Author's Note: Wow, here I am back at fanfiction. I haven't touched this site in years. But here I am again writing fanfiction, this time for Fairy Tail. I didn't want to write this necessarily, but all the good stories don't update and like JRR Tolkien I decided that if there aren't any more good stories worth reading I'll go ahead and write my own. So here we go.

Author's Note Again: That note up there was written when I first wrote this like a year ago. I deleted it cuz I don't know why. But I feel this intense urge to create, and I already have like a layout for dozens of chapters so I figured I got time this summer to write as many as I can. I'll try for weekly updates until late August. So if you've ever read the first couple chapters before, sorry. But I promise new and exciting stuff after that.

Chapter 1- Abandoned

"I- I'm sorry…" Doranbolt muttered as he hung his head in shame. His eyes were firmly planted on the cobbled floor of the guild hall, partly so he could avoid making eye contact with any of the members of Fairy Tail and partly so they wouldn't see his eyes tear up. Suddenly Doranbolt felt himself lifted off the ground, and a hand clenched around his collar tightly.

"What the fuck do you mean, gone?!" an enraged Natsu Dragneel spat. His aura was ablaze and Doranbolt felt genuine fear as well as sorrow. "Laxus, Wendy and Gajeel were all on Tenrou, not to mention Master and all of our S-class wizards. We couldn't lose to a dragon!"

"Natsu, put the man down," Macao finally managed. The older man bit his lip as tears rolled slowly down his cheeks. Natsu complied, but his burning gaze never left the memory mage. The wizard in question took a step back.

"It wasn't an ordinary dragon. Acnologia is the black dragon of the apocalypse," Doranbolt said quietly. Natsu opened his mouth to speak but as he did so a memory of Gildarts flashed into his mind. He had mentioned a black dragon when he had showed Natsu his prosthetics. If something could frighten Gildarts so than it stood within reason that it was powerful enough too…

"No." Natsu slumped into one of the benches behind him. He had barely whispered. His eyes were wide and his mind rushed at a million miles an hour. There was no possible way that this wizard who had fooled the entire guild into believing he was one of them was now telling the truth. "No," Natsu breathed again, not denying it to Doranbolt but to himself. Natsu could vaguely hear some of his guild members around him, and it didn't sound good. He could hear Bisca crying, as well as Jet and Droy. It didn't sound like Romeo was having it easy, either. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Natsu knew he had to be the one to be strong, and to hope.

"Have you searched the area?" Natsu asked as he stood himself up slowly. He couldn't lose faith in his comrades. They had to be alive, even if they hadn't defeated Acnologia.

"We haven't made a full examination yet, we barely escaped with our lives. I doubt anything could survive what I saw Acnologia do to that island, though," Doranbolt answered. He looked over his shoulder at the door and back to the dragon slayer. "I have to go now. Unfortunately the council will most likely refrain from having anyone go to investigate the ruins. I'm sure if you ask Lamia Scale or Blue Pegasus for help they'd gladly oblige, though." Doranbolt turned, and purposefully strode his way out of the guild hall. The large wooden doors swung shut loudly. Then it began. Collective sobbing, shouting, panic and misery filled the hall in a cacophony of suffering.

"They're all gone…" Wakaba said through his tears, one hand over his face and the other gripping his pipe shakily. Macao held Romeo as the father and son attempted in vain to offer comfort to each other. Natsu spun on his heel, eyes darting around at all the members. This wasn't right. Fairy Tail wouldn't last long in this state. Flame sprung up around Natsu's body as his eyes filled with purpose and determination.

"What the fuck are you all doing?! Didn't you hear the man? We have to go to Blue Pegasus for help and search the area for our friends! They aren't gone, they're Fairy Tail wizards! The silly council jumped to conclusions like it always does." Natsu grinned broadly. "We'll find them, I promise!"

Macao and Romeo looked up, both sporting toothy grins through their tears. Wakaba rubbed his eyes, chuckling lightly to himself. Bisca looked up at Alzack with a slight grin.

"He really is the heart and soul of Fairy Tail, isn't he?" Alzack nodded, and took a step forward.

"So, Natsu, what's the plan?" he asked. Natsu punched his fist into his palm and looked across the hall at all the members gathered.

"I'm gonna take a trip to Pegasus and see if Bob can help us out, who's with me?" Several guild members cheered and rose their hands. Max and Warren, Jet and Droy, Bisca and Alzack, and Reedus all approached Natsu, smiling. "Good, Macao and Wakaba, you guys take care of the guild while we're gone!" Macao scowled.

"Hey, who gave you the right to order me around?! I was gonna take up the mantle of acting guild master anyways!"

"Nothing ever changes in Fairy Tail," Reedus said while sweat dropping. Natus felt a tug at the hem of his jacket, and looking down he saw Romeo.

"I'm going to stay with my dad, Natsu. Bring them home, okay?" Natsu ruffled the young boy's hair and nodded.

"I'm all fired up! Let's go!" The gathered group all jogged their way out of the guild hall, following Natsu who had charged along rather abruptly. Macao crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Those kids…" Wakaba laughed and stood beside his friend.

"Those kids are ones who are gonna bring back the rest of the guild. Don't get too attached to being guild master," he chuckled as he placed a hand on Macao's shoulder.

"W-who said I was going to get attached?!" Macao shouted defensively. Romeo laughed warmly, feeling completely better about the situation. Natsu was going to bring the family back, of that he was sure. Out in Magnolia, Lahar and Doranbolt stared in shock at the scene which had just unfolded before them. Several members of Fairy Tail had charged right through them and bowled the two unsuspecting council wizards right over,

"Those bastards…" Lahar groaned as he rubbed his head. "What the hell are they even doing?" Doranbolt smiled, even though tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Fairy Tail… they haven't given up hope. They're heading for the train station." Lahar looked at his friend and frowned.

"Well they've certainly got persistence, I'll give them that. Not that it's going to mean anything." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Anyway, we have to be back now, Doranbolt," he said as he reached out to his partner. Doranbolt nodded and took Lahar's hand, standing up.

"Let's go."

Blue Pegasus Guild Hall, Several Hours Later

"Men! I smelled your parfum before you arrived, but where is Erza's?" Ichiya asked as he struck his usual pose. Behind him, Hibiki, Ren, and Eve all followed suit. Soon after Eve and Hibiki began their typical routine on Bisca, offering her a wet towel, sitting beside her on the loveseat, and the rest of their stupidity.

"Get away from her!" Alzack roared as he punched the two away. Bisca blushed up at him a little as he helped her get to her feet. Natsu sighed and crossed his arms as he looked at Master Bob. Bob frowned, and as he glanced around at the Fairy Tail members his heart fell.

"What happened to the rest of you?" he asked slowly. Jet and Droy frowned and dropped their gazes to the floor. It was all the answer Bob needed. Natsu gritted his teeth and nodded.

"They disappeared, along with Tenrou Island. We want to go and search for them but our guild is a little small right now. I'm not sure if we'd be able to mount a full scale investigation of our own…" Natsu told the older man. He looked up with fire in his eyes. "We need the help of Blue Pegasus!"

"And you shall have it," Master Bob replied. He put a hand on Natsu's shoulder, and for the first time ever it wasn't a gesture that creeped Natsu out. "I can lend you Ichiya's team and Christina. Unfortunately that's all I have for you at the moment. You can beseech Lamia Scale for aid, I know they'd help too."

"Thank you, Master Bob," the dragon slayer said as he looked to the rest of his guild.

"Thank you!" they all cried in unison. Master Bob put his hands on his cheeks and smiled wide.

"Bring back Makarov!"

Lamia Scale Guild Hall, Several Hours Later

The members of Lamia Scale all looked up in confusion as the magical bomber hovered over their guild. Jura frowned, knowing that only bad news would bring Blue Pegasus to their guild in such a dramatic manner.

"Something has happened, something horrible…" Jura murmured under his breath. He hadn't spoke loudly enough for anyone to hear, but Master Ooba beside him huffed in acknowledgement. Team Lyon quickly jogged out onto the balcony with the elderly wizards and looked up in puzzlement, all besides Sherry, whose face now donned a light blush.

"What's Blue Pegasus doing here?" Lyon asked to Ooba as Christina a small ladder fell out of Christina and onto the balcony. Jura began to answer but his words were cut off as Ichiya smacked into the stone hard, face first. Everyone gasped as a resounding snap echoed around the balcony.

"M-men…" Ichiya stuttered weakly. Jura approached the tiny man, and with one hand lightly rolled him over. To his surprise nothing was broken, well, maybe Ichiya's pride was broken but nothing else. From the ladder another figure descended quickly, but unlike who had come before this figure managed to land relatively gracefully, partly owed to his usage of the ladder rungs.

"Natsu?" Lyon inquired slowly, not quite understanding what this boy was doing here with Ichiya. "What are you doing here? And where's Gray?" Natsu completely ignored Lyon and went straight to Ooba.

"Master Ooba, I need your help." The old woman in question frowned and looked from Natsu to Ichiya, her mind racing to comprehend why the two were together and why they were here.

"Is there another dark guild that we have to take down? Nothing was discussed at our last regular meeting, what's going on?" Ichiya closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Much more grave news, I'm afraid. The parfum of several of Fairy tail's members has ceased to exists… Men!" Jura pursed his lips as he heard this. He glanced at natsu who was nodding in agreement, and Jura could only imagine how Natsu must have felt. The boy was strong. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ren and Sherry holding each other romantically, and sighed. Those two didn't have great sense of timing. But who was he to reprimand the young for their feelings.

"So they're dead?" Ooba asked suddenly and without tact. Ichiya sweat dropped as he stammered in surprise. Natsu took a step forward slowly, eyeing up the members of Lamia Scale as he did so.

"No, they're not. But they're missing, and without the help of the council I'm going to need your help in finding them!" Ooba rubbed at her chin pensively and looked over her shoulder at the several members of Lamia Scale around her.

"I see. Very well, you can have Team Lyon, but I need Jura here." Ooba declared. Ichiya bowed to Ooba and behind him his team did so as well.

"Thank you, Master Ooba!" Lyon approached natsu as Ooba and Jura turned to re-enter the guild hall.

"We're going to find Gray," he said. "I promise." Natsu laughed lightly and put his fist in the air before Lyon.

"You don't need to promise me that. I already know we're gonna find him! But, I get to beat him bloody first!" Lyon chuckled and extended his fist to rest against Natsu's.

"Agreed." From behind them, the guild hall entrance opened once more and out came Toby and Yuka, laden with bags and luggage.

"Alright, we have all of our stuff and Sherry's make-up," Yuka said with a huff as he patted the biggest bundle. Toby snorted in displeasure as he watched Sherry and Ren share their affection for each other, in the strange way that they did it.

"We're ready to go, Lyon!" Toby shouted. Yuka shook his head disapprovingly as they approached the ladder up to Christina.

"No need to sound so mad about it…" he groaned.

Christina, A Day and a Half Later

Natsu had never felt so utterly alone. Well, in all honesty he had, but it had been so long that it was almost as if he had never experienced this loss. When Igneel left him he had been crushed. His quasi-father was gone and it seemed like that was the end to his happiness. But Fairy Tail changed that. He had countless friends, and Makarov and Gildarts had been to him what he had once had with Igneel. But now it was all gone again, taken from him by Acnologia. He knew that the guild still stood, and that he still had friends in the guild. He had Macao, Wakaba, Bisca, Alzack, and all the rest. But to him it somehow wasn't the same. There were several faces that sprung into his mind.

There was Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Lisanna, even Gray. His mind eventually made its way to Happy. Natsu felt a tear roll down his cheek unbidden. Happy. His most loyal friend and dedicated companion. Happy had never let him down. But Natsu felt as if he had let Happy down. And to make matters worse… He was on transportation. Natsu gurgled in queasily as he clenched his stomach and made an arch with his body. Alzack glanced over at him and sweat dropped.

"Natsu, we're using your nose to find Tenrou Island, get ahold of yourself!" he snapped at the dragon slayer.

"Actually, I think I've gotten my bearings," Hibiki said from behind the group. He typed away with his Archive magic, eyeing the magical screen in front of him as wet his lips. "And it seems like we're very close."

Natsu raised his thumb in congratulations but kept his head planted on the soft velvet seat. It would only be a matter of time before he reunited with his friends and proved those idiot council wizards wrong. No dragon, no matter how powerful could keep Fairy Tail down. He gripped at his gut and made himself stand up shakily. His knees wobbled and his stomach did backflips but he wouldn't let it beat him this time. He shambled his way out of the control room and finally was able to let himself fall. He quickly gripped the rungs near the front of Christina to stabilize himself and gazed out across the sparkling ocean. From behind him he could make out Hibiki's voice, and that Tenrou should be visible soon. Natsu narrowed his eyes but there wasn't anything in sight, or anything on the horizon either. He could hear footsteps from behind him and another set of hands clasped the railing beside him. Max leaned on the railing and began to peer out along the ocean along with Natsu. But unlike Natsu his eyes caught something rather quickly.

He began to stammer, making odd noises with no real meaning behind them. Natsu looked at Max with annoyance, and back at the ocean to see what had such an impact on his guild mate.

"Oi, Hibiki! There ain't nothin' out there!" He shouted. He felt bile rise in his throat and fought a brief battle to keep it down.

"What are you talking about, it's right…" Hibiki had also approached the edge of the magical bomber but like Max found himself at a loss for words. Natsu grimaced and turned his attention to the ocean. This time he noticed it. All around him other wizards from the other guilds had seen what everyone else had seen, and they all had similar reactions of shock and fear. Sitting in the middle of an ocean, far below them, was an enormous hole in the water that fell to the ocean floor. The sea parted alongside this hole, as if it was afraid to touch it.

"T-t-this was Acnologia?" Lyon gulped, his hands shaking as they gripped at the railing. Warren tapped a finger to his temple, but after a few moments lowered back to his waist.

"I don't hear anything. If they're down there, they're unconscious, or worse." In the blink of an eye, Warren's face was pressed against Natsu, who was glaring at him with a piercing stare.

"Don't you dare give up on them, Warren!" Natsu let go of Warren, and focused on all the guild mages gathered on deck. "We have to go down there and check it out. First that big gap in the sea, and then we'll investigate the water around it! Let's get down there!" And after he had said his words valiantly the motion sickness returned to him and he collapsed in dizziness. But his words had had the impact Natsu was hoping for. There was a renewed passion in the eyes of his comrades, who quickly began to scramble about readying to land on the rock below them. Don't worry, Natsu thought to himself. You're gonna bring them all home.

In a matter of minutes Christina had set down in the massive crater. The magic emanating off the rock and sea around them was oppressive and heavy, weighing down on everyone's shoulders like gravity had suddenly doubled. It was completely barren around them. Natsu began to trod along the sea-wall that had formed, sort of understanding why the water feared to flow here. There was an unnatural and eerie power about it all. It was certainly a large hole, and Natsu figured Tenrou Island must have been quite large if this was what remained of the Fairy Tail holy ground. He looked up into the sky, soaking in the sun's rays and taking note of the time. He figured they could set up camp here and start investigating the surrounding sea the next day. For now this crater needed their full attention.

He had circled around nearly half of its circumference when he met up with Jet and Droy, who had been moving around the other edge.

"Spot anything unordinary?" he asked them as they approached each other. Droy shook his head.

"Well, this whole place is unordinary, but no, we couldn't find anything," Jet said with a huff. "And it's already sundown. Let's start heading back to the camp I guess." Natsu nodded and the three members of Fairy Tail began to head in.

"The weird thing is, I'm not sensing any large amount of magic… Well I mean obviously yeah I feel it all around me, but it just feels like it's a different kind," Natsu said as he moved one of his hands through the air. "I just figured I'd be able to detect Fairy tail magic, seeing as how so many of us were here…" Droy pursed his lips and kicked a pebble at his feet.

"That makes sense I suppose, I mean it's only been two days, there still should be some residual ethernano…" Natsu looked up at the pink sky, or at least what little of it he could see outside the pit they were in.

"Maybe it's just that we can't feel it over Acnologia's residual magic," Jet suggested. Natsu put his hands at the back of his neck as they walked and mulled over the possibilities. Jet was right of course, but they didn't know enough about Acnologia to know one hundred percent if it was true. They also hadn't found any corpses yet, which implied none of the Fairy Tail wizards died. Of course the entire island was gone so there was a chance that they had all been completely vaporized. But that was another thing Natsu preferred to deny. His stomach growled as the scent of food from the ever nearing camp wafted through the air into his nose. Gathered around the fire were all the search party members, each with a somber look in their eyes.

Natsu frowned as he sat himself on a small stool. Bisca sat to his left and Lyon sat to his right. A large scaled serpent was cooking over the fire. No words were exchanged. The only sound was the crackling of the wood from the fire and the slow hiss of all the moisture escaping their dinner. Ichiya was the first to break the tense moment by clearing his throat.

"Men! We checked all the around the landing zone and found nothing!" He struck another tacky pose that his followers huffed and pulled a flaming piece of meat straight off of the fire. He tossed it in his mouth nonchalantly and swallowed it in one go.

"Nothing from me," he reported. Jet and Droy voiced their similar lack of findings, and as the rest of the circle members began to reply Natsu realized that everyone had had no luck. Shaking his head he plucked another piece of meat and spent more time working it down his throat, chewing and savoring its juicy and sweet flavor.

"Hey, this is really good. If only Happy were here, I'm sure he would love it…" his voice trailed off as the cat once again crept into his mind. It was quiet again. Everyone looked to the dragon slayer, the figurehead of the search and their unofficial leader, and as they watched the tears roll down his cheeks they all found their resolve waver. But then Lyon stood up.

"What the hell are you doing, Natsu?! You can't give up yet, they're out there and they're waiting for us to find them!" he cried took Natsu by both shoulders and glared at him. Natsu was taken aback. This was something, he realized, that was typical of his behavior and having to have someone else perform such an act on him was wrong. With a grin, Natsu stood up level with Lyon.

"You're right! Tomorrow we search the sea, I'm sure we'll find them!" From across the fire Sherry looked up at Ren and giggled.

"He really is inspiring, isn't he?" Ren wrapped his arm around her and nodded.

"He really is."

Christina, One Month Later

As Christina floated away from the sinkhole, Natsu felt that a new hole had appeared. But it wasn't in the ground, or the sea. It was in his heart. He sat below decks up against a wall keeled over due to his motion sickness, but it was more than the motion that made him sick. He knew all of his comrades felt the same way. He couldn't let them see him like this. He had to be strong, for them. He had to keep them hopeful until the rest came back. They had to come back. Natsu felt that they couldn't truly be gone. He began to consider what the guild would be like without all of the tenrou group. They had lost all of their S class wizards. And their strongest wizards besides that.

That meant that difficult jobs wouldn't be able to be done, and without difficult jobs and high pay there was no hope of paying property tax on a building the size of the Fairy Tail guild hall. So everyone who remained needed to get stronger. Natsu thought about S class wizards, and figured he might as well consider himself one. Which meant Fairy Tail had one. But one wasn't a lot. There would need to be more, so there would need to be S class exams. Suddenly Natsu stopped himself. He had left Macao in charge when they'd left, but if Fairy Tail was going to survive, or at least survive the way that Natsu wanted it to, only Natsu could do what needed to be done. He clenched his fist as rolled around on the floor, and tried feebly to stick it into the air. Natsu Dragneel would become the fourth guildmaster of Fairy Tail.

A/N: Alright, it was a tad short and a tad slow but it's only the first chapter. Leave any suggestions or criticism in the comments, favorite and follow at your leisure. Also, when I reread this whole thing a few nights ago I realized I have way too many small mistakes, and I'd appreciate another pair of eyes. PM me if you wanna be shared on the doc and highlight mistakes for me.