Natsu Dragneel lay spread-eagled on a pile of broken cobblestones near the southern plaza. He was staring at the sky, his chest heaving. The fight with the Furnace Dragon had drained him. He felt heavy, his limbs like lead.
"I'm hungry," Natsu groaned, the universal signal that he was alive.
Blake walked over, stepping through the crowd of resting mages. He looked fresh compared to the others, despite being covered in enough dragon blood to paint a barn. He nudged Natsu's boot with his own.
"Get up, Salamander," Blake said, his voice calm but laced with intent. "Nap time isn't yet."
Natsu cracked one eye open. "Give me a minute, Blake. I think I melted my bones."
Blake took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke. "That's a shame. Because the Hellfire Dragon—Atlas Flame— at the castle courtyard. And before I knocked him out, he mentioned something about a 'Fire King.' He seemed to know Igneel."
It was as if Blake had flipped a switch connected to a high-voltage generator.
Natsu's eyes snapped open. The exhaustion, the melted bones, the hunger—it all vanished instantly, burned away by the mention of that name.
"Igneel?" Natsu scrambled to his feet, swaying slightly before finding his balance. "He knows Igneel? You're serious?"
"Dead serious," Blake nodded toward the castle. "He's sitting by the gate. If you run, you might catch him."
"I'm going!" Natsu screamed.
He didn't run; he exploded into motion. A trail of fire left in his wake as he sprinted toward Castle Mercurius, screaming "IGNEEL!" at the top of his lungs.
Blake watched him go, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Simple creature."
He turned his head. Laxus Dreyar was walking up behind him. The Lightning Dragon Slayer looked battered; his coat was gone, he had bandages wrapped hastily around his torso, and he was favoring his left leg. But his expression was focused.
"The fight's done," Laxus grunted, stopping beside Blake. "Good work cleaning up the trash at the castle."
"You guys held the line," Blake replied, offering Laxus a cigarette, which the blonde declined. "I just took out the garbage."
Laxus looked toward the evacuation zone, located in the fortified underground gardens near the castle. "I'm going to check on the shelter. Brandish is there with Arthur."
"I'm headed that way too," Blake said, flicking his cigarette ash. "Mira is with Alphonse and Celeste. If I don't show my face soon Mira starts destroying buildings out of worry."
The two men—the strongest in the guild—walked together through the ruined streets. They didn't speak much; the camaraderie of battle made words unnecessary. They moved with the heavy, assured gait of fathers who had just ensured their children would see another sunrise.
---
The evacuation zone was a secure garden area beneath the Domus Flau, reinforced with rune magic. As Blake and Laxus approached the heavy iron doors, the guards recognized them immediately and scrambled to open the way.
Inside, it was a chaotic nursery of relief. Civilians were hugging, crying, and checking on loved ones. But in the center of the room, a distinct "Fairy Tail zone" had been established.
Mirajane Strauss was there, currently in her human form, though her aura was radiating a protective intensity that kept strangers five meters away. Alzack and Bisca were cleaning their guns while their daughter, Azuka, played nearby.
And sitting on a conjured giant teddy bear was Brandish. She looked bored, popping a grape into her mouth, while a small blonde boy—Arthur—napped against her leg.
"Papa!"
The shout came from two directions.
Alphonse and Celeste, Blake's children, had spotted him. They abandoned the game of tag they were playing with Azuka and sprinted toward the door.
But as they got closer, they skidded to a halt. Their eyes went wide.
Blake was a mess. His chest, arms, and face were drenched in drying, dark fluids. To a child's eyes, it looked like their father was mortally wounded.
"Papa!" Celeste's lip wobbled, tears instantly filling her eyes. "Blood! Mama! Papa is hurt!"
Alphonse, usually the brave one trying to emulate his father, looked pale. "Dad...?"
Blake immediately dropped to one knee. He put on his best reassuring smile—the one that didn't look like a shark.
"Hey, hey. Stop the waterworks."
Mirajane and Cana rushed over, but Blake held up a hand to show he was fine.
He looked at his kids. "Come here."
Celeste hesitated, terrified of hurting him, but then ran into his arms. Alphonse followed. Blake hugged them tight, not caring about getting the dragon blood on them.
"I'm okay," Blake whispered into their hair. "This isn't my blood. It's... paint. Dragon paint."
"Dragon paint?" Alphonse sniffled, pulling back to look at Blake's chest. "Really?"
"Really, I had to teach them a lesson. I'm not hurt. Not a scratch. See?"
He wiped a smear of blood off his arm to reveal unbroken, Haki-toughened skin beneath.
Celeste touched his face, her small hand leaving a clean streak on his cheek. "You promise?"
"I promise," Blake said, kissing her forehead. "I'm invincible, remember?"
Meanwhile, Laxus had reached his family. Brandish looked up, her expression unchanging, but her eyes softened slightly.
" You look terrible," Brandish deadpanned.
"Dragon took a bite," Laxus shrugged, looking down at the sleeping Arthur. "He okay?"
"He slept through the earthquake," Brandish said, stroking the boy's hair. "He has your sleeping habits."
Laxus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and rested his large hand on Arthur's head. The boy stirred, opened sleepy eyes, saw Laxus, mumbled "Dad," and went right back to sleep. Laxus smiled—a rare, genuine smile.
Blake stood up, lifting Celeste onto his shoulders while Alphonse clung to his leg. He walked over to the group.
"Brandish," Blake said.
Brandish looked at him. "What? If you want me to clean your clothes, I'm not a laundry service."
"No," Blake's expression turned serious, shifting from father to strategist. "I have a job for you. A big one."
He gestured toward the castle courtyard above.
"There are Nineteen dead dragons up there. Massive ones. Their bodies are filled with materials that don't exist in this era anymore. Dragon scales, dragon teeth... and Dragon Lacrima."
Laxus's eyes narrowed, understanding immediately. "Second Generation Dragon Slayers."
"Exactly," Blake nodded. "If we leave them, they'll rot, or the Council will confiscate them. I want you to go up there and shrink the corpses."
Brandish raised an eyebrow. "All of them? That's a lot of work. What's in it for me?"
"Unlimited access to the Corvus family secret dessert stash for a year," Blake offered. "And the knowledge that Arthur and these kids might need those lacrima one day to protect themselves."
Brandish paused. She looked at Arthur sleeping against her leg. She looked at Alphonse and Celeste.
She sighed, standing up and dusting off her dress.
"Fine. But I want the strawberry cheesecake you make. Two whole ones."
"Deal," Blake grinned.
"Azuka wants to go too!" the small girl in the cowboy hat chirped, running over. Bisca smiled wearily. "She's been worried about everyone."
Blake looked at the group of children—Alphonse, Celeste, Arthur (who was waking up now), and Azuka. They had been cooped up in a bunker while the world ended above them. They were scared.
"Hey," Blake addressed the kids. "You guys like dragons?"
Alphonse's eyes lit up. "Like Natsu-nii?"
"Bigger," Blake said. "Real ones. I have a friend up there. A nice dragon. You want to go meet him?"
"A nice dragon?" Celeste asked skeptically. "Dragons are mean. They broke the city."
"Not this one," Blake promised. "This one is basically a giant heater. Come on. Uncle Natsu is already playing with him."
The curiosity of children is a powerful force. The fear vanished, replaced by awe.
"Yeah!"
"Let's go!"
The procession moved from the shelter to the castle courtyard. Blake led the way with Celeste on his shoulders. Brandish walked beside him, occasionally shrinking massive pieces of debris that blocked their path, which the kids found hilarious. Laxus carried Arthur, and the Connells followed with Azuka.
When they crested the stairs into the main courtyard, the scene was breathtaking.
The fifteen dead dragons had already been shrunk by Brandish (who had flicked her fingers lazily as they walked past the piles), leaving only the massive, living form of Atlas Flame.
The Hellfire Dragon was sitting on his haunches near the broken Eclipse Gate. He was glowing with a warm, orange light, his body composed entirely of magical flames.
Natsu was standing on the dragon's knee—actually standing on the fire—laughing and talking animatedly.
Blake stepped into the courtyard.
Atlas Flame sensed him immediately. The dragon stiffened. The flames on his back flared up defensively, turning a slightly hotter blue. He remembered the Galaxy Impact. He remembered the feeling of being crushed by a human who felt like a monster.
"You..." Atlas Flame rumbled, lowering his head cautiously.
Natsu turned around. "Yo, Blake! Atlas is awesome! He's Uncle Atlas now!"
Blake walked up to the massive beast. He didn't draw his sword. He didn't flare his Haki. He just looked at the dragon with a calm, fatherly demeanor.
"Relax, Atlas," Blake called out. "War's over. If I wanted you dead, you'd be in Brandish's pocket right now."
Brandish waved a tiny, shrunk dragon corpse between her fingers to emphasize the point. Atlas Flame gulped (a strange sound for a fire creature).
"I brought some visitors," Blake continued. "They're kids. They're fragile. So, lower the thermostat."
Atlas Flame looked at the group. He saw the small children hiding behind Blake's legs.
The ancient dragon let out a soft huff of smoke. The intense heat radiating from him dissipated. His flames turned from a roaring inferno to a gentle, warm campfire glow.
"I am not a monster to hatchlings," Atlas grumbled, though his tone was soft. "I am the Eternal Flame. I provide warmth."
"Look!" Blake pointed. "He's dimming the lights for you."
Alphonse was the first to move. He was Blake's son, after all. He possessed that reckless Corvus curiosity. He stepped out from behind Blake's leg and walked toward the dragon's lowered snout.
"Alphonse, be careful!" Mirajane called out, though she trusted Blake.
Alphonse stopped inches from the dragon's nose. The heat was like standing in front of a cozy fireplace.
"Hello," Alphonse said.
Atlas Flame brought his massive eye closer. "Hello, small one. You smell like... him." He glanced at Blake. "But less terrifying."
Alphonse reached out a hand.
Natsu leaned down. "It's okay! He feels like warm wool! Touch him!"
Alphonse pressed his hand against the dragon's snout.
He didn't burn. The flames swirled around his fingers, tickling him.
"Whoa!" Alphonse laughed. "It tickles! It's fuzzy fire!"
Seeing that Alphonse wasn't turned to ash, the floodgates opened.
"Me too!" Celeste scrambled down from Blake's shoulders.
"I want to touch the dragon!" Azuka ran forward.
Even Arthur, usually sleepy, wiggled out of Laxus's arms and toddled over.
For the next ten minutes, the courtyard of Castle Mercurius witnessed a scene that defied history.
Four hundred years ago, dragons ate humans.
Today, the children of Fairy Tail were treating a Hellfire Dragon like a jungle gym.
"Higher! Higher!" Azuka squealed.
Atlas Flame, the Scourge of the Past, sighed resignedly and lowered his wing so the kids could scramble onto his back.
"Careful," Atlas rumbled. "Do not pull the dorsal flames. That tickles."
Celeste and Arthur tried to climb the scales on his leg, but the fire was slippery. They slid down, tumbling onto their butts, and erupted into fits of laughter.
"Again! Again!"
Blake stood back with the other parents, watching the scene with a soft smile.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Laxus muttered, crossing his arms. "My kid playing tag on a dragon."
"It's a good day," Blake said. "A story for the history books."
While the kids were distracted trying to see if they could climb to Atlas Flame's head, Blake turned to Lucy Heartfilia.
Lucy was standing by the gate mechanism, clutching her keys. She looked exhausted but happy watching the scene.
"Lucy," Blake said gently.
"Yeah?"
"It's time. We need to send him back before the gate closes forever."
Lucy nodded. She knew this had to happen.
"I'm ready. I have the keys."
Blake clapped his hands loudly. "Alright, kiddos! Gather round!"
The authority in his voice was absolute. The kids stopped climbing immediately and looked at him. Even Atlas Flame looked up.
"Is it time?" the dragon asked.
"Yeah," Blake nodded. "The bus is leaving. You have a home to get back to."
The children's faces fell.
"Noooo!" Celeste pouted, crossing her arms. "We just started playing!"
"I want the dragon to stay!" Arthur grumbled. "He's warm."
"Can't we keep him, Papa?" Alphonse asked. "We have room at the guild hall!"
Blake chuckled. "He's too big for the guild hall, Al. And he has his own family waiting for him in the past. Imagine if I didn't come home to you guys? You'd be sad, right?"
The kids nodded solemnly.
"So we have to let Atlas go home to his family," Blake explained.
The kids looked down, kicking the dirt. They understood, but they didn't like it.
Blake sighed. Time for Plan B.
"Tell you what," Blake leaned in conspiratorially. "If you guys get off the dragon and say goodbye nicely... I will buy you whatever candy you want. Unlimited. Brandish will even make it giant."
Brandish rolled her eyes nearby. "Don't drag me into your bribery." But she smirked.
"Giant candy?" Arthur's eyes widened.
"Whatever we want?" Azuka gasped.
"Deal!" Alphonse and Celeste shouted in unison.
The kids scrambled off Atlas Flame, lining up to wave.
"Bye-bye, Mr. Dragon!"
"Have a safe trip!"
"Say hi to Igneel!"
Atlas Flame looked at the children, then at Natsu, and finally at Blake.
"Humans..." the dragon mused. "Perhaps... the future is not so bad after all."
He turned to Natsu. "Son of Igneel. You have his spirit. Do not forget it."
Natsu grinned, giving a thumbs up. "I won't! Thanks for the help, Uncle Atlas!"
Lucy stepped forward. She held up the twelve keys. The golden magic resonated with the massive Eclipse Gate.
"Open! Gate of the Eclipse!"
The massive doors groaned. The vortex swirled again, but this time it wasn't spewing monsters. It was a calm, white light.
Atlas Flame spread his wings. He looked at Blake one last time.
"Warrior," Atlas nodded. "I shall remember your strength."
"And I'll remember your warmth," Blake replied with a respectful nod.
Atlas Flame walked into the light. His massive fiery form began to dissolve into particles of ethernano, drifting back into the river of time.
"LIVE ON, HUMANS!" his voice echoed one last time.
And then, he was gone.
Lucy slammed the keys together. "Close!"
The great doors of the Eclipse Gate swung shut with a final, resonant thud. The magical pressure in the air vanished completely. The connection to the past was severed.
As the gate closed, the final loose end began to unravel.
Lying in the crater where Blake had buried him, Future Rogue Cheney began to glow.
He had regained consciousness moments ago, just in time to watch his dragons fall and his plans crumble. He dragged himself out of the pit, looking at the scene of the guild members celebrating, the children laughing, the dragons defeated.
He looked at his hands. They were turning into golden dust.
"The timeline..." Rogue whispered. "It's rejecting me."
He looked up and saw the present-day Rogue Cheney walking toward him, supported by Frosch.
"You..." Future Rogue gasped. "Don't... become me. Protect... Frosch."
Present Rogue stopped, his eyes widening. "I promise."
Blake walked over, standing beside Present Rogue. He looked down at the fading man from the future.
"You lost the moment you tried to steal their future," Blake said, not unkindly.
Future Rogue looked at Blake. A bitter smile crossed his face.
"With a monster like you guarding them... I suppose I never stood a chance."
The wind picked up. Future Rogue's body broke apart into a thousand specks of light. He didn't die in pain; he simply ceased to exist, his timeline erased, his history overwritten by the victory of today.
The shadows he had commanded dissipated, leaving only the clear evening sky.
Blake watched the lights fade. He felt a hand on his arm.
It was Mirajane. She had come up beside him, holding Celeste's hand.
"It's over, isn't it?" she asked softly.
Blake put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He looked at Natsu and Gray bickering, at Laxus holding Arthur, at his students who had survived the impossible.
"Yeah," Blake exhaled, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. "It's over."
He looked down at Alphonse and Celeste, who were tugging at his pants.
"Papa! Candy! You promised!"
Blake laughed, picking Celeste up and swinging her around.
"I know, I know. A promise is a promise. Let's go bankrupt the nearest sweet shop."
As the Fairy Tail guild walked away from the ruins of the Eclipse Gate, the sun finally dipped below the horizon, marking the end of the Grand Magic Games and the beginning of a peaceful night. The dragons were gone, but the legends of this day—and the man who fought them with his bare hands—would live forever.