Chapter 339

Drops of Time is the 339th chapter of Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail.
As Jellal and Meredy search for Ultear in the ruins of Crocus, they are approached by Doranbolt, who takes them aside and details that he forcefully wiped the memories of the Magic Council clean in order for them to forget the Dragon attack, as well as the royal family's use of Dark Magic. Hearing this and vowing to keep the secret too, Jellal and Meredy continue their search until an old woman brings them a letter from Ultear, which contains a farewell for the duo. Meanwhile, Gray spots the same old woman from a carriage and realizes that the woman is Ultear herself, having aged drastically as a result of saving his life after casting the taboo spell Last Ages. 
==Summary==
Walking the streets of the ruined Crocus, Jellal and Meredy quietly search for Ultear, whom they still have yet to find despite the fact that the war against the Dragons has ended. With Meredy hoping she isn't hurt, Jellal ponders the idea that despite the Dragons and future visitors returning to their own time, Crocus remained destroyed and their memories intact. Hearing him, Meredy suggests that their timeline was just so tangled with all of the others that the damage was irreversible, though Jellal seems more concerned with the memories that remain, as the royal families use of Dark Magic has already been reported to the Council. Commenting that such information could cause a scandal, the two suddenly come across Doranbolt.
Meanwhile, at the Magic Council, Org runs into Lahar, and compliments him on his wonderful surveillance of the Grand Magic Games. After Lahar replies he actually had more fun than he probably should have, Org asks about the apparent Dragon illusion show the King organized on the last night, though Lahar states that he sadly wasn't around to witness it. When Org comments that the older members of the Council should have seen it, Lahar merely replies that they seem to be opposing such Magic tournaments more and more with every passing day, causing the two to laugh. 
Having led Jellal and Meredy away from Crocus to a hidden cave off the main road, Doranbolt reveals -much to Jellal's surprise- that he used his Memory Control Magic to completely wipe the memories of the Council members and replace them with fake ones about what happened on the night of the seventh of July. When Jellal asks why he would go to so much trouble, Doranbolt states that if the information that the royal family was using Magic from the book of Zeref were to get out, the citizens would lose trust and the Magic Council would be forced to act. Continuing that sometimes the best strategy is to turn a blind eye, Doranbolt reveals that he also wiped Lahar's memories as well, despite Jellal's thoughts that he would do otherwise. Looking out past Jellal, Doranbolt spots Meredy curled up at the entrance of the cave, and asks if the group still have yet to locate Ultear. Jellal merely replies that she is not the sort to up and disappear without a word, and hearing this Doranbolt decides to leave, partially shocked that he even cared about the Crime Sorcière members safety in the first place. Demanding that both Meredy and Jellal keep quiet and not tell anyone of their meeting, Doranbolt exits the cave, though just before he can move out of sight, Jellal asks what became of Cobra. Recalling the night of July 7, Doranbolt explains that the Poison Dragon Slayer surprisingly came back straight after the battle ended. As they secured his hands and began to lead him away, Doranbolt heard the man talking about hearing voices, and asked what he had come across. To his surprise, Cobra turned and stated that the gates of the netherworld are about to be opened, continuing to ask Doranbolt not to mess around with his memories until such a time. 
As Jellal and Meredy continue on their way, Jellal thinks over Cobra's comments, and comes to the conclusion that Cobra was speaking of the third corner of the Balam Alliance, Tartaros. As he contemplates whether the Dark Guild is finally making its move, the two are approached by an old woman, who surprisingly knows them by name. Continuing, the woman states that she was asked to give the duo a letter from a certain lady, and, opening it, the two realize it is from Ultear. Reading, the two discover that Ultear failed to properly use a spell during the fight to protect Crocus, and as a result barely has any time left in her life. Wishing to bid them one last farewell, Ultear reminds them of Crime Sorcière's resolve, and wishes for them to continue on strongly into the future, find Zeref, and continue their fight with her spirit at their side. Soon realizing that they are not going to find their comrade, Meredy begins to cry, whilst Jellal turns to question the old lady, only to see that she has disappeared. 
Nearby, Team Natsu, Wendy and Carla all travel in a carriage back to Magnolia, reminiscing their time in Crocus. As they chat, their carriage passes by the old lady, who is walking down the road. Seeing them pass by, the old woman looks to the sky and thinks about her own insignificance in a world so large, more so just how many possibilities the world holds. From his place at the back of the carriage, Gray looks out and spots the old woman, seemingly feeling a sense of recognition. As the old woman basks in the sun and comments that she can almost feel her sins being washed away, Gray orders the driver to stop and leaps from the vehicle. Whilst the woman comments that she was finally able to forgive herself for her sins, Gray runs towards her crying, realizing that the old woman is none other than Ultear, the person who sacrificed her own existence to save his. As both he, Meredy and Jellal cry over the loss of their friend, Ultear bids them all a final farewell. 
==Characters in Order of Appearance==
==Battles & Events==
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==Magic, Spells, and Abilities used==
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