The Fairy Tail guild had returned to its usual bustle, louder than ever.
Blanc stood surrounded by the members, his clothes scorched at the hem and his hair a mess, while seven or eight hands pressed, rubbed, and tugged at him at once.
Everyone talked over one another, offering their opinions on the incident. After enduring the guild members' enthusiastic welcome, a rather bedraggled Blanc gave them a brief explanation of what had happened.
"A Thought Body?" Cana was the first to ask.
"Yeah. I had something urgent to take care of, so I didn't go in person."
Gray folded his arms and let out a long breath, understanding dawning on his face.
"So that was it. No wonder you dissolved into light. It was because you were a Thought Body."
"Thank goodness... thank goodness. I thought I'd destroyed you when I lost control."
Elfman stood at the edge of the crowd, crying into his hands. His body finally relaxed as he let out a breath of relief.
"Uh, Elfman, don't get carried away." Blanc gave the overly confident Elfman a helpless look.
"Even if it was only my Thought Body, you still couldn't have killed me."
"Huh?"
Elfman's sobbing cut off abruptly. He froze with his hands still raised to wipe his tears, and the atmosphere turned distinctly awkward.
"Hey." Mira rolled her eyes beside him, her arms folded as she kicked Blanc's shin. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"
Blanc spread his hands, his tone innocent.
"Some kind of space-time magic went off nearby. My Thought Body was hit by it and forcibly transported to another world."
"Another world?" Natsu immediately leaned in, excitement lighting up his eyes. "What other world?"
"Hmm... that'd take too much explaining." Blanc waved vaguely and pushed Natsu's big face away.
"Your Thought