The Fairy Tail guild members present on Tenrou Island vanished for seven years primarily due to the powerful Fairy Sphere spell, cast by the guild's first master, Mavis Vermillion, to protect them from a catastrophic threat. This defensive magic encased them in a state of stasis, preserving them for the entire duration of their disappearance.
The Cataclysm on Tenrou Island
The disappearance occurred during the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial on Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail's sacred ground. Towards the end of the trial, the island was confronted by Acnologia, the formidable Black Dragon, who launched a devastating attack threatening to annihilate everyone present.
Mavis Vermillion's Intervention and Fairy Sphere
Facing certain destruction, Mavis Vermillion, whose spirit resided on the island, manifested to protect her guild. She activated Fairy Sphere, one of Fairy Tail's three great magics, as a last resort.
Key aspects of Fairy Sphere's effect:
- Protective Stasis: The spell sealed everyone within its radius in a state of suspended animation, preventing them from aging, starving, or being harmed by the outside world for the seven years they were missing.
- Time Discrepancy: While the guild members inside Fairy Sphere experienced no passage of time, the outside world continued to advance, leading to the significant seven-year gap.
- Source of Protection: Initially, Master Makarov believed Mavis's power alone protected them. However, Mavis, being an ethereal body, later clarified that while her magic initiated the spell, the unwavering faith and resilience of the guild members themselves were crucial, helping to manifest the "miracle" of their survival against such immense odds.
Upon the deactivation of Fairy Sphere, the guild members were released, seemingly unchanged by the passage of time, only to discover that seven years had elapsed in the world outside their magical shield. This event marked their return in the year X791, fundamentally altering the guild's standing and their perception of the world.
