Fairy Tail: The Faint Smile in Earthland

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 - Echoes of a Quiet Hall



📍 Fairy Tail Guild Hall & Ethernano Waters

đź“… Early June, X791

Seven years.

Seven winters had blanketed Magnolia. Seven springs had come and gone. Through each season, Fairy Tail's fire never quite burned the same. But it never went out.

The guild survived—not through battles or banners, but through quiet resolve. Thanks to Teresa's silent blade moving through shadows, the worst threats never reached their doorstep. No debts. No beatings from Twilight Ogre. Just… quiet survival. The hall stayed standing—smaller, yes, but strong like the backbone of a sword that never gave in.

Near the guild's tall windows, Romeo stood with the breeze tugging gently at his scarf. A small flame danced between his fingers, controlled, calm. He didn't wield fire like a child anymore. It was part of him now—quiet, sharp, steady.

At the bar, Macao leaned forward on his elbows, watching Romeo closely. Wakaba stood beside him, pipe resting unlit in the corner of his mouth. His stare was sharper than usual.

"That boy's become a blade," Wakaba muttered.

Macao gave a tired smile. "Aye. Teresa sharpened him good... but didn't take the warmth out of him."

In the background, the guild stirred to life. Jet and Droy stumbled in, arms full of gear, tripping over each other in their usual chaos. Max fiddled with a half-built sand model, brow furrowed. Warren stood still, fingers at his temples, searching far-off places with his mind.

At the front, Bisca loaded bullets with slow care. Alzack checked his revolvers beside her. His hands were steady. His eyes weren't.

Kinana weaved through the room, handing out water and brushing against their arms gently. Not saying much—but offering more comfort than most words could carry.

Then a sound split the sky outside: a deep, mechanical roar.

Christina appeared, gliding through the sun like it had never left. Sleek. Gleaming. And very, very real.

Ichiya descended in a cloud of cologne mist, arms wide. "BEHOLD! The fragrance of miracles returns!"

Laki coughed in protest. "Spare us, cologne prince."

But behind Ichiya, Hibiki stepped forward, her expression more serious than usual. There was something in his eyes—hope, and disbelief barely held in check.

"We found it," he said. "Tenrou Island… It's still there."

The words didn't echo—they landed.

Jet dropped everything. Droy clutched his drawing of Levy like it might breathe. Bisca froze. Alzack cursed softly, hand shaking as it found hers.

Macao stepped forward, voice tight with hope and years of waiting.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's bring them home."

The next moments were a blur. Bisca. Alzack. Jet. Droy. Max. Warren. No hesitation. They moved as one, climbing aboard the Christina with the kind of urgency that comes only when your heart's been holding its breath for years.

Romeo stayed on the guild steps, watching. One hand touched the hilt of the blade across his back. Warm. Familiar. A promise made of steel and fire.

"They're coming home," he said, voice cracking—but clear.

Macao joined him, hand resting on his shoulder.

"You kept the flame alive," he said. "You and her... even if she never stood in the light."

Romeo nodded. His eyes fixed on the sky, where traces of magic shimmered like summer heat.

"She taught us to be edges," he said quietly. "But we stayed fire, too."

📍 Ethernano Waters

The Christina soared through glowing skies, its hull cutting across wind and magic. Jet and Droy leaned out, calling Levy's name to the wind like it might carry.

Max kept a shimmering shield around the ship, his sand twitching from tension. Warren's brow was slick with sweat, his mind searching for something just out of reach.

At the front, Bisca and Alzack stood together—rifles ready, hearts louder than their voices.

Then, she appeared.

A figure standing on the water. Barefoot. Radiant.

Mavis Vermillion.

She raised her arms, and the sea obeyed.

A glowing swell rose. And with it, Tenrou Island. Suspended in a crystal sphere of preserved time. The Fairy Tail emblem pulsed faintly across its surface—alive.

Jet nearly jumped overboard. "LEVY!"

Droy dropped to his knees, clutching his notebook. Max stood frozen. Warren wept.

Bisca fell. Alzack caught her, tears streaming. No one spoke.

High above, unseen by all but the sky, Teresa watched. She hadn't come aboard. She hadn't followed.

She didn't cry. Didn't wave. But her silver eyes stayed fixed on the magic in the air. And, just once, her lips moved. A whisper of something that might have been a smile.

📍Magnolia Guild Hall

Romeo stood alone in the doorway, a small flicker of flame at his fingertips.

Inside, Macao gathered those who stayed behind—Wakaba. Kinana. Laki. Reedus. Nab. Everyone else waited.

And then—silence.

The kind of silence that comes right before something beautiful breaks wide open.


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