Spike, Wendy, and Irene arrive in the cave of Eden's Forest. Irene gets sudden flashbacks of Belserion whenever she can leave the kingdom to visit him. She feels the walls of the caves while sensing an overwhelming surge of magic energy.
"Home," Spike said while absorbing the energy in the cave.
Wendy sniffs and smells something disgusting. "Agh!" Wendy covers her nose. "What is that?"
Spike walks over to see some old fruit and fish gone bad. "Leftovers. I forgot about the food I picked the other day when Natsu, Happy, and I trained during the month and a half." Spike uses his fire breath to teleport it elsewhere.
"Thanks, Spike," Wendy sighs in relief, breathing the fresh air.
"You're welcome," Spike smiles.
"Mind teleporting me to my room, Spike? I want to gather my belongings. I'm aware that you and Wendy would prefer alone time, but as your mother, I forebay you of being with Wendy by yourself," Irene motherly says.
Wendy didn't like the sound of Irene possibly monitoring their fun together but wholeheartedly appreciated her decision. "Teleport me to the Fairy Hills Dorm as well. I know Rage and Carla will be together in my room until the Preying Mantis Guild is no more."
"Very well. I'll use my fire breath to transport you two to the Fairy Hills Dorm. Wendy, you still have my calling card?"
"Yeah," Wendy nods, holding the calling card. "I'll call you when Irene and I are ready."
"Sounds good. I'll be here, waiting," Spike uses his fire breath to teleport Wendy and Irene to the dorm. Spike fixes his bed and moves it to an area he seems comfortable.
Wendy and Irene land in front of the Fairy Hills Dorm and enters. They go to their rooms to start packing. Irene writes a note and leaves it on Erza's table, letting her know that she'll be bunking with Spike and Wendy at Eden's Forest. She believes that Erza wants to move into the cave; so she's either not lonely or to protect Spike from any other member of the Preying Mantis Guild.
Wendy is stunned and blushed red to see Fairy Rage and Carla asleep and naked in bed. She knows Carla is naked since her clothes are on the floor. "Whatever they did, they are lucky. I hope Carla feels better after what she and Rage did in bed." Wendy quietly moves around and packs her clothes and essentials. She flinches after hearing slight movement from Rage and Carla; Wendy carries her stuff in a backpack and leaves the room. Wendy goes to the lobby and waits for Irene.
An hour later. Irene comes out with a duffle bag she's borrowed from Erza. She stored enough clothing and essentials for many weeks in the cave. Irene also has her belongings in a different bag for the trip to the Alvarez empire. She walks to see Wendy blushing in the lobby.
"Something troubling you, Wendy?" Irene wants to know what's on Wendy's mind.
"I saw too much in my room..," Wendy has somewhat of a mental scarring seeing Carla naked with Fairy Rage. She had never slept with Spike naked in any bed before.
Irene gets an idea about the possibility with Fairy Rage and Carla. She decides not to pester Wendy with uncomfortable questions. She asks Wendy to activate the calling card and grabs her shoulder. Spike receives the call and uses his fire breath to teleport the two back to the cave.
Natsu, Happy, and Lucy are heading upstairs to Lucy's apartment. They came from their mission, stopping thugs from robbing a train. Natsu scorched them before they boarded the train, making the job swifter than usual.
"Too bad those punks didn't know anything about the Preying Mantis Guild," Natsu said. His stomach growls, craving food.
"I'm surprised that you stopped them before getting on the train, Natsu," Happy said in delight.
"Before they got on?" Lucy becomes stupefied by the statement. "Natsu melted the train with his fire breath!" Lucy barks in anger. "Not only have we lost money, but now we have to pay for the damages of the cargo train!" She complains a bit.
"Relax, Lucy. Be glad that you're almost in your apartment. Also, I wonder if Spike's awake," Natsu said, carefree with his tone.
"We'll find out," Lucy opens the door to her apartment and sees Spike's bed and belongings disappear.
"HAPPY! WHAT DID YOU DO NOW?!" Natsu and Lucy shout in anger.
"WHAT?! YOU'RE BLAMING ME FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SPIKE?!" Happy retorts, feeling conflicted about the accusation.
"You're the only one who would erase Spike from existence!" Lucy is fuming.
Happy sadly sighs. "That was true, but I had nothing to do with it here, Lucy. I swear on my Fairy Tail Emblem that I had no involvement with Spike's disappearing act!" Happy sincerely and honestly proclaim. He put his right paw on his chest.
Natsu sniffs Lucy's apartment. "Happy is right. Spike was here, but he's elsewhere."
"See, what did I tell you? I didn't make another contract with Tergeri. Been there and won't be doing that again," Happy said.
"Sorry, Happy," Natsu and Lucy apologetically say.
"I forgive you. Honestly, I don't blame you, either. I know from here and out I'll be the first for allegations whenever someone dissipates."
"So, where do you think Spike went off to?" Lucy asks Natsu.
Natsu sniffs the room more. "Someone else was here. The scent was familiar when we encountered Cabal and the Exceeds."
"You think Spike went away to protect Lucy?" Happy asks Natsu.
"Without a doubt. We'll see Spike but not here. There's one other place I can think of if he wanted to go in hiding."
"Where, Natsu?" Lucy and Happy ask him, wanting to know if Spike is in a safe place.
"I rather not say. Walls have ears," Natsu believes a member of the Preying Mantis Guild is present and pretends to be oblivious to its presence.
"Point taken," Lucy and Happy say in unison. They can't complain, knowing that the dark guild is attacking Fairy Tail mentally.
"I can't believe I have the apartment to myself again," Lucy finds it strange. For a long time, she's used to having Spike in the apartment. Now, it's going to be different.
"What's wrong with that, Lucy?" Natsu asks; he's concerned about Lucy's well-being.
"I'm used to having my brother here in the apartment. I remembered my days of living alone after a long day working with you guys. However, having Spike around meant I wasn't alone. I had someone watching over me, someone to talk to, and someone to have good mornings with."
"What about your days living in Crocus when you were a journalist?" Happy asks.
"I had trouble sleeping during the nights. It was hard to adjust my lifestyle for the year," Lucy replies.
"Well, Gramps forbade anyone from working on solo missions. I'm sure he won't mind if we stick together when we sleep," Natsu laughs. His thoughts run wild if Lucy believes he's up to no good.
"Oh, yeah! Sleepover at Lucy's! We should bring our bed to replace the space!" Happy entices Natsu.
"Good idea, Happy!" Natsu hops out the window and rushes to his and Happy's house.
"HEY! I DIDN'T PERMIT YOU TO MOVE IN!" Lucy shouts out the window. She sighs. "Oh well. It was bound to happen anyway."
"That's the spirit, Lucy," Happy starts scratching the walls.
"Will you cut that out!" Lucy demands Happy cease his foolishness.
Back in the guildhall, Laxus returns from his solo mission. He sees the guild in disarray.
"Geez, what died in here?" Laxus wonders why everyone seems gloomed.
"Changes are among us, boy," Makarov said. He's drinking his beer on the stool.
"How so?" Laxus approaches his grandpa.
"It now has my attention," Gildarts brings his carrying bag into the guildhall.
"What brings you here?" Laxus turns to Gildarts.
"Makarov alerted me about a gruesome nightmare Spike endured. I missed out on fighting Midnight Sparkle when Spike had that dream. I'm not missing out on this upcoming war."
"Right. So, what's the news, geezer?" Laxus stands next to Makarov.
"No one is allowed to go on solo missions regardless of the magic prowess someone possesses. Either go as a team or stay put," Makarov instructs Laxus.
"Anything else, Grandpa?" Laxus will be siding with the Thunder Legion. That won't change.
"Whenever you're out on jobs with your team, try to uncover clues about the Holy Knights. Anything will help us at the moment," Makarov said.
"Fine," Laxus meets up with the Thunder Legion. They discussed everything else that happened.
"So, who will I partner with, Master?" Gildarts asks Makarov.
"Whoever you feel like, teams of three wizards and more. The Preying Mantis Guild is on another level for mental assault."
"Very well, Makarov. I wonder if Erza's mom will be interested," Gildarts gets a perverted image of being close to Irene.
"Probably not. Irene is the mother of Spike the Fairy," Makarov confirms to Gildarts.
"Say what?!" Gildarts is stunned and horrified, thinking of messing with Spike's mom. "When did this happen?"
"Two weeks before the play in Onibus Town."
Wendy and Irene appear next to Spike. Spike arranged the cave to make it homier. Spike's bed is at the hieroglyphic of his mom, Amy. The drawing of the Amythest Dragon makes him feel relaxed. There's a makeshift campfire in the middle of the cave. Next to the campfire is a table he made using the trees from Eden's Forest. Spike also crafted chairs from leftover wood.
"Nice work, Spike," Irene walks by and pats his head.
"Thanks," Spike smiles. "I'll be back," Spike uses his fire breath to teleport into Magnolia.
Spike is in front of the mattress store and walks inside. An hour later. Spike buys a full-size firm bed for Irene to sleep in for 100,000 Jewels. Spike uses his fire breath to teleport the bed, sheets, and blanket back to the cave. When he arrives, Wendy and Irene are preparing dinner. Irene caught fresh fish from the river nearby, and Wendy made a fruit salad by gathering all sorts of berries, pineapples, bananas, and grapes. She's amazed to see all many fruits Eden's Forest can produce.
"Welcome home, Spike!" Wendy waves a banana to catch his attention.
"Thanks, Wendy," Spike chuckles.
Irene notices the full-size bed and approaches Spike. "Is this for-" Spike nods, answering Irene's question before she can finish. "Oh, you," Irene lifts Spike and pulls him into a loving hug. "Thank you."
"I wasn't going to allow my mom to sleep on rocks. Not even a sleeping bag," Spike replies.
"Thank you," Irene kisses Spike's cheek in gratitude.
"You're welcome, Mom," Spike kisses her cheek.
Irene puts Spike down. She and Spike walk to the table. "Fish won't be ready until another hour of heating."
"I can wait," Spike said.
Erza arrives in the Fairy Hills Dorm. It's quieter than usual. As she walks to her room, she wonders what her mom is doing. Erza worries about Spike's health but knows that Wendy and her mother can care for him. Erza enters her room and notices a letter on the table. She grabs the envelope and unveils it.
Dear Erza,
Spike had an encounter with a possible member of the Preying Mantis Guild. He goes by the name Walker; Walker's magic allows him to manifest in shadowed apparitions. With that said and Makarov's declaration, I decided to bunk in with Spike and Wendy at Eden's Forest. I left a calling card if you desire to come along. Spike decides to protect his roommate, Lucy, from other incoming attacks since they know where he slept. Burn this letter after you read it; the walls have eyes.
~ Irene Belserion
Erza takes the calling card and shreds the letter. She wants to slaughter Walker for attempting to bring misery to her brother. Erza doesn't wait too long to start packing. After ten minutes, she activates the calling card.
"Mom, I'm ready," Erza calls. She closes her eyes while holding onto a wagon full of many luggage. Spike uses his fire breath to bring Erza and her wagon inside the cave.
"Hey, Erza," Wendy waves at her.
"Hey, Wendy," Erza scours the cave and sees the depiction of Spike's family on the cave walls. The story of his clan, and she feels immense magic energy all around her. "Whoa, I feel stronger in this cave."
"That would be the infinite load of magic power in the cave, Sis. I could never get enough of consuming it every day. It's overflowing," Spike said.
"The wave of magic power flows in you, making you stronger by the second," Wendy said. "It's like those herbs we got the day before the Rainbow Cherry Blossom Party."
"I see," Erza basks in the presence of the abundantly magical power. She sees a scarlet aura flowing around her. "What is that?"
"I have deep roots with Belserion and Amy, Erza. The clan of Energy Maker Dragons shared their power with those they deemed worthy. Since Spike is the last member of his family, it's safe to say that his presence allows us to immerse ourselves in the overflowing magic energy," Irene explains.
"Natsu progressed immensely during his training with me in the caves. I want to say the richness of the magic power sustained Natsu, multiplying tenfold within every second spent here," Spike said.
"Before we eat, let's discuss our Alvarez Empire trip," Irene said. "Come to the table," Irene walks over to the table. Wendy grabs her seat.
"Shoot, I didn't make enough chairs," Spike facepalms himself.
Erza leaves the cave to chop a tree down. Using one of the logs after a few slices, she uses it as her seat. "This'll do, Spike," Erza places the log near the table.
"Alright," Spike sits on his chair by the table. Irene does so.
"So, who else should come with us?" Wendy asks her friends.
"I imagine Makarov asking Fairy Rage to stay. Having an Energy Maker Dragon as a backup would be an ideal scenario. I would assume Carla stays with Rage, refusing to leave his side after the year of his sacrifice," Erza said. She knows how close the two have become since Spike ate the time rift.
"Natsu is known for terminating Zeref, the former king of the Alvarez Empire. I'm sure he will be public enemy number one," Irene said. She knows even after two months, things are not progressing smoothly.
"Gray, Lucy, and Happy are out of contention. They will more likely stick together and go on several jobs around Magnolia. Knowing them, they could go looking for the Preying Mantis Guild," Spike admitting says cause it's something he would do as retribution.
"Well, there's a team that wouldn't mind accompanying us for the ride. Also, you may need to get those motion relief pills from that Popeye fellow," Erza reminds Spike.
"What for?" Irene turns to Erza.
"The pills prevent us from having motion sickness for 48 hours," Wendy answers.
"That is impressive. I can use my enchantments to enhance the supplement for a week at best," Irene said. She wants to utilize the effects of the pills since she has to ride on a boat.
"That's perfect!" Wendy gets excited.
"Also, which team is best suited for us?" Irene asks her daughter.
"The Thunder Legion," Erza said. She still has some beef with Evergreen, but she's willing to set aside their differences for the upcoming trip.
"Sounds good. Still, I have only been on one job with the Thunder Legion. Should be fun setting sail with them on the journey," Spike said.
"It'll be fun to work with Bickslow again," Wendy said.
"Hopefully, they won't mind coming along. It's still their decision," Irene said. She is interested in learning more about Laxus.
Spike gets up to check on the fish, but Irene uses her staff to prevent Spike from coming closer. She's the one that's cooking it and intends to serve it to her family. Erza leaves the cave to gather more wood for the upcoming nights since she has decided to stay with them for a long while.
Carla and Fairy Rage wake up from their slumber. Fairy Rage and Carla smile at each other while holding each other's cheeks. The two blush lovingly and kiss each other on the lips.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Carla said. She lightly taps Fairy Rage's nose.
"Morning, beautiful." Fairy Rage kisses Carla's nose. "You were such a captivating kitty."
"Oh, you," Carla giggles and lays on her back, staring at the ceiling. "Thank you."
"Ah, you're welcome." Fairy Rage stares at Carla's face. He reaches over to pet Carla's white hair and scratches a little behind her cat ear.
Carla coos a bit. She smiles widely. "That feels nice," Carla relaxes.
Fairy Rage chuckles a bit. "I knew you'll enjoy that."
"So, what do you feel like doing today?" Carla asks.
"Staying in bed with you? I don't feel like getting up after all that fun we had a while ago. You?" Fairy Rage watches Carla get out of bed.
"Well," Carla puts on her white bra and shirt. "I thought we could search for the missing Exceeds that fled from Cabal's mind control."
"Really?" Fairy Rage didn't anticipate Carla wanting to search for the others so soon. He thought the search would take place in a week or so; After Carla recovered from the brutal scarring image of her kin slaughtered.
"Yea," Carla puts on her black tights slowly. "Since Queen Shaggotte and the younglings are with Millianna, perhaps we can find those that fled, and you teleport them to Millianna."
"I don't have a flare marking on Millianna or the Mermaid Heel Guildhall. I remember how to get there on foot. So, is it us, or are we inviting our friends?"
"Us, Rage. Like a," Carla blushes and smiles at the idea. "Date. No Wendy, no Spike, no espionage tomcat stalking us," Carla puts on her red skirt. "Just you and me."
Fairy Rage's wings flap with excitement, and he gets out of bed. "That's all you need to say."
Carla starts putting on her green-buttoned shirt and tucks it into her skirt. She walks up to Fairy Rage and kisses his cheek. She sits on the bed to put on her brown shoes.
"Do you need to wear your tie and jacket?"
"I want to look my very best in front of the dragon I fell in love with," Carla replies. "Also..," Carla sighs.
"Sorry for pestering."
"It's not that. You have nothing to apologize for; It's just..," Carla sighs heavily. "I can't turn back."
"Huh?" Fairy Rage is confused. "I don't sense anything manipulating you. I don't sense anything abnormal either."
"Rage," Carla grabs Fairy Rage's claws and looks at him in the eyes. "I can't see myself as an Exceed; after all, I enacted on killing the hellhounds without noticing that the Exceeds were mind controlled by Cabal."
"That was a freak accident. I know you would never obliterate the Exceeds." Fairy Rage locks eyes with Carla. "We were ambushed and had no time for logical thought. You can't blame yourself."
"I do blame myself!" Carla shouts and pants heavily, with tears streaming down her face. "I attacked with our friends. We wanted to defeat Cabal and.., and..," Carla cries and holds onto Fairy Rage.
"We fell into a trap." Fairy Rage gives Carla time to release her emotions. He softly rubs her back in the embrace. "We will make things right and have our retribution. However, we mustn't blame ourselves for anything. Cabal won the battle. We will win the war."
"You won't say anything to enlighten the mood? Just straight to the point?" Carla chuckles slightly.
"You should know by now. Sweet talking is new to me. I spew facts, and whenever Fairy Tail goes to war, Fairy Tail wins. Simple as that."
"I admire your straightforwardness. Thanks for being strong."
Fairy Rage lets go of Carla to grab her blue paw tie and jacket. "Here you go. Remember, you're strong too. Stronger than any of us during certain situations. Don't fret and cling to the negativity that'll decline you from moving forward."
"I'll remember that," Carla puts on her tie and jacket. She's ready to go.
"Let's search for three days, then head back to the guildhall."
"Sounds good," Carla reaches for Fairy Rage's claw. "Let's go."
Fairy Rage and Carla leave the room. The two decide to write to Spike and Wendy about their absence later in the day. Fairy Rage and Carla agreed to ride the train to New Extalia to commence their search and rescue operation.