Natsu!" Gray shouted as Happy dropped the Fire Dragon Slayer safely back on the ground. "What the hell happened?"
Natsu looked around and became keenly aware that they were no longer alone. Not only was Fairy Tail gathered around them with varying degrees of worried expressions etched into their faces but the supporting troops from Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Quattro Cerberus were also milling around.
"I couldn't do it," Natsu confessed, his lips numb as he felt entirely, the words just spilling out without a second thought, "Zeref told me-"
"Natsu is from the past!" Happy burst out. He immediately flew in front of Natsu's face covering it from everyone's eyes before he shot Natsu a stern glare. Don't tell them, the glare said. "Zeref sent Natsu through the Eclipse Gates four hundred years ago."
"And I'm not the only one," Natsu said slowly, wondering exactly what Happy was up to, "he also sent Gajeel, Wendy, Sting, and Rogue through."
"WHAT?!"
"Zeref was apparently good friends with our parents."
"We were born over four hundred years ago?!" Gajeel repeated. "I'm over four hundred years old?! Gihi," he smirked, and preened slightly before Levy. "I look good for four hundred and something. What do you say, Shrimp? Can you live with dating an older man?"
"Age is only a number," Levy smiled lovingly, "if I can live with the fact your maturity is roughly nine years old, I can definitely deal with the fact you're technically four hundred and something."
Gajeel just smirked. "My maturity is still older than Salamander's," he said unbothered.
"This doesn't make any sense," Rogue said as he rubbed his temples, "we remember it being X777, I have memories of learning recent history, we knew all of the current events, especially about guilds, how can that be if we only just arrived from four hundred years ago?"
"Well it's rather obvious, ain't it?" Wakaba said as he lit himself a cigar. "We taught you everything and then manipulated your memories."
"WHAT?!"
"Oh yeah," Macao rubbed his chin, "I remember now…..why am I suddenly remembering this?"
"Because all of your memories were manipulated and they're now being triggered," Makarov explained, "I had Mest do mine as well before he did his own."
The four male Dragon Slayers turned furious glares in Mest's directions. Wendy, however, just smiled sweetly at him. "I'm sure there's a good reason," she said softly.
"Oh there is," Makarov said, "just that I can't remember it right now."
"How long have you known?!" Natsu demanded to know. "And why did you do it in the first place?"
"I have known since Wendy joined the guild," Makarov confessed. "That was my memory trigger, three dragon slayers at Fairy Tail. At first I thought it was a prophecy but ever so slowly my memory started to come back. The last few memories have slotted back into place these last couple days. As for why I did it," He looked at Natsu with the saddest, most apologetic look, "Mavis promised Zeref she would look after you." It might have been just because Natsu was a little sensitive thanks to his so-called brother's revelations but it felt like that that particular sentence was directed solely to Natsu. Not only were Makarov's eyes fixed on his face making Natsu feel distinctly like his very being was on show, but Mavis, silent, solemn, and uncharacteristically quiet, was staring at him too. She knew what he was, he realised with a shudder. "When she obviously couldn't, she left the plans with Hades, and when he could no longer be there, it was my turn. We helped set up the Gates and waited for your arrival and once we had you somewhat settled we gave you quick lessons on what you had missed."
