That's good." Raizel nodded.
He only needed to confirm the keys were ready; he didn't plan to interfere with the ritual itself.
Celestial Spirit Magic wasn't his specialty.
After receiving the confirmation, Raizel accepted Jude and Layla's warm invitation to stay for lunch before taking his leave.
'Should I secure Wendy early?' Raizel wondered as he left.
He knew Wendy Marvell, the Sky Dragon Slayer, would land near the Forest of Webb, close to where the Nirvana magic was sealed.
This was where the spirit 'Roubbaul' would eventually create the phantom guild, Cait Shelter, to care for her.
With Jesmon and the Three Blade Spirits, finding her wouldn't be difficult.
If all else failed, he could simply stake out the area and wait.
As for Natsu, Makarov would likely run into him on his way back from the regular Council meeting, so Raizel didn't need to worry about the Fire Dragon Slayer.
Lost in thought, Raizel flew back to his home in Magnolia.
The Red Maple trees in his yard had grown considerably taller over the past few months.
The more Raizel looked at them, the more pleased he felt.
He was glad he hadn't let Ultear use her magic to speed up their growth; watching them mature slowly was a joy in itself.
'I should go bring Wendy back. Although Robaul treated her well, he is ultimately just a spirit.'
Once decided, Raizel headed to the Eastern Forest.
Ultear, Erza, and Kagura were still training there. The four of them had just returned from a mission a few days prior.
"Erza, Kagura, continue sparring with each other for the next couple of days. I need to go out for a while," Raizel announced.
"Do you need help?" Ultear asked.
She found it strange that Raizel had returned only to leave again so soon.
"No need, there's no fighting involved. Think of it like my visit to Mr. Jude today—I should be back soon." Raizel waved his hand, signaling them not to worry.
...
The Eclipse Evening of July 6, X777
August didn't stay for the opening of the Eclipse Gate.
He had left earlier that day.
Grammi followed him back to Alvarez, returning the Aquarius Key to Layla before she left.
Since Brandish wasn't learning Celestial Spirit magic and was studying under August instead, the key belonged to the Heartfilias from now on.
Raizel had been waiting near the Royal Palace in Crocus since early morning.
He found the highest vantage point on a nearby tower.
"Take Over: Jesmon."
He transformed, his senses heightened, and waited.
He wasn't sure of the exact minute the gate would open, so he kept watch from dawn until dusk.
"Is that a lunar eclipse?"
"What a weird-looking moon."
In the capital city of Crocus, the moon appeared distorted and violet. Citizens walking the streets stopped to point and whisper.
...
Mercurius – The Hall of Shining Lights
Under the palace, Layla Heartfilia gathered all twelve Zodiac Keys.
Unlike the original timeline, she had all the keys and plenty of support.
She didn't need to sacrifice her life force to force the gate open.
"Open! Gate of the Eclipse!"
Magic power surged and the massive doors groaned.
King Toma E. Fiore, who had been boasting confidently just moments ago that the gate was a dud, now pointed at it with trembling fingers.
"The Eclipse Gate... it's open! The relic passed down through our family for generations... it actually opened!" The King, wrapped in his cloak, broke out in a cold sweat.
"Huff... huff..."
Opening the gate still drained a massive amount of Layla's magic power.
She sank to her knees while breathing heavily.
"Someone is coming out!" King Toma shouted.
A figure emerged from the swirling vortex of light.
A woman with a ponytail and a long cloak stepped onto the stone floor.
"Where is this? What year is it?" Anna Heartfilia asked, looking at Layla.
"It is the year X777," Layla replied, her voice tired but happy.
"That's.... 400 years in the future... we succeeded!" Anna gasped.
She looked around the underground chamber anxiously.
"Where are the children? There were five children who came with me."
"I didn't see any children," King Toma said seriously, pointing upward. "But when the gate opened, five beams of light flew out. Look, they pierced right through the ceiling!"
Anna looked up at the five holes in the castle roof and was shocked speechless.
...
"Arcadios, look! Five shooting stars!"
On a viewing platform, a young Princess Hisui pointed at the sky.
"How strange. Shooting stars usually fall down, not up," her guardian, Arcadios, muttered, watching the five multicolored lights scatter across the sky.
"And they are five different colors."
...
"Wait a moment, I have no idea what you're talking about!" King Toma looked confused as Anna and Layla spoke about 400 years ago and family duties.
"So you're saying you're from the past?"
Only after Anna explained the plan did the King understand.
The Eclipse Gate wasn't a weapon; it was a time machine meant to send the Dragon Slayers to an era rich in magic power.
"Alright. From now on, this is my responsibility," Anna declared.
She looked at her descendant gently.
"Layla, you have done your part. You should go live happily with your family."
"Miss Anna, what do you plan to do now?" King Toma asked.
"One step at a time. First, I need to find the five lost children," Anna said, holding up a finger.
Natsu and Gajeel were tough, but Wendy, Sting, and Rogue were still very young.
She needed to find them quickly.
...
Outside the palace, Anna said her goodbyes.
"Until we can speak of everything openly..." Anna said.
"Yes. We must keep the secret of the Dragons. I understand." Layla smiled and nodded at her ancestor.
Before Anna even left the palace, Raizel had already moved.
From his perch, he saw the five streaks of light burst through the palace roof.
Red. Iron. White. Shadow. Blue.
"There."
Raizel locked onto the blue streak.
"It's heading toward the Wastelands... near Nirvana."
Raizel launched himself into the air, flying after the blue light.
Wendy's landing zone was a few hundred kilometers away, near the vast tree sea known as the Forest of Webb.
...
Wendy Marvell had crashed into a small clearing in the dense forest.
When Raizel found her, she was curled up on the grass, sleeping soundly.
She was tiny.
She had short blue hair and wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a yellow collar, blue shorts, and a pair of small red boots.
"She's out cold," Raizel whispered.
The time travel and the transition through the gate had exhausted her.
She was in a deep, peaceful slumber.
Raizel unrolled a sleeping bag from his backpack.
He gently lifted the small girl and placed her inside.
It was July, so the weather was warm, but he placed a thin blanket over her just in case.
Wendy slept so deeply she didn't even stir.
Raizel built a small campfire nearby.
He sensed the area with his magical senses.
There were no powerful beasts in this part of the forest—Robaul hadn't created Cait Shelter yet, so the area was quiet.
He decided against keeping a strict watch. Even if something approached, his reflexes would wake him instantly.
He leaned against a nearby tree, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.
Mission accomplished.