Episode 200

Drops of Time is the 200th episode of the Fairy Tail anime, and the 25th episode of the 2014 series.
With the start of a new day after the hectic events of the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse incident, Fairy Tail prepare to go back to Magnolia. Meredy and Jellal meet Doranbolt while searching for Ultear and learn that news of the Eclipse incident would never reach the Magic Council thanks to his Memory Control. They also learn that Tartaros is about to make their move. As the two depart the region, they receive a letter from Ultear which tells them of her condition, greatly saddening the two. On the way to Magnolia, Fairy Tail's carriage passes by an elderly Ultear without stopping, but Gray recognizes her and realizes the sacrifice she made, weeping that he had now lost both mother and daughter. Ultear, on the other hand, is happy for the first time in her life that she is alive and bids a fond farewell to those dear to her.
==Summary==
A bright new day dawns as the residents of Crocus go about their daily business, unaware of the calamity that has been averted thanks to the Mages. In one of the houses, an old woman also gets ready for her day with a smile on her face. She visits a cafe for her breakfast and chats with one of the waitresses, telling her that she had been supporting Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games and gently agrees when the waitress begins to rave about Gray's looks. Later, she trips while walking down a street, to be steadied by none other than Chapati Lola, whom she recognizes as the commentator from the Games. He says that he is off to his next assignment and takes his leave when she politely refuses his offer to escort her to her destination.
Back in their hotel, Gray, Happy, Lucy, Natsu and Erza prepare to head back to Magnolia and light-heartedly converse about the recent occurrence. Soon, Wendy and Carla arrive with a fancy carriage to take the team home, explaining that it was cheap as the Garou Knights had arranged it. Natsu then starts complaining when Wendy says that she is too drained to cast Troia, with Gray taunting him, and Erza and Carla telling him to solve the problem himself. But, after all that, he ends up riding with them anyway, feeling completely nauseated. Meanwhile, Meredy and Jellal wander about the ruins of Crocus, worriedly searching for Ultear. Jellal recalls how the Dragon invasion was thwarted and wonders about its consequences as their memories, as well the aftermath of the battle, remain; Meredy theorizes that too many disruptions in the time stream makes things going back to normal impossible. As the two discuss how the news of the Royal Family's use of Dark Magic would be received by the Magic Council, Doranbolt intercepts them.
Back at the Magic Council, Lahar and Org have a discussion about the Grand Magic Games. Surprisingly, no mention of the Eclipse incident is made, with Org only mentioning a display of illusory Dragons, which Lahar says that Doranbolt confirms as he himself was asleep in an inn. Somewhere outside Crocus on a rocky pass, Doranbolt explains to Meredy and Jellal that he wiped clean the memories of all the Council members that had witnessed the incident and also gave the Royal Family a strict warning, elaborating that news about the incident would only serve to undermine the royals and ultimately put the monarchy in danger. He then bids the two farewell and makes it clear that they are to act as if the meeting never happened.
Jellal, however, stops him and inquires about Cobra; Doranbolt responds that the Dragon Slayer turned himself in after the fight, all the while grumbling about the fact that his performance was quite pathetic. But he also mentioned about hearing something ominous, about the gates of the underworld being thrown open, and told Doranbolt that he had better return to his cell without having his memories changed, as he has valuable information. Finishing his recounting, Doranbolt teleports away, and Jellal realizes that Cobra was talking about Tartaros.
Elsewhere, Gray's group has decided to halt for a while, everybody resting in an open plain. As Natsu, Happy and Lucy discuss what they want to do after returning home and Erza shows Carla a horrendously-sketched design for a new armor, Wendy and Natsu notice Gray standing far away by himself. Wendy approaches her friend and asks him whether he is feeling unwell, but Gray assures her that he is well, but says that he is troubled by a vision of his own death that he had during his battle with the Miniature Dragons. Remarking that he had felt such chaotic yet warm emotions before, Gray recounts his experience with Deliora and Ur and tells Wendy that Lyon was also Ur's pupil while Ultear is her daughter. He then wonders what happened to Ultear.
Walking down a path along a green plain, Meredy and Jellal try to guess Cobra's motives as well as Tartaros', but along the way, they come across the old woman and try to avoid her, but approach her when she seems to recognize them. She gives them a letter which she claims was given to her by some woman; Meredy immediately realizes the woman must have been Ultear. The letter proves her correct and explains what happened to their former partner, as well as reminds them of their purpose and tells them to continue their work without her. Jellal then notices that the old woman has disappeared and then turns to comfort a weeping Meredy.
By this time, Gray and the others have resumed their journey, and the group chats frivolously as the carriage passes by the now-wizened Ultear, the mysterious old woman from before. She stops to look at it and then smiles to herself, pondering to herself that she, who had considered her life to be cursed until now, was finally happy to be alive. Gray observes her through a window and recognizes her, shouting for the carriage to stop, but then goes back on the command when Ultear kindly shakes her head at him to not do so. Realizing her sacrifice, he begins to sob and wonders why both mother and daughter had to sacrifice themselves to save his life while Ultear silently bids farewell to everybody beloved to her.
==Characters in Order of Appearance==
==Battles & Events==
*None
==Magic, Spells, and Abilities used==
===Magic used===
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===Spells used===
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===Abilities used===
*None
==Manga & Anime Differences==
*The following occurs only in the anime:
**A scene of Ultear getting up in the morning and heading to a café and then meeting Chapati, conversing with him about Gray.
**The anime adds a scene of Natsu's group preparing to depart Crocus.
**The scene of several guards, the male members of the Garou Knights, Quatro Cerberus (excluding Bacchus) and Cana intoxicated at Bar Sun.
**A scene of Team Natsu stopping in a field is added.
**The anime adds Gray explaining part of his past to Wendy, including a flashback of his death by a Miniature Dragon, Deliora, young Lyon, Ul and her death.
*The debris around Jellal and Meredy differs between media.
**The tower also flips positions, with it being a bell tower in the manga and a clock tower in the anime.
*The debris surrounding the destroyed Eclipse Gate and where Doranbolt arrives are different between media.
*In the anime, Lahar is seen talking with frog guards before Orga arrives and walks with him through the halls. In the manga, Lahar is not talking with anyone and Orga walks down the stairs first.
*The rocks' position around Meredy are different in the anime.
*The adds a fantasy about the Eclipse gate before Doranbolt's flashback of him scolding the royal family.
*Cobra's cuffs are different between media. He also talks about Tartaros first, instead of talking about Oracion Seis.
*Doranbolt leaving was added in the anime.
*Crime Sorcière were already on the path when they met old Ultear in the manga, in the anime, however, they were first on a grassy field before going on path.
*In the manga, Ultear is shown nude and has lipstick, while in the anime she has her Crime Sorcière outfit with her white hairband and ribbons.
*The distance between the carriage and old Ultear when she thinks about her life is different between media.
*Gray's shirt is different between the two media.
==Navigation==
Category:Episodes