*sobs* The last chapter...

This is the most painful thing ever...

I can't even...

By the way, I lost my notebook that had the special chapter in Jade's POV, so... no more special chapter. *cue sad face* And, I also wrote the thank you message in that notebook. Now, it's gone...

This lessens my happiness.

Not to mention, The Best of Me made me sob endlessly. I CRIED IN THE CINEMA. EVEN WHEN THE CREDITS WERE ROLLING.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

NOW I KNOW HOW TO WRITE TRAGIC STORIES.

Anyway... for the last time... let us begin. *sniffles*

-/-/-

Chapter Forty - Dramatic Departure

-/-/-

December 31, X792
11:34 pm

-/-/-

"Well, I guess, we have to go off again on our ship," Jellal said to Erza, "Everyone's going outside. It'd be tragic if they saw us."

"Well, we'll see you soon," she smiled at him, "Don't forget to visit Fairy Tail once in a while."

"If... the Council isn't there," he grinned.

"Yes, of course."

"Oh, by the way," he took a familiar brown book from his bag, "Here's... Jade's recipe book."

"She left it on the ship?" Erza raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, along with her other cooking utensils," he gave her more stuff, "That's all."

"You need some help, Erza?" Gray shouted as Natsu practiced his fireworks.

"No need!"

"Well, off we go now," Jellal smiled at her and Gray, and even Natsu, "Meredy, is the ship still here?"

"Yeah," she nodded before hugging Juvia.

"Let's go now," he said to her before going to the ship.

The ship began moving, and everyone waved goodbye at them. Some even shed some tears.

"Too bad, they couldn't afford to see the fireworks, eh?" Gray smiled at Erza.

"Don't worry... I know, they will."

"Well, I'll also have to go back to Lamia Scale now," Lyon said to them, "The travel's just twenty minutes. I can get there before the fireworks."

"Cool, man," Gray did a handshake with him, "See ya later."

"Yeah."

"But, Lyon-sama!" Juvia ran to him.

"Juvia-chan, I'll be back tomorrow, don't worry," he gave her a long embrace, "I'll be back before you even know it." Then, he kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay, then, Lyon-sama!"

"Bye, Lyon!"

Everyone also waved at him as he went back to wherever Lamia Scale's guild was.

"So, can you hand these to Jade?" Erza gave Gray Jade's belongings.

"Heh, I thought you could do it."

"Gray!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

"I cannot wait," Erza grinned, "for the cake."

---

December 31, X792
11:57 pm

---

Everyone wore kimonos.

"It's been a while since I celebrated New Year," Jade smiled before turning to her right forearm, where her guild mark was, "Damn. I don't think I'll ever forget this day."

"Me neither," Laxus said.

"Obviously. You 'accidentally' smashed Cana's barrel."

"Yeah."

"Hey, did Gajeel ever tell you that I loved you?" Natsu turned to Lucy, putting his right arm over her shoulders.

"Err... no?" Lucy raised an eyebrow, slightly blushing.

He laughed harder as the booze took over him, "Well, I love you, Lucy Heartfilia!"

"Don't believe in anything the Natsu Drunk-neel says!" she shouted to the crowd, "Remember, he is drunk!"

"Heehee, they're so weird," Levy laughed before turning to Gajeel, "Say, Gajeel... how was the adventure? Did you get some metal?"

"Yeah," he answered, munching on some metal chunks from Tornado Requiem's Heavenward Cloud building's remains, "It was kinda fun, actually. Gihee, if you were there, you would have died."

"Was it so fun that I would have died? Seriously, Gajeel... do you think I'm allergic to fun?"

"No."

"Good." Levy's grin widened.

"Here come the fireworks!" Laxus yelled. When the fireworks were up in the sky, everyone's hearts were captured by their magnificence. It made everyone smile.

"They're magnificent," Erza said, leaning her head on Gray's shoulder.

"Not as magnificent as you are," Gray smiled, "Sometimes, I can't believe that everything's already ending. Every bit of our adventure, slowly ending with a whole lotta fireworks. It's pretty, but it makes me kinda sad."

"No, our adventures don't end. They never do. We just start new ones. New adventures that make us reminisce the old ones. It's pretty and sad, really. But, it's just some sort of an invitation to a new story. And, maybe, we realize our truths and ideals in that new story. It doesn't make a lot of sense... but it means a lot for me. It means a lot for the two of us..."

"New adventures... I'd love to have those adventures with you. Forever."

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she laughed.

"In the future, you'll realize that the answer was always... yes," he gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Happy new year!" everyone yelled before clapping in happiness. A familiar duo of oldies even got a bottle of champagne with them.

From a not-so-far-but-not-so-close-either place, someone looked at Gray and Erza kissing each other as the fireworks exploded. The man had red hair, and he had the eyes of the woman from the couple. He looked happy. He looked content, satisfied with what he did, even though it cost him his life.

"More adventures to come," he smiled.

"Hey, Master!" two familiar boys waved at him. One was slightly older, and one was, obviously, younger.

"Oh, you're here," he waved at them, "How about a game of basketball? Just like the old days."

"I don't think there's basketball in heaven," Synarto Rascigoo, the older boy, said, crossing his arms, "But, we can manifest it, so, okay."

"Haha, that's the spirit, bro!" Sycarto Rascigoo, the younger boy, patted his brother on the back, "Come on, Master! No time for dillydallying!"

"Well, I'll just manifest these two a new adventure," Eras Scarlet laughed, "I'm done. Let's go! I'm not losing to you!"

Back in Magnolia, two pairs of eyes looked at the guild rejoicing before them. They looked evil enough.

"They want a new adventure?" the girl asked the boy, "Shall we give them a new adventure? After all, they want one."

"Yes," the boy nodded, "Let's give them a tragic one that it'll haunt them forever."

They called themselves Element Twelve and Element Eleven.

Meanwhile, Gray and Erza finally stopped kissing, running out of air.

"A new year's the start of a new adventure!" Gray yelled before raising his bottle of booze, "Minna, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

This is one that I'll never forget for the rest of my life. It happened so incredibly. So amazingly. So...

Dramatically.

-/-/-

I'll miss this, minna-san.

Sayonaraaaa.

See you in the next book, or in my other books!

SALUTE TO YOU!

⚡

Keep shipping Grayza!