Episode 187

Change is the 187th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It will air on June 21, 2014.

The Rescue Team continues to move throughout Mercurius, hearing from Future Lucy that 10,000 Dragons will attack Crocus on July 7th, and that they need a plan to stop them. As both Arcadios and Jellal find holes in Future Lucy's story and question her true identity, Rogue and Gajeel face off in the Grand Magic Game, with Rogue gaining the upper hand when he is possessed by his shadow. However, just as Gajeel seem to fall, the man consumes Rogue's Magic, re-entering the fight in his Iron Shadow Dragon Mode.

Summary
As Rogue and Gajeel begin their confrontation in the Grand Magic Games after Rogue baits Gajeel, Future Lucy wakes up to the worried eyes of the Rescue Team, who ask her to explain why she came from the future. Future Lucy replies that a flight of 10,000 Dragons will attack Crocus is a few days, demolishing the entire city and killing thousands. Shocked, Natsu states that they need to prepare to fight as Future Lucy questions why they believe her. The group tell her that they would never doubt Lucy's words and that she should have more faith in her friends, but the atmosphere then turns cold when Carla asks what happens to them in Future Lucy's time: when Future Lucy refuses to answer, the group silently conclude that they all must die at some point before Future Lucy goes back in time. Future Lucy briefly explains the chaos that occurred after the Dragons arrived, and how she used the Eclipse Gate to travel back in time, arriving just as the Grand Magic Games were beginning. Confused, the Rescue Team all question how that is possible, as they were told the Gate would send a person 400 years back in time; Future Lucy replies that she too is unsure and still unaware of exactly how the Eclipse Gate works, but tells her friends that they need to head out of the palace and rendezvous with Jellal and his comrades, as she has told the Crime Sorcière man everything and hopes he'll have a strategy for how to change the upcoming future. When the Rescue Team probe further, Future Lucy reveals that though she has come back from the future, she has no idea what so ever as to what needs to be done to save the country.

Sitting off to the side, the still injured Arcadios listens to Future Lucy's words, recalling how the Princess Hisui already seems to be prepared, deciding to use the Eclipse 2 plan to save Crocus: rather than using the accumulated Magic Power to travel back in time 400 years, the Magic power will be used as a cannon and fired at the flight of Dragons when they arrive. However, the military man notes that the Princess only knew about the Eclipse 2 Plan because she was informed by Future Lucy of how to achieve it, and questions why Future Lucy would lie to her comrades about her knowledge of Eclipse and the day she arrived, as Hisui spoke to the person from the future days before Future Lucy claimed to arrive back in Crocus. As he ponders, Natsu promises Future Lucy that he will help her to change the future, holding her as the others smile on. Concurrently, across Crocus, Jellal too figures out that Future Lucy's story is filled with unaccountable holes, and questions whether she is making up stories for her own benefit, or if she is an imposter entirely.

Meanwhile, in the raging Grand Magic Game, a battered Rogue explains to Gajeel that he actually knew him some time ago, being an idol of the Phantom Lord Guild and hoping to join it when he grew old enough. Hearing about the guild's disbandment after the guild war between them and Fairy Tail, Rogue states that he was originally disgusted at hearing that Gajeel had joined the very guild that had defeated him. However, the Shadow Dragon Slayer also admits that, after seeing Gajeel in the Grand Magic Games, he has figured out why Gajeel acted so: Fairy Tail is filled with strong people all of whom greatly respect and protect each other. Saddened, Rogue comments that Sabertooth is in no way similar, as the members are treated more like soldiers than comrades. However, Gajeel points out that Rogue has Frosch as a friend, and Rogue smiles in return, accepting that Gajeel has caught him up. As the two accept their mutual reasons for fighting, Rogue suddenly hears a voice urging him to attack Gajeel, and crazily begins to locate the person speaking to him, much to the confusion of Gajeel, who thinks Rogue is talking to himself. Turning, Rogue finally locates the source of the voice, this being his shadow, which, after ordering him to kill Gajeel, states that it will lend him the power to do so.

Back in Mercurius, Future Lucy leads the group through some back passages, commenting that she wants to avoid the imperial guards so that they aren't captured in the same way they were in her timeline. However, as the group emerges into a hallway, they find the imperial guards right on their back, and that Arcadios and Yukino are both missing. As Natsu and Loke fight off the guards, Mirajane hastily decides to backtrack and find Yukino, and runs off on her own as Carla begins to have uneasy feelings about everything that is happening.

As the group in the palace struggle, Gajeel too begins to fall victim to Rogue as the man is possessed by his shadow and granted immense powers. With Fairy Tail watching on in confusion and Frosch questioning who Rogue is, Rogue continues his assault, flooring the Iron Dragon Slayer as Jellal, Meredy and Ultear suddenly sense the dark Magic power coming from the city; however, Jellal calms the group, telling them that it is likely just Future Lucy fighting an enemy, and that they have nothing to fear from her so long as she has Natsu and the current Lucy are watching her. Meanwhile, Frosch runs out of the Domus Flau to retrieve Rogue as said Dragon Slayer chokes Gajeel to the verge of death, throwing his to the ground to be consumed by shadows. Despite appearing to be down, Gajeel suddenly smiles, and, whilst stating that he can do anything Natsu can, begins to absorb Rogue's Shadow Dragon Slayer Magic into his body. Succeeding and beginning to stand, Gajeel demands that the shadow leave Rogue's body, continuing to state that he remembers Rogue being terrified of him as a little boy in the guild. Calling Rogue by his true name, Ryos, Gajeel, now in Iron Shadow Dragon Mode, tells Rogue that he will remind him just how scary he can be.

Battles & Events

 * Lucy Heartfilia's Rescue from Mercurius
 * Gajeel Redfox vs. Rogue Cheney
 * Rescue Team vs. Fiore Forces (started)

Abilities used

 * Flight
 * Dragon's Roar
 * Hand to Hand Combat
 * Battle Mode Shift (戦闘モードシフト Sentō Mōdo Shifuto)
 * Iron Shadow Dragon Mode (モード鉄影竜 Mōdo Tetsueiryū)

Weapons used

 * Various weapons

Items used

 * Celestial Spirit Gate Keys
 * Gate of the Maiden Key