Fairy Tail: Threads of Infinity

The sun was already high by the time the train finally pulled into Magnolia Station. The journey back from the coast had been a peaceful one—filled with laughter, half-hearted arguments over snacks, and Natsu getting motion sick within the first ten minutes. Happy had tried to help him by fanning his face with a leaflet that read "Magnolia Local Delights," but it had only made things worse.

"Don't shove fish smell in my nose, Happy…" Natsu groaned as he leaned against the window, face pale.

"I like fish!" Happy had chirped with a blink. "It's a natural medicine!"

The group had mostly ignored the scene. Lucy had her legs curled up on her seat, scribbling notes in her celestial spirit diary. Mira, who had claimed the seat next to Shinra, had dozed off somewhere after lunch, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. Juvia had been quietly stealing glances at Gray, who was obliviously flipping through a weather magazine.

Shinra just sat calmly, listening to the subtle hum of the train and watching the scenery shift. He knew this peace wouldn't last forever. But for now, it was enough.

They stepped off the train onto the warm cobblestones of Magnolia with a collective sigh. The buildings were just as they remembered—lively, slightly chaotic, but unmistakably home.

Lucy stretched. "Feels like we've been gone for weeks."

Erza nodded, her armor glinting faintly in the sunlight. "We have."

"Guild's gonna freak when they see us," Gray muttered with a slight grin. "Especially you, Shinra. You've been missing from all the bar fights."

"I'll make it up to them," Shinra replied smoothly.

Happy flapped above them. "Aye, I can already hear Mira's announcement echoing across the hall!"

Mira laughed gently. "Not wrong."

As they made their way through Magnolia, more than a few townsfolk stopped and waved. Some kids ran up to Natsu, asking about his "flame-fist adventures," while old shopkeepers greeted Erza with respectful nods.

But it wasn't until the looming figure of the Fairy Tail guild came into view that the excitement really hit.

They didn't even make it halfway up the stairs before the double doors exploded open.

"YOU'RE BACK!" came the thunderous roar of Elfman, who nearly tackled his sister in a hug before realizing he might had squeezed too hard. He awkwardly turned mid-motion and embraced Lucy instead, who squeaked in surprise.

"Elfman!" Mira said, laughing. "We're fine. Everyone's okay."

Jet and Droy came barreling out next, closely followed by Levy, who stopped dead when she saw Shinra.

"Whoa, what happened to your coat?" she asked, pointing at the slightly charred edges of his outfit.

"Let's just say it met someone with a flashy magic," Shinra said with a soft smile.

Inside the guild, things erupted quickly. Macao started pouring drinks, Wakaba lit a celebratory cigar (much to Mira's disapproval), and Cana passed out celebratory cards—though she refused to let Lucy see her hand.

Natsu and Gray were dragged into a series of reenactments of their battles by the younger guild members, while Happy flew around boasting how he'd single-handedly scouted the enemy fortress. Erza had been immediately swept into a conversation with Makarov, who gave her a proud nod before glancing over at Shinra with a knowing smile.

"You kept them safe?" he asked when Shinra finally stepped up.

"As best as I could," Shinra said.

"That's all I neededto hear."

**⁂**

Meanwhile, just outside Era , Simon stood at the edge of a path leading east. Behind him stood Sho, Millianna, and Wally—along with Jellal, still unconscious, bound in magical cuffs and sealed with suppressing lacrima. They had already contacted the Council; the Rune Knights would be arriving anytime by now.

Millianna looked torn as she glanced at Jellal. "It still feels weird… He raised and took care of us, but now…"

Simon rested a hand on her shoulder. "That's why we're doing this. Not for revenge, not out of hate—but to make sure no one else gets caught in that twisted dream again."

Wally nodded. "We'll go with the knights until we know he's securely imprisoned. After that… I think we should stick to the original plan."

Sho turned to him. "Explore the world?"

"Yeah," Wally said with a half-smile. "It's time we stop being prisoners of our past."

They all looked back at the tower one last time—its spires distant and faint against the sky—and then turned to begin their walk forward.

**⁂**

Back at Fairy Tail, Erza found herself sitting on the second-floor balcony, sipping from a mug of lukewarm tea. Shinra slid into the seat next to her, his coat freshly mended and eyes still holding a calm glint.

"They're all getting noisy again," Erza said, smiling faintly as Gray was shoved into a cake by Natsu downstairs.

"It's their natural state," Shinra replied with a chuckle.

She looked down at her tea, then out at the sky. "I invited them—Simon and the others—to join the guild but they refused."

"They're not ready for another home yet," Shinra said. "They just broke free of one cage. They need to know what freedom feels like before settling anywhere again."

Erza nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "Still… I hope they find something good out there."

"They will for sure."

Down below, Mira had taken over the bar again. Lucy was showing Levy a sketch of a new Celestial Key she wanted to look for. Juvia had somehow convinced Gray to try on a scarf she knitted (he immediately took it off, muttering something about "being too warm"). Even Loke had shown up, leaning casually against a post while Lucy pretended to ignore how flashy he was being.

Shinra stood, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "Want to head down?"

"In a minute." Erza tilted her head toward him. "You know, you were… incredible against Jellal. Against everything. Thank you, Shinra."

He met her gaze with quiet calm. "You don't need to thank me for protecting my guildmates."

Erza smiled—and it wasn't the knightly, composed one she wore so often. It was a real, tired, content smile. "Still. I'm glad you're here."

Down below, Natsu suddenly burst through the cake-covered table, fists blazing. "GRAY! I SAID NO FROSTING TO THE FACE!"

"YOU STARTED IT, FLAME FREAK!"

"Here we go again…" Lucy groaned.

Erza stood with a sigh and handed Shinra the empty mug. "Let's break them up before they take out the new ceiling again."

He chuckled. "After you."

And as they made their way down to the madness that was Fairy Tail, there was only one thought in everyone's heart—this was home. Chaotic. Loud. Messy. Beautiful.

Home.