"Are we there yet!?" Leorio asked, running after Gon.

The scent was getting stronger by the minute and Gon was finding it easier to navigate the base. "We should be close!" He responded. They had to be.

Gon kept on feeling like they could get caught any moment, like a SIA member was right around the corner. A part of him secretly wanted this, the chance to train, the chance to fight.

But he realized that more than anything, he wanted to complete this mission. He had experienced an adventure, and all adventures must come to an end. It was now time to look on to the next challenge, as Hunters always do.

Finally, Gon could see the light at the end of the path. They had arrived.

The room they ran into hid no secrets. In front of them was a massive globe, almost filled to the brim with power. Tubes were connected to it, and there was a whole control board. It was a lab set up exclusively for this special power.

Gon stood there, eyes wide, for a few moments. Then, Leorio shook him back to reality.

"Lucy gave you a collector Lacrima, right?"

Gon nodded and took it out. He handed it over to Leorio. Remembering Lucy's instructions, Leorio cautiously put the lacrima up to the giant globe and waited.

Over a few minutes, the lacrima slowly started to emit the same power as the globe. It became heavier. And then finally, Leorio felt like it was enough. He handed the lacrima back to Gon.

"Great, now we just have to destroy this thing, right?" Leorio confirmed.

"Yeah, leave that to me." Gon said, looking over at the control board. He got his Nen ready.

"First comes rock..."

"Rock..."

"Paper..."

"ROCK!!!"

With a single punch, Gon smashed the control board to bits. Static waved through the air, and the overwhelming energy from the massive globe slowly began to die down. And with that, so did the lifeline of the SIA. They had won.

The electricity cut out. Gon and Leorio did a high five in the dark.

"Can your nose guide us back?" Leorio asked.

"I'm pretty sure." Gon said. "Let's go!"

But then, the fireworks began.

In that darkness, flashes of light erupted around the two of them. It was only when they began to feel heat, that Gon and Leorio realized with horror what those flashes were.

The room was self-destructing! This had to be the SIA final plan. Take their enemies down with them.

"Gon, lead us out of here!" Leorio yelled in panic.

But the overwhelming smell of smoke was tampering with Gon's senses. He could no longer use his nose! And what if they accidentally ran into another explosion?

So stuck in darkness, surrounded by explosions that could rip them apart at any moment, Gon and Leorio had no choice but to stand still and pray for a miracle.

Suddenly, Gon felt something cool around his chest. Almost like ice. And before he could comprehend what it was, he was being lifted into the air. Judging by Leorio's startled cries, the same thing was happening to him.

"Brace yourselves!" A voice cried out, but amid the heat and smoke, Gon couldn't tell who it was.

Suddenly, he felt his head going through the roof. It was a moment of pressurizing pain and then...

Fresh air. They had escaped!

It took a few moments for Gon and Leorio to get back to their senses, having finally landed on the ground. It was then that they noticed that the person who had saved them was...

Gray! He had vines of ice around Gon and Leorio and he quickly released them.

"You saved us!" Gon said.

Gray shrugged. "Nobody could stop me from going in. I missed most of the action, but it looks like I arrived right on time!"

Leorio sighed in relief. "I thought we were dead for sure. We owe you one!"

Soon, the three made their way back to the gang waiting in the forest.

"Gon!" Killua exclaimed, waving them over. "Looks like you made it out alive!"

"Thanks to Gray." Gon chuckled.

Killua leaned over to Gon smugly. "So... did you get to fight? Did you improve your skills? Or am I still ahead of you?"

Gon groaned. "Killuaaa..." Killua only laughed and eventually, Gon did too.

Leorio sighed when he saw Kurapika. "Look who decided to go off on his own again."

"You guys are safe!" Gon added.

"I know..." Kurapika said, responding to Leorio's statement. "I'm sorry... everyone."

But Gon wasn't paying attention to that. He saw the now wrapped up box in Kurapika's hands. "You found them! You got your clan's eyes back!"

Kurapika, surprised by the change of topic, only smiled. "I still have a long way to go. But... this is a start." But Gon could tell by the look on his face, that this small victory meant everything to Kurapika.

Erza had heard his former apology. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't dwell on it. All's well that ends well."

Gon looked around for Lucy, to show her the power they had collected. "Where's Lucy?"

"Oh..." Levy said. "She and Natsu went back to the guild hall. We're all headed there now."

Killua was surprised. "What for?"

"Well... just for a little surprise." Erza said. "Come along everyone."

"You'll like it, trust me." Wendy assured Killua. "Cool, sounds great! Killua, race you!" Gon said, excitedly. The two boys ran ahead.

Leorio sighed. "Looks like even after all of this, this guild can never be brought down. It's like none of this ever happened!"

"I... don't think that's a bad thing." Kurapika replied. He smiled. "Let's go see what final surprise this guild has in store."

And with that, everyone headed out of the forest, with nothing but smiles. A mission starting with wizards and Hunters, ended with the shared success of wizards and Hunters. And it was a success they would all remember.

That was true. The lights immediately flickered back on when they stepped inside.

"MISSION'S DONE, NOW LET'S PARTYYYYYYY!" Natsu cried out, now apparently fully recovered from his train ordeal.

"It was only right to send you four off with a party, after everything we've done together." Lucy explained to the Hunters. "Also, the council has given us reward money, which will be split to everyone, including you guys."

"Sweet!" Leorio grinned.

"Told you you'd like it!" Wendy said.

Killua grabbed Gon's arm. "I'm starving, there's food, let's go!"

And with that, nobody hesitated to enjoy the party. That was the one thing the Hunters particularly admired. Fairy Tail wizards didn't let their past struggles hold them back. They overcame them and became stronger. Here they were, enjoying life, and each time, they would have changed a bit more for the better.

This was the heart of the guild. All their flaws and quirks only added to the love and life in this building.

This was Fairy Tail.

Everyone had the time of their life for the next few hours.

Then, finally, the inevitable arrived. The collector lacrima was set in the middle of the table. Everyone gathered around it.

"Thank you for this. It really helped me." Kurapika said, giving Levy back the Archive lacrima.

"You can keep it!" Levy said. "I know it won't work in your world cause there's no magic energy, but maybe it can be a souvenir of your time here."

"Oh, right." Kurapika said. Looking at the lacrima, it did feel right. "I'll do just that."

"I wish you luck in retrieving the rest of your clan's eyes." Erza said.

Kurapika didn't believe in luck but at the moment, it was enough. "Thank you." He smiled.

"Here." Leorio said, giving Gray his share of the reward money from the council. "This should be enough to pay you back for those medical books. And extra of course, for saving our lives. This money is useless in my world anyway."

Gray grinned. "Thanks man. But seriously, don't worry about the entire 'saving your life' thing. That's what we wizards do."

"Thank you for coming here. It really was a great time." Wendy told Killua.

"Really?" Killua asked. "Even with all the trouble and fights we went through?"

Wendy nodded sincerely. "Everything."

Suddenly, Killua felt arms thrown around his shoulders. Gon almost chuckled at how taken aback Killua was at being hugged.

I'm not allowed to say "thank you" to you, Wendy thought. So this is my way. Thank you.

Wendy didn't quite know what she was thanking Killua for. It just felt right.

When Wendy finished hugging him, Killua quickly got over being flustered. He grinned. "Keep using that awesome magic of yours. Really, you're stronger than you think, just believe in yourself."

Wendy smiled. "I will!"

Finally, Natsu went over and gave Gon a high five. "I'm rooting for you, kiddo! Go and see Ging again!"

"Definitely! Thank you for everything!" Gon said. He didn't care where or when he would see Ging. As long as he didn't give up, the day would come where he would see his father again.

Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, all gathered around the lacrima, ready to use their Nen. Suddenly, they felt a change in the atmosphere. They all looked up.

EVERY single member had this symbol up in the air. And it was being directed towards the Hunters. They stood strong and united.

"It's now time to begin the Fairy Tail farewell ceremony!" Erza announced.

"There are THREE rules that all departing members must follow." Gray said.

"Firstly, you must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live." Wendy said.

"Secondly, you must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain." Levy said.

"And finally..." Natsu began. His smile on his face showed that this was the most important one of all. "Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might. You must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends for as long as you live."

"In other words..." Erza added with a big smile. "Live every day as if there's no tomorrow."

Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio let that sink in. They stared at all these people they had connected with, having only known them for a few weeks, giving them a proper sendoff, treating them as if they were a part of the guild, the family. In the end, they really were.

Seeing all this, they could do nothing but smile.

"You ready Wendy?" Erza asked.

"All set." Wendy said, drawing a magic circle. She got ready to do her spell.

The Hunters all then activated their Ten on the lacrima. A light emerged from it and Wendy could sense that there was enough magic energy generated for her spell to work.

"I call upon a holy light in the heavens, holding out for its lost magic. Take it from its enchanter and bring it back to its haven. STAR WAY!"

Light burst out around the Hunters. Feeling themselves fading away, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, turned back one last time, to the people who found and helped them all the way.

Seeing all their faces wishing them goodbye, and best of luck, they felt no regrets. They had lived a truly full and meaningful life in this world and now, it was time to go back.

With the light fully enveloping them, they disappeared.

Wendy released her enchantment and sighed. Tears rolled down her eyes. "I'll miss them."

"You know... out of all the unforgettable experiences we've had, this one takes the cake." Natsu decided.

"Natsu's right." Erza said. She looked towards where their friends once were.

"We will never forget them."

Light burst out in the hotel room, and just like that, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio were back again. They all felt a bit disoriented with their different surroundings, but overall, they were home.

Leorio sighed and lay back on the couch. "Time to hit the books!"

Gon rubbed his head. "I can't believe... that happened."

Killua laughed. "So, was this reunion up to your expectations?"

Gon nodded firmly, with a thumbs up. "That and more!"

Kurapika carefully put his lacrima and the eyes he collected on the table. By instinct, he looked at his hand. "Our tattoos... they're gone."

Both Gon and Killua checked their shoulders. Yes, they were gone without a trace. Of course, those tattoos were made with magic energy, and there was none in this world.

But, that didn't matter anyways. None of them said it out loud, but they all knew they no longer needed them anymore. They didn't need tattoos to be part of the Fairy Tail guild.

The guild was in their hearts. And they would carry it around with them no matter what.